raharris1973
Well-known member
That’s the challenge - have Castro win power electorally, rather than through a guerrilla campaign.
Perhaps he does not get amnestied from prison in 1955 but remains there for the rest of the decade, until such time as Batista chooses to yield power and hold competitive elections again. The new govt released him and other prisoners, but he’s not ready for the first round and doesn’t have the moral excuse to go guerrilla against an elected regime right away, but works on political organizing around fundamental discontents, carrying that to a later electoral win?
By the way, was his amnesty just two years after trying an armed uprising (in 53) unusually lenient compared with Batista’s usual MO, prior Cuba political history, or Caribbean or Latin American political habits of mid 20th century? Or were such amnesties of rebels a routine, expected PR gesture by rulers, even authoritarian ones?
Perhaps he does not get amnestied from prison in 1955 but remains there for the rest of the decade, until such time as Batista chooses to yield power and hold competitive elections again. The new govt released him and other prisoners, but he’s not ready for the first round and doesn’t have the moral excuse to go guerrilla against an elected regime right away, but works on political organizing around fundamental discontents, carrying that to a later electoral win?
By the way, was his amnesty just two years after trying an armed uprising (in 53) unusually lenient compared with Batista’s usual MO, prior Cuba political history, or Caribbean or Latin American political habits of mid 20th century? Or were such amnesties of rebels a routine, expected PR gesture by rulers, even authoritarian ones?