Directorio Estudiantil Universitario
The Directorio Estudiantil Universitario (DEU) (English: University Student Directory) was founded in 1927 by University of Havana students against the backdrop of a power grab by President Gerardo Machado consisting of constitutional reforms designed to prolong his presidential term by two years, and to promote his reelection to an additional term of six years.
In the period between pushing for these reforms and their adoption by the corrupt Constitutional Assembly, a strong opposition composed chiefly of university students formed against this "Machadato" (Machado + mandato, mandate).
[1] The DEU held various protests against Machado's regime and was at the political forefront of the One Hundred Days Government led by Ramón Grau.
[2] The assassination of exiled former FEU leader Julio Antonio Mella in 1929 further exacerbated the tension with Machado which arose when he announced the extension of his term.
[7] While the AIE took a left-wing stance, hoping for an alliance with the peasantry and the proletariat, the Student Directory placed less emphasis on class division, focusing on the abuses of Machado and the injustice of American imperialism under the Platt Amendment.
[4][8] The schools remained closed for three years, while the students adapted their tactics, holding surprise protests called tánganas.
Political events abroad also influenced the group—especially the New Deal underway in the United States and the Communist and Fascist movements in Europe, including the Republic ideologies coming to the forefront in Spain.
The struggle against Machado continued, with other groups including the ABC and the Cuban Communist Party also participating in the opposition, and sometimes overlapping with the students if not cooperating with each other.
A turning point came in May 1933, when newly arrived American ambassador Sumner Welles was invited to mediate with selected opposition groups and the Machado regime.
[14] On September 4, 1933, when lower-ranking officers and enlisted men successfully took over Columbia barracks, the student leaders met with them and together agreed on a plan to form a new government.
[15][18] In January, the military, under the leadership of Fulgencio Batista, deposed Grau and installed a new government which the United States recognized immediately.
[15] Prominent members of the Student Directory included: Carlos Prio Socarras, Pablo de la Torriente Brau, Salvador Vilaseca Forné, José Lezama Lima, Justo Carrillo, Guillermo Barrientos Schweyer, Pepelín Leyva, Juan Marinello, Aureliano Sanchez Arango, Raul Roa Garcia, Antonio Díaz Baldaquín, Eduardo Chibas, and Rafael Trejo Gonzalez.
