Modernization and dependence in the socio-economic complex of the cuban sugar agroindustry between 1902-1958

Abstract

This study analyzes the evolution of the Cuban sugar industry between 1900 and 1959, highlighting the technological processes employed, the economic outcomes achieved, and the political and social implications that shaped its development within the framework of international dependency. A historical‑economic approach was applied, combining primary and secondary sources, including classical works of sugar historiography. The methodology integrated the technical reconstruction of the production circuit -series mills, molasses recirculation, bagasse utilization, and cachaza recovery- with the contextualization of restrictive policies, international agreements, and global financial conjunctures. This dual perspective allowed for an evaluation of technological efficiency and its impact on competitiveness. Technological modernization enabled the integral extraction of sucrose and the reuse of by‑products, anticipating practices of sustainability. During World War I, Cuba expanded production and modernized its mills, although the 1920 speculation and the 1921, collapse revealed structural fragility. Gerardo Machado’s restrictive policies and international regulatory attempts in the 1930s, failed to stabilize the market amid overproduction and price decline. During World War II, agreements with the United States of America secured preferential quotas, while workers achieved gains such as the differential sugar clause, linking price increases to wage improvements. In the 1940s and 1950s, production reached record levels, but surplus accumulation and limited agricultural diversification constrained development. By the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, Cuba inherited a powerful sugar infrastructure -161 mills and millions of hectares under cultivation- but also an economic model subordinated to external factors.