History of American-Cuban Relations

History of American-Cuban Relations

Good Ol’ Capitalism
In 1898, Cuba won its independence from Spain after three separate wars, spanning 3 decades of bloody conflict. Then in 1933, a coup d’état known as the Revolt of the Sergeants, led by Fulgencio Batista effectively put Gerardo Machado out of office. Relations increased with the United States and Batista became the puppet master for a series of handpicked Presidents of Cuba, two of which were Batista himself, all of which were considered lap dogs to U.S. interests and fascist, conformist, slaves to the capitalist regime. It was this kind of whoring out of an entire nation that propelled the events of the Cuban revolution under Fidel Castro. The U.S. paints communism as this evil entity, when in actuality, the practicing Marxist theory is the most cultures have ever attempted to create equality among their citizens and leaders. America’s foreign policy of forcing despotic capitalism makes the rich richer and the poor poorer, separating cultures into warring social classes between the citizens and the leaders constantly vying for power.
America’s relations with Cuba start off with our support for their independence in the Cuban War of Independence, which eventually led to the Spanish-American war. We supported Cuba because we saw the Spaniards exploitation of them as cruel and immoral (Kagan), which is irony at its finest. Cuba won independence, and by 1926, the United States controlled 60% of the Cuban sugar industry and imported 95% percent of their crops (Thomas). So the US was happy, and Cuba was being robbed, not to an extreme, but they were definitely being shortchanged. Officials in Cuba realized this and thus began the Revolt of the Sergeants. The U.S. sent Sumner Welles over to mediate between Gerardo Machado and his opposition. Sumner’s instructions were to “Avoid US military intervention and pursue policies that would lead to Cuban economic development (Mabry).” Despite Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Foreign Policy, and despite...

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