The Effects of U.S. Imperialism on Cuba

Throughout the course of modern history, the United States Government has involved itself in a variety if imperialist activities all across Latin America. Starting around the beginning of the 20th century, the U.S. began taking a number of measures to expand their economic control over the southern American hemisphere. Cuba in particular has been affected by the imperialism of the United States during the last century as our country has put limits on the small island’s opportunities for economic growth and independence. While the actions taken by the U.S. government have been motivated by greed and a desire for hegemony in Latin America, the aftermath of Cuban-U.S. relations has also motivated various Latin American groups to recognize the signs of imperialism and fight against globalization.

It an attempt to emerge as a world leader during the early 1900’s, the U.S. government sought to establish an American empire across the southern hemisphere of which they would dominate with economic and military power. At the end of the Spanish American War in which Cuba fought for independence from Spain, the United States began imposing imperialistic measures on this island in order to make use of its economic assets. This started with the creation of the Platt Amendment in 1901 and the Reciprocity Treaty in 1903 which gave the United States military freedom over the country and limited Cuba’s economic opportunities by preventing them from trading with other nations, especially Europe (Speck, 2005, p.451). Many scholars agree that these actions were “a part of a general strategy of hemispheric domination” (Speck, 2005, p. 451) rather than an attempt to create a united group of American nations. Once these measures were put into place, Cuba experienced a period of struggle and decline while the United States enjoyed political dominance, and this would set the stage for eventual political upheaval (Speck, 2005).

During the years when the U.S. had greater control over Cuba, citizens of the Latin American island began to grow progressively frustrated with the situation. It became clear that Cuba’s once prosperous sugar and tobacco trades were in decline while the United States was prospering economically at their expense (Speck, 2005, p. 455). Even as markets changed and Cuba saw opportunities to export a more diverse range of products, they still found themselves struggling against “the onslaught of U.S. military, commercial, and cultural might” (Speck, 2005, p. 452). These events led up to the eventual Cuban Revolution of 1959 in which the country revolted against its current leader and redefined the nature of its relationship with the U.S. and other nations. This not only would pose a threat to U.S. interests over the years but would also play a part in an emerging movement against the current global economic model (Spenser, 2005).

The imperialist measures that have been imposed on Cuba by the United States have greatly affected the way that the Cuban government forms alliances with foreign nations. The results of neoliberalism and globalization have not proved to be beneficial for many countries in the Latin American regions, which has caused many to become distrustful of such movements (Spenser, 2005, p.27). By forming bonds with other anti-imperialist leaders such as Hugo Chavez, Cuba has been striving for “the creation of a Latin America that can collectively resist U.S. strategies . . . that subordinate the region to U.S. needs” (Spenser, 2005, p. 26). These leaders have taken steps towards developing an alliance of nations that moves beyond the incorporation crisis and does not have to bend to the will of the United States. Although these movements are still developing, it is clear that the presence of imperialist powers have influenced the minds of many growing Latin American nations.

The imperialistic actions taken by the United States in their pursuit of economic dominance over Latin America has in many ways devastated the country of Cuba and its opportunities to develop as a nation. An outcome of this situation, however, led to the Cuban Revolution which marked an event in which a small nation was able to resist their oppressor and gain power on the world stage (Spenser, 2005, p.27-28). While the U.S. government was able to assert dominance through a variety of measures designed to limit Cuba’s independence, the restrictions put in place by the U.S. have driven many Latin Americans to actively seek an alternative to the current global power structure.

References

Speck, M. (2005). Closed-door imperialism: The politics of Cuban-U.S. trade, 1902-1933. Hispanic American Historical Review, 85(3), 449-484.

Spenser, D. (2005). Cuba: New partners and old limits. NACL Report on the Americas, 39(2), 25-45.