THE+CUBAN+REVOLUTION

A Focus on Castro

José Martí and His Influence on Cuba
José Martí · Jose Marti was a strong political figure and an extremely talented writer, he never seemed to formulate all of his political ideas into a single document or manifesto however his many quotes and writings on politics, society, and morals affect Cuban government even today · Marti spent many years in exile in the United States (specifically New York) and wrote adamantly against United States imperialism o Despite his distrust of the United States, Martí was not anti-capitalism, he believed that a capitalist system could promote social justice and racial equality if the nation’s wealth was equally shared among the population o “With all and for the good of all” –Martí · As an internationalist Marti believed Cuba’s independence was essential to Latin American success as a whole. · He remains a symbol of unity for Cuba, throughout his independence efforts he constantly called for unity among rebels and the masses · Marti believed education was the answer to many social problems, and true democracy could not be created without education o He believed in national education, freedom of education, and compulsory education, placing compulsory education above the freedom of education on the ground that “the beneficial tyranny of [compulsory education] to be worth more than the freedom of the [other]” o “An ignorant man is on the way to becoming an animal, whereas an educated and responsible man is on the way to becoming God; and no one would hesitate between a people of gods and a people of animals”

Gerardo Machado 1925-1933
§ Machado began his term with large public works projects § He tried to establish controls on the sugar industry in order to protect smaller an medium sized sugar plantations § Machado immediately increased the number of political assassinations as soon as he gained the office of the presidency o Murdered the most important Communist leader of Cuba, Julio Antonio Mella, in 1929 § Machado used police to gun down strikers in 1925 § The Cuban sugar industry had a large slump during during Machado’s presidency § Machado secured his reelection in 1928 by outlawing the party of his main rival (Carlos Mendieta) § Great Depression (1930) was catastrophic to Cuba’s export based economy § An increase of civil unrest resulted § Machado combated unrest with tighter censorship and increased terror tactics using the Porra (his secret police force) § U.S. became concerned that spreading violence in Cuba could threaten their economic interests (1933) o U.S. sent Sumner Welles to attempt to negotiate between Machado and the “responsible” organizations (excluded many popular organizations o Welles negotiations failed  § Bus drivers strike in Havana escalated into a general strike that paralyzed Havana  § Machado lost support of the U.S. government and the Cuban army As a result Machado resigned and fled into exile on August 12, 1933
 * Gerardo Machado y Morales won the 1924 Cuban presidential election
 * Promised women enfranchisement
 * Once elected Machado did not follow through on his promise of enfranchisement for women
 * He did, however, authorize breaks for nursing mothers and established female hiring quotas
 * Appealed to the growing nationalistic fervor in Cuba
 * In reality Machado had very close ties with the United States
 * He had been the vice president for a U.S. owned utility company
 * U.S. beet farmers competed with Cuban sugar in the U.S.
 * U.S. passed Hawley Smoot Tariff Act
 * Cuban portion of the U.S. sugar market shrank from 49.9 % in 1930 to 25.3% in 1933

Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes. __A History of Latin America Seventh Edition.__ Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

The Sergeant's Revolt
On September fourth, 1933, only days after a hurricane had ravaged Cuba, a group of military men led by Sergeant Batista attacked Machado's government. After only four days President Céspedes was deposed and Batista was named Chief of the Army. This made him the most powerful man in Cuba. The movement was successful largely because of the civilian support behind it. Early on in the planning of the revolt, Batista invited outstanding civilians like Sergio Carbó and Porfirio Franca to participate. At the time of the Sergeants' Revolt, Cuba was all but an anarchy. The military was afraid to enforce the law because they thought that anti-Machado groups would use any military offense as an excuse to reduce the size of the military. There was pressure to get rid of any machadistas in the army, and tensions were high. Junior officers were restless because President Céspedes was passing them over for promotions in favor of less experienced supporters of the former president Menocal. In response, the junior officers insisted that vacancies in the junior officer corp be filled only with military academy graduates. In August, 1933 the junior officers got their wish, and sergeants were no longer allowed to rise to the position of junior officer and received pay cuts. This upset many ambitious young sergeants, particularly sergeant Fulgencio Batista. In response, Batista, with the help of enlisted men at La Cabana, led a mutiny against the officers and seized control of the camp. (Staten, 60) Batista would, directly or indirectly, rule Cuba for the next twenty-five years. Ramón Grau San Martín became the first president of the new regime. He was a leftist and a former professor from the University of Havana. During his four month presidency, Martín annulled the Platt Amendment, limited work days to eight hours, required that half of all Cuban industrial employees be native, and granted women the right to vote. (Wolfe)

"A Sergeant Named Batista." 4 Oct. 2008 .

Staten, Clifford L. The History of Cuba. New York: Greenwood P, 2003.

Wolfe, Wesley. "Cuba, 1898-1959." The Historical Text Archive. 4 Oct. 2008 .

The Constitution of 1940

Politics During Castro's University Years

 * The Cuban economy was in the best place it had been in many years. Coming off of WWII, Cuban sugar was selling faster and for more money than it ever had.
 * Ramón Grau San Martín, leader of the Autentico Party, was elected in 1944. He claimed that he would make Cuba a more just place, specifically giving the working class more control over their lives and property as well as more women rights. He was seen as a sign of hope to working class Cuba.
 * In 1948, Grau was replaced by Carlos Prio Socorras.
 * Although Grau had proved himself to be corruptable and ultimately ineffective, his successor was more of the same, hiding sub par policies and ethics behind the success of the sugar industry.
 * Soon, Eddie Chibas, a popular new politician, was posing a threat to the Autentico with his newly formed Ortodoxo Party. He stood on a platform of social reforms and honest politics- ideas thatthe working class found very attractive.
 * During this period, many younger, more educated Cubans, including Fidel Castro, started to see the potential for the working class to have a profound effect on the government. They found hope in honest, idealist leaders like Chibas.
 * Still, despite growing popularity and a potential win in the 1952 election, Chibas believed that he would ultimately be denied a fair chance at the presidency, be it through crooked politics or military intervention.
 * In an attempt to call to arms and incite a political uprising, Chibas killed himself during a public radio broadcast.
 * Six months after Chibas' suicide, with the support of the United States, Fulgencio Batista returned to power.

Huberman, Leo, and Paul M. Sweezy. "Background of the Revolution." __The Cuba Reader: The Making of a Revolutionary Society__. Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes. __A History of Latin America Seventh Edition.__ Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

Dictatorship of Batista 1952-1959
(BBC News)
 * After reigning through a series of puppet presidencies from 1934 – 1940, and being elected himself from 1940 – 1944, Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar came to power once again in 1952.
 * Early support from common Cubans
 * Competition (Eddie Chibas) fully expected Batista to cheat or win by way of a coup.
 * Forcibly gained power 1952.
 * Overthrew Prio regime
 * Declared Cuban Communism Party illegal
 * disbanded labor unions and aggressively suppressed worker strikes (Haynes; Keen).
 * After his rise to power, Batista claimed elections would be held, but that statement soon proved to be false (Spartus Educational)
 * Pandered to US government by stating that the coup aimed to redefine employer/worker relations and increase foreign trade
 * elite upper class liked Batista policies, but lower and middle classes were unhappy
 * New revolutionaries made his 2nd rule difficult
 * Federation of University Students (FEU)
 * Autenticos (former Grau supporters)
 * 26th of July Movement (Fidel Castro followers) (Haynes; Keen).
 * Peasants gave support to 26th of July movement (Spartus Educational).
 * determined not to compromise with Batista (Haynes; Keen)
 * 1956: planned to create organization to combat Communist uprising.
 * Documents were written, but no real action was taken for a few years
 * Buro Para Represion de las Actividades Comunistas (BRAC)
 * became just another avenue for anti-revolutionary violence
 * violent repression of revolters as revolution grew stronger
 * news of imprisonment and beating of suspected rebels responsible for a big drop in Batista’s popularity (estimated 80% of Cuban population disapproved of him) (Kirkpatrick)
 * poor economy causes:
 * land held only by elite few who only wanted to farm sugar
 * much empty farmland left unused as a reserve for when sugar prices were high
 * low priced goods from US did not allow for industrialization or diversification of agriculture
 * unemployment and underemployment (Haynes; Keen)
 * 1958: army was all that was keeping Batista in power (Kirkpatrick)
 * Army of 10,000 searched Sierra Maestra for Castro and his 300 men (Spartus Educational)
 * the army was weak, full of Batista’s close friends in places of power rather than those who had the skill to lead (Kirkpatrick)

__BBC News__, //Fulgencio Batista// , < [|http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/03/americas_castro0s_cuba/html/2.stm]>

“Fulgencio Batista” __Spartus Educational__. 4 Oct. 2008.< [|http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/COLDbatista.htm]>

Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes. __A History of Latin America Seventh Edition.__ Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

Kirkpatrick, Lyman B. Jr. __The Real CIA__. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1968. 4 Oct. 2008 < [|http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/cuban-rebels/kirkpatrick.htm]>

Condition of Cuba at Eve of Revolution
Accounts vary, but economists believe that the Cuban economy was relatively inactive since 1902, the year that Cuba formally gained its independence from Spain. Accurate estimates are naturally difficult to make as there was a dearth of accurate data. National accounts only began to be computed and recorded in the 1940s by the National Bank of Cuba. This bank estimated the Cuban GNP to have grown at an average rate of 4.6% annually between 1950 and 1958. If population growth as well as inflation is taken into account, the GNP between 1950 and 1958 was actually about 1%. As the portion of the GNP devoted to investment averaged at 18%, and showed an inclination towards increase, there was hope that growth would occur in the future. Cuba’s warm environment, fertile land, and flat plains in combination created the perfect place for growing sugar. Sugar became Cuba’s staple crop, and continued to dominate Cuban life and economy well into Castro’s revolution. As the sugar industry grew larger and larger, and the sugar business consolidated into fewer and fewer hands, the Cuban economy began feeling the negative side effects of this monoculture. As Cuba essentially produced one crop, the economic success of the country depended on the international market. Fluctuations in the market led to a boom-and-bust cycle in Cuba. As sugar was the dominating product in Cuba, workers were forced to seek employment on the plantations as they had nowhere else to go. The sugar moguls would also buy up tracts of land and let them lie fallow and unutilized for subsistence, until the boom-and-bust cycle swung around and the money to develop them was available. Since the economy revolved around raw sugar production, finished goods had to be imported into the country. One of the most ironic examples would be that Cuba exported sugar and then imported candy. Even after the Revolution, sugar was difficult to diversify away from. Due to Castro’s poor governmental position choices (people with no experience), sugar yields were poor and the low GNP from those years further hampered Castro’s ability to reform Cuba’s economy.
 * Slow Economic Growth:**
 * Sugar Monoculture:**
 * Overwhelming Dependence on the U.S.**
 * Two thirds of all Cuban foreign trade was with the U.S.
 * U.S. had more influence in Cuban affairs that ever in 1958
 * Cuba’s economy was integrating with the U.S’s due to such close proximity with the largest economic power in the world.
 * Cuban-American trade resulted in Cuba suffering from $350 million in trade deficits.
 * Unable to achieve a degree of independence or domestic integration due to the U.S. dominance. No chance for competition was given.
 * Trade agreements with U.S. made it impossible for industry to flourish within Cuba and compete with U.S. imports prices.
 * These same treaties stunted agriculture by permitting a flow of agricultural products from the U.S., the low prices which barred potential Cuban competition.
 * · Cuban society couldn’t have functioned without the U.S.’s hand in almost everything, whether Cubans liked it or not.
 * Unemployment and underemployment**
 * 40 percent of Cubans worked in agriculture in 1953. So the sugar monoculture directly affected the rate of employment. A good year would be gentle towards Cubans seeking work, and a bad year would be detrimental.
 * 16 percent of the population was unemployed, another 14 percent underemployed during the 50’s.
 * Huge influx of the employed within a year, with the “dead season” having 457,000 unemployed and only 200,000 unemployed in the harvest season during 1956-57. Hence the term underemployment. People would only be employed for short periods of time, and periods that were too short to keep people from going hungry, or buying a house, or supporting their family, etc.
 * People in the sugar industry (20 to 25% of the nation) only found stable work 4 months of the year, and then went jobless and hungry during the other 8 months of the year.
 * Significant inequalities in living standards**
 * National income distributed within two large categories: remuneration for labor (wages, pensions, fringe benefits), and remuneration for capital (rent, interest, dividends).
 * During the 50’s, average labor share was 65 percent of total national wealth, which is very good.
 * But this gain in wealth for the employed served to hurt the peasants and unemployed.
 * Urban and rural conditions greatly differed.
 * In 1953, 44 percent of Cubans lived in rural areas.
 * During that decade, surveys were done putting Cuba in the top three in Latin American countries for delivery of social services with a high literacy rate, low death rate, positive conditions with health and employment, etc.
 * But the social service facilities taking these surveys had very poor representation in rural Cuba and it was later discovered that the rural Cubans certainly weren’t enjoying things as much as urban Cubans. They were missed during the initial surveys, giving a false sense of national well-being.
 * New surveys of rural areas were done and in every aspect, diet, health, medical attention, housing, income, literacy, etc., rural Cubans were below the national average.
 * This explains the migration from rural to urban areas in Cuba, where some people even moved to the city to become beggars because they were better off that way than in rural Cuba.

Moncada Raid
The raid on Moncada, forever after known as the July 26th Movement, was an assault on the largest Cuban military base located in Santiago de Cuba to secure arms for an anti Batista revolution. Eighty-two guerillas landed on the Cuban coast and were promptly attacked by the Cuban air force. Over half of the resistance died that day, but those who survived regrouped in the Sierra Maestra for combat training. Castro publicized his resistance through spirited interviews with American reporters in his jungle hide away and the use of local radio to broadcast his message. This media attention gathered many more young revolutionaries to the cause. On July 26th, 1953, Fidel Castro and his brother Raul led under 200 men into a battle against nearly 1,000 men who were far better armed than the guerillas. Most of the insurgents were killed on the spot and those who survived were jailed and tortured to death. Castro escaped the raid but was caught in the countryside a short while later. This unsuccessful raid did not accomplish many tangible things, but it kicked the Cuban people into action and served as a testament to the will of the people. It was a failure, but a symbolic failure. Castro, being a trained lawyer, defended himself at his own trail producing his famous speech History Will Absolve Me.

//History Will Absolve Me// and Castro's Imprisonment


-Fidel Castro's //History Will Absolve Me// speech and subsequent imprisonment in the Isle of Pines was due to the failed raid on the Moncada army barracks in Santiago de Cuba in 1953. It was later mass produced and distributed as a revolutionary pamphlet which increased his popularity among the people of Cuba. - The raid on the Moncada barracks led by Castro was seeking to ignited an armed rebellion against current dictator Fulgencio Batista. The group of rebels were mostly low, middle class workers. The rebels were seeking for Cuba to return to the Constitution of 1940, refom land and education, reduce government waste as well as dispose of Batista. (Haynes, 437) No one knows how many men were in on the attack (estimates are between 120 and 1,000), however 70 men were killed. (Castro) - In his speech, Castro defends his actions against an inadequete government and focuses on the six goals of his revolution, " //The problem of the land, the problem of industrialization, the problem of housing, the problem of unemployment, the problem of education and the problem of the people's health: these are the six problems we would take immeadiate steps to solve, **along with the restoration of civil liberties and political democrary"**// (Castro) -- More excerpts from //History Will Absolve Me// - //"In terms of struggle, when we talk about people we're talking about the **six hundred thousand** Cubans without work [...]// - //the **five hundred thousand** farm labourers who live in miserable shacks [...]// - //the **four hundred thousand** industrial wokrkers and laborers whose retirement funds have been embezzeled whose life is endless work and whose only rest is the tomb [...]// - //the **one hundred thousand** small farmers wh live and die working land that is not theirs [...]// - //the **30 thousand** teachers and professors who are so devoted [...] and so badly treated and paid [..[// - //the **ten thousand** young professionals [...] so anxious to work and full of hope, only to find themselves at a dead end, all doors closed to them [..]// - //only death can liberate one form so much misery [...]// - //I know the imprisonment will be harder for me than it has ever been for anyone, filled with cowardly threats and hideous cruelty. But I do not fear prison, as I do not fear the fury of the miserable tyrant who took the lives of 70 of my comrades. Condemn me. It does not matter. **History will absolve me** ."// (Castro)


 * [[image:http://aguadadepasajeros.bravepages.com/english/9isladepinos.jpg caption="Isle of Pines Prison"]] ||
 * Isle of Pines Prison ||

- Fidel Castro was sentanced to 13 years in prison, and his brother Raul was handed a 15 year sentance in the Isle of Pines Prison. However neither brother finished their terms (Fidel spent only 19 months) as they were granted amnesty by Batista in 1955. (Haynes, 437) - Batista's release of the brothers proved to be a huge mistake. The brothers took flight to Mexico, and with the help of Ernesto Guevara, ex-Cuban president Carlos Prio Socarras, and future Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt began to develop another attack on the Batista regime. (Haynes, 437)

Castro, Fidel //History Will Absolve Me (La Historia me absolvera) 1952// Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes. __A History of Latin America Seventh Edition.__ Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

July 26th Movement During Castro's Exile
Haydee Santamaria Frank Pais
 * Castro spent nineteen months on the Isle of Pines for the attack on the Moncada barracks on July 26th 1953, and during this period the leadership of the M-26-7 fell largely to women compatriots like Haydee Santamaria, a founding member of the 1952 anti-Batista resistance and Melba Hernandez who defended Castro at trial.
 * Together these women built a network of urban and rural women who served the revolution as lawyers, interpreters, medical aids, grassroots organizers, educations, spies, messengers and armed combatants. Also, by 1955 these women produced some ten thousand copies of Castro’s //History Will Absolve Me,// that enhanced his reputation.
 * Shortly after M-26-7, Frank Pais, an important student leader at the University of Santiago, is moved by Castro’s actions and begins to recruit revolutionaries in Cuba.
 * Batista’s general amnesty freed Castro in 1955 and shortly thereafter left for Mexico to plan a new attack on the dictatorship. While in Mexico, Castro’s group received support from ex-president Prio and Venezuelan exile Romulo Betancourt.
 * Late in 1955, Castro met Ernesto “Che” Guevara, who was to become the revolution’s second-in-command and its greatest martyr.
 * In the summer of 1955, Frank Pais’ organization merged with the M-26-7. Pais became the leader of the new organization in Oriente province.
 * In 1956, Castro and his band departed Mexico on a small yacht, the //Granma// with eighty-two persons in attempt of the landing in the Orient Province with an uprising in Santiago, but failed as with the M-26-7, barely escaping to the Sierra Maestra. From these mountains, the rebels carried out guerilla raids and beat off attacks by vastly superior forces.
 * In February 1957 Castro granted an interview in his mountain hideout to Herbert Matthews, a well known reporter for the //New York Times,// which gave notice to the Cuban people that she was still alive and enhanced his credibility. Castro’s well planned our speech exaggerated the numerical strength and success of the movement bringing new followers to the revolution.

Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes. __A History of Latin America Seventh Edition.__ Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

An excerpt from Terrence Cannon’s book: REVOLUTIONARY CUBA Thomas Y. Crowell, New York © 1981 by Terrence Cannon http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/pais.htm

The Making of a Revolution: 1956-1959
“The Rebel Army was the soul of the Revolution. Its victorious weapons brought forth a free, beautiful, powerful and invincible new homeland. Its soldiers vindicated the generous blood shed in all the struggles for independence and with their own blood they laid the foundation for Cuba’s socialist present. The weapons they wrested from the oppressors in an epic struggle they gave to the people and they blended with the people, to become since then and ever after the people in soldiers’ uniform. //Ganma// -Labor Unions -Communist supporter -organized fighting committees -Universities and high schools -M-26-7 influence -Professional and Business organizations -Most of them were either middle or upper class -Mass demonstrations against the dictatorship -Publication of a bulletin -Reports and criticizes about the government -countered censorship -1955 Frank País became the leader for the the new organization in the Oriente Province -1956 each cell was given the order to paint on the walls their slogan and movement name -Police involved in suppressing the resistance -Splashed paint reads “Down with Batista! M-26-7.”
 * Rebel Army**
 * Guerilla Warfare**
 * Break with PSP and Frank Pais**
 * Anti-Batista Movement in Urban Areas**
 * Compared to the movements in the mountains these were more open and clandestine
 * Outcome of revolution relied heavily on the cities
 * Many organizations stood up
 * Actions taken by the organizations
 * -The merging of Frank País' organization

Reference: Beckett, Ian F.W., Encyclopedia of Guerrilla Warfare. Library of Congress, 1999 Sources: Bockman, Larry James. The Spirit of Moncada. Marine Corps Command and Staff College. 1 April 1984. Visited October 5, 2008 

**1952**

 * March 10th, Fulgencio Batista again took over the government of Cuba against the elected president of the time named Carlos Prio
 * It was a coup that was set up three months prior to the election that he as well as everyone else was sure he would lose
 * 17 days after the coup the US president, at the time Harry S Truman, formerly recognized Batista's new government

**1953**

 * A year after Batista's coup a small group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro attacked the Moncada Barracks in Santiago.
 * The group was easily crushed, and many of the Cubans who led the revolt died and Fidel Castro was jailed

**1954**

 * Because of the growing amount of opposition and popular unrest, Batista held an election in 1954 in which he was the only legal candidate. Batista surprisingly won.
 * This rigged election increased the amount of civil unrest throughout the country

**1955**

 * On May 15, 1955, Batista unexpectedly released Fidel Castro and the the rest of the survivors of the revolutionary band.
 * This tactic was to reduce the amount of tension and hatred towards him and his regime
 * Within weeks it was clear that Batista's military police were trying to kill Castro
 * This turn of events forced Castro to leave his home country and flee to Mexico
 * By the end of 1955, student riots and anti Batista demonstrations had become frequent throughout Cuba
 * These acts were dealt with by the police very violently, as they were known to do.
 * Students of the University of Havana who were caught marching were severely beaten and then sent home
 * A popular student was killed by the police on December 10th
 * This led to a funeral that became a giant political protest
 * Instead of cracking, Batista did the opposite. He suspended constitutional garuntees and took tighter control of the media.
 * His military police would patrol the streets and pick up anyone that was suspected of insurrection.
 * By the end of 1955, Batista's police had became much more accustomed to violence and acts of brutality and torture

**1956**

 * In March, 1956, Batista refused to throw another election because he believed he had the power to throw of any revolutionary band that tried to stop him
 * In April of 1956, Batista gave the orders to make a man named Barquin General and Chief of the Army.
 * Barquin did not take the offer because he had been planning a coup for sometime and still intended to go on with the plan
 * On April 6, 1956, a coup led by hundreds of career officers led by Colonel Barquin was doomed to fail because their plan had already been betrayed by a man named Rios Morejon
 * Lieutenant Morejon had told Batista of the coup and so Batista was ready when Barquin showed his true colors
 * The failed coup destroyed the Cuban armed forces
 * The officers who took place in the coup were sentenced to the maximum terms allowed by the Cuban law
 * Barquin was sentenced to solitary confinement for 8 years.
 * Without the support of all of Barquin's men, the army could not sustain a fight against Fidel Castro who conveniently landed in Cuba eight months after the failed coup.
 * Batista continued his regime as though nothing was wrong, even after the landing of the Granma in December of 1956, which was the boat that brought Fidel Castro back to Cuba.
 * Due to the continued opposition to Batista, the school oh Havana was closed temporarily on November 30, 1956

**1957**

 * A man named Echeverria was killed by police after an attack on the presidential palace on March 13, 1957

**1958**

 * Finally, an election took place in 1958 to decide a new president.
 * Andres Rivero won the election, and Batista knew that if he took Rivero out, he would no longer have the support of the United States and would shortly lose power anyway

**1959**

 * He reluctantly gave up power on January 1, 1959
 * His remaining family members and close associates boarded a plane and flew to Ciudad Trujillo in the Dominican Republic
 * Throughout the rest of that same night, Batista's closest friends and high officials boarded planes to Miami, New York, New Orleans, and Jacksonville.
 * Batista later moved to Madeira, and then finally settled down in Lisbon, Portugal, where he lived and also wrote books until he finally died.

Sierra, Jerry A. "Fulgencio Batista, From the History of Cuba." __Over 500 Years of Cuban History__. 11 Apr. 2008. 3 Oct. 2008 .

Key Decisions of 1959

January 1, 1959: Batista and his closest allies flee to Miami, Florida. Castro and the revolutionaries take over the government. February 7 : The Constitution of 1940 is reinstated as official constitution of Cuba. Revolutionary leaders made series of decisions in 1959. These decisions determined the course of the revolution for the next 10 years. First decision : Parliamentary democracy is an inappropriate form of government for Cuba February : Fundamental Law of the Republic was passed: Concentrated legislative power in the executive. Castro, as Prime Minister and later Firs Secretary of Communist Party, held the decisive posts in both the government and the ruling party of the Cuban nation. With this power, Castro and the revolutionary regime suppressed the right of free press and the autonomy of the University of Havana. The new leaders of the country held public trials of former Batista supporters. Many of these supporters were executed.

May 17 : First Law of Agrarian Reform Expropriation of 1000 acre of farmlands and Latifundia. This land was distributed to the peasants. Limits total landholding to 993 acres. Nationalized the cattle ranches Forbade foreign land ownership.

Second Decision: Revolutionary movement leftward, in order to consolidate the political support and accomplish the revolutionary economic goals: land reform, income redistribution, agricultural diversification, and economic independence away from the US. This prompted the alienation of middle-class supporters, like Major Huber Matos, and President Manuel Urrutia. They resigned in July. October: Matos was charged with treason and imprisoned. Matos was one of the foremost military leaders, and a staunch anticommunist. The revolutionaries allied with the Popular Socialist (Communist) Party. They sought the Party’s help in administering the Cuban Nation.

Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes. A History of Latin America: Seventh Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

U.S. Cuban Relations in the Sixties

 * Expropriation of US Business and US Response **
 * May 1960 Cuban government requested that US companies in Cuba to refine Soviet Crude Oil, which Cuba had received at a lower price
 * US refused and Cuba expropriated the refineries
 * United States returned fire by abolishing Cuban sugar quota
 * Cuba then expropriated multiple US owned lands
 * By October 1960 the US had banned all exports to Cuba
 * Shortly after Cuba retaliated by Expropriating multiple US owned companies that were stationed in Cuba including Sears, Roebuck, Coca- Cola and a United States government owned nickel mine at Moa Bay
 * During this conflict the CIA gave money to Cuban revolutionary groups and set up training camps at Guatemala to prepare for an attack on Cuba

** · January 3, 1961, outgoing president Eisenhower severes diplomatic relations with Cuba, following a long dispute regarding expropriation and the embargo. · The CIA began planning for the operation in 1960, building a training camp for exiles in Guatemala. This army of exiles was known as Brigade 2506 · The Alabama National Guard trained 20 Cuban Brigade 2506 Douglas B-26 bomber crews for air support of the invasion. The CIA “sanitized” 20 B-26 bombers from US Air force stocks to disguise their origins. · On April 9, 1961, the CIA began moving Brigade 2506 Assets to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua in preparation for the invasion. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Symbol">· The invasion plans were not a very well kept secret, and the Cuban government had prior warning. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Symbol">· On the morning of April 15, 1961, the invasion began with the bombing of Cuban airfields. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Symbol">· An elaborate deception on the 16th of April allowed the US an excuse to support the invasion. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Symbol">· On the 17th of April, the landings began with 1,500 Cuban exile troops supported by 4 transports. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Symbol">· Lack of effective air support and the failure of the Cuban population to rise in support of the invasion caused the invaders to stall. Fierce fighting ensued resulting in 1,800 Cuban casualties. · Over 1,200 of the invaders were captured by Castro’s troops and immediately tried for treason. · The surviving prisoners were exchanged with the US for $53 million in food and medicine
 * The Bay of Pigs




 * Cuban Missile Crisis **
 * A month after bay of pigs, Castro declared allegiance to socialism and showed strong ties with Soviet Union
 * Soviet Union Promised to defend Cuba from threats of the United States, started sending weapons to Cuba
 * US surveillance spotted “offensive weapons” on the shores of Cuba and demanded that Cuba remove these missiles
 * Many of the weapons were capable of delivering nuclear weapons all over North America
 * Kennedy was being pressured by military to strike Cuba to avoid receiving a homeland attack
 * Appeared to many that Kennedy was losing control and nuclear war was inevitable
 * After many stressful days the United States and Soviet Union reached a compromise
 * The Soviet Union removed their missiles from Cuba as long as the United States didn’t attach Cuba and the United States move their own weapons out of Turkey
 * United States didn’t fully stop bothering Cuba, CIA still organized raids against refiners and ports and it is possible might have sponsored attempts of assassination on Fidel Castro

Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes. __A History of Latin America Seventh Edition.__ Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

<span style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0)"> havanajournal.com/images/ uploads/Bay_of_pigs.jpg

Revolutionary Economics in the Sixties
__ Timeline of economic policies (five stages of the revolution) __ 1959-1960: liquidation of capitalism and erosion of the market 1961-1963: attempt to introduce Soviet pre-economic reform model of command economy 1964-1966: debate over and test of alternative socialist economic models 1966-1970: adoption and radicalization of the Mao-Guevarist model 1971-now: shift to current Soviet model of economic reform [//The// // Cuba //// Reader // ; Aviva Chomsky, Pamela Maria Smorkaloff] __ National Institute of Agrarian Reform (INRA) __ - creates socio-economic agrarian revolution - most powerful state owned monopoly - “Those who work the land shall own it” - promotes agarian cooperatives - creates 485 cooperatives - intent to break up the plantations and put the land to use growing diversified crops - vehicle for eradicating malnutrition through co-ops - controls 1/3 of all agriculture - develops first experiences with central planning - Ernesto "Che" Guevara serves as first head of INRA [//Castro's Cuba//; Robert Taber; //The Nation//] __ Agrarian Reform Law and Collectivization __ - first Agrarian Reform Law instituted June 2, 1959 - was the first major act of revolutionary policy to be established by the new government under the control of Fidel Castro - called for profit sharing among farmers and the division of unused lands - government nationalized large estates & companies - U.S. government demands compensation for lands nationalized in Cuba owned by American shareholders - state intervention in enterprises abandoned by owners or labor conflicts - confiscation of assets and property embezzled by Batista, or owned by counterrrevolutionaries/exiles - INRA established to oversee & administer provisions - limited landholding to 993 acres - distributed expropriated land to peasants - expropriated latifundias, rental housing - nationalized cattle ranches - majority of land never distributed - results in good sugar harvest __ JUCEPLAN __ - agency for state central planning - initially established to coordinate government policies and to guide the private sector through indicative planning - formulated medium range macro development plans - political leadership circumvents authority of JUCEPLAN, inconsistencies occur [//The Cuba Reader//; Aviva Chomsky, Pamela Maria Smorkaloff] __ Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and The New Man __ - "The human species, the sluggish [|Homo sapiens], will once again enter the stage of radical reconstruction and become in his own hands the object of the most complex methods of [|artificial selection] and psychophysical training... Man will make it his goal...to create a higher [|sociobiological type] , a [|superman] , if you will" - Leon Trotsky - " The new society in formation has to compete fiercely with the past. This past makes itself felt not only in one's consciousness — in which the residue of an education systematically oriented toward isolating the individual still weighs heavily — but also through the very character of this transition period in which commodity relations still persist. The commodity is the economic cell of capitalist society. So long as it exists **its effects will make themselves** **felt in the organization of production and, consequently, in consciousness**" - Che Guevara - Guevara found man to be in a "transitional period" (idea taken from Karl Marx) - "It is very important to choose the right instrument for mobilizing the masses. Basically, this instrument must be moral in character, without neglecting, however, a correct use of the material incentive — especially of a social character" -Che Guevara - Guevara outlined need for: - conscious process of self-education - institutionalization of the revolution - a new status of work - individualism - new impulse for artistic experimentation - new revolutionary generation - living with the intention of sacrifice - love of living humanity - awareness and prevention of dogmatism - "patria o muerte" [//Socialism and man in// // Cuba ////, // Ernesto Guevara] - " Cubans should no longer work for personal benefits, but for the good outcome for everybody in the society" -Fidel Castro [//The Man Who Invented Fidel//, Herbert L. Matthews] _

__The Return to Sugar__

Failure, Reassessment, and Greater Dependency
> The Ten Million Tom Harvest ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> Castro called for a ten million ton harvest of sugar in Cuba in 1970, see Return to Sugar. This plan failed completely and only 8.5 million tons were produced. ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> The ten million ton target could have only bee reached if Cuban agriculture was more industrialized. Since it was not Castro had to go to great lengths to ensure a great harvest ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> He used massive voluntary and occasional forced labor to support the plan. This drew off resources from other areas of the economy and caused significant damage. He mobilized 400,000 Cubans to support the harvest. ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> Some of the main causes for the failure of the plan were low cane yields, bad weather, machinery breakdown and problems with transportation. ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> This failure and the continuing lack of civil liberties led to a youth protest movement in Cuba. ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> At this point the failure of his plan was undeniable and in his historic July 26th Speech “17th Anniversary of the Moncada Assault”, Castro uncharacteristically personally assumed responsibility for the failure. > ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">  He said “ I believe that we, the leaders of this Revolution, have cost the people too much in our process of learning. And unfortunately, our problem... one of our most difficult problems -- and we are paying for it dearly -- is our heritage of ignorance.” ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">  Castro did midigate his acceptance of the failure by saying “sugar production increased notably. We produced over four million tons more than last year. This increase is a real record hard to beat as an increase--and this is not to say these quantities of sugar cannot be topped some day but that it's difficult to take leaps as big as that in sugar production.” ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> Castro himself considered some of the causes of the low sugar harvest and the struggling agricultural sector in general to be from difficulty in transport, both from the countryside to the city and out of the city, and delays signing contracts. ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> In his speech Castro outlined a plan for reform and change saying “It must also be said that nobody can solve a problem if he doesn't seek the cooperation of others.”, he proposed increased coordination of the different branches of the government at the highest level. He also called for “microinvestments” in tools and supplies to maintain factories. ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> Castro spoke about the difficulties of the Cuban economy as a whole and presented many ideas to improve the situation without taking the easy route of blaming an outside force. In his speech Castro did not present himself as the glorious leader with all the answers but rather a humble man who wanted to move his country forward. Cuba and COMECON ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> In 1964 Cuba signed a treaty with the USSR and its block, COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance), to support its economy. Cuba would sell sugar to the USSR for a favorable price to the USSR and receive soviet subsidies and support from COMECON. With this Cuba was able to gain increased influence but lost economic independence. ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> In 1972 Cuba continued this pattern and became a full member of COMECON. During this year Cuba also signed several pacts with the USSR regarding trade, deferment of debt, and financial aid. ¨<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> In 1975 the first congress of the Cuban Communist Party was held. Works Cited Castro, Fidel. “17th Anniversary of the Moncada Asssult”. 2008. 5 October 2008. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/castro/db/1970/19700726.html Cuba, 1958 to 1989. August 30th 2005. 5 October 2008. http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/caribbean/cuba19591989.html > The rise and rule of Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution. 1 September, 2007. 5 October 2008. http://wheremydogs.at/index_files/the-rise-and-rule-of-fidel-castro.html > “History of Cuba” 2008. 5 October 2008 [|[[http://www.emayzine.com/lectures/HISTOR~7.htmLorimer|http://www.emayzine.com/lectures/HISTOR~7.htm]]] Lorimer, Doug. The Cuban Revolution and Its Leadership. 5 October 2008. http://www.dsp.org.au/node/8 >

Government Reorganization of the Seventies
Reformation of the CTC
 * CTC=Confederation of Cuban Workers.
 * After a realization of the crisis in labor, Castro moved to reform the CTC in November of 1963.
 * Promoted as a more democratic institution, the new infrastructure of the CTC was really built around fighting laziness and slacking to increase productivity.
 * In 1971, an "anti-loafing" law was passed.
 * The reformations of economics and political policy also slightly influenced society. Rather than continuing to follow the "new man" ideas of Che Guevera, (essentially the man who would work for satisfaction) the government would opt to give material incentives for work.
 * Che's "new man" was of course a complete failure from the start, but was always pressed upon by Castro.
 * The reforms of the 60's turned out to be a disaster, and to save Cuba, Castro decided to add a touch of capitalism to the mix.
 * Hence a constitution...

Constitution of 1976 and the Three Pyramids of Power > 1. Organs of Popular Power (OPP) > 2. Sistema de Direccion y Planifacion de la Economia > 3. Reorganization of top government posts
 * The Communist party of Cuba completed the constitution in December of 1975.
 * Congress adopted it in February of 1976.
 * The idea of the constitution was more to appease the people by giving the appearance of democratic system, but this in no way affected Fidel Castro.
 * Castro was ultimately the dictator and head of the Communist Party in Cuba, but units of government were formed underneath him.
 * Castro was at the top (President of council of State), with elected delegates underneath him, and popularly elected assembly officials underneath them.
 * The three pyramids of power refer to the reforms of institutionalization.
 * The formation of the OPP was to give assemblies more of a democratic rubric for controlling local policies.
 * Still, the communist part controlled things the same way the always had.
 * Government was centralized for the sake of reforming the failed policies of the 60's.
 * This lead to the forming of the new constitution. (see above)
 * These reforms were strongly connected to the reorganization of the economy in 1970.

__Castro: Profiles in Power__ Sebastian Balfour, 2nd Edition, 199,5 Pearson Education Limited, London

Reorganization of the Economy 1970-1990
During the 1970s and 80s Castro and his revolutionaries took a serious look at the state of Cuba and thought critically about what could be done to reform the revolution and move forward successfully. This involved and institutionalization of the movement, and a reassessment of Cuba’s political structure, work force, and economy.

Crisis in the Cuban work force: - the “army” like organization of the work force was not working with the Cuban people. - the need to raise output and productivity of the nation. - the need to improve efficiency of manufacturing and harvesting. - Chaves’s “New Man” model proved inaccurate; it was apparent that workers needed material rather than moral incentives. - the revolutionary party realized that workers unions needed to take a more prominent role in the economy. - Castro believed that a large portion of the work force was becoming ‘lazy’. - dissatisfaction among the workers was becoming widespread. The state of the Cuban economy as a result of the ten-million-ton sugar harvest: - the sugar industry took a major hit, and did not recover for several years. - hurt the production of other branches of the econoy because the labor force was siphoned off from other sectors in an effort by the revolutionaries to rebuild the sugar economy (subsequent harvests are poor).
 * Problems with the Current (pre 1970) Economy and Reasons for Reconstruction**

-Reconstruction of the economic agencies and businesses of Cuba (with the help of Soviet advisers), especially: - financial accountability, increased profitability, and materials flow among enterprises. - democratization of the work force. - industrialization of the revolution (moving toward and actual political party, rather than a group of Fedilistas with thick beards and radical ideas). -introduction of material incentives rather than only moral values to motivate Cuban workers in order to raise productivity. In reference to the last point made above, Castro defined the relation of moral and material rewards in the following way: “Together with moral incentive, we must also use material incentive, without abusing either one, because the former would lead us to idealism, while the latter would lead to individual selfishness. We must act in such a way that economic incentives will not become the exclusive motivation of man, nor moral incentives serve to have some live off the work of the rest.” (108 Balfour)
 * Steps Taken by the Cuban Government to Reform and Industrialize the Economy**

Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes. //A History of Latin America Seventh Edition//. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Balfour, Sebastian. //Castro: Profiles in Power//. London: Pearson Education Limited, 1995__

Castro's Foreign Policy and Style of Diplomacy 1970-1990
>> ____ > <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __**  1984 INTERVIEW CASTRO ON RELATIONS WITH FRANCE, FOREIGN POLICY  **__ > > __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __an exclusive interview granted to France's leading television channel__ > __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Fidel Castro stressed that aside from those aspects over which differences do exist, relations between France and Cuba are fine__ > __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Cuba__ __and France do not agree on all aspects of their foreign relations__ __o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __citing this connection France's military presence in Chad and Lebanon__  __o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __We oppose this participation, he said, as do all progressive Third World and socialist countries__ > __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Fidel explained that it must be acknowledged that France's military presence in Chad and Lebanon has been accompanied by the political determination to negotiate__ > __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro stressed that France maintains a positive and constructive position on Central America__ > __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __position coincides with that of the Cuban Government__ > __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro denounced the U.S. policy on Central America__ __o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __recalling that in El Salvador Washington endorses a genocidal regime__  __o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __responsible for the slaughter of 40,000 people__  __o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro added: Under no circumstances can I put France and the United States on the same plane__ > __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Expressed the hope that French President Francois Mitterrand exerts positive influence on Ronald Reagan during visit to Washington__ > > __**1987 INTERVIEW STATEMENTS GIVEN TO URUGUAYAN TV**__ >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __In statements given to Montevideo Television Channel__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Fidel Castro expressed his good feelings for the Uruguayan people__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __have permanently supported the Cuban revolution__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __talked about the topic of the Third World's unpayable and irrecoverable foreign debt__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __reiterated his support for Brazil's decision to suspend interest payments on its foreign debt for an indefinite period of time__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro said that Latin American will make no progress without economic integration__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __willing to join despite that fact that it has a different socioeconomic system from the other nations of the area.__    ==

<span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __1987 SPEECH CALLING BRAZIL'S MORATORIUM HISTORIC__
>> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro called Brazil's decision to suspend payment of its foreign debt interest "historic"__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro for years has been leading a campaign against paying the foreign debt__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Declared that "this is the moment to turn the history of the Third World people around"__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __"from today on the people will speak of a history before this moment and after this moment."__    ==

<span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __1987 MEETING CASTRO, MANGWENDE MEET__
>> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro has met with Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Witness Mangwende,__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __During their talks, Castro and Mangwende discussed the situation in southern Africa__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __reaffirming Cuba and Zimbabwe's determination to step up the struggle against the apartheid regime__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __agreed on the positive trend in the region__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __where front line countries and national liberation movements are confronting the racist South African regime more forcefully.__    ==

<span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __1988 REMARKS CASTRO PRAISES GORBACHEV DEBT MORATORIUM PLAN__
>> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro described the proposal made by the Soviet Union's highest leader Mikhail Gorbachev to apply a 100-year debt moratorium on the Third World countries and to cancel the debts of poorer nations as being of extraordinary importance__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Fidel added that this is great support against the paying the foreign debt. He stressed that Gorbachev's proposal has been well received in Third World countries__  == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Fidel made these statements at the Havana airport where he said farewell to the Cuban health brigade that traveled to Armenia yesterday.__   ==

<span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __1988 MEETING ARMS DISCUSSION OF S. AFRICA WITH ADAMISHIN__
>> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro received Anatoliy Adamishin, deputy foreign minister of the USSR__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __informed him about talks recently held in Washington between Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze and U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Fidel showed special interest in the draft treaty reducing strategic arms by 50 percent to be examined at the fourth Soviet-American summit in Moscow in May__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __also expressed interest in a draft convention to ban chemical weapons reduction in military troops and conventional weapons in Europe, and regional issues__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __exchanged views on the situation in southern Africa__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __confirmed that the USSR and Cuba hold identical views on the use of all available resources to put an end, as soon as possible, to the aggression and to effect the withdrawal of the South African troops from Angola__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __implement the decisions of the UN Security Council concerning Namibian independence.__    ==

<span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __1988 REPORT CASTRO URGES JOINT ACTION FOR DEBT__
>> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Castro urged the Group of Eight to try to get all Latin American countries together to solve the continent's foreign debt__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __“We have to fight united so we can continue calling ourselves independent countries.”__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> Comments Made by Castro :said the continent will soon blow up if a solution is not found to the most serious problem it has had, the foreign debt. __ == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right">  __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __that the United States realizes the problem that foreign debt represents, it will surely use one of its dirty war tactics; interventions and attacks, to prevent social explosions, but this will not work because countries will no longer allow it__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Bush is more pragmatic than ideological and he hopes that Bush doesn't have the same last century's reactionary thinking Ronald Reagan has__    ==

<span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __1990 Castro Comments on Domestic, Foreign Affairs__
>> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __Interview with President Fidel Castro by an unidentified reporter at a reception held at the Japanese Embassy in Havana on 12 November__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __what is the outlook of trade development between Japan and Cuba?__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __-I think there are objective possibilities__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __-we have to see what is the objective will of each of the parties__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __-We are willing and we also know that many Japanese businessmen and friends want the development of those relations. They can become very broad__  == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __given the development level we are reaching in technology, medicine, and biomedicine, do you think we could also export our goods to Japan?__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __-I am certain that we have goods that would be very useful in Japan__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __-they could become part of our exports to Japan or any other country in the world.__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __We even have things that are needed in the United States__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __there are people and children who die of meningococcal meningitis__   == >> == <span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none"> __ __We have the vaccine, but because of their arrogance and hatred they [the United States officials] rather not save the lives of those children before they buy the vaccine from us__   == >> ==<span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> __--__   == > ==<span style="display: block; font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: right"> "Castro Speech Database." __Latin American Network Information Center__. Lanic. 5 Oct. 2008 <http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/castro.html>. ==

Massive Emigration in 1980s
The Mariel Boatlift __ · April 4th, 1980 Fidel Castro removes guards from the Peruvian embassy in Havana. · Less than 48 hours later approximately 10,000 Cuban citizens storm the Peruvian embassy seeking political asylum. · Castro announces that any Cuban citizen who is wishes to leave may do so through the port of Mariel. · Small U. S. boats depart for Cuba in defiance of U.S. laws regarding Cuba. · Many of the boats took on more passengers than they were intended to carry. · The United States Coast Guard was responsible for responding to the mass emigration crisis. ú This was the largest U.S. Coast Guard operation ever during peacetime. ú They were aided by Coast Guard from the entire Atlantic seaboard, 900 reservationists, and some Navy assets. ú Only 27 Cubans died at sea during the journey. · Upon reaching the United States the Coast Guard received help in processing all of the immigrants. ú Many of the Cubans were convicted criminals or mentally ill patients who had involuntarily been forced to participate in the mass exodus. ú 23,000 were convicted criminals in Cuba. ú Only 2,746 qualified as criminals under U.S. law because many of them had been convicted of crimes that are not considered crimes in the United States. · Approximately 125,000 Cubans immigrated to the United States between April 15, 1980 and October 31, 1980 from the port of Mariel to Southern Florida. · Between 1959 and the 1980 port of Mariel approximately 1,000,000 Cuban have left Cuba for the United States. · In 1984 the United States and Cuba agreed to resume normal immigration. ú This included returning Cubans who were “excludable” (meaning those who were denied citizenship, ex. convicted criminals) under U.S. law. ú Castro refused to take bake 800-900 criminals who had been transferred to the United States during the Mariel boatlift.

“Timeline” US – Cuba relations.” __BBC News __. 23 August 2007. 5 October 2008. <news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/Americas/3182150> “Migration.” __U.S. Department of State __. 16 March 2000. 5 October 2008. < [|www.state.gov/www/regions/wha/cuba/migration.html] > “U.S. – Cuba Relations.” __U.S. Department of State __. 1 May 2001. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Washington, D.C. 5 October 2008. < [|www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/fs/2001/2558.htm] > Pike, John. “Mariel Boatlift.” __Global Security.org __. 27 April 2005. 5 October 2008. [|www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/mariel-boatlift.htm]__

Effects on Cuba of Soviet Union Collapse
- Collapse of Soviet Union eliminates numerous trading partners to Cuba. ---National income declines from 45% from 1989 and 1992. ---Previous to this, international trade between the U.S.S.R. and Cuba had been growing at a rate of about 10% a year. ---Soviets had been subsidizing to Cuba, in the forms of cheap oil and buying sugar at inflated prices. ---Began shrinking subsidies in 1988. -''It shows that the Soviets are starting to become conscious of the costs of subsidizing the Cuban economy” -Manuel Sanchez Perez, former Cuban Deputy Minister of Material Technical Supply. ---Oil exports declined from 13 million tons (pre-1990) to 1.8 million tons in 1992. --Major energy crunch, causing blackouts, factory shutdowns, and declining use of cars. ---Nickel industry declined as well, causing production to fall by 36%. ---Citrus exports actually increase. -Economic crisis in Cuba begins. ---U.S. does not help situation by beginning Torricelli Act (1992). -Extends embargo on Cuba to countries that accept U.S. subsidies. -Bars any ship that has made port in Cuba from entering U.S. ports for 180 days. ---Introduces Helms-Burton Act of 1996 -Allows U.S. citizens to sue foreign corporations who made money off of U.S. companies formerly expropriated from Cuba. ---Both acts were severely condemned internationally.

Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes. //A History of Latin America Seventh Edition//. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. "Cuba's Struggle for Self-Sufficiency", Carmen Diana Deere, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1132/is_n3_v43/ai_11063036/pg_10 "Soviet Said to Reduce Support for Cuba", New York Times, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDE113BF935A25750C0A96E948260

Rectification and the "Special Period"
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Cuba’s “Special Period” <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">- <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Gorbachev reforms of Soviet Union of the 1980’s o <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Re-institutes private property and the right to choose career paths o <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">This creates a rift between Cuba and USSR o <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Castro openly derides Gorbachev Reforms § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">This leads to greater Cuban isolation <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">- <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Collapse of the Soviet Union and the “Special Period” o <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Rise of market economies in the Eastern Block devastates Cuban trade with former Soviet republics o <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Trade with Russia accounted for 85% of Cuban GDP o <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">By 1993, total Cuban/Russian trade accounts for only $750 million o <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Seeing this, the United States expands Sanction in efforts to starve Castro out of power § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Shuts off oil supply § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Tightens shipping restrictions § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Tightens Embargo, not allowing foreign ships into Cuban ports with necessary goods <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">- <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Cuban Response and the “Special Period” o <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Castro institutes a series of plans and policies he calls the “Special Period” § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">These contingency plans were originally designed for war-time use § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Over 200 items added to list of rationed goods § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Gas ration severely cut § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Oil shortages slowed or shut down public transportation § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Factories and Industrial production slowed or shut down § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">All Cuban internationalism halted · <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Soldiers brought home and disbanded · <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Docters, physicians, technicians, and missionaries brought home o <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Effect on Cuban Health Care § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Universal Cuban health care was originally its greatest achievement § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Soviets provided 85% of medical supplies to Cuba § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">U.S. embargo prevented importing of medicine § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Shortages of items such as aspirin and basic vaccines § <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">All vascular and respiratory illnesses left untreated __ =__Bibliography__= __<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(38, 42, 44); font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Perez, Louis A. "Cuba's Special Period." __HistoryofCuba.com __. Comp. J.A. Sierra. < [|http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/havana/lperez2.htm]>.

<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(38, 42, 44); line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Barrett, Kathleen. __The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc: Effects on Cuban Health Care __.__ Trinitydc.edu __. Vers. Number 2. May 1993. Trinity University. < [|http://www.trinitydc.edu/academics/depts/interdisc/international/caribbean%20briefings/thecollapseofsoviet.pdf]>.__

Cuba's Human Rights Record
Fidel Castro's human rights record is difficult to judge, mainly because one must weigh great achievements (such as Cuba's systems of education and health care) against questionable methods of government (suppression of the free press, for example).

Especially before the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of Castro's reforms were indeed impressive. Women and Afro-Cubans enjoyed unprecedented freedoms, for instance. Equality between marriage partners was even institutionalized. Furthermore, such ills as illiteracy and unemployment were virtually wiped out. Perhaps most remarkably, Cuba enjoyed a truly world-class system of healthcare, sponsored generously by the government. There is little doubt then, that conditions for the average Cuban improved vastly during the Revolution.

However, Castro also held tightly to the reins of Cuba. He would not tolerate dissent from more moderate revolutionaries; such people were purged from government or even imprisoned. He also sunk the free press, and intervened at the very university that formed his early political persona (the University of Havana). He continued to jail dissidents such as librarians and journalists to the close of his rule.

Ultimately, Cuba's government, as personified by Castro, displayed a strong paternalist bent. Thus the strongman cared for his people -- according to the various revolutionary principles he held dear -- but he would tolerate no deviations from his vision for the country. Naturally, then, Castro's revolution led to a marked increase in living standards for the everyday Cuban, but also a sharp decline in freedom of expression.

It is notable that at the moment, Cuba is barely ahead of Mexico in the United Nations' Human Development Index, and well behind several other Latin American countries. //The Economist// has speculated that, should the American trade embargo persist, an economically weak Cuba will fall irrevocably under the influence of Hugo Chavez's Venezuela.