The Cuban Revolution (1953-1959) and the Sandinista Revolution (1978-1979) have many similarities associated with their start, development, and outcomes. Firstly, both revolutions in Cuba and Nicaragua were aimed at overthrowing a dictatorship supported by the United States. From this perspective, the goals of the leaders of these revolutions were to promote democracy in their states and act against the impact of the United States to become independent. Additionally, the guerillas in both countries proclaimed goals and ideals supported by the majority of the population in Cuba and Nicaragua because regimes in these countries did not address the interests of citizens.
Guerillas led by Fidel Castro in Cuba and the Sandinista National Liberation Front in Nicaragua included not only peasants and working people dissatisfied by the rules of elitist governments and dictatorship. Many rebels were well-educated people and professionals who represented the urban elites. The power and similarity of these guerillas’ movements were in having cross-class proponents and the active support of peasants. Moreover, citizens’ support guaranteed the military strength of these movements. Therefore, the revolutions were also similar because people were proposed effective reforms and policies to change their economic and social situation and achieve some equality in contrast to the results of dictatorship.
However, there were also differences between the Cuban and Sandinista revolutions that need to be discussed in detail. To begin with, the impact and intervention of the United States were rather different in Cuba and Nicaragua, as the American government was more interested in preserving its influence in Cuba than in Nicaragua. As a result, the extent of the US support for dictator regimes was also different. Secondly, one of the purposes of the revolution in Cuba was the proclamation of a socialist course in the country to support democracy. In Nicaragua, Socialism was not declared as the state ideology to achieve due to the revolution. This difference in courses is based on the fact that the Cuban Revolution was actively supported by the Soviet Union, and Castro was interested in promoting this course. Nevertheless, in spite of discussed differences in the development of these revolutions, the Cuban Revolution and the Sandinista Revolution were also similar in one more aspect. Both these revolts ended in the victory of guerrillas and rebels in contrast to other revolutions in Latin America.