Fidel Castro seized power from Fulgencio Batista in 1959. With an iron fist, he reigned over the island until 2008 when he relinquished power to his younger brother Raul Castro. His recent death last November marked the end of an era, but castrism lives on. His legacy ought to be left for historians to sort out as best they can the good and the bad of his nearly five decades of the communist ruling.
Without any doubt, Castro was a dictator and a communist-socialist. Like in any revolution, bloodshed, political imprisonment and extreme rules have become common occurrences. Without condoning oppression, let's face it. It was communism. As such, it was as difficult to impose it by force on Cuban people as it was easy for them to reject it. Then, mayhem ensued. If Castro were pressed to answer questions today about the oppression to which he subjected Cuban people, he would have said that that's what it takes for any new revolution or a new system of government to blossom. Free from U.S. control, he survived decades of embargo, 600 assassination attempts and Bay of pigs (1962 U.S.-supported invasion of Cuba) to name a few.
Castro was one of the world's strongest leaders who stood up to U.S. imperialism. He had not only made history, he was also the subject of history himself. He supported global causes, and he opened doors of opportunity for Cubans and others. At the same time, he was a hero to some; and to others, he was a dictator, a murderer, a communist and someone who failed Cuba. Instead of rushing to judgment, let history be the judge. There needs to be a full accounting of Castro's leadership to uncover his successes and his failures; the good and the bad; what blemished him, and what made him an iconic political figure.
Castro's revolution brought to the island something Cuba had never had. Cubans are enjoying free education, free healthcare and more prosperity than average Hispanics in Latin America. Most Cubans are highly educated. The literacy rate in Cuba in 2016 is 99.8% compared to the United States with a literacy rate of 99%. Cubans, in general, are prolific in every technical field of knowledge, trade and sciences, etc. The regime has established a systematic protocol where Cubans could evolve at home even with a meager monthly income of about $60.00, or excel elsewhere with the gift of knowledge as a product of the revolution.
In addition, the quality of the Cuban healthcare system is good and highly competitive. Europeans enjoy the same medical privilege as Cubans. Under previous regimes, all these opportunities were non-existent to ordinary Cubans. Instead, it was a luxury for the Cuban elite. Therefore, isn't it fair to give Castro credit for his accomplishments? He was good in many ways and at so many things. His legacy had empowered the lives of people at home and also those in several countries. He is immortal.
Outside of Cuba, Castro was a hero. He supported worthwhile causes. First of all, He helped Haiti, my native country, in ways that no major countries, except Venezuela of Julio Chavez, ever did. One good thing former President Aristide did was the restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Castro sent a contingent of medical personnel to Haiti. After 6 years, they are still in the country providing medical assistance. Castro also gave a free scholarship to a number of Haitian students to come to Cuba to study medicine, engineering and various other fields of higher learning.
According to a historian, “Castro also sent medical aid to Venezuela in a trade for oil. Haiti has gotten Cuban doctors many times, as has Africa, with Cuba doing more to aid Ebola victims than the US has by far. Cuban technicians and teachers aided Nicaragua enormously as well, roads, bridges, schools, you name it." He also helped the ANC (African National Congress) with logistics and funding, and he mentored late president Nelson Mandela in the struggle for freedom against apartheid in South Africa.
But some Cubans hated Castro for the repression of the 60s and 70s, coupled with a litany of brutality, a high number of imprisonment and deaths. According to Al Carroll, "the most credible estimates I've seen of deaths he caused were between 2,000 and 5,000, many of the dead themselves murderers and torturers under Batista. He also allied himself with a deeply repressive government in Ethiopia, one with a high body count."
As Cuban expatriates are enjoying their freedom in the United States and elsewhere, they often share the painful account of their lives under Castro. It is always a long list of grievances and a plight of oppression and tyranny that they endlessly lament about. Castro's revolutionary past has made him neither a saint nor a demon. Yes, he was a communist and a dictator. But he was exceptionally a strong and a charismatic leader who did good things in Cuba and outside of Cuba. Castro's true life mission was goodwill and the empowerment of people in general. He was the voice for the voiceless and the defender for the defenseless.
In retrospect, let's acknowledge Castro's successes without dwelling on his failures. Now that he passed away, let's atone, reconcile and unite. He might have done despicable things to his political opponents, but at the same time, he was highly regarded as a heroic figure for the good deeds he did for millions of Cubans and people everywhere.
Above all, it was a revolution. In the words of Castro himself, "a revolution is a struggle to the death between the future and the past." So it's not fair to judge a revolution. Again let history be the judge.
