The following information is taken from the INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS  -  GENEVA, which is a non-governmental organization and has Consultive Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. There is not a single Cuban citizen belonging to this Commission, but is represented by 41 law makers from different nations of the world. It was written in 1961. The book, now out of circulation by Castro´s regime is called CUBA AND THE RULE OF LAW.

NOTE: The words in italics are by Dr. Pujals -- Miami

ECONOMY: Despite the fact that Cuba is the youngest Latin American republic, a comparative analysis of the economic development of the Latin American countries shows that it has become one of the most advanced. Owing to its strategic position,  its importance as a producer of sugar and its historical background, Cuba was closely tied to the economic interests of the United States.

Two factors contributed towards the development of Cuba´s natural resources. The first was the freedom, ability and remarkable drive of Cuban businessmen, the second was the realistic policy of protection followed by Cuban governments. The second factor, despite political upheavals, fostered the growth of industries such as footwear, textiles, fibers, etc. Under this protectionist policy especially low tariffs were levied  on import of machinery. This was used to equip plants to process sugar by-products such as bagasse (pressed sugar cane pulp), paper mills, steel mills, fertilizer plants, basic chemical factories, cement works, oil refineries, etc. It is a fact that in recent years, before Castro´s revolution, foreign capital was being gradually, but steadily replaced by Cuban capital, a development of major importance for the country´s economic and social structure.

On Agriculture the Commission wrote: "Cuba is (or was) predominantly an agricultural country and 51 % of its surface is considered suitable for farming. For many years Cubans and foreign businessmen concentrated exclusively on growing sugar cane". ... "A single crop was critized" ... "Cuban businessmen and governments set out about reshaping the national economy..."

"The years following 1950 saw in fact the beginnng of intensive cultivation of tobacco, coffee, rice, (rice fields in Camaguey province were something especial), maize, potatoes, vegetables, beans, pineapples, bananas, etc." ...

"Despite this diversification Cuba remained the world´s leading producer and exporter, achieving a record output in 1952 of 7,011,637 Spanish long tons. ... In terms of foreign trade, Cuba´s competitive position in the international market was greatly enhanced by the United States policy of buying a fixed annual quota of sugar at a price higher than in the international market."

"The total area of Cuba is 28,361,000 acres, of which 79.3 % or 22,691,750 acres formed part of estates or farms. Close to 5,000.000 acres were in fact under cultivation in Cuba. The concentration by farmers was true not only on the sugar plantation, but also of the tobacco, coffee and stock raising farms". ... "In 1900, there were 207 sugar mills in Cuba. most of them in the area of the south-east of Havana. Influx capitals, mainly USA was followed, however, by the construction of large mills." ..." once sugar processing became a large-scale industry, natural growth led to the replacement of foreign capital by Cuban capital" ... " By 1958, (one year before Castro) the Canadian-, British- and Dutch-owned mills had all passed into Cuban hands. Of the 161 mills in operation, only one, accounting for 0.27 % of production, was French-owned; 3 mills accounting for 0.95 % of production were Spanish-owned while 36 mills accounting for 36.65 % of production were owned by USA firms,. CUBAN CAPITAL CONTROLLED 121 MILLS REPRESENTING 62.13% OF PRODUCTION""

"Cubans had long been concerned about the best use and distribution of land. A report published in 1951 by The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development describes the historical process which led to the distribution of farm ownership in Cuba"

There were four main stages. The first one was the expansion of cane-growing on a constantly increasing number of small farms. This period lasted from 1790 to 1870. The second stage saw the appearance of large estates devoted to the growing of sugar cane. It lasted until the end of the War of Independence. The third stage reflected the economic influence of the USA and it was during this stage that Cuba developed into an economic POWER in its own right based on an industralized type of agriculture. The large sugar mills date from this time. The forth stage, which began around the year of 1933, witnessed the slow down of the sugar industry and the placing of restriction (but not confiscations the Castro´s way) on the big estates. The report of the International Bank omits to mention an important factor about this last stage, that is, the gradual INCREASE OF CUBAN OWNERSHIP OF THE SUGAR MILLS IN OPERATION AS MENTIONED BEFORE.

THE TENANT FARMER: "The Cuban sugar growers were protected by a special enactment passed on Sept. 2, 1937, which gave all sugar growers security of tenure. In fact, this right could be inhereted, sold or mortgaged. For the term stipulated by law the landlord forfeited all right to the land except for this claim to a rent as fixed by the Sugar Coordination Act. This negotiable right

was worth more than the land itself. The owners of some very large estates were prevented by it from disposing of most of their land, because the sugar growers were to all intents and purposes their own masters." ... "There was also special protection for the small grower entitling him to the WHOLE of his output quota even when restrictions were in force. In addition, growers were guaranteed a minimum of 6 @ (arrobas) = 25.3 lbs each, for every 100 arrobas (@) of cane." ...

"Security of tenure was subsequently extended for all tenants, sub-tenants and even squatters working on farms of less than 5 caballerías, (approximately 166 acres) by official decree No. 247 of 1952." ..."Other tenants, with farms bigger than 5 'caballerias' were protected in a similar way." ... In other words at the time Castro took power, ALL THE TENANT FARMERS in Cuba were already assured of a security of tenure of their land, for which they also paid very LOW rents.

FACTORS OF AGRICULTURE EVOLUTION: In concluding this general account of Cuban Agriculture, it may be helpful to refer to the most important factores which according to the 1951 report of the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development, have influenced its evolution.

HISTORY: Cuba grew rich as the world´s sugar plantation, at least until world conditions changed and revealed that he state of affairs would not continue indefinitely. But during the recovery of 1939-1948, when real income per cápita increased by no less than 1/3, sugar gave once more gave a striking demonstration of its economical potential.

CAPITAL: For historical reasons the big landowners and those with sufficiente capital to employ the most up-to-date agricultural methods, were largely integrated in sugar production. Other groups were left to those who found it more difficult to obtain capital.

TECHNIQUES: AGAIN, FOR HISTORICAL REASONS, the agriculture and technical most readily available in Cuba was connected with the growing of cane and the production of sugar.

EASE OF CULTIVATION: Sugar growing in Cuba is greatly favoured by nature. There is plenty of land available (or there was before Cuba was sold by Castro in little pieces) which is suited to the crop. Once it is planted it goes on giving a good harvest for meny years (no less that 7). Compared with other crops it requieres little work, at least by usding the extensive farming methods employed in Cuba.

CREDIT: Generally speaking agricultural credit in Cuba had only been adequate and available in th case of sugar and (to a lesser extend) tobacco.

Techniques: The agricultural and technical knowledge most readily available on Cuba was connected with the growing or cane and the production of sugar.

EASE OF CULTIVATION:- Sugar growing in Cuba is greatly favored by nature. There was plenty of land available which was suited to the crop. Once it is planted it goes on giving a good harvest for many years (7). Compared with other crops it requieres little work, at least by using the extensive farming methods employed at the time in Cuba. CREDIT: Generally speaking agricultural credit in Cuba was adequate and available in the case of sugar and ( to a lesser extent) tobacco. ROADS: The lack of roads from the farms to the markets affected the growing of most of the other crops. But it did not affect the sugar industry, which among other facilities, had its own network of private railways linked with the public system and connected with the ports.

MARKETING: The marketing facilities available in Cuba catered primarily for sugar. The sugar producers were fully protected on the disposal of their product. PRICES: Sugar prices varied but long-term international contracts and agreeements exercised a stabilizing industry. GOVERNMENT CONTROL: Since the bulk of Cuba´s sugar output was sold abroad, the government did everything in its power to secure the highest price for sugar compatible with its international relations. FREIGHT CHARGES: Flat charges for freight did also favored sugar.

Note : the Commision mentioned that in 1952 the output or "zafra" was 7,011,637 Spanish long tons. The last crop, (1997-1998) even with slave labor, did not even reach 3,000.000 Sp. long tons.

MINERAL RESOURCES: Cuba has metallic, non-metallic and combustible mineral resources. It is particularly rich in metallic mineral deposits, the most important among which are chrome, manganese, copper, iron and nickel. Gold, silver and zinc, tungsten and lead are also found but in smaller quantities. Among the non-metallic minerals, limestone, clay and slate are found in large deposits almost everywhere in the Island. Gypsum and barytes are also found in appreciable quantities. These non-metallic mineral are often found in a virtually pure state over large areas.

Cuba lacks fuel deposits (that is why the American government is not interested in the problems of Cuba). Oil and natural gas are produced in small quantities but connot meet domestic needs. In 1954 new oil deposits were discovered and hopes were aroused that output might eventually increase. NICKEL is (or was) Cuba´s most lucrative industry. Americans were interested at the time because the potential dangers of war.

The proportion of the economically active population engaged in mining was about 5 % of the total - which illustrates the minor importance of this industry in Cuba at the time.

INDUSTRY: The production of sugar is (was) Cuba´s biggest industry. The 161 sugar mills in operation are evenly distributed throughout the Island; the remaining industries show a high degree of concentration in the Havana area. According to official sources, there were in 1950 in Havana Province 8,330 industrial establishments with a declared capital of $117,400,000 which substancially exceeded the total capital investsment in the remainer of the country.

Apart from sugar , the leading manufacturing products have been cigars, cigarettes, rum, rayon fibers, cotton and cloth, footwear, beers, spirits, fertilizers, canned foods, ham, motor car tires and inner tubes, matches and cement. (all those were in private Cuban hands, but Castro ended all that. All belong today to the G.).

Although there are many modern industrial plants, small business tended to predominate. Leaving aside the sugar mills, there were 145 plants in 1953 with more than 100 workers and 14 that had more than 500 workers. (Let´s remember at that time Cuba was a young Republic, only 50 years old.).

Protective tariffs for Cuban industries date from 1927. Other government measures to protect industries included exemption from the payment of customs duties on imported industrial machinery and on raw materials.

TRANSPORT: (and I quote) "" Compared with other countries at a similar stage of economic development, Cuba has an excellent network of major and minor roads. The famous Central Highway is 710 miles long and runs from the capital of Pinar del Rio in the west, to Santiago de Cuba, practically in the eastern end of the Island. In 1950, Cuba possessed 495 miles of good secondary roads, 1000 miles of secondary roads under construction and about 620 miles of minor roads in poor condition."" When it is borne in mind that at the time these statistics were compiled (1950), Cuba had a population of 5,200,000 and that the area of Cuba is 44,218 square miles, it will be seen that the Cuban road network reflected a considerable degree of development. "" As regard transport facilities, the trucking and bus industries expanded at a remarkable rate after the second World War. In the years 1946-1950 the number of trucks in Cuba increased from 15,196 to 29,368. Of these vehicles 18,025 were trucks of between 3 to 8 tons, while 2,281 had a capacity of more than 8 tons.""

""There were more than 100 trucking firms in Cuba as well as about 200 bus companies running regular schedules. The 1953 census showed that 104,000 members of the conomically active population were engaged in transport"".

"" Cuba has an extensive railway system with about 11,000 miles of track, over 1/4 of which belongs to the public system, the remain being operated privately, mainly by the sugar mills. The largest public railway lines were the "Ferrocarriles Conslidados de Cuba", owned by USA investors and the "Ferrocarriles Occidentales de Cuba" which until 1953 were British-owned.""

""International air communications were excellent and about 20 Cuban cities were served by local lines. The fact that there were over 90 public and private airports gives some idea of the growing importance of air transport in Cuba.""

COMMUNICATIONS: ""Telephones: The main telephone service in Cuba was provided by the Compañía Cubana de Teléfo-nos, which was corporated in the USA and controlled by the International Telephone and Telegraph Co. This company had a virtually unlimited concession to provide service throughout the whole of Cuba. It was also granted a 30-year concession to provide an international radio-telephone service. The progress in the field can be gauged from the fact that in 1935 Cuba possessed about 38,000 telephones. in 1940 there were 59,000, in 1945 the total grew to 74,000, in 1949 to 106,000 and in 1958 to 170,000."" ... "" In addition to the public telephones Cuba also had a large number of private circuits which were used by the sugar mills"" ... "" The quality of the telephone service appears to have been open to criticism, but the rapid expansion of the network reflects the rate of Cuba´s economic growth"".

RADIO AND TELEVISION: "" In 1958 there were in Cuba 94 radio stations and about 900,000 receivers. Among Latin American Countries, Cuba came second after Argentina with one receiver for every 5 inhabitants. There were also 11 TV stations and 365,000 receivers""

FILMS AND PRESS: In 1959 Cuba possessed 519 cinemas and 58 periodicals including daily newspapers and reviews with an average of 129 copies per 1,000 inhabitants -- a figure exceeded in Latin America ONLY by Argentina and Uruguay.""

FOREIGN TRADE: Cuba´s overseas trade was dominated by two closely related factores. The first was that the country exported only one product and the second that most of its overseas trade was with USA. The total value of Cuban exports in 1957, ´58 and ´59 was US$ 844.7, 763.2 and 638 million, respectively. The total value of imports in the same years amounted to US$ 894.2, 888 and 736 million respectively.

Sugar accounted for 83 % of Cuban exports (according to the Int.Monet.Fund, Aug. 1959). The second export product in order of importance was tobacco which accounted for 7 % of the total. In 1957 Cuban exports represented 30.6 % of the total national product. Cuban exports to the USA in 1958 totalled 490.7 million dollars, i.e. 65 % of the total.It is worth comparing the figure with the value of exports to some other countries during the same year; to Canada, 16 m. , to Latin America, as a whole, 10.5 million, to Japan 46.7 million, to the United Kingdom 36.6 million, to Yugoslavia 1.2 million; to USSR 14.1 million dollars.

CUBA HAD NO FOREIGN DEBT WITH ANY OF THE MENTIONED COUNTRIES OR ANY OTHER.

As regards imports the picture was the same. In 1958, total imports from the USA were valued at 557.3 million dollars, i.e., 75 % of the total, as compared with imports from Canada of only 17.2 million; from Latin America of 92.4 m. from the U.Kingdom of 27.2 from USSR 0.3 million, etc.

After the second world war the proportion of total exports by value, accounted for by sugar and its by-products rose higher than ever. There was a ready market for sugar because of the heavy world demand during the immediate post-war years. Later the Korean War led to a further jump in world sugar prices. In 1952 there was OVERPRODUCTION of sugar in Cuba which led to a fall in Cuban sugar prices. There was a period of recovery from 1956 onwards. This vulnerability of Cuba to fluctuations of the world sugar market was to some extent mitigated by her marketing agreements with USA which BY LAW fixed an annual import quota for Cuban sugar to be purchased at a HIGHER PRICE than that obtaining on the free world market. From 1949 onwards about 55 % on the average of Cuba´s total sugar exports were benefited by this arrangement whcih was suspended by USA on July 6th, 1960 (Castro in power by then). The remainder of Cuba´s sugar was sold oin the free market, the main buyers at that time being, Japan, Great Britain, Western Germany and USSR. Since 1953 the amount of sugar that could be sold in the free market has been subject to quotas under the Intern. Sugar Agreement, according to Dr. Enrique Pérez-Cisneros Pujals in his report CUBA Y EL MERCADO AZUCARERO.

FINANCE: "Financially speaking Cuba was, UNTIL MID-1960 wholly within the dollar area. Economic and financial links with USA were so close that until 1951 the US$ was legal tender in Cuba. Moreover, the Cuban peso remain AT PAR with the US$ (today is only 19cts. of a dollar). This was until 1960 when Castro began his policy of confiscating American properties and the US quota for Cuban sugar was suspended.""

WHAT FOLLOWS IS AMAZINGLY IMPORTANT (I quote) : ""According to the Institute of International Studies the Cuban National Bank possessed very large reserves of gold and forign currency which in 1955 reached a pick level of US $493 million. In 1857 Cuba´s dollar reserve at US $441 million was among the highest in Latin America.

Foreign investment was a major factor in bringing capital into CVuba. By the end of 1956 direct US investments in Cuba amounted to approximately 774 million dollars (according to a Survey of Current Business of the Dpt.of Commerce, August ´57). Cuba´s dollar reserve Other countries such as Spain and Canada had investments in Cuba, but they were virtuaññy insignifican compared with those of the USA.

Did you knmow thaat during WWII Cubas peso was 4 cts. over the value of the American Dollar?

THE PEOPLE (AT THAT TIME): (And I quote) ""The population of Cuba is different from that of most of the other Central American and Caribbean republics. Like in Costa Rica, its nucleus is white and of pure Spanish descent. According to estimates made during the last official census in Cuba in 1953 the white population represented 73.46 % of the total. This figure also included the descendants of other European immigrants, e.g., Poles, Italians, French, Germans. ""

""It must be stressed that Cuba, like the remainder of the Latin American countries, was not only a Spanish colony, but but was actually and densely settled by Spaniards. As these early Spanish settlers were followed by more Spaniards and European immigrants the island came to be inhabited predominantly by whites of direct European descend.""

""The second group of the population, in order of size, are the descendants of the African slaves who were brought to Cuba to woerk on the sugar plantations. The negro represents 11.83 % of the total. (Ed. note: These figures are practically reversed now with the escape from the Island of the whites and the enormous immigration of Africans, Angolans, S.Africans, etc.). The mestizos(half breed) produced by the mingling of the white and black account for 13.39 % of the population. This racial mixture of Spaniards and Africans is both a cause and an effedct of the abscence of racial prejudice -- a cause because the Spaniards mingle their blood freely with that of the Negroes and a effect because the Mestizos and Mulatos were, and still are, a living link between the two races (Antonio Nuñez Jiménez, Geography of Cuba, Havana).

The aboriginal Indian populñation of Cuba was never very large. Unlñike the Indians inmany other Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Perú, Guatemala and Bolivia where they represent a substantialsegment of the po´pulation, those of Cuba have virtually disappeared. Many of the original inhabitants mingled with Eyuropen and Africans, and at present (1962) asome Mestizos, with Indian features, can be still encountered in remote parts of the Sierra Maestra and the mountains of the Baracoa region. All these racial grourps have brought their cultural tradition to the Cuban melting pot; and example of the result is Cuban music, which is known throughout the world.""

""According to the 1907 census Cuba had a population of 2,048,980 by 1919 the count had risen to 2,289,004 while the 1931 census shnbowed a total of 3,962,344 inhabitants. The last population census carried out in 1954 revealed that it had increased to 5,827,000. In 1959 the population has been estimated as 6,599,000 inhabitants. ""

In 1962 the projected population growth was as follows:

YEAR TOTAL POPULATION:

1965        7,533.000
1970        8,341,000
1975        9,183.000
1980      10,175,000

THE ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE PPOPULATION: Accordong to the 1953 census, (keep in mind, 5,000,000 + inhabitants at the time), the breakup of the economically active population by category and sex was as follows: ...

Employers and self employed persons: MEN, 447,999 WOMEN: 27,000.

Salaried employees and wage-earners: MEN, 1,195,000 WOMEN: 226,000.

Unpaid family workers: ...................... MEN, 74,000 WOMEN; 3,000.

According to these figures the total economically active population of Cuba in 1953 was 1,972,000, i. e., 33.84 % of the total population. EDITOR´S NOTE: There was no slave work(*) as it is now.

Again, according to the 1953 census, the breakup of this economically active population by branches of the economy was as follows:

Agriculture and stock-raising . . . . . . 819,000

Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396,000

Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 327,000

Commerce . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . 232,000

Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104,000

Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65,000

Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000

Public utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,000

Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,000

(*) Slave work. Yes, it is hard to understand at this state of civilization. But it happens in Cuba in the folowing way: The government contracts a big job with a foreigh firm. The firm pays in dollars. The government then pays the hard worker in WORTHLESS CUBAN PESOS which fluctuates between 1/4 and 1/5 of the american currency.

Most of these persons were independent people that could change jobs, protest before their union, travel freely in and out of the country, and other "basic" freedoms, but not now. There is only one law and one rule, that of Castro and his henchmen.

According to the 1953 census 61.49 % of the Cuban population could read. ... Compared to other Latin American countries, Cuba was, however, one of the most advanced and was surpased only by Argentina, Uruguay and Costa Rica. Its educational problems, although serious were much less acute than those of other Latin American countries.

...In terms of popular diet, as expressed in the consumption of calories per capita per day, Cuba ranked third in Latin American as a whole with 2,730 calories, after Uruguay: 2,990 and Argentina: 3,110. ... As regard housing, the 1953 census showed that there were 793,446 urban and 463,148 rural homes making a total of 1,256,594. Of the urban population, 57.7% possessed a supply of inside running water and 78.9 % possessed inside or outside running water, as compared with only 6.7 % and 14.6 % respectively of the rural population.

ELECTRICITY was laid on in 82.9% of urban homes, but in only 8.7 % of the rural homes. In addition, 62.4 % of urban homes had baths, but only 8.7 % of rural homes were so equipped. It is worth mentioning that according to these statistics the average number of baths in Cuban homes (42.8 % in 1953) was higher than the average for France(10.4% in 1954) and Denmark (31.6% in 1955).

These statistics are 46 years old. The fact is that if Cuba had not suffered the ruling, theft, debauchery and squander of Castro, Cuba would be today only surpassed, maybe, by good old USA.

THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE: - (and I quote) ...""One feature of the Cuban social structure was the existance of a large middle class. The political and economical conditions of Cuba produced a middle class made up of the descendants of the new politically minded generations and, to a large extent, of the descendants of immigrants. This middle class, as we shall see later, found two quite separate outlets for its energies. One part was atracted toward business and produced the Cuban businessman who was responsible for the growing transfer of foreign-owned concerns into Cuban hands. The other section of the Cuban middle class entered the professions, the Universities or other intellectual pursuits. Its members were to be found in the civil service, in teaching, in literary societies, in professional associations, etc.""

""Side by side with this expansion and strenghthening of the middle class, and energetic and progressive-minded industrial working class was growing in Cuba. It has his origins in the sugar and tobacco industries and grew as production grew. It was a well-paid and well-protected industrial working class and, taken together with the urban and rural middle class, formed a very large segment of the population which might have served as the foundation for stable political and social institutions. Many observers of the Cuban social class agree in emphasizing the high level of ability of the Cuban people-- their intelligence, their effciency, their manual dexterity and their energy; and their desire of improving their livelyhood.

These same observers always refer to Cuba´s human capital as one of its sources of wealth.""

The "paternalism" imposed on the Cuban people has caused that the Cuban people don´t care about anything or to impvove their livelyhood. NO incentive. They are used to accept whatever the government has to offer, other- wise... simply go witout it.

Dr. Pujals -- Miami.