1958 Cuban general election

General elections were held in Cuba on 3 November 1958.[1] The three major presidential candidates were Carlos Márquez Sterling of the Partido del Pueblo Libre, Ramón Grau of the Partido Auténtico and Andrés Rivero Agüero of the Coalición Progresista Nacional. There was also a minor party candidate on the ballot, Alberto Salas Amaro for the Union Cubana party. Voter turnout was estimated at 50% of eligible voters.[2] Although Andrés Rivero Agüero won the presidential election with 70% of the vote, he was unable to take office due to the Cuban Revolution.[3] This was the last competitive election in Cuba, the 1940 Constitution of Cuba, the Congress and the Senate of the Cuban Republic, were quickly dismantled shortly thereafter.

1958 Cuban general election
3 November 1958
Presidential election
 
Nominee Andrés Rivero Agüero Carlos Márquez Sterling Ramón Grau
Party Progressive Action PPL Auténtico
Popular vote 428,166 95,447 75,789
Percentage 70.40% 15.69% 12.46%
President before election

Fulgencio Batista
Progressive Action Party

 Elected President

Andrés Rivero Agüero (elected)
Manuel Urrutia Lleó (appointed)
Independent

Politics of Cuba
Constitution
Communist Party
8th term
National Assembly
9th term
Elections and referendums
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
Related topics
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Background

The rebels had publicly called for an election boycott, issuing its Total War Manifesto on 12 March 1958, threatening to kill anyone that voted.[4]

Results

President
CandidatePartyVotes%
Andrés Rivero AgüeroNational Progressive Coalition428,16670.40
Carlos Márquez SterlingPartido del Pueblo Libre95,44715.69
Ramón GrauPartido Auténtico75,78912.46
Alberto Salas AmaroPartido Unión Cubana8,7521.44
Total608,154100.00
Source: Bonachea & San Martin[5]

Chamber of Representatives

The 166 members of the Chamber of Representatives were elected; 85 for a four-year term 81 for a two-year term.[6]

PartySeats
Progressive Action Party65
Liberal Party of Cuba25
Democratic Party22
Radical Union21
Partido Auténtico17
Partido del Pueblo Libre14
Partido Unión Cubana2
Total166
Source: Diario de la Marina.[6]

Aftermath

Rivero Agüero was due to be sworn in on 24 February 1959. In a conversation between him and the American ambassador Earl E. T. Smith on 15 November 1958, he called Castro a "sick man" and stated it would be impossible to reach a settlement with him. Rivero Agüero also said that he planned to restore constitutional government and would convene a Constitutional Assembly after taking office.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Todas las magistraturas de la Nación serán cubiertas mañana en 8,521 colegios electorales". Diario de la Marina. 2 November 1958. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  2. Manuel Marquez-Sterling (2009) Cuba 1952-1959: The True Story of Castro's Rise to Power, Kleiopatria Digital Press
  3. Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p217 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  4. "Castro/M-26-7 Total War on Tyranny Manifesto 1958". Scribd.com. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  5. Ramon L. Bonachea & Marta San Martin (2011) Cuban Insurrection 1952-1959, Transaction Publishers
  6. "Composición y clasificación de la Cámara en enero del 59". Diario de la Marina (in Spanish). 21 December 1958. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  7. "154. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Ambassador in Cuba (Smith) and President-Elect Rivero Agüero, Havana, November 15, 1958". Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute, United States Department of State. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
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