Castro Study Guide – Flashcards
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Fulgencio Batista
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Obtained power in 1934 until 1959 after Machado fled Cuba.
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Fidel Castro
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Nationalist and socialist leader of the Cuban Revolution who later served as president from 1976 to 2008. Considered a dictator, he used guerrilla warfare to overthrow Batista and was sworn in as prime minister of Cuba and formed relations with the Soviet Union.
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Raul Castro
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Fidel Castro's brother that succeeded him as president in 2008. Under Fidel, he was the head of Cuba's armed forces and served as defense minister.
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Ernesto 'Che' Guevara
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Military leader allied with Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution to overthrow Batista. Served as military advisor and led guerrilla troops in battles and later became in charge of La Cabaña Fortress prison under Castro.
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Herbert Matthews
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Foreign correspondent of the New York Times, who met Castro and reported his successes. He helped people in Feb. 1957 see that Castro had not been killed.
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Carlos Rodriguez
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One of the leaders of the PSP that joined the rebels in the Sierra.
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Manuel Urrutia
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President of Cuba from Jan. to July 1959, after Batista's fall, placed by Castro, who nominated a cabinet from members of the 26 July Movement, moderates accepted by the public opinion and the USA.
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Anastas Mikoyan
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In Feb. 1960, Soviet Union deputy premier arrived in Cuba to open a Soviet trade exhibition.
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Allen Dulles
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American diplomat and lawyer who became the first civilian Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and part of the Bay of Pigs incident.
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Nikita Khrushchev
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Soviet premier, thought about placing nuclear missiles in Cuba to balance the threat from the US missiles in Turkey. Later sent letters to Kennedy promising to remove the missiles in they didn't invade Cuba and they removed US missiles from Turkey.
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Huber Matos
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Governor of Camagüey and leading figure of the revolutionary war who resigned in protest in 19 Oct. 1959. Later put in trial for 'rebellion'.
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Osvaldo Dorticos
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Replaced Urrutia when he was forced to resign in July 1959. Later placed by Castro as president in 2 Dec. 1976.
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General Arnoldo Ochoa
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Arrested on charges of corruption and drug smuggling. He was condemned with other three prisoners and later executed on 13 July 1989.
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Carlos Aldana
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Led the opposition against Castro's 'Special Period in Time of Peace'. In Sep. 1992 he was sacked from his party.
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Sebastian Balfour
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Thought that the Castros and Guevara were 'unorthodox communists'. Also believed that before 1959, "Castro had a radical programme of reforms but no clear view of the future direction of his revolution."
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23 July 1953
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Manifesto of the Revolutionaries of Moncada to the Nation: First of Castro's manifestos.
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16 October 1953
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'History will absolve me' speech. Considered the second manifesto.
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12 March 1958
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Manifesto that would prepare the 9 April strike.
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1 Jan 1959
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Command of the army passed to Colonel Ramon Barquin who would order an immediate ceasefire the next day.
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8 Jan 1959
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Fidel Castro entered Havana to a hero's welcome.
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April 1959
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Castro announced a suspension on elections in Cuba.
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19 Oct 1959
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Huber Matos, governor of Camagüey, and leading figure of the revolutionary war, resigned in protest.
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June 1960
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Castro nationalised the oil companies as a response to the US pressuring its companies to refuse to refine oil.
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6 August 1960
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Castro nationalised all the main US owned properties, including sugar mills.
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1 May 1961
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Speech that followed the defeat of the US-planned invasion that spoke of 'our socialist revolution'.
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December 1962
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Cuban exiles returned to the USA in exchange for $53 million worth of baby food, medicines and medical equipment after being sent to Cuba.
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2 Dec 1976
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Castro placed Osvaldo Dorticós as president.
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June 1989
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Most serious internal opposition crisis since 1959. "Four senior military and intelligence figures (including Ochoa) and several others were arrested on charges of corruption and drug smuggling."
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1901 Platt Amendment
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USA claimed the right to intervene in Cuba's affairs.
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1902 Cuban Independence
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The US granted Cuba independence with the condition that the new constitution included the Platt Amendment.
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Partido Socialista Popular
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Communist party created in 1925 that would co-operate with Batista and introduced reformist politics.
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Moncada Army Barracks
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26 July 1953. Fidel and Raúl Castro led 165 youths in an attack in Santiago de Cuba to obtain weapons against Batista.
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'History will absolve me'
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16 October 1953 Told by Castro and became the manifesto of the movement. It contained the 'five revolutionary laws'.
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26th July Movement
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Movement identified by the Chibasismo but they later decided to go to Mexico and plan Batista's overthrow. Led by Castro.
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La Granma
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Boat in which the 26th July Movement left Mexico on 25 November 1956.
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'Liquidation Campaign'
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May 1958. Led by Batista to crush Castro's forces, it involved over 12,000 troops.
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'Pact of Caracas'
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July 1958. Representatives met in Caracas, Venezuela for a united front against Batista. In this pact, Castro was recognized as a principal leader of the anti-Batista movement.
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"The Revolution Begins Now"
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2 Jan 1959. Speech made by Castro the same day that Barquin ordered a ceasefire.
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1934 Trade Treaty
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Cuba and USA. "Greatly contributed to the inability of Cuban industry to develop."
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Manifesto of the Revolutionaries of Moncada to the Nation
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23 July 1953. First of Castro's manifestos. It indicated his revolutionary ideas, indep. from foreign control, social justice, economic and industrial modernization, and restoration of 1940 Constitution.
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Radio Rebelde
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1958. Placed by Che Guevara.
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Patria o Muerte, venceremos
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Castro after the early 1960 sabotage attacks.
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Bay of Pigs
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April 1961. Contributed to the radicalisation of Castro's revolution and to closer relations with the Soviet Union and communism. Operation Zapata, put into operation by John F. Kennedy. In 15 April, CIA pilots helped exiles to bomb Cuban air bases and in the 17th 1,500 exiles left Nicaragua and landed on two beaches. Defeated in two days.
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Operation Zapata
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Put into operation by John F. Kennedy to help exiles bomb Cuba.
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1976 Constitution
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Introduced a three-tier system of poder popular with municipal, provincial and national assemblies to allow for democratic decision making. Only municipal elections were direct.
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mandat imperative
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Elected representatives must listen to others and respond to their complaints and suggestions
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National Assembly
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First meeting was on Dec. 1976. The council ministers formally handed over their power (after 18 years). In the 1976 constitution, direct vote would determine the members.
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Office of Revolutionary Plans and Co-ordination (ORPC):
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Unofficial committee composed of Castro's closest advisers including Guevara and his brother.
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Dual Power
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Political power is shared between the formal gov and an unofficial body.
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National Institute of Agrarian Reform (INRA)
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May 1959. Absorbs the Office of the Revolutionary Plans and Co-ordination (ORPC) to "deal with the issues of agrarian reform and industrial development".
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Civil War of 1960-66
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Counter-revolutionary guerrilla warfare, often supported by the USA, against Castro's regime.
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Confederation of Cuban Workers (CTC)
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Main mass organization that united 19 unions and organized national congresses for workers.
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Integrated Revolutionary Organization (ORI)
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July 1961. The 26th July Movement, the DR and the PSP merged into this.
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United Party of the Socialist Revolution (PURS)
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ORI became this in 1963.
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Communist Party of Cuba (PCC)
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PURS became this in 3 Oct. 1965.
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Poder Popular
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1976: New Constitution introduced. Three-tier system where municipal, provincial and national assemblies are allowed for democratic decision making.
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'Rectification of Errors and Negative Trends'
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Campaign launched by the third Congress of the PCC that mainly connected the economic issue but also a drive against corruption and those who opposed Castro.
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System of Direction and Planning of the Economy (SDPE)
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Mid 1970s. Introduced decentralisation of planning and management.
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Central Planning Board (Juceplan)
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1985. Directed by Humberto Pérez, Moscow-trained economist. Castro decided that it failed to take into account the new economic crisis in Cuba and removed Pérez.
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Ochoa Affair
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1989. Ochoa and other three were condemned to death and later executed on 13 July and other were sentenced to jail. Created divisions in cuba as a response.
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Young Communist Party
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Admires of Gorbachev's policies and a division of the PCC. Opposition led by Carlos Aldana.
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Torricelli Act of 1992
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Tightened US economic sanctions against Cuba.
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Helm-Burton Act of 1996
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Sought actively to 'assist' in the creation of the USA's form of democracy in Cuba.
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Centre for the Study of America
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March 1996. Castro acted against academics.
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Varela Project
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2003. More private enterprise and campaign for a law of democratic reform. Castro wanted to make Cuba's constitution irrevocably socialist in nature.
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Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs)
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Established in Sep 1960 and were set up in every city district in each large building, factory, or workplace. Build support, intimidate internal opponents and defend Cuba against external enemies.
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1st Wave of Emigration
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Supporters of Batista (especially killers and torturers).
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2nd Wave of Emigration
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Disillusioned middle class liberals and members of the business and professions élites who opposed Castro's increasing moves towards communism.
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Camarioca Exodus
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Emigration wave in 1965.
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Mariel Boatlift
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Emigration wave in 1980.
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Malecon Exodus
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Emigration wave in 1994.
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Agrarian Reform Act
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May 1959. Confiscated land to landless and poor peasants.
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Command Economy
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Directly opposed to a capitalist economy. Once businesses and banks have socialised, the government can then make plans about investments, productivity and growth.
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"Battle for Sugar"
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Castro launched a plan to raise the sugar harvest for 1970 to 10 million tonnes. Lasted from Nov 1969 to July 1970.
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Comecon
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Council for mutual economic assistance of the Soviet bloc. Cuba joined in 1972.
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First Five-Year Plan
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Designed to industrialise the island by helping state enterprises become self-financing, developing decentralization and efficiency and introducing profit and incentives.
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Agricultural Cooperatives (UBPC)
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Sept 1993: establishment of agricultural cooperatives (known as Unidades Básicas de Producción Cooperativa UBPC) to replace the state farms, which were reduced in size, as was the number of workers.
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Moncada Speech 26 July 1993
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First reforms were announced by Castro. Decree Law 140 (August 1993) Decree Law 141 (Sep 1993): reintroduced self-employment in some occupations.
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Decree Law 140 of August 1993
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Made the US dollar legal tender in Cuba.
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Plaza Organoponico
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About 7,000 small organic plots, mainly located in urban areas - had been a success.
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Free Farmers Markets
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Farmers' markets, in which farmers were free to sell directly to the public, were restored, with good results.
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First Cuba-Venezuela Agreement
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In 2000, the first Cuba-Venezuela agreement was reached, to provide Cuba with considerable amounts of oil.
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Infant Mortality Rate
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By 1981, the infant mortality rate had fallen to 18.5 per 1000 while pre 1959 diseases especially associated with poverty had been greatly reduced.
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Housing Projects
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From 1949 to 1959, when the Cuban population was half of the figure for the late 1970s and early 1980s, about 27,000 housing units were built each year.
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Women's Commission on Employment
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Monitors hiring and workplace practices for discrimination.
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Federation of Cuban Women
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August 1960. Played a crucial role in getting an egalitarian Family Code adopted in 1975.
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'Proclamation Against Discrimination' Speech
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March 1959. Castro made this speech, calling for a campaign against racial discrimination and making it clear that differences in skin colour were of no significance.
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'Bourgeois Decadence'
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After 1959, same-sex relations were at first seen as aspects of this, resulting from capitalism.
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Military Units to Help Production
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These military labor camps were mainly intended for men who refused to do military service or for young men who were considered unfit for military service.
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Centro Nacional de Educacion Sexual (CNES)
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Founded in 1977, on the initiative of the FMC encouraging a more enlightened outlook on sexual orientation and started to undermine traditional sexual prejudices and taboos.
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July 1922 Amendments to the Constitution of 1976
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Const. declared the state to be secular rather than atheist, while the PCC allowed religious believers to join.
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'The Year of Education'
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The drive to eliminate illiteracy began in 1961.
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Volunteer Student Teachers
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Over 100,000 volunteer student teachers, recruited into brigades, took part.
