Chibás, Eduardo, 1907-1951

Eduardo René Chibás Ribas (August 26, 1907 – August 16, 1951) was a Cuban politician who used radio to broadcast his political views to the public. He primarily denounced corruption and gangsterism rampant during the governments of Ramón Grau and Carlos Prío which preceded the Batista era. He believed corruption was the most important problem Cuba faced. Born in Santiago de Cuba to Eduardo Justo Chibás Guerra and Gloria Ribas-Rocafull y Agramonte, Chibás' strong nationalism is considered to be an inspiration for the Cuban Revolution. 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. Chibás lost the 1948 election for president, finishing in third place. He was an extremely strong critic of that election's winner, Carlos Prío Socarrás. He was considered a favorite in the 1952 presidential election, but committed suicide a year before Fulgencio Batista seized control of the Cuban government.