Cuban Catholics in the United States, 1960-1980: Exile and Integration

1. Reform and Revolution

Chapter One Reform and Revolution I wish only to insist that Catholics are generally disposed to second all government actions that promote the public good and harmonize our personal rights with those of our neighbors, in a climate of justice and social charity. —Bishop Evelio Díaz (1959) Thousands of Catholic activists fleeing the communist Revolution in Cuba arrived in south Florida during 1960 and 1961. Confused and disoriented by events in Cuba during the first two years of the Revolution, they acted with anger and determination to stop the communization of their homeland. Scenarios they could never have imagined overtook the Revolution; Fidel Castro had gone from characterizing Catholics as important contributors to the revolutionary victory to reactionaries and fascists working for the interests of the United States. The revolutionary leader convinced the Cuban people and international observers especially in Latin America and Europe that Catholics, particularly priests and the church hierarchy , opposed the interests of workers and campesinos, of the Revolution itself. 8 Economic dependency on the United States, political instability and violence , and social stratification characterized Cuba in the 1950s. During its first thirty years of independence, Cuba existed as a virtual protectorate of the United States. Forced to accept an article to the Cuban constitution drawn up by the U.S. Congress known as the Platt Amendment, which ensured U.S. control and protected U.S. interests, Cubans struggled to create a viable nation-state. In 1933, a revolt against President Gerardo Machado, an elected president turned dictator during the 1920s, initiated the unraveling of the old “Plattist” republic created under the watchful eye of the United States. The insurrection against Machado swept away the political elites that had arisen on their reputations as veterans of the independence wars, initiating realignments in Cuban political and socioeconomic life. The political environment became more complex, as the military, led by Fulgencio Batista, intellectuals, student leaders, labor activists, and the ideological left and influenced by democratic socialism and communism, vied for political power throughout the 1930s. Batista’s authoritarian rule guaranteed a measure of political stability and brought some social reform— particularly to the urban working classes during the 1930s—leading to the writing of a new constitution in 1940. The new governing document established democracy, provided universal suffrage, and offered a blueprint for reforming Cuban society. It included many socially conscious provisions and, while ensuring the primacy of private property, gave the state ample authority to intervene in Cuba’s socioeconomic system.1 The document reflected a genuinely reformist instinct among Cuba’s political classes, many of whom had gained their training in the revolutionary climate and movements of the 1930s. They embraced social democratic precepts, generally exhibited secular sensibilities and did not hesitate to engage in alliances with communists if it suited their political strategies. During the 1940s Cubans elected three presidents under the new reformist constitution. This string of successful electoral experiences augured well for Cuban democracy, but unfortunately corruption in the government and a lack of concrete social reform, especially in the rural areas, led to considerable popular disenchantment with the system. Reading this as an opportunity, Batista secretly returned to Cuba from his home in south Florida and staged a military coup in March 1952, gaining the recognition of the United States. For the next six years, he ruled Cuba in caudillo fashion, Reform and Revolution 9 rewarding his friends and killing, imprisoning, or exiling his enemies, leading to dissent and revolutionary action against his government. Though Catholics were among those backing Batista, an even larger number opposed the dictator and embraced change. For thirty years Catholic activists and intellectuals had worked hard to advance a vision of their nation founded on the moral tenets of their faith and social justice. Before the Revolution, Catholic leaders encouraged the faithful to be socially aware, and they combined an impulse for change rooted in the traditional papal social encyclicals with the activism of Spanish Catholic Action. This predisposed large numbers of Catholics to support the civic, reformist, or revolutionary movements against Fulgencio Batista in the 1950s. To be sure, some Catholics were conservatives, but the reformminded constituted the majority among activists and perhaps among those practicing their faith. This majority felt frustrated and then outraged by the turn of events during the 1950s. Like the great majority of Cubans, Catholics celebrated the triumph of the Revolution on January 1, 1959, and felt satisfaction about...