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Fidel Castro & The Cuban Revolution
Aim: How did Fidel Castro come to power?&
What does Cuba look like today?
Cuba
• Cuba is only 90 miles away from the tip of Florida.
Cuban Revolution• 1950s-> The island nation of Cuba faced huge
problems in the economy.
• Mostly American companies owned the sugar plantations in Cuba.
• The dictator at this time was Fulgencio Batista who the Americans supported. His tactics were very harsh, leaving the people of Cuba generally poor and unemployed.
• Many lived in shacks and lacked health care.
The OAS• After WWII the United Sates wanted to keep
communism out of the Western Hemisphere.
• Joined the Organization of American States (OAS). Members pledged to promote democracy and human rights.
• Each nation promised to stay out of affair's of the others.
Fidel Castro• A young lawyer who led a revolt against Batista,
eventually overthrowing him. Know as the People’s Revolution.
• Castro set up a Communist government, making radical changes to the economy.
• Castro turned to the Soviet Union for economic and military help.
Cuban Missile Crisis-1962
• On October 14, 1962 an American U-2 spy plane flying over Cuba captured pictures of long range Soviet missiles in Cuba.
• This was a crisis like never before. These missiles could reach any point of the United States with nuclear warheads causing mass destruction.
• He also said that any attack on the US from Cuba would be considered an act of war from the Soviet Union.
United States Reaction
• The United States saw Cuba as a major threat and placed a travel embargo on Cuba. This nearly wrecked the island’s economy.
• Bay of Pigs Invasion: US government (CIA) helped train Cubans to revolt against Castro, but the people remained loyal to Castro and invasion failed.
Intervention• Intervention: involvement in Latin America.
• United States decides to interne in Latin America when Castro decided to start revolts in other lands.
• United States sent money, arms, and troops helped crush communist rebels. At times, the aid went to harsh, non-communist rulers. Many people spoke out against the United States policy.
Cuba Today
Gross annual income per person is around 5,890 dollars.
Cuba Today• Fidel Castro’s presidency ended in 2008 .
• His brother Raul Castro is the current president of communist Cuba.
• Recently President Obama met with Raul Castro and moved Cuba off the Terrorism watch list.
• Opening up relations between United States and Cuba.