The case of Cuba

Cuba was the first large territory claimed by Columbus on behalf of the Spanish crown in his first trip in 1492 and the last colony of Spain to gain its independence. In 1898, when Cuban insurgent forces had conquered most of the island and were about to start their last push against the large cities, the United States entered the conflict in what is known as the Spanish-American War. From 1898 to 1902, Cuba was under US rule. On the 20th of May 1902, Cuba started its republican life under the presidency of Don Tomás Estrada Palma.

Prior to its independence, as far back as the beginning of the XIX Century, the thirst for freedom had been felt by many Cubans who tried to start separatist movements from Spain and who paid with their lives for it. After several small failed attempts, the first big insurrection against Spain started on the 10th of October of 1868 with the "Grito de Yara." The ensuing "Ten Year War" was unsuccessful in its search for independence. This period of time resulted in the first of what would unfortunately become a recurrent phenomenon in Cuban history: cruel excesses of the authorities provoked the exile of thousands of people to places as close to Key West (90 miles from Havana) and as far away as Sweden. This pattern reached unprecedented proportions starting in 1959, when the communist government of Fidel Castro came to power.

Testimonials of the vicissitudes experienced by Cubans during the several periods of unrest and dictatorship can be found by clicking below

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