Background
Federico Laredo Bru was born in Santa Clara Province on 23 April 1875.
government official politician president
Federico Laredo Bru was born in Santa Clara Province on 23 April 1875.
He fought in the War of Independence, becoming a colonel. A traditional conservative politician, he was in the cabinet of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in 1933, and president of the Council of State under President Carlos Mendieta y Montefar, and ran successfully for vice president with Miguel Mariano Gómez. When President Gómez was impeached in December 1936, Laredo Bni became president.
Unlike Gómez, who refused to acknowledge the paramount position of General Fulgencio Batista y Zaldivar, Laredo Brú accepted his position vis-à-vis Batista and attempted to provide stable civilian leadership. His cabinet consisted of Batista’s friends, who assured that the military chief got what he desired from the civilian authorities. However, he must be credited with restraining Batista’s natural authoritarian tendencies.