Malcolm Rivera
Cuba and the United States have had a long and complex history of diplomatic relations, dating back to the early 18th century when they first established trade relations. The United States has often sought to exert influence over Cuba, with Thomas Jefferson expressing his desire for the annexation of Cuba and President James K. Polk attempting to purchase the island from Spain for $100 million. The Cuban rebellion against Spanish rule in the late 19th century gained sympathy in the US, and American investors took advantage of the deteriorating economic conditions to acquire properties on the island. The US supported the rebels in the Spanish-American War, which resulted in Spain relinquishing control of Cuba in 1898. The US broke diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961, and the two countries have since had a tumultuous relationship, with the US imposing sanctions and an embargo on Cuba. The US has also opposed Cuban influence in the region, and there have been tensions over Cuba's ties with the Soviet Union and its role in supporting revolutionary movements in Latin America and Africa. In recent years, there have been some efforts to improve relations, such as the immigration agreement signed in 1984, but the US continues to take a hard line on Cuba, with the Trump administration threatening sanctions on countries that hire Cuban doctors.
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What You'll Learn
US-Cuba relations in the 18th and 19th centuries
In the 19th century, the US continued to pursue its economic interests in Cuba, particularly in the sugar industry. The Platt Amendment, passed in the early 20th century, defined Cuban-US relations for the following 33 years, providing a basis for US military interventions in Cuba. Despite recognising Cuba's independence, the US maintained a degree of control, with Governor Charles Edward Magoon assuming temporary military rule after a rebellion in 1906. The US repeatedly intervened militarily in Cuban affairs throughout the early 20th century, including in 1912, when US forces were sent to suppress protests by Afro-Cubans against discrimination.
Internal conflicts within the Cuban government in the 1930s led to a request for US military intervention by Ambassador Sumner Welles. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered warships and bombers to Cuba, demonstrating the US's willingness to exert military influence in the country. The rise of Fulgencio Batista as Cuba's leader in the 1930s and 1940s marked a period of close cooperation between the two countries, with a new Treaty of Relations signed in 1934.
By 1959, US investors' holdings in Cuba were valued at $900 million, with significant involvement in the sugar industry. However, tensions escalated as the Cuban government nationalised properties belonging to American citizens, leading to countermeasures and eventually, a prohibition on exports to Cuba in 1960. This prompted Cuba to strengthen ties with the USSR, causing the US to sever diplomatic relations. The arrest and expulsion of US diplomats from Cuba in 1960 and the closure of the US embassy in Havana in 1961 marked a significant deterioration in US-Cuba relations.
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Cuba's turn to the Soviet Union in 1960
However, as Castro embraced Communism and attacked anti-Communism as a threat to the revolution, the Soviet Union's perspective shifted. By October 1959, Moscow recognised the potential of the Cuban Revolution to transform the country's political and economic landscape, aligning with Soviet interests. This led to the first official state visit by a high-ranking Soviet representative, Anastas Mikoyan, to Cuba in February 1960. The visit culminated in a significant trade agreement between Cuba and the Soviet Union.
The agreement, signed by Castro and Mikoyan, included the Soviet Union's commitment to purchasing large quantities of sugar from Cuba and providing a low-interest loan of $100 million. Additionally, the Soviets agreed to sell crude oil to Cuba in exchange for sugar. This marked the beginning of the "Sovietization" of the Cuban economy, as Cuba increasingly relied on the Soviet Union for economic, political, and moral support. The arrival of the first tanker of Soviet oil in Cuba in April 1960 further strained relations with the United States, as the oil was refined by companies with American ownership, including Standard Oil and Texaco.
Cuba's embrace of the Soviet Union was also influenced by its dependence on a single export product, sugar, which deepened as a result of economic subsidies from the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon) countries. This monocultural export economy had detrimental effects on both Cuba and the Soviet Union's sugar industries. Despite these complexities, the trade agreement between Cuba and the Soviet Union played a crucial role in sustaining the Cuban economy and providing Cuban sugar to the Soviet market, even during food shortages.
The defense of Cuba became a matter of prestige for the Soviet Union, especially after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961, which further solidified the alliance between Castro and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. The Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 brought the world to the brink of war as the Soviet Union installed nuclear missile bases in Cuba, leading to a US naval blockade and demands for the removal of the missiles. This incident highlighted the strategic importance of the Cuba-Soviet Union relationship and their shared opposition to American influence in the region.
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The US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba
The United States and Cuba have had a long and complex history of diplomatic relations, dating back to the early 18th century when they first established trade relations. Over the years, there have been numerous ups and downs in their relationship, with the US even considering the annexation of Cuba at various points in time.
One significant low point in their relationship occurred in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when the US broke diplomatic relations with Cuba. This was primarily due to the rise of Fidel Castro and his revolutionary government, which pursued policies that clashed with US interests. The US imposed an arms embargo on Cuba in March 1958 during the armed conflict between Castro's rebels and the Fulgencio Batista regime. The US accused Castro of expropriating American properties without proper compensation and pursuing a Communist agenda, including the purge of moderates and the execution of anti-Communists. These concerns were outlined in a letter from President Eisenhower to UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in July 1960, where he also mentioned the cancellation of elections and Cuba's efforts to overthrow other Caribbean governments.
The breaking point came in January 1961 when the Eisenhower administration, in one of its last actions, severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba. This was in response to Cuba's nationalization laws, which required the Cuban government to compensate owners of seized properties with Cuban bonds, an offer the US rejected. The US had also canceled its purchases of Cuban sugar, which was meant to be the source of compensation payments. This marked a significant deterioration in US-Cuba relations and led to a prolonged period of tension and hostility between the two nations.
The US imposed an embargo on Cuba, which has been enforced through various acts and regulations over the years, including the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917, the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, and the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992. The embargo has been criticized for its negative impact on the Cuban people, including shortages of food, clean water, medicine, and other economic needs. Despite these criticisms and calls for re-establishing diplomatic relations, the US has maintained the embargo to advance democracy and promote respect for human rights in Cuba.
In recent years, there have been some efforts to normalize relations between the two countries. The Obama administration loosened restrictions on travel and business dealings with Cuba, but these were partially reinstated by the Trump administration, which cited concerns over political prisoners and a lack of freedom of assembly and expression in Cuba. The US has also withdrawn staff from the US Embassy in Havana due to health issues reported by diplomats and expelled Cuban diplomats from the United States. While the US seeks to advance its national interests in its engagement with Cuba, it also aims to empower the Cuban people and promote human rights, religious freedom, and democracy on the island.
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US sanctions on Cuba's medical programs
The United States has imposed sanctions on Cuba's medical programs, threatening restrictions on visas for Cuban government officials and their families, as well as anyone worldwide deemed "complicit" with the island nation's overseas medical assistance initiatives. These sanctions have been met with resistance from Caribbean and Latin American leaders, who value the contributions of Cuban medical professionals in their countries.
Cuba has a long history of providing medical assistance internationally. Starting in 1963, Cuban medics have helped establish and staff public healthcare systems in numerous countries, particularly in Africa and Latin America. By 2014, 76,000 Cuban medical personnel had worked in thirty-nine African countries, and Cuba maintained over 20,000 medics in Venezuela. In 2013, the Pan American Health Organization contracted 11,400 Cuban doctors to work in underserved regions of Brazil. Cuba's international medical efforts have had a significant impact, with overseas Cuban medical professionals saving millions of lives, conducting billions of consultations and surgical operations, and attending to millions of births worldwide.
The US sanctions on Cuba's medical programs are part of a broader set of restrictions aimed at Cuba. These include the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, which have been amended multiple times since 2009, and the National Security Presidential Memorandum on Strengthening the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba issued in 2017. The US has also restricted remittance-related transactions involving the Cuban military and limited revenue sources for the Cuban regime.
The impact of these sanctions on Cuba's economy and public healthcare system has been significant. Cuba is facing a severe economic crisis, and its public healthcare system struggles with shortages of resources and personnel due to massive emigration. Despite these challenges, Cuba continues to dedicate a high proportion of its GDP to healthcare, maintaining free universal medical provision.
The sanctions have also had unintended consequences. For example, if the US successfully closes oil markets to Venezuela, that country may increase oil shipments to Cuba, with Cuba paying in part by sending medical personnel to Venezuela.
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US policy on Cuba under the Trump administration
On his first day in office, President Trump took steps to reverse the previous administration's policies on Cuba. Trump restored Cuba to the "State Sponsors of Terrorism" list and kept the country on the SST list. The Trump administration has also committed to US citizens' ability to bring private rights of action involving trafficked property confiscated by the Cuban regime. To this end, Trump re-created the Cuba Restricted List, which prohibits certain transactions with companies under the control of the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services.
The Trump administration has also targeted Cuba's medical programs, threatening sanctions against foreign officials from countries that hire Cuban doctors. This has been met with criticism from several Caribbean and Latin American leaders, who have pushed back against the sanctions.
In addition, the Trump administration has revoked the temporary legal status of more than half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. These migrants were brought into the US under a Biden-era sponsorship process known as CHNV, which allowed them and their immediate family members to fly into the US. The Trump administration has argued that this program failed in its goals, allowing migrants to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers.
The US has had economic sanctions on Cuba for nearly seven decades, with the stated intent of restoring democracy and freedom to the country. However, critics argue that these sanctions have limited entrepreneurship and economic development on the island, and that real change will only come if the United States allows Cuba to restart its economic engine and reengage with global markets.
Overall, the Trump administration's policy on Cuba has been characterized by a tough approach, targeting the Cuban regime while attempting to provide assistance to Cuban citizens.
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Frequently asked questions
Moral diplomacy is a form of diplomacy proposed by President Woodrow Wilson in his 1912 United States presidential election campaign. It involves providing support only to countries with beliefs analogous to that of the nation, promoting the nation's ideals and damaging nations with different ideologies.
Yes, in the 1840s, President James K. Polk dispatched his minister to Spain, Romulus Mitchell Saunders, with an offer to buy Cuba for $100 million. However, Saunders was a clumsy negotiator and Spain replied that they would "prefer seeing [Cuba] sunk in the ocean" than sold.
In the 1800s, Cuba was a Spanish colony and the US had established trade relations with the island. The US also supported the Cuban rebellion of 1868–1878 against Spanish rule, known as the Ten Years' War. By 1877, Americans purchased 83% of Cuba's total exports and many North Americans resided on the island.
In the 1900s, the US had a complex relationship with Cuba, ranging from diplomatic recognition to breaking ties. In 1961, the US broke diplomatic relations with Cuba and the following year, the Kennedy administration extended the US embargo to all trade with Cuba. In 1982, the US Department of State added Cuba to its list of state sponsors of terrorism, and in 1985, the US inaugurated Radio Martí broadcasts to Cuba, providing "uncensored news and information programming".
