A HERO RETURNS The streets of Havana Cuba hummed On January 1 the country’s dictator with energy It was January 8 1959 had fled Cuba His name was Fulgencio Batista Batista’s critics said he only helped rich Cubans They said he did nothing to help the poor Now thousands of Cubans had gathered They wanted to see the rebel leader who had pushed Batista out of power He was a tall bearded 32-year-old man named Fidel Castro Castro and his followers already had held rallies in several other Cuban cities Now they moved toward Havana the capital Fidel Castro center and other revolutionaries celebrate their victory over Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959 5
Castro rode into Havana in a jeep He was dressed in military clothing He made his way to a rally at Camp Columbia This had been Batista’s headquarters Castro stepped up to a podium He began to address the cheering crowd BATISTA’S CUBA Fulgencio Batista served as president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 He ruled as dictator from 1952 to 1959 Batista favored wealthy Cubans over the working class He oversaw the growth of Havana and built his own private fortune He took away rights Cubans had come to expect under their constitution When Cubans began to rebel Batista ordered the police to kill his opponents He lost the support of the US government in 1958 He left Cuba and lived the rest of his life in exile 6 Castro did not have a prepared speech He did not have any notes He spoke with passion until dawn Then someone released a flock of white doves The doves symbolized a new era of peace One landed on Castro’s shoulder The crowd went wild They began chanting his name Many believed the
Fidel Castro was known for giving very long speeches His victory speech in Havana lasted until morning dove was a special sign They believed it represented Castro’s role as savior of their nation CREATING A LEGEND Castro also believed he was his country’s savior His journey to Havana had started years before He led a rebel attack on the government in 1953 The attack failed Castro was arrested tried sentenced and then released He sought exile in Mexico and returned to Cuba in 1956 Upon his return he and his followers began a campaign of guerrilla warfare They operated out of the rugged Sierra Maestra mountains on Cuba’s 7
