Word: castros
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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CUBA'S economic problems developed prior to its revolution. To its advantage, Cuba has very rich soil located in a "marginal tropical climate" mitigated by sea and good rain. The country's supply of raw materials severely limited industrial possibilities, for example, energy needs. For this reason, Castro's hasty industrialization efforts with Russian aid and ideology (not mentioned by Dumont) was unsuited to Cuba's particular conditions...
Dumont concludes that Castro inherited an economy based on under-utilization of land, managed by a weak corrupt bureaucracy that never channeled funds back into Cuban development, and relied on improvisational economic policies. This heritage, Castro has yet to overcome. According to the recommendations which Dumont submitted to Castro after his three trips to Cuba, the author suggested a policy based on national diversification accompanied with regional specialization of crops employing a plan of concentric circles to the capital: perishable fruits and vegetables would grow nearby and sugar in far out regions...
That he is famous, socialist and rejected by Castro are all amply evident in the book. Where he lacks substantiation, he relies heavily on his reputation for authority. For Americans unfamiliar with his works who might not accept his word as truth, his style is both obnoxious and unconvincing. Only his obvious comprehensive understanding of Cuba and its economic problems might soothe them. One wishes Dumont could have accomplished his task with more humility and humanity for his readers...
...death brought an abrupt end to Castro's hopes of local revolutions and catalyzed a revision of domestic policies. Yet, as in 1961 when Castro turned communist, he only partially rethought development problems. Chronic food shortages, bad distribution and grave imbalance between supply and demand due to the island's "socialist inflation" all pressed Castro in 1968 to decide upon a new era of belt tightening which after five years would bring the island out of underdevelopment. Karol remained pessimistic of this plan, pointing out that Fidel envisioned a quick political solution ignoring the real problem of changing social relationships...
...Again Castro opted for programs based on economic growth instead of ones that would raise political consciousness. As a result of this lack of faith in the masses to know what is best for themselves, Karol argues that Castro and a handful of leaders have had to decide the most minute day-to-day problems...