Transcript Cuba and the United States

Cuba and the United States
BFFs
History

Cuba was the last Latin American country to
achieve independence from Spain

Between 1868 and 1878 Cuba fought a war
with Spain ending in a truce whose peace
agreements Spain later ignored. (Ten Years
War)

In 1898, the USA declared war on Spain and
won. Spain ceded Cuba to the United States.
Independence

Cuba is officially declared an independent nation in 1902 with the
election of Tomas Estrada Palma.

The US Platt Amendment places Cuba under the protection of the
US government and gives the USA the right to intervene in Cuban
Affairs.

The Platt Amendment promised the US would withdraw troops
from Cuba provided seven promises were kept including “That the
government of Cuba consents that the United States may exercise
the right to intervene for the preservation of Cuban independence,
the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of
life, property, and individual liberty, and for discharging the
obligations with respect to Cuba imposed by the treaty of Paris on
the United States, now to be assumed and undertaken by the
government of Cuba”

Between 1906 and 1934 when the Platt
Amendment was rewritten, the USA
intervened in Cuban sociopolitical crises
at least four times.

In 1904 President Theodore Roosevelt
also altered the Monroe Doctrine, stating
that the USA had the right to intervene in
Latin America in cases of "flagrant and
chronic wrongdoing by a Latin American
Nation

It is not true that the United States feels any land hunger or entertains any
projects as regards the other nations of the Western Hemisphere save
such as are for their welfare. All that this country desires is to see the
neighboring countries stable, orderly, and prosperous. Any country whose
people conduct themselves well can count upon our hearty friendship. If a
nation shows that it knows how to act with reasonable efficiency and
decency in social and political matters, if it keeps order and pays its
obligations, it need fear no interference from the United States. Chronic
wrongdoing, or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the
ties of civilized society, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require
intervention by some civilized nation, and in the Western Hemisphere the
adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the
United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or
impotence, to the exercise of an international police power. If every
country washed by the Caribbean Sea would show the progress in stable
and just civilization which with the aid of the Platt amendment Cuba has
shown since our troops left the island, and which so many of the republics
in both Americas are constantly and brilliantly showing, all question of
interference by this Nation with their affairs would be at an end.

-Theodore Roosevelt: “State of the Union Address” December 6th 1904

In 1934, Franklin D. Roosevelt rewrote the
Platt Amendment as the U.S.-Cuba Treaty of
Relations

Four of the seven “promises” were revoked,
leaving only the US’ right to maintain a
military base at Guantanamo Bay.

This was part of Roosevelt’s “Good
Neighbour” policy, which proposed nonintervention in Latin American affairs beyond
“counsel”. The “Good Neighbour” policy
would eventually be shelved in 1945 because
of the Cold War.

According to Samuel Farber, the US’s
continuous presence in Cuban affairs lead
to a kind of “fatalism” among the political
and governing classes.

“The principal weakness of the Cuban
capitalist class may have been its view of
the US government as its political
guarantor of last resort….nothing could
be done without US approval.” (Cuba
Since the Revolution of 1959
Jose Marti

Poet, journalist and statesman, born in
Havana in 1853, criollo son of Spanish
parents.

Became involved in the “Ten Years War” at
age 15.

In 1870 was arrested and imprisoned for
Treason against the Spanish crown. Served 6
months and then went into exile in Spain.

Spent three years in Spain and then
returned to the Americas, living in
Guatemala and Mexico. Was able to
return to Cuba in 1878 due to an
amnesty law, but went back into exile
shortly after.

From 1881 til shortly before his death
Marti took up residence in New York. He
founded the newspaper Patria and
continued publishing articles in twenty
Latin American newspapers.

Marti’s time in New York was fruitful, he discovered the
poetic work of Walt Whitman and honed his own lyrical
style. Published several works of poetry including Versos de
Cuba and Versos Sencillos.

Marti’s political philosophy is best defined as “Classical
liberalism”. He was a strong proponent of enlightenment
ideas, rationalism, secularism, personal liberty and civil rights.
He opposed slavery which remained in practice in Cuba until
1867. His principal political ideal, however, was Cuban and
Latin American Independence

His relationship to the United States was conflicted. On the
one hand Marti saw the USA as epitomizing enlightenment
ideals, on the other he was also extremely wary of the
United States’ influence on Cuba. In “Nuestra America” he
exhorts the Latin American Nations to present a United
front against their northern neighbor. In the prologue to
Versos Sencillos, he condemns the US’ designs on Cuba in
strong language.

“Y la agonía en que viví, hasta que pude
confirmar la cautela y el brío de nuestros
pueblos; y el horror y vergüenza en que
me tuvo el temor legítimo de que
pudiéramos los cubanos, con manos
parricidas, ayudar el plan insensato de
apartar a Cuba, para bien único de un
nuevo amo disimulado” --Prologo de
Versos Sencillos
Whose Marti?

Marti’s legacy remains contested territory between
Cubans supportive of the Castro Revolution and
those who fled into exile in Miami.

Fidel Castro considered Marti as his primary
Revolutionary influence and often cited passages in
his speeches where the poet expresses his criticism
of the United States.

However the Cuban exiles frequently cite Marti’s
desire for independence and his support of
democracy. Marti, a contemporary of Marx, was also
highly critical of revolutionary ideas.