Fidel Castro

In 1959, a rebel, Fidel Castro, overthrew the reign of Fulgencia Batista in Cuba; a small island 90 miles off the Florida coast. There have been many coups and changes of government in the world since then. Few if any have had the effect on Americans and American foreign policy as this one. In 1952, Sergeant Fulgencia Batista staged a successful bloodless coup in Cuba. Batista never really had any cooperation and rarely garnered much support. His reign …

…in Nicaragua. The major concern underlying American policy in the area is Castro's influence. The fear of a Castro influenced regime in South and Central America had such control of American foreign policy as to almost topple the Presidency in the recent Iran - Contra affair. Therefore, the U.S. government has again faced a crisis, which threatens to destroy its credibility in foreign affairs. This was all because of one man with a cigar.