 On July 1, 1948 he was elected president of Cuba as a member of the Partido Auténtico.Prío was assisted by Chief of the Armed Forces General Genobebo Pérez Dámera and Colonel José Luis Chinea Cardenas, who had previously been in charge of the Province of Santa Clara.The eight years under Grau and Prío, were, according to Charles Ameringer,

[...] unique in Cuban history.