Cuba: The Test of Time

F M L N F r e n t e F a r a b u n d o M a r t i d e L i b e r a c i o n N a c i o n a lFarabundo Marti National Liberation Front (ElSalvador)

GLACSEC Group of Latin American and Caribbean SugarExporting Countries

INDER Institute Nacional de Deporte y RecreacionNational Institute of Sport and Recreation

J U C E P L A N J u n t a C e n t r a l d e P l a n i fi c a c i o nCentral Planning Board

NESL North East Shipbuilders Ltd (UK)

O A S O r g a n i s a t i o n o f A m e r i c a n S t a t e s

P C C P a r t i d o C o m u n i s t a C u b a n oCuban Communist Party

S A S o c i e d a d A g n ' c o l aAgricultural Society

SDPE Sistema de Direccion y Planificacion de la EconomfaEconomic Management and Planning System

S E L A S i s t e m a E c o n o m i c o L a t i n o - A m e r i c a n oLatin American Economic System

SWAPO Sou th Wes t A f r i ca Peop le ' s Organ isa t ion

U M A P U n i d a d M i l i t a r d e A p o y o a l a P r o d u c c i o nMilitary Unit for Production

U N C T A D U n i t e d N a t i o n s C o m m i s s i o n o n T r a d e a n dDevelopment

UNDP Uni ted Nat ions Development Programme

UNEAC Un ion de Esc r i to res y A r t i s tas de CubaI I n i n n n f W r i t e r s a n d A r t i s t s n f ( " ' i i h a

Y

C h r o n o l o g y1 9 5 9 ( L i b e r a t i o n Y e a r )

January Victory of the revolution: Fidel Castro entersHavana: revolutionary general strike

M a r c h A g r a r i a n r e f o r m i n i t i a t e dAugust USSR announces purchase of 170,000 tons of sugar

f r o m C u b a

September Che Guevara signs treaties with several Asian andA f r i c a n c o u n t r i e s

November Che Guevara designated head of National BankDecember Cuba obtains US$100 million credit in Europe

1 9 6 0 ( A g r a r i a n R e f o r m Y e a r )

February Sugar centrales nationalisedMarch French ship carrying arms to Cuba sabotaged. At

burial of victims, Castro uses slogan Tatria oM u e r t e ! ' f o r fi r s t t i m eCentral Planning Board (JUCEPLAN) established

April United Fruit Company latifundios expropriatedLabour Census begun

May Diplomatic relations with the USSR reestablishedJ u n e Te x a c o r e fi n e r y n a t i o n a l i s e dJ u l y E s s o a n d S h e l l r e fi n e r i e s t a k e n o v e r

US cancels Cuba's sugar quotaDecision to expropriate all US propertyChina and Cuba sign mutual benefit treaties

August Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) formedNorth Korea and Cuba establish diplomatic relations

September Committees for the Defence of the Revolution(CDRs) set up

October Major foreign banks nationalisedUS embargo on all imports to CubaUrban Reform Law passed

December Diplomatic relations established with Vietnam

1 9 6 1 ( E d u c a t i o n Y e a r )

January US severs diplomatic relations with Cubax i

Cuba: The Test of Time

Czech government agrees to represent Cuba in USUruguay expels Cuban ambassadorLiteracy campaign begun

April Abortive US-backed mercenary invasion at Bay ofPigs (Playa Giron)Castro declares Cuba to be socialist

September Cuba and USSR sign joint communique in MoscowNovember Venezuela severs diplomatic relations with CubaDecember Colombia severs diplomatic relations with Cuba

1 9 6 2 ( Ye a r o f P l a n n i n g )January Organisation of American States (OAS) expels CubaFebruary Argentina severs diplomatic relations with Cuba

Adult literacy courses begunPolio vaccination campaign initiated

M a r c h F o o d r a t i o n i n g b e g u nA p r i l E c u a d o r b r e a k s d i p l o m a t i c r e l a t i o n s w i t h C u b aJ u n e R e c o r d c o f f e e h a r v e s tOctober 'Missi le cr is is ' : Kennedy demands withdrawal of

Soviet troops and armaments from Cuba andimposes naval blockade. Kruschev accedes todemand on condition that Cuba receives guaranteeof non-aggression from West

November Kennedy suspends naval blockade but reiteratessupport for political and economic aggression againstC u b a

1 9 6 3 ( Ye a r o f O r g a n i s a t i o n )February Commercial agreement between Cuba and USSRMarch Kennedy states 'We will build a wall around Cuba'

in Costa Rica speech, leading to Central Americadeclaration to isolate Cuba

July Expropr iat ion of US embassy propertySeptember Attack by US planes in Las Villas provinceOctober Second Agrarian Reform Law takes effectNovember Compulsory military service introduced

(Year of the Economy)C a s t r o v i s i t s M o s c o wUS expels 700 Cubans working at Guantanamomilitary base

Y i i

1 9 6 4JanuaryF p . h n m r v

Chronology

August Chi le severs d ip lomat ic t ies wi th Cuba

1 9 6 5 ( Ye a r o f A g r i c u l t u r e )March Cuba donates 10,000 tons of sugar to VietnamSeptember 15,000 students mobilised for coffee harvestOctober Founding of restructured Cuban Communist Party

(FCC)December Graduation of first primary school teachers

1 9 6 6 ( Ye a r o f S o l i d a r i t y )January Creation of Organisation for Solidarity between the

Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America: firstconference on tri-continental solidarity held inH a v a n a

J u n e F i r s t n a t i o n a l b o o k f a i r

1 9 6 7 ( H e r o i c V i e t n a m Y e a r )O c t o b e r C h e G u e v a r a d i e s i n B o l i v i a

(Year of the Heroic Guerrilla)Cuba refuses to sign UN non-proliferation treaty'Revolutionary Offensive' launched; 56,000 smallprivate concerns are nationalised

(Year of Decisive Effort)

Inauguration of Institute of Nuclear Physics

(Year of Ten Million)

N o v e m b e r

Record 8.5 million tons sugar harvest; but 1.5 milliontons short of targetChile reestablishes diplomatic links after election ofSa lvador A l lende government

(Productivity Year)Pioneer youth organisation foundedPeru invites Cuba to join Group of 77C a s t r o v i s i t s A l l e n d e ' s C h i l e

November

JanuaryFebruary

M a r c h

(Year of Socialist Emulation)Cuba reelected as member of UN DevelopmentProgramme Administrative CouncilProgressive military Velasco regime in Perureestablishes diplomatic relations with Cuba, isevered since 1960Cuba joins COMECONDiplomatic relations established with Barbados,Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad-Tobago

(20th Anniversary Year)Cuba has the lowest child mortality rate in LatinA m e r i c aNational discussion over judiciary reformCuba and Argentina agree to reestablish diplomaticr e l a t i o n sCastro goes to Algiers for conference of non-alignedc o u n t r i e sCuba severs diplomatic relations with IsraelFreeze of all Chilean assets in country after deatho f A l l e n d eCuban merchant ship detained by US in Panamac a n a l

;r 13th Congress of Central Organisation of TradeUnions (CTC) links wages to productivity

(15th Anniversary Year)B r e z h n e v v i s i t s C u b a

y Government offers more than 98,200 grants to youngs t u d e n t sInternational "Women's Day. Discussion of projectedFamily Code

January

February

M a r c h

(Year of the 1st Congress)Cuba and the Federal Republic of Germanyreestablish diplomatic relationsLong-distance telephone line between Moscow andFlayana finishedFamily Code approvedCuba and Colombia reestablish diplomatic relations

Chronology

Cuba establishes diplomatic links with EthiopiaFirst Congress of the PCC: approval given tocooperative movement, People's Power andcentralised planning system

(Year of 20th Anniversary of Granma)Referendum approves the new Constitution whichis proclaimed on the 24thCuba and Libya establish diplomatic relationsPirate launch attacks Cuban fishing vesselsBomb explodes in Cuban embassy in LisbonBomb explodes in Cuban mission to the UNMunicipal elections for the National Assembly ofPeople's Power

(Year of Insti tut ionalisation)Costa Rica and Cuba reestablish diplomatic relationsCastro on six-week tour of Afr ican, Arab andEastern European socialist countriesDecision by US and Cuba to open interest sectionsi n e a c h o t h e r ' s c o u n t r i e s

(Year of 11th Festival)Cuba and USSR sign important protocol oncommercial exchange7.3 million tons of sugar produced11th Internat ional Youth Fest ival held in HavanaSpain and Cuba sign agreement on scientific andt e c h n i c a l c o l l a b o r a t i o nExhib i t ion 'Cuba: 20 Years of Revolut ion '

(20th Anniversary of Victory)Municipal Assembly elections; 96.9% of populationv o t e s

Grenada and Cuba establish diplomatic relationsGovernment denounces US plans to intervene inNicaraguaNicaragua and Cuba reestablish diplomatic relations

Cuba: The Test of Time

September

December

M a r c h

MayDecember

1981

January

August

November

1983March

May

October

Summit of the Non-Aligned Countries held inH a v a n a

^ " l e r i c a n

(Year of 2nd Congress)d - n - i n a . i o n

Ke US " """ '25.000 Cubans leaveSecond Congress of the PCC

(20th Anniversary of PlayaGiron)eondeitining''aS S hum'"' '"(""'.""'OneForeign Ministry denoim Salvadorof Mozambique South African invasionCastro visits Mexico

invasiJjfbfsVuTh fH^^^ Angola against(24th Year of the Revolution)Malvinas ^^^'on in the Falklands/ANAP Congress debates FaGranma publishes list J ''"iers' Marketscarried out against the infamies'

c-uoan regime

(JOlhAnniveraryofMoncada)Agreement for refir. •Jigned in Pan, "''"""""S of Cuba's foreign debt

desire ,o

roops

J u n eN o v e m b e rD e c e m b e r

JanuaryM a r c hD e c e m b e r

D e c e m b e r

February

August

September

D e c e m b e r

Chronology

(25th Anniversary of the Triumph of theRevolu t ion)Election to People's Power — 98.6% of registeredv o t e r s v o t e

Cuba decides not to attend Los Angeles OlympicsLaw passed to make all tenants house-ownersCuba-US talks on migratory relations. Cuba agreesto take back 2,700 criminals and 'undesirables' whowent to US during the Mariel boatlift

(Year of the 3rd Congress)Intense debate on Housing Law and Labour CodeGorbachev comes to powerThird Congress of PCC

(Year of the 30th Anniversary of the Granmalanding)Cuba condemns US attack on LibyaCuba proposes postponement of payments on debtsd u e i n 1 9 8 6Farmers ' Markets c losedDeferred third PCC Congress session: Castroannounces beginning of 'rectification' campaign

(Year 29 of the Revolution)Infant mortality down to 13.6:1000

(Year 30 of the Revolution)Castro visits Ecuador to attend inauguration ofnewly elected President BorjaUN Human Rights Commission visits CubaNegotiations over Angola and southern Africa withSouth Afr ica and USCastro visits Mexico to attend inauguration of newlyelected President Salinas