The Cuban National Party ( es, Partido Nacional Cubano) was a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

. At the very beginning of the 20th century, it was one of the three main political parties on the island. The party favoured independence for Cuba.Bianchi Ross , Ciro.
Elections in Cuba Before the Revolution
''

History

The Party was one of two political groupings (the other one being the Cuban National League) that emerged from the '' Junta Patriótica'' in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

in March 1899.Averhoff Purón, Mario. ''Los primeros partidos políticos''. La Habana: Instituto Cubano del Libro, 1971. p. 23 The Party was founded on March 24, 1899, at a meeting in Havana of presidents of patriotic clubs and neighbourhood committees as well as former members of the ''Junta Patriótica''. At the meeting, Enrique Messonier (a former

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessar ...

leader) called for a people's meeting to be held in Havana, to elect a commission to organize the work of the neighbourhood committees.Averhoff Purón, Mario. ''Los primeros partidos políticos''. La Habana: Instituto Cubano del Libro, 1971. p. 27 In agreement with Messonier's proposal, a meeting was held on March 26, 1899. The meeting elected an Organizing Commission of the Neighbourhood Committees. The Commission consisted of Carlos de la Torre, Enrique Messioner, Francisco Alonso, Alfredo Zayas, Nicasio Estrada Mora, Gabriel Casuso, J. R. O'Farrill, Miguel Verna, Evelio R. Lendián, Cándido Hoyos, José F. Torralbas, Benito Lagueruela, Eduardo González, Pedro Rodríguez, Ernesto Fernández, Antonio González Pérez, Medina Arango, Luis Febles and Ambrosio Borges.Averhoff Purón, Mario. ''Los primeros partidos políticos''. La Habana: Instituto Cubano del Libro, 1971. pp. 27-28 The Cuban National Party rapidly became one of the most important political groups in the country at the time. Compared to other contemporary political parties, the Cuban National Party had a broader class base. The party had members from the small

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. Th ...

of the province,

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

elements and

people of color The term "person of color" ( : people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is primarily used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is primarily associated with, the U ...

. In April 1899, the Cuban National League merged into the neighbourhood committees of the Cuban National Party. On April 10, a joint declaration of the Propaganda Commission of the Cuban National League and the Organizing Committee of the Cuban National Party formalized this merger. At the meeting of the Organizing Committee on May 2, 1899, it was decided that an invitation to form local committees for the party and to distribute the invitation nationwide.

1900 elections

In the 1900 local elections, the party won in the capital Havana. Dr. Miguel Gener, who had been supported by the party, became mayor of the city. Ahead of the September 1900 elections to the Constituent Assembly two adversaries of the party, the Democratic Union Party and the

Republican Party of Havana The Republican Party of Havana ( es, Partido Republicano de La Habana) is a political party in Cuba. The party was founded in the end of 1899. It was led by Dr. Domingo Méndez Capote. Prominent party members included Mario García Menocal, Eugen ...

, formed a joint coalition in a bid to defeat the Cuban National Party. Nevertheless, the Cuban National Party won the elections in Havana.Averhoff Purón, Mario. ''Los primeros partidos políticos''. La Habana: Instituto Cubano del Libro, 1971. p. 59

Dissolution

In the 1901 presidential election, the Cuban National Party and the

supported the candidature of

Tomás Estrada Palma Tomás Estrada Palma (c. July 6, 1832 – November 4, 1908) was a Cuban politician, the president of the Cuban Republican in Arms during the Ten Years' War, and the first President of Cuba, between May 20, 1902, and September 28, 1906. His coll ...

for president and Luis Estévez Romero as vice-president. Estrada Palma won the election, as his contender

Bartolomé Masó Bartolomé de Jesús Masó Márquez (21 December 1830 in Yara – 14 June 1907 in Manzanillo) was a Cuban politician and military, patriot for Cuban independence from the colonial power of Spain, and later President of the ''República en Ar ...

withdrew in protest of fraudulent functioning of the electoral machinery. After Estrada Palma's victory, the Republican Party of Havana became the ruling party in the country, whilst the Cuban National Party was dissolved.Averhoff Purón, Mario. ''Los primeros partidos políticos''. La Habana: Instituto Cubano del Libro, 1971. pp. 68-72

References

{{Cuban political parties Defunct political parties in Cuba Political parties established in 1899 Political parties disestablished in 1901 1899 establishments in Cuba 1901 disestablishments in Cuba