Transcript Ninety miles south of Florida in the Caribbean Sea lies a country

Castro’s
Cuba
Ninety miles south
of Florida
in the Caribbean Sea
lies a country
unlike any other
in its vicinity...
Home to eleven million
Spanish-speaking inhabitants,
Cuba has had a long history
of struggle
for independence
and social reform…
For over 400 years,
Cuba was a prosperous
Spanish colony
in the Americas,
even though many rebellions
were attempted.
Today,
CUBA
is the only
Communist
country in the
Western
Hemisphere.
Fifty
years ago,
Cuba was
a lively
tourist
center of
the
Caribbean.
Fidel Castro, Cuba’s head of
government, began the Communist
chapter in Cuba's history in 1961
and is still in control to this day.
Average Cuban
citizens
struggle to
survive living
under the
government
that stands
almost alone
in a democratic
world.
Before Castro
gained control,
a different
man ruled
Cuba…
Fulgencio
Batista
controlled
the Cuban
government
and ruled as
its dictator.
Along with
total power
over the
government,
Batista also
gained
control of
Cuba’s
economy.
Corruption worsened under
Batista’s rule.
Criminals from around the
world recognized Cuba as an
easy pathway into the
American black market.
But the United States
government continued to
maintain relations with Batista
and his regime.
The United States controlled
90 percent of the telephone
and electricity services,
50 percent of the railroads,
and 40 percent of the
sugar production.
With the support of the
United States and the Cuban
army, Batista had total
authority over Cuban society.
Furthermore, Batista and his
ruling military leaders grew
wealthy and lived affluently.
During this time, the common Cuban
citizen was not enjoying the wealth
and benefits given
to Batista and his military generals.
The Cuban
peasants were
living in the
same manner,
having
neither land
nor money.
The unemployment rates rose
considerably during this time.
The working class was
17% unemployed.
The fight to survive during
the Batista regime became
too much to endure.
The Cuban laborers were in
great need of new leadership.
Fidel Castro
lived on his
father’s
sugar
plantation
from his
birth in
1926.
Castro was put through
private school and received a
degree in law from the
University of Havana.
Castro was an
influential leader
in the rebel
oppositions to
Batista.
In 1956,
Fidel Castro
organized a rebel
attack of
82 men.
Also helping to weaken
Batista’s harsh rule was the
withdrawal of much needed
support from the
United States government.
President Kennedy declared,
"…Batista was murdering
thousands, destroying the last
vestiges of freedom and
stealing hundreds of millions
of dollars from the Cuban
people…"
Three years
later,
Batista finally
made the
decision to flee
Cuba,
leaving Havana
free
for Castro and
his followers to
take over.
From then on, Castro was the one
and only Cuban political leader,
declaring Cuba a communist country
in 1961.
The declaration of communism in
Cuba was the beginning of a long
list of changes to be made in the
country in years to come.
The primary beliefs of
communism include that…
* privately owned property
is illegal,
* the money of the country
should be given in equivalent
amounts to all citizens, and
* the government runs the
lives of its country’s
residents.
Castro established a
government which allowed only
one political partythe Communist Party.
Cubans over the age of 16
could vote in elections
for local officials,
but there is really no choice
but one candidate,
already approved by Castro.
So, Cuba essentially
became
a dictatorship
controlled
by Castro,
the head of the
Communist Party.
But the poorest people
in Cuba saw changes
they approved,
such a free medical care,
and for the first time,
their children could enjoy a
free education.
As Castro had hoped for, these
changes did have impressive
short-term effects for Cuba.
Serious illness and economic
hardship were almost
nonexistent and Cuba had the
greatest number of teachers
and doctors in that area of
the Caribbean.
Cuba seemed to be looking toward a
brighter future…
However, other unpopular policies
were enacted…
Castro eliminated
freedom of the press,
imprisoned political opponents…
…and made religion a thing to
be ashamed of.
Today, although most Cubans
are raised in
Catholic traditions,
few attend church
because most of the priests
were forced out when
Castro took over.
Castro then began to
resemble other leaders of
communist countries,
doing things such as
bringing industry under
government control,
taking over all of the banks…
…collecting
the property
and
businesses
once privately
owned and
operated
by citizens.
Before the Castro revolution,
many of the plantations
had been owned by
private American
sugar companies.
Today, the vast majority
of fertile cropland and
pastureland lying between
the two mountain ranges
is owned by the government,
who pays laborers wages
for their work.
Because of the
United States’ opposition
of Communist
governments,
it was quickly on
bad terms with Castro
and Cuba…
The United States
government ended all trade
and foreign relations with
Cuba, establishing an embargo
which still exists today.
President Kennedy
took steps to start
training and arming
Cuban exiles,
who planned to
strike against Fidel Castro
and his communist
government.
However, Kennedy decided
that it would not look right
if the United States
was behind any of the
planned attacks.
But the exiles continued
their plans…
Then, in August,1961,
1300 exiles attacked Cuba,
starting at the Bay of Pigs,
hoping to make their way
across the island to Havana.
Without the help of the
United States, the exile
brigade was crushed by
Castro’s army.
As many other world nations
ceased trading with Cuba,
the Soviet government,
which was also Communist,
agreed to offer Cuba
financial aid.
The Soviet Union
Much of the country's money
was from the Soviet's annual
$5.7 billion purchase of sugar
Cuba was almost wholly
dependent on the support of
the Soviet Union and
continued to be for decades
to come.
In October, 1962, the
United States and the Soviet
Union almost waged war on
each other over the placement
of nuclear weapons in Cuba…
The Soviets used their new
friendship with Cuba to place
nuclear missiles aimed at the
United States, missiles which
could reach American cities in
less than 20 minutes…
Photo of
Soviet
missiles
in Cuba
President Kennedy demanded
the missiles be removed…
Throughout the
Cuban missile crisis,
lives were threatened,
international war almost
arose, and hostility
between the United States
and the USSR heightened.
Even with the continued huge
support from the Soviets, as the
years passed Communism became
less and less desirous for
Cuba’s citizens.
One Cuban lower class woman
described the harsh
conditions giving her
daily rations,
"…One roll per day. Four
eggs every ten days. No milk
at all. For Christmas we get
a bonus of half a pound
of chicken.”
Lots of average Cubans tried to
escape in search of a better life.
In 1980 Castro permitted
over 125,000 people
to leave Cuba.
The Mariel Boatlift was a
mass exodus of refugees who
opposed Castros’ regime.
Peru, Spain and Costa Rica,
along with the United States,
agreed to give refuge
to the thousands of Cubans
seeking political asylum.
Castro also released criminals
in Cuban prisons.
Under U.S.
immigration policy,
Cubans who reach American
shores are allowed to stay,
but those found at sea -even a few yards offshore -are returned immediately
to Cuba.
The refugees continue to try
to escape. U.S. Customs
officials in Miami said they
recorded 3,000 Cuban boat
people making landfall in South
Florida since since the 1990s..
In the early 1990s,
the Soviet Union
experienced economic failure.
Soviet troops were evacuated
from Cuba and their financial
support withdrawn.
Since that time,
Cuba’s economy struggles.
Without Soviet
assistance,
Cubans face
housing
shortages.
75% of the
population
live in Havana’s
crowded
apartment
buildings.
Rural farmers still dwell in
thatch-roofed huts without
electricity or running water…
Food is scarce and rationed.
Shoppers stand in long lines
to buy staples
such as eggs and meat.
In addition, over the past
40 years, Castro has used
government funds to spread
revolution throughout Latin
America, aiding guerillas in
several countries, such as
Bolivia, Colombia, and Chile.
Although the U.S. government
still bans trade with Cuba,
…some 110,000 Cubans living
in the United States visit the
island each year, visiting
relatives or trying to arrange
their emigration.
But the United States
has an even odder relationship
with Cuba.
Even though we still oppose
Castro’s government,
we remain a constant presence
on the island…
Since 1903, Cuba leases to the
United States the land on which
the Guanatanamo Bay
Naval Station is located.
Guantanamo
Bay
U.S. Naval Base
This privilege was given after the
U.S. helped Cuba gain independence
from Spain in 1898
(the Spanish-American War.)
This treaty
has the
effect of
giving the
United States
a perpetual
lease on the
land…
Fidel Castro continues to hold
strong control over Cuba, but
the future for Communism
after his death is unclear…
Castro’s
Cuba
Created for the Oklahoma Council
for Social Studies