Fidel Castro - Consolidation and Maintenance of Power

Removal of Political Rivals (1959)

Castro became prime minister in February. President Urrutia resigned in July, and Huber Matos was imprisoned after criticizing growing Communist influence.

Treatment of opposition: Castro gradually removed moderates and internal critics, strengthening his personal authority.

Agrarian Reform Act (1959)

Redistributed land, restricted large estates, and weakened wealthy landowners and foreign economic interests.

Legal methods and popular support: Fulfilled revolutionary promises, attracted peasant support, and increased government control over the economy.

Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (1960)

CDRs organized neighborhood activities and monitored suspected counterrevolutionary behavior.

Surveillance and political control: Community organizations discouraged opposition and extended government influence into everyday life.

US–Soviet Realignment (1960)

US economic pressure and Cuban nationalizations worsened relations with Washington. Cuba established diplomatic relations with the USSR in May 1960.

Foreign policy: American hostility encouraged nationalism but also increased Cuban dependence on Soviet support.

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

US-backed Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow Castro in April 1961 but were defeated by Cuban forces.

Nationalism and consolidation: Victory increased Castro's legitimacy and helped justify stronger political control against perceived foreign threats.

Communist Political Consolidation (1961–1965)

Castro declared himself Marxist-Leninist in December 1961. The ORI developed into the PURSC in 1962 and the PCC in 1965.

Ideology and institutional control: Castro transformed a broad revolutionary movement into a centralized Communist one-party state.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba created a confrontation with the US. The USSR withdrew its missiles following an American non-invasion pledge and a secret agreement concerning US missiles in Turkey.

Foreign policy: Soviet protection strengthened Cuban security but demonstrated Castro's limited influence over superpower negotiations.

UMAP Labor Camps (1965–1968)

Approximately 25,000 people, according to the textbook, were sent to labor camps targeting politically or socially marginalized groups.

Repression: Coercion and ideological re-education restricted individual freedoms and discouraged opposition.

Constitution of 1976

Formalized the PCC's leading political role and established Castro as president of the Council of State. The 1992 revisions allowed limited reforms without ending one-party rule.

Legal methods: Constitutional institutions formalized Communist dominance and strengthened Castro's long-term political control.