It is often heard that Cuba is frozen in time.
That generalization does not apply to the people, their education, their awareness of their situation, and their understanding of world affairs. Even technology in Cuba today can be surprising. The arts is another area where the visitor will see the modern alongside the traditional. Yet when it come to architecture and infrastructure Cuba is frozen in time. No malls nor residential developments have replaced the crumbling buildings that were there in the 50's, prerevolution. Transportation is part of this tragically beautiful state of affairs with the largest fleet of working American classic cars roaming the streets. The economy is not frozen in what it was in the 1950s; the economy was devastated by the revolution and 57 years later the Communist government is allowing a controlled transition to some areas of private businesses. More than 5 decades of Communist control has also created a very different reality from pre- revolution days in terms of human rights and freedoms. |
Pre-Castro Cuba / PBS ArticleOn the eve of Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, Cuba was neither the paradise that would later be conjured by the nostalgic imaginations of Cuba's many exiles, nor the hellhole painted by many supporters of the revolution,
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Inequalities |
Two Worlds |
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1961 Bay of Pigs
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Produced by The Discovery Channel, a historical documentary commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis hosted by internationally acclaimed writer Tom Clancy. This is a six part series of videos that can be found on You Tube.
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1960s Embargo ...to today
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Confiscated Property
The Cuban communist government nationalized all businesses and industries after the Revolution. Compensation for these properties owned by US companies is a requirement for lifting the Embargo.
Now Cuba has counterclaims for damages caused by the Embargo. |
US Immigration Policy for Cubans
Immigration Policy toward Cubans has had preferred status since the Revolution.
The Clinton Administration modified it to the present law that requires a Cuban caught on the waters be sent home; one who makes it to shore stays in the United States. |
The Havana Conference of 1946 was a historic meeting of United States Mafia and Cosa Nostra leaders in Havana. The Mafia built and controlled hotels and gambling in Havana during the 1950s under the protective shield of the corrupt President Batista. The movie Godfather II is historical fiction portraying the downfall of this empire in 1959 when Batista fled and Fidel Castro marched victoriously into Havana.
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