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Castro’s Domestic Policies – Part 1
Castro’s First Domestic Policies
Eliminate corruption and illiteracyProject to drain a huge swamp for rice-growing and
tourismLow salaries were raisedBig estates (many owned by the U.S.) were broken
up and converted into cooperativesU.S. companies began to be nationalizedIn the short term, all but the very rich found
themselves better off
Castro’s First Domestic Policies
Equality for blacksMore rights for womenEvery citizen was guaranteed employmentSocial services were extended to all classes of
societyCompulsory military service taught discipline and
hard workTemporarily allowed disaffected people to leave
Heading for the U.S.
Anti-Castro Cubans headed for the U.S., especially FL. Nearly 1 million arrived between 1960 and 2000
There many conducted a terrorist campaign against the Castro regime with the active support of the CIA
End of President UrrutiaThe commander of the Air
Force, Diaz Lanz, defected to the U.S. because of the growth of communism
President Urrutia denounced Lanz for his defection, but made a lengthy attack on communism.
Castro “resigned” from the government because he believed that Urrutia had shown no interest in promoting social improvement
However, a mass public meeting of ½ million on the 26th of July showed support for Castro to resume his post and caused Urrutia to resign
Consolidating PowerBeing anti-communist was the same as being
counter-revolutionaryAt Havana University, troublesome professors
were expelled or neutralizedTrade unions were infiltrated by communistsArrests of outspoken journalists caused hostile
newspapers, television, and radio stations to conform or close down
Foreign priests were expelled, Cuban priests harassed and imprisoned, seminaries closed won, publications prohibited, and security men placed in churches
Security services placed bugs
Education Policies
Castro’s Education Policies
In 1961, the government nationalized all private educational institutions and introduced a state-directed system
Education is free at all levels and controlled by the Cuban Ministry for Education
However, once a student reaches the 7th-12th grades, he is required to spend 30 days without pay each year working on the land
Castro’s Education PoliciesSchools emphasize hard work, self-discipline, and
love of countryStudents are required to work in agriculture three
times a weekThe system has been criticized for political
indoctrinisation and for monitoring the political opinions of the students
Agricultural Policies
Building of AgricultureAgriculture was collectivizedHe wanted the sugar harvest to double over the next five
years to reach 10 million tons by 1970; they reached 8.5 tonsCuba completely depended on sales of sugar to obtain
foreign currency.Castro envisaged a massive modernisation of agriculture.
Security and Economy
Building of SocialismSocial services
Education was made available to Cubans for free (even meals at school)
Health services were made available to Cubans for free
Housing was improvedImprovements were made in sanitation
Building of Economy
EconomyFailed to achieve significant growthNo cash to buy luxury goodsFailed to reduce its dependence on the country’s chief export, cane sugarThis was because:
Economic warfare was waged by the U.S. – allies were pressured to join the embargo
Economic decision making power was concentrated in a centralized bureaucracy headed by Castro
GovernmentCorruption was severely reducedIn 1976, a new constitution was
passed, which set up an elected Municipal Assembly, who in turn elected Provincial Assemblies, which then elected the National Assembly
The State Council advised Castro like the Cabinet would the President in the U.S.
Castro was the still the head of state and the National Assembly and State Council “rubber stamped” his decisions
The CDRs also made sure no one hostile to the revolution was elected; political parties banned
Why Follow Castro?
Emphasis on the goodNew schools, roads, hospitals
He never stopped talking and discussingHe used a type of “direct democracy” that
made millions of Cubans feel involved and consulted in a way that had never happened under previous governments
Compared himself to Christ; cult of personality was built up
Common enemy and scapegoat was the U.S.
Embassy and Mariel Incidents
In 1980, the Peruvian Embassy’s gates were crashed by a bus full of people who wanted to defect, killing a Cuban soldier
After refusing to give up the people, Castro removed all the guards – more than 10,000 people crowded into the Embassy buildings
Also in 1980, Cuban authorities rounded up criminals and lunatics
They took them to the port of Mariel for shipment to Florida
Cuba eventually got rid of a total of 120,000 discontented or unwanted people
One of the boats in the Mariel Boatlift
Peruvian Embassy in Cuba
– 10,800 disaffected
Cubans stormed it
“Special Period”
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991:The price for Cuban sugar declinedThe price for Cuba’s main import – oil – roseThe Cuban economy went into a free fallBicycles replaced cars; oxen replaced tractorsGovernment officials were laid offConstruction projects stoppedFactories producing non-essential goods were closedElectricity cuts began and lasted up to 16 hours a day
“Special Period”
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991:People sold and bought on the black marketProstitution became legalMost people ate one meal a dayThere was an epidemic of a disease causing blindness
– caused by malnutritionBush extended the embargo and limited the
number of Cubans gaining visas
Fixing the Economy
Small scale private enterprise was legalizedFarmers could sell products on open markets at
prices fixed by themselves“War of All the People” defense strategy called for
guerilla warfare, so bunkers and tunnels were builtIn 1994, when economic unrest led to anti-
government demonstrations, restrictions were lifted on those wanting to leave the country
Fixing the Economy
Cuba couldn’t make inroads in bio-technology because of many years of testing and giant multinationals
Oil companies wouldn’t sign contracts to explore for oil due to fear of the U.S. (BP feared CANF would sabotage its stations)
CANF (Cuban-American National Foundation), a powerful lobbying group, wouldn’t let any politician normalize relations with Cuba
Control of Population
Castro’s Treatment of MinoritiesCommittees for the Defense of
the Revolution (CDR) is a network of committees across Cuba
The organizations are designed to report "counter-revolutionary" activity
The CDR officials have the duty to know the activities of each person in their respective blocks
There is an individual file kept on each block resident, some of which reveal the internal dynamics of households
Citizens must be careful of their actions and of what they say, as they are being constantly monitored
Castro’s Treatment of Minorities
The committees have often received negative international coverage, and been cited by human rights groups as being involved in activity described in Cuba as "acts of repudiation“
These acts include abuse, intimidation and sometimes physical assault against those deemed "counter-revolutionary"
Castro’s Treatment of Minorities
Thousands of political opponents to the Castro regime have been killed, primarily during the first decade of his leadership; exact numbers are not known
Some Cubans labeled "counterrevolutionaries", "fascists", or "CIA operatives" have been imprisoned in extremely poor conditions without trial
Castro’s Treatment of Minorities
Military Units to Aid Production, or UMAPs, were labor camps established in 1965 which confined "social deviants" including homosexuals and Jehovah Witnesses in order to work "counter-revolutionary" influences out of certain segments of the population
There were thousands of executionsThe camps were closed in 1967 in response to
international outcries
Castro’s Treatment of Minorities
Fidel Castro portrays opposition to the Cuban government as illegal, and the result of an ongoing conspiracy fostered by Cuban exiles with ties to the United States or the CIA
Many Castro supporters say that Castro's measures are justified to prevent the fall of his government, whereas his opposition says he uses the United States as an excuse to justify his continuing political control
Religion and Castro
Castro’s Treatment of Religious GroupsCuba was declared to be atheistNo religions were allowed to grow.Cuban agents from the Ministry of the Interior
watched and spied on those who have worshiped in churches and in their homes
Castro’s Treatment of Religious GroupsThe Fidel Castro government presently still restricts
religion by:Blocking construction of new churchesLimits the arrival of foreign religious leadersRefuses to recognize most new denominationsImport of religious articles is controlled and
monitoredMany private churches and other houses of worship,
including meetings in private places have been disbanded, boarded up and shut down
So called "unregistered religious groups" (not state recognized) experience regular harassment, and repression
Religious material is confiscated
Castro’s Treatment of Religious Groups
In 1992, Castro agreed to loosen restrictions on religion and even permitted church-going Catholics to join the Cuban Communist Party
He began describing his country as "secular" rather than “atheist”
Pope John Paul II visited Cuba in 1998, the first visit by a reigning pontiff to the island. Castro and the Pope appeared side by side in public on several occasions during the visit. Castro wore a dark blue business suit (in contrast to his fatigues) in his public meetings with the Pope and treated him with reverence and respect
Women in Castro’s Cuba
Role of Women in Castro’s Cuba
One of the most significant changes brought about by the Cuban Revolution has been to the lives and status of women
Before 1959, the role of most Cuban women resembled that of other women in most countries
Women enjoyed few rights and were expected to sacrifice their interests for the well-being of the family
Role of Women in Castro’s Cuba
The Labor Code ensures equal rights and opportunities for women in all fields of work as well as an equal salary
Social security applies to men and women equally
Women have the right to an abortionEquality of access is ensured in both
education and health
Role of Women in Castro’s Cuba
Much of the success in implementing the legislation relating to the rights of women has been achieved thanks to the work of the Federation of Cuban Women
Over 85% of Cuban women are members and it now has 73,710 branches throughout the country
Role of Women in Castro’s Cuba
The Federation’s activities cover a wide number of areas:Works collaboratively with the government, trade
unions, mass media, international organizations, etc.Mounts grass-roots level campaignsRuns women’s training centers for awareness of their
rightsDevelop non-sexist attitudes among students in
schoolsCarry out research where there are still problems
The Arts and Propaganda
Castro’s Cuba – The Arts
After the Cuban revolution of 1959 Cuban artists became more isolated from the artistic movements of the United States and Europe
Though artists continued to produce work in Cuba, many pursued their careers in exile
Theaters, cinemas, concerts, art exhibitions, etc. were all censored
Castro’s Cuba – Media & Propaganda
Citizens and press must be careful of their actions and of what they say, as they are being constantly monitored
Castro usually wears military uniforms and has made fiery speeches
Castro’s Cuba – PropagandaCastro’s speeches lasted for
several hours on end. In the early years, he seriously tries to inform the Cuban people, illustrating his arguments with facts and figures and speaking openly about problems
Much propaganda had to deal with the U.S. being stubborn or evil
Other propaganda emphasized the preeminence of Castro and the revolution
Castro’s Cuba – PropagandaHowever, his “cult of personality” has been less
built up than other dictators (Hitler, Mussolini, Zedong, Stalin)
For example, you will find no statues, streets, schools, towns, or money with Castro’s name
Castro is looking for statues of himself
World solidarity with Cuba
No economic blockade of Cuba! Foreign exchange, petroleum, medicaments, imported and exported goods
7th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution
Poster calling for Cubans to celebrate the 17th anniversary of the Moncada attack. The attack is seen as the starting point of the Cuban revolution, and is celebrated every year with a big meeting at the Square of the Revolution in Havana
May Day. All with Fidel on the Square of the Revolution