Fidel played a significant role in Guyanese and international politics

Dear Editor,
Much has been written on Fidel Castro after his death on the impact of his revolution on Third World societies. Unquestionably, the revolution had a profound impact on international relations and on the struggle against imperialism. He also influenced the politics of Guyana, brought the cold war to Guyana that led to Forbes Burnham siding with the imperialists against the Progressives. Many Guyanese had some romanticism with the revolution and Fidel; they wanted to imitate Fidel to make revolution against oppressive dictators, especially those aligned with the Western imperialist powers. Our very own Burnham and the PNC were ardent allies of imperialism during the first decade of their ethnic dictatorship.
There was no question that the 1959 Cuban Revolution transformed politics in the Third World and the anti-colonial struggle, and also helped to deepen the cold war between the USSR and the USA. The revolution led to deeper US involvement in the politics of Third World countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and in Africa, Asia, and islands in the Pacific. The US toppled regimes friendly to USSR or those seen as anti-American as in Guyana, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, etc.
As a young student in the social sciences, and one who was involved in the struggle against the racist Burnham dictatorship, one could not help but admire Fidel and also sympathize with his cause of overthrowing the US financed dictator Fulgenicio Baptista; Burnham was also funded by the US.
Castro was a dictator, which any democratic advocate like me would condemn, but he also did positive things for Cuba. But he instituted relative equality among all, regardless of status or race. He provided free education and healthcare. A decade after the revolution, Cuba had perhaps the best healthcare and educational system in the developing world. He exported healthcare by sending Cuban doctors to attend to the poor in Third World countries. And he provided free training to thousands of doctors from around the world. Guyanese were/are beneficiaries – hundreds of Guyanese were educated in Cuba. For that, Guyana and the developing world is grateful.
Castro was an unrepentant Marxist. He admired our own Cheddi Jagan for his socialist ideals and refusal to compromise his political philosophy; Fidel welcomed Cheddi to Cuba. Caribbean Magazines and the Caribbean Contact newspaper during the 1970s and 1980s had glowing references to Jagan and his wife, Janet for standing up to imperialism like the way no other Caribbean leaders did. Castro also praised Grenadian Maurice Bishop who in 1981, called Jagan the “Dean of Socialism in the Caribbean”.
With regards to Guyana, one must not forget that during the anti-colonial struggle, Burnham told the Americans and British that Cheddi and Janet Jagan wanted to make Guyana into another Cuba as a beachhead for the USSR in South America. The US and UK made Burnham their man. All this time, Burnham was in a close relationship with Washington.
The US destabilized the Jagan Administration and installed Burnham in office. Later, under international pressure in the mid-1970s, the opportunistic Burnham would embrace Castro’s anti-imperialist talk at the non-aligned summit. But the opportunistic Burnham’s warning to Washington against Jagan continued till the 1980s just before his death.

Hoyte continued the warnings, accusing Jagan of wanting to turn Guyana into a communist state – hoping this strategy would win over US which instructed Hoyte to hold free and fair elections.
Not many Third World leaders embraced Castro in the early stages of his revolution, but later he would earn their respect and adulation. He helped to hold NAM together even when it was losing its relevance.
Regardless of how he is judged, Fidel played a significant role in Guyanese and international politics, and one can say that it was because of Fidel that the US embraced Burnham over the real Marxist Cheddi.

Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram