ABSTRACT

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book provides a succinct overview of Cuba's developmental history. It is clear that Cuba's privileged historical position within the Spanish Empire and, particularly, its subsequent efforts as an independent republic between 1902 and 1959, led to developmental achievements before the Revolution that were nothing short of impressive. While the Castro government has gone to great lengths to try to extoll Cuba's developmental record under Communism, the book clearly shows that, while most of the world has benefited from enormous economic development over the last fifty-six years, Cuba has overwhelmingly gone backward. In terms of equality, while it is true that the economic conditions of all Cubans were not the same before 1959, it is also true that the level of inequality that existed was not materially different from that which existed in what today are considered developed economies.