The Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, died last Friday at 90
years of age. Before Castro, Dictator General Batista ruled Cuba, having gained
control of the country in 1952 after staging a successful military coup.
Batista had the backing of the military and governed with corruption and police
brutality, leaving his people without sufficient education, housing or medical
care. After a failed attempt in 1953 which led to his imprisonment, Castro
overthrew Batista in 1958. Castro governed Cuba until, due to poor health, he
left his role to his brother - and now leader of Cuba - Raul Castro, in 2008.[1]
Siding with Nikita Khrushchev and the Soviets in the Cold
War, Communist Castro was an enemy of the USA. The dictator dodged numerous
assassination attempts, most notably Operation Mongoose where the CIA planted
Castro’s cigars with explosives.[2]
It wasn’t only the Americans that criticised Castro’s rule. Castro
banned opposition newspapers, jailed thousands of political opponents and
showed no interest in democracy within Cuba.[3]
Not only did Cubans face great lack of freedoms under Castro, but also economic
hardship and a lack of food supplies. Castro’s economy relied heavily on the
support of its ally, the Soviet Union. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991
led to Cuba losing about 80% of both its imports and exports, with food,
medicine and oil imports almost stopping entirely. Agricultural and industrial
systems halted with massive losses in productivity and the country started to
rely almost solely on fossil fuels.[4]
As a result Cuban unemployment and inflation grew and conditions
in the country worsened.[5]
Hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled to the U.S. during the dictator’s rule in
seek of a higher quality of life.[6]
The family of those who escaped Castro’s regime took to the
streets of Little Havana in Miami to celebrate to death of Fidel Castro. One
explained to the BBC that the news of Castro’s death has brought him great
happiness and that it is ‘great way to end the year’. Another explains the
sufferings of his family under the harsh authoritarian rule and that he’s
feeling ‘incredible’ at the ‘redemption’ they have as a result of Castro’s
death.[7]
Castro was however, always supported among the Cubans for overthrowing
Batista and was therefore for many a very popular leader among Cubans. Throughout
Castro’s rule, his government achieved great things for Cuba: free high quality
medical care for all, good schooling, and high literacy rates, and electricity
to the countryside were all results of his regime.[8]
The communist regime also attacked U.S. imperialism. Despite
achieving formal independence from the United States in 1898, by the 1950s the
U.S. still controlled 90% of Cuban mines, 40% of the Cuban sugar industry and
almost 100% of the country’s oil refineries.[9]
Immediately after gaining power, Castro’s government stood up to U.S.
imperialism and implemented collectivised agriculture and nationalised
industries while seizing American owned farms and businesses.[10]
For the first time in history, a Cuban leader stood up to the unwanted outside
power that ruled within the island.
Upon the news of Castro’s death, citizens of Havana mourn.
One women exclaims that Fidel Castro ‘made the revolution’, while another
explains ‘he was a man who did a lot for the Cuban revolution, for the country,
for all the Cuban people. For us he is an idol’.[11]
Castro’s legacy among Cubans living within Cuba or around
the world is split. Some detest him for his abuse of human rights and even fled
the country as a result of this. Meanwhile others adore him for overthrowing
the ruthless regime of Batista, standing up to U.S imperialism, and empowering
Third World countries.
Post revolution, and therefore for the 47 years of Castro’s
rule, Castro managed to improve some aspects of Cuban life, however, most Cuban
citizens faced great repression and many received more negative than positive
treatment. Castro was a great leader on some level, especially at the beginning
of his rule, but for the average Cuban he also represented oppression and
violence.
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