Eduardo Chibás facts for kids

Eduardo Chibás

Eduardo René Chibás Ribas (born August 15, 1907 – died August 16, 1951) was an important Cuban politician. He became famous for using the radio to share his ideas with the public. He often spoke out against corruption and crime that was happening in the Cuban government during the time of presidents Ramón Grau and Carlos Prío. Chibás believed that corruption was the biggest problem Cuba faced.

He was born in Santiago de Cuba. His strong belief in Cuban nationalism is thought to have inspired the Cuban Revolution later on.

In 1947, he started the Orthodox Party. This group was strongly against foreign control and wanted to show how corrupt the government was. They aimed to bring big changes to Cuba using legal and constitutional ways. Chibás ran for president in 1948 but came in third place. He was a very strong critic of the winner, Carlos Prío Socarrás.

Politics

How Chibás Started in Politics

Eduardo Chibás began his political journey at the University of Havana. After a trip to Europe in 1925, where he met other important activists like Ramón Grau, Chibás joined groups protesting against the government of Gerardo Machado. In 1927, he helped create the Student Directorate. He was even put in jail for a short time in 1931.

Later, Chibás moved to Washington D.C. There, he learned how powerful radio could be in reaching many people. He decided that peaceful politics were better than violence. For most of the 1930s, Chibás did not join any political party. But in 1938, he joined the Auténticos party and supported Ramón Grau.

Joining Parties and Radio Speeches

After the student groups split up, Chibás moved into regular politics. He strongly criticized the corruption he saw in the late 1940s. He spoke out against President Carlos Prío Socarrás, saying his economic plans hurt Cuba's independence.

Every week, Chibás gave powerful speeches on the radio to people all over the country. He spoke against dishonest politicians. By 1948, he had become a leader of the Auténticos party. He even ran for president against his former friend, Ramón Grau. Chibás took a strong pro-Cuba and nationalistic stand during his campaign. Some people called his message a "revolution." However, he finished in third place in that election.

A few years later, his ideas became even more popular. By 1951, Chibás was the top choice for many Cubans for the 1952 election.

Death

Towards the end of his life, Chibás made very strong claims about corruption in the Cuban government. In January 1951, he said that a public loan of 25 million pesos was not needed and would be taken by rich sugar plantation owners. Later that year, Chibás tried to challenge the education minister, Aureliano Sánchez Arango. He made many claims that Sánchez Arango was misusing public money.

Chibás faced pressure from the Cuban public when he could not show clear proof for his claims. On August 5, 1951, Chibás went to the Radiocentro CMQ Building in Havana for his weekly radio show. He had promised to show evidence that day. Instead, he talked about other things, warned that Fulgencio Batista might try to take over the government, and then said goodbye.

Chibás was expected to get better, but after eleven days in the hospital, he died from his injuries. This was exactly one day after his 44th birthday.

The whole country was sad about his death. He is buried in the Colón Cemetery, Havana. Hundreds of thousands of people went to his funeral. Many believed he would have been a strong candidate for the 1952 presidential elections. However, Batista took control of the government by force on March 10, 1952, less than eight months after Chibás died.

How Chibás and Fidel Castro Were Similar

When Chibás was in prison in 1931, he reportedly said: "If I am going to die, I want my last words to be for the Cuban revolution. I am a revolutionary; I love my country and dislike the current government." Five years later, he told a taxi driver, "If I die, it will be for the revolution." These strong nationalistic feelings have led people to compare Chibás to Fidel Castro.

Castro certainly knew about Chibás' Orthodox Party, which promoted strong revolutionary ideas. There are many examples of Castro using inspiring words that show this connection. Before his attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953, Castro spoke about Chibás to a group of revolutionaries who were greatly inspired by the outspoken leader. It was later found that Castro had carried a tape of Chibás' last radio broadcast into battle. He planned to play it over the radio if they won. Castro also used some of Chibás' speaking styles in his famous "History will absolve me" defense in court. Finally, Castro gave a speech at Chibás' grave after he successfully took power. He said that without Chibás' ideas and the spirit of rebellion he created in young Cubans, the events of July 26 (the start of Castro's revolution) would not have happened.

Experts have different ideas about how friendly Chibás and Castro were when they were alive. In 1948, Castro traveled with Chibás for campaign events and often introduced him. Yet, some have said that the two did not like or trust each other. No matter how they interacted in life, Castro used Chibás as an important symbol after his death. He used Chibás as an example for his revolution.

Some experts have also noted that both leaders used technology to connect with people. Chibás used the power of radio to reach his supporters, speaking weekly from the Radiocentro CMQ Building in Havana. Castro would later do the same, but he used television.

However, the leaders had different political ideas. Castro's support for communism was directly against Chibás' strong dislike for such a system. Over time, Castro spoke about Chibás less. Eventually, he even stopped the yearly parade that honored Chibás' death.

Legacy

Chibás' importance grew even more after he died. About 300,000 people attended his funeral procession. One of the people who helped start the Ortodoxo party would go early every morning to clean Chibás' tomb and care for the flowers left by his supporters. Fidel Castro had a statue of Chibás built in Santiago de Cuba.

A nine-point document, called the "Moncada Manifesto," was shared after Chibás' death. It listed steps to overthrow the Batista government. This document was based on Chibás' ideas and mentioned him by name.

Chibás' memory continued to be important for ten years after the Cuban Revolution. Even though he was strongly against communism, he became a symbol of revolutionary ideas rather than just democratic politics. Batista was afraid of Chibás' lasting symbol. He wrote that "the reformer and speaker now appeared to the people as a martyr, and this gave his party respect." Castro used this idea of Chibás as a martyr in his 26 July Movement. He often used Chibás' revolutionary words to inspire the Ortodoxos who were left after Chibás' death.

Over time, Chibás' importance as a symbol began to fade. Some experts believe this happened because Castro embraced communism, which would have clashed with Chibás' politics. Also, some point out that the revolution found a more fitting martyr in Che Guevara.

See also

In Spanish: Eduardo Chibás para niños