Alex Mahoney: Blog Post #1
Batista's relationship with the U.S., Fidel's lengthy speeches, Personal connections:
Batista’s dictatorship was not liked by many, especially Cubans, but in an article, it said the U.S. openly supported him. In Culture of Cuba: History, People, Society, Beliefs, and more… It is stated, “The M26J flag commemorates Castro’s attack on the army barracks at Moncada and served as a symbol of resistance to the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and the imperialism of the United States, which openly supported him.” Since Batista also had relations with the Mafia, I am wondering: Why did the United States support Batista’s dictatorship?
With Fidel’s speeches that lasted 4-5 hours long, it is clear how the Cuban people have been indoctrinated by his power and love for the country. I found it interesting that a white dove was seen as he was giving a speech to the Cuban people soon after taking over Havana. After many attempts, Fidel and the other revolutionists had finally ran Batista out of Cuba and seized power on January 1, 1959. A week later on the 8th of January, Fidel spoke to the people and a white dove appeared. Cubans interpreted this as a sign from God that Fidel’s work in this revolution was meant to happen.
I wonder what I would think if I was living in Cuba during this time. Would Fidel and the revolutionists end up helping or hurting Cuba? Is the dove just a coincidence or would I too look at it as a sign from a higher power?
Fidel delivered a 5-hour-long speech titled, “History will Absolve Me”, while at trial for the Movimento 26 de Julio. Fidel fully took advantage of having a platform to be heard by the crowds and used this opportunity to deliver a “message of true independence” according to Culture of Cuba: History, People, Society, Beliefs and more…
After being discovered, Cuba was neglected by the Spanish colonists simply as a stopping point between Spain and the New World. For the next three centuries after conquest, this is what the island was used as. During the 19th century, there was an awakening as the sugar revolution took place. This revolution changed Cuba economically for the better because African Slaves traveled over to help produce products, it increased Spanish protective policies, and Cuba’s increase in sugar caused Haiti to collapse. After this realization of their natural resources, Cuba became the “crown jewel” of the Spanish Empire in America not only for its sugar, but also because of its strategic location.
I am going through this module with my Grammy looking over my shoulder as she is very interested in the articles and videos provided in the modules. She was born in Cuba, escaped Castro’s regime, and came to the United States permanently as a refugee at 14 years old. She came to Miami with a suitcase full of cash. Grammy and her family were in their Finca (farm) in the town of Guanabacoa about 20 minutes outside of Havana. She and her father, Salvador, were listening to “Voice of America” a shortwave radio station, to be able to tune in to the United States to hear about the news with Fidel taking over Havana. As Cubans, they got news of their own country not from the government, but rather from America. My Grammy tells me, “We were not scared, my father promised us that we were fine and we knew that to be true, it was an exciting time.”
I enjoy what you wrote about your Grammy and the question you posed concerning what you personally would think during this time. It might be a strange comparison but when someone on the outside watches Star Wars, the storyline almost convinces us to be on the side of the resistance. Whereas the world's media had us against the resistance in Cuba. I think if we were to be there living during that time we would take this Star Wars approach and join this resistance due to the oppressive political powers of it's time.
ReplyDeleteI love that you included the anecdote about your Grammy! Personal connections are awesome! It's cool that you mention Voice of America because it still exists.
ReplyDeleteWhy did the United States support Batista’s dictatorship? The US government has basically always existed for the benefit of large corporations. Batista allowed American corporations to buy up land and resources in Cuba at the expense of the Cuban people and economy and the long-term sustainability of the island.
Would Fidel and the revolutionists end up helping or hurting Cuba? Is the dove just a coincidence or would I too look at it as a sign from a higher power? I personally would have been inspired, even if only out of ignorance. Regardless of how Castro's government functioned, the reality of the immediate aftermath of the revolution is that Cubans who were living under a brutal right-wing dictatorship were no longer living under a brutal right-wing dictatorship, which meant that Castro could be good, bad, or anywhere in between and still be popular. As for the dove, a 1959 me in Cuba would have ignored it. I wish I attached more meaning to these things, but I'm the least superstitious person out there.
Hi Jason, thanks for the clarification with the U.S. and Batista's relationship. I can also imagine there is some reason regarding the Mafia in Cuba as well. I read that Batista had connections to the Mafia, and that the Mafia wanted to do their "work" in Cuba to avoid the U.S. government. I wonder if the U.S. liked that the Mafia were out of their own land, and in another area? Just food for thought :)
DeleteI really enjoyed the personal touch in this blog post. It's super cool that you have family that experienced that era in history. That being said, I was confused as to why you included the part about Spain's colonial relationship with Cuba. While all the information was good, it felt a little removed from the rest of the post. As for your questions...
ReplyDelete1. Unfortunately, the answer to this is quite simple. Batista was friendly with the United States, so they kept him in power to protect their economic holdings in Cuba. When the United States gets involved in foreign affairs, it is rarely for the benefit of the country's people. Rather, it is almost always about securing resources, no matter the cost.
2. It's hard to say whether the Revolution ended up helping or hurting Cuba. In a vacuum, I think it likely would have been beneficial. That being said, due to America's response to the Castro regime, Cuba is plagued by an entirely new set of issues. As for the dove, I think it certainly would've been inspiring, but was nothing more than a coincidence. I think its interesting (and kind of funny) that the people of Cuba saw the dove as an "sign from God," despite the leader of the revolution being a socialist and an athiest.
It's very interesting that your Grammy comes from Cuba, especially during the time that she did! She must be full of stories and insight into what Cuba was actually like. I also found it interesting that you mentioned the dove. It's very likely that at least some people saw that as a symbol of rebirth, renewal or change. While I know that the dove is typical of peace in Christianity, I wonder if that was the thought behind it. After all that the Cuban people had been through with Batista, it wouldn't surprise me if people saw the dove as some sort of blessing.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I'm glad you shared the anecdote about your Grammy in this post. While going through module 1, it can be easy to kind of disconnect from what you are reading, but your personal perspective grounded what you wrote about for me. This is what I look forward to most about going to Cuba: hearing the people's experiences first-hand and learning about the country from an unbiased perspective. In the U.S., most of the info you hear about Cuba is pretty negative, but it will be interesting to hear actual cuban people's takes on stuff like this. Your Grammy sounds like a really interesting person! I bet she's super excited that you are going to visit Cuba.
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