Raúl Chibás
Encyclopedia
Raúl Chibás Rivas was a Cuba
n politician and military officer who initially supported Fidel Castro
and the Cuban Revolution
but later defected
to the United States
. Born in Santiago de Cuba
, Chibás spent his childhood in Havana
and attended the University of Havana
. His older brother, Eduardo
, founded and led the Orthodox Party
(also known as the Cuban People's Party) in 1947. After Eduardo committed suicide in 1951, Raúl took over as party leader.
Chibás vehemently opposed the rule of Fulgencio Batista
in the 1950s, and he supported the anti-Batista struggle of Fidel Castro
. In July 1957, he signed the Sierra Manifesto, which proclaimed unity of the disparate anti-Batista groups. He served various positions for Castro's government after the revolution, including railroad commissioner and trial judge. He was a Major of the Cuban Army
in 1960 when he decided to defect to the United States via a motor boat to Miami. Chibás felt that Castro had betrayed the ideals of the revolution.
Chibás became an active anti-Castro activist
in the United States. In 1960, he joined a group of former Castro aides in issuing a joint 3500-word manifesto calling for the overthrow of the Cuban leader. He found employment teaching Spanish
at a school in New York City
. After 20 years of living in America, Chibás moved to Caracas, Venezuela to join two of his children. In 1991, having spent 10 years in Venezuela, he moved to Miami, where he spent the rest of his life.
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...
n politician and military officer who initially supported Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
and the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
but later defected
Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Born in Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
, Chibás spent his childhood 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...
and attended the University of Havana
University of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
. His older brother, Eduardo
Eduardo Chibás
Eduardo René Chibás Ribas 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...
, founded and led the Orthodox Party
Partido Ortodoxo
The ' was a Cuban political party, otherwise known as the . It was founded in 1947 by Eduardo Chibás in response to perceived government corruption and lack of reform...
(also known as the Cuban People's Party) in 1947. After Eduardo committed suicide in 1951, Raúl took over as party leader.
Chibás vehemently opposed the rule of Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
in the 1950s, and he supported the anti-Batista struggle of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. In July 1957, he signed the Sierra Manifesto, which proclaimed unity of the disparate anti-Batista groups. He served various positions for Castro's government after the revolution, including railroad commissioner and trial judge. He was a Major of the Cuban Army
Military of Cuba
The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces consist of ground forces, naval forces, air and air defence forces, and other paramilitary bodies including the Territorial Troops Militia , Revolutionary Armed Forces , and Youth Labor Army .The armed forces has long been the...
in 1960 when he decided to defect to the United States via a motor boat to Miami. Chibás felt that Castro had betrayed the ideals of the revolution.
Chibás became an active anti-Castro activist
Opposition to Fidel Castro
The Cuban dissident movement is a political movement in Cuba whose aim is "to replace the current regime with a more democratic form of government". According to Human Rights Watch, the Cuban government represses nearly all forms of political dissent....
in the United States. In 1960, he joined a group of former Castro aides in issuing a joint 3500-word manifesto calling for the overthrow of the Cuban leader. He found employment teaching Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
at a school in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. After 20 years of living in America, Chibás moved to Caracas, Venezuela to join two of his children. In 1991, having spent 10 years in Venezuela, he moved to Miami, where he spent the rest of his life.