This paper will discuss the trends which have driven the foreign policy of the United States towards Cuba. The main emphasis of discussion will be the changes in policy which have taken place during the administration of President Bill Clinton. However, the first part of the paper will briefly discuss the origins of the policy during the Cold War.
The foreign policy of the United States towards Cuba has changed little since 1961. U.S. leaders have felt that Cuba was a "special case" in terms of foreign policy ever since U.S. military force ended Spain's control over the island in 1898. Until 1934, U.S. law permitted intervention in Cuban affairs; after 1934, U.S. capital controlled most of the Cuban economy. The revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959 tapped into strong anti-American sentiments held by most Cubans, who resented American "imperialism." The final blow to American influence on the island came when Castro publicly declared himself, and Cuba, to be communist. In January 1961, the United States government severed diplomatic ties with the island and in April of that year supported an unsuccessful invasion by expatriate Cubans. In October 1962, the U.S. instituted a naval blockade of Cuba to force the Soviet Union to withdraw nuclear weapons from the island. (Spanier, 1983, pp. 110-112).
U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba after 1961 was largely the result of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. During this period, the United States adhered to strict policies which opposed communist countries throughout the world. Cuba, however, was the subject of an even more intransigent foreign policy because of its proximity and historical ties to the United States. Consequently, the economic sanctions imposed in the early 1960s and the lack of diplomatic ties have been the most visible features of the U.S. policy towards Cuba since Castro took power. (Spanier, 1983, pp. 110-113).
The demise of the...