History of Cuba / From slavery to absolute equality: History that evolves, not repeats itself
History of Cuba / From slavery to absolute equality: History that evolves, not repeats itself
Selim Kahvecioğlu
Cuban history is filled with hopeful and optimistic rebellions against the master of the slave. After the attack on the Monsado Barracks, in which 119 people were killed and the majority died, Fidel, who survived, lay down in the grass at the foot of a nearby hill with two others. When the planes strafing them with machine guns left, Fidel sat up and asked, ‘How many of us are there? How many weapons do we have?’ Upon receiving the reply, ‘There are three of us, and we have two rifles,’ Fidel’s response guaranteed that history would no longer repeat itself but would evolve. ‘All right, boys, now we begin.’
Cuba is an island. Everyone, including themselves, says Kuba. Only we Turks say Cuba. We probably have trouble pronouncing ‘U’ and ‘A’ together, so we’ve turned Kuba into Cuba. There is a chain of islands between North and South America. In geography, a chain of islands is called an archipelago. Cuba is the westernmost and largest island in this chain. The archipelago is called the Caribbean. We know it more for its pirates. The indentations and protrusions of the islands are very suitable for pirates to hide. In addition, the route of ships sailing between the New World and the Old World passes through here. Therefore, it has always been a very fertile geography for pirates. Another term used for the region is the Antilles. The concept related to the local culture is ‘Creole’. All social and cultural structures are expressed within the framework of this term. Cuba is a crocodile-shaped island with an area of 110,000 square kilometres and a current population of 11 million. It is 150 kilometres from the United States. When Westerners arrived on the island in the early 16th century, there were 100,000 indigenous people living there. These indigenous people were called the Taino. The Taino were a branch of the Arwak, an American indigenous people. They lived peacefully on this island. They only cultivated sweet potatoes, which they called ‘Beniotos’, a type of stalk called ‘Yuca’, corn, pumpkin, peanuts, peppers and tobacco. The climate is tropical, and the soil is not fertile. There is a water problem. Therefore, the spectrum of agriculture is very narrow. But despite everything, Christopher Columbus said of Cuba, ‘The most beautiful land the human eye has ever seen.’
The year is 1512. A Spaniard named Diego Vallesques arrives on the island with 300 people. He establishes new settlements in the name of Jesus. Over time, the invading Spaniards shed much blood. A native leader starts a resistance with his men. His name is Hatuey. But in the end, he is captured and sentenced to death by burning. A Franciscan priest wanted to baptise him before he was burned in order to save his soul. According to the priest, his body would burn, but at least Hatuey’s soul would be saved. Hatuey refused to be baptised. Because he could not bear to see another Spaniard. Therefore, he did not want to go to a place where the Spaniards had gone, even if it was paradise, and he was killed without being baptised.
95 per cent of indigenous people will disappear within 40 years
Later, the killer of killers, Herman Cortes, arrives on the island. While searching for gold, Cortes kills many indigenous people. By 1550, only 5,000 indigenous people remain on the island. In 38 years, 95 per cent of the indigenous population has been wiped out. With no indigenous people left, African slaves are brought to the island to work. The sugar cane plantations run by Westerners require a large workforce. In the following years, control of the island passed from the Spanish to the French and then to the British. But the system of tobacco and sugar cane production on the large plantations never changed. The 5,000 indigenous people remaining in 1550 gradually dwindled. Consequently, a society with almost two classes emerged in Cuba. The Spanish, English, French, Dutch, and other Old Worlders, i.e., the masters. All the black people from different parts of Africa, i.e., the slaves. In theory, the slave trade had been banned in 1820, but no one lifted a finger about it until 1862. After this date, the trade ban slowly began to be implemented in practice. The slave trade lasted so long because it was entirely controlled by imperialist states, primarily the United States. This was because plantation production could not be sustained otherwise. After 1865, when the slave trade was officially abolished, the resulting labour shortage was attempted to be filled by poor Chinese workers and Mexican natives. Cuba fought two wars of independence against Spain. In both, these slaves fought for Cuba. The leaders in the first were Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Máximo Gómez, and Antonio Maceo.
Céspedes was the first landowner to free his slaves. When his son was captured by the Spanish and used as a bargaining chip, he declared, ‘All Cubans are my children,’ and refused, even at the cost of his son’s life. This hero, recognised as the first president of independent Cuba, was killed by the Spanish during the First War of Independence. After the ten years of the first war, when almost everyone had given up hope and surrendered or become passive, Maceo refused to accept defeat and went into voluntary exile, continuing to prepare for a new war on his own from there. Almost everyone in the family of this great general, also known as the ‘Bronze Titan,’ took part in the war of independence.
Gomez, on the other hand, was Dominican but fought for Cuba. Known as an excellent strategist, this general stood out for his military knowledge, sense of rationality, and realism. He also had the honour of being one of only two people in history, along with Che, to be awarded ‘Honorary Cuban Citizenship’.
The First War of Independence, which lasted ten years, ended in failure. Gomez and Maceo were again present in the Second War of Independence, but the leader, the spirit of Cuba, the poet, journalist, teacher and lawyer Jose Marti, was the driving force. Jose Marti died in battle in 1895. But independence was achieved in 1898.
Martí was the historical figure who organised the second war. It is very clear that the defining elements in the life of this hero, who set out driven by a desire for social justice, were his love for his country, ethics and humanism. This man, who sought to understand life with a philosophical depth, greatly influenced Cuba’s future political leaders through his writings and actions.
After the Spanish, the United States became the master of the island.
In 1901, this time it was the Americans rather than the Spanish who became masters of the island. Cuba is now America’s cesspool. Rich Americans are the masters, poor Cubans are the slaves. Drugs, gambling and prostitution are commonplace, and the country is ruled by the American puppet, the dictator Machado. Cuba is now a country designed to entertain wealthy Americans, where practically the entire population is enslaved. Everything human is sold for a morsel of bread.
Perhaps it should be said that the US domination of Cuba also has a political infrastructure. When the new Cuban Constitution was being drafted in 1901 after independence, the US was able to control every step. The American President of the time offered two options: indefinite and direct American occupation or a legal arrangement known as the ‘Platt Amendment’, named after Connecticut Senator Orville Platt. Cuba was forced to choose the lesser of two evils: the Platt Amendment. Based on this, the US established its own military base in Guantanamo Bay in 1903. We have heard a lot about this base in recent years, especially during the Afghanistan War. Its name has always been associated with unfortunate events.
The Machado era ended in 1933 following a general strike. However, he was immediately replaced by another dictator, Fulgencio Batista. Gambling and prostitution-based fascism continued unabated. Batista remained in power, albeit with interruptions. However, in 1947, the opposition began to organise somewhat with the founding of the Orthodox Party by Eduardo Chibas. Batista cancelled the elections he had reluctantly agreed to, cutting off the path of an opposition that was growing stronger and seemed certain to come to power. From that moment on, the opposition went underground under Fidel’s leadership. That Fidel, this Fidel. One of the greatest orators in history. For some, Cervantes’ language, for others Lorca’s, gained new depth through his words. Fidel’s oratory skills played a huge part in his ability to maintain his power to this day. Fidel is also a very brave man. But his main characteristic is his extraordinary optimism. He never loses heart. His optimism could be perceived as naivety.
“How many of us are there, how many weapons do we have?”
“There are three of us, we have two rifles.”
“Right, boys, let's get started.”
I heard a story about Fidel Castro from an acquaintance. After going underground, Fidel made his first attempt at revolution. On 26 July 1953, 119 people, led by his friends Abel Santamaria, Haydee Santamaria and Melba Hernandez, attacked Moncada, Cuba’s second largest military garrison, in Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second largest city. Of course, nothing went according to plan—which is generally the rule in such matters. The soldiers located Castro’s convoy, and everything went awry. Fifty-five people were lost in the initial attack. Those who were captured were tortured and killed as a warning to others. Castro and a few others managed to escape to the foot of a nearby hill. I heard the rest of the story about 15 years ago from Hues, one of those few people. “The three of us, Fidel, Frank and I, were lying flat in the grass. Batista’s planes were overhead, emptying their machine guns onto us. The bullets were raining down on us left and right. There were three of us, and we didn’t know if the others were alive or dead, or where they were if they were alive. After about an hour, the machine gun fire stopped. The planes had gone. Silence fell. After a while, I heard Fidel’s voice. I turned to him. He had sat up and was looking at me. ‘Hues,’ he said. ‘How many of us are there? How many weapons do we have?’ I glanced at Fidel and then at Frank. I remembered that Frank had dropped his rifle in the commotion. I answered. ‘There are three of us, we have two rifles.’ Fidel’s whisper, but firm, confident and excited response still rings in my ears forty years later: ‘All right, boys, here we go.’ I was shaken for a moment and said, ‘Oh no, we’ve lost the boss.’
On the eve of a revolutionary attempt, an inventory report consisting of ‘We are three people, we have two rifles.’ And here is Fidel; the embodiment of recklessness, courage, and optimism imbued with innocence, expressed with ‘All right, boys, let’s get started.’ That is Fidel. A special man. Truly one of a kind, in the old sense of the term. I think it is worth noting that the world awaiting his death understood that the burial of his body meant more than just the burial of an era.
Let us continue with the story of Fidel in particular and Cuba in general. Fidel, who went up the mountain with two friends and two rifles, found a few more friends who had survived there. The week-long mountain adventure ends in disappointment. At night, while asleep, he is captured by a unit under the command of Lieutenant Sarria. Sarria, contrary to Batista’s secret orders, does not shoot him on the spot. He takes him to Santiago de Cuba. I think Batista cursed Sarria much more than Fidel throughout his life. Fidel, who is aware of this secret order, asks, ‘Why aren’t you shooting me?’ Sarria’s response is a note that has gone down in human history: ‘I am a soldier, son, not a murderer.’ Perhaps in a strange twist of fate, Sarria would years later serve in Castro’s army.
History will prove me right.
When Fidel’s capture was reported by the world press, Batista could no longer have Fidel killed. Even if it was a sham, he had to put him on trial. In that theatrical courtroom, Fidel tells the court, ‘I do not recognise your court for obvious reasons, but I will present my defence.’ He turns to the court clerk and continues, ‘Please note down everything I say. I demand that every word be recorded, and I ask you to bear witness to history.’ He delivers a lengthy defence, renowned in legal history for its eloquence and robust logical structure. He concludes his defence with the unforgettable words: ‘La Historia Me Apsolvera,’ meaning ‘History Will Absolve Me.’
The story is long, of course. But let’s summarise it. Fidel and his friends are sentenced to 15 years in prison. However, Fidel is very much in the public eye and popular with the world press. His popularity grew even more while he was inside. Therefore, his advisers told Batista that it would be better for him to send Fidel into exile. And they convinced the dictator. Upon this, Batista made the mistake of his life; in 1955, he released him and his friends from prison and sent them into exile in Mexico. In Mexico, Fidel met Che Guevara. They prepare there until December 1956. They repair a sunken boat and set sail for Cuba with 82 people on board to start the revolution. There are actually 101 people. However, they leave 19 people behind in Mexico because the boat captain says that if they take one more person, the boat will definitely sink. Their arrival on the Cuban coast is a complete tragicomedy. It will remind them of Murphy’s Laws. They are delayed for three days due to a storm and, moreover, land in the wrong cove. Consequently, they are unable to meet up with the forces waiting for them on the island, and because the cove they land in is a swamp, they have to leave their heavy weapons on the boat. Furthermore, Batista’s coastal security has pinpointed their location. They lost 60 comrades in the first clash, but 12 managed to reach the mountains (Sierra Maestra). All they had left as weapons were nine rifles. The guerrilla struggle started by those 12 would succeed two years later. When victory was achieved, only four of the 12 were still alive. Only two remain today: Fidel and his brother Raúl.
Other leaders of the revolution
While we’re on the subject, let’s briefly mention some of the other important figures of the revolution: First of all, there are two people who laid the groundwork for the revolution a few decades (10 years) before Fidel and his comrades. The first is Ruben Martinez Villeena. In the 1920s, he organised all the protest movements against corruption in Cuba on behalf of the Cuban Communist Party. A poet and writer, he was, so to speak, a manifesto writer. He was the planner and implementer of the general strike that ousted Machado from power in 1933. Even on his deathbed at the age of 35, he was still contributing to the struggle in some way.
The second is Julio Antonio Mella. One of the founders of the Communist Party of Cuba. The intellectual father of the Federation of University Students, which would play a major role in the revolution in later years. The organiser and leader of the hunger strikes that were Machado’s bane. On his deathbed, Machado released him and sent him into exile in Mexico. There, he became the general secretary of the Mexican Communist Party. In 1929, at the age of 25, he was murdered in the streets of Mexico by assassins sent by Machado. His ashes are in a mausoleum built in his name at the University of Havana.
Fidel’s comrades in the struggle, apart from Che, were:
Jose Echeveria; President of the Federation of University Students. He led the most important protests against Batista. On 13 March 1950, he led the raid on the Presidential Palace and the state radio station (Radio Reloj). They seized Radio Reloj and were even able to make an announcement to the public at first. But he was killed that same day. He was also 25 years old when he died.
Abel Santa Maria; second in command to Fidel in the Moncada Barracks raid on 26 July 1953. After the raid, he was captured, subjected to severe torture, and killed. Batista’s men did not even hesitate to show Abel’s eyes, which they had gouged out while he was still alive, to his sister Haydee Santa Maria, also a member of the movement, in order to intimidate her.
His name is always associated with the raid that gave its name to the 26 July Movement (Movement 26-27 M-26-27). Strangely enough, he also died at the age of 25. Camilo Cienfuegos; One of the legendary revolutionary leaders. Along with Fidel and Che, he was one of the most important figures in the mountain unit.
He was the commander of one of the two guerrilla columns marching from east to west in the second half of 1958. He entered Havana with Che and Fidel. On 28 October 1959, he disappeared over the sea in a small plane he was flying alone; neither the plane nor him was ever found. Witty, talkative, cheerful, sympathetic, humble and very brave, he was someone the Cuban people felt very close to. He was recognisable to everyone by his trademark large hat and beard. On the anniversary of the day his plane disappeared, Cubans quietly throw flowers into the sea to commemorate this hero who died at the age of 27.
Frank Pais; the underground leader of the Santiago de Cuba city cadre, a teacher, to whom Fidel entrusted the organisation of the 26th of July Movement when he went to Mexico in 1955. The man who recruited guerrillas from the cities and sent them to the mountains while Castro and his friends were fighting in the mountains. He was killed in the streets of Santiago on 30th July 1957.
Juan Almeida was the most important man in the mountain cadre after Fidel, Che, Cienfuegos and Raul. He was one of those who survived after Granma and made it to the mountains. But like most of that cadre, he died in the mountains and did not live to see the revolution.
What did Cuba achieve?
The guerrillas entered the capital, Havana, in 1959. From that moment on, many things changed rapidly in people’s lives.
First of all, Cuba’s much-emphasised black-white, master-slave distinction completely disappeared. In fact, another extreme situation began to emerge. ‘Absolute equality.’ Intertwined with a sense of brotherhood and togetherness. In this land, where many different ethnic origins were clearly visible, it was a strange situation that the concept of race did not exist in everyday life. Cuba became a place where pride was felt but resentment was nowhere to be found. As you know, social discrimination exists even in developed societies. Perhaps even more so in developed societies. While legal regulations preventing social discrimination are in line with the development of societies, discrimination itself unfortunately seems to be parallel to development. This is even more evident when we perceive development in economic terms. There may be laws that theoretically do not allow discrimination. People may be cultured and polite enough never to behave in a way that could be described as bad, but you can sense it in their eyes. They treat you as an outsider. As a Turk, this is a situation you may frequently encounter in various countries around the world. You cannot prove it, but you feel it because they make you feel it.
So today, if you ask me, ‘What did the Cuban Revolution achieve?’ I would answer, ‘At least this.’ This concept does not exist in Cuba at all. It is unthinkable for one person to discriminate against another because of their skin colour, profession, or religion. Such a thing would never even cross anyone’s mind. A fair-skinned girl kisses a dark-skinned boy very sincerely. No one acts like a master over anyone else; no one raises an eyebrow at anyone else. There is no such thing in these matters, nor can you see the slightest hint of such an intention in anyone. Life there does not conform to our customs; it turns our norms upside down. This is also very evident in working life. It may be a bad thing, but you never feel the hierarchy that may be necessary for things to run smoothly. Of course, I don’t want to be unfair to Fidel.
There are also criteria that provide a clearer measure of what the Cuban Revolution has achieved. For example, infant mortality rates are lower than in the US. Average life expectancy is longer. And while annual healthcare expenditure per person is $7,500 in the US, it is $250 in Cuba (figures from Michael Moore’s film). There is no unemployment. In the last 50 years, the total number of murders is less than half that figure. There is no rape. There is no robbery. There is very little theft. There is no hunger. Yes, there is poverty, but there is no hunger. These are the advantages of the system. Of course, there are disadvantages too. But its greatest advantage is that it is perhaps the only country in the world where people are equal.
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