Castro also took control of the economy, which had been greatly dominated by the USA. Various sources of US influence were evicted, US property was confiscated, businessmen were deprived of their power as the economy became a planned one and most public utilities and businesses were soon run by the state. The agriculture consisted of state farms and collectives. Industries were nationalized; by the end of 1960, about $1billion worth of assets had been confiscated by the state. This was one of the reasons for the US boycott on sugar and banning of nearly all supplies to Cuba which forced Cuba into a dependence of the USSR instead. After the fall of USSR in 1991, Cuba faced economic crisis and Castro has been forced to turn to the US again, for tourism money for instance. Castro also tried to reduce the Cuban dependence on sugar exports and diversify the economy, to reduce the foreign influence in Cuba. This attempt failed and Cuba is still highly dependent on the sugar exports. So Castro succeeded in reducing the US influence and dependence on US in Cuba for a few decades, but otherwise failed in making Cuba more independent. Had he succeeded, his power and prestige may have increased and weakened the opposition, thus strengthening his position.
More than one million Cubans have gone into exile since Castro came to power. Many of them are ex-Batista supporters, wealthy people, intellectuals, mafia and capitalists. The “undesirables” have both been encouraged to leave, e.g. in the 1970s, and left by themselves. Most of them went to the US. This has both meant another foreign threat that the US could use against Cuba and also resulted in a much smaller opposition inside Cuba. The opposition in Cuba is very shattered and has many internal conflicts so the group is perhaps not a big threat to Castro’s regime.
Castro has not only managed to keep power through repression and control. Many of his reforms have led to support for him. His First Agrarian Reform in 1959 limited landholdings and forbade foreign land ownership. Other reforms meant that assets were confiscated and redistributed, rents were lowered, there were pay rises, education was improved and made available for everybody, illiteracy was reduced, the supply of clean and piped water was ensured, healthcare improved, controls keeping prices low were made and there were general improvements in transport. The smaller middle and upper classes and the USA did not benefit as much as the masses in Cuba from the reforms which led to clashes with Castro’s regime. So inside Cuba things seemed to improve to the masses, who before Castro had been widely neglected. Internationally, it seemed to many that the regime was honest and genuinely seeking the welfare of the people and the avoidance of corruption.
The single party system, the economic stagnation and the US boycott of Cuba forced Cuba into a dependence of the USSR. This dependence may have both weakened and strengthened Castro as it in the West gave him bad publicity at the same time as it economically and militarily meant a stronger Cuba. Still, had he not turned to the USSR, his power would probably have been very weak.
The conflicts with USA also generally strengthened Castro and Cuba as they were unifying forces to Cubans. The Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, where a small and badly armed CIA-supported force of exiled Cubans was defeated by a superior Cuban force, was a great defeat to the USA. The failed campaign increased Castro’s prestige and the equivalent of $50m was handed to Cuba in exchange for the 1000 prisoners that were taken. It may also have showed that Cuba was strong enough to defend itself from the USA and thereby discouraged further attacks on Castro’s regime. The Cuban Missiles Crisis in the following year further showed the Cuban military strength and US weakness.
In the 1960s, Castro made many failed attempts to make the socialist revolution continental and thereby perhaps ensuring protecting allies nearby. For instance, Castro meddled in the internal affairs of Venezuela, encouraging left-wing opposition there. In response to the exclusion from American trade, Castro set up the Latin American Solidarity Organisation, to unify and strengthen socialist people. This was one of the reasons for Cuba becoming a symbol for all who were hostile to “Yankee Imperialism”, thereby strengthening Castro’s regime.
The aid with about 35 000 troops to the Angolan opposition, the MPLA, against South African fascism, the USA and anti-Soviet Chinese in the 1970s was another unifying force for the Cubans and it also showed the strength of Cuba, although it was mainly due to the support of the USSR. It was “Soviet-backed, Cuban managed”, as Reagan put it. The Cuban and MPLA victory e.g. resulted in Cuban pride and nationalism and that the USSR supplied Cuba with more weapons. The victory on the side of Ethiopia in the Ogaden War in 1977-78 had about the same results.
Castro’s image; a soldier, a perpetual revolutionary and a champion of the people, helped him to some extent to remain in power. In the poorest areas of Latin America and Africa, Castro is seen as a hero, the leader of the Third World and the enemy of the wealthy and greedy and in 1998, he was warmly received by Nelson Mandela. In 2005, thousands of Cuban doctors were sent to Venezuela in exchange for oil imports. Allied with charismatic, accessible, and talkative Castro was Che Guevara, a socialist martyr who may have helped improve Castro’s image. There are no streets in Cuba named after Castro or any statues of him and he insists that he doesn’t promote a cult of personality. Castro has also managed to keep a firm grip of the power by holding the top positions in the state himself and still having somebody to replace him, his brother Raoul. These things have possibly made it more difficult for an opposition against Castro.
To gain further support, Castro has the last decade improved the situation for Catholics in Cuba and the international Cuban image by loosing restrictions on Catholics and reinstating Christmas Day, which had been abolished in 1969. Catholicism had for many decades been forbidden and churches had been closed. Abortion was in 1998 condemned by him in response to criticism by the Pope who visited Cuba that year. This may have increased support for Castro both within and outside Cuba and thereby protecting his power.
As a conclusion it can be said that Fidel Castro has managed to remain in power mainly due to skilful elimination of enemies and rivals, control of the media, reforms improving the situation to the masses, economic reforms, the exiling of “undesirables”, the conflicts with the USA, the alliance with USSR, foreign projects as the aiding of the Angolan opposition, his own image and his reforms improving conditions for Catholics.
Sources
Jack Watson, Success in World History Since 1945, John Murray, 1997
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