Fidel Castro dies at 90

foxdoublegunner · 11-28-2016, 12:16 AM

I was too young to remember but my parents told me a number of times that the trials and executions of the more noteworthy Castro opponents were televised nightly as a means of cowering the opposition. It is probably impossible to accurately tally the number of Cubans killed let alone imprisoned during Fidel's 57 years in power. I think that it is safe to say that the dead number at least in the 10s of thousands during the initial years as he consolidated power. Some were killed outright by firing squad while thousands suffered a slower death in the prisons/"work" farms. Others died as a result of Castro's numerous overseas interventions. Cuba is not a big country. The population when he took over was approximately 10 million and Cuba went from being the most prosperous country in Latin America to one of the poorest during Castro's time in power. We see the same story repeated in Venezuela but on a not quite as ruthless scale.
I doubt much, if anything, will change with Fidel's death. The powers behind the "throne" are still in place with little motivation to moderate the current form of government.

11-28-2016, 12:16 AM	#7
foxdoublegunner User Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: California and Nevada Posts: 98 Thanks: 63 Thanked 67 Times in 29 Posts	I was too young to remember but my parents told me a number of times that the trials and executions of the more noteworthy Castro opponents were televised nightly as a means of cowering the opposition. It is probably impossible to accurately tally the number of Cubans killed let alone imprisoned during Fidel's 57 years in power. I think that it is safe to say that the dead number at least in the 10s of thousands during the initial years as he consolidated power. Some were killed outright by firing squad while thousands suffered a slower death in the prisons/"work" farms. Others died as a result of Castro's numerous overseas interventions. Cuba is not a big country. The population when he took over was approximately 10 million and Cuba went from being the most prosperous country in Latin America to one of the poorest during Castro's time in power. We see the same story repeated in Venezuela but on a not quite as ruthless scale. I doubt much, if anything, will change with Fidel's death. The powers behind the "throne" are still in place with little motivation to moderate the current form of government.