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| The '''Special Period In Time of Peace''' in ] was an extended period of economic crisis that began in 1991 and lasted through the early and mid ], gradually declining in severity before finally dissipating in societal impact sometime in the late 1990s. The period is defined primarily by severe shortages of hydrocarbon energy resources in the form of gasoline, diesel, and other oil derivatives. The period radically transformed the Cuban society and economy by way of necessitating the successful introduction of sustainable approaches to agriculture, transportation, industry, health, and diet — relocalization, ], and innovative modes of mass transit are examples of these. | |||
| The '''Special Period''' in ] began with the ] and, by extension, the ], which threw the island nation into tremendous poverty and prompted ] to contract out more lucrative economic and ] deals with various ] and ] nations. | |||
| The "Special Period" was inaugurated immediately after the ] and, by extension, the ]. Contractual shipments of crude oil that had been tankered in from the Soviet Union no longer arrived in Cuba after ], and by the next year the Cuban economy was importing and utilizing only around 10% of the crude oil that it had been importing previous to the Soviet Union's collapse. Cuban president ] was seen to appear on Cuban national television to alert Cubans about imminent energy shortages a mere week before his government received notice from ] that it had no intention of shipping the quota of discounted crude oil that had been guaranteed Cuba by the Soviet Union. The oil shortages caused extensive loss of productivity in both Cuban agriculte — which was dominated by modern industrial tractors, combines, and harvestors that all required oil — and Cuban industry. The early stages of teh "Special Period" were defined by the general breakdown in the transportation and agricultural sectors for lack of oil to run vehicle and equipment ] engines. Fertilizer and pesticide stocks (both manufactured primarily from oil derivatives) soon were depleted. Food shortages soon erupted (although outright starvation and famine was prevented) and severe rationing reportedly caused widespread malnutrition and several thousand cases of blindness. The ] government was forced to contract out more lucrative economic and ] deals with various ] and ] nations in an attempt to earn the foreign exhcange necessary to replace the lost Soviet oil via the international markets. | |||
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| Additionally faced with a near-elimination of imported ] and other ]-based supplies, Cuba closed refineries and factories across the country. Faced with a drying up of ], Cuba began to develop numerous innovative and alternative practices that were not as oil- and energy-intensive. For example, Cuban agriculture was revolutionized during the "Special Period" after Australian and other ] arriving in Cuba to distribute aid tought their techniques to local Cubans, who soon implemented this generally low-input, high yielding method in Cuban fields, raised beds, and urban rooftops across the nation. ] was soon after mandated by the Cuban government, supplanting the old industrialized form of agriculture. Alternative transportation, most notably the Cuban "camels" — immense 18-wheeler tractor trailers retrofitted to carry many dozens of Cubans each — flourished. Meat and dairy products, being extremely fosssil fuel-intensive in their former industrial mass production under the ] mathods, soon diminished in the Cuban diet. Cubans by necessity adopted diets higher in ], fresh produce, and more ] in character than before the period. | |||
| As the country began to visibly recover from the shock of the implosion of their economic underpinning, Fidel gradually told the Cuban people that this "Special Period" was over; that it had succeeded and the country was (relatively) prosperous once again. That was sometime in the first year or two of the 21st Century. Despite his words, far too many common Cubans still feel the pinch of continued economic difficulty for any analyst to really, definitively say that the Special Period has reached its close. | |||
| ⚫ | The Cuban government also focused more intensely on cooperation with ] after the ] and ] ] was first elected in ]. No longer needing ] as desperately for a ]-- the oil-for-sugar program the Soviets had with Cuba had, of course, dissipated — Cuba hurriedly diversified its agricultural production, growing things like ] in former ] fields. | ||
| As the country began to visibly recover from the shock of the implosion of their former ] energy-intensive economic underpinning, ] gradually told the Cuban people that this "Special Period" was over; that it had succeeded in generally maintaining the long life expectancies and health statistics (roughly equivalent to those enjoyed in the United States) and stated that the country was (relatively) prosperous once again. | |||
| == See also == | |||
| ] | |||
| == External links == | |||
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Revision as of 08:19, 14 October 2005
The Special Period In Time of Peace in Cuba was an extended period of economic crisis that began in 1991 and lasted through the early and mid 1990s, gradually declining in severity before finally dissipating in societal impact sometime in the late 1990s. The period is defined primarily by severe shortages of hydrocarbon energy resources in the form of gasoline, diesel, and other oil derivatives. The period radically transformed the Cuban society and economy by way of necessitating the successful introduction of sustainable approaches to agriculture, transportation, industry, health, and diet — relocalization, permaculture, and innovative modes of mass transit are examples of these.
The "Special Period" was inaugurated immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union and, by extension, the Comecon. Contractual shipments of crude oil that had been tankered in from the Soviet Union no longer arrived in Cuba after 1991, and by the next year the Cuban economy was importing and utilizing only around 10% of the crude oil that it had been importing previous to the Soviet Union's collapse. Cuban president Fidel Castro was seen to appear on Cuban national television to alert Cubans about imminent energy shortages a mere week before his government received notice from Russia that it had no intention of shipping the quota of discounted crude oil that had been guaranteed Cuba by the Soviet Union. The oil shortages caused extensive loss of productivity in both Cuban agriculte — which was dominated by modern industrial tractors, combines, and harvestors that all required oil — and Cuban industry. The early stages of teh "Special Period" were defined by the general breakdown in the transportation and agricultural sectors for lack of oil to run vehicle and equipment internal combustion engines. Fertilizer and pesticide stocks (both manufactured primarily from oil derivatives) soon were depleted. Food shortages soon erupted (although outright starvation and famine was prevented) and severe rationing reportedly caused widespread malnutrition and several thousand cases of blindness. The Castro government was forced to contract out more lucrative economic and tourism deals with various Western European and South American nations in an attempt to earn the foreign exhcange necessary to replace the lost Soviet oil via the international markets.
Additionally faced with a near-elimination of imported steel and other ore-based supplies, Cuba closed refineries and factories across the country. Faced with a drying up of oil, Cuba began to develop numerous innovative and alternative practices that were not as oil- and energy-intensive. For example, Cuban agriculture was revolutionized during the "Special Period" after Australian and other permaculturists arriving in Cuba to distribute aid tought their techniques to local Cubans, who soon implemented this generally low-input, high yielding method in Cuban fields, raised beds, and urban rooftops across the nation. Organic agriculture was soon after mandated by the Cuban government, supplanting the old industrialized form of agriculture. Alternative transportation, most notably the Cuban "camels" — immense 18-wheeler tractor trailers retrofitted to carry many dozens of Cubans each — flourished. Meat and dairy products, being extremely fosssil fuel-intensive in their former industrial mass production under the factory farming mathods, soon diminished in the Cuban diet. Cubans by necessity adopted diets higher in fiber, fresh produce, and more vegan in character than before the period.
The Cuban government also focused more intensely on cooperation with Venezuela after the leftist and democratic socialist Hugo Chavez was first elected in 1998. No longer needing sugar as desperately for a cash crop-- the oil-for-sugar program the Soviets had with Cuba had, of course, dissipated — Cuba hurriedly diversified its agricultural production, growing things like oranges in former cane fields.
As the country began to visibly recover from the shock of the implosion of their former fossil fuel energy-intensive economic underpinning, Castro gradually told the Cuban people that this "Special Period" was over; that it had succeeded in generally maintaining the long life expectancies and health statistics (roughly equivalent to those enjoyed in the United States) and stated that the country was (relatively) prosperous once again.