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Cuba

This collection contains materials about Cuba’s history including the Cuban revolution, post-revolution, and international relations. Fulgencio Batista was a major political figure in Cuba from 1933-1944 and dictator from 1952-1959. He exploited Cuban land and resources for U.S interests. The Cuban people were unhappy with the abuse and political repression they faced on a daily basis. A popular uprising by workers and peasants took place in 1953, which culminated in an attack on the Moncada military base organized by Fidel and Raul Castro. The attack was unsuccessful and Fidel was exiled to Mexico but this event sparked the Cuban revolution. Fidel returned to Cuba in 1956 with Che Guevara and a small guerilla force. Fidel and Che led the people in a rebellion against the Batista regime and the government elite that controlled the people’s resources and economic stability. Batista was successfully overthrown in 1959 and Fidel assumed power as the new leader of Cuba with the intent of building the country around the people’s needs and distributing the wealth equally. Cuba has been a great model and influence for other Latin American countries seeking freedom from repressive conditions and US imperialism. Audio and paper documents also include information on Cuba post-revolution, including its economy, health system, and the nationalization of public services as well as U.S involvement in Cuba starting after 1960.

Documents

Andreas Gomez-U.S. Policy in Cuba Andreas Gomez-U.S. Policy in Cuba
Date: 8/19/1995Call Number: LA 159Format: CassetteCollection: Cuba
Journalist Andreas Gomez gives a lecture on the Cuban revolution and U.S. Policy in Cuba. Gomez opposes U.S. Policy in Cuba and speaks about the imprisonment of 35,000 Cuban prisoners arrested and held at Guantanamo while trying to go the United States. Through his personal experiences in Cuba he recalls the state of the country from 1993 to 1995, and the progress that has been made by the revolution in that time period. Gomez's lecture straddles traditional political bounds. He describes life in Cuba at this time as against the grain of a socialist society, of Cuban beliefs and of the national consensus. He does however discuss how these factors are necessary in order to rehabilitate Cuba. He explains that the U.S. plans not to infiltrate but use other means that will have long term negative effects, and that the U.S. retaliation has no relevance to what is actually going on in Cuba. The overall perspective of the lecture is one that strongly opposes the U.S. destruction of the Cuban Revolution, but also that Cuba is in a state that is not optimal but to support the Cubans so they can get what they need done to change their country in a positive way.
Fidel Castro Fidel Castro
Date: 1/23/1976Call Number: KP 278BFormat: Cass BCollection: Cuba
Discussions of Fidel Castro's role in the Socialist-Cuban revolution, the U.S. Bay of Pigs invasion, the second declaration of Havana, and the solidarity with Chile and Angola.
Voices from Radio Habana Cuba Voices from Radio Habana Cuba
Producers: Radio RebeldeCollection: Cuba
Sample from actual broadcast of Radio Rebelde, the clandestine station of the Cuban Revolution. The announcer introduces Fidel Castro, who calls for a general strike to defeat the Batista tyranny.