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Revolutionary Manifestos and Fidel Castro's Road To REVOLUTIONARY MANIFESTOS AND FIDEL CASTRO’S ROAD TO POWER by LUIS PLAZAS B.A. University of Central Florida, 1997 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2014 Major Professor: Luis Martinez-Fernandez ABSTRACT The historiography of the Cuban Revolution includes numerous accounts which detail the responses to Batista’s coup. The fact that anti-Batista sentiments were very popular in Cuba, and that several revolutionary groups existed has also been highly documented. Nonetheless, the most highly recognized insurrectional organization remains Castro’s M-26-7. The goal of my thesis is to explain the steps which Castro took in order to remove all competition, allowing him to remain the only figure left in power. The process in which Castro came to power will be analyzed in order to gain a better understanding of how he orchestrated the removal of other revolutionary groups. My thesis will show that Castro purposely aided some groups, when it was to his benefit, but also denied aid to these same groups when he knew that he could gain an advantage over them. An analysis of the manifestos will reveal that most anti-Batista groups had their own agendas and that often times they were attempting to work together in order to coordinate Cuba’s future. I will focus on primary source materials such as eye witness accounts, historical publications, diaries and newspapers. I intend on analyzing Castro’s M- 26-7, from the time of his attack of the Moncada Barracks, through the course of the insurrection itself, and his final actions as Batista fled Cuba in 1959. By investigating the actions that were taken by Castro and his followers, in light of how those actions affected the other revolutionaries groups, will shed light on why certain decision were made by the M-26-7. The outcome of this research will show that the M-26-7 orchestrated their actions with the sole purpose of bringing Castro to power when the insurrection war was over. ii TABLE OF CONTENT LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................................. v INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Background to the Insurrection ................................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 1: CASTRO, FROM STUDENT ACTIVIST TO GUERRILLA LEADER .................................................... 8 Mexico Pact – August 30, 1956 ............................................................................................................... 17 Attack on the Presidential Palace - March 13, 1957 ............................................................................... 21 CHAPTER 2: TAKING CONTROL OF THE M-26-7 .......................................................................................... 28 The Manifesto of the Sierra Maestra (MSM) – July 12, 1957 ................................................................. 28 The Death and Replacement of Frank Pais - July 30, 1957 ..................................................................... 33 Miami Pact – November, 1957 – The Unity Pact .................................................................................... 40 Escambra y Guerrillas .............................................................................................................................. 43 The Total War Against the Tyranny Manifesto – March 12, 1958 .......................................................... 44 Mompié Meeting – May 3, 1958 ............................................................................................................ 48 CHAPTER 3: BECOMING EL LIDER MAXIMO ................................................................................................ 51 Operación Verano – May 14 through August 8, 1958 ............................................................................ 51 Caracas Pact – July 20, 1958 ................................................................................................................... 52 Pedrero Pact – December 1, 1958 .......................................................................................................... 56 The Struggle for Leadership in Havana – M-26-7 vs. DR ......................................................................... 59 Castro in Power ....................................................................................................................................... 62 This Time the Revolution is Real ............................................................................................................. 63 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................... 65 APPENDIX A: MANIFESTO No. 1 TO THE PEOPLE OF CUBA - AUGUST 8, 1955 ........................................... 73 APPENDIX B: MANIFESTO No. 2 TO THE PEOPLE OF CUBA – DECEMBER 10, 1955 .................................... 85 APPENDIX C: MEXICO PACT – SEPTEMBER 1956 ........................................................................................ 91 APPENDIX D: TOTAL WAR AGAINST TYRANNY MANIFESTO – MARCH 12, 1958 ........................................ 94 APPENDIX E: MANIFESTO OF THE SIERRA MAESTRA - JULY 12, 1957....................................................... 100 APPENDIX F: MIAMI PACT - NOVEMBER 1, 1957 ...................................................................................... 105 APPENDIX G: PACT OF CARACAS - JULY 20, 1958 ..................................................................................... 109 LIST OF REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................. 113 iii Primary Sources: ................................................................................................................................... 113 Secondary Sources ................................................................................................................................ 114 Newspapers and Periodicals ................................................................................................................. 116 Magazines ............................................................................................................................................. 116 Microfilm ............................................................................................................................................... 116 Websites ............................................................................................................................................... 116 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Primary Manifestos ........................................................................................................... 2 Table 2: Secondary Manifestos ....................................................................................................... 3 v INTRODUCTION The Cuban insurrectionary period is a topic that has been widely covered; however, the details on the events vary concerning how Castro became Cuba’s “supreme leader.” Questions still remain, some of which may never be answered due to the Cuban government’s high levels of secrecy. In this thesis, my aim is to critically analyze Castro’s actions in relation to the commitments he made in the manifestos and in doing so I will demonstrate that Castro’s agenda was not solely the removal of Batista, but also the concentration of power to his organization. Although the opposition groups had various agendas, many attempted to work together. They crafted and co-signed manifestos throughout the insurrectionary period which lasted roughly from 1953-1958, in which they agreed to unify their forces and establish the terms under which Cuba would be run after the fall of Batista. The revolutionary manifestos were written by these groups with the purpose of declaring their intentions and expressing the ideas of their respective organizations.1Some of the most important anti-Batista organizations were the Revolutionary Directorate (DR), the Auténtico Party (AP) under the direction of Carlos Prío, the Second Front of the Escambray, the July 26 Movement (M-27-7), the Ortodoxo Party and minimally the Popular Socialist Party (PSP).2 Their attempts at compromise, through the use of pacts can shed light on some of the events, and how Castro undermined these groups for personal gain. 1Llerena, Mario. The Unsuspected Revolution: The Birth and Rise of Castroism. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1978, 63. 2The Ortodoxo Party was created by Eduardo Chibás as a direct competitor to the Auténtico Party’s reputation of political corruption. 1 Since Castro’s triumphal march on Havana on January 8, 1959, much has been written concerning the Cuban insurrectionary period and the actions that took place therein. The official story being told from the perspective of the Cuban government often fails to convey the events as they actually occurred. The antagonism between the opposition groups is completely ignored and the official government account makes it appear that they worked together with the aim of defeating Batista. Most of the participants that are
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