The 1986 EDSA Revolution in the Philippines proved to be one of the most significant events in the country 's history due to the nonviolent revolution that led the corrupted dictator, President Ferdinand Marcos to be exiled in Hawaii, eventually restoring the nation 's democracy. Twenty-eight years ago in the month of February, there were hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who let their voices be heard and started a revolution to overthrow President Ferdinand Marcos from office. The events leading to the massive nonviolent revolt were huge factors. My mother was actually a part in one of the rally days of this revolution and she told me everything what she remembers on that very eventful day. She hated President Marcos’s abuse of power and wanted to put an end to his dictatorship once and for all. Ferdinand Marcos, a lawyer, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate, was elected the 10th president of the Philippines in 1965 and was even reelected in 1969. During his administration he was able to ratify his constitution in 1973 by the Citizen 's Assemblies. It was declared legal by Marcos 's Supreme Court. The Philippines eventually sunken into debt, and business heads soon became frustrated with Marcos and demanded reforms. Consequently, Marcos brought back vice presidency and limited restrictions on age qualifications to run for president and vice president. President Marcos has been in term for more than 20 years and in
Throughout history, humanity has always yearned for better. When a leader, as an individual or an entire government, ceases to fuel their nation’s drive for better, the citizens take it into their own hands. From this sovereignty of the people, the idea of revolution is born. This idea has become prominent many times. One can analyze a country like France. Due to the government’s selfish actions, the third estate revolted. In countries like Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico, the citizens were tired of strict rule from a power that is an ocean away. This caused the people in Latin America to revolt against their leader, Spain. Although the French and Latin American Revolutions both were inspired by the American Revolution and Enlightenment ideas, the French Revolution was vastly unsuccessful compared to the Latin American Revolution which brought freedom to many countries.
This will be as much a tale about the Venezuelan people as it is about a returning immigrant who knows his homeland largely from memories and media. Though my experiences have shaped my outlook, my intention is to enter the country as a neutral and impartial writer, cognizant of daily life, yet oblivious to the fiery political discourse which consumes too many discussions.
Upon McKinley’s assassination, a (relatively) young Theodore Roosevelt found himself in the position of President of the United States. A man of action – perhaps unnecessary action- Roosevelt was unafraid of the political consequences of his bold and often unilateral decision making, both domestically and abroad. U.S. governance in the Philippines had already
In the 1950’s, tourists visited the island of Cuba for its warm beaches, culture and Spanish colonial architecture. But underneath the surface, was a revolution ready to burst through the Cuban people they just needed the right person to lead them. Cuba at this time was run by a Political Dictator named Fulgencio Batista.
In recent years, an increasing number of professors, commentators, journalists, and teens on social media have claimed that capitalism has failed. What usually follows are suggestions to usher in a new wave of socialism, as if the chaos in Venezuela is somehow non-existent or something truly desirable.
Until sugar production made Cuba the wealthiest agricultural region on earth in the nineteenth century, the island was considered relatively diverse, compared to others in the Caribbean. The quality of soil was universally unparalleled, and gained countries interest. Although the French and Spanish were in feud over the island, merchants from Portugal, England, and Holland participated in trade, which brought diversity to Cuba. At the end of the eighteenth century, the Haitian Revolution changed the racial, social, and economical demographics on Cuba. Seeing that the Haitian revolution was a triumph of colossus proportions, the individuals who started it, embodied the spirit that initiated the great uprising. From the late eighteenth century, into the nineteenth century, formally freed slaved from Haiti migrated to Cuba in astonishing numbers. This not only altered the demographics on the island, it brought in a new workforce that proliferated local sugar production. Within a short period of time, Cuba became the biggest sugar cane producer in the world. The United States gained interest in capitalizing from the islands newfound wealth, and being close in proximity made the temptation of interfere with France and Spain irresistible. In the late nineteenth century, the United States interfered with Cuba’s fight for independence and increased their investments tenfold. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the US gained control of the island through ownership,
On January 8th, 1959, Fidel Castro and his rebel army marched triumphantly into Havana, Cuba, having overthrown corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista the week earlier. It was the fruition of the Cuban Revolution, and the dramatic shift in power was about to radically alter the country’s political, social and economic course forever. The positive and negative effects of the revolution on the Cuban people, however, as well as the condition of Cuba’s economy pre and post-revolution, is subject to heated debate. Castro’s iron-fisted regime was the introduction of communism into the western hemisphere, and now, over fifty years later, the Cuban Revolution continues to be one of the most controversial events of the twentieth century. Despite the criticism levelled at Fidel Castro and his communist regime, however, the Cuban Revolution was necessary in improving the quality of life for the majority of Cuban citizens. The four fundamental categories on which to assess this are healthcare, education, economy and governance. By comparing the country’s overall performance under Fulgencio Batista versus under Fidel Castro in these areas crucial to a fully-functioning nation, it can be shown that the Cuban Revolution was a necessary and positive change in Cuban society which benefitted the majority of citizens.
Over the course of history different revolutions have come and gone, bringing along promises of social, economic, and political change. However, the price of change isn 't always smooth and effortless. Revolution doesn 't bring change at the blink of an eye, it takes time for the achievements of a revolution to come to full fruition. It is almost inevitable that a revolution will have its failures along the way, but these failures don 't overshadow the success of a revolution. It is not until the common good is met that a revolution is deemed successful. When I talk about the common good, I mean that which benefits society as a whole rather than an individual or a minority. The waves of revolution and presidents in Mexico from 1910 to 1946 aimed at achieving the common good, and some presidents succeeded more than others. This can be anything from social services such as free health care and education, to freedom of speech and free elections. When it comes to quantifying the success of a revolution, one must keep in mind the larger scope, not whether a revolution brings immediate change but rather change felt down the road. The most important outcome of a revolution is identifying whether or not it brings forth change. Did the waves of revolution bring change to Mexico or was this change just a mere illusion?
The Cuban Revolution during the 1950’s was a time of turmoil and quarrel. According to the article “Cuban Revolution”, it was a time when rebels- in allegiance with guerrilla leaders, Fidel and Raul Castro -riot against their current dictator Fulgencio Batista. Though people believed in their savior, Fidel Castro; they are eventually betrayed as Castro establishes himself “… as the sole political power within Cuba”(“Cuban Revolution”). Well-known Cuban author Reinaldo Arenas ' is (as stated by R. Ocasio in his article "Becoming Reinaldo Arenas") very much affected and persecuted by Castro 's new regime. For he is a homosexual living in a country with strong homophobic regulations. As a means of expressing his emotional distress, Arenas wrote stories and novels (Ocasio). In Reinaldo Arenas graphic short narrative; “Goodbye Mother", Arenas was able to, symbolically, convey his contradictory feelings in relation to his beloved country, and it’s unethical government.
The revolution itself was a heroic moment, but the implications it had made it even more important. During that time there were a lot of industries and railroads since Cuba was the largest cigar and sugar cane producer. There was an increase in the levels of tourism and the economy was flourishing. The United States had been interested in Cuba during the 19th century for its fertile land and its strategic location. In 1823, President Monroe made a declaration stating that Europeans could no longer interfere with any part of the American continent. The Monroe Doctrine strengthened the relationship between the U.S and Latin American countries. However, since the independence of Cuba in 1899, the U.S. began sending military troops to the Guantanamo
War is inevitable when a deficiency of power exists within a nation, this weakness was evident for the US during the time of the Cuban Revolution. The Cuban Revolution displayed to the world a flaw in of ability to react to potential disaster such as Cuba turning to the Soviets and Communism for trade after The US denied those rights in an attempt to undermine the Castro regime. A later attempt to invade Cuba with a force of American trained Cubans failed to prove successful.
Cuba is an island located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 11.27 million people with 60% of them being Roman Catholics. It's the largest island in the Caribbean and the westernmost island in the Greater Antilles. The official language is Spanish and the currency is the Cuban Peso.
The Cuban revolution was the spark that ignited the flame of communism in Cuba. The developing nation gained independence only as recently as 1898, and was already filled with an atmosphere of distrust and resentment towards the United States. In July of 1953, a revolution began in Cuba between the United States backed President Batista and Fidel Castro. Fidel and his brother Raul Castro lead a series of guerilla warfare battles against the forces of President Batista. “I am Fidel Castro and we have come to liberate Cuba,” stated Fidel Castro. In January of 1959, Fidel Castro became the President of Cuba. With the regime of Fidel Castro, Cuba would fall to communism.
The time of the Cuban Revolution was a great deal of turmoil, not just in Cuba but in almost every corner of the world. It was 1945, shortly after the end of World War Two, and the Cold War was taking off between the United States and the Soviet Union. Cuba, in the middle of its own war, was caught up in the international politics of the Cold War. The interaction between international and domestic politics played a major role in the outcome of the revolution. The result of the revolution left Fidel Castro in charge of Cuba.
The assassination of opposition leader Benigno (Ninoy) Aquino upon his return to the Philippines in 1983, after a long period of exile, coalesced popular dissatisfaction with Marcos and set in motion a succession of events that culminated in a snap presidential election in February 1986. The opposition united under Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, and Salvador Laurel, head of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO). The election was marred by widespread electoral fraud on the part of Marcos and his supporters.