From 1953 to 1959, the Cuban Revolution fought to oust Fulgencio Bautista, the US backed dictator of Cuba. On December 31, 1958, the guerilla troops of Comandante Fidel Castro marched on the capital, Havana, ultimately taking over control of the Cuban government on January 1, 1959.
On April 17, 1961, the US government sponsored an invasion of Cuba, known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion. It was a strategic blunder for the US and the Cubans held on to their positions, repelling the invading forces.
In early 2001, my aunt, Erika Kreisman, took me on a trip to Havana, Cuba to deliver medical relief to the Jewish community of Havana. The medical relief trip was organized by B’nai Brith. The US State Department approved our visas to travel there on a humanitarian basis.
We stayed at the luxurious Hotel Presidente in central Havana, not far from El Malecon, the walkway along the Caribbean Sea coast.
I sampled some fine Havana Club Rum. I smoked some Cohiba cigars. I drank Cristal beer by the beach. As a visitor, life in Cuba can be rich. Cuba has a rhythm and flavor all its own. The people I met were genuine and welcoming.
The United States and Cuba have a long history of political antagonism, going back to the days of President John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962.
During the administration of President Barack Obama, US-Cuba diplomacy enjoyed a period of positive bilateral talks that culminated in President Obama visiting Havana and meeting Comandante Raul Castro for talks and to take in a baseball game.
The era of the Cuban Revolution led by Comandante Fidel Castro and his brother Raul Castro has left an indelible mark on the history of Cuba. Fidel has passed away. Raul has stepped down as President, paving the way for a new generation of Cuban Revolutionaries to govern in his place.
These photographs of Havana, Cuba are from 2001. They are a look back in time to a period in Cuba when Fidel was still in power. The photographs were taken on a Pentax K1000 35mm film camera using Kodak film.
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