Batista had been previously elected as Cuba’s president from 1940-1944. However, before Cuba’s national election in 1952, he seized power through a military coup d 'état. Under his new reign, he suspended Cuba’s constitution to silence political opponents and control the people of Cuba. He revoked political freedoms, censored the media and even commanded an Anti-communist secret police which is alleged to having used violence, torture and even public executions to scare the Cuban people into conformity. Needless to say, Batista’s regime was one of the darkest chapters in Cuban …show more content…
He focused his efforts and resources first on bringing equality and improving the lives of the Cuban people. There were plans to improve and modernize Cuba’s infrastructure through changes in communications, healthcare facilities and education. Shortly after the revolution, the Agrarian Reform Laws were enacted. They regulated the total area of land that could be owned by a single person. Anyone that owned land in excess of the regulated amount had the extra land seized, it was then redistributed to peasants. Further, the laws prevented foreign investors from owning sugar plantations, decreasing foreign influence on the Cuban economy. It was clear in the early years after the revolution that the new government adhered to the needs of the people and stayed rooted in egalitarian principles. The immediate success of the Cuban revolution was a symbol of hope for all of Latin America. It served as an example to show that the gap between the rich and the poor can be bridged and that education, healthcare, and overall better living conditions were possible for the everyday