Background
Eduardo René Chibás was born in Santiago on 15 August 1907, the son of a wealthy engineer and politician.
Eduardo René Chibás was born in Santiago on 15 August 1907, the son of a wealthy engineer and politician.
He studied law and politics at the University of Havana but was expelled in 1927 for making a fiery speech against President Gerardo Machado y Morales. He then studied law and English at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Returning to the island, Chibás once again took up the struggle against Machado. He was imprisoned for 18 months, spending part of the time in a jail on the Isle of Pines where he met his future political ally and adversary, Ramón Grau San Martín.
ln September 1933 Chibás nominated Grau for president of the revolutionary junta. In the period from Grau’s downfall in January 1934 until his reelection to the presidency in 1944, Chibás belonged to the Auténtico Party and was one of Dr. Grau’s strongest supporters. In 1939 he was elected to the constituent assembly, and the next year ran successfully for a seat in the House of Representatives. He gained a Senate seat in 1944.
Disillusioned with the corruption and broken promises of Grau’s first two years, Chibás broke with the Auténticos in 1946. The next year he founded a new political party. El Partido del Pueblo Cubano. Known as the Ortodoxo party, its slogan was “Honesty versus Money.”
Chibás and his Ortodoxo movement proved that they were a force to reckon with in the 1948 presidential election. In his campaign, Chibás advocated distribution of land to landless farmers, creation of a central bank, and expansion of social security. He voiced the hopes of thousands of Cubans who were disillusioned with the failure and corruption of the Auténticos, and his campaign was, in reality, based on the single issue of moral reform and a complete housecleaning in government. Despite the absence of any real party structure, organization, or money, Chibás polled 325,000 votes to Carlos Prío Socarrás'
900.0 and Ricardo Núñez Portuondo’s 600,000. The Communist candidate, Juan Marinello, finished a distant fourth with 142,000 votes in what was to be the last free election that Cuba experienced.
Chibás’ radio show on station CQM every Sunday night was a national event for over seven years. On August 5, 1951, Eddy Chibás shot himsell following one of his broadcasts. He had been depressed by his inability to provide proof in support of his accusations against one of Prio’s cabinet ministers. His last broadcast was an emotional appeal to continue the fight lor honest government.