Slavery, Corruption and Power in Cuba: the Navascués and Argüelles Cases (1863-1864)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the case files of Pedro de Navascués and José Agustín Argüelles, the former expelled from Cuba in 1863 and the latter sentenced to prison in Havana in 1864. Both cases occurred during Domingo Dulce y Garay’s mandate as captain general of Cuba (1862-1866) and were based on disputes and accusations related to the illegal slave trade. Both characters held public positions of authority, which raised the magnitude of the conflict to the international sphere, being especially important the role of the United States in the deportation of Argüelles as opposed to the right of asylum.