Cuba 1954: Ortodoxos fail to negotiate Electoral Guarantees

Cuba History Timeline Events
March 29, 1954
Trying to bring the Ortodoxo party over to challenge the government in the national elections slated for November 1st, Carlos Márquez-Sterling and a group of Ortodoxos agreed to hold conversations with representatives of the Batista regime. Márquez-Sterling laid down five sine qua non conditions under which he would recommend and urge the Ortodoxos to participate. Batista’s representatives agreed to all but that of permitting split ticket voting (voto libre y directo) claiming that was a question of electoral principles.

Márquez-Sterling’s position was quickly undermined and made untenable by a declaration from the Ortodoxo Party leaders that they would not participate in the elections even if the split ticket voting were agreed, and by Ramón Grau San Martín and his Auténtico party faction’s public declaration that they were ready to join in the electoral process without any preconditions. A few days later the Ortodoxo leadership officially reiterated that their party would not join in the November elections under any conditions.

based on Manuel Márquez-Sterling's Cuba 1952-1959 and
Cuba 1952-1959 Interactive Timeline