Though Batista Rose to Power in Cuba, His Reign Was Littered with Corruption and Dishonesty
Fulgencio Batista Zaldivar was born in Cuba's Oriente Province in 1902 (Sierra 1). In 1921 he joined the army as a private, and in 1932 he became a military tribunal stenographer with the rank of sergeant (Sierra 1). His involvement in the Cuban military foreshadowed his army-dependant rule. He took over the country with the help of gangsters, guns, and violence. Though Batista rose to power in Cuba, his reign was littered with corruption and dishonesty. On September 4, 1933, Batista took over the Cuban government in an uprising known as "Revolt of the Sergeants" (Sierra 1). The coup overthrew the liberal government of Gerardo Machado, and marked the beginning of the army's influence as an organized force in the running of the government (Suchlicki 149). "It also signaled Batista's emergence as self-appointed chief of the armed forces, king-maker, and favored U.S. strong man" (Sierra 1). After meeting with Batista in April of 1933, U.S. Ambassador Benjamin Sumner Welles told him, "You're the only individual in Cuba today who represents authority ... I will lay down no specific terms; the matter of your government is a Cuban matter and it is for you to decide what you will do about it" (Sierra 1). Batista saw this as an invit
However, Batista had lost support from the United States, meaning his days in power were nearly over (Encinosa 150). On March 10, 1952, Batista overthrew President Carlos Prio Socorras' regime in a bloodless and masterfully executed coup d'etat (Suchlicki 148). On July 26, 1953, a small group of revolutionaries, led by Fidel Castro, attacked the Moncada Army Barracks in Santiago (Encinosa 94). In 1940, Batista became the first president under a new constitution. Oppo-sition was swiftly and violently crushed, and many began to fear the new government" (Sierra 3). Batista opened the door for large-scale gambling in Havana, Cuba. Thus Lansky became the center of the entire Cuban gambling operation (Encinosa 58). Under Batista, Cuba became profitable for American business and organized crime. One last false election placed the last Batista puppet in the role of president (Sierra 5). "Mafia boss Meyer Lansky turned Havana into an international drug port, and Cuban officials continued to get rich even after a few years in government. Boulder, CO: Westview Press Inc, 1994.
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