Cuba is a socialist country colonized by Spain and strategically positioned to Mexico, United States, Colombia, and Jamaica. Cuba’s hostility with the United States of America has left its relations with other states and its internal development at stake (Prevost, 2008). Cuba’s foreign policy has always been flexible depending on world events including its relations with the United States. Cuba was isolated in early 990s after the fall of the Soviets and the end of the cold war that made it seek bilateral cooperation with South American states such as Bolivia and Venezuela.
United States of America maintained isolation of Cuba until December 2014, when President Barrack Obama introduced new policies of economic and diplomatic engagement, as the EU accused Cuba of violation of human rights and freedoms. Before the Cuban revolution, Cuba maintained ties with the United States both economic and political that had come up with the Platt amendment that authorized the United States to seek military intervention to preserve Cuba’s independence. For instance, Cuba participated in World War 1 on the allies side, joined the League of Nations in 1945 and the organization of American States (OAS) in 1948.
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After the establishment of diplomatic ties with the Soviets after the missile crisis, Cuba became dependent on Russian markets, economic aid and military support and this enabled Castro to build a strong military force (Runitravel, 2011). Moscow perceived Cuba to be appealing to new revolutionary movements and western intellectuals as they resisted the United States perceived imperialism. After the revolution of 1959, Cuba took actions that curtailed the American interests on the island that prompted the United States to respond by terminating purchase of sugar and cut the oil supply to its trading partner deteriorating the relations between the two countries. Fidel Castro declared Cuba a socialist state after the aerial attacks by CIA trained Cuban exiles and developed relationships with the Soviets. Cuba was expelled from the OAS in 1962 prompting cut of ties from Latin Americans
During the cold war, Cuba was involved in African affairs especially in South Africa where Cuba led insurgencies against colonial vestiges providing Cuba with trading partners and converts to Marxism (MakaksaleOpa, 2013). Cuba sent troops to Ethiopia to help them in the Ogaden war with Somalia, aided the Latin Americans such as the Sandinistas to overthrow Somoza in Nicaragua in 1979. In the post-cold war, Cuba reduced its support for guerrilla warfare in Latin America although they continued offering federal assistance. Subsequent dissolution of Soviet Union 1991 devastated Cuba, as it was its principal ally. Cuba today supports Latin Americans who are opposed the American doctrine of free trade, privatization and open markets that lift third world states against economic depression as it condemns neoliberalism that is destructive in growing countries. The United States and Cuba cooperate in areas of mutual interest that emerged in the 1990s as the self-interests assisted in the reduction of unintended war, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and reducing tension in Guantanamo naval base despite the rhetoric of hostility that dominates both states.
In 2014 president, Obama sought to pursue global interests by normalizing relations with Cuba as he restored the diplomatic ties between both countries. Before Obama's policy changes, previous presidents had done little to change the status quo. United States agenda was based on economic growth, integration of energy, immigration security, drug policy and conversion on emerging powers that were undermined by the unstable relationship of both countries. America sought to institutionalize multi-party democracy in Cuba that exercised single party democracy. Obamas post-revolutionary Cuba changed the American perception of Cuba from being regarded a threat to national security to one portraying Cuba as a developing country in transition. US-Cuba conflict emanated from supremacy battles, Cuba’s identity and the disregard of Cuba’s sovereignty by the United States according to international law. The most prominent hurdle of this strategic transformation is the lifting of the embargo, which remains in place passed by Congress in 1990, which leaves Cuban leadership time to ground themselves in the new dispensation, gain nationalistic approach in leadership and mobilize against the United States threats to their regime. When Obama's vision is established, the embargo is to be lifted because of strategic and economic interests of USA in Cuba.
Currently, the American –Cuba relationship that had been established by the Obama administration faces an unprecedented future as the current president; Donald Trump vowed to terminate the Obamacare-Cuba policy, as he perceives it as enriching Castro’s regime according to Wang (2017). White house policy instructs the department of treasury to terminate the ordinary means of visiting the nation regarded as a communist by the termination of individual people-to-people travel that enabled Americans to visit Cuba. Termination of individual people-people travel restricts Americans heading to Cuba to enjoy their diverse culture and taste their unique soup, “Ajiaco Cuban.” The new administration seeks to tighten regulations that allowed Americans visit the island on the individual-to-individual people travel by replacing it with group travel where Americans going to Cuba would have to do so in groups as this measure was intended to eliminate tourism in Cuba which he claims funds their military. President trump perceives the Cuban military as oppressive because of its imprisonment of activists and spying on other states, which inform his decision to bar Cuba from benefits of trade and travel. Trump critics Castro’s human rights record as Castro has been violating human rights by torturing and jailing political activists as he promises to liberate them from Castro’s regime resulting in bad relations with Cuba.
United States supremacy battles are the primary cause of tension between Cuba and the United States as it has consistently ignored the international law on the sovereignty of states and their leadership. The current Trump administration is subjecting Cuba’s leadership to unnecessary confrontation as the previous administration had already set out measures to improve relations bearing in mind the embargo still in place, as the underlying benefits of tourism are restricted. White house current confrontation with the Cuba leadership has left many Americans at a loss, as they are not allowed to visit Cuba as tourists to experience their culture and should consider revision of their position to rely on Obamas policies as they offer solutions to the crisis.
Reference
MakaksaleOpa. “Black in Latin America (Episode 2) Cuba The Next Revolution.” YouTube , YouTube, 11 Jan. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygms7GCXIKY .
Morales, D. E., & Prevost, G. (2008). United States-Cuban relations: A critical history . Lanham, Md: Lexington Books. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, ©2008.
RuniTravel. “Inside Cuba 1 of 2 - BBC Our World Documentary.” YouTube , YouTube, 25 Mar. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNVTb9oyyNM.
Wang, Christine. “Trump Slams Obama-Era Cuba Policy, Says It Enriches Castro Regime.” CNBC , CNBC, 16 June 2017, www.cnbc.com/2017/06/16/president-donald-trump-unveils-new-us-cuba-policy.html
