Castro and Cuba
Introduction
Dr. Fidel Castro and his brother Raoul Rao Castro have ruled Cuba for over 6 decades. In a way, they are the longest ruling family in the world and Fidel has the distinction of being the head of state for the longest period in the world. These are impressive statistics, but what is the sum total of the rule of the Castro brothers? During these 6+ decades of their rule did Cuba have prosperity ? were the Cuban people happy? these are questions that must be answered. Statistics do not lie and the per capita income of an average Cuban is very low still, despite the rhetoric of Communism and Marxism that Fidel Castro touted. The lot of the common Cuban did not improve. If this is so, then the question that must be answered is as to how the Castro brothers survived for so long as rulers of Cuba.Why were they not overthrown?
Rule of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro is an enigmatic person. Just looking at him inspires confidence. With his black flowing beard and beret, he looked a charismatic figure. When he landed with a band of revolutionaries, the people spontaneously joined him to overthrow the corrupt dictator Batista. This man was an American stooge and when the revolutionaries headed towards Havana, he fled the island. Castro seized power.Initially, the USA treated him with kid gloves, but in a few months, Castro showed his true colors and brought in Communism in all spheres of Cuban life. He nationalized all industry and in particular took over the manufacture of sugar as well as the large sugarcane farms. The entire sugar industry was controlled by Americans and they were thrown out without a penny as compensation.
Castro was quick to realize the geopolitical situation and sided with Russia. The Soviet state under Nikita Khruschev bolstered the regime of Castro with aid and gas.The Americans who had for long relied on the " Monroe Doctrine" were aghast and the US President General "Ike" Dwight Eisenhower took the decision to overthrow the Castro regime.He accordingly instructed the CIA to plan an invasion of Cuba with help from Cuban exiles, who had escaped from Cuba when Castro had started enforcing communism.
Nikita Khruschev was not sitting idle and he ordered the bolstering of the Cuban army and air force with latest field guns and MIG Fighters. The CIA force landed in Cuba for the invasion in 1961. This was the time when Jack Kennedy was President as Eisenhower had finished his 2 terms as President, the maximum allowed by the amended US constitution.
The Cuban invasion aided by the CIA collapsed at the Bay of Pigs as they encountered a superior military force of MIGs and Russian weaponry. This was a black mark on the CIA, who had not anticipated the weaponry of Castro' s army. Kennedy himself cut a sorry figure as the Soviets played victory music.
Castro now on a visit to Russia asked that nuclear IRBM's be positioned in Cuba. Khruschev also agreed and the Russians began to install these missiles in Cuba. Once installed the entire USA was at risk and in great peril of a nuclear attack from Cuba. Photographs by CIA spy planes, notably the U-2 confirmed the American fears. Kennedy could not allow it and he enforced a blockade of Cuba. The world was on the brink of a nuclear conflagration. The year was 1962 and has gone down in history as the " 1962 Missile Crisis". Khrushchev backed down at the last moment but ensured that Americans gave him some concessions. One of these concessions was the promise of the United States NEVER to try and destabilize the Castro Regime.
This was a significant concession and a boon for Castro, who at that time did not realize what he had gained. He had asked for a Nuclear attack on 6 American cities, but when Khrushchev capitulated he was very angry.But Khruschev had played his cards well and he with one stroke ensured the survival of the Castro regime.
The USA scrupulously honored its pledge and that is the reason that Castro continued to rule Cuba with an iron hand. Castro thus got a lease of life and he started enforcing Communism in Cuba. The results were disastrous as the economy nose-dived. Poverty spread as the USA enforced a trade embargo. Cuban people made no progress and at times, things became so bad that desperate Cuba had to sell their old art heritages paintings and sculptures to earn money. In fact, the Cuban economy was shattered after the collapse of the Soviet union. Castro hung on despite the odds as the USA honored its pledge not to destabilize the Communist regime. Resultantly Castro survived. This was the one single reason that Castro continued in power. In the meantime, thousands of Cubans escaped in boats to the USA as Cuba had become one big prison.
Exit of Fidel Castro
In 2007, Castro suffered ill health and decided to hand over power to his brother Raul Rao Castro. The younger brother of Fidel Castro is a pragmatist and he realized that Cuba could not progress without help from the USA. He decided to open up to the USA. He was lucky as the present American President Barack Obama believed in a more open American policy.Both leaders shook hands and the reversal of American policy took place. This was epitomized with the first visit by an American President to Cuba in 80 years by Obama. It was a historic visit as the USA and Cuba opened up. Credit for this must go to Raoul Castro and Obama.
Last Word
One fact that has emerged is that Fidel Castro ruled for nearly 6 + decades and made history as the longest serving head of state. But it would not have been possible if Khrushchev had not extracted a promise from Kennedy that the USA would never destabilize the Cuban regime.
Dr. Fidel Castro has now gone into history. Unfortunately though he restored Cuban pride, the Cuban people suffered a lot under him. It appears as if Cuba was wrapped in a time warp. There are lessons to be drawn from the Cuban experiment and one of them is that a totally totalitarian state cannot deliver the goods and make things better. But all the same Fidel Castro made history and his name will be remembered as the man who restored Cuban pride and lived and went the way he wanted.
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