ABSTRACT
In 1955 a group of civic, professional and political figures, led by Don Cosme de la Torriente, a well-known veteran of the War of Independence and former president of the League of Nations, organized the Sociedad de Amigos de la República (SAR). Among the better known figures collaborating closely with Cosme de la Torriente was SAR’s secretary, José Miró Cardona, 1 president of the National Bar Association of Cuba. SAR’s purpose was to make a final serious attempt to find a peaceful solution to the country’s problems. The organization did its best to convince Batista of the need to call elections before his term expired in 1958. Public meetings were organized to explain SAR’s objectives, and religious and other institutions were invited to join in the effort for a prompt and peaceful transfer of power.
