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Cuban Revolution Day
The Cuban Revolution was a revolution that led to the overthrow of the dictatorial government of Cuban President General Fulgencio Batista on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July movement and other revolutionary organizations.
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Cuba's revolution has its origins in the struggle against Spanish colonialism, which intensified in the second half of the 19th century. An uprising in 1895 sealed the fate of Spanish colonialism, but victory was snatched from the people by a US expeditionary force in 1898.
Cuba became an economic colony of the USA, with US troops returning to suppress revolts. By 1920, US investors owned two thirds of the arable land. The Mafia moved into Havana's gambling and tourist business in the 1930s. After the Second World War, Cuba became a transshipment stage for 'French Connection' heroin into the USA, and a degenerate playground, brothel and casino for US imperialism.
On 26 July 1953, 160 young militants attacked the Moncada barracks in Santiago. Half of them died, most after torture. Many went to prison. Fidel Castro's brother Raul explained the event: 'It was not a putsch designed to score an easy victory without the masses. It was a surprise action to disarm the enemy and arm the people, with the aim of beginning armed revolutionary action% it marked the start of an action to transform Cuba's political, economic and social system and put an end to the foreign oppression, poverty, unemployment, ill health and ignorance that weighed upon our country and our people.'
Following protests and in an attempt to court legitimacy, Batista released Castro and the other survivors of Moncada in May 1955. Castro left for Mexico amid rising repression and there met the Argentinian doctor Che Guevara.
The Revolution begins
On 25 November 1956, the tiny yacht Granma set sail for Cuba. Castro said, 'We will be free, or we will be martyrs.' 82 waded ashore to do battle with Batista's thousands of US-equipped troops. They were immediately strafed by Batista's planes. Tramping through swamps, sucking sugar cane for moisture and nutrition, they were betrayed by their guide and ambushed.
12 partisans regrouped and began guerrilla warfare in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra. On 21 August 1958, Castro ordered Che and Camilo Cienfuegos to lead two columns down from the Sierra Maestra.
Batista fled Havana at 2am on 1 January 1959. A military junta replaced him. Camilo and Che continued to lead their guerrilla columns into Havana. Workers and peasants all over Cuba responded to Castro's call for a general strike. The Revolution triumphed.
20,000 people had been killed in the liberation war. As he entered Havana on 8 January, 32-year-old Castro reportedly ordered 50,000 rifles and machine guns to be imported to defend the Revolution.
At the time of the Revolution, the largely rural population had an average annual income per person of $91.25 - an eight of that of Mississippi, the poorest state in the USA. Only 11% of Cuba drank milk, 4% ate meat, 2-3% had running water, and 9.1% had electricity. 36% had intestinal parasites, 14% had tuberculosis, and 43% were illiterate.
On 2 January 1959, the government announced that 50-60% of casino profits would be directed to welfare programmes. The first of a series of land reforms was enacted on 17 May. Large estates were expropriated and turned into state farms. The US United Fruit Company was dispossessed without compensation. Land was turned over to small farmers, sugar cane farms were made into cooperatives.
The Cuban government offered to discuss compensation for US-owned farms and mineral properties. The US Secretary of State declined the offer.
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