Only thing to outlast 62 year Castro rule in Cuba? U.S. cruelty to Cuba

Fidel Castro ascended to leadership of Cuba on January 1. 1959. Brother Raul stepped down as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party leadership of the Cuban communist party on April 19, 2021. That ended 62 years, 3 months and 19 days of Castro dominance in Cuba.

But another long term aspect of Cuban history threatens the Castros' incredible record: U.S. sanctions designed to topple the Castro regime shortly after it came to power.

The U.S. embargo of trade with Cuba is half way thru its 61st year since its October 19, 1960 start. But U.S. regime change for the Castro boys began the previous March when Ike, transferred the Cuban problem from State, which does diplomacy, to the CIA, which does violent regime change.

When JFK was elected in November, 1960, Ike informed him of the ‘slam dunk’ plot the CIA hatched to return legitimate U.S. businesses and the Mafia back in control of Cuban resources, the Cuban people be damned. The CIA was on a roll, knocking off Iranian leader Mosaddegh in ’53 and Guatemalan president Arbenz in ’54 for not allowing U.S. exploitation of those 2 uppity nations. Three months into JFK’s abbreviated presidency, the CIA’s slam dunk drowned at the Bay of Pigs, 60 years ago this month.

Our 7 decade effort to punish the Cuban people into dumping the now Castro less communist regime continues. But to fully appreciate U.S. exploitation and cruelty to Cuba, one must go back 123 years to April 21, 1898, when the U.S. launched its illegal war of choice to take over Cuba from Spain which ruled it since acquired for Spain by Columbus in 1492.

Castro’s 1959 sin was not being an authoritarian communist. It was taking away Uncle Sam’s gravy train of economic exploitation. Sixty-two years after Castro assumed power, the U.S. is still at it…punishing the hapless Cuban people for not relinquishing control of their poor but beautiful island home to the Yankee powerhouse.

That must end.