Cuba was discovered
by Christopher Columbus in his first trip (1492), but
wasn’t until 1512 that the Spaniards took total
possession of the island. When the American Spanish colonies
conquered their independence, Cuba remained addict to
the metropolis. In 1895 a formidable insurrection took
place, that lasted until 1899, year in which the United
States took part and forced Spain to resign its sovereignty
on Cuba. But they did not obtain its immediate independence
and was years under the trusteeship of the United States.
In 1902 the first chosen president was Estrada Palma.
In 1906, the civil war exploded. Estrada Palma resigned
and the United States assumed the government of the island
until 1909 in which, with the situation already controlled,
the new president Jose Miguel Gómez began to exert
his functions. Several years of internal fights and revolts
followed one another until 1940, in which colonel Fulgencio
Batista was chosen president, lasting in the power until
1944, when is elected Ramon Graú San Martín.
In 1948 it assumes the presidency, by elections, Carlos
Prío Socarrás, dismissed in 1952 by another
coup d'etat carried out by Batista, that remains in the
power until 1959, when it is overthrown by the communist
revolution of Fidel Castro, who became head of government,
naming Osvaldo Dorticós president of the Republic.
The new regime motivated the opposition of the United
States and other American countries, that excluded Cuba
of the Organization of American States and tried to block
their economy. This situation extended until July of 1975
when, according to a new agreement all the American countries
were in freedom to resume their relations with Cuba. In
1976 a new Constitution was promulgated, in which among
other things the positions of president of the Republic
and prime minister were suppressed, replaced by the one
of President of the Council of State, naming for the same
one to Fidel Castrro, who thus assumed the headquarters
of the State and the communist Party.
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