Republic of Cuba
Cuba, 1959 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
Batista's autocratic government was eventually overthrown in January 1959 by the 26th of July Movement, during the Cuban Revolution. The revolution established a communist government under Fidel Castro that remains to this day. The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis is widely considered to be the closest the world has come to a nuclear war. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Cuba faced a severe economic downturn in the 1990s, known as the Special Period.
Seat of power: Havana
Rulers
Osvaldo Dorticós
President of Cuba, 1959–1976
Dorticós was appointed President of Cuba by the Council of Ministers on 17 July 1959. For the most part, Dorticós was a figurehead, with most of the real power held by Prime Minister Fidel Castro. A new constitution enacted in 1976 merged the posts of president and prime minister.
Portrait of Osvaldo Dorticós: Unknown author, Public domain, file
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Fidel Castro
President of Cuba, 1976–2008
He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, president from 1976 to 2008, and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1965 until 2011. Under his administration Cuba became a one-party communist state; industry and business were nationalized, and socialist reforms were implemented throughout society. Policies introducing central economic planning and expanding healthcare and education were accompanied by state control of the press and the suppression of internal dissent.
Portrait of Fidel Castro: Bernard Gotfryd, Public domain, file
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Raúl Castro
President of Cuba, 2006–2018
Because of his brother's illness, Castro became the acting president of the Council of State in a temporary transfer of power from 31 July 2006. He stepped down from the presidency on 19 April 2018 after his successor, Miguel Díaz-Canel, was elected by the National Assembly following parliamentary elections. Castro remained the first secretary of the Communist Party.
Portrait of Raúl Castro: Пресс-служба Президента России/ Presidential Executive Office Russia, CC BY 4.0, file
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Miguel Díaz-Canel
President of Cuba, 2018 to today
In 2018, Díaz-Canel succeeded Raúl Castro as President of the Council. His reforms limited the presidency to two consecutive five-year terms and banned discrimination based on gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. His administration has drawn negative criticism, with many calling him a dictator, and his rule a dictatorship.
Portrait of Miguel Díaz-Canel: El divo de placetas, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
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Culture
- After the 1959 revolution, the government started a national literacy campaign, offered free education to all and established rigorous sports, ballet, and music programs.
- Cuban music is rich and is the most commonly known expression of Cuban culture. The central form of this music is son, which has been the basis of many other musical styles like mambo, cha-cha-chá and salsa music.
- Due to historical associations with the United States, many Cubans participate in sports that are popular in North America, rather than sports traditionally played in other Latin American nations. Baseball is the most popular, and other popular sports include volleyball, boxing, athletics, wrestling, basketball and water sports.
- The typical meal could consist of plantains, black beans and rice, ropa vieja (shredded beef), Cuban bread, pork with onions, and tropical fruits.
Picture
The square is notable as being where many political rallies take place and Fidel Castro and other political figures address Cubans.
Image: Андрей Бобровский, CC BY 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.