Atime of euphoria:Fidel Castro and hisarmy on their way toliberate Havana in 1959

PROLOCÎUIEPrologue narrator: The islandcountry of Cuba lies only 90 milesfrom Florida. Cuba's Communistgovernment has long troubled theU.S. This is largely due to the influ-ence of Cuba's leader for most ofthe past 50 years, Fidel Castro.

In the mid-20th century,Cuba was controlled by dictatorFulgencio Batista. Batista had heldpower with the backing of the U.S.government. American businessinterests, notably the United FruitCompany, owned much of the land.Castro, trained as a lawyer, soughtto overthrow Batista and expel theAmericans. His revolution foreverchanged the face of Cuba.

SCIENIi INarrator A: Fidel Castro is bornin 1926. His father, a Spanishimmigrant, grows wealthy sell-ing sugarcane to the United FruitCompany. But Fidel is drawn to radi-cal politics. In 1952, he discusses hisplans with his younger brother Raúl.Fidel Castro: The government is cor-rupt. It sells the best farmland to the

Words to Know

' absolve/^\^j:judge not guilty'Charismatic fad/'): possessing aspecial charm or appeal.

' Communist (adj]\ having a typeof government that controls allaspects of the economy.

• confiscatefvj:to seize,asagovernment action.

' imperialist (n): one who practicesimperialism, in which powerfulcountries dominate weaker ones,politically and economically.

' yanqui [nj: Spanish for "Yankee";used to refer to the United States.

Prologue narratorFidel Castro, leader of theCuban RevolutionRaúl Castro, his brotherErnesto "Che" Guevara,rebel*Miguel, a campesinoCamilo Cienfuegos, a rebel

InformantChicho Osorio, a sugarplantation foremanFulgencio Batista, Cubandictator*Rafael, a Havana man,supporter of the revolution'Tañía, a Havana woman,supporter of the revolution

CrowdReporter•Bernardo, a lavtfyer'Teresa, a wealthyhousewife'Antonio, a businessmanNarrators A-EEpilogue narrator

'Indicates a fictional character. All others were real people.

yanquis and grows fat on the profits.Raúl Castro: The Americans drinkand gamble in casinos run by theircriminal gangs, while ordinaryCubans wallow in poverty.Fidel: I'm going to run for the Houseof Representatives. The people mustat last control their own destiny.Narrator B: When Batista cancels theelections, Castro dedicates himself torevolution. On July 26, 1953, he leadsmore than 100 men in an attack onthe Moneada Army Barracks in thecity of Santiago. The revolt is a disas-ter. Half of the rebels are killed inthe attack or murdered in prison. Incourt, Castro defends himself.Fidel: Batista stays in power over astack of corpses and a sea of blood.Liberty is not begged for but wonwith the blade of a machete. Goahead and condemn me. It does notmatter. History will ahsolve me.Narrator C: After speaking for morethan two hours, Castro is foundguilty and sentenced to prison alongwith Raúl and other rebels.

Narrator D: In 1955, the Castrobrothers are released from prisonand go to Mexico. There they meet afellow revolutionary from Argentina,a young doctor named Ernesto"Che" Guevara. Together they formthe July 26th Movement and returnto Cuba with a band of rebels. But

Batista's army ambushes them. Onlya dozen or so escape alive to theremote Sierra Maestra mountains.Che Guevara: it is a miracle that wemade it. Where do we go from here?Fidel: We will organize in thesemountains. Look, here is the homeof a campesino [poor farmer]. Wecan depend on him for kindness.Narrator E: The campesino feedsand shelters the ragtag band.Miguel: The name Fidel Castro hasbecome legend in these mountains.We heard how you stood up to thedictator Batista. For too long, greedand power have ruled Cuba.Camilo Cienfuegos (to his fellowrebels): The saying is true: Thepeople are the sea, and we revolu-tionaries are the fish who swim in it.Narrator A: The rebels open a medi-cal clinic. Che Guevara is the firstdoctor many of the peasants haveseen. The rebels win the trust of thepeople and attract recruits. Theyalso need arms, which they plan tosteal from the army barracks at LaPlata. On the way there, they areapproached by a friendly informant.Informant: The barracks has 10guards. (Turning around.) Careful!Here comes Chicho Osorio, the bru-tal foreman of the sugar plantation.Guevara: He is one of the worstexploiters of the campesinos.Narrator B: Castro approaches him.

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Fidei: Halt. We are the rural guardinvestigating security problems here.Chicho Osorio: Well, we haveplenty of troublemakers. That FidelCastro is the worst.Fidei: If I find him, I'll shoot him!OsoriO: Not if 1 get there first. And Ican do it. Look at these boots. I tookthem off a good-for-nothing I killed.By the way, the security at La Plata isvery weak. I'll show you where.Fidei: Excellent. Perhaps we caneven tie you up and pretend you're aprisoner we're bringing in. [Turningto one of his men.} Manolo, youknow what to do with the prisoner.Narrator C: The attack on the bar-racks is the rebels' first big success.The legend of Fidel Castro grows.

imi 3Narrator D: By 1958. the rebelsnumber about 300 and control muchof the Sierra Maestra. That summer,Batista sends 10,000 soldiers to get

rid of them. At a meeting of therebel commanders . . .Cienfuegos: Batista is desperate.The Americans have at last growndisgusted with his corruption andstopped giving him money.Fidel: He can't defeat us here.Narrator E: Indeed, Batista's armyloses badly in the mountains. Manyof Batista's soldiers do not even wantto fight. Now, aided by supportersin the cities, the rebels push towardthe capital, Havana. On New Year'sEve, Batista throws a party at thePresidential Palace. After dinner, headdresses the crowd . . .Fulgencio Batista: Friends, I'msorry to say that the rebels are clos-ing in. We must leave immediately.Narrator A: The dictator flees thatnight to the Dominican Republic. Asword gets out, Cubans celebrate inthe streets of Havana.Rafaei: We've finally got the boot ofthe dictator off our necks!

Tania: Now our beautiful beacheswill be open to the people, not justto the rich. ¡Viva la revolución!

SCIENIE 4Narrator B: News of Castro's vic-tory electrifies the country. Whenhe enters the capital on January 8,people clog the streets to see him.Crowd: ¡Viva Fidel! ¡Viva Fidel!Narrator C: Reporters from all overthe world race to Cuba to bear wit-ness to the charismatic rebel leader.Reporter: Mr. Castro, will you nowreturn to civilian life?Fidei: My obligation is to the people.I sincerely have no ambition forpower, money, nothing—only toserve my country.Narrator D: But soon Castro is wield-ing power with an iron fist. Withinthree months, many Batista officialsare put on mass trials in stadiums.Some 500 of them are executed. Forother Cubans, especially the wealthy

''A

CHRONOLOGY: Road to Revolution

Christopher Columbus(above) lands in Cuba.The Spanish take overtheisland. When natives die,Africans are brought towork as slaves harvestingsugar and other crops.

1898The U.S. frees Cuba fromSpain in the Spanish-American War. But thePtatt Amendment of 1901gives the U.S. the legalright to intervene in Cuba'sgovernment, limitingthecountry's independence.

Fulgencio Batista (above}leads a group of Cubanmilitary officers in anoverthrow of the Cubangovernment. The PlattAmendment is dropped in1934, but U.S. companiesretain influence. Batistaholds power periodicallyover the next 2S years,often behind the scenes.

1952Batista (above] returnsto power in another coup[government overthrow)and cancels elections.This frustrates the plansof young Fidel Castro, whohopes to runforthe Houseof Representatives.

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and educated, this is ominous.Bernardo; it's good they got rid ofBatista. But we need democracy.Castro is embracing Communism.Will he be a dictator like Batista?Teresa: Today, soldiers came intoour beach club and said, "Get out!This belongs to the revolution now."Antonio: These bandits are going torob us of everything we worked for.I'm going to Florida.Narrator E: In the next few months,a steady stream of Cubans leavetheit country, most for the U.S.

Narrator A: The new Cuban govern-ment orders rents reduced. It sendsthousands of youths into the coun-tryside to teach people how to read.It also confiscates sugar plantationsowned by U.S. companies and givesthe land to peasants. Defying theU.S., Castro makes an alliance withthe Soviet Union, America's enemy.

A showdown with the U.S. is coming.Fidel: President Eisenhower refusesto sell us oil. So what? The Sovietswill trade us oil for sugar.Raul: The yanqui imperialists don'twant Latin America to determine itsown fate. Now, American oil compa-nies refuse to process the oil at theirrefineries on our soil.Fidel: Then we will seize their oilcompanies—and all other Americanproperty as well. Let them stop us!Narrator B: Alarmed at these actions,U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhowerinstructs the Central IntelligenceAgency tCIA] to begin secret actionsagainst Castro. On April 17, 1961,under the direction of U.S. PresidentJohn F. Kennedy, an army of Cubanexiles trained by the CIA tries toinvade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. Theinvasion is a disaster for the U.S. Morethan 1,000 men are taken prisoner.Fidel; Let those who oppose usbeware. Within the revolution.

1962When the Soviet Unionplaces nuclear missilesin Cuba, U.S. PresidentJohn F. Kennedy (above}issues a stern warning.After a tense few weeks,the Cuban Missile Crisisends with the Sovietsdismantling the missiles.

everything is permitted. Outside therevolution, nothing.Narrator C: After the Bay of Pigs anda wave of U.S.-backed attacks, Castroorders a crackdown on opponents.More than 35,000 people are arrested.It is the start of what will become adictatorial hold on power by Castro.

Epilogue narrator: The stage wasset for a long stalemate between theU.S. and Cuba. After the U.S. imposedan economic embargo, Cuba reliedon Soviet aid. Through the decades,tensions persisted. Seeking freedomand economic opportunity, more than1 million people have fled Cuba forthe U.S. The already suffering Cubaneconomy lost $6 billion annually afterthe Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.But Castro survived. Only age and ill-ness caused him finally to hand overpower to his brother Raúl in 2008.

—Steven Wishnia and Bryan Brown

1980After repeated attemptsby Cubans to leave theircountry, Castro allowsopen emigration fromthe Cuban port of Marielfor five months. About125,000 Cubans make thetrip to theU.S.in 1,700boats. Castro releasessome prisoners to jointhe movement beforestoppingthe emigration.

2006After falling ill, FidelCastro {left} temporarilypasses control of Cuba tohis brother Raúl (right}.The switch becomespermanent in 2008.

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