Cuba: with Castro (part 2)

The following is a brief summary, from a study by the Canadian Embassy in Havana, about the Real History of Cuba. See our Part 1: Cuba: before Castro.

1956: After a perilous journey from Mexico, only 12 of the 85 friends of Castro survived the initial attack on Cuban soil. They escaped into the Sierra Maestra Mountains, and developed the nucleus of a successful revolution.

1959 : On New Year's Day, Castro takes power. At that time, foreign investments, mostly American, owned 75% of the arable land, 90% of transportation, electrical and telecommunication services, and 45% of the sugar industry.

For Cubans, January 1st 1959 is regarded as the date of Cuba true independence. The imposition of a centrally-planned economy was not part of the explicit agenda of Castro. Because of the US disregard to his regime, he had no choice but to install the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere.

The situation deteriorated in early 1960 when American-owned oil refineries in Cuba refused to process oil bought from the Soviet Union. This provided the impetus of a series of decree laws which ultimately nationalized all of Cuban industry. Relations between the US and Cuba fell apart rapidly in a series of retaliatory moves.

The Cuban government eventually negotiated compensation agreements with all countries involved in the nationalization program, except the United States.

Arguments of Cuba

1) by removing Cuba's sugar quota, and imposing the embargo, the US deprived Cuba of the ability to make compensation.

2) Cuba points out that Soviet military bases were installed only after the ill-fated invasion by exiles, sponsored by the United States.

1991: The collapse of the former USSR became a major setback for Cuba, and a wake-up call not to rely anymore upon one country. From 1989 to 1993, the GDP fell by almost 50%.

Today: Cuba is an emerging market with large endowment of fertile land and excellent growing conditions, as well as superb unspoiled resources for tourism. More than 2 million tourists in the last two years. Canada is the largest source of visitors, before Germany, Italy, Spain, France, UK, Japan, soon China.

Cuba is open to investment and trade from market economies in most sectors. The nation has fairly normal trading relationship with nearly every nation in the world, with, of course, the exception of the United States. The New Investment Law of 1995 has attracted an increasing number of foreign investors.

About half of the 11.5 million people are White Cubans (mostly from Spanish origin). The other half is black and mulatto. Cuba is proud in having a Higher Literacy Rate, superior cultural programs, and Lower Infant Mortality Rate than in United States, combined with the Longest Life Expectancy in Latin America, a great healthcare service and education system.

This pride is also reflected on billboards to be seen by visitors : 200 million children of the world are sleeping in the streets. None of them is Cuban.

Cuba is in the midst of a gradual transition from a centrally-planned to a mixed economy. Cuba's leaders are struggling to find an acceptable balance between much-needed economic development and subsidies to social programs. Since 2001, the number of economic associations has substantially increased.

The Facilitator

N.B. We encourage our readers to peruse our previous articles:

- Readers from New York Times (Archive of September)

- Being Smart with Cuba (Archive of September)

- The Mistake of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy (Archive of September)

- How to promote Democracy (parts 1 and 2) (Archive of October)

- Cuba: time to change course (Archive of October)

- The day Castro will never die (Archive of November)

Cuba: before Castro (part 1)

The following is a brief summary, from a study by the Canadian Embassy in Havana, about the Real History of Cuba. In our Part 2, Cuba, with Castro. The irrefutable facts, not available in the libraries of Miami, in our so-called freedom of expression.

Before 15th Century and Spanish Conquest

Three groups of aboriginal people (about 100,000 persons) have been decimated by the Spanish, who imported 750,000 African slaves to provide labour for sugar and tobacco plantations

1511: First settlement in Baracoa, north of Guantanamo.

The conquistadors of Diego Velazquez benefited from Spain, which granted each one a few Indians from whom tributes could be extracted. Aboriginal people were eventually wiped out by mistreatment, disease and their use in exploratory expeditions to Florida and the Gulf Coast.

1762: Strategic location for Spain : naval base and shipping centre.

1860: Havana is briefly occupied by the British.

Cuba’s population : 1.3 million, mostly working on the sugar industry.

1868: Major supplier to US and production of one-third of world’s sugar. First War of Independence, following a growing Cuban nationalism, but no real conclusion, after 10 years. Spain’s promises are not delivered.

1886 : Slavery is abolished in Cuba. Considerable interest in the country from American plantation owners. Numerous attempts to buy the Island from Spain. British and American capital start playing a major role in the economy.

1895: Under the leadership of Jose Marti, revolution broke out. He is killed in the first year, but battles continue over three years, against 200,000 Spanish troops. Cuba severely damaged.

1898: A suspicious explosion aboard the USS Maine in Havana Harbour, provides the United States with an opportunity to join the rebels and declare war against Spain. Four months later, Treaty of Paris is signed. Spain ceded possession of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines and Cuba.

1899: January 1st, : Independence of Cuba, as an American protectorate. The New Constitution included clauses imposed upon Cuba by the US under the Platt Amendment, which seriously compromised Cuban sovereignty. The US intervened militarily on subsequent occasions to support the parties it favoured.

1933: A former army sergeant, Fulgencio Batista, with support from United States, overthrew the president Machado.

1934 : Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the so-called « good neighbour policy », sponsored initiatives that abrogated the Platt Amendment, except for continuing rights to the Guantanamo naval base.

1944: Batista stepped down and emigrated to Florida, after exercising power in Cuba through surrogates.

1951: Batista returned to Cuba, and again, with the assistance of Americans, displaced the elected government in a coup d’etat in 1952. Within two weeks, the US government recognized the new government.. Batista subsequently ruled through a brutal and corrupt dictatorship. (How about our great principles for democracy?)

1952: Fidel Castro, a young lawyer, announced his candidacy for the June election. The said election is cancelled. One year later, Castro and 150 young revolutionaries launched simultaneous attacks on two different army barracks. Unsuccessful, Castro is imprisoned.

1955: Castro is released into exile in Mexico, but his famous statements and quotations in the courtroom, are regarded by the observers as Cuba’s modern declaration of independence. In Mexico, Castro meets with an Argentine medical doctor, Ernesto Che Guevara. They organized a return to Cuba.

(Next week, Part 2: Cuba with Castro).

The Facilitator

PS > We encourage you to read the following articles:

- Being Smart with Cuba (September Archive)

- The Mistake of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy (September Archive)

- How to promote Democracy (September and October Archive)

- Cuba: Time to change course

- The Day, Castro will never die

We, the People....You, the Congress

Before promoting more democracy abroad, and wasting $ billions to create more enemies, let's make the system works at home. Before degrading certain dictatorships ( Cuba, North Korea ), but ignoring others (Pakistan, Libya, Egypt, Kazakhstan), let's learn to respect the elected leaders of democratic countries (Venezuela, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Nicaragua, Bolivia).
We dare thinking to impose abroad the values of democracy, but we can not demonstrate a flawless election system (having all the votes counted, and having a President elected by a Secretary of State and five judges).
In addition, we display the dangers of democracy. (See our article "How to promote democracy", part 1, September, about having a dictator in a democratic system).
Last August, 740 readers of New York Times, whose judgment and knowledge, are surely as good as the elected members of the Congress (diplomatically writing), have expressed their opinions about the US-Cuba relations.
A great, great majority of them, 91%, were favourable to Cuba and/or blaming various US administrations.
Among the 66 respondents with a negative attitude towards Cuba or Castro, several of them were out of touch with reality and facts. Example: a few wrote that the day Cuba will be liberated, international tourists will be able to visit the Island. They surely are not yet aware that their ex-country is receiving more two million tourists per year, who have the freedom to go anywhere, without showing their ID.
We recognize that our survey is not scientific, but, we firmly believe it is as good as various polls from certain bias media. Definitely, it is a striking disclosure of the American public opinion, at large. The New Congress should take note, but, most importantly, take action, now.
The will of the many should prevail over the will of the few, especially when the few represents one third of one percent of the population. One way to promote democracy: respect the will of the people, here and abroad.
The Facilitator

Finally, someone is reading

In our article of November 8, entitled "Our Foreign Policy: the latest, latest faux pas" (2), we were recommending the recall of our non-diplomat Ambassadors to United Nations, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Canada (eh!), and a few others.

Finally, on December 4, the ambassador Bolton to United States has offered his resignation....only one year too late, after an accumulation of insults, ignorance and arrogance.

We have a dream: having the President and New Congress to read the following articles, before choosing our new Ambassador to the United Nations:

- "Respect must be earned"

- "Our Foreign Policy: accumulation of faux" (parts 1,2,3)

- "How to promote democracy" (parts 1, 2)

- "Cuba, time to change course"

An Ambassador is a spokesperson for the Government, in place, but also, a representative of 300 million people. The behaviour of an Ambassador contributes to positive or negative feelings into the host country. (see the functions and duties of an Ambassador in the said article of November 8).

Our new Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, should make sure that future nominations are based, not on friendship, but on knowledge of the host country, on manners, education, and "savoir faire".
Create abroad a positive attitude, a duty completely ignored by Mr. Bolton, as expressed by a great majority of international readers from BBC News

Latin America is a market of 500 million people. More than time to create a rapprochement. But, this will never be achieved with ignorance, arrogance and insults.

The Facilitator.