cape castro revolution

8/11/2019 Cape Castro Revolution

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CASTROS REVOLUTION:

REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPACT [19591983]

PRE-REVOLUTIONARY EVENTS

Fulgencio Batista

He was a barber turned military man and by 1933 he was able to gain control of the army. Heused his control of the military to be the mastermind behind puppet presidents. These

individuals owed their power toBatista; in seven years [19331940] he had made and unmadeseven presidents.

In 1940 Cuba got a new constitution and a new president;Batistawas president of Cuba from1940 to 1944 when he retired.Dr. Grau San Martin and Carlos Prio Socarrasbecamepresidentsfor a term [4 years] respectively afterBatista, but they seem intent on robbing the national

treasury.Batista returned and became president again in 1952. Cuba had changed duringBatistasabsence; the people were very anti-American, they were very discontented with Cubaseconomic situation and staged many riots.Batista after a while started showing his displeasurewith the opposition, and instituted a military rule. This included the rounding up of opponents,court martial and pre-dawn firing squads. A young lawyer namedFidelCastro immediatelybegan plotting Batistas downfall.

THE MONCADA ATTACKS

On the morning of July 26, 1953, Castro made his move. He selected the isolated Moncada

barracks in Santiago as his target. 138 men attacked the compound at dawn; it was hoped that theelement of surprise would make up for the rebels lack of numbers and arms. The attack was afiasco almost from the start; half the rebels died in the first round of machine gun fire few hoursafter the fighting started. Others were captured and then shot; even sympathisers or thosesuspected of sympathising were round up and court martial.FidelandRaul Castrohad escaped,but they surrendered in August to stop the massacre. However, only 19 federal soldiers werekilled.

Outcome of the Moncada Attacks

The Castrosand surviving rebels were put on public trial. Fidel, a trained lawyer, made a famousquote at the trial: history will absolve me. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, but

had become a nationally recognized figure and a hero to many poor Cubans. In May of 1955 theBatista government, bending to international pressure to reform, released many politicalprisoners, including those who had taken part in the Moncada assault.
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CASTRO REGROUPED

FidelandRaul Castrowent to Mexico to regroup and plan the next step in the revolution. Therethey met up with many disaffected Cuban exiles who joined the new 26th of July Movement

named after the date of theMoncada Attacks. Among the new recruits was the charismaticArgentine doctorErnesto Ch Guevara.In November, 1956, 82 men crowded onto the tinyyacht Granmaand set sail for Cuba; they landed on the south east coast of Cuba.

Batistasmen had learned of the returning rebels and ambushed them.Batistassoldiers greetedthe rebels with the latest automatic weapons.Fidel,Rauland only ten others retreated into thejungle covered mountains of the Sierra Maestra; Che Guevarawas among them. In theimpenetrable highlands the rebels regrouped, collecting weapons and staging guerrilla attacks onmilitary targets.

They even attracted new members especially afterBatistaclosed the University of Havana,because it showed opposition to his dictatorship. The rebels permitted foreign journalists to visitand have interviews with them; these were published around the world and attracted a lot of

support and sympathy for Castroand his movement.

As theJuly 26th Movementgained power in the mountains, other rebel groups took up the fightas well. In the cities, rebel groups loosely allied with Castrocarried out hit-and-run attacks andnearly succeeded in assassinatingBatista in March of 1957.Batista sent a large portion of hisarmy into the highlands in the summer of 1958. The rebels carried out successful guerrillaattacks onBatistassoldiers.

CASTROS ATTACK

In late 1958 Castrodivided his forces, sending Guevarainto the plains with small armies. Castrofollowed them with the remaining rebels. The rebels captured towns and villages along the way,

and they were greeted as liberators. Meanwhile, government officials were negotiating withCastro, trying to salvage the situation and halt the bloodshed.

Outcome of the Castro Attack

Batistaand his inner circle realized that Castros victory was inevitable; they drained the nationalvault and fled to the USA. Before he fledBatistaauthorized some of his subordinates to dealwith Castroand the rebels. The people of Cuba took to the streets, joyfully greeting the rebels.Guevaraand the rebels entered Havana on January 2ndand disarmed the remaining militaryinstallations.

OVERVIEW OF THE RESULTS OF THE REVOLUTION

1. Consolidation of power- The Castrobrothers quickly consolidated their power,sweeping away all remnants of the Batista regime by purging the government, militaryand police; they even removed rival rebel groups.Raul Castroand Ch Guevarawere putin charge of organizing squads to bring to trial and execute Batista era war criminalswho had engaged in torture and murder under the old regime. A total of 483 warcriminals were executed after trials.
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2. Expropriation- By 1960 Castroexpropriated without compensation property includingland and infrastructure belonging to wealthy Cubans and Americans; along withbusinesses such as Coca Colaand Sears.

3.

USA Embargo- The United States imposed a trade embargo in 1962 which led to yearsof hardship for the Cuban people.

4. Help from the USSR-Castrotried to offset the crisis created by the USA embargos byseeking and acquiring help from the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union traded with Cuba,and provided them with aid and loans to stabilise their economy. The USSR becameCubas protector and the premierNikita Khrushchevexclaimed in May 1960 rocketswill fly...

5. Bay of Pigs Affair- In April of 1961 the CIA allegedly sent 2000 men to invade Cuba

and overthrow Castro; they landed at the Bay of Pigs. The invasion was not well plannedand some of the men recruited for the venture were Castros own men. Three days afterthey landed, some were killed and over 1000 invaders were imprisoned until December1962, when they were released for $53 million worth of food and drugs from the USA.The failed invasion embarrassed the USA and gained Castro a lot of support andsympathisers.

6. Missile Crisis- The USA got their revenge in 1962 when she forced the premier of theUSSR to remove and return nuclear missiles in Cuba; or face war with the USA. During

the Cuban Missile Crisis, leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff in October 1962 over the installation of nuclear-armedSoviet missiles on Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores. In a TV address on October 22,1962, President John Kennedy (1917-63) notified Americans about the presence of themissiles, explained his decision to enact a naval blockade around Cuba and made it clearthe U.S. was prepared to use military force if necessary to neutralize this perceived threatto national security. However, disaster was avoided when the U.S. agreed to Soviet leaderNikita Khrushchev's (1894-1971) offer to remove the Cuban missiles in exchange for theU.S. promising not to invade Cuba. Kennedy also secretly agreed to remove U.S. missilesfrom Turkey.

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Move towards- Castrosrelationship with the USSR made him abandon his democraticprinciples and promises to the people; his alliance withKhrushchevpaved the way forCuba to become a communist state by May 1961.


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8. Export of the revolution- Under Castro, Cuba assisted rebels in Angola and SouthAfrica as they struggle to rid themselves of oppressive governments. The revolutionspawned copycats in almost every nation in Latin America as idealistic young men andwomen took up arms to try and change hated right winged dictator governments.

9.

Some local opposition- Not every Cuban welcomed the communist Cuba, includingthousands of middle and upper class Cubans who fled the nation to Miami [the largestCuban community after Havana]. Many of those still in Cuba, have tried to flee to theUnited States or Mexico in makeshift rafts and boats. Nevertheless, there are still many inCuba who loveFidel and continue to embrace the legacy of the revolution.

IMPACT OF CASTROS REVOLUTION

CUBA

Literacy Campaign

TheLiteracy Campaignwas designed to force contact between sectors of society that would notusually interact. The theme for the 1961 campaign was essentially each one teach one.Besides literacy, the campaign aimed to create a collective identity of unity, [an] attitude ofcombat, courage, intelligence, and a sense of history. Before the revolutionary governmentnationalized schools, private institutions often excluded large segments of society; wealthyCubans often received exemplary instruction in private schools, while children of the workingclass received low-quality education, or did not attend school at all.

With the program education became accessible to a much larger segment of the population after1959. The percentage of children enrolled in school in Cuba (ages 612) increased dramatically

over the years and around 707,000 Cubans became literate by December 22, 1961. By 1962, thecountrys literacy rate was 96%,one of the highest in the world. Cuban literacy educators trainedduring the campaign later went on to assist in literacy campaigns in fifteen other countries, forwhich a Cuban organization was awarded theKing Sejong Literacy PrizebyUNESCO.Additionally, over the past 50 years, thousands of Cuban literacy teachers have volunteered incountries such asHaiti,Nicaragua andMozambique.

Tourism

When the USSR became more democratic and capitalist, Cuba lost a great political andeconomic ally; however, Castro encouraged tourism to offset the loss of Soviet Bloc subsidies.

Tourism from Europe increased dramatically. Those with hard currency could find good lodgingand ample food and drink on the island because the Cuban government gave them specialtreatment contrary to socialist idealism. Even the number of Americans tourist increased becauseCuba was only a pariah nation to some Cuban exiles and ideologues in the US.
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AFRICA

Angola

Castrosprovided military support for Angolas push for independence from Portugal, which

began in 1975. However, the United States, through the CIA, along with the apartheidgovernment of South Africa, tried to maintain colonial control Angola.

Castro sent 36,000 troops to assist along with doctors, teachers and engineers, playing a key rolein the Angolan revolution. He actually directed military operations from Cuba during theconflict. After military battles lasting over a decade, the South African Army was defeated inAngola; this victory was considered to have hastened the demise of the apartheid government ofSouth Africa.

Ethiopia

In 1977 theOgaden Warbroke out when Somalia invaded Ethiopia; and Castro supportedEthiopia. This was despite Castro being a former ally of SomalisPresidentSiad Barre. Inactuality Castro had warned Siad Barreagainst such action; therefore Cuba sided withMengistuHaile Mariam'sMarxist government of Ethiopia. Castro sent troops under the command ofGeneralArnaldo Ochoato aid the overwhelmed Ethiopian army. The Cuban presence wascrucial to Ethiopia's victory over Somalia. During the early 1978 counteroffensive in the Ogaden,Cuban troops fought alongside their Ethiopian counterparts. With Cuban support, Ethiopian unitsquickly scored several impressive victories. As a result, on March 9, 1978, Somali presidentMahammad Siad Barreannounced that his army was withdrawing from the Ogaden.

A large Cuban contingent, believed to number about 12,000, remained in Ethiopia after the

Ogaden War. However, by mid-1984 Castro had reduced its troop strength in Ethiopia toapproximately 3,000. In 1988 a Cuban brigade, equipped with tanks and APCs, was stationed inDire Dawa to guard the road and railroad between Ethiopia and Djibouti, following attacks bySomali-supported rebels. A mobile battalion of various military advisers and an unknownnumber of Cuban instructors who were on theHarer Military Academyfaculty also remained inEthiopia.

After Ethiopia and Somalia signed an April 1988 joint communiqu intended to reduce tensions,Cuba decided to end its military presence in Ethiopia. The last Cuban troops left on September17, 1989, thus terminating twelve years of military cooperation.
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LATIN AMERICA

Nicaragua

Cubas relationship with Nicaragua actually began in the 1960s when Cuba trained and armed a

then little-known fifty person Nicaraguan group, theFrente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional(FSLN). Within the next decade and a half that organization grew in force to the point that it wasable to take power by 1979.

In Nicaragua prior to the revolution the Somaza family ruled the country in a harsh andunscrupulous way for more than four decades. The dynasty was overthrown after the NationalSandinista Revolution, which was supported by Castro and the Nicaraguan people from allsectorsworkers, businessmen, peasants, students, and guerrillas. The Sandinista, theNicaraguans and the Cubans joined forces and finally defeated the Somozadynasty and theNational Guardon July 19, 1979.

There is an agreement that Castro did provide a major level of assistance to the rebels in ElSalvador, especially through his efforts to unify the various guerilla factions; and he played aninstrumental role in the victory of leftist Salvadore Allendes1970 victory in Chile. In theseareas and other Castro support the guerilla movements, provide material, training, soldiers andtechnician, among other support.

Other Areas

In other areas of Latin America, Castros revolution had a lot of impact; especially because LatinAmericans never disobeyed the United States before the Cuban Revolution. And even Castrosideological foes acknowledge their debt to him for standing up to Uncle Sam.

CARIBBEAN

Guyana and Jamaica

Castro was able to influence socialist movements in other Caribbean territories includingGuyana, led byJeddi Jagan, and Jamaica led byMichael Manley. Unfortunately Castrosinfluence in these territories was not successful. Still a colony of Britain, the USA was able toinfluence Britain to oustJaganfrom power. In the 1970sManleyssocialist policies in Jamaicawere undermined by the USA leading to his ultimate defeat in the 1980 elections.


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Grenada Revolution

Rise to power-Maurice Bishopseized power in Grenada in 1979 by ousting Eric Gairy. During

the next few years,Bishopsregime under his party thePeoples Revolutionary Govt [PRG]

replaced democratic institutions with Marxist ones and deprived Her Majestys Governor-

General, SirPaul Scoon, of any influence.

Bishops Economic and Social Policies- However, influenced by Castro, Bishop tried to

improve the economic andsocial structure of Grenada by creating a modern agricultural

programme based on a system of cooperatives, peoples assemblies, free health and education for

all and low cost housing. Both workersrights and womens rights were core principles of

Bishopsas well as the struggle against racism and Apartheid. The former took place through

the formation of aNational Womens Organizationwhich along with other social groups

participated in policy decisions. Women were given equal pay and paid maternity leave, and sex

discrimination made illegal. He also tried to improve the educational system by advancing a

literacy campaign.

Close Ties with Castro- Despite these uplifting policiesBishops regime was very restrictive in

many respects: he came to power without being elected, and during his regime, no elections were

held and policies were solely decided by him. Opposers to his regime were jailed and his

supporters were armed in order to maintain control.

UnderBishop,Grenada moved into the orbit of Cuba and the Soviet Union and both territories

and their satellites provided Grenada with aid.Bishopwas also close friends with Castroand got

help from Cuba in terms of supplies and personnel for various sectors [military, healthand

educationetc.]. For assistance Cuba was helping Grenada to build a large airport atPoint Salineswhich would ensure that would move from being isolated from the rest of the progressive world.

However, the construction of the nine thousand-foot runway at Point Salinesby a Cuban work

force of about six hundred armed men worried US analysts. The Bishop regime claimed that the

runway was essential to Grenadas tourism and economic development. Military experts

observed that it would enable MIG 23s [Russian fighter planes] to operate from Grenada and

extend the operating range of these fighter-bombers across the Caribbean.

The runway atPoint Salinescould facilitate both eastbound flights supporting the nearly fifty

thousand Cubans in Africa and flights from Libya and the Soviet bloc to Central America. The

prospect of Libyan and Soviet bloc citizens planting seeds of revolutionary warfare in Central

America concerned PresidentReaganand the leaders of the other island nations of the Antilles.

The USA was very fearful of the spread of communism in the Americas and was suspicious of

Bishop ties with Cuba and Nicaragua.


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Bishops Assassination and Aftrmath- A major emergency began in Grenada on 12 October

due to disillusionment withBishopsleadership; a decision was made to remove Bishop. At

midnight, Deputy Prime MinisterBernard Coardand the Commander of the military General

AustinplacedBishopunder house arrest. One week later, followers ofBishop freed him and

accompanied him to army headquarters atFort Rupert. Coards troops recapturedBishopand

executed him and several cabinet members and union leaders.

In the wake of the murders and the resulting public furor, GeneralAustindissolved the civilian

government and established aRevolutionary Military Council[RMC] with himself as

spokesman.Austinclosed the airport, imposed a four-day, 24-hour curfew, and warned that

violators would be shot on sight. These restrictions prevented the thousand or more US citizens

on the island from leaving, and caused special hardship to the six hundred American students in

the St. Georges School of Medicinelocated offshore. The students had to violate the curfew to

obtain adequate supplies of food and water.

Operation Urgent Fury- In Washington, State Department and other officials feared that thenew regime threatened the lives of the US medical students and other Americans and would

provide the Cubans a base from which to operate against the Central American mainland. Thus

the USA found it necessary to plan on short notice a military operation in support of the

evacuation of US citizens from Grenada; the plan was referred to as Operation Urgent Fury

[October 25th28th 1983].

In total, an invasion force of 1,900 U.S. troops, reaching about 5,000 in five days, along with 300troops from the assisting neighboring islands invaded Grenada. They were fighting against 1,200Grenadians, 780 Cubans, 49 Soviets, 24North Koreans, 16East Germans, 14Bulgarians, and 3

or 4Libyans. The mission of the invading forces was to oust the RMC, to protect U.S. citizensand restore the lawful government. Within three days all main objectives were accomplished.

By Nov. 2, all military objectives had been secured. Next day, hostilities were declared to be atan end. Grenadians went about putting their country back in order; schools and businessesreopened for the first time in two weeks or more.

People did get hurt and die; at the end of the operation, 282 people were dead [ 170 Grenadians,70 Cubans and42 Americans] and 116 were wounded. The USA ensured that Grenada severedall ties with Cuba and other communist countries and instead established diplomatic relationshipswith approved democratic territories such as South Korea and Taiwan. Economically, the USA

ensured that Grenada returned to a capitalist economy, with private investment encouraged; inaddition the USA provided economic aid to help finish and repair the airport atPoint Salines.


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USSR

Emerging Ties

Castro declared himself a Marxist-Leninist in December, 1961. To many, it appeared that he was

enlisting the support of the USSR to forestall possible attacks on Cuba by the USA. For its part,the USSR had little choice but to strengthen its ties to Cuba. By doing so, it could thumb itsnoseat its chief rival, the United States; and to not to do so would mean that the USSR was notinterested in helping Marxist-Leninist revolutions. Nevertheless, Fidel never became a puppet ofthe Soviet leaders.

Support from the USSR

In February, 1960, the Soviet signed a five-year trade agreement with Cuba, promising thepurchase of one million tons of sugar annually. Cuba was to receive petroleum products inexchange. When the American oil refiners in Cuba refused to refine oil from Cuba, Castro

expropriated the companies without compensation. The Eisenhower administration decided towork with anti-Castro groups inside Cuba in hope of overthrowing Castro. To defend Cuba aswell as itself against the United States, the USSR installed intercontinental ballistic missiles inCuba.

When the US confronted the USSR in October, 1962, the latter could not claim that these long-range missiles were purely defensive for they could strike major Latin American as well as UScities. The two nations went to the brink of nuclear war until the Soviets agreed to remove themissiles and the US promised not to invade Cuba. Additionally the USSR was subsidizing Cubaas much as the US was subsidizing South Vietnam. In the early 1970s, USSR military andeconomic aid increased dramatically. In 1972, Cuba was granted full membership in

COMECON, the Soviet's equivalent of theEuropean Common Market.

Castro Exerting Independence from the USSR

In return, Castro was expected to support all Soviet foreign policy. However, Castro was mindfulthat no one would think that because Cuba was receiving so much help from the USSR that Cubawas just another satellite. This fact was illustrated several times; for example when Castro beganto court the Chinese Communist government, another arch rival of the USSR; and also when theSoviets invaded one of its satellites, Czechoslovakia, because it became too liberal, Castro sidedagainst the USSR.

Impact of the Collapse of the Soviet Union

However, the collapse of the Soviet Empire which began in November 1989, when the BerlinWall was destroyed and ended in 1991 greatly affected Cuba's situation. Not only did it lose itssubsidies, it no longer had great power support and the US took advantage of this situation, bypassing several laws and prohibitions. The situation worsened in 1993 when Russia withdrew3,000 troops from Cuba, reducing income even further. Cubans began leaving the island by anymeans.


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USA

The Beginning of the Conflict between the USA and Castro

Castro and others blamed the United States for Cuba's economic and political ills, believing that

the US kept Cuba dependent, and treated Cuba like a colony in all but name. However during theperiod of American influence the United States paid Cubans higher than the world price forsugar and gave it a substantial portion of its sugar quota. However, Castro, saw the sugar quotaas simply a means to control Cuba and to discourage Cubans from finding alternative and morelucrative ways of making a living.

Castros Actions and Americas Response

Therefore, it was not surprising to those who knew him that soon after taking power, Castro tooka number of measures that disturbed the US government:

1.

He arrested a number of Batista supporters, held quick "trials," and then executed manyof them.2. He also arrested US citizens.3. On March 3, 1959, Castro nationalized the Cuban Telephone Company, an affiliate of

International Telephone & Telegraphof the United States, and reduced telephone rates.4. On May 17, 1959, his government passed anAgrarian Reform Law, which prohibited

ownership of farms larger than one thousand acres, excepting, of course, sugar and riceplantations which, by necessity, have to be at least that large. Americans hated thisbecause most of the US-owned land in Cuba was much greater than that.

5. In January 1960, the Castro government expropriated 70,000 acres of property owned byUS sugar companies. The expropriation of United Fruitland in Guatemala in 1954 was

one reason the Central Intelligence Agencyhad overthrown theArbenzgovernment.6.

President Eisenhower asked for Congressional authority to cut off Cuba's sugar quota.But in February, Cuba offset this embargo by signing a trade agreement with the SovietUnion, which included Cuba buying Soviet oil. When the oil began arriving in June, USoil refineriesESSOand Texaco; along with British-Dutch company, Shell, refused torefine it. Castro contended that they had no choice if they were going to do business inCuba. They still refused. On June 28th, Castro nationalized the refineries.

7.

On July 6, the US canceled all sugar imports from Cuba. Castro responded on August 6thby nationalizing all US-owned businesses, industries, and farms.

8. By mid-September, Castro nationalized US-owned banks.9. On September 18, 1960, Castro addressed the United Nations GeneralAssemblyand

protested what he called US aggression. He stayed in a hotel in Harlem to show hissolidarity with oppressed people.

10.CastrosUrban Reform Lawwent into effect on October 14th. It nationalized allcommercial real estate and made housing free.

11.The Eisenhower Administration responded to Cuba's radicalism on 16th by a partialembargo on Cuban goods. In response, Cuba announced the nationalization of the rest ofthe property owned by US citizens on the island.


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12.Castro also reduced the staff of the US embassy to eleven, in hopes of reducing thenumber of potential spies. The US broke diplomatic relations and began to train Cubanexiles and others secretly to invade the island in 1961

The Bay of Pigs Affair

Castro knew that the US was planning an invasion using exiles. He told the world of this in lateMarch and he was correct, because by April there was a failed counter-revolutionary movement.The Bay of Pigs invasion, April 17-20, 1961, involved 1,500 exiles; most were killed or capturedby April 20th. Castrosarmy and air force reacted so quickly that the invading army never madeit to the mountains. The invasion had been planned on the premise that Cubans were so unhappywith Castro's regime that there would be a mass uprising once news of the landing wasknown. But many Cubans were happy with the changes Castro was making. Most of those whowere not had left the country. Even those willing to rise against Castro were unlikely to do sounless there was clear evidence that victory would occur; and few people were so suicidal.

Castro and Carterthe 1970s

Although the total economic embargo against Cuba, begun in 1961 and continued into the year2004, it did not bring down the Castro government as intended. However, relations between theUnited States and Cuba improved in the 1970s. Under President Jimmy Carter, restrictions ontravel by Americans to Cuba were lifted in 1977; study groups, journalists, and selected otherscould visit the island. In 1979, Castro began allowing US relatives of Cubans to visit the island,largely because he needed the income they would bring.

The Mariel Boatlift and Immigration Policies

However, the good relations did not continue to the 1980s;problems started with theMarielBoatliftwhich began in May, 1980 and lasted until September 25. The problem started whensome Cubans crashed a bus into thePeruvian Embassyin Havana, thus gaining sanctuary,thousands other Cubans flooded the embassy grounds. Infuriated and embarrassed, Castro notonly allowed them to leave through the port ofMarielbut also sent others, including personswho were mentally and criminally insane; altogether they amounted to approximately 124,776.Nevertheless, soon after Cuba and the USA signed an immigration agreement where some of themarielitos would be returned to Cuba and 20,000 Cubans would be allowed to migrate to theUnited States each year.


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Relations between Cuba and the USA were strained again, when the US establishedRadio Martto broadcast to Cuba and try to create discontent, Castro suspended the immigration agreementand forbade Cuban-Americans from visiting Cuba and the US barred Cubans from visiting theUS.

In November 1987, however, the immigration agreement was resumed; but in August 1994, theincrease in refugees led the Clinton Administration to announce that Cubans interdicted at seawould be taken to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba or to Panama. Therefore on May 2, 1995, the USAand Cuba agreed to admit to the United States, Cubans kept at Guantanamo. The countries alsoestablished the "wet foot, dry foot policy." Those who made it to the US could stay; thoseinterdicted at sea would be returned to Cuba and Cuba would not punish them.

Strained Relations in the 1990s

However, in the 1990s Cuba and the USA were again at odds; and in 1992 USA passed the

Cuba Democracy Act, which forbade the entry of third-party ships and planes that had carriedgoods or people to Cuba. USA reduced economic aid to nations that traded with Cuba; andprohibited subsidiaries of US companies abroad from trading with Cuba.

When Cuba shot down two unarmed planes flown by theBrothers to the Rescue Groupin 1996,President Clinton signed theHelms-Burton Bill. Some of the terms of the law were:

1. Removed the power of any future American president to change policy towards Cubawithout Congressional approval

2. The embargo against Cuba would continue until Cuba had a transition governmentwithout Fidel Castro or his brother.

3.

Funding would be withdrawn from any international institution providing humanitarianaid to Cuba.4. A $50,000 civil fine could be levied on US citizen who traveled to Cuba without

permission.5. Any American citizen whose property was confiscated after the Cuban Revolution is

allowed to sue any foreign corporation that has "benefited" from the property or from itsuse.


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WAS THE CUBAN REVOLUTION A SUCCESS?

Goals of the Cuban Revolution

From 1959 through the late 1980s, Cuba accomplished its major goals: sovereignty and

independence, equalizing income and fostering social justice. Thanks to the revolution, Cubawas transformed from an informal United States colony, into a proud nation. For forty plusyears Cuban artists of all genres, athletes, doctors and scientists became world-renowned. Therevolution took a relatively unhealthy population and made it healthy, and gave it literacy,universal comprehensive free health care.

Most importantly there were no elaborate lifestyles or self-enrichment by Castro or any of hisrevolutionary leaders.

Yes, Cubans had to pay a price: divided families; injustices committed in the name of therevolution; abridgement of civil liberties, not allow a free press nor foster competitive politics

and those with material aspirations suffered the frustration of egalitarianism. However, therevolution destroyed the old society, which merited obliteration. The reactionary CatholicChurch hierarchy and the hypocritical upper class left the island, along with the mafiososwhoran the hotels and casinos, in collaboration with the Batista government. The revolution alsoreplaced the old society with the state, which would be the instrument to bring Cuba out ofunderdevelopment.

Survival of the Revolution against Odds

Unfortunately for those who left in 1959-60 and assumed that the US Marines would eliminateCastro so they could return and retake their property, power and privileges; that did not happen.

The United States had, after all, established this pattern with other disobedient governments inthe Western Hemisphere and elsewhere. Just five years before Castro came to power, the CIA in1954 had removed the democratically elected government ofJacobo Arbenzin Guatemala andinstalled instead a gang of military thugs to preserve security, and fight communism. A yearearlier, the CIA had done a similar job in Iran. Therefore in light of the USAsdetermination topunish disobedient leaders; the survival of Castros Revolution appears miraculous.

This was all despite USAs attempts to undermine Castros government. Allegedly in 1946 the

USA funded the School of the Americasalso known as School of the Assassinsin Panama. Theschool was intended to train Latin American military officers. However, it is believed that by1963 the focus of the school shifted from nation building to counter-insurgenciesand for many

Castro was the number one target.

Also, in April 1961, the CIA sent approximately 1500 Cuban exiles to invade Cuba in the failedBay of Pigs Affair. Also, between 1961-3 alone, the CIA backed thousands of violent sabotageoperations, including dozens of assassination attempts. CIA labs devoted countless "creative"hours to devising murder weapons to kill Fidel Castro. In 1968, Fidel recounted the storywhich he also told Frank Mankiewicz in 1974of a "pernicious poison they had developed,which would metabolize and show no signs after I died of a mysterious disease."


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Anti-Human Rights Accusation

Whether anti-Castro propaganda or the truth, no one can be sure; however, Castro has beenaccused of imprisoning without trial, locking in solitary confinement, torture and murdering socalled opponents of the regime. Alleged opponents included but were not limited to: political

opponents, homosexuals, journalists and artists.

Export of the revolution

In the 1970s and 80s, Cuban troops fought battles in Angola that changed the history of southernAfrica.

CASTROS GLOBAL LEGACY

1. Cubas military presence wasfelt globally, even though it was modest in most ofSoutheast Asia and the Middle East. However, combat troops were dispatched to Syria,

South Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon.2. The Soviets acknowledged the success of Castros activist policies, and, after 1979,

supported the Cuban position as the one to be followed by the communist parties in ElSalvador and Guatemala.

3. By the 1980s, Cuba accounted for nearly one-fifth of all Soviet-bloc economictechnicians working in the Third World, with only 2.5 percent of theblocs population.

4. It is clear that Cuba extended large amounts of civilian assistance to Third World nationsworldwide. Between 1982 and 1985, Cuba had one civilian aid worker for every 625

inhabitants, while the United States had only one worker in thePeace Corpsand theAgency for International Development (AID) for every 34,704 inhabitants.

5. Construction projects were especially important, with major undertakings centered inNorth Vietnam, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America. The mostcontroversial project was located on Grenada, where the Cubans were working with anEnglish company on an airport expansion project. Contending that the airport was to beused for military purposes, the Reagan administration justified a US invasion of theisland. However, the Cubans and the English company supplying and installing airport

electrical and technical equipment dispute the claim.

6. Cuba also extended educational and medical aid throughout the Third World.
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According to a contributor to the Economists, "the revolutions past social achievements stillgive Mr. Castro a certain aura among people such as members of the European Parliament,

Hollywood film directors and Latin American students. But like the 1950s American cars and

decaying Spanish-colonial tenements, Mr. Castro has become part of the islands time warp."

However, many diverse audiences get into that "time warp" when they applaud Castro; includingNelson Mandela, Jeddi Jagan and Michael Manley. He also received standing ovations at the2002Monterrey UN Summit on Financing for Developmentand atNestor Kirchnerspresidentialinauguration in Argentina.

cape castro revolution

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