Cuba and the United States Evolving Relationship

Matthew Lintner
Dr. Kassens
ECON-122
4/20/16

The roots of the relationship between Cuba and the United States were generated during the Cold War because of Cuba's Communist ways and government. Since the big concern to every American during the Cold War was Communism, and Cuba was not much more than ninety miles away, they were respected as a potentially big threat. The scrutiny between the two countries began once the countries started attacking each other's economy. Cuba "hiked taxes on American imports" making them unpopular to the citizens of Cuba, so the United States respond economically as well by "slashing Cuba's sugar imports, then instituted a ban on nearly all exports to Cuba, then finally placed a full embargo on all trades and even travel" (CFR 1). This meant that the United States refused to trade any and all goods and services with Cuba; moreover, even traveling from one country to the other was forbade by the early 1960's. Cuba had been successfully blacklisted by the United States. This was now a tricky situation for both countries of course, but the close proximity between the countries was a big concern. Especially since both possessed nuclear weapons; furthermore, even though geographically Cuba is much smaller, the United States was still healing its wounds from Pearl Harbor, and everyone wanted to avoid a war on their own American soil. After a failed Bay of Pigs attempt, the two countries had even more beef, but by 1962, "Cuba agreed to dismantle their missile sites if the United States promised not to invade [Cuba]" (CFR 1). Even after the Cold War ended in 1992, relations were still not restored. Even today in 2016, about 54 years after these incidences first occurred, relations have still not been restored. In fact they have been strengthened by the "Cuba Democracy Act and the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which state that the embargo will not be lifted until Cuba holds fair elections and becomes to a democracy based government" (CFR 1). The Castro's will never make their government a democracy, but there is rumor that Raul will step down in the year 2018. This article is groundbreaking though because it illustrates that the relationship between Cuba and the United States may be heading in a different direction than before. For the first time in over 50 years, a sitting president has traveled to Cuba, and that sitting president shook hands with Raul Castro. This all coming after "the two countries announced they would restore diplomatic relations" (CFR 1). Now while not all is forgiven on both sides, the countries seem to be working things out. OF course it will take time, but the future of the relationship between the two looks promising after this groundbreaking event.

http://www.cfr.org/cuba/us-cuba-relations/p11113