C: Aftermath (+Legacy) of the Revolution Flashcards
Consolidation of Power, Reform, Cuba in the...
Initial cabinet setup
Cabinet ministers: only 3 are M267 - democracy!
President: Manuel Urrutia
Prime Minister: José Miró Cardona
Castro is Military Commander in Chief
Revolutionary government in 1960
Centralised (M267, Communist Party) with most anti-communist and anti-Castro individuals forcefully pushed out/resigning in distaste. Castro attempted to incorporate different parties, but there was too much disagreements to achieve Castro’s goals.
**Castro has a lot of power - Cardon as PM
**
December 1960: political focus on elimination of counter-revolution, opposition
* Press is restricted, must follow the party’s agenda
* Castro assumes sole power in appointing judges to federal court - control of legal system
High unemployment
Details + reform
Underlying concern:
* 500 000 fieldworkers unemployed between seasons
* Wage inequality: 1956 annual average wage is 246 pesos lower in rural areas than national average
Reform:
* Nationalisation of key industries (1961: banks, transport, oil) creates new job opportunities
* Standard wage increases
* 1960 trade agreement with the USSR - 5 million tonnes over 5 years ensures trade
American Neo-Imperialism
Details + reform
Underlying concern:
* 40% of sugar industry owned by US
* Hundreds of millions of USD invesed in utilities, manufacturing, mining, oil refineries - all withdrawn with revolution
Land reform:
* Argarian Reform Law 1959, Second Agrarian Reform Law 1963:
* 11 000 farms requsitioned, to peasant farmers, working cooperatives
* This monopoly resulted in growth of opposition.
Castro’s reforms (nationalisation) alienated US business - reducing sugar purchases from the US, Cuba signed trade deals with the USSR.
Moral corruption
Details and reform
Underlying concern:
* Havana: 300 brothels
Reform:
* Sweeping closure
* Led to elimination of mafia involvement in Cuba
* Unemployment countered to an extent by requisition of land.
Unequal access to healthcare
Details and reform
- 64% of doctors worked in Havana. High child mortality
Health programs:
* Mandatory redistribution of doctor’s across Cuba -> 50% leaving to the US
* Universal healthcare is introduced, free inoculation
* Decrease of infant mortality (600 in 1959 to 15 in 1980 of 1000), increase of life expectancy
Low standards of education
Details and reform
Underlying concern:
* 43% illiterate
* 61% of children did not go to school.
Reform:
* Cuban education mentoring program - university students teaching literacy in rural areas. 1970: illiteracy reduced to 4%
* Progressive move to universal education. More secondary schools established, univerity enrollments increased.
* “if you don’t know - learn; if you do know - teach!”
State of housing
Details and reform
- 5 million didn’t own their homes, many didn’t live with electricity, running water, sewerage.
Reform: - Urban Reform Act 1960: Rent reduction by 50% for low income earners. Raised the standard of living to eradicate classes.
Dealing with Batista’s men
The horror of his regime became fully apparent: torture chambers, unmarked cemeteries discoverd. -> national desire for justice.
Most trials were fair, however some “show trials” to appease the public. There were also multiple hasty-court martials (e.g. Raul Castro ordered the execution of a number of military prisoners in Santiago)
Cubans migrating to the US
Castro announced that those who did not want to part of the revolution should leave
1961: 150,000 emigrate to the US, aided by America.
In the 1970s - although free education and healthcare, more democratic government, more young people opted to migrate for better opportunities and socialist changes restricted their quality of living.
Zafra Harvest
1969: attempted socialisation of agriculture.
Promises 10 million tonnes of sugar to the USSR
* Directed the whole natio to production - halting economic development
* Despite this, not prepared for a record harvest - 9/10 million tonnes.
Economic growth
1970-79: 5% growth a year, as 55,000 small businesses were nationalised.
Mariel Exodus
April 1980:
US President promises asylum - Castro is forced to open Mariel Port and 100 000 leave.
Castro releases mental hospitals and prisons into the mix to lift financial burden.
* Became an internation scandal when they realised, interrogation process resulted in 2,500 being taken back.
The migrants didn’t return, to Castro’s annoyance and surprise.
Increase involvement in drug trade
Cuba wanted to support communist rebel groups in Columbia
* Deal with drug barons - help the rebels to ship drugs through Cuba-US waters.
* 10% profit of shipped cocaine.
The Ochoa Affair
1989
* Arnado Ochoa made public announcements that Cuba should follow the USSR and reform the economy
* Castro fabricates charges against Ochoa, resulting in a highly publicised/televised trial.
Castro’s power is firmly established to the world.
