**THE CUBAN REVOLUTION**
Fulgencio Batista was a Cuban President, dictator, and military leader
supported by the United States. Batista served as the leader of Cuba
from 1933–1944 and from 1952–1959 before being overthrown as a
result of the Cuban Revolution.
In 1952, Batista suspended the Constitution and revoked most political
freedoms. He then began supporting and working with the wealthiest
landowners with the largest sugar plantations, and the gap between the
rich and the poor widened. Batista negotiated lucrative relationships
with the American mafia, who controlled the drug, gambling, and
prostitution rackets in Havana. Batista also built relationships with
large American corporations that had invested considerable amounts of
money in Cuba. During this time period, there were many student riots
and anti-Batista demonstrations. As a result, he established tighter
censorship of the media and he used the secret police and U.S.supplied weapons to commit acts of violence, torture and public
executions, ultimately killing as many as 20,000 people.
As a result of the Batista regime, for two years (December 1956 –
December 1958) Fidel Castro and other rebels led a guerrilla uprising
against Batista's regime, which ended in his eventual defeat by rebels
under the command of Che Guevara at the Battle of Santa Clara on
New Year's Day 1959. Batista immediately fled the island to the
Dominican Republic and eventually found political asylum in Portugal,
where he lived until dying of a heart attack on August 6, 1973 near
Marbella, Spain.
During this time period, Cuba had Latin America's highest per capita
consumption rates of meat, cereals, automobiles, telephones, and
radios, though this consumption was largely by the small elite class and
foreigners. In 1958, Cuba was a relatively well-advanced country by
Latin American standards and world standards. Cuba attracted more
immigrants, mainly from Europe and the United States.
©2011, Amy Dunaway-Haney, Jeremy Kohler, and Kathleen Acosta
According to former President John F. Kennedy, at the beginning of
1959, U.S. companies owned about 40% of the Cuban sugar lands,
almost all of the cattle ranches, 90% of the mines and minerals, 80%
of the utilities, almost all of the oil industry, and 67% of Cuba's
imports.
The Cuban Revolution was a successful armed revolt by Fidel Castro's
26th of July Movement, which overthrew the U.S.-supported Cuban
dictator Fulgencio Batista on January 1, 1959 after five years of
struggle.
On January 1, 1959, the Supreme Court decided that the Revolution
was the source of the law and should assume command of Cuba. So,
Camilo Cienfuegos, Che Guevara, Raúl Castro, and his brother Fidel
Castro took control of Cuba.
In its first year, the new government expropriated private property
with little or no compensation. The new government also nationalized
public utilities, tightened controls on the private sector, and closed
down the mafia-controlled gambling industry. The new government
nationalized private property totaling about $25 billion.
By the end of 1960, the coletilla made its appearance, and most
newspapers, radio, and television stations were under government
control. Moderate teachers and professors were fired. In any year,
about 20,000 people were imprisoned. Some homosexuals, religious
clergy, and others were sent to labor camps where they were subject
to political "re-education.” One estimate is that 15,000 to 17,000
people were executed.
The Communist Party strengthened its one-party rule, with Fidel
Castro as ultimate leader. Fidel's brother, Raúl Castro, became the
head of the military. In September 1960, the government created a
system known as Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR),
which began spying on the Cuban citizens.
In the 1961 New Year's Day parade, the government exhibited Soviet
tanks and other weapons. Eventually, Cuba built up the second largest
armed forces in Latin America, second only to Brazil.
©2011, Amy Dunaway-Haney, Jeremy Kohler, and Kathleen Acosta
By 1961, hundreds of thousands of Cubans had left for the United
States. The 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion (La Batalla de Girón) was an
unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Cuban government by a U.S.trained force of Cuban exiles with U.S. military support. The plan was
launched in April 1961, less than three months after John F. Kennedy
became the U.S. President. The Cuban armed forces defeated the
exiles in three days. Cuban-American relations were further strained
the following year by the Cuban Missile Crisis, when Soviet missiles in
Cuba were pointed directly at the U.S. The Kennedy administration
demanded the withdrawal of Soviet missiles placed in Cuba. The leader
of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev refused at first. Later,
however, the United States and the Soviet Union reached an
agreement. Both countries made concessions, and as a result, created a
direct communications link between Washington, D.C. and Moscow.
By 1963, Cuba was operating under a Communist system modeled after
that of the Soviet Union. The U.S. began a trade embargo with Cuba
which made it illegal to trade any goods with Cuba.
The standard of living during the 1970's was one of discontent and
scarce supplies. Fidel Castro admitted the failures of his original
economic policies and he instituted economic reforms. Castro's rule
was severely tested in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse with many
food and medical supply shortages. Cuba has found a new source of aid
and support in the People's Republic of China, and new allies in Hugo
Chávez, President of Venezuela and Evo Morales, President of Bolivia,
both major oil and gas exporters.
As of 2002, some 1.2 million persons of Cuban background (about 10%
of the current population of Cuba) reside in the U.S. Many of them left
the island for the United States, often by sea in small boats and
fragile rafts. In February 2008, Fidel Castro announced his resignation
as President of Cuba, and his brother, Raúl, was elected as the new
President.
©2011, Amy Dunaway-Haney, Jeremy Kohler, and Kathleen Acosta
**HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS**
The Cuban government has been accused of numerous human rights
abuses including torture, imprisonment, unfair trials, and executions.
Cuba had the second-highest number of imprisoned journalists of any
nation in 2008 (China had the highest) according to various sources. As
a result of ownership bans, computer ownership rates are among the
world's lowest. The right to use the Internet is granted only to
selected people and these people are monitored. Connecting to the
Internet illegally can lead to a five-year prison sentence.
Cuban dissidents face arrest and imprisonment. In the 1990’s, Human
Rights Watch reported that Cuba's prison system, one of the largest in
Latin America, consists of some 40 maximum-security prisons, 30
minimum-security prisons, and over 200 work camps. According to
Human Rights Watch, political prisoners, along with the rest of Cuba's
prison population, are confined to jails with terrible and unhealthy
conditions. Citizens cannot leave or return to Cuba without first
obtaining government permission.
**OPERACIÓN PEDRO PAN**
Operation Peter Pan was coordinated by the U.S. government in the
early 1960's. This plan was designed to transport the children of
parents who opposed the revolutionary government to the United
States. Over 14,000 children were sent from Cuba to Miami by their
parents. The program was later expanded to include the children of
parents that were concerned by rumors that their children would be
sent to Soviet work camps. The Catholic Archdioces of Miami placed
the 14,000 children with relatives, friends, foster families, and in
group homes in approximately 35 different states. Some famous
"Peter Pans" are Florida Senator, Mel Martínez and musician, Willy
Chirino.
©2011, Amy Dunaway-Haney, Jeremy Kohler, and Kathleen Acosta
**CUBAN CULTURE**
Cuba is a melting pot of Spanish and African cultures primarily. Some of
the most popular sports are sports that are commonly popular in the
United States. Baseball, basketball, volleyball, and boxing are very
popular. Cuban music such as salsa, rumba, and mambo are popular musical
styles and the Cuban people love to dance. Reggaetón is also growing in
popularity.
Cuban food is a combination of Spanish and Caribbean style. The food has
the techniques of Spanish cooking but the spice and flavor of Caribbean
cooking. However, with food rationing that often takes place in Cuba,
some dishes are not always available. A traditional Cuban meal includes
plantains, black beans, rice, shredded beef, and tropical fruits.
**HEALTHCARE IN CUBA**
Cuba has universal healthcare and often there are shortages of medical
supplies, but not of medical personnel. During post-revolution Cuba, over
half of the doctors left the country. However, by the 1980's, Cuba had
recovered. The Communist government made universal healthcare a
priority and they continue to send their doctors around the world to help
other nations. Cuba has the highest doctor-to-patient ratio in the world.
**EDUCATION**
When Fidel Castro came to power he created an entirely state-operated
education system and he banned private schools. School attendance is
compulsory from ages six to the end of basic secondary education (age
15). All students wear school uniforms with the color denoting their
grade level.
Higher education is provided by universities and institutes and students
that progress to higher education are expected to have a commitment to
the goals of Cuba. The sale of computer equipment is strictly regulated,
Internet access is controlled, and e-mails are monitored.
**LANGUAGE**
The official language of Cuba is Spanish but it is referred to as Cuban
Spanish. Lucumi, a West African dialect, and Haitian Creole are also
spoken in Cuba.
©2011, Amy Dunaway-Haney, Jeremy Kohler, and Kathleen Acosta
**CHE
**CHE GUEVARA**
GUEVARA**
Che Guevara (1928-1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician,
intellectual, diplomat, guerilla leader, military theorist, and a major leader in
the Cuban Revolution. As a young medical student, Guevara traveled throughout
Latin America and was deeply affected as a result of the overwhelming poverty
he witnessed. His observations led him to believe that these inequalities were a
result of capitalism and the only remedy would be world revolution. During his
time in Guatemala, Guevara earned his nickname, Che. Che is an Argentine
interjection used as “hey.”
Guevara met Fidel and Raúl Castro in Mexico and decided to accompany them to
Cuba to help overthrow Cuba’s then dictator, Fulgencio Batista. During the
revolution, Guevara was promoted to second-in-command. While in Cuba during
the revolution, Guevara built factories to make grenades, built ovens to bake
bread, taught new recruits about military tactics, organized schools to teach
illiterate campesinos to read and write, and established health clinics. Time
magazine once called him “Castro’s brain.” However, Guevara was also an
extremely harsh disciplinarian. He shot defectors and was known for being
brutal and ruthless.
After the Cuban Revolution, Guevara held many key roles in Cuba’s government.
He reviewed appeals of war criminals, established agrarian reform, acted as the
national bank president, was the instructional director for Cuba’s armed forces,
and brought the Soviet nuclear-armed missiles to Cuba.
Che Guevara had an aversion to wealth and his desired economic goal was nationwide elimination of material incentives in favor of moral ones. He once sent
United States President, John F. Kennedy, a letter after the failed Bay of Pigs
attempt. It read, “Thanks for Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs). Before the invasion,
the revolution was shaky. Now, it’s stronger than ever.”
After the successful revolution in Cuba, Guevara wanted to create change
throughout the world. He tried to start revolutions in Congo-Kinshasa (in
Central Africa) and in Bolivia (in South America) but was unsuccessful in both
places because of a lack of support by the people.
In 1967, Guevara was captured in Bolivia, held hostage for several days and
then shot and killed (by the CIA/Bolivian government). His hands were sent to
Argentina to verify his fingerprints and his body was placed at an undisclosed
location.
His body was found in 1997 and is now in a mausoleum in Santa Clara, Cuba. Che
Guevara is still known as a national hero in Cuba where his face is on the $3
peso and school children in Cuba begin each morning pledging, “We will be like
Che.”
©2011, Amy Dunaway-Haney, Jeremy Kohler, and Kathleen Acosta