Dictatorship in Cuba: 62 years of Castro and 7 years of Batista

From bad to worse

Cuba has suffered under sixty nine years of dictatorship. Cuban democracy was ended by Fulgencio Batista on March 10, 1952,  the last democratic president Carlos Prio and his first lady went into exile, and over the next seven years a corrupt and authoritarian dictatorship ruled Cuba becoming increasingly unpopular.  

The refusal of Batista to peacefully give up power through a process of dialogue opened the path to Fidel and Raul Castro to violently seize it. 

With the help of the Communist International, The New York Times, an arms embargo placed on Batista in March 1958 by the United States, and pressure from the U.S. Ambassador to Cuba in December 1958 the authoritarian dictator fled Cuba in the early morning hours of January 1, 1959.

Firing squads in Cuba by the Castro regime

The Castro brothers had pledged a democratic restoration since the start of their struggle in 1953, but all along had planned a Marxist-Leninist takeover and the imposition of a totalitarian communist dictatorship killing tens of thousands of Cubans. They systematically denied human rights to all Cubans while exporting their repressive model to Africa and Latin America creating misery for millions.

The Communist regime rewrote history creating myths to justify its tyrannical rule. The reality was that between 1902 and 1952 there existed a system that had overseen rising living standards for five decades, and had been on the cutting edge of human rights. The Marxist dictatorship would declare war on human rights at home and abroad.

Presidents of Cuba from 1902 to 1952 and dictator Batista

Today, we remember this tragic history and redouble efforts to achieve a democratic restoration in Cuba.