Partido Ortodoxo

Orthodox Party
President (last)	Emilio Ochoa
Founder	Eduardo Chibás
Slogan	"Shame against money" (Vergüenza contra dinero)
Founded	May 15, 1947 (1947-05-15)
Dissolved	1959 (1959)
Split from	Authentic Party
Merged into	26th of July Movement
Headquarters	Havana
Newspaper	CMQ Radio (FM)
Youth wing	Juventud Ortodoxa
Ideology	Cuban nationalism Populism Anti-imperialism Anti-corruption Progressivism Agrarianism
International affiliation	None
Colors	Black
Politics of Cuba Political parties Elections

The Party of the Cuban People – Orthodox (Spanish: Partido del Pueblo Cubano – Ortodoxo, PPC-O), commonly called Orthodox Party (Spanish: Partido Ortodoxo, PO), was a Cuban left-wing populist political party. It was founded in 1947 by Eduardo Chibás in response to perceived government corruption and lack of reform. Its primary aims were the establishment of a distinct national identity, economic independence and the implementation of social reforms.

History

In the 1948 general elections Chibás came third in the presidential election, whilst the party won four seats in the House of Representatives. In the 1950 mid-term elections they won nine. Chibás' cousin, Roberto Agramonte, was the favorite to win the 1952 election (for the Orthodoxos) but Fulgencio Batista staged a coup before the winner was determined.

Fidel Castro was an active member of the Ortodoxo Party in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He intended to run as an Ortodoxo Party candidate for the Cuban parliament prior to the coup by Batista.

Ideology and composition

The Orthodox Party was a catch-all party, open to the all that wanted join to it. Like a populist party, there weren't internal factions or organizations, but only the support to the Eduardo Chibás' goals and ideals. With this opening, the party's composition were miscellaneous:

• Former communist soldiers, that left the Popular Socialist Party
• Several nationalists, with reformist or revolutionary's ideas
• Young socialists
• Great landowners and reactionary bourgeoises
• Catholics with conservative views.

Political agenda

• Direct democracy
• Free market and respect of the private ownership
• Progressivism
• Anti-imperialism (mainly anti-Americanism) and nationalism
• Agrarianism: Abolition of latifondium and monoculture, agricultural diversification
• Fair payments and economic redistribution
• Nationalization of railways, power plants, telephononic communications, ect.
• Fight against political corruption, embezzlement and criminals
• Corporatism and labor rights.