Economic, Political and Social Reforms

Presented by : Marsha Barrett

Cuba’s new government was made up of Castro as Premier, Raul Castro as Chief of the Armed Forces, and Ernesto Che Guevara as Economic Advisor.

Middle class Cubans assumed positions in the Cabinet.

Communism – Castro changed Cuba into a Communist country in 1961, two years after the revolution.

Communism is a theory of social change directed to the idea of a classless society, it advocated a centralized political party and public ownership of productive property.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion –April 1961 CIA trained Cuban exiles tried unsuccessfully to cease control of Cuba.

The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 started due to pictures showing that the USSR had installed missiles in Cuba aimed at the United States.

Cuba developed a political relationship with the USSR and soon adopted its political ideology of communism.

Political pressure was placed on Cuba in the following ways:

The staff of the US embassy encouraged Cubans who were dissatisfied with Castro to start anti- Castro campaigns.

Diplomatic relations with the US were broken off.

In 1962 Cuba was expelled from the O.A.S.

Agrarian Reform – May 1959 The 1st reform expropriated US

private holdings in Cuba. US responded by cutting the sugar quota.

There was a compensation granted to Cubans who had land expropriated, however there was no compensation to those who had cattle and machinery expropriated.

Land was divided and placed into the hands of the landless.

Interveners were sent into American companies to get them to improve their services and cost to Cubans.

2nd Agrarian Reform saw the land given to the peasants being taken by the government as Cuba was now Communist.

A 100,000 loan was given to Cuba with an interest rate of 2.5% by the USSR.

Poland would buy sugar in exchange for raw materials from Cuba.

China would take sugar in exchange for rice.

The Soviet Union exported to Cuba oil, petroleum, iron, aluminium and fertilizers.

In reaction to this the US refused to refine oil in their 3 refineries and so Cuba ceased these refineries.

Compensation to US mills expropriated very small.

HEALTHCARE LITERACY AND HOUSING Establishment of clinics Creation of a dispensary

on wheels. Homes were established

for the aged and nurseries established for babies.

Brothels and casinos were closed.

More doctors were made available in rural areas.

Before 1959 27% of urban population and 67% in rural never attended school.

Young students were taken from schools to teach people in the rural areas to read.

Castro was able to open more schools in 30 months than his predecessors had in 30 years.

35,000 teachers and 100,000 secondary students with 165,000 others reduced the illiteracy rate to 4%.

27 houses were built per day and 883 per month .

Claypole, W., Robottom, J. ( 2001) Caribbean Story Book 2. Harlow: Longman Publishers.

Hamilton –Willie, Doris (2001) Lest you forget – The United States in the Caribbean. Kingston: Jamaica Publishing House.