History

 

The first recorded history of Cuba begins with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. There followed a series of raids by slavers and inevitably the introduction of European diseases decimated the population.  Cuba was eventually conquered in 1511 by Diego Velazquez who went on to found Havana.  Sugar and tobacco became important trading commodities, and later coffee.

Tobacco field near Vinales

By the late 18th century Cuba was the world's third largest producer of sugar and was heavily dependent on African slaves for its production. It took a century for the slave trade to be abolished and an occupation by the USA protecting its trading interests to restore order and proclaim a republic in 1902.  Cuba became a protectorate of the US until 1934 when it relinquished its rights but maintained an interest in Guantanamo Bay under a lease expiring 2033.

 

The dictator Fulgencio Batista then rose to power and began a long period of reform, passing welfare legislation, building low cost housing and creating jobs with public works projects.  Batista was ousted from power in 1944 but seized it once again by military coup in 1952. His repressive dictatorship was brought to an end in 1959 by Fidel Castro, fuelled by a rising resentment towards the US.

 

Monument at Plaza de la Revolucion, Santiago de Cuba
Ominously the eternal flame here had gone out!

From 1960 onwards Castro led Cuba into socialism and then communism, nationalising  industries and foreign banks, and expropriating US assets. The professional and middle classes began a steady exodus which drained the country of many of its skilled workers.  Meanwhile the US cancelled Cuba's sugar quota and put an embargo on all trade with Cuba.

 The Bay of Pigs fiasco arose in 1961 when 1400 Cuban émigré's set off from Nicaragua to invade Cuba with the US navy as an escort. The men were stranded when the Cuban Air Force attacked their supply ships. All the US air support was shot down and eventually 1200 captured men were returned to the USA in exchange for $53 million in food and medicine. The US reaction was to isolate Cuba and put pressure on other western countries to do the same.



Images of Che Guevara can be seen everywhere in Cuba.
This one was in the courtyard of a school in Trinidad

 Superpower rivalry led to President Kruschev supplying Cuba with medium- range missiles capable of striking anywhere within the US.  Kennedy retaliated by ordering Soviet ships to be stopped and searched for missiles in international waters. So began the Cuban Missile crisis, defused only by a secret agreement by Kruschev to have the missiles dismantled in return for an end to the US naval blockade and a western guarantee of non-aggression towards Cuba. The naval blockade was ended but Kennedy reinforced the US policy of political and economic aggression towards Cuba.

 

An enormous Cuban flag hangs from the side of the
former Presidential Palace in Havana,
once the opulent residence of the dictator, Batista, 
but now it houses the Museum of the Revolution.

From the 60's through to the 80's Cuba embarked upon a prolonged period of social reform, bringing the benefits of education, housing and health services to all, so keeping Castro in power, but increasing his dependence on the USSR. But by 1980 many Cubans were once again dissatisfied with the slow pace of reform and began to flee.  Castro responded by opening the prisons allowing political and criminal prisoners to leave.  It has been estimated 125,000 left the country for Miami.  Rising global interest rates forced Castro to renegotiate its debts and enter a period of austerity.  People were asked to provide voluntary labour to ease the crisis. The collapse of the communist system in Eastern Europe exacerbated the difficulties, and in 1994 following a devastating storm the previous year, another mass exodus left for Florida.  Meanwhile hostility from the US simmered on under the Bush administrations.

Caricature of George Bush Snr. in the Museum of
the Revolution, Havana.  The caption reads
"Thanks cretin because you've helped us to
consolidate our revolution 

 In 2006 at the age of 80 Fidel Castro handed over the reins of power to his brother Raul.  Raul made attempts to liberalise the economy but these were frustrated by the arrival of three devastating hurricanes and the world financial crisis. Interestingly in 1995 in an effort to reduce the fiscal deficit, in addition to the Cuban peso (CUP$) a fully exchangeable dual currency, the convertible peso (CUC$)was introduced.  The huge gap between those who have access to the CUC$ and those who live in the CUP$ economy has encouraged highly skilled professionals, such as doctors, to give up their professions and become waiters or tourist guides.