Cuba 1933: The Revolution That Brought Batista to Power

Mariel 1980: When Cuba Opened Its Port to an Exodus

In April 1980, a busload of Cubans crashed through the gates of the Peruvian embassy in Havana, seeking asylum. What began as a diplomatic standoff spiraled into one of the largest mass migrations in Caribbean history: the Mariel Boatlift. Over the next six months, some 125,000 Cubans departed from the port of Mariel, including political dissidents, artists, and thousands of people Castro's government branded as 'scum'—released from prisons and psychiatric hospitals. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the tangled origins of the crisis—from economic stagnation and the Soviet subsidy crackup to the symbolic power of asylum seekers on the embassy lawn—and follow the journey of the marielitos as they crossed the Florida Straits in a flotilla of small boats. They explore how the exodus reshaped both Cuba, which lost skilled workers and gained an image problem, and the United States, where the Marielitos transformed Miami and triggered a new wave of anti-immigrant sentiment. Featuring stories of desperation, bravery, and the enduring human desire for freedom, this episode offers a nuanced look at a moment when a single port became a gateway to a new world. #Cuba #MarielBoatlift #1980 #CubanExodus #Marielitos #FidelCastro #PeruvianEmbassy #USCubaRelations #Miami #ImmigrationHistory #ColdWar #CaribbeanHistory #Refugees #PoliticalAsylum #CubanDiaspora #HumanitarianCrisis #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Cuba 1933: The Revolution That Brought Batista to Power

In 1933, Cuba erupted. A coalition of students, workers, and disgruntled soldiers toppled the brutal dictatorship of Gerardo Machado. Lucas and Luna explore the chaotic months that followed: the short-lived government of Ramón Grau San Martín, the radical reforms of Antonio Guiteras, and the quiet behind-the-scenes rise of a little-known army sergeant named Fulgencio Batista. They discuss the secret society ABC, the Student Directory, the role of U.S. Ambassador Sumner Welles, and how the Platt Amendment loomed over every decision. This episode unpacks a pivotal year that set the stage for Cuba's future revolutions—and introduced the figure who would dominate the island for decades. It's a story of hope, betrayal, and the fragility of reform. #Cuba #1933 #Machado #GrauSanMartin #Batista #AntonioGuiteras #StudentDirectory #ABCSociety #PlattAmendment #CubanRevolution #FexingoHistory #History #Caribbean #20thCentury #Dictatorship #GreatDepression #USIntervention #SergeantsRevolt Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Cuba 1898: The Spanish-American War and the Birth of American Intervention

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic events of 1898, when Cuba's long struggle for independence collided with American expansionism. They discuss the USS Maine explosion in Havana harbor, the yellow journalism of Hearst and Pulitzer, Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders at San Juan Hill, and the swift American victory that ended four centuries of Spanish rule. But the Treaty of Paris brought not freedom but military occupation and, eventually, the Platt Amendment—a poisoned gift that shaped Cuba's destiny for decades. Along the way, they consider the voices of Cuban mambí fighters who had been fighting since 1895, the role of Afro-Cuban soldiers, and the controversy over whether the US truly liberated Cuba or simply replaced one master with another. Perfect for anyone wanting to understand how Cuba became a US protectorate and why that legacy still matters. #SpanishAmericanWar #USS Maine #Cuba1898 #TheodoreRoosevelt #RoughRiders #BattleOfSantiago #YellowJournalism #WilliamRandolphHearst #TreatyOfParis #PlattAmendment #USOccupation #CubanIndependence #Mambi #GeneralsCallejaAndGomez #LeonardWood #HistoryOfCuba #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

José Martí: The Poet Who Forged Cuba's Revolution

In this episode of The History of Cuba, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of José Martí, the poet, philosopher, and revolutionary who galvanized Cuba's final war for independence. From his teenage exile in Spain to his years organizing the Cuban Revolutionary Party in New York, Martí's vision for a free and just Cuba inspired a generation. Hear about his famous 'Versos Sencillos', his collaboration with Máximo Gómez, and his fateful ride into battle at Dos Ríos in 1895. We also discuss the Manifiesto de Montecristi and the delicate political maneuvers that launched the war. This is the story of a man who died not as a martyr, but as a soldier for the nation he helped create. #Cuba #JoséMartí #CubanIndependence #PartidoRevolucionarioCubano #DosRíos #ManifiestoDeMontecristi #GritoDeBaire #MáximoGómez #AntonioMaceo #VersosSencillos #Ismaelillo #History #FexingoHistory #CaribbeanHistory #PoetAndRevolution #SpanishEmpire #NewYork #19thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Cuba 1940: The Progressive Constitution That Shaped a Revolution

After the 1933 revolution that ousted Gerardo Machado, Cuba found itself in a moment of reconstruction. Strongman Fulgencio Batista, seeking legitimacy, called for a constitutional convention in 1939. The resulting 1940 Constitution was one of the most progressive in the world—guaranteeing an eight-hour workday, minimum wage, collective bargaining, women's rights, land reform, and state control of public services. The convention was presided over by Carlos Márquez Sterling and included delegates from across the spectrum, from communists to conservatives. This episode examines how the constitution was drafted, its key provisions, and its short-lived implementation. Batista himself governed under it from 1940 to 1944, but his 1952 coup abrogated it. Yet its ideals lived on, inspiring the opposition and later influencing the early laws of the 1959 revolution. Join Lucas and Luna as they explore this pivotal document that promised a better Cuba. #Cuba #History #CubanConstitution #1940 #FulgencioBatista #RamónGrau #CarlosMárquezSterling #Progressive #LatinAmerica #ConstitutionalAssembly #SocialRights #LandReform #WomenSuffrage #CubanRevolution #Machado #Politics #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]