Cuba has struggled throughout history for it's independence and social reformation. For 400 years, Cuba was a spanish colony. During this time, many Cubans were killed in rebellions against Spanish rule. Finally, in 1898, the USA helped defeat Spain and Cuba's struggle for independence was over. Spain then gave up all its territorial claims on Cuba, and an American military government controlled the island up until 1902. Buy the 1930's however Cuba was ruled by a military dictatorship secretly run by Batista through other presidents. He achieved the title of President in 1940.

In Nineteen Fifty Nine Fidel Castro and Che Guevara successfully overthrew Batista's military dictatorship . Within the state there had been widespread poverty due to Batista's acceptance of American influence. This influence allowed the Mafia and US businessmen to flourish. As did many casinos and brothels to supplement this continued American influx which survived on the numerous US run sugar mills.

After gaining control from his coup d'etat Castro nationalized all the US sugar mills and closed down the casinos and brothels that were keeping the people in poverty. Victory for the people and the revolution. However at the time the US were not exactly chuffed with the man Fidel for his action.

Also in Nineteen Sixty Two the Soviet Union and America nearly went to nuclear war over the tiny subtropical republic when the Soviets put missile facilities on the north and west of Cuba leaving all major US cities as fish in a barrel to Castro's nuke loving communist compadrés. Castro took to asking for the USSR's military assistance after a CIA trained, US backed attempted coup failed in the Bay of Pigs. It got nowhere because the US failed the invaders by not delivering the promised air support. The so called Cuban Missile Crisis and continued bad feeling between the US and Cuba has led to an ongoing trade embargo on the Cubans by the US, making export difficult and therefore permanently holding back the Cuban economy.

Now, four decades later and Castro is still in control in Havana. A true survivor Castro has ridden out the continuing hatred and cruel intentions of the American federal Government, Trade embargos and attempted invasions. One small and frankly un-influential island in the Caribbean continues as a shining example that socialist republics can work, dictatorships can be overthrown and defiance does not always mean war. Not since the horrors of the World wars has so little meant so much. Viva la revolution. Viva Cuba......as transcribed by Eddie