Partido Ortodoxo

Party of the Cuban People – Orthodox
Partido del Pueblo Cubano – Ortodoxos
LeaderEduardo Chibás
Emilio Ochoa
Founded15 May 1947 (1947-05-15)
Dissolved1952 (1952)
Split fromAuthentic Party
HeadquartersHavana
NewspaperCMQ Radio (FM)
Youth wingOrthodox Youth
(Juventud Ortodoxa)
IdeologyLeft-wing populism
Direct democracy
Anti-corruption
Progressivism
Anti-imperialism
Agrarian reform
Free market economics
Social corporatism
Reformism
Socialism
Factions:
Democratic socialism
Classical liberalism
Political positionCentre-left to left-wing
Colors  Black
Slogan"Shame against money"
(Vergüenza contra dinero)

The Party of the Cuban People – Orthodox (Spanish: Partido del Pueblo Cubano – Ortodoxos, PPC-O), commonly shortened to the Orthodox Party (Partido Ortodoxo), was a Cuban left-wing populist political party. It was founded in 1947 by Eduardo Chibás in response to government corruption and lack of reform. Its primary aims were the establishment of a distinct national identity, economic independence and the implementation of social reforms.

History

In the 1948 general elections Chibás came third in the presidential election, whilst the party won four seats in the House of Representatives. In the 1950 mid-term elections they won nine. Chibás' cousin, Roberto Agramonte, was the favorite to win the 1952 election (for the Ortodoxos) but Fulgencio Batista staged a coup almost three months before the election.

Fidel Castro was an active member of the PPC-O in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He intended to run as a PPC-O candidate for the Cuban parliament prior to Batista's coup.

Ideology and platform

The PPC-O was a centre-left to left-wing reformist party, open to all that wanted join to it. Generally left-wing populist, there were not distinct internal factions or organizations, with all members united by their support of Eduardo Chibás' goals and ideals. The party's composition included several ideological groups ranging from the political centre to the far-left:

The political program reflected PPC-O's catch-all nature, claiming support for:

The left-wing of the PPC-O had its most influence in the party's youth wing, the Orthodox Youth (Juventud Ortodoxa). A 1948 pamphlet by the Orthodox Youth espoused a Marxist-inspired, democratic socialist platform; however, it was also critical of the Soviet-aligned Popular Socialist Party, which upheld Marxism–Leninism.

References

  1. ↑ "Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz". The Science, Art and Politics Almanac. 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2025-02-13. In 1947, Castro joined a newly founded socialist party, the Party of the Cuban People (Partido Ortodoxo), which had been formed by veteran politician Eduardo Chibás (1907 – 1951).
  2. ↑ "Eduardo Chibás: The Life and Times of a Populist". Novara Media. 2017-04-30. Retrieved 2025-02-05. [...] the left populist Partido del Pueblo Cubano (The Cuban People's Party) or 'Ortodoxos' [...]
  3. ↑ Farber, Samuel (2011). Cuba Since the Revolution of 1959: A Critical Assessment. Haymarket Books. p. 165. ISBN 978-1608461394. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  4. ↑ Lorenzo, Reinerio (1991). El fracaso de una ideología: quiebra de la ideología burguesa en Cuba. The University of Virginia: Editora Política. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  5. ↑ Jules Robert Benjamin (1990), The United States and the Origins of the Cuban Revolution, Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0-691-02536-0
  6. ↑ Castro biography Archived 2007-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
  7. 1 2 "Eduardo Chibás: The Life and Times of a Populist". Novara Media. 2017-04-30. Retrieved 2025-02-05. The Ortodoxos and the Auténticos were parties that combined centre-left policies with an (economic) nationalist tendency.
  8. ↑ Doyle, John (2008-02-28). "The romance of revolution, the ruthlessness of a man". theglobeandmail.com. Toronto, ON, Canada: The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2025-02-13. Retrieved 2025-02-13. In the 1940s, he joined the left-wing political party Partido Ortodoxo, hoping that he could help free Cuba from its status as a playground for American corporate interests.
  9. ↑ "Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz". The Science, Art and Politics Almanac. 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2025-02-13. His hopes for Cuba still largely centered around Eduardo Chibás and his left wing Partido Ortodoxo
  10. ↑ Braungart, Richard G. (Spring 1984). "HISTORICAL GENERATIONS AND GENERATION UNITS: A GLOBAL PATTERN OF YOUTH MOVEMENTS". Journal of Political & Military Sociology. 12 (1). JSTOR: 129. Retrieved 2025-04-11. Inspired by Fidel Castro, left-wing units such as the Federación Estudiantil Universitaria, Orthodoxos, and Association of Young Rebels (AJR) challenged the more conservative Trinchera and Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil who favored more moderate reforms.
  11. ↑ "Fidel Castro — Biography, Cause of Death, Brother, & Facts — Britannica". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-01-05. […] the reformist Cuban People's Party (called Ortodoxos).
  12. ↑ Partido Ortodoxo (1951). Doctrina del Partido Ortodoxo.
  13. ↑ Rodríguez Arechavaleta, Carlos M. (2018). Fondo de Cultura Economica (ed.). La democracia republicana en Cuba 1940-1952: Actores, reglas y estrategias electorales. Fondo de Cultura Economica. ISBN 9786071654908.
  14. ↑ Salgado, Ramón Rodríguez (2007). Editora Política (ed.). Vergüenza Contra Dinero. Editora Política. p. 64. ISBN 9789590108037.
  15. ↑ "Organised Labour and the Cuban Revolution, 1952-1959" (PDF). Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London. 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2025-02-12. The Partido Ortodoxo (Orthodox Party) also known as the Partido del Pueblo Cubano (Party of the Cuban People). It was founded in 1947 by Eduardo Chibs. Its main platform was opposition to corruption.
  16. ↑ Avis, John (2007-10-09). "Che Guevara: Martyr and Revolutionary". the communist.red. UK: The Communist. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  17. ↑ González, Isel Rousseau (1984). La Sociedad neocolonial cubana: corrientes ideológicas y partidos políticos. University of Virginia. p. 43. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  18. ↑ "Cuba: socialist paradise or Castro's fiefdom?". Libcom.org. 2006-04-28. Retrieved 2025-02-12. [...] the Partido Ortodoxo which was a nationalist organisation who put their faith in the 1940 constitution.
  19. ↑ Ramos, Marcos Antonio (2007). Grupo Nelson (ed.). La Cuba de Castro y después...: Entre la historia y la biografía. Grupo Nelson. p. 143. ISBN 9781418582814.