*is knocked off his feet by the raw force of irony*
Ok, we need infoboxes about Cuba now.
Ask and thou shalt receive
Been working on these for a while, the Fidel Castro box has been on my computer since he died, but finally had the impetus to finish them:
The
Kingdom of Cuba is a sovereign state comprising the islands of Cuba, Isla de Pinos and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean region, where the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico meet, and the country is west of the two Haitian states, Kingdom of Haiti (North) and the Republic of Haiti (south), and is bounded on the north and south by the United Empire. In the north by the Free State of Florida and the Carolinian state of the Bahamas, and in the south by the Free State of Jamaica.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Cuba was inhabited by three distinct tribes of indigenous peoples; the Taíno, the Guanahatabey, and the Ciboney. All three had arrived on the island sometime after 4,000 BCE, migrating from what is now South America and Hispaniola, and inhabited the island until discovery by Spain in the late 15th century CE. The fleet of Christopher Columbus landed in what is now Holguín Province on 28 October 1492, claiming the island for the Kingdom of Spain, and naming it
Isla Juana. In 1511 the first Spanish settlement was founded at Baracoa, followed by several other settlements including San Cristobal de la Habana, which became the modern capital Havana. Within a century of contact with Europeans, the indigenous people on the island were virtually wiped out, primarily due Eurasian infectious diseases, but also the harsh conditions of the represseive colonial regime. Cuba developed slowly, but unlike the plantation islands of the Caribbean the island had a diversified agriculture with an urbanised society that supported the Spanish colonial empire.
For a brief period during the Seven Years' War, Havana and parts of western Cuba were occupied by the British Empire, beginning in 1762 and ending with the Peace of Paris in 1763. During the short occupation, the British opened the island to trade with their North American and Caribbean colonies, causing a rapid transformation of Cuban society, with the import of food, horses and other goods into the city, as well as thousands of slaves to work on the sugar plantations. The Haitian Revolution of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century was the trigger for the economic development of Cuba, as the island imported thousands of slaves to work in the sugar industry. During the 1820s, as the rest of the Spanish colonial empire in Latin America rebelled and formed independent states, Cuba remained loyal to the Spanish Crown.
Although Cuba remained part of the Spanish Empire during the Latin American Wars of Independence, and the subsequent Bolivarian Wars, some in the country agitated for independence from Spain. When the Spanish Revolution began on 16 August 1863, revolutionary forces in the three territories of the Spanish West Indies rose up against the royalist colonial governments, in support of the revolutionaries in Continental Spain. Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, a Cuban plantation owner, led the Cuban revolutionaries against Spain's colonial forces, freeing his slaves in the process. Although there was a strong abolitionist movement in Cuba, many of the business elite were opposed to a complete break with Spain, conscious of the impact it would have on the lucrative trade with British North America. The Cuban theatre of the revolution saw major fighting between royalists and republicans in the towns and countryside of the country, until the sinking of the HMS
Maine in Havana Harbour, which brought Great Britain into the war. British forces moved quickly to pacify republican forces in Cuba, and the Cuban Revolt was ended when British American soldiers took the city of Santiago at the Battle of San Juan Hill on 1 July 1868.
The Peace of Lisbon formally ended the Revolution, and led to the establishment of royalist government-in-exile over the territories of Cuba and Santo Domingo, more commonly known as the Spanish Antilles. The Royal Court was also transferred to Havana, where the arrival of Queen Isabel II on 24 November 1868 was greeted with much fanfare and celebration, with the Queen being the first Spanish monarch to have visited the island. With the monarchy now based in Cuba, the island's society underwent significant changes, most notably the full abolition of slavery in the 1870s. Close ties with Spanish-speaking Florida continued to develop over the late nineteenth century, with the island now freed from restrictive Spanish trade policies, and a large Cuban diaspora exists in Florida to this day.
As a fragile state, the Spanish Antilles attempted to strengthen its democratic system throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, but mounting political radicalisation and social strife led to the rise to power of Gerardo Machado and Rafael Trujillo, and the dictatorial period. The pro-Axis leaning of Machado and Trujillo, as well as their close relations with South Haiti and the fascist Argentine regime of the Infamous Decade, led to a decline in relations with the United Empire. Matters came to a head when King Alfonso Leon I, grandson of Isabel II, removed his eldest son from the succession for marrying a native Cuban. Pro-democracy activists had been agitating for a revolution to overthrow the dictatorial regime of the National Unity party, and in the Count of Covadonga they found a figurehead. On 10 October 1940, Cuban revolutionaries issued a declaration of independence in Santiago, declaring the island independent from the Antillean government and proclaiming Alfonso Fernando I as the first King of Cuba. The resulting conflict would spread across Cuba and Santo Domingo, opening up a secondary theatre in the Second World War, as Allied- and Axis-aligned forces fought against each other across the islands. On 15 January 1941, his brother was proclaimed King of the Dominicans, and led the revolutionaries in Santo Domingo against the fascist regime. British and Texan support for the anti-fascists swung the conflict against the National Unity government, and in a final stand in Ciudad Isabel, Generals Trujillo and Machado were killed by opposition forces.
On 14 April 1941, the San Juan Agreement was signed in San Juan, Puerto Rico by representatives of the new Cuban and Dominican governments, and led to the mutual recognition of both countries independence. Cuba would align itself to the Allies for the remainder of the conflict, and some volunteers served in Europe and North Africa as part of the British forces, as well as travelling to Argentina to fight against the fascists during the civil war there. The immediate period following the Second World War saw the nation undergo an extensive period of reconstruction, as the fledgling democracy consolidated itself and the promulgation of a formal constitution. Reconstruction of the country's infrastructure would continue throughout the better part of the twentieth century, relying heavily on investment from British American companies, especially those based in Florida. Cuba would join the nascent Commonwealth of Nations, becoming one of the first non-British colonies to recognise the British monarch as Head of the Commonwealth, and is one of the most integrated members of the Commonwealth system, as a member of the Common Travel Area, the Common Defence Pact and the Commonwealth Economic Community.
Cuba of the 21st century is a multi-ethnic and multicultural country, whose people, culture and customs derive from diverse origins, including the original aboriginal population, the long period of Spanish colonialism, and the introduction of African slaves. Cuba's close relationship with the United Empire has greatly affected the nation, and relations across the Straits of Florida are very close, leading to Cuba often being derided as the "33rd dominion". A highly developed country, Cuba's economy has diversified from its base in sugar, tobacco and coffee production to boast a strong tourism industry and burgeoning finance and technology sectors.
The
2018 Cuban general election was held on 9 June 2018 to elect, under the additional member system, the 171 members of the Cuban Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Cortes Generales. Of the 171 members of the Chamber of Deputies, 115 are elected under the first past the post system from single-member constituencies, and the other 56 are elected from provincial lists.
Incumbent Prime Minister Mario Díaz-Balart, leader of the incumbent centrist liberal conservative
Christian Democratic Party (Partido Demócrata Cristiano; PDC), called the election earlier than expected, in an effort in shore up support for his struggling government. The opposition centre-left
Cuban Socialist Workers' Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Cubano; PSOC), under leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, defeated the government in an upset result, as most opinion polls had predicted strong support for governing PDC. Many pundits attributed this loss to Díaz-Balart's personal unpopularity, as he had repeatedly u-turned on key issues of trade and domestic policy, and had refused to legalise same-sex marriage despite opinion polls showing a majority of Cubans in favour.
The left-wing socialist
Democratic Revolutionary Party (Partito Revolucionario Democrático; PRD) under Alina Fernández, daughter of former prime minister Fidel Castro, saw moderate gains at this election and formed a confidence and supply agreement with the PSOC in exchange for concessions on investment in nationalised industries. The conservative
United Action Party (Partido Acción Unida; PAU) and the left-wing republican
Independent Republican Party (Partido Republicano Independiente; PRI) both saw their share of the vote decline, attributed to their support for many of Díaz-Balart's unsuccessful policies. Longtime PRI leader Marcelino Miyares was unseated by a landslide in Matanzas Province.
Fidel Castro Ruz, 1st Duke of Castro GC OAXIV (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban lawyer and politician who served three non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Cuba, first from 1956 to 1961, then 1965 to 1974, and finally from 1979 to 1987. Following his resignation he was granted the hereditary title of
Duke of Castro, one of the few titles in the Cuban nobility, and served as the 8th Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations between 1994 and 1998. In Cuba he is remembered as the "Father of the Nation", for his role in establishing the modern Cuban state, and his role in the Commonwealth has seen him recognised as an internationalist who strengthen the institutions for the 21st century.
Born in Birán as the son of a wealthy Spanish immigrant father, Castro studied law at the University of Havana where he became involved in the growing Socialist Workers' movement in Cuba. After completing his education, Castro sought election to the Chamber of Deputies at the 1953 election as a member of the Cuban Socialist Workers' Party, and he was elected as a list member for Havana Province. In the legislature he distinguished himself as a passionate orator, with a skill for outmanoeuvring his opponents. After less than three years in the Chamber, Castro led a leadership challenge against Eduardo Chibás, which he won, becoming the leader of the opposition at the age of 29. The following year at the 1956 election, Castro successfully defeated Prime Minister Fulgencio Batista's United Action party, leading the PSOC to form their first government.
Although he would be twice defeated in elections, Castro would be returned to office twice more, serving three non-consecutive terms as prime ministers. Successive Castro governments would enact various socialist policies in Cuba, nationalising the rail industry and establishing a state-subsidised healthcare system. One of his most prominent legacies is the Cuban education system, regularly ranked in the top twenty in the world, and his support for environmentalism and development of close relations with Latin America and the Commonwealth. His political beliefs, known as Castroism, continue to be a force in Cuban politics.
Upon his resignation from office in 1987, the King granted him the hereditary title
Duke of Castro and
Grandee of Cuba, and he is the only Cuban to hold the later title. In 1994 his was nominated by the Californian and Cuban governments as the replacement for Walter Mondale as Commonwealth Secretary-General, a position he accepted. During his time as Secretary-General, the Commonwealth expanded to include Mozambique, Angola and West Papua, all countries which had never been part of the British Empire. He also strengthened the role of the Commonwealth in peacekeeping operations across the globe, and when he retired in 1998 due to ill-health he was praised for leaving the organisation stronger than ever.
In his retirement, Castro retired to his family estate in Holguín Province and rarely made public appearances. Throughout the 2000s and early 2010s he suffered several illnesses, and his health deteriorated quickly. Despite this he would frequently meet for foreign officials when they visited Cuba, and was occasionally seen in public with his sister, Queen Juanita. Castro passed away on 25 November 2016, after a short illness. Refusing a state funeral, Castro was cremated the following day and his ashes entombed in the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.
Raúl Castro Ruz OAXIV (born 3 June 1931) is a retired Cuban politician and diplomat, who served as the Cuban Ambassador to Brazil between 1966 and 1975, and the High Commissioner to Texas between 1982 and 1989. The brother of Fidel Castro, the third Prime Minister of Cuba, and Juanita, Queen consort, Castro grew up with his siblings on the family estate in southeast Cuba. Joining the Cuban Socialist Workers' Party with his brothers in the early 1950s, Castro was elected to the Chamber of Deputies at the 1956 election in the Old Havana constituency, part of the Red Surge that saw his brother take the office of prime minister. Serving in the legislature for a decade, Castro survived the 1961 election that saw his brother's first government narrowly defeated by the opposition Christian Democrats. After his brother returned to government at the 1965 election, Castro was nominated as the Ambassador to Brazil, a position he held until 1975 when the Matos government forced his resignation. Remaining a prominent member of the PSOC, Castro made frequent appearances at campaign rallies, and guest lectured at the University of Havana at international relations. In 1982 his brother appointed him as High Commissioner to Texas, a position he held until 1989, when ill health forced his resignation and precluded any return to frontline politics. Since his resignation, Castro has become an elder statesman in Cuba, recognised as a prominent leader of the PSOC and a knwledgable advisor on foreign relations and global geopolitics.
Queen Juanita of Cuba (née
Juana de la Caridad Castro Ruz; born 6 May 1933) is a member of the Cuban royal family who served as Queen consort of Cuba during the reign of her husband, King Enrique V, from their marriage in 1961 to his death in 1997. Queen Juanita is the fourth child of Ángel Castro and Lina Ruz, his second wife, and the younger sister of Fidel Castro and Raúl Castro. As her father was a farmer and landowner, Juanita and her 12 siblings and half-siblings grew up on the family estate near Birán in southeast Cuba. Whereas her brothers pursued political and diplomatic careers, Juanita initially remained at the family estate to care for their ailing father. After his death in 1956 she resettled in Havana, as Fidel had just been elected prime minister, and it was here that she first met Prince Enrique, Duke of Havana, the only child and heir to King Alfonso XIV at a formal reception.
Their early courtship was kept secret from the public, due in part to the king's ailing health, and they would only confirm the romance in 1959 after Enrique's accession to the throne. Opponents of her brother decried the relationship as unconstitutional, accusing Juanita of unduly influencing the king in favour of her brother. Their relationship would continue, and the Cortes Generales would grant their approval for marriage in late 1960, which was approved under Prime Minister José Miró Cardona the following year. Juanita and Enrique wold marry in Havana Cathedral on 26 October 1961, and the birth of their three children in the 1960s would solidify the succession to the Cuban throne. Throughout her husband's reign, and in the years following his sudden death in 1997, Juanita has been a prominent and active member of the Cuban royal family, regularly appearing at public events and representing the country at state functions and foreign tours. Her personal popularity remains high, despite the scandals surrounding her daughter's husband and youngest son.
