Once installed in power, the Revolutionary Government started to dismantle all the neo-colonial political system. Repressive institutions were dissolved and, for the first time, the citizens were guaranteed the full exercise of their rights. Public administration was cleaned and all misappropriated properties and wealth were confiscated, thus eliminating such practice from the republican life. Batista’s supporters and criminals were tried and sentenced. Corruption was also swept from the leadership of the labor movement and political parties that had served and helped the tyranny were dissolved.

The appointment of Fidel Castro as Prime Minister in February would accelerate the adoption of measures for the benefit of the people. A reduction of house rents was passed, private beaches were placed at the disposal of the people and companies that monopolized public services were nationalized.

A transcendental landmark during this period was the Agrarian Reform Act, passed on May 17. This would definitely eliminate large estates through the nationalization of all properties over 420 ha and granted the ownership over the land to thousands of peasants who had been sharecroppers or leaseholders. This measure, which banished one of the strongest supports of the neocolonial system, caused the heated response of the affected persons.

The Moncada program began to be fulfilled: the farmers were the owners of their lands.

The US government had not concealed its disagreement with the triumph of the revolution and, promoting an ill-intentioned press campaign, adopted a policy of systematic harassment against Cuba, encouraging and giving support to counterrevolutionary movements with the purpose of destabilizing the country.

In July, the obstacles created by the President Manuel Urrutia against the revolutionary transformations caused Fidel Castro’s resignation from his post of Prime Minister. A few days later, Fidel Castro would return to his position due to popular demonstrations on his support and at the same time determined the resignation of president Urrutia and his substitution by Osvaldo Dorticós. In October, military sedition is aborted in Camagüey, concocted by the military chief of the place, Commander Hubert Matos in open agreement with landowners and other local counterrevolutionary elements. Meanwhile, sabotage and terrorism began to kill innocent victims.

To oppose the wave of counterrevolutionary activities, the National Revolutionary Militia Troops and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution were created. These two organizations, together with the Cuban Women Federation and the Association of Young Rebels and other organizations, created during the next few months, would allow a wider participation of the people in the defense of the Revolution. US permanent hostility is implemented in several successive steps aimed at destabilizing the Cuban economy and isolating the country from the international community. The Revolution responds to all these measures with a dynamic foreign policy that widens its relationships and agreements with other countries, including socialist countries. This was proof of the strong decision on the part of the Revolution to break with the traditional commercial dependence. In August 1960, after the decision by the government in Washington to cancel the sugar quota, Fidel Castro announces the nationalization of all US properties in the Island. A few months after, this measure would be followed by the decision to nationalize all the companies of the Cuban bourgeoisie that had finally sided with the US and with the sectors of the oligarchy and had also helped systematically to all actions aimed at economic sabotage and decapitalization.

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