The year Fidel Castro came to power, there may have been three objects sitting on the desk of the Cuban prime minister: a small model of the Lincoln Memorial, a mini desk calendar turned to July 26th, and a rustic quill. Castro’s changing foreign interests have mystified many throughout his reign, and the evolution of these symbols may provide a window into the mindset of his 56-year dynasty.
1959- When Castro seized control of the Cuban government on the first of the year, it was still heavily dependent on US corporations and investments, which had replaced the weight of the Spanish crown through the Treaty of Paris (1894). However, after the success of Castro’s 26th of July political movement, the new prime minister began dramatically re-working the entire economy. US-Cuba trade evaporated quickly following extreme taxes on American exports. Though the US government was already privy to Castro’s “anti-Yankee imperialism,” vice-president Nixon agreed to meet with Castro in Washington DC, the last such visit for the next half century.
1962- The objects on Castro’s desk have sustained a dramatic change. As the Cold War swept across the world, the quill that had reminded Cubans of America’s economic and political power snapped into two pieces when President Kennedy, pressured by American corporations, approved a stringent trade embargo with Cuba. In the same year, a model of a bobble-head pig armed with a missile found its way into the space on Castro’s desk, replacing the Lincoln memorial. In the midst of the Cold War, the CIA led over fifty attempts on Fidel Castro’s life, starting with the botched Bay of Pigs invasion, to prevent Cuba from joining the Soviets. Though the organization operated secretly through former Cuban exiles, Castro was not deceived. He quickly armed his country with missiles from the USSR, and the US just barely escaped armed confrontation with Communist forces. Just as the bobble-head figurine bounced its head comically from side-to-side, Castro’s erratic ambitions darkened his relations with the US.
1996- Amidst the exodus of dissatisfied Cubans to the US, 2 model fighter planes appeared on Castro’s desk. This year, the Cuban government shot down two such American planes flying over Cuban airspace. When the US Congress furiously extended the trade embargo to all of Cuba’s trade partners (Helms-Burton Act), deep-seated anger on both sides brought relations to their most volatile point.
2013- Seven years have passed since the first Castro bequeathed control of Cuba to his younger brother, Raul Castro. This year, the leather gloves that the second Castro wore to Mandela’s funeral appeared casually on the table – this was the same pair that he had worn while shaking hands with President Obama, the first such handshake to take place in 54 years.
2015- The seeds of revolution have sprouted out of the deep-rooted trade embargo. The armed pig on Castro’s desk has evolved into a small model of a wrapped and packaged American pork chop, mirroring the vast amount of US food aid that entered Cuba following Hurricane Michelle. Despite the sharp hostility of President Bush’s administration, the non-existent trade relations between the two nations have given way to cautious negotiations between the two countries. Though there is much uncertainty as to how these talks will affect Cuba’s anti-American stance, President Obama recently suggested a small addition to Castro’s desk- a small black desk phone, connecting directly to an identical one on his own desk. With these, there may come a time when the fierce rivals reach a point of understanding and democracy. Until then, I believe we must keep an eye on the Cuban leader’s desk.
