Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Cuban Revolution (2)
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The dictator who ruled Cuba with an iron fist, Sergeant Batista, was born in 1901 in Banes, Cuba.
Batista grew up watching the power and influence of the United States as it governed Cuba with an iron fist.
“Guns are the best means of rule, huh.”
When President Machado’s authoritarian rule and the Great Depression plunged the country into chaos, Batista sensed an opportunity to seize power with his keen instincts.
At the time, Batista’s rank was just sergeant.
Batista seized real power in the state through the “Sergeants’ Revolt” he led in 1933.
He exercised power through a five-member committee, then became president himself in 1940 and ruled Cuba for four years.
“Now that I’m a legitimate leader, I need to keep up appearances, right?”
Batista even tried imitating the successful Pyongyang style in his own way for governance.
“Korean-style democracy! Batista’s doing it too!”
He made the constitution fairly democratic.
But the Batista regime wasn’t popular among the people.
“What does that ignorant sergeant bastard know about ruling?”
Batista had to step down from power as soon as his term ended.
“Your Excellency, our loyalty is still to you.”
“Yeah.”
Even though Batista had lost power, the Cuban military still followed him.
If Batista wanted it, taking power back would be a piece of cake.
“But I’ve got some dignity now— a coup would be a bit much.”
Ruling crudely with guns would hardly shake off his image as a radical sergeant.
Batista decided to bide his time for now.
He figured that if his successor screwed up, the opportunity would come back to him.
Batista held out through 1948.
Then in 1952, confident of victory, Batista put forward a puppet candidate he could control in the election.
“If we win, it’s legitimate dictatorship.”
He had mastered Lee Seong-jun-style quasi-legitimate dictatorship techniques.
Batista was so sure the 1952 election would end in his victory that he popped champagne.
But what do you know?
“Our candidate came in... last?”
Polls predicted a crushing defeat for Carlos Saladrigas Zayas, the man Batista had put forward.
“At this rate, we’re finished, Your Excellency.”
Like most military dictators, Batista had no intention of accepting the election results.
“No choice. Since the people of this country don’t know the true path, I’ll have to make the decision to save the nation.”
Batista abandoned any thought of regaining power legally.
Come to think of it, hadn’t Lee Seong-jun seized power with guns too?
Batista gathered retired officers and active-duty soldiers to plot a military revolt.
“If Your Excellency leads, we’ll follow.”
Batista’s prestige in the military was as strong as ever.
And so, in 1952, Batista staged a coup and ousted President Carlos Prío Socarrás.
It was the arrival of true iron-fist dictatorship, different from before.
Batista first sought weak legitimacy from the United States.
“From today, I’m America’s dog. Bark if you say bark, bite if you say bite.”
“Yeah?”
Washington decided to turn a blind eye to Batista’s coup.
As long as the dictator listened to the U.S., they didn’t care what he was.
With America’s backing, Batista wielded strong dictatorial power.
He abolished the 1940 constitution and stripped away most political freedoms.
The model Batista referenced was Lee Seong-jun’s “Yushin Korea.”
“Nothing beats that era’s Korea as the gold standard for dictatorship.”
Batista couldn’t understand why Lee Seong-jun had given up such power.
“You’ve all worked hard. From now on, wear your uniforms and serve as assemblymen too.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
Following Korean Yushin, Batista appointed military men to one-third of the seats in the National Assembly.
Not satisfied with that, he imported a few more of Lee Seong-jun’s dark history items.
“Running political prisoner camps outright is a bit much, right? Let’s do ‘revolutionary education’ like Lee Seong-jun.”
Batista built “revolutionary camps” across Cuba to brainwash the people with his quotes and governing philosophy.
“His Excellency Batista is a superman on a white horse who descended from the heavens for the Cuban people.”
“That’s right.”
Batista packaged himself as a superman, but he was nothing of the sort.
Under Batista’s rule, Cuba was rapidly falling apart.
In just one year, the sugar industry was completely handed over to foreigners, and the beautiful white-sand beaches became villas for Americans.
The vast remaining land went to landlords who sided with Batista.
“Heh heh. Looking forward to working with you.”
“Just stick with me and the military. Don’t forget the support.”
“Of course, Your Excellency.”
Batista even arranged prostitution on top of that.
He teamed up with the mafia to run hundreds of brothels.
“Cuba’s got some fine women—perfect for a good time before you go. Come visit lots.”
All the profits went straight into Batista’s and his cronies’ pockets.
“I’ve got to live well for the country to prosper.”
“Wise words, sir.”
Any initial aspiration to develop Cuba progressively was gone.
All that remained in his heart was a thirst for power.
The more corrupt the Batista regime became, the more anger boiled up in Cuba.
Protests erupted in cities everywhere, with riots and strikes happening frequently.
Of course, Batista wasn’t a fool; he knew this situation wasn’t good.
So he came up with countermeasures in his own way.
“In case of a massive riot, we should start preparing to protect the regime.”
For this too, Batista referenced Korea’s advanced civilization.
He couldn’t very well look to Britain or America— the West had never experienced a proper coup or major unrest.
So, Korea it was.
Korea had recently dealt with large-scale riots and had plenty of know-how on handling them.
Through the embassy in Pyongyang, Batista imported various measures.
“Loyalty Unit?”
“Yes, Your Excellency. This Loyalty Unit serves as the core force for suppressing rebels in emergencies. Of course, it’s also useful for quelling riots.”
“Loyalty Unit, huh. Give it a try.”
Batista first applied the Loyalty Unit concept from Korea to the capital region units.
Watching the Loyalty training firsthand, he became convinced of one thing.
“Korea really is advanced in this field.”
The infantry advancing in unison with shields raised had enough intimidation to cow protesters.
Add tear gas, and even a million demonstrators wouldn’t be scary.
“Prepare for protest suppression!”
“Sir!”
After observing the Loyalty training, Batista ordered it expanded across the entire military.
“If the whole army turns into police in an emergency, how could protesters overthrow the regime?”
“You’re right, sir.”
This was how Batista prepared to respond ruthlessly to protests and riots.
In truth, as long as there was no internal betrayal, there was nothing that could shake the Batista regime.
Batista’s tactical shift soon showed results.
“It’s the military police!”
“Beat ‘em down!”
The Cuban army, armed with batons and shields, joined the police and mercilessly crushed the protesters.
“Aaagh!”
Batista sent the captured protesters to revolutionary camps.
At first, it was mostly “reform education,” but as the number of inmates grew, the Batista regime changed its tune.
“Man, managing them all is a hassle—why not just kill a few off?”
Cuba had plenty of people anyway.
The Batista government began “disappearing” ringleaders of protests.
Even wielding the iron fist this way, discontent didn’t subside.
From the start, it was greedy to strangle the people and expect their anger to fade.
“Oh man, Miguel. What happened to you, coming back like this.”
The more the Batista regime killed, the more Cubans burned with resistance.
The size of protests only grew day by day.
As things progressed this far, Batista rolled out even harsher measures.
“Set up an Anti-Communist Activity Suppression Agency and wipe out the reds thoroughly!”
The U.S. turned a blind eye to the Cuban authorities’ brutal crackdowns.
“They’re catching commies—some blood’s gotta spill.”
Ironically, this red hunt massively spread “socialists” across Cuba.
“Opposing Batista makes you a socialist? Then I’m a socialist too.”
By late 1954, socialist sympathizers in Cuba had grown into an unignorable force.
Seeing this, Castro in Mexico figured there was no need to wait until next year.
“Comrades, let’s cross now.”
“What? Already?”
“If we don’t move when the time is ripe like this, when will we?”
Castro led 58 revolutionaries and landed in Cuba.
Not a large force, but enough to threaten the Batista regime.
Batista didn’t notice their landing at all.
Even if he had, he probably would’ve dismissed it.
A group of fewer than 60.
What could they possibly do?
But that group of fewer than 60 was dead serious about flipping Cuba.
Two years earlier than in the original history.
The spark of the Cuban Revolution had landed in Cuba.