Cuba and its Revolution, a Country Caught in the Middle
Cuba for much of its history has been influenced or directed by a foreign power. From direct ownership from Spain in colonial times, to American influence in the mid 20th century, to Soviet partnership after that, Cuba never seems to be able to act fully on its own accord.
Beginning with the Spanish, after centuries of rule, the Cuban citizenry was tired of Spanish governance, specifically despotism and over-taxation. This led to a revolution and 10 year war against the Spanish which was ultimately unsuccessful. However, this was not the end, and in 1895 another revolutionary war occurred. This time, it was different. The United States, wanting to increase its influence over the island and protect its economic interests, entered the fight against the Spanish. They ultimately were successful, and in 1902 were allowed to become their own country.
Superficially, this sounds fantastic, however with all seemingly good things there is often a catch. In this case, it was the Platt Amendment, a stipulation stating that the United States had the right to intervene militarily on the island, which they would use multiple times in the coming decades. Increased American economic involvement also resulted in increased dependence from Cuba on the United States, stifling their economic growth.
After decades of American influence and American-backed dictatorships, Fidel Castro started the 26th of July movement after attacking an army barracks. This would later become the movement that won the 1959 revolution, nationalizing American assets in the country and expelling the majority of American influence. However, America struck back with sanctions and economic punishment on the country. This then led to Castro seeking ties with the USSR for economic support and allies. This was an enormous help to the Cuban economy and allowed a better standard of living.
The USSR would not last forever, and in 1991 economic aid to Cuba ceased with the dissolution of the country. This resulted in extreme hardship for the Cuban people, as the American sanctions continued with the loss of their major trading partner. With these sanctions still persisting today, America still maintains influence and control over the country.
I find the theme of external influence on the country tragic and interesting. It seems that no matter what happens in Cuba, it is because of an external power with their own interests. First, Spain. Spain wanted a naval base, cheap sugar, and a stopover point for its further plundering of the Americas. Then it was the United States, wanting to manifest its destiny on the country, control economic ties and natural resources, and further its desires for the Panama Canal. Then, the Soviets, wanted an ally close to America, a place to stash their nukes, and more communist partners on the world stage. Now, back to America, wanting to punish a nation for bygone generations in the past.
With all of these facts, it seems like Cuba never has been and seemingly never will be its own country, always caught in the middle of another greater power's affairs.
What could Cuba do today to assert its independence on the world stage?
If you were in charge of Cuban affairs at any time in history, what would you do differently when interacting with these great powers?
I like that you outlined the constant foreign interference in Cuba and the impacts that they had on the country. However, what about Cuba and their own outer reach into other countries? Castro was a big advocate for the funding of communist or other like-minded groups in South America. An example of this was the funding of the Sandinistas. If I were in charge of Cuban affairs, I would try my best to get along with everyone. Certainly, I would get along with the United States because we are only ninety miles north of Cuba and I think it makes sense to be friends with the biggest superpower that happens to be on Cuba's doorstep. I would try and open trade with everyone because it would boost the economy as well as boost tourism.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you put forth the context that Cuba has seemed to exist under the spheres of influence of other nations throughout it's history. This is essential when trying to answer your first question. In order for Cuba to assert itself on the world stage and to begin to redevelop its economy, it must reopen it's society to the world. This will allow for trade to begin again with foreign nations, which in theory would boost the Cuban economy and allow for Cuba to rely less upon the assistance of others. Crucially Cuba could and should try to do everything it can to open relations with the US once again, as they are the closest and wealthiest nation Cuba could potentially do business with.
ReplyDeleteI never did think about how Cuba was pretty much a play toy for all the largest countries in the world at the time. The fact that Spain used them as a jump-off point and nothing else while the USA used them for easy exports and the USSR used them for strategic missile placement just shows that since its discovery, it has never experienced a period of not being exploited by foreign powers. I believe that there is little that Cuba could do to assert its dominance on the world stage. There are many reasons for this but the main one that I can think of is land. Spain is an island and does not have as much land as other countries and would not be able to create a large Industrial society if they attempted to do what Stalin had done. One way that I could see Cuba putting itself on the world stage is if it invests in signs and Technologies. The one way to get yourself at the front stage is to put something in space either manned or unmanned. if they claimed to do this through humanitarian and scientific efforts they could receive funding from Pro Communist States such as China. The only problem with putting themselves on the world stage is that Cuba will need to find a way to change the anti-communist countries' distaste towards them into something else.
ReplyDeleteIslands are typically unable to produce enough goods to fully support themselves independently, especially smaller islands like Cuba. I think that the country's reliance on other superpowers is due to a reliance on imports of supplies. On of the videos from this module mentioned how supplies for medical research were cut by the US and as a result research (which was apparently making strong progress on the world stage) was slowed to a crawl, if conducted at all. I might think that a way for Cuba to assert itself as an independent state would be to do the opposite and open trade with anyone and everyone (although obviously this isn't currently possible with the US). By having access to the necessary resources, the country may be able to establish itself as a strong exporter of things like research and new technologies.
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