1. THE COLD WAR
Case study:
Cuba

2. CUBA.IS.BEAUTIFUL.

3. CUBA.IS.BEAUTIFUL.

4. CUBA.IS.BEAUTIFUL.

5. CUBA.IS.BEAUTIFUL.

6. CUBA ALSO HAS SOME HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS…
“The Cuban government continues to repress dissent and discourage public criticism. While in recent years it has relied less on long-term prison sentences to punish its critics, short-term arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, independent journalists, and other critics have increased dramatically. Other repressive tactics employed by the government include beatings, public acts of shaming, and the termination of employment.” – The World Report on Human Rights Violations

7. HISTORY OF CUBA 1510 – Spanish conquer Hispaniola
Spanish then slaughter native Cubans – Ciboney tribe
: slavery, sugar plantations, sadness
1868: First War of Cuban Independence (10 Years’ War)
1886: Slavery abolished in Cuba

8. HISTORY OF CUBA
1895: Cuban Revolution (against Spanish) began under leadership of Baez and Jose Marti
1898: USS Maine explodes; USA intervenes; Cuban Revolution becomes Spanish- American War
Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders!

9. HISTORY OF CUBA 1899: Treaty ends war; Spain is out
1901: Platt Amendment: USA assumes hegemonic control over Cuba
: USA gets to decide who is in charge of Cuba

10. HISTORY OF CUBA
1933: Military leader Fulgencio Batista assumes power (USA is happy with this; he is an ally)
Late 1940s – early 1950s: Batista not re-elected; moves to USA
1952: Batista returns to Cuba and rises to power again thanks to a military coup
Cubans are unhappy about this. Cubans do not like Batista.

11. HISTORY OF CUBA
1953: Fidel Castro, alongside revolutionaries and Che Guevara, attack military barracks in Santiago (eastern Cuba)
1958: Batista and Castro fight in eastern Cuba
1959: Batista flees Cuba; Castro assumes power

12. HISTORY OF CUBA
1959: Castro implements socialist reforms – land reform, nationalization of industry
1960: USA tries to invade Cuba a lot
1961: USA implements its embargo on Cuba (no more trade; no more NOTHING)
Cuba just lost its greatest trading partner. They need another superpower nation to help them. Who else is the other superpower right now?
1961: Bay of Pigs
USA really wants Cuba to not be ‘communist’ (socialist, really)
Why would the US keep referencing Cuba as a ‘communist state’??
1962: Cuban Missile Crisis
: Sad Cuba
Socialist revolutions are ALWAYS associated with land reform – why???

13. HISTORY OF CUBA
: embargo on Cuba. USSR dismantled. Cuba suffering. Enter into “Special Period”
2014: OBAMA AND RAUL CASTRO REOPEN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND EVERYTHING IS AWESOME… or is it?

14. CUBA IN A NUTSHELL
Cuba, as an island nation, has always needed a trading partner
The US controlled Cuba (in)directly from s
The USA set up its embargo against Cuba after Castro’s successful socialist revolution
USSR aligned itself with Cuba (which makes Cuba happy; it needs a trading partner)

15. FULGENCIO BATISTA Rulers over Cuba from (1933 indirectly) 1940-1944
Entered WWII on side of Allied Powers
Friends with the American mafia
Cuba served as a link between the cartel in Colombia and the mafia in the States
Goes back to Cuba, becomes president in
Super corrupt and terrible
Widened the gap between the wealthy plantation owners and the poor working class
…. Perfect set up for a revolution!!

16. ENTER: CHE GUEVARA Born in Argentina Trained as a doctor
“Motorcycle Diaries” – traveled throughout Latin America and became exposed to extreme poverty and hunger; blamed capitalism
He worked with leprosy colonies throughout south america – found solidarity among the outcasts

17. CHE GUEVARA
Disillusioned by the gap between the rich and the poor – the haves and have-nots
Helped lead revolutions in Argentina, Brazil, and Guatemala before heading to Cuba
He worked with leprosy colonies throughout south america – found solidarity among the outcasts

18. CHE AND FIDEL: BFFS 1955: meets up with Fidel Castro in Mexico City
Gets on board to overthrow Batista and establish a socialist regime in Cuba – equality for all!!
Fights in the east with Fidel against Batista’s military forces

19. LITERACY CAMPAIGNS Begins his literacy campaign in 1961 –
January 1 – December 22
“The Year of Education”
“Literacy Brigades” – build schools, train teachers, educate the illiterate
Raised the literacy rate from 60% to 96% IN ONE YEAR
Commonalities in ALLLLLLLL communist revolutions: literacy increase and land reforms

20. FIDEL CASTRO
Organized a guerilla revolution against Batista and the US’ influence
Eastern Cuba
With Che Guevara, fellow revolutionary
Took over Havana and declared his revolution socialist
Social, land, and education reforms
Becomes BFFs with USSR

21. FIDEL CASTRO Good things Castro did: Abolished discrimination
Brought electricity to poor areas in Cuba
Full employment
Advanced health care and education
New schools and medical facilities

22. FIDEL CASTRO Bad things Castro did: Closed down opposition newspapers
Jailed thousands of political opponents
And killed a bunch, too
Limited amount of land someone could own
Abolished most private businesses
Lots of food shortages 
Lots of consumer good shortages 
Agua y jabon!

23. THE “SPECIAL PERIOD” USSR fell in 1991
Loss of oil – increase in black market
Intentionally blacked out parts of Havana to save money
No foreign television – no foreign influence; huge restriction on outside news and journalism (like NK but less terrible)
Increased reliance on the US for remittances and smuggling
Tourism on the rise
Also sex trafficking 
“The Special Period” – 1991-present
Current state of Cuba – inventive and resourceful people living in a time of scarcity “resolviendo”
buying, selling, and trading whatever you had for whatever you needed

24. NOW WHAT? Diplomatic relations reopened with Cuba
What does this mean? How will Cuba change? What could positives and negatives be?
More importantly… WHY DO WE HATE CUBA?!?!?
buying, selling, and trading whatever you had for whatever you needed