Prelude to Socialist Development: Successes and Setbacks

Abstract

When the revolutionary government took power in Cuba, breaking the domination of imperialism and undertaking agrarian reform were high on its list of priorities. In particular, transforming the economic and social structure of rural Cuba was seen as an essential step in overcoming the stagnation of rural production. Also, rural transformation was seen as a basic factor in solving the country’s unemployment problem, in developing income equality, and in beginning to wrest control of the economy from foreign interests.