There was another major event in 1959 that screwed the Cuban people. The new communist government believed in the superiority of central planning. And it needed liquid resources.

Economists had pointed out that Cuba had one comparative advantage, the perfect climate and soil and infrastructure for sugar cane. So, despite the historical legacy of the exploitation of the people by foreign-owned sugar plantations, Castro decided that he would make an all-out effort to grow and sell as much sugar as possible. He pulled skilled people away from their jobs, and students out of schools, in order to make an historical sugar harvest. That was accomplished, but in the process the economy suffered a severe blow as productivity in other sectors declined sharply.

And, as should have been anticipated, the glut of sugar on the market depressed prices so any economic windfall was wiped out. This ended up being a stupid and tragic blow to the economy that set them back years, or decades.