CALENDAR
OF
EVENTS
1959 - AUG 1960
From an American Corporation Perspective
[REF: Large American
Corporation
files.
Document dated June 1961]
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
1959
January
1. Revolutionary forces seize power and call a general
strike to
continue
in effect until Dr. Manuel Urrutia is nominated President of
the
Republic.
2. Entrance of Fidel Castro in Havana
3. Prominent figures of the new government:
Dr. Manuel Urrutia - President
Dr. Fidel Castro - Head of the Army
Dr. Jose Miro Cardona - Prime Minister
Dr. Felipe Pazos - Head of the National Bank
Rufo Lopez Fresquet - Minister of Finance
Manolo Ray - Minister of Public Works
Raul Castro - Head in Santiago de Cuba
Ernesto "Che" Guevara - Head of Cabana Fortress
Camilo Cienfuegos - Head of Camp Colombia
4. Starting of trials and executions of Batista followers
all over the
Island.
February
1. Fidel Castro becomes Prime Minister. Raul Castro
becomes head
of
the army.
2. First time Fidel uses the words "Monopoly" and "Trusts"
referring to
the
Industry during his speech in the Shell Refinery calling for
termination
of the boycott against Shell.
March
1. Law reducing all house rentals from 30% to 50%.
2. First big public rally to defend the executions.
First open
attack
against monopolies, etc., mainly against CCE (Electric
Company) and CTC
(Telephone
Company).
3. Break in diplomatic relations with Dominican Republic.
4. Establishment of severe travel restrictions outside Cuba.
April
1. Fidel Castro's trip to the United States and South
America.
2. Rumors of conflict between Raul Castro and Camilo
Cienfuegos begin
to
circulate due to opposition of Cienfuegos to communist
ideology.
May
1. Agrarian Reform Law is signed in the Sierra Maestra.
2. Donations for the Agrarian Reform reached peak; the
Company
contributed,
together with employees, 20+ tractors.
3. On May 1, during the big rally, ex-president Figueres of
Costa Rica
who
was guest of honor, was verbally abused by David Salvador
and Fidel
Castro.
4. CTC (Cuban Telephone Company) was intervened and
tariff
reduced.
June
1. Diaz Lanz, head of the Air Force, flees Cuba.
July
1. President Urrutia is ousted because he shows concern over
communist
influence
in the government.
2. The new Tax Reform Law is published.
3. Big rally called for 1 million countrymen in
Havana.Company
contributed
room and board for 75.
August
1. A conspiracy allegedly supported by the Government of the
Dominican
Republic
was uncovered through the infiltration of pro-Castro
elements such as
William
Morgan and R. Gutierrez Menoyo. A plane loaded with
men and arms
captured
near Trinidad.
October
1. Coordination of tariffs for all freight paid.
2. Mining law establishing control of all exploration
activities.
November
1. Felipe Pazos resigns from National Bank. Ernesto
"Che" Guevara
replaces
Pazos.
2. First Catholic Congress
3. ASTA Convention (American Society of Travel Agents).
4. Hubert Matos imprisoned after resigning as head of
Camaguey
Province
due to his concern about communist influence in all
government
agencies.
December
1. Company starts labor agreement negotiations with our
union.
2. Camilo Cienfuegos reportedly anti-communist disappears
during a
flight
from Camaguey where he was checking details on the Hubert
Matos
resignation.
1960
January
1. All the match industries in Cuba are confiscated.
2. All the members of the old army remaining in their jobs
are retired
(about
1200).
3. The newspaper "Advance" is confiscated.
4. The Spanish Ambassador, Juan Pablo Lojendio, interrupted
abruptly a
TV
appearance of Fidel Castro protesting insults to
Spain. He is
immediately
ordered to leave the country in 48 hours.
February
1. The Social Security bank (Bansoscu) is created and 5% tax
is imposed
on
all salaries paid and received.
2. A 2% tax to the employees plus 2% tax to employers
imposed on all
salaries
to create a fund for theindustrialization of the country.
3. Visit of USSR Premier Mikoyan and opening of the USSR
Industrial
Fair.
4. Signing of trade agreement with Russia, also military and
cultural
agreement.
March
1. The SS "La Coubre" loaded with Belgian ammunition
explodes in Havana
Harbor.
Fidel charges U.S. with sabotage and responsibility for
explosion.
2. The newspaper "El Mundo" is confiscated.
3. A decree was issued ordering all school teachers in Cuba
to receive
a
course in "Revolutionary Ideology."
April
1. Trade Agreement is signed with Poland.
2. Congress of Communist Youth of America held in Havana;
all expenses
of
900 participants paid for by Cuban government.
3. All workers obliged to register in the Labor Census in
the Ministry
of
Labor.
4. Meetings in all 6 Provinces to commemorate birthday of
Lenin.
5. Havana Biltmore Yacht Club intervened.
May
1. First of May celebrated with big rally attended by
delegates
from
USSR, Czechoslovakia, Red China, Poland, and Hungary.
No labor
demands
permitted but banners displaying socialistic and anti-US
propaganda
shown.
2. Manuel Fortuny communist leader of Guatemala and Jacques
Mornard,
Trotsky's
murdered arrive in Havana to live there.
3. Diplomatic Relations with USSR are established.
4. Last two free newspapers "Diario de la Marina" and
"Prensa Libre"
are
confiscated.
June
1. Trade Agreement is signed with Czechoslovakia.
2. Export-Import Bank is created as only agency authorized
to make
purchases
outside Cuba.
August
1. 26 American companies are expropriated.
2. First Russian Ambassador arrives in Havana.
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