Guide Note:US-Cuba Relations have been strained since the Cuban Revolution in 1959. General Batista, the president of Cuba and the US government had a close relationship, but his government was toppled by a military coup led by Fidel Castro. The rebels took over Cuba and Fidel Castro became its leader when the United States stopped selling arms to Batista at request of Manuel Umutia. The US began to impose trade restrictions against Cuba when they initiated nationalization of US owned businesses and agrarian reforms. Due to these restrictions, Russia and Cuba developed a close trading relationship. With the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, a military build up began with the help of Russia led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Relations with Cuba improved during President Johnson's presidency. The thaw lasted until Ronald Reagan became president. Reagan tightened the embargo and re-established the travel ban for US citizens. Many hope the new leader Raul Castro will improve US-Cuba and lead to the democratization of Cuba.

Fast Facts:

Castro begins nationalization US owned companies in Cuba
President Eisenhower ordered the CIA to begin training and equipping Cuban refugees
Russian and Cuba trade relations get closer
US diplomats William Friedman and Edwin Sweet are arrested and expelled
Cuban exiles defeated in Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Cuban Missile Crisis begins with build up of nuclear arsenal supplied by Russia
Over 8 confirmed plots to kill Castro
The anti Castro group Alpha 66 is still training in Florida
Fidel Castro hands power to his brother Raul Castro
Guantanamo Bay naval base is still occupied by the US

Categories

News | History | Political Issues and Controversies | International Relations | Diplomacy | Politics

View Note History

US-Cuba Relations

Also try: Cuba | Che Guevara | Cuban Missile Crisis | Fidel Castro | John F. Kennedy

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba
U.S. Department of State: U.S.- Cuba Relations
Wikipedia: Cuba-United States Relations
Council on Foreign Relations: The Candidates on Cuba Policy
SF Gate: "Congress Re-Examines Cuba Embargo" (March 3, 2008)
The Christian Science Monitor: Castro exit unlikely to Thaw U.S.-Cuba Relations
YouTube: Cuba Policy After Castro (Time:3:47)

US-Cuba Relations Recent News Stories

Google News: US-Cuba Relations Search
The Oalkand Tribune: "Seize moment in Cuba to change U.S. Policy" (February 27, 2008)
Bloomberg.com: Raul Castro's Ascension Signals Muted Change in Cuba (February 25, 2008)
MSNBC.com: "Cuba Under the Other Castro" (February 25, 2008)
MiamiHerald.com: "Cuba Embargo intact, yet could be Tweaked" (February 21, 2008)
The Economist: "Movement in Miami" (February 21, 2008)
USA Today: "Cuba won't talk with Bush" (January 21, 2008)

US-Cuba Relations Background

The Atlantic Council Of The United States: U.S.-Cuban Relations Analytic Compendium (PDF File 1.11 MB)
Latin American Studies.org: Diaz-Lanz Hearing
BBC News: "Timeline: US-Cuba Relations" (August 23, 2007)
Cubasource: Chronicle on Cuba - June 2007
Monterey Bay Educators Against War: Cuba: Revolution 1959-1990

US-Cuba Relations Commentary and Criticism

The New Yorker: "Fidel’s Farewell" (March 3, 2008)
The Daily Dish (The Atlantic Online): Hillary and Barack's Tussle over the Cuba... (September 2, 2007)
How the World Works (Salon.com): "The Less we know about Cuba, the Better" (June 9, 2006)
Chomsky.Info: Cuba in the Cross-Hairs: A Near Half-Century of Terror

US-Cuba Relations Message Boards and Blogs

Google Blog Search: US-Cuba Relations
Circles Robinson Online: Cuba: If you liked Fidel you’ll like Raul (February 29, 2008)
THe GIS Pilot Blog: Timeline: US-Cuba Relations Post (February 19, 2008)
The Lede (The New York Times) Blog: Castro Presents Opportunity for Change Post (February 19, 2008)
TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime Blog: On US-Cuba Relations Blog Post (September 3, 2007)

Key Events

Cuban Revolution

Wikipedia: Cuban Revolution
Cuba Verdad: The Cuban Revolution the Truth behind the Lies
Yale University: Guide to the Cuban Revolution Collection
Revolutionary Communist Group: History of Cuba -- The Cuban Revolution
Hartford Web Publishing: The day that launched the Cuban Revolution (July 24, 1996)
HistoryOfCuba.com: Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolution By Che Guevara
YouTube: Cuban Revolution 1959 (Time: 1:58)

Bay of Pigs

Wikipedia: Bay of Pigs Invasion
Internet Archive Wayback Machine: The Bay of Pigs Invasion
The National Security Archive: Bay of Pigs Chronology
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum: The Bay of Pigs
CIA FOIA: Bay Of Pigs Documents
The George Washington University: Bay of Pigs: 40 Years After
The Bay of Pigs Museum and Library: The Bay of Pigs Invasion

Cuban Missile Crisis

Mahalo's page on Cuban Missile Crisis
CubanMissileCrisis.org: Thirteen Days in History
Wikipedia: Cuban Missile Crisis
National Security Agency: NSA and the Cuban Missile Crisis
The George Washington University: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962: A Political Perspective After 40 Years
Miller Center of Public Affairs: Controlling the Outbreak of Nuclear War | October 24 | October 26
Yale Law School: US-Cuba Relations

Cuban Embargo

Wikipedia: United States Embargo against Cuba
Wikipedia: Helms-Burton Act
Alternatives: Effects of the US 'Embargo' Against Cuba
No Castro: The U.S. Embargo of Cuba
Cato Institute: The Cuban Embargo
HistoryOfCuba.org: Economic Embargo Timeline
CNN.com: Bush reaffirms Cuba embargo (October 25, 2007)
USA Today: U.N. again urges U.S. to end Cuba embargo (October 30, 2007)
ABC News: Cuba Embargo Issue Goes to the U.N. (September 19, 2007)

Elian Gonzalez

Wikipedia: Elian Gonzalez Affair
MSNBC: In Search of Elian Gonzales (August 1, 2004)
PBS: The Elian Gonzalez Case
Biography.com: Elián González Biography
USA Today: Elian Gonzales wishes Castro well (August 6, 2006)
The New York Times: The Elian Gonzalez Cast: The Overview; Cuban Boy Seized... (April 23, 2000)
BBC News: What happened to Elian Gonzalez? (April 22, 2005)
CNN.com: Reno, INS commissioner to meet with Elian Gonzalez's father (April 7, 2000)

Fidel Castro Retires

Council on Foreign Relations: Fidel Castro's Letter of Resignation
ABC News: Fidel Castro passes Cuba reins to his Brother (February 24, 2008)
US News and World Report: "Fidel Castro's Slow Fadeout" (February 19, 2008)
CNN.com: "Castro's Resignation won't change U.S. Policy, Official says" (February 19, 2008)
BBC News: Castro steps down as Cuban leader (February 19, 2008)
Reuters: Cuba's Fidel Castro steps down after a half a century (February 19, 2008)

Raul Castro

Mahalo's page on Raul Castro
Wikipedia: Raul Castro
BBC News: Raul Castro named Cuban president (February 25, 2008)
CNN.com: Raul Castro chosen as Cuba's new president (February 24, 2008)
MSNBC: How would Raul Castro govern? (February 19, 2008)

US-Cuba Relations Satire and Humor

The Onion: The Little Cuban Boy
The Spoof: Cuba Evicts US Military for Rent Arrears
theVoiceofReason.com: Fidel Castro Steps Down After 49 Years, Our Experts Give Us Their Views

Related Searches

Cuba | Che Guevara | United States | Russia | John F. Kennedy | Fidel Castro | Raul Castro | Cuban Missile Crisis | Ronald Reagan | Dwight D. Eisenhower | CIA | Guantanamo Bay

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