Answer to Question #176768 in History for Shirl Nelson

Question

How does life in Cuba today differ from before Fidel Castro took power?

Answer 1

Ahead of Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, Cuba was neither the paradise that would later be manipulated by the nostalgia of the imagination and cu numerous exile nor the heel hole decorated by many proponents of the revolution. The Cuba island resided by people who were humiliated, hungry and malnourished, their main sources of income were to cater for American tourist's beaches, Havana's luxurious hotel, and casinos. relatively Cuba was one of the most developed and successful regions in Latin American.

In the initial parts of the century, the country's economy fueled by the sale of sugar to the united states had grown dramatically.

Furthermore, before Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, the country profound inequalities between rural and urban dwellers and between white and black people, Cubans especially rural black people lived in abysmal poverty. Their main crop was seasonal and sugarcane cutters could only work for four months in a year which made them always unemployed, perpetually in debt and living in the margins of survival.

Additionally rural Cuban neither had health care institutions nor educational institutions in their rural communities, nevertheless, illiteracy was extensive and those who were fortunate enough to attend school never went past the second grade.

Racism too blighted Cuban society. The public and private facilities were segregated based on racism, white people were most privileged than black people to the extent that even president Fulgencio Batista was denied access to one of Havana's most exclusive clubs because of his color.

Since achieving independence in 1902, Cuban's suffered extremely from bad government, affected mainly by social problems such as violence, corrupt political leaders, and chaos.

However, between 1952 and 1958, Cuban's from all regions including businesses owners, students, politicians among others come together to oppose Batista and restore the rules of law that were ignored by barista while enhancing democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights