The Current State of US- Cuba Relations

President Obama made a visit to Cuba to discuss a thawing in relations and the possibility of trade deals with Cuba. President Obama is the first US president to visit the island nation since 1928. The hostility the US had and in some cases still has for Cuba are rooted in Cold War history. When the Cuban Revolution occurred the United States and the Soviet Union were in a state of  intense tension. When the Communist Party took over many industries owned by the United States were nationalized. Fidel Castro made it part of his foreign policy to support anti-colonial liberation movements and accept aid from the Soviet Union. Immediately, the Eisenhower administration plotted his overthrow. President John F. Kennedy decided to continue this objective. The Bay of Pigs invasion  was launched in 1961 and ended in failure. The Cuban exile force was not strong enough to depose Castro's government. This induced a larger crisis, when Cuba allowed Russia to put nuclear missiles and launch sites on the island. The reason Fidel Castro allowed this was to prevent another US invasion. A precarious game of nuclear brinkmanship occurred and since 1962 Cuba has been under embargo. The Cold War has ended and the US only now wants to normalize relations. There was even rapprochement with Vietnam in 1996. Cuba was isolated, because it showed resistance to US foreign policy objectives and its general domineering attitude toward Latin America. Now President Obama and President Raul Castro have met to enter into a new chapter in US-Cuba relations. While it has been described as "historic" and a step in a "positive direction,"  it is obvious that there are ulterior motives. The United States is attempting to gain a foreign policy success, when numerous failures have happened unrelentingly. President Obama wants to cement his legacy with this trip, seeing as there are few domestic policy successes in his second term. Cuba wants to see business return mainly in the form of tourism. President Raul Castro realizes that if the embargo continues, revolt will follow. Cuba has no desire to be isolated economically or politically. Although this new chapter has emerged in relations it is fragile and could become contentious if certain convictions do not change.
       The Barack Obama presidency in its final term has to have a foreign policy success. The failures in Syria, Libya, and Yemen are further damaged the image of the United States. President Obama after numerous attempted regime changes, has now tried to reverse the image of the US as war maker . A perfect way to do this is to reach out to one of America's longtime enemies. Iran was the first country to experience this shift. The nuclear deal so far has been a success, but the United States is far from having normal relations with Iran. Cuba was the second nation to experience this reach out to a former enemy. However, Cuba is more aware of US intentions. Raul Castro has stated that the general foreign policy functions of Cuba will not change. It will continue to work closely with left-wing governments such as Venezuela and Bolivia. President Obama has like other presidents before him, decided to engage in disputes with these countries, because they believe the United States should not control Latin America. President Obama's visit is a way to repair the much damaged relations with Latin American nations. The people of South America and the Caribbean  have over the decades become more frustrated with US policies. The long history of US support for oppressive regimes, regime change, and intervention are still fresh in the minds of millions. Currently, with rising anti-immigrant attitudes in the US and it being espoused by the right-wing further damages relations. There is a venomous hatred that the US has for South American people, even though immigrant labor from various Latin American countries is being utilized.

President Obama almost had to visit Latin America almost as a form of apology for America's anti-Hispanic racism. The Republican Party's rhetoric has not only reached audiences in  the US, but globally. It is heard in Latin America which creates more resentment to the United States. President Obama wants to strengthen relationships in Latin America to counter balance growing Chinese and Russian power on the Eurasian landmass. This is why he visited Cuba, because the country still has high standing not just in Latin America, but around the world. Cuba may not even be the prime objective of this foreign policy shift. Russia has diplomatic relations with the island. The US may be trying to push out Russia from having diplomatic relations with Latin American nations. This could be a reaction to US failures in Ukraine and Syria, which Russia has the upper hand. Even when President Obama attempts to make a change, the traditional lecture on human rights was mentioned. Arrogant it was in tone and continued under the veil "that the young people of Cuba must decide their future" Whatever the future holds for the island, it will not be under the subjugation of the United States as many have hoped. The right-wing political establishment called President Obama's visit a surrender and appeasement to an authoritarian regime.This was simply political realism. Most of the world has seen the US embargo of Cuba as unjust. This action has reflected poorly on the United States. Since 2003 with the invasion of Iraq and war in Afghanistan US respectability has declined. The image of bully has been view of many nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. President Obama wants to reverse this negative perception, but will realize it is too late. Depending on who will be the next president all of this could be reversed. An initiative should have been taken earlier to be more effective. What was stopping President Obama was a skeptical public and Republican opposition. While there are criticisms of his visit it should be remembered that President Richard M. Nixon opened relations with China and faced similar criticisms.If this is to be substantial  and genuine there are elements of US foreign policy behavior that must change. The US must stop viewing Latin America as its sphere of influence and instead view it as a separate continent of sovereign nation-states. If this does not happen, President Obama's efforts will be fruitless.

      Cuba had to change course to end the long standing embargo. There are no guarantees the US will honor this promise. Since 1962 the island nation has suffered economic troubles as the world's most powerful nation attempted to break it.Cuba had ti adjust and even allowed some levels of private ownership in the 1990s. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 dramatically altered the global political landscape. Cuba had lost a partner that provided aid and was now struggling with its own difficulties. The standard of living was gradually declining due to economic isolation by Washington. Hardship could be a catalyst for uprisings.Raul Castro has realized that the youth of the country are becoming restless. They want to contribute to the country in new and bold ways. This change in policy is an attempt to save the legacy of the revolution and preserve its future. If a revolution becomes stagnant it will die. The Cuban Revolution has prided itself on the fact it served as a model to left-wing revolutionary movements throughout Latin America.Cuba today has in many respects rested on its laurels and is attempting to captivate the Cuban people again. The fervor and enthusiasm of the 1960s has never been revived. Fidel Castro achieved many feats during the early years. The Agrarian Land Reform Law, the increase in schools, free healthcare, and the rise of the Federation of Cuban women are just a examples of Cuba's domestic accomplishments. Women were to be mobilized and active participants in the revolution and Afro-Cubans were to become full members of society. 

Revolutionaries like Che and Raul himself looked far beyond Cuba. They did not just espouse antiimperilism and anti-colonial politics, but made it a primary objective in their foreign policy. This meant fighting white minority rule in Southern Africa, opposing US interference in Latin America, and showing solidarity with other leaders of the global south. This was a challenge to America's desire to maintain a containment policy for communism. The US was in favor of even maintaining the old colonial status quo in the former colonies of Britain and France, if it could advance its global agenda. The Cuban government sent troops to Angola in support for their war of liberation. Fidel Castro contributed military and financial assistance to the anti-Apartheid struggle. Che died trying to organize revolutionaries in Bolivia. Although these are commendable acts, there were some foreign policy moves that were questionable. Fidel Castro's support for Ethiopia's Mengistu Mariam was a mistake. This Marxist regime caused much suffering in Ethiopia in the 1980s and was based on a Stalinist model. Cuba did play a role in fueling the Ogaden War. This conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia was being exacerbated by both Russia and Cuba simultaneously with the United States. The US favored Said Barre of Somalia to counter Cuba and Russia. Seeing as the United States could not directly invade Cuba it sought to undermine its foreign policy specifically in Africa. This mean stopping wars of liberation and supporting Apartheid South Africa. The United States also supported Jonas Savimbi  of UNITA while Cuba and Russia supported the MPLA government. The US used that argument Cuba was instigating conflict and the embargo was designed to stop them. When the Cold War ended, the continued use of the embargo demonstrated that the US still had the desire to harm Cuba and its people. They were able to hold out long enough for a US president who was a realist came to power. Cuba had realized that America in a weakened state in terms of military interventions and economic turmoil would be more negotiable. 

       If political matters between the US and Cuba cannot reach a consensus, economic interests could make that possible. Cuba realizes that the island has a natural beauty that visitors do enjoy. Tourism would be rapidly expanded if both countries lifted travel restrictions. The United States and Cuba could exchange goods. There was a time that the United States invested close to a billion dollars in  per capita terms. This was in 1958 and the US had virtually dominated the Cuban economy . The United States had companies that owned 50% of the railways and 90% of the utilities of Cuba.The United States also had control of sugar mills. This unequal control and domination acted as a catalyst for the revolution. If the US is to do business with Cuba it has to be on equal basis.There cannot be a return to one country being a subordinate and the other being master. Foreign investment and the gradual acceptance of private businesses in the 1990s allowed Cuba to avoid the fate of many Communist states.Tourism did grow and it could develop further. Cuba will refuse to let the market decide on basic necessities such as housing, healthcare, and education. The United States would most likely object to these policies if long term economic relations were to be fostered. The reason tourism and foreign investment increased in Cuba was that other nations found it easier to operate without competition from US companies.This could cause another point of schism in terms of economic cooperation.While opening to the US, Cuba could possibly cut itself off from other nations in terms of economic engagement.  

Cuba must avoid becoming dependent economically on the US or any other nation. President Obama must realize the US should not look at other countries as lower.If Cuba were to take the path that China has, there could be dire social circumstances. The opening of the Cuban economy did result in the increase in prostitution and there was a growing inequality in income. People employed in tourism were getting tips in US dollars, which created a level of class conflict. Government employees were finding that they were making less. Around 2004 the government banned 40 categories of self-employment. The following year saw 2,000 business licenses in the private sector revoked. These actions caused much anger and controversy in Cuba. Fidel Castro could no longer govern due to illness and Raul was left to solve these new problems.Cuba had a strong economic incentive to reopen its embassy and welcoming a US president. 

      There has to be a level of realism with this new phase of US-Cuba relations. This is not a friendly exchange, but a thaw in tensions. A number of political and ideological disagreements still remain. The United States disagrees with Cuba's one party structure and level of censorship. It claims that it holds a number of political prisoners. While these criticisms are legitimate, the United States is hardly a paragon of human rights. The US still maintains Guantanamo Bay military base, imprisoning people without any charges. These detainees are victims of America's War on Terror and are from numerous countries. Amnesty International has even condemned the US prison on Cuba. Besides those prisoners the US makes imprisonment a big business. The US has a larger prison population than both Cuba and China. This habit of US presidents lecturing other governments about human rights almost becomes contradictory. The US has over course of the 20th and 21st century invaded a multitude of countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Guantanamo Bay naval base is the representation of US imperial domination and violence in the region.The actions of the past make advancing common goals more difficult.The US has engaged in atrocious injustices against the island for an entire century. Cuba was dominated by the US after the Spanish American War. From 1898 to 1959 Cuba did not realize true independence. The Spanish their former colonizers were run out by a stronger country who thought it was best it was under American subjugation. The US mills between 1890 and 1895 had already been producing sugar. The conflict with Spain gave them an excuse to control most of the Cuban economy. Cubans did not even have control of their own government. Gerado Machado ruled with an iron fist from 1924 to 1933 taking directions from Washington. The authoritarian president grew more corrupt, which lead to protests by students and workers.The end came with a coup by Fulencio Batista. Batista was a strong ally of Washington and would continue to dominate the political structure of Cuba from 1934 to 1959. Other presidents would come to office, but Batista was the one in charge. President Ramon Grau San Martin attempted a socialist revolution only to be deposed. Batista did this with the encouragement of the United States. 

Cubans had a choice in who ran the country and the US stopped it. Fulencio Batista was able to maneuver better when working behind the scenes rather than ruling directly.He did rule directly from 1940 to 1944 and left the nation for Miami. He had amass millions and it appears it was by criminal or at least questionable means. When he came out of his brief retirement from politics, the Socorras presidency was in a state of collapse. Electoral fraud, corruption, and government incompetence increased to astronomical levels. Batista then decided to launch another coup in 1952, becoming more dictatorial. The rural workers and youth grew tired of oppression. Fidel Castro returned from exile to lead a rebellion that removed Batista . Despite popular myth, Castro did not hate the United States. He made attempts to maintain relations by remaining in the Organization of American States, allowing the US to maintain Guantanamo naval base, and supporting US investment.Castro was a nationalist and it was clear that US domination could not continue if Cuba were to be a sovereign nation-state. When Fidel Castro began his economic reforms that was when the United States became an enemy. The first reform was to cut utilities charges by US companies . The US had cut off aid and Cuba turned to the Soviet Union negotiating a 200 million dollar trade agreement. Cuba also turned to Russia for oil, when US companies such as Texaco, Royal Dutch Shell, and Standard Oil demanded payment rather than extending Cuba's credit. The United States by 1961 ended diplomatic relations. The US had attempted to assassinate Fidel Castro on multiple occasions. Even after the defeat of the US trained exiles in the Bay of Pigs, there were still attempts to overthrow or subvert the Cuban government. The U.S interest section organized seventy-five dissidents in 2003 to create disturbances in Cuba. They were arrested and it did draw criticism of Cuba, even though these individuals were trying to induce regime change. Other  Latin American countries were also targeted for regime change that refused to break off relations. Ecuador's J.M. Velasco Ibarra was deposed in 1961 due to its support of Cuba. Cuban exiles continued to engage in acts of terrorism bombing hotels and tourist sites. These exiles were based in Miami, Florida longing for the days of Batista's rule. The abuse by the United States continues to be ignominious and the root of much anger. Past and current actions are going to hinder possible normalization. 

     The current state of US-Cuba relations at this point are artificial. Nothing substantial will manifest unless there is a change in mindset. The United States must admit what it has done to Cuba was incorrect. Cuba must find a way to keep its revolution going in a rapidly changing world. What has been gained can easily be lost. This visit by President Obama will be more of a side note of his presidency. He only has a few more months left in office and any change in policy now could be reversed by his successor. This was not a great historic triumph of foreign policy. The reason is President Obama did not meet with one of the must important people in Cuba : Fidel Castro. While Raul Castro is president, Castro still holds an enormous amount of respect and input.His illnesses forced him to step down, put that does not mean he gave up the role of elder statesman. There was an odd amount of silence from the former President Fidel Castro, but not for long. 

Fidel Castro wrote a 1,500  word letter in response to President Obama. The letter revealed the long history of colonialism and imperialism Cuba has suffered under. It harshly criticizes US foreign policy from the Cold War era to present. The contents spoke a hard truth that President Obama does not want to face. He did not come to Cuba out of altruistic concerns, but to reestablish lost business ties. Fidel Castro was most critical by President Obama's comment "now is the time to leave the past behind." This was either a poor attempt at an apology or a disingenuous comment. The past molds the future and understanding it is critical to solving international issues. Examining past US actions can allow an incoming president know what not to do when communicating with Cuba. Fidel Castro then condemned the efforts at establishing market reforms with US companies. It has been documented that when Cuba had business relations with the US it was always in a subservient position. The response by Fidel Castro reveals that he still believes in Marxist and anti-colonial politics and that should be the foundation of the Cuban state.When Raul came to power in 2008 Cuba was changing direction. He may believe that market reforms could solve most of Cuba's problems. Raul Castro may be modeling Cuba on a Chinese post-maoist model. Only time will tell if this ever manifests. President Obama's avoidance of Fidel Castro reveals this three day trip was not as spectacular as the administration portrayed it. A US president coming to terms with a revolutionary it attempted to murder would be historic. President Raul Castro has stated that Cuba will not change it policies in regards to socialism or anti-colonial stance in relation to international affairs. At the moment it appears at least some of the hostility has been reduced between the US and Cuba.

Further Reading 

Charlip, Julie. Latin America : An Interpretive History.  New Jersey: Pearson,2007.