Castroism vs. Democracy:
ALEXANDER, ROBERT J.
Can much needed changes in Latin America be effected without dictatorship or Soviet assistance? Castroism vs. Democracy By Robert J. Alexander The really important fact about Castroism is not...
...They had a program for restoring democratic government and effecting fundamental social and economic changes on the island...
...State Department, which was one of "wait and see," as being hostile to his government...
...Many Latin Americans saw this as proof that the United States was interested only in the amount of profit its firms could make in their countries...
...The first reaction to Castro in Latin America was one of overwhelming support...
...Hernandez, Minister of Labor, and most of the trade union leaders who had taken over the labor movement with the victory of the revolution in January 1959...
...2. The U.S...
...One can only speculate on what made Castro decide to throw in his lot with the Jacobin Left—headed by his brother Raul, Major Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Antonio Nunez Jimenez, head of the National Agrarian Reform Institute...
...There always has been a certain suspicion of Argentine territorial ambitions, particularly on the part of its closest neighbors...
...it also had the support of Manuel Ray, Minister of Public Works...
...One faction, favoring the revolution's original democratic program, was led by Camilo Cienfuegos, Commander of the Armed Forces, and Hubert Matos, head of the garrison in Cienfuegos...
...Whatever the reasons, Castro's regime not only adopted from November 1959 onward the internal policies which I have noted, but also took an unequivocal position on the side of the Soviet Union in its struggle with the United States—a development which culminated in Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's famous threat to use rockets to "protect" the Castro regime, and Fidel's own appearance before the United Nations...
...Freedom of press and organization was first restricted and finally eliminated altogether...
...Finally, civil liberties were maintained and, though he became increasingly vague regarding elections, Castro continued to proclaim his intention of restoring a democratically chosen constitutional regime...
...Democracy By Robert J. Alexander The really important fact about Castroism is not that it has enabled the Cuban Communist party to seize control of the country, but that it represents an indigenous Latin American revolution which has turned for support to the Soviet Union...
...Felipe Pazos, head of the National Bank, Rufo Lopez Fresquet, Minister of Finance, Dr...
...I happen to think that the economic moves against Cuba during 1960 and the break in U.S.-Cuba relations early in January were mistakes...
...They have made it more difficult for the inevitable disenchantment in Castro by the Latin American Democratic Left to take place, because now the issue is clouded by a struggle between the Yankee Goliath and the Cuban David...
...Castro announced that it was counter-revolutionary to talk of elections and proclaimed that anyone against the Communist party was against Castro...
...must extend the greatest support possible to programs of social change in Latin America which are being undertaken in a democratic manner...
...drastic steps taken to eliminate corruption...
...The turn of events in Cuba has resulted in a bitter struggle throughout Latin America between the Democratic Left and the Jacobin Left...
...must make it unequivocally clear that it supports political democracy throughout the New World...
...Not only did Castro give moral and political support last November, for example, to the Caracas street rioters trying to overthrow President Romulo Betaneourt's Government in Venezuela, but he has continued to ship arms to the Jacobin elements there...
...an agrarian reform decree-law was issued which seemed to promise to give the land to those who cultivated it...
...They were young, idealistic and untainted by the corruption which had long been the curse of Cuban politics...
...Indeed, he has gone much further...
...influence behind the forces of democratic social change which are eagerly looking to him for hemispheric leadership...
...Il favored a completely statedominated economy...
...It cannot be denied that Washington policies since World War II have contributed mightily to the growth of Jacobinism...
...The Jacobins turn their backs on all this...
...A decade ago, Juan Peron tried to mobilize this political movement, but he had a number of handicaps...
...rather than the Soviet Union until we have given concrete evidence that such is in fact the case...
...A mammoth effort toward ending illiteracy was begun...
...This group regards the checks and balances and the individual freedoms of the democratic system as obstacles to agrarian reform, mass education and "economic independence...
...Quite literally, this is the last chance for the United States in Latin America...
...Washington's all but universal support of every Latin American dictator since 1945 (as well as its support of Franco and a host of equally elegant "democrats" outside the hemisphere) has seemed to make a mockery of U.S...
...Perhaps the unequalled adulation to which he was subject in the first months of the regime went to his head and provided him with visions of himself as the leader of social revolution in Latin America...
...3. The U.S...
...Meanwhile, a sharp struggle for power was going on within his regime...
...The sympathy of the U.S...
...This means taking the lead in doing something effective about the remaining old-fashioned tyrannies, particularly that of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic...
...Disillusionment with the new Washington Administration, if it comes, will be catastrophic...
...In November 1959 the die was cast in favor of the Jacobin group: Hubert Matos was jailed for 20 years...
...It insists that the enemies of the U.S...
...For this raises a crucial question: Can the revolt against feudalism, militarism and economic backwardness—long overdue everywhere in the region—be achieved without dictatorship and without Moscow's assistance...
...The United States can best help future inter-American relations and the cause of democracy, therefore, by first developing a new program for Latin America as a whole and then dealing with the Cuban situation in the context of this new situation...
...This, in turn, has led young people particularly, most notably students, to adopt the views of the Jacobin Left...
...In the last 15 months, Fidel Castro has rallied the support of a steadily growing group in Latin America which may aptly be called the Jacobin Left...
...the tax system was completely revised and made more progressive...
...Indeed, democracy has been a fundamental element of Latin American belief, regardless of how much it may have been violated in practice...
...It argues that the United States, fearful of losing a source of cheap raw materials and foodstuffs, opposes industrialization in the hemisphere...
...He was an Argentine, a general and on the scene before Moscow was ready to become deeply involved in New World affairs...
...whereas in the first months of his regime Castro gave aid to those seeking to overthrow the remaining dictatorships in Latin America, in recent months he has concentrated his efforts on overturning the regimes controlled by democratic social revolutionary elements...
...failure to fulfill World War II promises of vast aid for economic development, which Latin Americans felt it was capable of giving, has tended to substantiate the charge that we do not want Latin America to industrialize...
...and without Soviet economic and political support Peron was no match for the U.S...
...Traditionally, too, Latin American reform movements have drawn from the writings and actions of our revolutionary founding fathers —from Abraham Lincoln and from Franklin D. Roosevelt—and they have sought allies in this country's liberal and labor circles...
...Castro is a civilian, no matter how much he may dress in olive drab, and he defeated a strong regular army, thus winning wide acclaim and support among anti-militarist civilians...
...imperialism...
...Until now, all popular movements for social change have also aspired to establish a system of political democracy...
...The mounting popularity of the Jacobin Left threatens both the future of U.S.-Latin American relations and the very fate of democracy in the region...
...The slowdown of Latin America's economic development to only a little more than 1 per cent per capita a year since 1955, and the apparent continued hypocrisy in the U.S...
...It urged Cuba's alignment with the USSR internationally, and alliance with the Communist party inside Cuba...
...concerning the problem of dictatorship vs...
...perhaps it was simply kinship and affection which bound him closer to the Raul Castro-Guevara group than to its opponents...
...claims to be the leader of the democratic cause throughout the world...
...democracy in the hemisphere, has led to a widespread feeling of frustration...
...Fidel Castro suffers none of these handicaps...
...This country cannot expect its neighbors to accept in good faith protests about Castro's dictatorial nature when it continues to tolerate Trujillo...
...are the area's natural allies, and that only a dictatorial revolutionary regime can move with the speed and decision necessary to bring about an effective social revolution in Latin America...
...Almost every constitution drawn up in the hemisphere in the last 150 years has been basically democratic...
...Cienfuegos disappeared...
...a largescale economic development plan was put forward...
...President Kennedy has a unique opportunity to throw the full weight of U.S...
...By joining the Soviet camp in world affairs, he has been able to get sizable economic and political aid—and even the promise of military support— from the Kremlin...
...Cuba is not generally regarded as "imperialistic...
...And the charge was further reinforced by the Eisenhower Administration's long insistence that our neighbors would have to rely exclusively on U.S...
...During his first 10 months in power, Castro appeared to he carrying out the program he had promised...
...perhaps he misunderstood the attitude of the U.S...
...At the same time, the regime purged the labor movement-— by force and the threat of force—of all those who refused to form an alliance with the Communists in the unions...
...Government, as well as that of all men of good will in this country, should be with these foes of the Cuban dictator...
...It cannot expect them to believe they can better achieve long overdue social changes and obtain help for economic development by continuing to align themselves with the U.S...
...must offer Latin American countries a large-scale program of cooperation for economic development...
...private investments for economic help...
...Only after such a program has begun can Washington hope to deal with Castroism...
...It was opposed even to discussing the question of elections, calling for the establishment of a revolutionary dictatorship and elimination of all open criticism of the regime...
...Although Castro had the support of democratic social revolutionary elements everywhere during his struggle to overthrow Batista and right after he came to power, he has cut all ties with these groups...
...The Batista dictatorship which he overthrew was much hated, and his followers in the 26th of July Movement gave great promise for the future of not only Cuba but all of Latin America...
...the other supporters of the democratic position were eliminated from the Government...
...generals are not very popular in Latin America...
...The other faction was the Jacobin Left...
...To make the most of this chance, three steps must be taken: 1. The U.S...
...The outcome of this struggle between the Democratic Left and the Jacobin Left, in Cuba as well as in the rest of the hemisphere, will be determined to a considerable degree by what the United States does or does not do...
...Similarly, U.S...
...To them, the revolution of 1776 was largely a fraud, Lincoln was the spokesman for nascent U.S...
...Meanwhile, Washington has little choice but to continue its present policy toward Cuba for a while...
...capitalism and FDR was an exponent of full-blown U.S...
...To repudiate these moves at the present time, however, would be a blow to the morale of the democratic opponents of Castro inside Cuba...
Vol. 44 • February 1961 • No. 6
