Question

According to the text, why did Cuba remain a communist state following the collapse of communism in the USSR? American aid, which promoted democracy and the free market, did not reach Cuba. The drive for political change in Cuba was not strong enough to replace Castro. Fidel Castro was an authoritative leader who maintained control in Cuba. Cuba maintained distance from the USSR due to Castro’s dislike of other world leaders.

Answer 1

The correct answer is "Fidel Castro was an authoritative leader who maintained control in Cuba."

Fidel Castro managed to remain in power since he ousted dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959 until he transferred the presidency to his brother Raul Castro in 2016. This extensive period was due to prolonged support from the Soviet Union, from the start of his regime until the dissolution of this regime in 1991. By that time, Castro had already managed to make his regime a powerful institution in the country. He became permanent president and suppressed any form of political opposition in the country. All of his political adversaries were forced to exile.

Answer 2

T.S. Eliot’s famous vision: “This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper”1 seemed to be all wrong on November 9, 1989. On that wintry day, the world created by the four decades-old Cold War2 between the United States and the Soviet Union exploded with a huge bang: the destruction of the massive Berlin Wall, a Communist-built barrier to prevent the people of Eastern Germany from crossing into the free world.