Cuba and Fidel Castro

The hotel Tortugal, where we are staying, is a temporary home to quite a few boat owners who bring their boats up here for a few months every year to avoid the hurricanes in the Caribbean.  They turn up at the bar and restaurant here for happy hour when drinks are cheaper and then just stay on and chat.  They are a fascinating mix of nationalities. 

Last night I got chatting to a Cuban guy in his early 70's.   He was 18 when he decided he wanted to fight against  the Batista Regime and it's secret police and corruption.   I asked him if he felt he was radicalised and saw any parallels with Muslim radicalisation of young people these days.  He said, of course, he was radicalised by the injustice of a few corrupt leaders keeping the population down, at 18 that was only natural.  

So in 1959, Fidel Castro and others took control of Cuba, and enforced communism as a reaction to the corrupt capitalism of Batista.   They brought in good education and amazing social services and a national health system that is still apparently superb.   However, while admitting these successes, the chap I was speaking to really didn't like being told to be a communist and so he started to fight against the Castro regime.  (He didn't tell me exactly how, spying or bombing etc? )  After a short period, he was captured by Castro's guys and sentenced to 30 years hard labour, or a fine of 100,000 US dollars. 

If I tell you that the US government paid his 100,000 US$ 'ransom' and invited him to settle in America, that will give you an idea of how desperate the US were to bring down communism or how good a guerilla this guy was.  I wonder how many others the USA paid to have released. 

So, to finish his story briefly, he started a small business in Florida with his family and grew it slowly.   He has now been living on his boat for the last 15 years.  He has applied several times to be allowed to go back to Cuba, but each time his application is rejected because of his previous opposition to the Castro government.   

Really nice guy! He was totally aware of political around the world.  He even mentioned Jeremy Corbyn's name to me before we had talked about England and Europe!    I love these stories and usually try to avoid the Brits on holiday like us, because I feel I already know their stories more or less. 

(John)