CASTRO – CONSOLIDATION OF POWER (1959-62)
Although the Rebel Army was successful in removing Batista on January 1 1959, Castro’s power was not yet absolute. He came to power by winning the support of the peasants in the Sierras and promising to bring an end to Batista’s corruption. In order to consolidate power, Castro needed to meet his promises with action while removing any opposition that existed within the new regime. His actions moved his position from a member of the provisional government to the undisputed leader of Cuba.
1. Between January and February 1959, former Batista officials were removed from office and as many as 500 were executed.
a. The executions rallied public support behind Castro against the former Batista regime. Castro appeared a saviour for he was exacting justice for the violated rights of the Cuban people.
2. When the U.S. press called the executions a "blood bath," Fidel Castro rallied Cubans to legitimize his policies.
a. He justified the executions by claiming the revolution was endangered by these people, and the Cubans stood behind Castro in support. They shouted paredón, "to the wall," meaning death by firing squad.
3. Castro also persecuted members from the left. Huber Matos was a prominent leader from the 26th of July Movement, and he declared his resignation from the party after denouncing the increasing influence of communist ideas.
a. Matos was accused of treason and sentenced to 20 years of prison, because his resignation would have been an embarrassment to Castro’s regime. Castro was prepared to eliminate key members of the party for the sake of reinforcing his own power.
4. Castro began nationalizing industry, beginning with the telephone companies on March 3 1959. He lowered telephone rates.
a. Castro was nationalizing industry to stabilize the economy of Cuba. He wanted conditions to improve from Batista’s regime and began to work with what he had for the betterment of all Cubans. By providing social benefits such as lowered telephone rates, he gained the support of the people.
5. Castro passed the Agrarian Reform Act on May 1959. It gave 200 000 peasants titles to their own land.
a. Agrarian reform extended to the majority of the population, which allowed for the effective display of Castro’s loyalty to Cuba above all else. He began by seizing his mother’s land, which reinforced to Cubans that he valued the collective over the individual.
6. July 26 1959 was the anniversary of the Moncada attack. Tens of thousands of peasants are brought to the city, welcomed and housed by middle and upper class families.
a. Class division seemed to disappear during this demonstration of over one million Cubans and the country came together as one unit under Castro.
7. On October 15 1959, Raul Castro was named the Minister of Defence. Up till this point and throughout the movement, Raul carried out much of the violence of the revolution ordered by Castro.
a. Raul dealt with violence so that Castro did not have to. Castro appeared to Cubans as a hero while Raul took the position of the villain.
8. On September 28 1960, Castro established the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution. The CDR was responsible for regulating dissidents, while also carrying out health and education campaigns and fuel revolutionary enthusiasm.
a. Castro maintained revolutionary propaganda after he came to power. It reinforced his views and continued to rally support in the public for his base of power.
9. In 1961, 1 300 American-trained Cuban-exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs to overthrow Castro’s government.
a. The exiles were hoping for support from the local population but were met with overwhelming opposition. The success and effectiveness of Castro’s cult of personality was demonstrated by the peoples’ effort to oppose the exiles. This reinforced the strength of his leadership despite opposition from the US.
10. Castro called for a ransom of the US prisoners to private groups in America for food supplies and medicine. $53 million worth of supplies was exchanged for the prisoners by 1962.
a. Castro used an opportunity to exact revenge on the US for securing more benefits for his people. By acting in the will of the people he reinforced his loyalty to them, and his actions were in stark contrast to the corruption by Batista—who, before fleeing the country, emptied the treasury of money.
Sebastian Balfour, Castro (1990). “He [Castro] had skilfully seized the opportunities… that were unique to Cuba.”
Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince (1532). “All armed prophets won and the unarmed perished.”
LA Perez Jr, Cube: Between Reform and Revolution (1988). “…anti-communism had become synonymous with counter-revolution.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War (6th century BC). “…the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike what is weak.”
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