Cuba

Since 1934, under the regime of Fulgencio Batista
- Cuba prospered economically because of the close relationship with the United States
- the relationship began to change
  - July 26, 1953
    - Fidel Castro began a revolution against Batista’s government
    - The attempted coup resulted in Castro’s imprisonment for two years, but he soon went to Mexico upon his release where he organized a small force known as the “26th of July Movement.”
December 1956
- Castro invaded Cuba, and this invasion was portrayed by American journalists as a war of liberation
- This characterization caused the support of Batista’s government to wane
- Castro took control in January 1959
Castro
- began to initiate social reform in Cuba
- included...
  - the seizure of American-owned businesses in Cuba
  - the execution of potential political rivals
  - the establishment of a Communist state
- began to receive support from the Soviet Union
- The United States was concerned with a communist nation just ninety miles off their coast
1961
- the United States broke diplomatic relations with Cuba due to the actions of Castro
- United States President John F. Kennedy
  - promised the anti-Castro revolutionary group American support if the revolutionaries attempted to overthrow Castro
  - promised air support for the coup
- April 17, 1961
  - at the landing of Bay of Pigs in Cuba
  - the American-trained Cuban rebels did not receive the air support
  - The rebellion was brutally defeated
  - This event caused Castro to execute all remaining political enemies left in Cuba
May 1961
- Castro official declared Cuba a Communist state
September 1962
- the Soviet Union
  - issued a statement that they would provide weapons to Cuba to protect them from United States' imperialism
October 1962
- United States spy planes photographed Soviet missiles based in Cuba
- Kennedy issued an ultimatum to the Cubans for the missiles to be removed and then placed a "quarantine" or blockade around Cuba
- The United States stated that the missiles will be removed from Cuba, by force, if necessary
- Soviet leader Khrushchev ordered the missiles to prepare for an attack
- The world believed this was the year the two superpowers would finally clash in violent fashion
- Kennedy and Khrushchev avoided cataclysmic disaster
  - the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles if the United States agreed not attack Cuba and to remove the US missiles from Turkey that could strike the Soviet Union
Castro
- decreed a strict government control that caused many Christians and church leaders to flee Cuba to avoid persecution
- communist policies
  - resulted in starvation and housing shortages
1981
- Castro began to introduce capitalistic ideas into the economy and allowed anyone who wished to leave Cuba permission to do so

South America and Communism

Argentina
- Juan and Eva Peron
  - overthrew the government
  - pursued a socialist regime
    - called for the nationalization of businesses and an increase in the power of the government
- 1955
  - a military coup ousted Peron and he went to Spain
- remained in chaos until 1973
  - Peron returned from exile and was elected President
  - His third wife, Isabel Peron, was elected vice president and succeeded her husband and became the first female to head a government in the Western Hemisphere
Brazil
- thrived economically until political tension led the government to seek aid from the Soviets
- 1964
  - an anti-communist force of military leaders took control of the Brazilian government to prevent a Communist takeover
  - The Brazilian government then began to make efforts to privatize property and businesses
  - 1990
    - the military returned governmental control to the civilians
Chile
- saw a socialist come to power through a legitimate elective process
- Salvador Allende
  - supported by the Communists and socialists of Chile
  - established relations with Cuba and Communist China
  - nationalized businesses and redistributed private property to the lower classes
  - policies led to economic chaosme1973
- - an anti-Communist coup was executed
  - Allende was removed from power
  - The new leader, Augusto Pinochet, established a free market and broke relations with Cuba and China

	Created by Tyana Lewis almost 7 years ago

Note on 9.29.2 Communism and Latin America , created by Tyana Lewis on 21/07/2017.