[justiceseeker93]

...I don't believe there is much evidence Russia directly aided the overthrow of Batista.

My guess is that if you looked through the documents of the successor to the Comintern (the international communist body) in Moscow, you would find plenty of evidence. These files only became available after the collapse of the Soviet Union, so at the time Castro's explicit announcement of his Red colors c. 1960 came as a surprise to many dupes in the West.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks justiceseeker93. El Baradei is going to his grave for this one.