Mayors

From 1902 to 1907 no Mayoral elections were held because the Organic Law of the Municipalities had not been approved until May 29, 1908 by the Intervention Government of Charles E. Magoon, the Mayors being appointed by resolution adopted by the Town Councils, in accordance to the dispositions of a law of Senator Alfredo Zayas Alfonso, sanctioned by President Don Tomás Estrada Palma on July 5, 1902. In 1905 the so-called Combat Cabinet deposed Leandro Rodríguez Colina replacing him with Ignacio de Ayala.

Emilio Roger Calle was nicknamed Mozura. Old people from Güines who lived during his mandate, state that he was a great politician. When he wished to carry out some project and believed that he was going to find opposition from the Councilmen in City Hall, he would sit down at the President’s table to discuss the project with the Councilmen and would place his revolver on top of the table, as a subtle reminder. Needless to say that his project was always approved.(Anecdote supplied by Panchito Arocha, Glendale, California).

Cayetano González was easygoing and talkative. His political lore is extensive and long. To wit: During the 1920 electoral campaign, he promised a farmer from a rural borough of Güines, who controlled a great number of votes, that if he was elected Mayor, he would offer the administration of the local health office to him as a reward for his help. When he was elected Mayor, the farmer came to Güines to request from Cayetano the position offered, but the newly elected Mayor informed the farmer that he was sorry but he couldn’t fulfill the promise because he had received instructions from the Secretary of Public Health, that the local health administrator had to be a doctor. (Anecdote supplied by Panchito Arocha, Glendale, California).

Justiniano Reyes was an interim Mayor by substitution around 1932 for a short period during the Government of General Machado, when he was President of the Town Council.

Carlos J. Smith, according to reference books we have consulted, appears as de facto Mayor of Güines in 1933, together with Francisco “Panchito” Fernández Tosco and Armando Fernández Jorva, although old people from Güines that we have talked to, do not remember this person as Mayor.

Miguel Ocejo Suárez was an interim Mayor. We have not been able to find exactly the circumstances of his rise to power, nor the exact date, nor its duration. We understand according to the memories of old people from Güines that we have talked to and who lived during that period that it was around 1946, between the Mayoral terms of Tirso Brito and Jaime Quintero.

Eugenio Domínguez Guerra was an interim Mayor for a short time during Jaime Quintero Gómez’s mandate, when the latter requested a leave of absence for a period of time. We do not know the exact date, although we believe it was around 1949. Eugenito, as he was known, was President of the Town Council.