Cold War and Cuba
The term “Cold War” stands to refer to the post-World War II tension and struggle between the capitalist and the communist blocks: the United States and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and other countries which were their allies. As per the definition of the Cold War period in view of the United States military, the period of this tug of war began on 2nd September 1945 and ended on 26th December 1991. The intense competition that Cold War caused between the two blocks triggered historical energy for competition in all walks of life but especially in the race of science and technology. During this 46-year period, scientists and scholars kept extremely busy conducting experiments and were altering the course of life. As such, writing up the details of these innovative efforts will require volumes. Among a number of developmental milestones covered in that period, “space race” is the most prominent in which both the blocks invested heavily to prove one’s superiority over the other. In 1958, when the first communication satellite, that is, Project SCORE (Signal Communications via Orbiting Relay Experiment) was launched and the first weather satellite (Vanguard II) was launched that is considered a huge milestone. It was the very same year that Cuban Revolution was launched as Fidel Castro obtained power in the new Cuba which was essentially a Marxist ally. The revolution established the position of Cuba as the only communist country in the western hemisphere. This revolution can be clearly regarded as the ending point of the intervention of the United States of America in the internal affairs of the country. This is also the point where Cuba was ready to face massive pressure from the US and its allies in terms of economic hardships and diplomatic treatment of the country (Ziobro, 2007).
Cuba: Past and Present
Today, there are a number of advances that Cuba has gone through ever since the 1959 Cuban revolution. However, it is to note that the country still remains the part of the Global Sough (that is to say, a developing country or a part of the Third World). In this context, it is right to suggest that this country has faced hindrances in terms of economy, social development, and so on. Although Cuba is a developed country in a considerable way, it is still on the side of those countries that are in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America and not such developed countries as North America, Europe, and Japan. Targ (2008) cites Mills who sees Cuba, today, as part of the “hungry bloc”. This does not mean in the sense of hunger or food; all it means is Cuba is still in the struggling phase so as to define its own national status, its ways of self-determination, the spirit of nationalism, and issues related to these core layers of the country. This is what is seen to be the catalyst of the revolution in nineteenth-century Cuba: first in the 1930s and in 1959 and that is still seen as very much active in the national spirit of the country. There is a clear link between past Cuba (the Cuba of revolution) and present Cuba. This is all the more apparent ever since 1959. The most important of all and noteworthy of all these elements in the national fabric of Cuba is its acute show of hatred and aggressive stance that Cuba has shown against the United States of America. The latter country put its official diplomatic relations with Cuba (an island nation in the true sense) before the president of the United States, Eisenhower, left office. The United States also executed a full-scale blockade of economic links with Cuba in the regime of Kennedy. Long-term subversion efforts were imitated by the US to sabotage the economy of the island and its political structure. The US also put pressure on other countries to cut their ties with Cuba to push the country to the wall. What lies underneath this entire scenario led by the US is hopes and promises of capitalism that the USA thinks to go against communism and the “realpolitik” philosophy; this capitalism wave leads US to believe that Cuba lies within the influence of capitalism and so must be driven by the US national interest upfront for Cuba. This also has links with the 1820s Monroe Doctrine that has historically proven to have claimed that the US has a legitimate right to control the destiny of Cuba.
Although the US has left no stone unturned in keeping Cuba pressed to the walls with the hopes of seeding capitalist plants in the island since 1959 there has been a high level of support by the Cubans in favour of the revolution because this support carried with it economic development for the Cubans and also quenched their thirst for their sense of self-determination. Eventually, Cuba went through a special period that fell in the 1990s; even in this phase the country held tight with its spirit of nationalism and a great majority of Cuban people favoured this, taking their country to survival. In this way, the cold war and the 1959 revolution have a lot to their credit hinged on the present state of affairs of Cuba. Today, Cuba stands as one place that can be rightly said to be a laboratory of applications of a number of complex policies, priorities, and programs given the entire background. The country has been constantly struggling to go through the process of change with so much pressure from outside and inside forces. For instance, the country has developed its agriculture sector (from hybrid seeds up to organic structure). Moreover, the revolution caused foreign ownership to end its clasp and an egalitarian society evolved that has health care for its citizens, education for their children, jobs for their workforce, and all were woven into a fabric that is culturally rich for most of the citizens of the country. Reaching the core of this all, what comes out to be the analysis is that the 1959 revolution, cold war strands are woven in the background, has fulfilled all the economic and social goals that the man of country Fidel Castro envisioned back then in his historical “History will Absolve Me” speech. Today, the present generation can rightly claim that the revolution has been a success given the achievement of Cuba in today’s world. The critical relationship between Cuba and the US also stands to be a model for the rest of the world (Targ, 2008).
US Treatment of Cuba
Looking at the bigger picture of the Cuba-US relationship ever since 1959, there are a number of points that can be fairly related on the sides of both countries. Ever since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the destruction of the World Trade Towers, New York, US foreign policymakers have shown their attitude that is similar to that of during the Cold War tug of war between the two countries, however, a few of new elements have also been added to this voicing of their concerns. Back then Cuba was regarded as a “backlash-state” that was accused by the US of supporting spies who were after US strategic military secrets and were also causing Chinese arms into the territory. Cuba was also accused by the US of harbouring Columbian guerrillas and Basque ETA terrorists. As the post-Cold War era began, the US did not perceive any such danger in the existence and functions of Cuba as they did in the Cold War period. However, old ghosts did haunt the US government because it warned Cuba of maintaining the Lourdes intelligence system, jointly run by Moscow and Havana. Other threats that the US smelled were Cuban supplies to Russian submarines and the continuation of the Juragua electronuclear system in Cienfuegos Bay. Another matter that strengthened the tension in the later period was that the US accused Cuba of still supporting other “backlash-states”, like Iran, Libya, and Iraq. In 1997 a report pointed out that Cuba possessed the potential capacity of researching and developing lethal weapons that could cause huge mayhem on the US soil. According to Rafael (2002), these accusations seem insubstantial; however, the author points out that at the very present time, the US policymakers are still continuing to make known their Cold War attitude against Cuba that includes new overtones consequently to predict that all this is nothing but an agenda of global war.
Different Events in the Post-Cold War Time
There have been a number of events that clearly tell us what kind of relationship has been led by the two countries in the post-Cold War period. For instance, the waves of terrorism have been present up to the present day ever since 1959. Initially, the US supported the counterrevolutionary terrorists; according to the Senate Intelligence Committee, by 1975 there were reported to be at least eight assassination attempts by such terrorists against Fidel Castro; however, Cuban sources relate that these attempts were indeed a few dozens. Moreover, at the start of the 1980s, certain individuals and Cuban diplomats who favoured dialogue between Cuba and the US were killed by the same terrorist groups. Hijacking of Cuban aeroplanes and ships by the counterrevolutionary groups is another strand in the waving of the fabric of the tension between the two countries. “Since January 1959, the United States had welcomes fugitives from Cuban justice and hijackers of Cuban vessels”. Cuban fishing boats have been a constant target of piracy which has either been sponsored or tolerated by the US or the exiled groups. In the 1990s alone, a number of ships and ten aeroplanes were hijacked some of which resulted in the killing of the crew of some ships. “Not only were the hijacker’s given refuge in the United States, but they were even acclaimed as heroes by the Cuban-American right-wing and several U.S. news outlets”. Omega 7, a terrorist exile group backed up by the CIA spread biological threats to the Cuban soil such as swine fever, dengue fever, and hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Although the Cuban government demanded a thorough probing into these issues and the position that the US seemed to have held (even as late as 2001), there has been noted a stark failure to address these issues by the US authorities. This issue is still very much an active intriguer of tension between the two countries (Rafael, 2002).
Looking briefly at the situation spanning from 1959 up to the close past gives us some insight into Cuban concerns about national security that has even increased in the present scenario. For instance, the falling of the Berlin Wall did not offer a message of liberation to Cuba and its people, what it did in return was that the country was thrown into a twister crisis. Moreover, the US threatening attitude toward the Cuban existence also intensified at the same while; for instance, in 1992, the Torricelli Law was passed by the US Congress; and the Helms-Burton Act was passed in 1996. These legislations focused on tightening the present US economic restrictions against Cuba. Both the political and social order of Cuba came to an intensified state of vulnerability and strategic imbalance is clearly notable today (Rafael, 2002).
The Recent Situation
In the recent context, there are a number of points that can be related to what has passed above. It surely stands to be an integral part of the entire scenario. It was estimated that the island would lose its competence to play a vigorous role in such regions as Latin America and Africa. However, the island has maintained its economic and political-diplomatic cooperation with Africa and Latin America as well as Cuba has brought noteworthy expansion into these relations that have resulted in diversification also. It is quite noteworthy that in the first decade after the Cold War was over, Cuba proved to be a highly active country on the international diplomatic front because its new relations were formed with 46 countries that also had the incorporation of a good deal of new policies and agendas. In recent years, a huge number of state heads, legislators, members of cabinets, and so forth have come to pay their visit to Cuba. In addition to this, Cuban financial ties and trade operations have considerably increased giving a picture of a stronger and braver Cuba than it once was being the communist ally. Europe and Latin America are two regions in this specific area of trade and financial ties with Cuba. With the Caribbean and Latin America, Cuba’s cooperation has dramatically elevated in a number of social welfare programs like education, culture, sports, and health services (Rafael, 2002).
Cuba-US after September 11
After the twin-tower calamity, Cuba has come forward with a positive attitude on the international spectrum. Cuba has signed all treaties that are anti-terrorism; the island openly condemns the September 11 attacks. However, the recent US-led “war on terror” and the crusade-like spirit underlying the slogans of this new type of war has resulted in newer issues for Cuba. This is due to the fact that the US legislations like Homeland Security Act and PATRIOT Bill clearly manifest Cuba as still being a haven for terrorists. This still lingers concerns for national security for Cuba. Although the initiation of war on terror has been executed, Cuba is no longer viewed as a major threat by the US. However, it is also not possible to assert that the condition is going to be any better. The chief reason for this upheaval is that the US has done so much against Cuba that it needs quite a considerable amount of time to bridge differences (Rafael, 2002).
It is also noticeable that the policy of the United States toward Cuba in the very present has shown seeds of antagonism and rivalry. Although it is reasonable to quote that the US has come forward to extend its cooperation toward Cuba, there is a growing demand by the US the people like Fidel Castro and Raul Castor must not go on to govern the country. The US Congress seems to be playing an active role in this very area. However, the maintenance of economic sanctions against Cuba (so that a post-Castro period can no longer be sustained) shows grimness on the part of the US. Other activities by the US include propaganda against Cuba through such efforts as Radio and TV; additionally, the US extends serious efforts to cause Cuba to isolate in the UNO; it also forces Russia to draw back its subsidies from Cuba; remittances and travel to Cuba are also prohibited (Virginia, 2006).
There are a number of cases in the present context that make it certain that the Cold War-like tension is very much alive between the two countries. For instance, there is this case the Wasp Network. This accuses that a collection of 16 people attempted infiltration of US military posts and tried to spy on the Cuban exiles. There is another case, Ana B. Montes, who is a former defence analyst from the US. This individual was trialled for being a spy for Cuba for the past 16 years. In addition to this, a number of Cuban diplomats have been shown way out of the US on account of a number of charges by the US government chiefly of spying. The most recent example happened in the year 2003 when the US-directed 14 diplomats to return to Cuba against such charges as the above (Anderson, 2006).
Conclusion
It has been thoroughly investigated that Cold War and the 1959 revolution have brought hard times for Cuba that still exist. There are certain issues between the US and Cuba that have not found a legitimate solution as yet. There is a dire need that both countries initiate healthy practices for cross-border cooperation. On the other side of the picture, the 1959 revolution has resulted in the Cuban nation’s solidarity and sense of nationalism. The Cubans are now more conscious about their self-determination than ever before. Cuba has wronged the analysts by extending its social, financial, diplomatic, and strategic relationships to a number of countries especially Latin America and Europe. This tells us that the country has struggled up to the surface since 1959 and is now breathing in the open air. There is no doubt that Fidel Castor has led his nation through thin and thick and proved to be the leader that has the capability of showing its rivals that Cuba does exist. However, it is highly needed that the US and Cuba come to good terms so that international peace and progress can be strengthened without any more delay.
Works Cited
Anderson, C. (2006). Arrest show U.S.-Cuba Cold War persists. AP Online. 2008. Web.
Rafael, H. (2002). Frozen relations: Washington and Cuba after the Cold War. NACLA Report on the Americas. 2008. Web.
Targ, H. (2008). Cuba: reflections on the Cuban Revolution today. Global Voices Censored. Web.
Virginia, W. L. (2006). Unfinished business: America and Cuba after the Cold War, 1989-2001. Journal of Third World Studies. 2008. Web.
Ziobro, M. (2007). “Cold War competition heats up innovation at Fort Monmouth: Part I”. CECOMLCMC G3 Historical Office, Web.