Systemic Inequality and Labour Exploitation as Causes of the Cuban Revolution
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51204/IVRS_26102AKeywords:
Cuban revolution, social justice, socio-economic inequality, Fulgencio Batista, Ernesto Che Guevara, agrarian reform, nationalization, social policyAbstract
The paper analyzes the socio-economic circumstances that preceded the Cuban Revolution, with a particular focus on structural inequalities and the concept of social justice. By applying the historical method, it reconstructs the development of social and economic relations in Cuba prior to 1959, highlighting the strong influence of foreign capital and a privileged domestic elite. Particular attention is devoted to the period of Fulgencio Batista’s rule, marked by political repression, economic dependency, and the deepening of class divisions. The analysis of causal relationships between the export-oriented economic model based on sugar production and the widespread poverty of the working class constitutes the central part of the research.
The paper also applies a conceptual analysis of the notion of social justice at both the normative and institutional levels, through an examination of the relationship between equality, freedom, and the redistribution of resources. Special attention is given to the ideological foundations of the revolutionary movement, particularly in the views of Ernesto “Che” Guevara on exploitation and class struggle as key obstacles to a just society. The first revolutionary measures are examined, including agrarian reform, the nationalization of industry, and the expansion of social and labor rights as instruments for building a new social order.
The methodological framework also includes a comparative analysis of the pre- and post-revolutionary systems, with the aim of determining whether a substantive elimination of inequality occurred or whether it merely underwent transformation. The research shows that the revolution significantly improved access to education and healthcare, while simultaneously leading to the centralization of power and increased dependence of individuals on the state. It concludes that the problem of systemic inequality was partially alleviated but not entirely overcome, thereby opening a lasting theoretical question regarding the relationship between social justice, political pluralism, and economic freedoms.
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