The Independent Republican Party was a political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, led by Juan Gualberto Gómez. It was formed around 1900, after splits in the Republican parties in Havana

Havana

Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...

, Matanzas

Matanzas

Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...

 and Las Villas. The split was caused by the opposition of the Republican parties to Gualberto Gómez's radical position against the Platt Amendment

Platt Amendment

The Platt Amendment of 1901 was a rider appended to the Army Appropriations Act presented to the U.S. Senate by Connecticut Republican Senator Orville H. Platt replacing the earlier Teller Amendment. Approved on May 22, 1903, it stipulated the conditions for the withdrawal of United States troops...

. The Independent Republican Party supported Gualberto Gómez's position on the issue.

The party was able to build up an organizational network in different provinces of the island. In Havana, its members included Julián Betancourt, Alberto Barreras, E. García Enseñat y Asbert. In Oriente, it was joined by Joaquín Castillo Duany (who had been the leader of the Democratic Federal Republican Party of Santiago de Cuba

Democratic Federal Republican Party of Santiago de Cuba

The Democratic Federal Republican Party of Santiago de Cuba was a political party in eastern Cuba.The Organizing Committee of the party was founded on March 5, 1899. Members of the Organizing Committee included Dr. Joaquín Castillo Duany, Dr. Guillermo Fernández Mascaró, Luis Hechavarría, Emiliano...

) and Rafael Mandulay. In Matanzas, members included personalities such as García Pola, Manuel Sobrado and Juan Antonia Garmendia.

Ahead of the 1901 presidential elections

Cuban general election, 1901

General elections were held in Cuba on 31 December 1901. Tomás Estrada Palma won the presidential election, whilst the National Party emerged as the largest party in the House of Representatives, winning 27 of the 63 seats. Voter turnout was 63.5%....

, the party was one of the main forces campaigning for the candidature of Bartolomé Masó.