ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959, Cuba’s political system was quickly transformed. Though the fundamental nature of Castro’s regime was well established by about 1962, several features continued to evolve long after, the most notable involving changes in the structure and organization of Cuba’s political system and foreign policies. Initial changes in Cuba’s political system were rapid and largely in response to Castro’s improvisations rather than to well-laid plans. Cuba in the 1960s was characterized not only by improvisation, but more important by radical sociopolitical and economic change and by the preeminence of Castro’s charismatic leadership. The all-encompassing crime of “counterrevolutionary” hung over the entire population, and the tribunals were obliged to interpret the laws according to the political objectives of the regime. Possibly to appease international criticism and maintain appearanees, Castro did invent a new political formula, direct democracy.
