Pd+1+Cuba

= = In 1953 Fidel Castro leads an unsuccessful revolt against the Batista regime. In 1956 Castro lands in eastern Cuba from Mexico and takes to the Sierra Maestra mountains where, aided by Ernesto "Che" Guevara, he wages a guerrilla war. In 1959 Castro leads a 9,000-strong guerrilla army into Havana, forcing Batista to flee. Castro becomes prime minister, his brother, Raul, becomes his deputy and Guevara becomes third in command. In 1962 Cuban missile crisis ignites when, fearing a US invasion, Castro agrees to allow the USSR to deploy nuclear missiles on the island. The crisis was subsequently resolved when the USSR agreed to remove the missiles in return for the withdrawal of US nuclear missiles from Turkey. In 1965 Cuba's sole political party renamed the Cuban Communist Party. In 1972 Cuba becomes a full member of the Soviet-based Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. In 1976 Cuban Communist Party approves a new socialist constitution; Castro elected president. In 1980 Around 125,000 Cubans, many of them released convicts flee to the US, when Castro temporarily lifted restrictions. In 1982 Cuba, together with other Latin American states, gives Argentina moral support in its dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands. In 1993 The US tightens its embargo on Cuba, which introduces some market reforms in order to stem the deterioration of its economy. These include the legalization of the US dollar, the transformation of many state farms into semi-autonomous cooperatives, and the legalization of limited individual private enterprise.

 __Fidel Castro__ Oriente (Mayari, Cuba)

Personal Information: Castro was born on August 13 1926, on a farm in the Mayarí municipality in the province of Oriente. He married Mirta Díaz-Balart in 1948, but they were divorced in 1954. 

Career Accomplishments: As a member of the Social-Democratic Orthodoxo party, he was against dictator Fulgencio Batista. On July 26, 1953, Castro led an attack on the Moncada army barracks that failed but brought him national prominence. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released in 1955. He went into exile in Mexico, and found the July 26th movement, to return to Cuba and fight against Batista. Castro led 81 people to return to Cuba in December 1956, and they went to the Sierra Mountains. At the mountains, Castro won a successful guerrilla war, proving himself a strong leader. Castro fled on January 1, 1959, and Castro came to power as the president of Cuba. In 1961, Castro allied Cuba with the Soviet Union.  Work Experience: He became the prime minister of Cuba in 1959. In 1976, he led Cuba as the president, and held his job until 2008. He left in 2006, feeling ill, and didn’t run for another term, as he was still in the hospital. His brother was formally elected president 5 days later.

Education: He attended Catholic schools in Santiago de Cuba, and Havana. At these schools, he took to the Spartan regime at Colegio de Belén, a Jesuit boarding school. In 1945, he enrolled at the University of Havana, graduating in 1950 with a law degree.  Professional Affiliations and Interests: In the late 40’s and early 50’s, he became a member of the social-democratic Ortodoxo party. In 1961, he declared that he was a Marxist-Leninist, and he would remain one until he died. Castro was elected chair of the Nonaligned Nations Movement in 1979.  Miscellaneous: Castro was the world’s longest-serving political leader, outlasting 9 US presidents.



media type="custom" key="5984399" align="center" =**Political Cartoons**= 

=Cuban Health Care=

Two people from differing countries (United States & Cuba) are in the hosptial. While the US's healthcare is good, it costs a lot. On the other hand Cuba's healthcare is free, but it's not that up to date and decent. Health care between the US and Cuba both are not perfect. As bad as they have it we need stuff they have (like free healthcare) and they need stuff we have (like decent health care).

Cuba is blocked off from the embargo. The barbed wire is a symbol for security. As well as the 50 stars for the American flag.

**Ending the Embargo with Cuba**
The President and/or a well-connected VIP or Cuban-American can only visit Cuba. The Cuban Embargo has been going on for almost half a century and the United States Government cannot keep this embargo on Cuba forever. This embargo was only meant to pressure Castro into democracy that led the United States to attempt to detach Cuba from the economy. Through Cuba’s rough times the United States has provided them with food and medicine and Cuba uses the United States as a scapegoat for their problems. The Cuban Embargo not only affects Fidel Castro and the failed alteration to democracy, but it affects the people and the economy in Cuba. After almost half a century the U.S. government has tried and failed to isolate Cuba economically to weaken the system and withdraw it of resources. Instead of the embargo, the Congress should expand American economic and political influences on Cuba. Although it seems as if the Congress failed to take Castro down and transition Cuba to a democracy, more American dollars will end up in Cuban government, but would also go to concealed citizens. As an effect of the Embargo, the travel ban does not allow American citizens to travel to Cuba unless they happen to be the U.S. president, a well-connected VIP, and/or a Cuban-American. These strict laws should be lifted so Cuba can be influenced by America’s economic and political ideas. Cuba has been prohibited from exporting goods to the U.S. which has led the Cuban economy to greatly fail. Cubans have limited access to American products due to the Cuban embargo. Although Cuba is still under the effect of the embargo, the U.S. government has sent over just enough food and medicine to keep Cuban citizens going. By lifting the embargo the U.S. government can provide Cuba with what they really need to flourish in Cuban economy. Money from American Tourists that Cubans could earn come back to the U.S. to buy American products, such as agricultural goods from farmers. Keeping the embargo would lead Cuban citizens to be malnourished and deathly ill. “Lifting the embargo will not stabilize relations between the United States and Cuba. Ending the embargo would lead to Castro believing he could be a serious threat to US interests.”Keep the Embargo) This information illustrates how some people believe that the embargo on Cuba should be kept to maintain better relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Many others believe that by lifting the embargo will help our relationship with Cuba to grow and flourish. This quote also states that ending the embargo will lead Cuba to become a serious threat to US interests; Others believe that keeping the embargo will lead Cuba to a serious downfall. Many people also believe that the Embargo should not be lifted until many requirements are met and once they are met then the embargo should be lifted as many believe. Others believe that the embargo should be lifted and that the requirements should be met with the help of the US. The Cuban Embargo is a never-ending struggle for both the US and Cuba. How the US government will solve this; the world can only wait to find out. Cuba is in trouble and they need our help. The embargo will only keep us from helping Cuba with what the really need; they really need our support no matter if they are communist or capitalist. The US government and Castro are the only ones who can decide what will happen between the US and Cuba; in the end only the world will know.

=Keeping the Embargo By: Mark= = =

In 1960, America made an agreement not to trade with Cuba in any way. This is called an embargo. America started the embargo because Cuba was a communist country and we did not want anything to do with them. Our plan was to make the people of Cuba hate Fidel Castro for causing this and cause a rebellion, but that did not happen. There has been much controversy about if we should lift the embargo or not. I will explain why we should not lift the embargo. I believe we should not lift the embargo on Cuba because Fidel Castro has not been respecting the rights of humans for a long time. He still has not learned anything, and we cannot reward him for that. Most countries worked and rebelled to get unjust laws and behavior out of their country. Like America ended the Jim Crow laws, and Africa ended apartheid. Cuba should do the same and their should not be a lift in the embargo until they sort things out.

=Works Cited= Brookes, Peter. __Keep the Embargo.__ 26 April 2010 . Castellon, Ninoska Perez. __Should the US End the Embargo on Cuba?__ 26 April 2010 . Dodd, Chris. __Should the US End Its Cuba Embargo? Yes.__ 15 April 2005. 26 April 2010 . Griswold, Daniel. __Four Decades of Failure: The US Embargo Against Cuba.__ 12 October 2005. 26 April 2010 . Walser, Ray. __The Cuba Embargo: Too Soon To Tear Down the Goal Posts.__ 21 March 2008. 26 April 2010 .