Castro Becomes Cuban Prime Minister (1959)
On February 16, 1959, Fidel Castro took office as the Prime Minister of Cuba and the leader of the Communist Party of Cuba upon the resignation of Jose Cardona. Castro was sworn into the position of Prime Minister in the Presidential Palace of Havana, Cuba before a large crowd of Cuban and foreign media, wearing his olive-green army fatigues, military cap, and beard.
The year of 1959 saw many changes in Cuba. On New Year’s Day 1959, Cuban dictator Fulgenicio Batista fled the country as Fidel Castro and his guerrilla forces marched into Santiago to proclaim victory. Castro had led a seven-year military resistance against Batista’s regime with the assistance of men like Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Then, on this day, February 16, 1959, at the age of 32, Castro claimed the title of Prime Minister of Cuba.
In April 1959, Castro made a rare trip to the United States on an unofficial visit to the cities of Washington D.C. and New York to promote Cuba’s new regime and revolution. Shortly thereafter, U.S.-Cuban relations soured and the U.S. imposed economic sanctions on Cuba.
The hostility between Cuba and the U.S. grew to its height in 1962 with the Cuban missile crisis. In particular, the USSR forged an alliance with Cuba and began staging nuclear weapons in Cuba. President John F. Kennedy acted swiftly to end the crisis. However, tensions between the US and Cuba and the USSR continued.
In 1976, Castro passed a new Cuban constitution making himself the president, secretary general, and commander-in-chief of the country. More recently, Castro transferred his power to his brother, Raul Castro, who now acts as the head of Cuba.
Today, the U.S. and Cuba still do not have a formal diplomatic relationship. The U.S. imposes an embargo against Cuban goods which makes it illegal for U.S. companies to conduct business with Cuba. The U.S. maintains that the embargo will continue until Cuba’s government becomes more democratic and improves its laws on human rights.