Historical Origins of Cuba Report

Kendal Gast

ENV S 342

4-8-16

Historical Origins Report

            Cuba has been the focus of surprising developments over the past three years for the United States.  In December 2014 President Obama announced a trade of prisoners between Cuba and the U.S. and also promised to erect a new foreign embassy in Havana.  This has been colloquially called The Cuban Thaw.  Last year in July, embassies in both countries opened with diplomatic relations normalized.  But in order to reach this remarkable point in nation bonding, Cuba had to work through colonial domination, corrupt leaders, and poor economic policy.

            In 1959, after three years of guerilla warfare against the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship, Fidel Castro and his 26^th of July Movement successfully ousted the so-called corrupt leader.  Eckstein et al. report that, briefly and initially, the economy under Fidel increased in production (World Development).  However, the country was ill prepared for expanding production and increased income.  In order to compensate, more money was needed to purchase equipment, but because Cuba’s exports did not rise with the concurrent rise in resources produced, the country ran a significant deficit (Eckstein et al).  Because of this, the government reduced the importance of domestic redistribution to production for export (Eckstein et al).  At full capacity, the economy wasn’t able to appropriate funds to increase expansion because of three decisions: available monies were directed towards social welfare like education and health, some was diverted to defense because the threat the US posed, and finally a lack of quality infrastructure prompted increased spending to fix those issues (Eckstein et al).  These strategies and policies resulted in an almost complete focus on sugar export.  But this posed problems as well, mainly because market prices for the commodity fell in the late sixties (Eckstein et al).  Luckily, more than half of what Cuba exported went to Russia, and they paid slightly higher prices because of long-term contracts (Eckstein et al).  For Cuban citizens, this didn’t necessarily incite angry, forceful revolts, but instead reluctance and absenteeism during work (Eckstein et al).  Cubans probably felt a lack of commitment to work because of Fidel’s communist ideals that officials attempted to keep under wraps.  Facing another regime change, which instituted hasty, nation-wide changes immediately following an oppressive regime, would kill the spirits of any person. 

            By the turn of the century, things in Cuba had not turned for the better and instead tumbled toward worse conditions.  According to Biography in Context, in 1998, Cuba harvested its smallest sugar crop in 50 years (1999).  The trade deficit was over $2 billion (1999).  Most Cuban’s made money either through farming, tourism, or endowments from family in Miami (1999).  It was around this time, Fidel’s 40^th anniversary in power that Cubans began wondering how Fidel would leave his position, or even if he would leave at all.  Some hoped for him to leave on a diplomatic measure and become detained in the host country (1999).  Others thought that wealthy businessmen, already successful in some attempts at persuading Fidel, would take over and instill democratic reform (1999).  The most likely scenario was for Fidel’s brother Raul to take over, which he did, but was feared because of these same business owners that may oust the younger Castro (1999).  But it was surprisingly Raul Castro that would bring the country out from under its communist rock.

            Raul Castro took over leadership of Cuba in 2006 due to his brother’s ailing health and age.  According to John McManus, “Cuba will remain a despotism” (2008).  At the time Raul insisted on the communist model to continue and for a huge boost in manufacturing (McManus).  But as the world has come to find out, especially in a rare speech during July 2013, economic reforms (“updating”) are being implemented with more on the way (McManus).  Of note, the government gave farmers 3.7 million acres to farm, enabling them to sell half of what they produce to the largest buyer (Anonymous 2013).  Marino Murillo, a high-ranking official in the Politburo, also announced in 2013 that he will attempt to unify the Cuban and “convertible” peso (Anonymous 2013).  The ability to surf the Internet has also recently been made available to the Cuban public.  The centralized government has granted, overall, greater autonomy for individuals and small businesses.

            Perhaps one question that might be asked about Cuba is, was it morally wrong for Fidel Castro to take over Cuba?  From Fidel and his movement’s perspective, they most likely thought the good of everyone would undoubtedly be served better if more communistic policies were in place, so it was not morally wrong.  Utilitarianism was probably at the core of the new government’s reasoning for the decisions they made.  However, from the people’s perspective, they probably thought their rights as humans were being violated, especially those that stood against Fidel and his regime (and subsequently killed.)  Autonomy and justice were also taken away from the citizens of Cuba when they were subjected to years of oppressive regimes. 

                                                                       Works Cited

Anonymous. 2013. Money Starts to Talk; Cuba’s Economy. The Economist, 408 (8845):

            Pp. 33-34. 6 April 2016.

Eckstein, Susan. Zimbalist, Andrew. 1987. Patterns of Cuban Development: The First

            Twenty-Five Years. World Development, 15 (1): Pp. 5-22. 6 April 2016.

Economist, The. 1999. What Follows Fidel? Biography in Context, 31. 6 April 2016.

McManus, John F. 2008. Cuba Under Fidel and Raul. The New American, 24 (9): Pp. 35-

            38. 6 April 2016.