Apuntes sobre la alcaldía socialista de José Ruiz en Yaguajay J. Law Epistemic Stud. (January - June 2024) 2(1): 27-32 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14868534 ISSN: XXXX-XXXX REVIEW ARTICLE Notes on the socialist mayorship of José Ruiz in Yaguajay  Edwin C. García ec.garciav02@gmail.com Received: 14 October 2023 / Accepted: 10 December 2023 / Published online: 10 January 2024 © The Author(s) 2024 Edwin C. García · Cristian L. Jiménez · Anna L. Beltrán Abstract TThe neocolonial period in Cuba was charac- terized by widespread corruption, fraud, the dominance of economic and political elites, as well as repression and popular resistance. In this context, leftist parties and orga- nizations emerged to ﬁght against imperialism and promote the worker-peasant alliance. The Popular Socialist Party (PSP) was one of the most prominent, adopting a Marxist approach, supporting the struggle for social rights, and pro- posing the nationalization of key sectors of the economy, which contributed to its rise. The municipal mayorship led by José Ruiz in Yaguajay between 1946 and 1952 gained notable signiﬁcance. His administration was marked by the implementation of policies focused on cleaning up govern- ment accounts and eliminating administrative deﬁciencies. His measures successfully organized tax collection, fought corruption, ensured salary payments, improved healthcare and education, and carried out public works. Despite the limitations imposed in the 1950s, José Ruiz’s strong deter- mination and character, combined with his relentless ﬁght against corruption and well-executed social policies, enabled the municipality to achieve socio-economic development in a few years that surpassed that of the previous four decades. Many of the projects carried out during his administration inﬂuenced the development of the present-day Yaguajay re- gion and constitute a lasting positive legacy of that time. Keywords José Ruíz, neocolonial period, Popular Socialist Party, Yaguajay. Resumen El período neocolonial en Cuba se caracterizó por la corrupción generalizada, fraude, dominio de las élites económicas y políticas, así como por represión y resistencia popular. En este contexto surgieron partidos y organizacio- nes de izquierda para luchar contra el imperialismo y promo- ver la alianza obrero-campesina. El Partido Socialista Popu- lar (PSP) fue uno de los más destacados, adoptó un enfoque marxista, apoyó la lucha por los derechos sociales y propuso la nacionalización de sectores clave de la economía, lo que favoreció su ascenso. La alcaldía municipal liderada por José Ruiz en Yaguajay entre 1946 - 1952 alcanzó una notable tras- cendencia. Su gestión estuvo signada por la implementación de una política centrada en sanear las cuentas gubernamenta- les y eliminar las deﬁciencias administrativas. Sus medidas lograron organizar el cobro de impuestos, atacar la corrup- ción, pagar salarios, propiciar la atención médica y la educa- ción, y realizar obras públicas. Pese a limitaciones generadas en la década de 1950, la fuerte determinación y carácter de José Ruiz, sumado a la constante lucha contra la corrupción y sus acertadas políticas sociales, determinaron que, en po- cos años, la municipalidad alcanzara un mayor desarrollo so- cio-económico, superior a las cuatro décadas anteriores. Mu- chos de los proyectos ejecutados en la época de esta alcaldía inﬂuyeron en el desarrollo de la actual región de Yaguajay y constituyen un legado positivo de la época. Palabras clave José Ruíz, período neocolonial, Partido So- cialista Popular, Yaguajay. How to cite García, E. C., Jiménez, C. L., & Beltrán, A. L. (2024). Notes on the socialist mayorship of José Ruiz in Yaguajay. Journal of Law and Epistemic Studies, 2(1), 27-32. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14280696 Instituto de Relaciones Internacionales “Raúl Roa García”. La Habana, Cuba.

J. Law Epistemic Stud. (January - June 2024) 2(1): 27-32 28 Introduction During the neocolonial period in Cuba, the country was characterized by widespread corruption, electoral fraud, the dominance of economic and political elites, repression, and popular resistance. In this complex context, and contrast to the traditional right-wing political parties, left-wing parties and organizations emerged, primarily inﬂuenced by the vic- tory of the Great October Socialist Revolution in 1917. The Orthodox Party and the Cuban People’s Party were among the most important of the period. Another of the parties that emerged was the Popular So- cialist Party (PSP). This was founded by Julio A. Mella and Carlos Baliño in 1925 under the name of the Communist Party (PC). Later, in 1944, the organization adopted the PSP, and Blas Roca Calderío took over as general secretary. This organization was characterized by following the principles of Marxism-Leninism, promoting the struggle against im- perialism and the worker-peasant alliance, the struggle for social rights, and the nationalization of key sectors of the economy. The popularity and support of this party were such that, in the face of attacks from traditionalists and the electoral fraud of the time, they were able to achieve power in two mayoralties in the country. Although the ﬁrst mayor, Fran- cisco Rosales, was elected in 1940 in Manzanillo, Granma, it is worth highlighting the second socialist mayorship, which came from the hand of José Manuel “Joseíto” Ruiz Rodrí- guez in Yaguajay in 1946. This mayor’s oﬃce in the municipality of Yaguajay, cha- racterized by an agricultural economy, a primarily rural po- pulation, limited infrastructure, and a strong inﬂuence of the Authentic Party (opposition to the PSP), stood out for its achievements in the ﬁght against corruption and the imple- mentation of a successful social and economic policy. Thus, it achieved an important reelection in 1950, drastically inte- rrupted by Batista’s coup d’état in 1952 and the suspension of the 1940 Constitution. Nevertheless, the government of Joseíto Ruiz had a notable and indisputable historical signiﬁ- cance in this period when the ﬁght against communism was intensifying at an international level. The purpose of this paper is to characterize the Mayorship of Joseíto Ruiz in Yaguajay, as well as to assess the ﬁgure of José Ruiz as leader of the PSP in Yaguajay and to de- monstrate the validity of the results of the socialist program implemented during the period. Methodology Yaguajay was founded on January 1, 1879. It was one of Cuba’s most signiﬁcant municipalities of the neocolonial era, represented by the PSP. Its headquarters were in a woo- den building until 1923 when it was burned to the ground after a brawl between conservatives and liberals. The municipality covers the entire northern area of Sancti Spíritus and owes its name to an Indian region chief in the 16th century. Conquest and colonization led to the exploita- tion of the area’s timber resources, which would later beco- me a livestock area until ﬁnally, sugar cane became the crop par excellence of the entire region (Government of Yaguajay, 2020). During the neocolonial period, the workers’ movement in Yaguajay demonstrated remarkable resilience and played a signiﬁcant role in the ﬁght against the occupation. The ﬁrst protests, dating back to 1901, gained momentum in the 1920s. By 1930, the ﬁrst cells of the Cuban Communist Par- ty emerged, gradually gaining strength. In this context, the municipal policies of José Ruiz Rodríguez, who served as a representative of the PSP mayor’s oﬃce, began to play an important role, inspiring hope and determination among the local population. The leader, Joseíto Ruiz, came from a peasant family and worked from a very young age in the “Narcisa” sugar mill, always attentive to the interests of his fellow workers. In 1930, he began to be active in the PCC, which was clan- destine then. 1936, he held leadership positions in the ﬁrst cell created in Yaguajay. As a member of the organization, he participated in the struggles against peasant evictions, common in the region, mainly in the town of Bamburanao, managing to emerge victorious and restoring families to their homes after a complex legal process in the courts of the pro- vince of Las Villas (Amor, 2023). By 1940, following the democratization process. The pe- riod from late 1937 to 1940 was politically characterized by adopting measures that allowed the calling of elections to form and carry out the Constituent Assembly. Fulgencio Ba- tista agreed to these democratizing measures because he was interested in establishing formulas that would allow him to remain at the center of political decisions, guaranteeing his power in the new national political order (Instituto de Histo- ria de Cuba, 2020). Carried out in Cuba, the PCC was legalized, determining that 1941 José Ruíz was elected as general secretary of that political body in his municipality. At that time, the governing mayor was aﬃliated with the Authentic Party, which exerci- sed power on the Island. During these years, Joseíto served as a municipal councilor, promoting harsh criticism against the corruption prevalent in the current administration. These factors led him to gain prominence as a candidate in the municipal elections of 1946, where he ended up being elected in the second round, beating the ruling party’s can- didates by a margin of 166 votes (Borrego, 2019). Before leaving oﬃce, the previous government members only left as an inheritance a treasure of 7 cents and 70,000 pesos of

J. Law Epistemic Stud. (January - June 2024) 2(1): 27-32 29 debt, also taking charge of destroying all the electrical wi- ring, typewriters, and toilets in the government house. Upon winning the elections, the new PSP mayor imple- mented a heavy-handed policy to clean up government ac- counts and eliminate administrative deﬁciencies. Under the slogan “no more bottle-holders, those who do not work do not get paid,” his ﬁrst measures aimed to organize tax co- llection and eliminate corrupt oﬃcials who were part of the public administration. Fulﬁlling his electoral promises, he ﬁred 18 municipal police oﬃcers involved in illegal acts and imposed payment on landowners and wealthy landlords who previously evaded their tax duties (Borrego, 2020). Thus, in the ﬁrst year of his administration, he collected 66 thousand pesos, cleaned up the accounts, and obtained a surplus of 20,000 pesos (Borrego, 2019). From this moment on, the resulting money was used to promote the realization of public and industrial works in the municipal territory. In this way, the government collected contributions, paid back wages to workers and pensioners, and promoted a pro- gram of socially impactful work. In honor of the Apostle José Martí, an obelisk, accompanied by a playground, was erec- ted in front of the City Hall. Likewise, the City Hall acquired a tank truck to alleviate the situation of the inhabitants of the municipal capital concerning access to water. This vehicle was also used to water the roads, contribute to sanitation, and act as a ﬁre truck when necessary. Likewise, he was in charge of exploiting the area’s indus- trial potential and ﬁnancing the construction of roads connec- ting the central industrial regions with Yaguajay. As a result, roads were created to the Narcisa and Vitoria sugar mills, the two most signiﬁcant in the municipality and among the largest in the province. It is worth noting that bridges were even created to achieve this road connection. This strengthe- ned and facilitated the harvest process and the accessibility of workers to their jobs. Following this policy, he built roads throughout the muni- cipality, both in the main town and the more remote areas, with a quality that made some of them last until today. Among these, the roads stand out between Yaguajay and Seibabo, from Mayajigua to the Nela sugar mill, and from Yaguajay to Mayajigua (including the Centeno bridge). The latter was decisive for the development of Mayajigua since it enhanced its capabilities as a tourist destination by facilitating access to San José del Lago. On this natural hot springs site, a motel and a villa were built, and they are still preserved. On the other hand, José Ruíz encouraged the creation of sewing academies to give women a role in the municipality’s economic development and a better social position. To this end, he opened workshops in Yaguajay, Meneses, Mayaji- gua, and smaller towns. A program of rural doctors and teachers in the mountains was also implemented to ensure that the most disadvanta- ged sectors could access essential services without traveling to the main urban centers. In collaboration with other party members, he fought from the beginning of his mandate to eliminate peasant evictions, an issue he had pursued since his period as a worker and party activist, managing to control the landowners. On the other hand, Joseíto also participated in the construc- tion and inauguration of various public works for the beneﬁt of the population. Thus, he created the Agramonte promena- de in the town’s capital, where previously there was only a swamp. This distinctive construction still endures over time. Likewise, he built local cemeteries in isolated towns, such as Jarahueca, for which he received the gratitude of the popula- tion. In addition, he inaugurated the central park in Meneses. He also surrounded himself with capable men who suppor- ted him in his work. He gave Raúl Ferrer, a prominent Cuban pedagogue from Yaguajay, the direction and administration of several social projects. During the inauguration of the central park in Meneses, he said, “The best way to honor the Cuban ﬂag is as José Ruíz does, by delivering works (…), doing good for Cuba and its people.” For his part, Joseíto expressed that “the honest adminis- tration of public funds is transformed into progress and im- provement of the population.” True to his words, from the beginning of his administration, he displayed, in front of the City Hall, a board with the government accounts to de- monstrate the eﬃciency and honesty of his management. As a result of these and other methods, he gained the support of both the masses and the bourgeoisie, being “the only one who worked for the good of the municipality,” managing to raise the annual budget to 99,000 pesos, always presenting a surplus (Borrego, 2019). Due to the results achieved and the overwhelming support of the population towards José Ruíz, the Municipal Assem- bly of the PSP decided to nominate him for a second term. The constant dialogue carried out during his governorship with property owners and landowners and his policies of “improvement is for everyone” allowed his candidacy also to be supported by the Liberal Party, the United Action Party, and the Democratic Party, achieving an undeniable majority in the face of the elections. In early 1950, thanks to the success and fame achieved by his administration, the documentary “Yaguajay, a town ma- yor” was ﬁlmed and shown on national television. Althou- gh it has an electoral focus with the clear objective of José Ruíz’s reelection, it highlights and praises the work of the mayor’s oﬃce in the last four years. The ﬁlm shows how, despite being in the middle of the Cold War, the socialist government beneﬁted the people of Yaguajay. Despite everything, the process was not easy. Support from the central government was very little or non-existent,

J. Law Epistemic Stud. (January - June 2024) 2(1): 27-32 30 and the grants owed to the municipalities were often not received. During the reelection, some members of the Au- thentic Party planned his assassination at the beginning of 1950. Only chance and the complaint by one of the polling stations of disturbances in the area made Joseíto work late that day, avoiding the two hitmen waiting for him near his house (Amor, 2023). In this sense, more excellent support was oﬀered to can- didates from opposition parties. The leading contender was José Ramón Valdesuso, a doctor from Mayajigua, who recei- ved a campaign visit from President Carlos Prío Socarrás. None of this prevented Joseíto’s crushing victory in the 1950 elections, who defeated Valdesuso even in his town, with a margin of 2,796 votes (Amor, 2023). Thus, José Manuel Ruíz Rodríguez became the ﬁrst and only socialist mayor to be reelected before the triumph of the Revolution in 1959. Despite this, his second term would be marked by numerous diﬃculties. During his ﬁrst term, anti-communist policies had not yet been implemented radi- cally on the Island. President Ramón Grau San Martín even went so far as to allow certain union activities. However, from 1948 onwards, actions were carried out throughout the nation to assassinate the prominent leaders of the labor movement in order to achieve its division. As a result, tactics similar to those of the fascists were implemen- ted. The fact that he had won by a wide margin threatened his life. Even so, the socialist administration continued its work, promoting social improvements in Yaguajay, until Batista’s coup d’état on March 10, 1952. After this, the 1940 Consti- tution was suspended, and the Constitutional Statutes were imposed to give a certain “legitimacy” to the usurping side, which neither the mayor nor 11 of the 21 councilors of Ya- guajay were willing to sign (Borrego, 2019). After this refusal, the military forces forced him to resign from his post. Despite everything, Joseíto demanded that the power transfer be carried out publicly. Unlike in 1946, the government’s treasury accounts perfectly aligned with what should have existed. Several widespread protests took place in the face of these events and resulted from popular support for the mayor. In addition, the 32 mayors of Villa Clara signed a declaration condemning the dismissal of the PSP member. Despite these eﬀorts, José Ruíz was forcibly expelled from the Yaguajay City Hall on April 4, 1952, after which he returned to work as a laborer at the Narcisa sugar mill, like his fellow commu- nists, who also joined the ﬁght against the dictatorship. The results of the Joseíto administration and the PSP in the municipality of Yaguajay endure today, mainly in pla- ces such as Mayajigua and Jarahueca, which still enjoy the initiatives and constructions encouraged at the time. This government’s successes in economic and social matters de- termined that it generated a development more signiﬁcant than that experienced in the previous four decades (Amor, 2023). It is impossible to deny this period’s importance for local history and the region’s future. Results and discussion According to Borrego (2019, 2020), José Ruiz’s mayoralty in Yaguajay represents a prominent example of socialist mu- nicipal management in a context marked by corruption and political repression in Cuba. Compared to other municipal administrations of the neocolonial period, the success of the management is due to a fair ﬁscal policy based on adequate tax collection and investment in essential public services. This strategy contrasts with the administration of the Au- thentic Party in other regions, where clientelist practices and electoral fraud predominated (Borrego, 2020). Amor (2023) highlights the transformative nature of José Ruiz’s government, whose policies still resonate in the re- gion. The development of infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and drinking water systems, allowed for sustained economic growth in the Yaguajay region. In addition, the documentary Yaguajay, un pueblo mayores, directed by Tabío (1950), constitutes a visual source that shows the pos- itive impact of this administration and its national reach in the Cuban imagination. The memory of Ruiz as “the honest mayor” remains alive, consolidating his ﬁgure as an ethical reference in public management. According to the Cuban Institute of History (2020), the political context in which José Ruiz’s mayoralty occurred was marked by pressure from the central government and local elites. The Cold War and the radicalization of anti-com- munist politics signiﬁcantly limited his possibilities of con- tinuing with social projects. Borrego (2019) mentions direct threats to Ruiz’s life, including assassination attempts and economic pressures to sabotage his public policies, which shows the fragility of his power in the face of political op- position. The Government of Yaguajay’s analysis (2020, 2021) sug- gests that many of José Ruiz’s implemented policies could inspire current local administrations, especially in rural and economically disadvantaged areas. Policies of social inclu- sion, health care, rural education, and the ﬁght against cor- ruption are applicable in the current context of Latin Amer- ica. Although the article mainly uses sources aligned with the Cuban oﬃcial vision, a more balanced discussion would in- clude alternative perspectives, such as independent studies or critical research on the management of the Popular Social-

J. Law Epistemic Stud. (January - June 2024) 2(1): 27-32 31 ist Party. Considering the narrative approach of sources such as EcuRed (n.d.), a broader vision could be incorporated that analyzes the ideological and operational limitations of the socialist project in the region. Conclusions The Mayorship of Joseíto Ruíz in Yaguajay from 1946 to 1952 marked a turning point for the municipality. The ma- yor’s role was decisive for the success and transparency of the Popular Socialist Party’s management. His strong deter- mination and character, added to the constant ﬁght against corruption and his successful social policies, determined that the municipality achieved more excellent socio-economic development in just a few years than during the previous four decades. The Socialist Mayorship of Yaguajay allowed the Popular Socialist Party to gain greater credibility in the eyes of the people. His government, characterized by the ﬁght against corruption, the promotion of social measures, attention to the most aﬀected sectors of society, and the implementation of a general welfare system, served as an example and inspiration for the entire country, being the ob- ject of admiration and popularity. The positive mark of this administration is still in force today, especially in the towns of Mayajigua, Jarahueca, Bamburanao, and Yaguajay itself. The measures implemented during this period still support the local population’s daily activities and the municipality’s economic future. References Amor, O. (2023). Un alcalde honesto en época de corrup- ción. Escambray. https://www.escambray.cu/2023/ un-alcalde-honesto-en-epoca-de-corrupcion-fotos/ Borrego, J. A. (2019). El gobierno de Joseíto Ruiz. Gran- ma. https://www.granma.cu/pensamiento/2019-10-22/ el-gobierno-de-joseito-ruiz-22-10-2019-21-10-32 Borrego, J. A. (2020). Yaguajay, un pueblo alcalde. 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Beltrán: Conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, investiga- tion, methodology, supervision, validation, visualization, drafting the original manuscript and writing, review, and editing. Data availability statement The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable

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