Eduardo Chibás

He primarily denounced corruption and gangsterism rampant during the governments of Ramón Grau and Carlos Prío which preceded the Batista era.

[1] In 1947 he formed the Orthodox Party, a strongly anti-imperialist group, which had the goal of exposing government corruption and bringing about revolutionary change through constitutional means.

He was considered a favorite in the 1952 presidential election, but committed suicide a year before Fulgencio Batista seized control of the Cuban government.

After a trip to Europe in 1925, during which he met several other prominent activists, including Ramón Grau, Chíbas became involved in anti-Machado radical protest groups.

After the student directorate splintered following the election of Grau, and subsequent autonomy granted to the University of Havana, Chibás moved into mainstream politics.

In January 1951, he asserted that a public loan of 25 million pesos was an unnecessary levy that would be pocketed by the rich owners of sugar plantations.

He faced mounting pressure from the Cuban public when he was unable to offer definitive evidence that Sánchez Arango was corrupt.

Before his attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953, Castro referenced Chibás, in front of a group of revolutionaries largely inspired by the outspoken leader.

[10] And finally, Castro gave a speech at Chibás' grave following his successful seizure of power: "Today is like a culmination of the whole story, the story of the revolution and the events of 26 July, which are so closely linked with the tale of this tomb, with the memory of the man who lies here, with his ideology, feelings and preaching, because I should say here that without the preaching of Chibás, without what he did, without the civic conscience and rebellion he awakened in the Cuban young people, the events of 26 July would not have been possible.

Chibás utilized the power of radio to reach his supporters, speaking weekly from the Radiocentro CMQ Building in Havana.

Approximately 300,000 people attended his funeral procession, and one co-founding member of the Ortodoxo party "appeared early each morning to wash the marble sepulcher, prune flowers left by devotees, and sweep the surrounding area.

A nine-point document, the "Moncada Manifesto", was circulated following his death, issuing a series of steps for overthrowing the Batista government—based on Chibás' principles, and referencing him by name.

[6] Batista expressed fear of the lasting symbol of Chibás, writing that "the reformer and demagogue now appeared to the people as a martyr and this gave a prestige to his party.

"[6] Castro leveraged that martyrdom in his 26 July Movement, often using his revolutionary rhetoric as a means of inspiring the Ortodoxos left behind with Chibás' death.