Andrés Rivero Agüero (July 10, 1905 – February 12, 1996) was a Cuban lawyer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Cuba from 1958 until the overthrow of the Batista regime in January 1959. He was the official candidate of the ruling Party of the Cuban Revolution (PRC) in the contested 1958 presidential election, which was postponed and ultimately canceled by the revolutionary forces led by Fidel Castro.
Early life and education
Andrés Rivero was born in Havana, Cuba, into a middle‑class family. He attended the University of Havana, where he earned a degree in law. Following his graduation, Rivero practiced law in Havana and became involved in municipal politics.
Political career
- Municipal roles: Rivero began his public service as a councilman in the municipal government of Havana, later serving as mayor of the city’s Fifth District.
- National positions: He was appointed Minister of Public Works (Ministro de Obras Públicas) in the government of President Carlos Prío Socarrás in the early 1940s. After the 1952 coup that brought Fulgencio Batista to power, Rivero aligned with Batista’s administration.
- Prime Minister: On March 7 1958, President Batista appointed Rivero as Prime Minister (Primer Ministro) of Cuba. In this capacity, he oversaw domestic policy during a period of intensified revolutionary activity.
- Presidential candidacy: In July 1958, the Batista regime selected Rivero as its candidate for the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for February 1959. The election was widely regarded as fraudulent; opposition forces, including the 26 July Movement, called for a boycott. The election was never held due to the rapid advance of revolutionary forces.
Exile and later life
Following the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in January 1959, Rivero fled Cuba and settled in the United States, eventually residing in Miami, Florida. He remained active in exile politics, participating in anti‑Castro advocacy groups and writing about Cuban affairs. Rivero published several memoirs and articles that provided an insider perspective on the waning days of the Batista government.
Death
Andrés Rivero Agüero died on February 12 1996 in Miami, Florida, at the age of 90. He was interred at the Catedral Memorial of St. Mary in Miami.
Legacy
Rivero’s tenure as Prime Minister is chiefly remembered for its proximity to the collapse of the Batista regime and the onset of the Cuban revolutionary period. Historians cite his role in the 1958 electoral process as illustrative of the regime’s attempts to maintain a veneer of democratic legitimacy amid mounting insurgency. His post‑revolutionary writings contribute to the historiography of pre‑revolutionary Cuba, though they are often viewed through the lens of his political allegiance to Batista.