Word: batista
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Fulgencio Batista first came to power in Cuban politics as the leader of the "Sergeants' Revolt" in 1933. He ruled the island effectively for eleven years and voluntarily retired in 1944, a rich...
Castro's failure at this time does not imply popular support of the Batista regime. It indicates rather public apathy and possible mistrust of Castro's intentions and methods. Newsmen reported that outside of Government circles it is difficult to find anyone ready to say a kind word for General Batista. Although his position has been strengthened by Castro's current failure, Batista is in trouble, and everyone--including the strongman--knows...
...successors, Ramon Grau San Martin and Carlos Prio Socarras, were constitutionally elected. But while Grau and Prio grew wealthy amid unparalleled graft and corruption, the ex-strongman became restless in his premature retirement. In 1948 he supported a presidential candidate who was soundly defeated. Then, in 1952, Batista ran for the presidency himself. Eighty-two days before the election, when it became obvious that he would lose, Batista staged an army coup, regained power, and has held it ever since...
...Batista nonetheless has maintained control; the army remains firmly in his hands. Eusebio Mujal, Cuba's top labor leader, is a Batista man; he was instrumental in halting Castro's threatened general strike last week. Castro's guerrillas have made no friends by burning millions of pounds of sugar cane--a senseless waste of the island's natural resources that angers many Cubans...
Despite Castro's lack of success, however, Batista is in an unenviable position. Strongmen who die in bed usually do so in exile. If he is smart, Batista would like very much to retire again as he did in 1944; he is once again rich. He is not running in the general election scheduled for November 30, and the Batista-supported candidate--Prime Minister Andres Rivero Aguero--has been campaigning as a "great compromiser," promising political amnesty for rebels. Rivero may be sincere; if he is, Castro and his men are wasting their time, for Batista will be giving constitutional...