# Why didn't the U.S. support Castro from the start? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 10, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913 "2006-07-10T19:19:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/1 "2006-07-10T19:19:49Z")
Castro’s revolution won power in Cuban in 1959. Castro was not at that time a Communist. In April 1961 the U.S. (using Cuban exile volunteers) attempted the Bay of Pigs invasion. It became clear that the U.S. was never going to support Catro’s regime and if he wanted a powerful ally it would have to be the Soviet Union. In [December 1961](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_castro#Bay_of_Pigs) he declared himself a Communist and Cuba a Marxist-Leninist state. Why **didn’t** the U.S. simply support, or at least agree to tolerate, Castro in the first place? It was clear from the start he intended to rule in an authoritarian manner and respect individual rights very little, but we were allied with a lot of authoritarian dictators during the Cold War, and earlier. “Trujillo is a son of a bitch, but he’s **our** son of a bitch!” An alliance with Castro would have prevented the Soviets from gaining a toehold in the Western Hemisphere. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/2 "2006-07-10T19:27:26Z")
Two reasons. First, we had supported Batista. Second, Castro, early on, nationalized US business property in Cuba. The relationship just got worse and worse from there as Castro nationalized more and built up closer ties to the Soviets. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/3 "2006-07-10T19:57:41Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Second, Castro, early on, nationalized US business property in Cuba. [/QUOTE] So it’s the businessmen’s fault, eh? Mighta known! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/4 "2006-07-10T20:13:57Z")
The MAFIA lost billions from Castro’s revolution. The hotels, casinos, bars, restaurants and cathouses were huge generators of cash. Castro destroyed the business, and the Mob hated him for it. the CIA conspired with the Mob to kill Castro, not once but several times. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/5 "2006-07-10T20:20:35Z")
Well, I wouldn’t draw exactly that conclusion, but yeah. We got into a cycle whereby the Cubans would nationalize American property, and then we’d express our displeasure, by snubbing Castro at his American visit, or lowering the sugar quota, or whatever, which would lead to Cuba nationalizing more, and so on. Meanwhile, the Soviets were providing them more and more aid, which kept drawing the Cubans closer to them. Added to that, you had the Cuban exiles fleeing the Castro government to Miami. The growing refugee problem affected US-Cuban relations, as well, as they came here with stories of Castro’s brutality. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/6 "2006-07-10T20:40:34Z")
Castro, like Ho Chi Minh, may not have been a card-carrying communist at the time of his revolution, but he talked very much like one. Substitute “terrorist” for “communist” and you get some sense of how very afraid of communist expansion the U.S. was at the time. Anything that walked, talked and looked like a communist was tagged a communist, and Fidel showed every outward appearance of communism. Castro wasn’t the first revolutionary-cum-communist to be driven into the arms of Soviet style socialism. At the end of World War II, the man history would later know as Ho Chi Minh tried to approach the U.S. to end French hegemony in Indochina and help the Vietnamese become independent. Ho wrote a total of six letters to President Truman, but none was answered. Historians believe Truman’s Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, diverted the letters and Truman never saw them. The U.S., meanwhile, backed France’s claim on Indochina in order to get France to work with Germany in rebuilding Europe. Later, when John Foster Dulles was secretary of state under Eisenhower, he was in Paris and actually met Ho face-to-face. When Ho tried to extend his hand and ask for Dulles’ help in getting through to Eisenhower, Dulles turned his back and walked away. Now, here’s how that affects our relations with Cuba: Ultimately, in his struggle to free his country from foreign control, Ho did turn to the communists (in Moscow, not in Peking, as Washington had feared) determined to retain his country’s agrarian culture. By the time of the anti-Batista revolution in Cuba, Ho was already virulently communist, and Castro was making noises like a communist. By the late 1950s, the U.S. already saw a protracted struggle looming to contain communism in Asia – we were in no mood to tolerate it in our own hemisphere. We backed Batista with everything but troops because he was the non-communist choice, and because Castro had already made a lot of noise about shutting down the gambling dens because of their alleged negative effects on Cuban culture. Castro was otherwise anti-capitalist – if I remember my history correctly, he made it clear that he desired “land reform” along the lines of that sought by contemporary revolutionaries in the rest of Latin America. Although the Monroe Doctrine and the Roosevelt Corollary gave the U.S. all the self-awarded right it needed to intervene militarily in the Western Hemisphere, the U.S. was simply exhausted from World War II and Korea. Besides, nobody really thought Castro could win. It wasn’t until Batista grabbed his piano and skipped the country that it dawned on the Washington that the revolutionaries were going to take Havana. By then it was too late – you can’t change your bet once the horserace begins. The Soviets had armed and supported Castro, and even sent advisors to help him fight. He was forever and permanently in Moscow’s pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/7 "2006-07-10T20:46:11Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] The MAFIA lost billions from Castro’s revolution. The hotels, casinos, bars, restaurants and cathouses were huge generators of cash. Castro destroyed the business, and the Mob hated him for it. the CIA conspired with the Mob to kill Castro, not once but several times. :eek: [/QUOTE] I never understood how the Mafia failed to kill Castro. I probably give them too much credit, but it just seems that if they can get past U.S. Marshals to snuff a witness or two, they can pop a strutting dictator. I always thought Castro’s survival put the lie to any Mafia participation in JFK’s death. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/8 "2006-07-10T21:04:22Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] Castro destroyed the business, and the Mob hated him for it. the CIA conspired with the Mob to kill Castro, not once but several times. :eek: [/QUOTE] I’m sure the CIA has tried to kill Casto, but is there any proof the Mob was involved? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/9 "2006-07-10T21:19:22Z")
[QUOTE=jeffrice] I never understood how the Mafia failed to kill Castro. I probably give them too much credit, but it just seems that if they can get past U.S. Marshals to snuff a witness or two, they can pop a strutting dictator. I always thought Castro’s survival put the lie to any Mafia participation in JFK’s death. [/QUOTE] Witnesses are guarded by a few U.S. Marshals. Castro had an army. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/10 "2006-07-10T21:27:11Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Witnesses are guarded by a few U.S. Marshals. Castro had an army. [/QUOTE] Oh, that! Yet another illustration of why your moniker has the word “brain” in it and mine doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/11 "2006-07-11T00:07:46Z")
Also, Castro had a country. An island country, with a well-founded suspicion of outsiders. Just getting **into** Cuba for nefarious purposes would have been a challenge. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/12 "2006-07-11T00:24:08Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] “Trujillo is a son of a bitch, but he’s **our** son of a bitch!” [/QUOTE] Extreme nitpick-the quote was “_Somoza_ may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch.” Somoza, not Trujillo. Hardly matters though, I get what you’re saying. Yeah, going along with Castro probably would have made sense, but a LOT of the shit going on during the Cold War didn’t make sense. At the same time, I believe we were on Tito’s side in his fight against Stalin, and Tito was a communist. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/13 "2006-07-11T00:26:22Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] Extreme nitpick-the quote was “_Somoza_ may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch.” Somoza, not Trujillo. Hardly matters though, I get what you’re saying. [/quote] I first heard it in connection with Trujillo, but Somoza would make sense too. ---
**Author:** ![wnorthr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@wnorthr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wnorthr)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/14 "2006-07-14T22:40:43Z")
A lot of people don’t know that Fidel’s brother Raul was a very committed communist and had a lot of influence in the Castro government. There were even rumors back then that Raul may have been planning an assasination of his own when Fidel was waffeling about siding with Moscow. Probably untrue but Raul was a powerful influence in the govt. and still is, I think. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/15 "2006-07-14T23:34:29Z")
[QUOTE=wnorthr] A lot of people don’t know that Fidel’s brother Raul was a very committed communist and had a lot of influence in the Castro government. There were even rumors back then that Raul may have been planning an assasination of his own when Fidel was waffeling about siding with Moscow. Probably untrue but Raul was a powerful influence in the govt. and still is, I think. [/QUOTE] And slightly younger than Castro . . . but not the man his brother is. Things are going to get really **interesting** when Castro goes. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/16 "2006-07-15T04:45:13Z")
We definitely pull Castro’s name up a lot on these boards, don’t we? Anyone other than Americans obsessed with this man? The question has been answered, but Castro was anti-Capitalism from an early age from when his father had some farmland and had to deal with the big businesses. ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2006, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/17 "2006-07-15T06:23:07Z")
It’s important to remember that Castro didn’t just nationalize American business interests but did so without compensation. This, in addition to the other points already noted, is one of the main reasons we got so pissed at him. That we are still so pissed at him going on fifty years later never ceases to amaze and disappoint me. But, as has been mentioned, that’s largely a reflection of the influence of the Cuban exile community. Funny, isn’t it? We’ll trade with China but not Cuba. Oh, right, a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds … ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/18 "2006-07-15T13:04:30Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Anyone other than Americans obsessed with this man? [/QUOTE] Hugo Chavez? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/19 "2006-07-17T03:28:04Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Hugo Chavez? [/QUOTE] Who, coincidentally, our administration is obsessed about. A circle of obsession, I tells ya! ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-u-s-support-castro-from-the-start/363913/20 "2006-07-17T08:40:10Z")
I remember huge headlines in the Dallas papers when Castro announced he was a communist. IIRC, he was quoted as saying ‘he was now, and always had been, a communist’ or words to that effect—it’s been a long time ago.