In Castro's speeches he offered every branch of society what they needed; Work for the unemployed, land for the rural workers, improved working conditions for the urban workers. Women would work equal with men. However, the most significant Castro did in this period was his Agrarian Reform Act:
Anyone having more than the established limit had that extra part expropriated and received bonds as accommodation. Expropriated land was to be organized in cooperatives. The Agrarian Reform Act nationalized Cuba and ended foreign ownership of large estate, while allowing medium/small private farms. (these were the targets of the second (1963) & third (1968) Agrarian reform laws)
It was criticized in the Cuban press and raised alarm in the US and Washington began to consider cutting the sugar quota in retaliation.
Some of the other reforms helped the lower classes because it increased the wages and the reduction of rents, however it antagonized the upper and middle classes.
Import taxes were imposed on luxury goods, making it more expensive hoping to reduce the import. And the money raised by the taxes the government wanted to invest in industrialization and diversification of economy. Furthermore, living conditions, education and health reforms were initiated.
The reforms allowed Castro and the PSP to gain support among the people and to consolidate their positions in the government. A small group though opposed, however they were controlled by the government and did therefore not lead major crisis. Between the years 1959 and 1962 250,000 people left Cuba.
All information is from Pearsons 'History, 20th Century World, Authoritarian and single-Party States', 2010
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