The American Mafia controlled drugs, gambling and prostitution in Havana. Somehow, I doubt this is what Taft ever had in mind.
Now get this. American interests were everywhere in Cuba and because of those interests Batista remained in power with USA assistance because he could control the people.
Batista was given financial support as well as military support. He called his police an 'anti-communist' secret police force. He controlled the media and carried out public executions. He tortured and committed violence within Cuba killing as much as 20,000 people some estimate.
He was brutal. He was for the most part a dictator.
