ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the mechanisms of control in the effort not only to explain the regime's endurance, but also to establish a basis for speculating about Cuba's future. It examines the process of political control in the development of Cuba's political-military relations. The effect is mutually reinforcing: The leadership's hegemony over society helps to legitimize the regime and its political program before the military institution. The political control over the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias was developed gradually in the course of the revolution. It has been secured by four principal elements: personal loyalty to Fidel Castro's leadership and to the principles of the revolution; and the organization of the Partido Comunista de Cuba within the armed forces. While political control over the military may not fully explain Cuba's political stability since 1959, it most definitely has been a contributing factor in ensuring Castro's longevity as the regime's leader.
