Narciso López (1798-1851) was a Venezuelan military leader in the Spanish colonial service but later led filibustering expeditions against Spanish power in Cuba.

Narciso López was born in Venezuela on Sept. 13, 1798. At an early age he joined the Spanish army fighting against Simón Bolivar and rose rapidly in the ranks. When Spanish troops withdrew from Venezuela to Cuba in 1823, López accompanied them and settled on the island. He married a sister of a high Spanish Official, the Conde de Pozos Dulces. The marriage, however, soon broke up, and López moved to Spain, where he served the Crown against the Carlist rebels and rose to the rank of general.

In 1841 López returned to Cuba, and during the administration of his personal friend Capt. Gen. Gerónimo Valdés, he occupied important posts, such as governor...