Country Report: The Republic of Cuba
I. Country History
Much of Cuba, as most of the world knows it, revolves around the chaotic time of Fidel Castro and the Cuban Missile Crisis during the mid-1960s. However, Cuba has a long and complicated past of invasion and suffering, booming economic industry, and revolution. There exist scant details on Cuba’s past before the arrival of Christopher Columbus and his men in the New World on 28 October 1492. What historians do know is that there were three main indigenous native tribes that inhabited the island: the Taíno, Guanajatabey, and Siboney peoples. According to Richard Gott’s book Cuba: A New History, “Columbus gave a friendly account of Cuba in his journal, describing villages of large houses ‘looking like tents in a camp, without regular streets but one here and another there. Within they were clean and well-swept, with well-made furniture. All were of palm branches, beautifully constructed’” (13). It was not until the year 1511 that conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar established the first permanent settlement in Cuba – Baracoa. Any Indian resistance was quashed and the leaders burnt at the stake. The Spanish colonial society in Cuba grew slowly with agriculture being the main economic driver; sugarcane and tobacco started to be harvested in limited amounts. Mr. Gott states that “The first large-scale sugar plantations – with three sugar mills under construction in the area around Matanzas – were established in Cuba in 1576 … The foundations of a new economy had been laid, but progress remained slow” (37-38).
In 1762, during the end of the Seven Years War, the British had occupied the capital of Cuba: Havana. While the British only controlled Cuba for eleven months, the economy...
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...onomy. In a July 2013 article published by The Economist, “The government has handed over, on ten-year renewable leases, nearly 1.5m hectares (3.7m acres) of land to private farmers or co-operatives, who now occupy 70% of farmland” (The Economist). This is a baby step in the right direction for the Cuban economy. Privatization ensures that there is an augmented efficiency in services which, in turn, lead to improved quality, lower prices, and a reduced amount of corruption.
It seems that the leadership of Raúl Castro is one that will be more open than his brother. Perhaps he and his compatriots understand that economic growth is an element critical to the wholesome functioning of politics. Many former Soviet countries have liberalized their economies and reshaped the way they govern for the better. Cuba must embrace change to overcome the past.
Whether it 's for the music, people or food, Cuba is a popular and interesting place to visit. Cuba is located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. At 42,426 square miles, Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and the 105th largest country in the world. Cuba has a population of 11.1 million. Out of that 11.1 million, Havana is home to 2.1 million (Nation Facts). The official language of Cuba is Spanish, but English and French are spoken throughout the country. The most practiced religion of Cuba is Roman Catholicism, but a large number of people follow the Afro-Cuban and Protestant religions. The president of Cuba is currently Raúl Castro, which is Fidel Castro 's brother. The currency of Cuba is the Cuban peso (Cuba).
United States of America. Library of Congress. Chronology of Cuba in the Spanish-American War. N.p., 22 June 2011. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
Long before our involvement, the Cubans had been leading revolts and revolutions against Spain. The Spanish empire considered Cuba to be its jewel, not only for its beauty but also for its economics. Cuba’s main source of income was from its expansive sugar plantations that greatly contributed to its wealth (more so to the Spanish Empires wealth). Ironically, even due to the high regard to Cuba, it was neglected and oppressed, as the Spanish Empire began its decline in the middle of the nineteenth century. The Empire was falling due to it slowly loosing its control over its territories, closer to the US then to Spain, because of a lack of industrializing. The Spanish would claim ownership, but never contribute back to their land. This opened the door for what is known as the 10-year war and the struggle for Cuban Independence. The United States never got directly involved, but it sympathized greatly with the Cuban’s cause, for ...
Rohter, Larry. "After the Visit: Mission Lies Now With Cuban Church." The New York Times. 27 Jan. (1998): A3.
For the rest of the people still in Cuba, life was and still is not easy. The everyday necessities are not always available and their technology is not that advanced. in fact, it is
Scarano, Francisco, "Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico, 1815-1849: An Overview," from Scarano, Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico: The Plantation Economy of Ponce, 1800-1850 (Madison: U of Wisconsin Press, 1984), 3-34
Everyone knows the name Fidel Castro, the revolutionary of Cuba. At the University of Havana in 1945 is where Fidel Castro began his long and treacherous journey as a radical nationalist. (Fidel: The Untold Story). He fought the infamous Flugencio Batista in the name of social justice until victory was won. He claimed to have fought for a democratic Cuba and a restoration of constitutional government and Cuban sovereignty, but he also stood for socialism and communist ideals. As Tim Padgett from Times Magazine on page 42 stated “Fidel imported old-world Marxism and its perverse notion that social justice is best delivered via the injustice of autocracy.” He supported everything the US and pro-democracy states despised and stood as a revolutionary
Cuba today demonstrates itself as a mostly thriving nation. It is a nation in which all citizens are receive c...
So after Castro had learned a plan to throw the Dominican Republic leader, Rafael Trujillo out of office, nonetheless it had failed due to the United States stressing the continuing invasion on Castro had gone over to Dominican Republic to take over the president, however several people were caught, and detained, with Fidel Castro being one of the people who’ve fled. So after that, Castro had now gone completely Liberal because of American interventionism, and legal corruption.
The era of Spanish colonial rule in Cuba can be characterized by many institutions, such as slavery and the plantation system, which presupposed a notion of ra...
... the majority of which sought refuge in the United States. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba now stands at a crossroads. The battle cry has changed from “ Socialism or death to Resist, struggle and win” (Castro’s Cuba II). Hopefully, Castro and/or Cuba will not be forced into a market-based economy and all the materialistic commodities that go along with capitalism. In my opinion, Castro should hold out for as long as possible griping to the former battle cry “Socialism or death”. Only time will tell what the fate of Castro’s Cuba will be. Trade might once again flourish the economy, tourism might open up new economic opportunities and foreign investments from Italy, France and Spain could possibly dig Cuba out the current economic hole it’s in. Until then however, the battle against capitalism must not lose any of its vigor.
...tals.Cuba’s exporting dropped substantially due to the global economic downturn. Having low exporting rates called for huge losses in infrastructure and economy. Cuba’s previous investments in human development through past decisions have made for a great workforce. The problem is the economy’s insufficiency hasn’t been able to make good use of the this great work force. Because of Cuba’s commitment to education, health and a stable government, they have the potential for future growth as a country.
She also quotes Manuel Rionda, a planter who wrote: "So the Cubans, the real Cubans, do not own much." It’s an unpleasant thought that after so much blood shed and so many patriots that gave their lives to free themselves from an authoritarian and also dictatorial government (Spanish rule), they must continue to work and sacrifice for a government disguised as democratic and almost perfect. When they are truly parasites that only mean to deindustrialize Cuba and are as authoritarian as the rest.
A revolution is no piece of cake. To make a revolution, there are a few necessary ingredients, like a reason to revolt, a well organized battle plan, and a powerful leader. Mix these all together, and there it is. A powerful Revolution. There are two specific revolutions that were very similar, and very successful. The american revolution was about the Colonists from Britain being treated unfairly from British Parliament. America was still under Britain Rule, and King George III was raising the taxes for the people for no reason. The colonists had no choice but revolt. The Cuban revolution was for a very similar cause. Ruler of cuba Fulgencio Batista was destroying Cuba’s economy, and the people were very angered by this. The organization was also very similar. And both countries got what they wanted, too. America got freedom from Britain, and Fidel Castro and his team overthrew Batista and took over the government. These two revolutions were both very effective.The Cuban Revolution and the American Revolution were both for the good of the people, and both revolts got what they wanted-a new, better government.
However the US played a much larger role in Cuba’s past and present than the building of casinos and the introduction of the first taints of corruption. In the past, even before Batista, Americans were resented by Cubans because the Americans made a lot of Cuba’s decisions. Under Batista, 80% of Cuban imports came from the US, and the US controlled at least 50% of sugar, utilities, phones and railroads. If Cuba was a business in the stock markets, then the US would have been close to owning 50% of its shares. When combined with a long history of US-backe...