Right wing Cuba

ninebucks

Banned
How about a pro-Axis coup some point after Pearl Harbour?

Batista declared for the Allies, but I doubt this was agreed upon unanimously among his followers. After Pearl Harbour and the German declaration of war, its possible someone in the military could take the chance to take control and push Batista out of the way, (imprisoning him, rather than executing him, I'd think).

The USA is outraged, but too busy to do anything, (maybe they'll set up some kind of Bay of Pigs-esque invasion - but it'd surely fail). The Cubans don't contribute to the Allied war effort, but rather they beef up their defences against the Americans and turn on their own people, purging many of the individuals who would have otherwise formed the OTL Communist government.

After victory in Japan and Europe, the USA launches a swift invasion of Cuba. The pro-Axis government topples amidst fierce street-fighting in Havana and Batista is bust out of prison and reinstated as head of state. A position he serves in, as a petty Rightist autocrat, for the remainder of his natural life.

When he died in 1974, the USA, under the arch-liberal Jimmy Carter, demanded that Cuba replace their leader democratically. But things don't turn out that way, preliminary votes are rigged and moderate candidates are intimidated. The inevitable happens and a hardline Pinochet-esque fascist comes to power. The Carter White House proposes an embargo, that just skims through the Congress and economic and diplomatic ties are cut.

Fascist Cuba becomes increasingly isolated and impoverished. But the new government manage to keep control of its people, often through brutal means.

Carter loses the next election, a Republican comes into power and eases the Cuban embargo, saving the Cuban regime from economic collapse, and allowing a new class of corrupt super-rich to emerge.

The Cuban regime stands the test of time by succeeding in keeping its people under heel, while allowing enough economic growth to keep its élites on side. In America, the Cuban issue divides people along party lines, Democrats support keeping with the spirit of Carter's embargo, and keeping Cuba at arms length, while Republicans support engaging Cuba, mostly for economic benefit, but with some Cold War ideological leftovers.
 
That scenario sorta fell through the moment "too busy to do anything" came about. Cuba is in both air and submarine range of the US, and the infrastructure to invade it (including a plethora of boats to sail there under the US navy's guarding) would be available. The US could easily get there, knows they would need the practice for any such landings in Africa, Southern or Northern Europe, or Asia, and the fight is conveniently in range of land-base air crews. Plus, it would take months to build up the blue-water forces needed to ferry across the Atlantic, while the Caribbean boats are already there. There is time, the ability, and most every advantage to secure a vital doorstep to the Caribbean.
 
I think that a rightist Cuba would be more like El Salvador or Honduras than Zaire.

Probably.

Hmm...instead of right-wing being "large landowners and mafiosi," what if there's land reform at some point and we get a bunch of smallholders fiercely intending on holding onto their property and not being put in collective farms?

That would require an earlier POD (the land reform), but it's a bit of a twist.
 
Probably.

Hmm...instead of right-wing being "large landowners and mafiosi," what if there's land reform at some point and we get a bunch of smallholders fiercely intending on holding onto their property and not being put in collective farms?

That would require an earlier POD (the land reform), but it's a bit of a twist.

Except land reform results in marines or CIA agents, depending on the date.
 
Except land reform results in marines or CIA agents, depending on the date.

That depends on how it's done and who's the President at the time. Perhaps there's an abortive Communist revolt and the US pushes for something like that as a means of "buying off" the campesinos.
 
That depends on how it's done and who's the President at the time. Perhaps there's an abortive Communist revolt and the US pushes for something like that as a means of "buying off" the campesinos.


Well, Taiwan did succeed in pushing for land- reform in th 1950s- 1960s and it is certainly a right- wing government. However, clarification of 'right wing politics in cuban context' is needed. Are we talking about big landowners dominating the political scene or a ruthless merchantile state?
 
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