Carlos Prío Socarrás

His political career began at an early age and reached its peak in 1948, when he was appointed president of the Republic of Cuba, a position he held until 1952, when the coup d'état led by Fulgencio Batista took place.

He was the son of Francisco Prío-Rivas and María de Regla Socarrás-Socarrás. His childhood and youth took place in La Habana, the capital of the country, where he completed his primary and university studies and earned a degree in Law. It was precisely during his courses at the Universidad de La Habana when he became involved in various political activities, which led him to become a leader of the Directorio Estudiantil Universitario (DEU), an organization that exercised strong criticism and direct opposition against the dictatorial regime of Cuba's president, Gerardo Machado, who directed the country's affairs from 1925 until 1931.

In 1933 he actively participated in the coup d'état that overthrew Machado, and a year later founded the Partido Revolucionario Cubano (PRC). If his student activity resulted in two years of imprisonment, these latter actions condemned him to exile.

He went into exile in the United States while his newly formed political organization was declared banned. He returned to Cuba in 1939, at which time his country elected a new General Assembly; as a result of this election he was elected senator for the first time, a position he renewed in the 1944 elections. At the same time, he assumed the leadership of his party in 1940.

Throughout the forties, Carlos Prío held the most important political positions of his career. From 1945 to 1947 he occupied the position of Prime Minister; during the following year he was Minister of Labor, and a year later, in 1948, he was elected president of the Republic of Cuba.

His policy from this position was directed in three different directions. On one hand, he attempted to quickly implement various agrarian reform programs; on the other hand, to resolve Cuba's serious economic situation, he promoted foreign trade without achieving much success; and finally, in 1949, he promoted the creation of an organization that brought together various Latin American countries with democratic systems to establish a common front against antidemocratic agents, both external and internal.

Furthermore, Carlos Prío devoted considerable efforts to restoring social order in Cuba, as well as combating the political and economic corruption that had become entrenched in broad sectors, which had led to a state of constant violence. These problems, along with the coup d'état led by Fulgencio Batista, put an end to his presidency despite his numerous initiatives. His government was characterized by strong ties with the United States of America.

Thus began the second of his exiles to the United States, as he returned to Cuba in 1959 to support the Castroist struggle against the dictatorial regime established in an economically and socially devastated Cuba.

The romance between these two charismatic leaders lasted barely two years, after which he had to go into exile again in the United States, after having made various anticommunist statements in 1961. Settled in Miami, he participated in several attempts to overthrow Castro and established himself as a spokesperson for the entire community of Cuban political exiles until his death. He committed suicide on April 5, 1977. He never returned to his native country.