An Independent Cuba

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An Independent Cuba

Fidel Castro’s belief of a Cuba libre was not only his; many Cubans envisioned an independent Cuba, ‘A Cuba that could have been’. Plenty felt the urge to raise their voices and prove their discontent and patriotism to the world, but what could have been remained a silent whisper. Furthermore illiteracy and ignorance encircled a big chunk of society one which could not comprehend the causes and effects of such a term as ‘imperial’. In Thomas G. Patterson’s Contesting Castro: The United States and the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution, Nixon is quoted expressing that Castro is "either incredibly naive about communism or under communist discipline." (Paterson 257) His assumption was most probably correct "Pazzo recalled that Castro did not want to appear as one more Latin American leader ‘sold out’ to imperialism." (Paterson 257) Cuba’s history is revealed in numerous writings like Marifeli Perez-Stable’s The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course and Legacy ,and other documents which will be used to support the idea that Cuba was not a victim of it’s own rebellion, but one of a ‘wrong leader’, if one might say, and a harsh and complicated past. In addition the United States’ imperialism caused that many succeed and even more undergo horrendous treatment, illiteracy and inadequate lifestyles for the US own benefit. This caused the Cuban revelation, so why still ask why.

In Perez-Stable her antagonism towards the United States is fairly obvious. The US was controlling a huge amount of Cuba’s income. Cuba needed the income to rebuilt the farms and mills after the Depression. The United States gave the capital necessary to reconstruct but remained in charge of the land. During this time 75% of the land was held by 8% of the farms.

"US capital promoted economic reconstruction but undermined national control of the economy. Trade reciprocity favored US imports,weakened existing industries, and discouraged new ones. More than 350 Cuban-owned establishments closed their doors early in the 20th century"

(Perez-Stable 17

She also quotes Manuel Rionda, a planter who wrote: "So the Cubans, the real Cubans, do not own much." It’s an unpleasant thought that after so much blood shed and so many patriots that gave their lives to free themselves from an authoritarian and also dictatorial government (Spanish rule), they must continue to work and sacrifice for a government disguised as democratic and almost perfect. When they are truly parasites that only mean to deindustrialize Cuba and are as authoritarian as the rest.

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