Global Issues 621 September 2008 Population: 11 Million Capital City: Havana Head of State: Raul Castro (as of February 2008) Proximity to Florida: 90 Miles (less than the distance from Souris to Tignish) Since Fidel Castro s Revolution in 1956, Cuba has remained one of America's most enduring enemies, a stubborn symbol of communism, a reminder of Cold War conflict, and an unknown problem for the future. It can also be argued that America has become a political victim of its own propaganda, while Cuba has been a victim of geography and US policy. The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle... Cuba was discovered and conquered by the Spanish in the 1500s. Soon after, slaves were imported from Africa, a sugar trade was developed and industrialization (manufacturing, etc.) began. To make sure it still had influence in the area, the US invaded, launching the Spanish-American War in 1898. 1
After defeating the Spanish, the US enacted the Platt Amendment, which established a permanent military base at Guantanamo Bay and declared America's right to intervene in the future. 1940 - Fulgencio Batista assumed power in a military coup and was elected president. 1947 - Fidel Castro (while at the University of Havana) founded a political party devoted to political reform. 1952 - Castro ran for Congress, but Batista cancelled the elections, knowing he might lose. Batista then abandoned democracy and became a dictator. Under Batista, development flourished, corruption was rampant and Cubans were exploited (in a lot of cases, by greedy North Americans). Havana became a centre for vice, gambling and prostitution. Reformers were ruthlessly suppressed (killed). July 26, 1953 - Because of the Batista coup, Castro founded a revolutionary movement which mounted its first attack (by 100 men) on the Batista regime on army barracks in Santiago. 2
The attack was a dismal failure and many died. The few survivors were tried and imprisoned, but Castro's speech ( History will absolve me ) in his defence was a propaganda coup and a call for revolution. 1955 - He was released in a general amnesty (a pardon by the government after a lot of public pressure) and exiled to Mexico. While in Mexico, he and his followers organized the: It is in Mexico that Castro met Ernesto Ché Guevara. Movimiento Revolucionario 26 de Julio (July 26 Movement - J26M), named for their first revolutionary act in 1953. 3
1956-80 men led by Castro in a leaky boat (The Granma) landed in Cuba to resume the 1953 revolution. This too was a disaster, but 12 survivors fled to the Sierra Maestra (Cuba s mountain range) and organized the first guerrilla unit of the J26M. The rebels under Castro and Ché, gained a lot of peasant support and rolled into Havana, forcing the corrupt Batista to abandon his rule. 4
Castro declared himself Prime Minister. The rebels executed many Batista followers; others escaped to the USA. Soon after, Cuba launched aggressive and highly successful, literacy and health programs under Castro s regime. The ideas of J26M disappeared almost immediately, as Castro (& Ché) embraced the former Soviet Union and the Cuban Communist Party. 5
Many members of the movement who fought side by side with Castro in the Sierra Maestra mountains didn t agree with Castro and were killed, jailed or exiled. Ché Guevara worked with the Castro government briefly. Soon, he joined a similar revolution in Bolivia. He was wounded, captured, and executed in 1967 (perhaps by the CIA). He remains an icon in Cuba. At first, the USA welcomed the 26th of July revolution, until nationalization (all land, property, and money owned by outsiders became property of the government) and Castro embraced communism at a time when America was terrorized by the "Red Peril" of Communism. 6
1961 - the US sponsored the infamous and ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban exiles (those who Castro threw out of the country) in an attempt to remove Castro from power. The invasion was disastrous and the exiles were defeated. Victorious, Castro declared Cuba a socialist state. The US influenced the Organization of American States (OAS) to expel Cuba and imposed a economic boycott against Cuba. Cuba then strengthened economic ties with the Soviet Union. US enforced an EMBARGO - US companies cannot do business in or with Cuba and US citizens cannot travel to Cuba. 7