1 About the Author Beginning as a young construction worker Cuba, Pedro Ross became a teacher during Cuba’s great literacy campaigns of the 1960s, and served three terms as General Secretary of Cuba’s labor federation, the CTC (e Workers’ Central Union of Cuba)—and in that capacity developed a nationwide series of “Labor Parliaments” dedicated to some form of resolution to the economic collapse. Upon retirement, he was appointed Ambassador to Angola, a post he held for several years. Now in his eighties, he is still active in Cuba’s ongoing revolution. 2 3 HOW THE WORKERS’ PARLIAMENT SAVED THE CUBAN REVOLUTION Reinvigorating Resistance and Struggle after the Collapse of the Soviet Union PEDRO ROSS LEAL MONTHLY REVIEW PRESS New York 4 Copyright © 2022 by Monthly Review Press All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available from the publisher. ISBN paper: 978-1-58367-978-4 ISBN cloth: 978-1-58367-979-1 Typeset in Bulmer MT Std MONTHLY REVIEW PRESS, NEW YORK monthlyreview.org 5 4 3 2 1 5 6 Contents Foreword by Chris Remington PART ONE A Brief Introduction Why Workers’ Parliaments? Fidel Saw It Coming A Congress in Military Uniforms What Is a Special Period in Peacetime? e Fourth Party Congress and the Start of the Special Period Measures to Address the Crisis Enemy Encouragement of Social Indiscipline and Vandalism Fidel Meets the People e People Respond “It Is Easier to Find a Dinosaur Crossing the Street an a Pumpkin in the Market” It Was Not the First Time “Yes, We Can” Why Do Unions Exist? Analysis, Measures, Actions e Second Ordinary Session of the National Assembly of People’s Power What the Workers Say in the Parliaments Fidel Reflects, Argues, Gives His Opinion, Promotes Discussion People Work Because ey Must “We Haven’t Always Done ings Right by Consulting” e Sources of the Black Market Our Proposal Workers’ Assemblies into Workers’ Parliaments e Call e Preparation e Workers Are the Owners A Light at the End of the Tunnel Unequivocal Support Sociopolitical and Opinion Studies: e First Survey A Vast School of Economics 7 e Issue of Prices Reducing Employment Rolls … But How? Our Meeting with the Cigar Workers’ Parliament Keeping Fidel Informed With the Milkmen in Pinar del Río Workers’ Parliaments in Camagüey e Workers’ Parliament at the Lenin Central Workshop With Fidel: Salary Guarantee and Other Topics e Building Contractor Contingents Exchanging Ideas with Fidel Another Survey: Workers Endorse the Parliaments Assessment Time: What Happened in the Parliaments? A Faint Ray of Light e Final Summary of the Workers’ Parliaments e Ministry of Finances and Prices Reports e Debate e International Solidarity of Trade Unionists Conclusions PART TWO e Nightmare of a Devastating Hurricane e Origins of Cuban Nationality A Fecund Truce Martí’s Legacy e Imperialist Intervention of the United States e Platt Amendment e Second Occupation of Cuba by the United States First Governments of the Neocolonial Republic e Machado Dictatorship e September 4 Coup d’état and the 100 Days Government Historical Significance of the Revolution of 1933 e 1940 Constitution Fulgencio Batista: Demagogy and Repression e Authentic Governments Eduardo Chibás: Decency versus Money e Coup of March 10, 1952 Popular Repudiation Grows 8 e Assaults of July 26, 1953 “Condemn Me, It Doesn’t Matter, History Will Absolve Me” e Release of the “Moncadists” e Granma e November 30 Uprising in Santiago de Cuba e National Liberation War e Triumph of the Revolution Cuba Transforms Itself Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs) New Paths e War Against the Bandits e United States Tries to Isolate Cuba e Mongoose Plan e October Crisis Cuba Built; the United States Attacked Transformations of Cuban Economy and Society Rectifying Errors e Revolution’s Social Initiatives e Cuban Revolution’s Foreign Policy Epilogue Appendix A Bibliography Notes 9