What happened to Cuba when Castro took over?

“In three words, he destroyed it.

I'm not going to claim (as so many Cubans from Castro's own generation often do) that Cuba was paradise, because it was not. Much as in the rest of Latin America, there was poverty, illiteracy and hunger.

However, was it to the degree that the communists claim? No. As opposed to most other Latin American countries, Cuba had always had a priviledged position. During colonial times, Havana was the seat of the Spanish Crown’s “Casa de Indias” and therefore, where all the plunder was gathered before it was shipped to Spain under guard of the Armada. This brought considerable wealth to the country as one of the most important trading posts of the hemisphere.

After independence in 1902, geographical proximity, beautiful beaches, warm climate and people, as well as continued friendly governments kept it a preferred place for Americans.”