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Hi, Im in the process of writing a story/history thang set in the late 1960's in a Cuba that is part of the United States, with Fidel Castro as a radical, corrupt Long-style Governor.

First of all, based on my limited readings Castro was up for a parliament seat in 1952 before Batista's coup. As a young, firebrand attorney he set about trying to get a case before the courts declaring the coup illegal, not so surprisingly the new regime refused to allow it, from there Castro decided on revolutionary methods.

Also reading interviews and statements from former collegues/activists from his college days and the Revolution they stated he was very much a "things would be better under me" kinda guy, with ideology playing only a secondary role in his politics. This is quite obvious in his switiching of Nasser style left-wing nationalism for full blown Communism in 1965, as well as efforts to court the Catholic Church.

From this I believe Castro would have been quite happy to join a mainstream party (I'd say Democrat both for liberal/big labour leanings at the time and a Republican Castro seems too ironic in a Turtledove way) if he saw the chance for power. I'd like to know what people think on this though, if anyone has more understanding of his views and methods.

Now... How does Cuba become part of the USA? I was thinking quite simply for them to keep it after the Spanish-American War, finally turning in into a full-blown state in the 1930's. However America always had a keen interest in owning the "Jewel of the Antilles" so would an earlier POD work better since the SAW was fought on the basis of helping nationalists liberate Cuba. I'm not too sure how sincere this was though so any help is appreciated. Alternatively offers were made to buy the island as early as the 1850s, would this lead ot a more natural creation of statehood for Cuba, as there's no fully-fledged national liberation to side-step?

So basically two things I would REALLY appreciate help with:

1) Castro: a plausible Governor?
2) POD for Cuban statehood
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