Attitude of the refugees toward economic changes in Cuba since Castro

Abstract

Fidel Castro's rise to power in 1959 kindled the hopes of the Cuban people regarding much needed social, political and economic changes. Although a majority of the Cubans welcomed the changes introduced by the new regime, Castro's adoption of Communism appears to have been a major source of discontent in the island republic. The implementation of the Communist philosophy necessitated sweeping changes in Cuba's society. The changes in Cuba's economic system have been some of the most important. Since Cuba has been Communist, about 800,000 of its citizens have departed from their homeland. Of these, 50 per cent are presently living in the United States. This writer believes that the economic changes introduced by Fidel Castro is one of the major causes for the departure of so many Cubans. It has been the purpose of this investigation to determine the attitude of the Cuban refugees toward the economic changes implemented in Cuba under the Communist system. For the purpose of this research, a questionnaire was distributed among refugees living in the United States, in Latin America and Spain. Four hundred one Cubans responded to the inquiry. The responses were computerized and tabulated. Speeches and declarations made by Cuban officials, especially Fidel Castro, were used to document many aspects of this investigation and to evaluate the results of the opinion given by the refugees interviewed. The conclusions drawn by this writer are not by any means final, but he believes that they reflect at least in part the attitude of a segment of Cuba's population toward Castro's economic policies.