anibal escalante (1909 – 11 august 1977) was a cuban communist and political organizer. an early leader within the popular socialist party (psp), he briefly held national office in cuba following the cuban revolution but was purged due, in part, to his "old-line" marxist orthodoxy. he was later imprisoned over allegations he was plotting with the soviet union to orchestrate the overthrow of the fidel castro-led cuban government.