A Closer Look at the Economic Ideas of Fidel Castro on Agriculture, during the 1959-1965 Period

Resumen

Context: the transformations taking place as part of the update of the Cuban Social and Economic Model evidence the need to systematize the economic ideas and the work of Fidel Castro, in relation to the transformations made by Cuban agriculture during the first six years (1959-1965).

Aim: to systematize the economic ideas and work of Fidel Castro Ruz, in relation to the transformations made in Cuban agriculture during the first six years of the revolution.

Methods: Overall, fifty speeches of Fidel Castro delivered in the 1959-1965 period were compiled, as part of the review performed; the documents with a contribution to this topic were chosen. The historic-logical method, and analysis and synthesis made systematization possible.

Results: The article selection process allowed the authors to work on fourteen speeches, where the universal thoughts of Fidel Castro were confirmed, along with the significance of his studies as referent to social and economic progress of many underdeveloped locations through a strong political will.

Conclusions: The greatest transformation was centered on the eradication of monopolist landowning following the implementation of the agrarian reform, and its repercussion on the elimination of unemployment, a depressed domestic market, and poor industrial development of the country, together with a pressing need to train skilled personnel, invest in technology for agriculture, and lay the foundations for scientific research. Economically-driven agricultural planning has a particular significance, with the inclusion of incentives, and the labor of women in the fields.