The Cuban Pseudo-republic history
The Pseudo-republic
The American intervention only provided Cuba with a long list of corrupt governments, dependent on American interests. The Republic of Cuba was founded on May 20, 1902, with Tomás Estrada Palma as first President. After his first term he was accused of fixing his re-election by his opponents. This led to an uprising and another subsequent American intervention. In 1909, it was decided that the Liberals and Conservatives would alternate in power under threat of military intervention. The first liberal president, José Miguel Gómez, initiated an era of corruption, discrimination and incompetence, though the introduction of public education, freedom of expression and association were his merits. A new intervention came about in 1912 to suppress revolting former slaves in the West and again in 1917 to guarantee the continuous supply of sugar during WWI.
During the 1920s, American companies owned ⅔ of the arable land on the island, plus most of the mines. Cuba was used by the US as a major source of raw materials and a secured market for their products. Contrastly, production in Cuba was limited by high tariffs applied to Cuban products in the States, with the exception of sugar, tobacco and mineral ores. However, during the Great Depression of 1929, President Gerardo Machado used terror to subdue the resulting political instability. In August 1933, Machado was overthrown by a general strike and the 100-day government took over. The new government advocated progressive measures such as the 8-hour working day and women's right to vote.
At the same time, the Cuban sugar industry continued to soar and tourism began to boom; spired on by prohibition in the US, Cuba became overwhelmed by visitors seeking gambling, prostitution and alcohol. From 1934 on, Sergeant Fulgencio Batista took power in a non-commissioners officer coup. As a result of the Good Neighbor Policy advocated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Platt Amendment was abrogated and the lease on Guantánamo naval base was reduced to 99 years. A new Constitution was issued in 1940, which guaranteed new rights. Batista was elected President that same years and won American preference due to his support for the Allies in WWI. In the elections of 1944, the presidential candidate from Batista's party lost and the Authentic Party took over power, formed by even more corrupt and inefficient bureaucrats, who drove the country into deeper economic dependence and high unemployment.
After WWII, the Orthodox Party, led by Eduardo Chibás and supported by the most progressive middle class sectors, grew in popularity. Batista created the United Action Party and attempted a comeback in politics. On March 10, 1952, three months before the presidential elections, Batista led a second coup, recognized later by the American government and motivated by the impossibility to win the next election. He invalidated the 1940 Constitution and abandoned his former popular policy to become an overt dictatorship. Batista allowed the sale of huge extensions of land to British and American firms, causing a large drain in the countries revenue.
While Batista's supporters were getting richer, the population got poorer and the country receded even more. The dictator sought legitimacy through fraudulent elections in 1955 and 1958. Cuba came to be known as the "Pleasure Island", with fascinating attractions, especially for North Americans. Famous for it habanos, prostitutes, casinos and tropical life, it attracted "mafiosos", movie stars, tourists and businessmen in equal numbers. However, a high price had to be paid: Cuba had not only become the land of casinos and drugs, but also it had fell into the hands of the American Mafia that administered gambling houses and luxury hotels, used for money laundry.
