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Communism in Cuba. HOW WELL IS IT WORKING?. Who is Fidel Castro?. He was born to a wealthy family and received a law degree. He disliked the political and corporate influences of the U.S. in Cuba. Other children picked on him because of his childhood. He got involved in politics in college.
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Communism in Cuba HOW WELL IS IT WORKING?
Who is Fidel Castro? • He was born to a wealthy family and received a law degree. • He disliked the political and corporate influences of the U.S. in Cuba. • Other children picked on him because of his childhood. • He got involved in politics in college.
How Did Castro Come to Power? • He helped in the Cuban Revolution which overthrew Bautista (who was backed by the U.S.) • He then rose through the ranks (Prime Minister, Secretary of the Communist Party, President of the Council of State).
How Has the U.S. Tried to Get Rid of Communist Cuba? • Bay of Pigs- Cuban exiles were trained to take back their country and failed. • Assassination Attempts by CIA- 638 • Embargo- We can not send Cuba any goods and we will not buy any goods from them.
Cuba and the Soviet Union as BFFs! • The Soviet Union put missiles in Cuba (90 miles South of Key West) and caused the Cuban Missile Crisis. • The Soviets provided military and economic aid to Cuba. • Cuba had the Soviets’ back when they invaded Czechoslovakia. • They stopped being friends after Gorbachev changed economic policies in the USSR.
Castro’s new BFF • Hugo Chavez sends oil to Cuba in exchange for Cuban doctors. • Both Anti-American.
Cuba and China • China is Cuba’s 2nd largest trading partner, after Venezuela. • China has given Cuba 1,000 buses. • China has given Cuba 30,000 new refrigerators. • China gave Cuba equipment to block radio signals from an anti-Cuban radio station.
You needed certificates to get married, have kids, change jobs, and move around the country. • Buying a TV or getting a phone line required many steps and a lot of time. • Waiters get basic salaries, so they are less likely to give good service.
WHEN A PERSON WAKES UP IN CUBA, THEY ONLY HAVE TWO PROBLEMS: LUNCH AND DINNER.
Monthly Salaries • How much do you think a worker makes in Cuba every month? $20 (440 pesos)
How Much Do Things Cost in Cuba? Shoes- 500 pesos ($25) Bunch of Bananas/Avocados-40 pesos 1 Liter of Cooking Oil-54 pesos ($2) Taxi ride through the city- 10 pesos (workers earn 18 pesos/day)
A Month’s Ration Card Rice 6 pounds Beans 20 ounces White Sugar 3 pounds Dark Sugar 3 pounds Milk (under 7) 1 Liter/day Eggs* 12 (only Sept-Dec) Potatoes/Bananas 15 pounds
Meats Meat is distributed every 15 days and rotated: Beef- ½ pound per person Chicken -1 pound per person
Other Necessities • Toilet paper- 2 rolls per person every month • 1 bar of laundry soap (every 2 months) • 1 bar of bath soap (every 2 months) • 1 tube of toothpaste (every two months for three people)
Ways to Get What You Need • Work in the tourist industry • Drive a taxi (it costs $400 to get a taxi license) • Have family in Miami that sends you money • Stealing from the government • Trading services or goods with friends/neighbors • Cafeteria workers bring food home