Cuban Studies Institute

Created in 1946, by a faction of the Partido Revolucionario Cubano (Auténtico) that broke with the party, disillusioned with the corruption of the Grau San Martín administration of 1944-1948.  Led by Eduardo Chibás, it adopted a broom as its emblem.  Proclaiming “vergüenza contra dinero” (dignity versus money), the ortodoxos aimed to “clean up” Cuban politics and rescue the revolution of […]

(1) One of Spain’s two traditional 19th century political parties. (2) Original name of the Partido Liberal Autonimista. (3) Party of the Republic, created in 1903 as the primary opposition to the presidency of Tomás Estrada Palma, whom it overthrew in the Guerrita de Agosto.  One of the Republic’s first parties to organize nationally, it was consolidated as a

After Fulgencio Batista had engineered Grau San Martín’s downfall and the thwarting of the revolution of 1933, the students who had supported Grau were frustrated and disillusioned.  Many desired to continue fighting for their frustrated revolution, and in 1934 they formed the Auténtico party, modeled on Martí’s Partido Revolucionario Cubano of 1892.  Leaders of the Directorio Estudiantil Universitario joined the new party and

Title first used by the Cuban Communist movement (hitherto the Union Revolucionaria Comunista) from 1933.  This PCC backed the 1935 general strikes in Havana.  In 1938 Batista negotiated a coalition whereby the party joined in forming the Coalición Socialista Democrática to support him in the election of 1940.  The rewards were legalization of the party and considerable influence on Batista’s first

Name adopted in 1944 by the Partido Unión Revolucionaria, the earlier Unión Revolucionaria Comunista.  Its World War II objective became that of increasing its membership by getting all its supporters to become members.  Its slogan was “Economic Progress, Social Security, Victory and a People’s Peace.”  President Grau permitted Communist activities until 1947 when he broke

Name given to Fidel Castro’s revolutionary cause, adopted from the date of his ill-fated 1953 attack on the Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba.  He began the movement in prison, and after his 1955 release he traveled in the United States and Mexico seeking funds for it. His forces sailed from Mexico to Oriente province

A prominent clandestine organization opposing the dictatorial regime of Gerardo Machado, composed of intellectuals, students, and representatives of the middle sectors of society.  It came into being in 1931, principally to punish the regime for the atrocities it was committing against the opposition and was named from its organization in cells.  Each cell contained seven

Founded by the Dominican order in 1728 as the Real y Pontificia Universidad de San Gerónimo de la ciudad de San Cristóbal de La Habana, it received its current name August 31, 1828, adopted the Spanish government’s new Plan de estudios in 1838, and was secularized January 14, 1843 as the Real Universidad de la

Movement initiated by Ramiro de Maetzu, which was very popular in the Spain of the 1940s.  It lamented that Anglo-Saxon values had supplanted Spanish cultural domination of the New World and claimed that a lack of social reform had frustrated Latin American independence.  It called for closer identity among the Latin American nations as well

Begun in 1832 in Havana by Spanish journalist Isidoro Araujo de Lira, with capital provided by Ramón Pintó, as a simple bulletin of shipping movements, this morning daily was only one of eight flourishing 19th century Cuban newspapers, four of which were dailies.  The official organ of the Spanish military, it was primarily concerned with