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Essay about Different Perspectives of Cuban Revolution

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Different Perspectives of Cuban Revolution

Introduction:

The measures taken by Castro and explicitly stated by him at his trial in 1954, from the very beginning of his anti-Batista movement illustrate his initial desires to reform Cuba and ultimately increase its standard of living. Different understandings can be perceived by reading various books and documents that focus on the political changes shaping Cuba’s modern-day society. Each illustrates different aspects of the insurrection while simultaneously giving the reader an accurate depiction of the historical occurrences. Authors Perez-Stable and Patterson focus on the turbulent circumstances that lead Cuba through the various leaders, each with his own agenda trying to …show more content…

Because of Cuba’s reliance on the export of sugar, Cubans were severely limited in terms of diversifying its economy and raising its standard of living. According to Perez-Stable,

"Without diversification, jobs would not be createdand living standards raised…Moving Cuba from classic dependence on sugar to a new form of dependent capitalism, however, required a realignment of domestic actors, a new role for the state, and a restructuring of Cuba-U.S. relations."

These issues appear as reoccurring themes that build the platforms for many of the reforms sought by Castro himself. This is because these issues address the focal points of concern for most Cuban citizens.

The second chapter in Perez-Stable’s book deals more with the political transitions that shaped Cuba’s societal structure during the turbulent early 1900’s. Corruption and problems with the governmental structure coincided with the economic crises. Many Cubans fostered anti-American sentiments and regarded the Platt Amendment with much contempt. These feelings arose in part because, "Application of the Platt Amendment was a blatant reminder of the limits of Cuban independence." During these occurrences, the U.S. vacillated between mediating the Cuban crises and relinquishing ties to the Cuban government. This stemmed in part from the avid anti-American sentiments

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