Statement of problem: To what extent did Fidel Castro's Cuban revolution change the lives of Cubans?
Rationale
The investigator decided to do this topic because the researcher wanted to educate themself about Cuba and one of its most famous historical events. The investigator also thought the topic to be rather intriguing to learn about. The researcher chose to focus specifically on the Cuban Revolution because of its relevance to Caribbean History and international relations and its significance to current affairs.
Introduction
Cuba, during the stages before the revolution, was a society consumed by gambling, prostitution, and the Mafia. At the time, Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar, who was seemingly the “Puppet President” for the United States, was in full control of Cuba. During his dictatorship, Cuba’s people suffered tremendously. The literacy rate, infrastructure, and medical services were atrocious. However, things changed for the Cubans after Castro’s Revolution in 1959.
For some years, education in Cuba was terrible, young children were unable to be properly educated because, they came from economically challenged backgrounds, where they lacked the resources to be educated. According to ‘Columbus to Castro’ “27 percent of the urban children and 61 percent of the rural children were not attending school,” and “slightly over 50 percent of the peasants could not read or write; 43 percent were completely illiterate, 44 percent had never attended school.”
During the Batista regime, he opted for an education-for-profit system, which obviously meant that individuals who were less fortunate were unable to afford the education that they needed, because of such circumstances. However, after Fidel Castro’s Revolution he targeted the most challenged aspects of Cuba.
In the year of 1961, the Cuban Literacy Campaign was launched. In less than a year, over 700,000 Cubans learned how to read and write. The Cuban Literacy Campaign allowed everyone the opportunity to be properly educated. The Campaign especially helped families and individuals who could not afford the luxuries of education, during the Batista regime. Teachers and students congregated, in order to better the country, even though their lives were threatened. The Cuban Literacy Campaign is known as one of the most ambitious and organized literacy campaigns in the world, with its intention to abolish illiteracy. But having an astounding educational program and having such success in it isn't Cuba’s only accomplishment.
Prior to the 1960s health services and facilities were mainly focused in the cities, which therefore meant, it was mainly for the wealthy in Cuba and not for the poor. According to Columbus to Castro “The peasantry were isolated on account of the state of the roads.”… “One doctor for more than 2,000 persons in the rural areas…” Their diets were poor because less than half of the residents were able to afford poultry, while none of them ate vegetables.
However, Cuba, somehow always produced exceptional doctors, but the island lacked the proper resources such as medical beds, updated medical tools, gauze, and much more medical supplies necessary for use in health facilities. In the years that came, the medical services and supplies in Cuba were upgraded, and because of the newly founded medical school by Fidel Castro in the year of 1998 Escuela Latino Americana de Medicina, Cuba continued to produce even more exceptional doctors. Even when Africa was the field of battle for the Cold War powers, Castro sent some of his best doctors to aid during the battle. Cuba’s medical services and public medical institutions are now at their fines and freely available to the economically challenged because of Castro and his goal to better his country.
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Cuba’s infrastructure was also a major problem that the country faced. It was stated in ‘Columbus to Castro’ that, “75 percent of rural dwellings were huts made from the palm tree.” This statement, therefore, meant that more than half of the residents’ homes were not made of sturdy materials, and the roads were poor “... peasantry were isolated on account of the state of the roads.” “...50 percent of Cuba’s rural dwellings had no toilets of any kind, 97 percent had no refrigeration facilities, 85 percent had no inside running water, and 91 percent had no electricity.” Also, there was little health facilities and educational facilities, available to the immediate public. Those were only a few of the infrastructural problems that Cuba faced in these earlier times. Eventually, a significant amount of changes were brought about.
Within the first six months after the revolution, 600 miles of road was constructed. It was also announced that “...that a sewage and water scheme would be constructed in rural areas at a cost of $300.” Along with such great amendments, Castro, with education in mind built a vast amount of schools tertiary. That alone shows that Castro wanted equal treatment for all Cubans. There was now equal accessibility due to the improvement of infrastructure that Castro spearheaded.
When the question “to what extent did Fidel Castro’s Cuban revolution change the lives of Cubans “was asked the researcher decided to do some investigation into the topic to help them make a decision. Castro went out of his way after the revolution to ensure that the lives of his people would be improved.
Before Castro’s revolution, Cuba’s education and its educational system was atrocious, only a small percent of the citizens would usually benefit from such a system, while others did not. Subsequently, less than a year after the revolution, Cuba’s literacy rate raised drastically, due to Fidel Castro’s implementation of the 1961 “Campaign against Illiteracy.” A sheer number of individuals learned how to read and write properly. The difference before and after the revolution is extremely eminent. Up to this day, Cuba’s education sector has been blooming, producing amazing results.
Along with Cuba’s education system, its health care service was also in a dreadful state. With persons, who were not financially stable not being able to access the medical facilities with ease, and because of its location, medical services were rarely used by the poor. However, Castro changed all of that in due time, building facilities where everyone can be taken care of properly and free of charge. Changing that aspect of his country for the better, however not only his people would benefit, but even foreigners were also able to get proper health care and learn at the medical institute he founded.
Cuba’s infrastructure was a problem all by itself. Transportation, running water sewage, electricity and a lot of other aspects were in need of attention. But without fail Fidel Castro tried his utmost best to change and fix all that was necessary, so said so done without fail, even though there were a few hiccups during the process.
Therefore, some people would not agree with the ways or ways Fidel Castro went about his revolution, but it did help his people and improve the lives of many at that point in time. The education sector is still at its best to this present day as well as its medical services, but they are still faced with many challenges but he did help his people to a great extent.
Bibliography
- Williams, Eric. ” From Columbus to Castro: The History of the Caribbean 1492-1969. Vintage Books, 1984. PRINT.
- Szulc, Tad. “The Revolution (1959-1963.) Fidel A Critical Portrait. HarperCollins, 2000. PRINT.
- Claypole, William and John Robottom “The USA and Cuba 1902-62” Caribbean Story Book 2.
- Leonard, Thomas. “Fulfilling the Revolution: Castro’s Cuba since 1961” Castro and The Cuban Revolution.
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