Grau San Martín, Ramón (1887–1969)

Cuban politician, president 1933–34 and 1944–48. He helped overthrow the dictator Gerardo Machado in 1933, and his successor Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, to become provisional president himself. Viewed by the USA as too radical, he was ousted following a further coup by Fulgencio Batista in 1934. As president from 1944, he moved to end press censorship and promoted improvements in education, health provision, and housing. He retained background influence from 1948 during the presidency of Carlos Prío Socarrás.

Endemic corruption and nepotism led to his loss of support, but Grau's economic success enabled Prío, his preferred candidate, to win the 1948 presidential election. Grau retired from politics after unsuccessfully running against Batista in the 1954 fraudulent presidential election.

He was born in Pinar de Rio, in western Cuba, and studied medicine at the University of Havana, where he later became a professor. Before winning the presidency in 1944, Grau challenged Batista in the presidential elections of 1940, but was defeated in a rigged contest.