Why the Us Did Not like Fidel Castro
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In the Southeastern corner of the United States, Miami, Florida is one of the nations most diverse and Hispanic cities. Florida is an enormous peninsula, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico; where does the Hispanic influence come from? Cuba (Levine, 56). After Fidel Castro seized control of the largest Caribbean country in 1959, he overthrew the Batista government and started imposing his communist ways. Citizens fled from both the Batista tyranny and the Castro regime. “The initial wave of Cuban arrivals considered themselves exiles, not immigrants, and expected to return to a Castro-free island, (Levine, 57). Why didnt the United States government like Fidel Castros new rule?
In the 1940s and 1950s, Havana, Cuba was the Las Vegas of its time. As controlled by the American mafia, casinos, drugs and prostitution were infallibly profiting but growing more and more unclean. Batista was to blame for the decline of class and beauty in the Central American country. While Havana was becoming a dirty city, the citizens of Cuba looked to Castro for answers, “Castro was seen by many. . .as a Christ-like figure, the pure one descending from the mountains to clean away the dirt and corruption of the cities” (Coltman, p.140).
The Cuban Revolution officially started when Castro led 165 people to attack the Moncada military barracks in Santiago, Cuba on July 26, 1953. With this, Castro hoped to gain momentum in his rise and the fall of the Batista government (Ramonet, p. 634). After failing and struggling for more than five years, Castro finally pulled through when Batista heard the news of his military defeat.
Castro came to power on January 1, 1959, almost six years after the revolution began after overthrowing Batistas tyranny. (Chomsky, A, p. 341). Batista fled to the Dominican Republic after the defeat of his military and forces (Ramonet, p. 637).
So what was so bad about Castros regime? He had the popular vote, forced Batista and his regime into hiding, and started imposing his new policies and regulations. What was there not to like? The United States government did not approve of the overthrow of the Batista government.
Castros new rule over Cuba brought the United States back to their roots through two doctrines, the Monroe and Truman. Both signed and established even before Castro thought about ruling Cuba, they justified the acts of the United States very well.
In winter of 1823, United States President James Monroe signed the Monroe Doctrine which warns the European nations to not interfere in the Western Hemisphere and the United States will stay out of European affairs (Tremblay, p. 143). The Soviet Union was directly interfering with the statements of the doctrine by backing Fidel Castro and supporting their economy with trade. The United States would not allow for the Soviet Union superpower to intervene and support Fidel and his new communist government as Eisenhower and Kennedy tried to overthrow the government.
In 1947, shortly after the end of World War II, President Harry Truman signed the Truman Doctrine which vowed that the United States would help Turkey and Greece defend themselves against opposing forces (Truman, 1947). After Great Britain asked for economic relief, the United States stepped in and aided the two countries against foreign invasions.
With this and the Monroe Doctrine in mind, the United States felt a repeat of the two events. The Soviet Union was using Cuba as a gateway to the United States and Cuba didnt have much say. With Cuba only 80 miles off the coast of Florida, the United States was forced to step in and try to put an end to the communist reign in Cuba. Not only did the United States want the communist government rule near the United States but rather to keep the Soviet Union away.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower set up multiple plans to attack Cuba to stop the communist government. In late October of 1959, President Eisenhower approved a C.I.A. developed program to secretly attack Cuba to create counter-revolutionary organizations within Cuba” (Ramonet, p. 637). After in December 1959, Eisenhower approved a second plan to overthrow Castros regime and replace him with an American friendly leader in under one year.
The Soviet Union and Cubas relationship strengthens when Anastas Mikoyan, the Soviet first deputy premier, visits the country and proposes a $100 million trade of Soviet Union oil for Cuban sugar.
“About 1,500 C.I.A.-trained mercenaries. . .landed on Playa Girón,” recalls Castro in