General Information
It is a strategically located country. It is the largest West Indies Island. It is larger than Austria, Belgium, and South Korea. It is located 90 miles from Key West, and 122 miles away from the continental United States. It is also located around 130 miles away from Mexico, via the Yucatan Channel."Cuba is the key of the Gulf of Mexico."
The Roots of the Historical Conflict
· American interest to control Cuba: U.S. expansionism
o :National Security"
o Geopolitical Considerations
o American values, Manifest Destiny
· Cuba desires to be independent from Spain and the United States interests (Jose Marti)
· In 1809, President Thomas Jefferson wrote to his successor, James Monroe, that the United States should pursue Cuba and Canada.
· In 1823, John Quincy Adams believed that Cuba was not capable of self-support, and it should look towards the United States for help and guidance.
· In 1868, Cuba had a war of independence, which began on October 10th. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes liberated the slaves, and invited to have them fight for Cuban independence. This was called the Great War, or the Ten Years' War, which was from 1868 until 1878. There was also a Little War from 1879 until 1880.
· The 'War of Independence' was from 1895 until 1898. Jose Marti died May 19, 1895 and Antonio Maceo died December 7, 1896.
The New Conflict: Post 1895 War of Independence
· In 1898, The United States intervened with the Cuban War of Independence against Spain (aka the Spanish American War)
· In 1902, the United States held its first military occupation in Cuba.
· The Platt Amendment was imposed upon the Cuban Constitution in 1901 as a tool of dominance (Guantanamo Base)
· From 1906 until 1909, the United States had a second military occupation, in order to protect American security interests.
The End of Neo-Colonialism
· The triumph of the revolution occurred in 1959.
· This began the ending of the patterns of dominance that Cuba has been seeing. It led to the gradual elimination of all instruments that would otherwise destroy the new government.
· The defeat of the Bay of Pigs invasion occurred in 1961.
o It was prepared and financed by the CIA and United States government.
o It was a Mongoose Plan, which was to prepare a direct intervention
· In 1962, the October Crisis, or Cuban Missile Crisis, occurred.
· From 1963 until 1989, Cuba was inserted in the East and West conflict, from the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Stages of conflict after the Cold War end (not for Cuba)
· In 1989, or some may say 1991, it was the end of the Cold War
o Favorable change in international balance force to the United States
o External shock, deep economic crisis: Cuban socioeconomic system adjusts to new international conditions, a very painful process, the so called the "Special Period".
· In 1992, the Torricelli Act was put into place. It is not the "embargo" (blockade)
o Elimination of indirect trade with the United States subsidiaries in other countries
o Sanctions for ships that reach Cuban ports; not allowed entry into American ports for 180 days
· In 1996, the Helms Burton Act was put into place.
o Institutionalization of blockade
o Sanctions focus on foreign investment in Cuba
Potential Impact of Lifting Sanctions on US/Cuba Economic Relations
· Tourism
o It will greatly increase, at least within the first few years of the sanction being lifted, by millions of people.
· Agriculture
· United States trade with Cuba
o Thirty United States and foreign entities were hit with around $244.6 billion in fines due to their interactions with Cuba.
o Direct economic damages caused the Cuban people by the implementation of the blockade by the United States against Cuba up until December 2013, at current prices, and based on very conservative estimates, amounts to more than 112.6 trillion United States dollars.
· Jobs creation in the United States
o In 2008, around 700 million dollars was sent from the United States to Cuba.
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