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{
    "localId": "486500592",
    "label": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Cuba, Situation Report 29",
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    "id": "486500592",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Cuba, Situation Report 29",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500592",
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        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
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    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 23,
            "logicalDate": "1948-12-23",
            "month": 12,
            "year": 1948
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{
    "seq": 13,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875511/875511-02-013.tif",
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    "ocrText": "d.\nDemocratic Party.\nThis is a smaller political party which bases its appeal to the voters in terms\nindistinguishable from those of the Liberal Party but which has refused to join with\nthe latter in a permanent coalition for historic reasons, despite the seeming logic of\nsuch a decision from the standpoint of identity of platform. Saladrigas, who was\nbacked by Batista for the presidency in 1944, is a leading member as is vigorous young\nRaúl Menocal, ex-mayor of Havana and son of a former President. The 193,700\nregistered members represent primarily business and middle-class interests and the\npolitical tradition of the Menocal Conservative Party-one of the two pre-Machado\npolitical parties.\ne. Cuban People's Party.\nThis party, still lacking adequate organization, was formed by Senator Eddy\nChibás when he bolted the Auténtico Party in 1947. It originally comprised his per-\nsonal following, plus several disparate groups that joined the new party for reasons\nof political strategy. Chibás, despite internal differences that threatened the existence\nof the new group within a few weeks of its creation, refused to compromise with dis-\nsident factions and maintained his view that the People's Party should not combine\nwith the traditional enemies of the Auténticos but should stand for pure and uncorrup-\nted Cubanidad and integrity of administration. His surprising success in attracting\nvotes in the 1948 campaign indicated that a large segment of the Cuban population\napproved his position. Success at the polls has guaranteed Chibás' political future,\nwhether in the continuance of the People's Party or by its reincorporation with the\nparent Auténtico Party. The People's Party registered 165,000 voters for the 1948\nelection and, although double that number actually voted for Chibás, most of the ad-\nditional voters were Auténticos without permanent loyalty to the new party.\nf. Popular Socialist Party (Communist).\nThe Communist is the smallest Cuban party in point of numbers, but its dis-\ncipline, influence, and international connections make it important. The party follows\nthe usual practice of making propaganda in the language of economic determinism\nand the class struggle on behalf of themes fashionable in Moscow. Because of large\nUS investments in the Cuban sugar industry, this policy commits it to noisy appre-\nhension over the fate of the Cuban sugar workers who, it argues, endure a miserable\nexistence because of the machinations of US capitalist-imperialists. In an effort to\nattract national support, the Communists also propagandize in favor of national con-\ntrol of foreign investments, a merchant marine, and independence for Puerto Rico.\nBatista allowed the Communists to establish a legal political party in 1939 and used it\nas a counterforce to the Auténticos, who were his consistent opposition after 1934.\nCommunist control over the major labor federation (CTC) down to 1947 provided the\nCommunists with an influence in Cuban affairs beyond that which their numbers\ndeserved. The chief leaders of Cuban Communism-Blas Roca, Lázaro Peña and\nJuan Marinello-have held positions as representatives, senators, and even, on one\noccasion, a cabinet post. The Cuban system of proportional representation and favor-\n6"
}