Eduardo René Chibás y Ribas Agramonte (1907-1951)

Founder of the Partido del Pueblo (Ortodoxo). Son of a wealthy Santiago engineer, “Eddy” became a prominent student leader, and one of the originators of the Directorio Estudiantil Universitario. Graduating in law, his sharp criticism of Gerardo Machado’s government led to imprisonment, December 1931-December 1932, followed by exile in Miami. He returned following Machado’s downfall to support the presidential candidacy of Ramón Grau San Martín. He became a strong critic of the government again when Grau was forced to resign (early 1934) by Fulgencio Batista. In 1938 Chibás joined the Partido Revolucionario Cubano (Auténtico) and again backed Grau for the presidency in 1944.

In 1946, now a senator, and disillusioned by Grau’s nepotism, government corruption, and gangsterismo(the violence of politically oriented gangs), he founded the Ortodoxo party and ran for president, coming third. During the Carlos Prío Socarrás administration, he used his weekly radio broadcasts for bitter attacks on its policies, and, especially, its corruption, with direct attacks on personalities. There was a considerable increase of his supporters, one of whom was Fidel Castro, nominated for a congressional seat in the 1952 elections. On August 5, 1951, at the height of an emotional radio broadcast, Chibás shot himself in the stomach, in an attempt to ignite the Cuban populace into action after having failed to substantiate his charges of corruption against minister Aureliano Sánchez Arango. Chibás’ death three days later promoted more sadness than anger and created a political vacuum and a rift in his party that facilitated Batista’s March 1952 coup.

Chibás’ criticism, furthermore, helped to undermine, not only the authority of the Auténticos, destroying what little prestige they still enjoyed, but the stability of Cuba’s already fragile political institutions as well.