In 1952, former Cuban president Batista
led a military coup and seized power
when it became clear he was not going to
be re-elected. He placed Cuba under a
repressive military dictatorship
and began to establish close relations
with the United States.
This allowed American
companies to buy up the majority of
Cuba's natural resources, plus under his
rule, the country became a haven for
organized crime syndicates, all of which
angered a young lawyer named Fidel Castro.
Castro put together a group of 138 men