The Auténtico Party and the Political Opposition in Cuba, 1952-57

THE historian faces a challenge inl writing about Cuba in the 1950S, a decade climaxed by the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista and the assuimption of power by Fidel Castro on January i, 1959. The dominant personality of Castro, and the controversy and emotion engendered by his rule, make it difficult to achieve a balanced interpretation of the period. Althougll an effort to study the events of tlhe 1950S without focusing upon Castro, as thlis article attempts to do, may be misunderstood, it is important to examine other aspects of the political situation. Often overlooked is Cuba's political or noninsurrectional opposition in the 1950s, exclusive of Castro's mlovement, that worked for tlhe return of legitimate governmeint. It represented the spirit of Cuban democracv, standing for the Conistituitioni of' 1940, and functioned from the day that Batista seized power on Marclh 10, 1952, until the Cienfuegos uprising on September 5, 1957, when Batista intensified his tyranny. Th-e nature of the operation of this oppositioni and tlhe significance of its role are important to a clear understanding of this period. The assertion that a political opposition existed does not diminislh Castro's achievement. It suggests only that more than one element caused Batista's defeat anid that Castro was part of a large process. The political opposition created a climate that facilitated Castro's actioni alnd, indeed, may have enhanced his movemenit becauise of its owin cautioni. To test thlis

Assertion · Opposition (politics) · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Cuban History and Society · History · Law

• Proceso insurreccional en Cuba

  Open Access•Rafael Pedemonte•Ayer Revista de Historia…•2022

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