political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...
in
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
. 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 ''
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.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 Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
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
Carlos de la Torre Allariz (born 18 May 1966 in Marín, Pontevedra) is a retired Spanish long-distance runner who specialized in the 10,000 metres.
Achievements
Personal bests
* 5000 metres - 14:01.42 min (1994)
* 10,000 metres - 28:09.63 mi ...
, 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 ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...
of the province,
working class
The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
elements and
people of color
The term "person of color" (: people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is associated with, the United States. From th ...
.
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, 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 Republican Party of Havana supported the candidature of
Tomás Estrada Palma
Tomás Estrada Palma (; July 9, 1835 – November 4, 1908) was a Cuban politician, the president of the Republic of Cuba in Arms during the Ten Years' War, and the first President of Cuba, between May 20, 1902, and September 28, 1906.
His colla ...
for president and Luis Estévez Romero as vice-president. Estrada Palma won the election, as his contender Bartolomé Masó 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