Castro-Cuba and Communism: Danger on Our Doorstep, Part 1

[Music] Revolution is for any country the most violent means of change bringing as it does death destruction and hatred the Cuban Revolution drove out one dictator but it produced another Fidel Castro little did the Cuban people suspect that Castro would betray their cause and deliver them into the hands of the most ruthless of all tyrannies into the iron grip of Communism this is Cuba where communism has established its first Bridge head in the Western Hemisphere this modern day trojan horse is centrally located between North and South America it provides communism with a convenient arsenal of planes tanks and modern weapons just 90 mi from American Shore only 7 minutes by jet from this land of sugar cane and luxurious hotels Castro agents fent revolutions throughout Latin America Cuba and communism POS the most serious and immediate threat to the security of the United States and its Southern Neighbors it is of little importance that the roulette wheels spin no longer and that the gambling casinos are closed but it is of great importance that the big Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay which is occupied by the United States under a legal treaty continues to operate from it the United States is able to keep a watchful eye on the Caribbean nor does the Free World wish to see it become a launching site for red missiles or a red submarine base to understand how Castro came to power we must go back to March 10th 1952 Senator fenio Batista a former Cuban dictator is a candidate for the presidency in the coming election scheduled in July when popular feeling indicates a disastrous defeat for him he decides again to clamp a dictatorship on this hapless island with 13 conspirators he enters Camp Columbia near Havana and wins over the Garrison Batista's men Mount machine guns at Camp Columbia using captured tanks they move on the presidential Palace in Havana Batista knows how to get army support he was an Army Sergeant when he first seized power in 1933 he treated the Army well when he ran [Music] Cuba a radio dispatcher named rapael Salas kazaros has made chief of all of his police and becomes his hatchet man the obsolete War Surplus ships of the Cuban Navy are caught in the bay with their guns strapped down Army units in the interior Surrender by telephone Batista's Chief obstacle is the president Carlos prios Saras tanks and cars are sent racing to the presidential Palace desperately prio tries to get the Garrison outside to support him when the prospect appears hopeless prio takes sanctuary in the Mexican embassy overnight through the Army Batista is in control of Cuba he is a typical Western Hemisphere dictator not motivated by any political ideology only by a lust for power and wealth he will bleed the country white and create the climate which breeds Revolution his first step is to suspend the Democratic Constitution which guaranteed civil rights to all [Music] Cubans in the Mexican embassy president prosaas arranges to take refuge in that country his family accompanies him he also takes with him $40 million amassed during his presidency he will use millions of this to finance the revolution at a later date Batista quickly forms his first cabinet under the Good Neighbor policy of non intervention in the internal affairs of other countries the United States quickly recognizes his new government Batista orders the suspension of all civil rights the students from the University Outpost of Liberty in Havana carry out a mock burial of the constitution walking in a funeral procession to the tomb of Eduardo shibas a recent political martyr Batista police respond with widespread arrests they round up every possible suspect the police stations are busy day and night but the suspension of civil rights Kindles more student violence The Thirst for Freedom Burns among the Cuban people while Batista rules there are 19,000 political murders 11,000 people are exiled Jose Antonio etaria later to become a martyr of the Revolution exhorts his fellow students to act a pro Batista faction smears the statue of a student hero with red paint shortly thereafter they begin a series of Street demonstrations which the police are determined to break up [Music] [Applause] a student leader is carried from the scene and rush to the hospital he dies there under the surgeon's knife death in one demonstration becomes the reason for another demonstration students marching arm and- arm down the street defy [Music] police bearing a comic likeness of Batista labeled assassin the mob marches to the cnq radio station where he is hung in effigy police send reserves to scatter the demonstrators and to put an end to the incident pursued by the police the students head for the sanctuary of the University which is considered outside civil [Music] [Applause] [Music] jurisdiction that doesn't stop Batista's police they color the ring leaders and hustle them off [Music] the students are defended by POA quvo Navaro a former Senator and opposition leader shortly after poo quero is shot dead by police when they pick him up for questioning police cars and buses take students to a trial which is a mere formality daily headlines tell stories of Terror one announces that seven revolutionary suspects die in a police raid Batista's hatch man Salis kazaras now is wearing the star of a brigadier those who speak out are arrested most Cubans seek an end to this oppression their desire for Action creates a force which the small but highly organized group of Communists in Cuba know only too well how to exploit with the opposition mounting Batista takes drastic action interior Minister artura hermas meets with radio Executives and Publishers hermidas tells them that the government demands prior censorship of their news report nothing is to be broadcast or printed that is displeasing to [Music] Batista terror is abroad the bloody stage is set for a young opportunist named Fidel Castro July 26th 1953 the fledgling revolutionary Castro send some 85 poorly armed and untrained men against moncata Barracks a fortified Garrison maned by 1,000 trained troops the result is a massacre of Castro's men his First Act of treachery to Cuba's Freedom Fighters when he orders his followers to attack in 26 trucks The Garrison machine guns them at leisure he flees those foolish enough to surrender are struck down with gun Bots stripped of their uniforms and shot it is ironic that this fantastic sacrifice of human life provides Fidel Castro with what he wants a symbol whereby he can claim the leadership of the Revolution and Achieve his real goal utter Domin nation of Cuba he names his group the 26th of July Movement Fidel takes refuge in a church while the soldiers pick over the clothing of his dead companions says one survivor of the support of attack I quote we were betrayed because of Fidel Castro's personal ambition barish Commander Colonel Alberto chaviano beat off the attack he is rewarded with a general star the barracks wounded are treated in the hospital which Castro's men held briefly during the fighting the barracks dead get military Hors it is Carnival time when the Manata attack takes place but the festivities turn into a maab nightmare as Batista police swoop down upon the people the hunt for conspirators is led by General Salis kazaros who looks over the arms discovered in the search the City of sanago is in a state of Siege Sabers bomb and wreck in a series of demonstrations and the police retaliate in kind Fidel Castro still hides but appeals for Mercy through the Catholic Church to Cardinal artiaga whom he will later denounce he has finally assured a Civil Trial meaning no death penalty the raids go on as Batista's men comb the island for arms Castro surrenders at his trial in October of 1953 many companions and his brother R and he are sentenced to 15 years at the penal colony on the Isle of Pines there brother R and Fidel hold classes in communist Theory R particularly is a well-trained teacher fed to the teeth with Batista's brand of government many Cubans begin to associate their hopes with the young revolutionary cat Ro now in jail 1954 other revolutionary fronts are operating in Havana student demonstrations are staged before the doors of the National Assembly the government replies with oppressive [Music] decrees Terror breeds Terror every decree leads to demonstrations and the fighting leads to more decrees of bloody cycle 195 5 in an attempt to cope with the serious unrest in Cuba Batista tries appeasement a general amnesty frees a beardless Fidel Castro and others from prison his brother R leaves with him they are greeted by his sister Lydia also there are two girls who were at Monada melra Hernandez and Heidi Santa Maria Fidel's wife had divorced him for desertion and nonsupport before he was jailed he announces that he will leave the country to organize an invasion [Music] April 1956 in Cuba revolutionary forces keep pressure on Batista 13 bodies lying in a courtyard on a Sunday afternoon tell the story of an attempt to storm a fort in matanzas like Fidel Castro's assault on moncada Barracks 3 years before the trucks get through the gates but the men are outgunned those who surrender are shot down police raids follow suspects are arrested weapons are seized Batista shown with defense minister Garcia Montes sneers at captured guns orders the greatest possible publicity for the trials all the details are filmed the strong man wants everyone to know that the rebels were stopped their arms seized those who survive receive summary Justice October 1956 Colonel Blanco Rico Batista's chief police spy is assassinated General CIS kazaras hotly pursues 10 suspects into the Haitian Embassy this time a bullet stops him his brother forces his way inside and machine guns all 10 suspects karara's career is over his rise was Swift but Swift are still his [Music] fault Cuban Freedom Fighters in Exile work feverish to raise funds and to buy arms to fight Batista in New York's Yankee Stadium their leaflets hold up a baseball game Castro flies to Miami to raise funds for the revolution arms are gathered in the United States whose policy of non-intervention makes this illegal some are confiscated by devious means some arms get to Cuba and are stored Mexico City is another place where Exiles gather and plan a huge War chest is raised former president prio now one of Castro's backers adds to it Castro buys arms and a 58t yacht the grma built to carry 14 people and loads her with 82 men and much ammunition he decides to invade Cuba now the grandma leaks her engines are bad The Invasion is an even worse Fiasco than fort onata The Chosen Cove has shs and the grma goes ground ammunition and Medicine must be left behind it takes the 82 men 4 hours to get to the shore worse still an alarm goes out a few minutes later Batista's troops Ambush them 13 escaped to the Sierra MRA Mountains for the others the revolution is [Music] over as Castro climbs the rugged Peaks he keeps his own counsel about his ultimate objectives there is no mention now of cementing the 26th of July Movement to the Cuban Communist Party many of his followers would have deserted such a camp instead Castro preaches about a democratic Cuba with free elections his followers live as best they can soon a number of girls follow Castro into the mountains to help with the cooking and sometimes with the fighting but the men still pull KP Duty despite the hardships Castro himself lives well the scene has changed since he was a gun toting student bully who is implicated in two campus murders target practice occupies him between long winded speeches his Lieutenant organize his army while he concentrates on his plan to make his 26th of July Movement and himself Top Dog among the Revolutionary fronts in Havana things are not going as well as the government would have the world believe while Batista smiles and shakes hands still another revolutionary group is planning a [Music] surprise March 13th 1957 Jose Antonio aaria leader of the students organizes an attack on the presidential Palace which for sheer courage was unequal in the annals of the Revolution the rebels fight their way across the open Plaza against murderous gunfire they reach the second floor but Batista escapes and the student leaders are shot the fighting ABS out of the palace and across Zas Park leaving 25 bodies in its weight bystanders are caught in the crossfire police looking for the instigators shoot down Jose aaria who prematurely screamed over a radio station the Tyrant is dead supplies reach the Sierra mestra by Mountain Trail through a Wilderness of cliffs come guns ammunition and money money goes to Castro from the United States Venezuela and other Latin American countries and medical supplies are brought into this mountain Fortress in in the middle of nowhere July 12th 1957 Castro issues a Manifesto calling upon all the Revolutionary fronts to unite under him of course the manifesto calls for a democratic government and free elections in the Cs the attack on the presidential Palace which almost succeeded gives people new Courage the anti Batista opposition increases police shoot down Frank p boss of the Rebel on underground as he flees from a hideout his funeral in Santiago disturbs the government because of the size of the crowd and its temper women with great emotion chanting Vengeance Vengeance police leave the bodies of the revolutionists on the sidewalk Farmers suspected of aiding Castro's men are hanged where caught where possible Cubans raise their voices against abuses sometimes the voices are loud sometimes the voices are still along the road of the Revolution Fidel Castro's corers maintain contact with the outside world the writer carries the message under his saddle it is a kind of Cuban Pony Express primitive to be sure but it is upon such basic communication that the 26th of July Movement moves a professional communist from the Argentine named Ernesto Tava joins Castro he worked with the Reds there and in Guatemala he met Castro in Mexico City and is an expert in gorilla tactics the castol rebels plant bombs and buses on railroad trains they set fire to cars and trucks oil tanks and [Music] factories they get money to finance the Revolution by forcing sugar plantation owners to pay for protection against their nightly raids the road of the Revolution exports Terror Imports guns new recruits and leaders who turn out to be even more pro-communist than anti Batista Castro welcomes them and soon they become his closest advisers but he still denies that he is a red there is Celia Sanchez who had taken part in planning the attack on moncata barracks and who now is constantly at Castro's side her communist connections are hard a secret jaka has now worked himself into one of the top spots in the 26th of July Movement he is in command of many troops and excises a rutin likee influence over Castro he hates the United States the recruits who swarm into the mountains are mainly Poor Farm Workers there are few Communists among them but Jay Gava will be a good teacher the men learn gorilla fighting literally from the ground up now ready to attack they move on the Mountain Village of Pino de [Music] [Music] [Music] AUA the writers bring their doctor with them he has a busy time as the fire of the government troops rips into the attackers an operating room is set up in the field the rebel surprise attack traps Batista's horses [Music] [Music] [Music] in the greaty dawn Batista's Army Commander asks for terms the rebels call it their biggest Victory up to now the tactics have been to Harris and terrorize government troops now at last they have won a battle the women in the Army make pictures of the prisoners for publicity purposes 1958 3 days after Easter Sunday Batista orders 12,000 troops into the Sierra Maestra they stream Eastward on every Highway in tanks armored cars trucks and jeeps but Castro Retreats deeper into the mountain scorching the Earth brought it on by government planes the rebel radio tells the story we have driven bista from his lair now we have him in the open we shall destroy him in Havana Batista invites the press to his Palace there are sandbags on the roof the dict stor announces that he had ordered a general Advance against Castro Columns of Tanks moving out for the kill are reviewed by General franisco tabia Batista's Chief of Staff he sends in bazooka teams which Castro's men capture and turn against taber's tanks Castro records his broadcasts for the rebel radio his men now will come down from the mountains and fight on the fles summer 1958 while the troops prepare the attack the heads of the other major revolutionary fronts meet in Caracus when Castro gives a worthless promise guaranteeing democracy and free elections they agree to unite behind the 26th of July Movement Gava will now lead the troops against Santa Clara capturing many towns they press on toward the provincial capital [Music] Batista's Air Force Strikes Back [Music] even without air cover Castro's men attack houses on the outskirts of Santa Clara some of the young recruits whom General tabia throws into the fight quickly surrender to the hard-bitten [Music] guerillas as Christmas Day 1958 approaches J AA orders the final assault while the battle still rages citizens wait to greet the Revolutionary Fighters single file gaba's men enter the city the Air Force continues to strafe and bomb them Town's people flee to [Music] shelters much of the city is in flames Batista's Fighters and bombers take part in The All Out rate women and children suffer the most the rate does more harm to the city and its population than it does to the Troops of the 26th of July Movement the battle for Santa Clara is over resistance in the city ends J the Communist gets a reception from the people of the town with him is camoo xen fuos a top rebel commander who is violently anti-communist the rebel soldiers take over the city buries its dead Fidel Castro calls a strategy meeting they hear news that the Revolutionary forces all over the island are rising against Batista the end is near this is the moment that Castro and brother Ral has been trained behind the Iron Curtain have been waiting for 5 and a half years after the first Monada attack Batista seized the handwriting on the wall and flees the country New Year's Day 1959 the news spreads through Havana Batista is finished he has left the government in the hands of his General cantillo where is Castro now that the revolution is over why doesn't he come Batista's henchmen have fled the 26th of July civilian militia organized underground takes over out of control the surging crowds attack government buildings soon the belongings of the hated oppressors are in Flames the crowd turns on the gambling casinos run by Myer Lansky and other American hoodlums under Batista protection and to Wrecking telephones the situation before long is completely out of hand mobs Loot and pillage gangs roam the [Music] streets more than one woman is seized by hysterics men of are overcome Anarchy Reigns Castro has started for Havana but he stops in every town to conduct military trials and executions he leaves no opposition in his wake