FULGENCIO BATISTA: THE FIRST COUP FEBRUARY, 5TH, 1934

Machado’s most foolish move was the act to protect himself in office. His moves to gain a tighter grip on our country and extend his term are reoccurring mistakes in our political history. He should have learned from when our first president, Tomas Estrada Palma was revolted against in 1906 after trying to extend his term. Cuban people are not fond of being blatantly or forcibly oppressed, the end result is often a revolt, and this reoccurring theme in our history shall teach how to do my business with the government in my political future. I will opt to take a more behind the scenes route instead of seizing the most powerful position. There is no real reason for me to subject myself to being the possible scapegoat for criticism during hard times, further subjected myself to possible expulsion from the government. Although I now have this choice of how I handle my business in this already powerful position, there is a reason I get to make this choice. I have seized the majority of the government and have successfully overthrown presidents and placed my first puppets in place all at the hands of my famous plan they are now calling the “revolt of the sergeants.” To further elaborate I have recently led a military coup against the government specifically Machado and his liberal policies.
As it is well known by my followers, after my entry to the army, I have raised myself to the rank of sergeant, and in recent years I have been appointed as the leader of the group of sergeants who were discontented about Machado. It was after national dissent had increased to topple Machado and expel him from office, in August 1933, that my fellow sergeants and I decided to join student rebels to replace Machado’s successor, Carlos Manuel De Cespedes y Quesada. The replacement of the now president would not prove to be as easy however. The seize of power would come down to a bloody siege at the Hotel Nacional, where despite heavy losses my men were able to prevail against the officers supporting the transitional government which was the last step in gaining control of the government. After these events, It was on September 4, 1933 that we had finally gained total control, and I proceeded to place myself at the rank of Colonel and the Chief of the Army, which has obviously been instrumental in my plan to increase military influence in our government. At this position, along with the majority in the government I controlled, I effectively ensued to control the presidency. Aside form my own position, I placed, as recently stated, my first puppet, Ramon Grau San Martin, a professor from the University of Havana, at the helm of the presidency.
Although San Martin was used as my initial puppet, it was after a meeting with US ambassador Sumner Welles, and much egging on and persuasion by him that I had decided to take Martin out and replace him with Medieta. Shortly after, as hinted by Mr. Welles, the US government recognized our new government as legitimate. Now my most recent moves have consisted of striking deals with the US to ensure our country’s sugar sales and remove the slightly more palpable aspects of US control. This recent move has been my most successful and has increased my popularity tremendously. For now the situation is stable and Mendieta will be my president.