United States and Cuba Relations Before and Beyond the Cold War

     Before the Cold War in the 20th century, Cuba was in the United States’ geopolitical thinking. President Adams called it a “ripe fruit,” where it was just waiting to be picked.  President Jefferson said that Cuba was an “empire for liberty.” While America was going through the Manifest Destiny phase of history, Cuba was on the radar to be acquired. President Polk desired to buy Cuba for 130 million dollars, but Cuba declined because they were finally free from Spain’s reign, and they wanted to be free from the United States as well.

     After the Cuban civil war which got rid of Spanish rule, the United States began to openly show interest to intervene in the Cuban government. Because of this, the United States drew up the Platt Amendment, which gave the United States permission to keep control in Cuba. The United States constructed coaling and naval stations in Cuba. Guantanamo Bay, a prison, is still in Cuba today under American possession. There were three American interventions under the Platt Amendment before 1934, when it was repealed. The 1962 Cuban missile crisis was the true turning point in the America and Cuban relationship.

     The American and Cuban conflict has been very tense for the past fifty years because the United States wants to change the government of Cuba, which is currently communist and socialist. During the Cold War, the United States sought to change all communist governments, like that of the Soviet Union, who was in the Cold War with the United States. America believed this form of government to be “evil,” and wanted to stop any country from becoming communist. Because of this, the Soviet Union (Russia), became allies with Cuba. Russia started to give Cuba weapons and construct many buildings. Today, you can see many Russian designed buildings still in Havana. There is more to the conflict with Cuba than their form of government however, because the United States does not have a conflict with China, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, all of which have “evil” governments.  The Obama administration has attempted to create a new relationship with Cuba. Because of this attempt, I was able to travel to Cuba to student, which I would not have been able to do a few years ago.