Cuba: A Rapid History of 63 Years of Colonial Legacy by Alice van Osta

Since 1962, Cuba has lived under an American economic embargo, preventing any real economic growth in the country. On the front lines, Cubans have seen their living conditions severely affected and must cope with the many resulting shortages: food, medicine, fuel... But what justifies what has become the longest embargo in modern history?

The remnants of colonialist ambitions

Cuba had already attracted the United States in the 19th century. Valued for its strategic location and sugar-based wealth, it was seen by Thomas Jefferson as “the most interesting addition to our system of states.” Throughout this century, the U.S. attempted repeatedly to purchase the island from Spain, and after Cuba’s second war of independence (1895–1898), Washington occupied it until 1902.

Though nominal independence followed, the Platt Amendment enshrined U.S. tutelage, authorizing American intervention whenever its interests were at stake. Even after its repeal in 1934, U.S. influence remained, culminating in the 1952 coup that brought Fulgencio Batista to power. Backed by Washington, Batista turned Cuba into an American playground, where wealth and tourism were reserved for foreigners while ordinary Cubans were excluded.

Underlying this interference was the fear that a successful revolution in Cuba might inspire leftist movements across Latin America. Such a development would threaten U.S. interests, as American companies had established themselves in many Latin American countries to exploit their resources. The arrival of left-wing governments would mean the nationalization of those companies and the end of American privilege.

This fear was proved justified in 1959, when Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement overthrew Batista’s dictatorship. Castro quickly nationalized American-owned land and industries -half of the arable land, nearly all mines, and all refineries belonged to U.S. firms- and pursued agrarian reform. This, coupled with his growing alignment with the Soviet Union, provoked American hostility. In 1961, Castro declared a Marxist-Leninist revolution, and the U.S. responded with attempts at regime change. The failed Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, however, forced Washington to abandon military options. This turned into economic warfare.

The embargo

In February 1962, President Kennedy imposed a total embargo on trade with Cuba. The motivations behind this measure were candidly expressed two years earlier by State Department official Lester Mallory: the goal was to create “hunger and despair” so that Cubans would overthrow their government.

The embargo devastated Cuba’s economy, which had been almost entirely dependent on sugar exports and American imports. The USSR became its main trading partner, but the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 dealt a final blow to Cuba’s fragile economy. Subsequent U.S. measures reinforced the blockade, one of those being the Torricelli Act (1992), which penalized foreign ships trading with Cuba. These measures violated international norms, including the UN Charter’s principle of non-interference, effectively undermining not just Cuba’s sovereignty, but also that of other nations wishing to trade with it.

Promoting human rights to better undermine them

After the Cold War, Washington framed its policy as a fight for democracy and human rights, but the outcomes did not align with these claims. Shortages of basic necessities plagued Cubans: long lines for water and bread, empty supermarkets, and a scarcity of medicine, where even aspirin could not be found. Fuel and food had to be rationed, while public pensions failed to cover basic living costs. Many Cubans fell into extreme poverty, not only due to government mismanagement but also because of the embargo’s chokehold. The blockade, presented as a defense of human rights, instead deepened the suffering of those it claimed to protect.

A resounding failure

Sixty-three years on, the embargo has failed to meet its objectives. The Cuban government remains in place, expropriation disputes remain unresolved, and the international community has overwhelmingly condemned U.S. policy. For 32 consecutive years, the UN General Assembly has voted—nearly unanimously—to lift the embargo, with only the U.S. and Israel in opposition.

The costs to Cuba are enormous, with over $165 billion in lost economic opportunities. The political cost to the U.S. is also significant: Washington is isolating itself diplomatically and undermining its credibility while pushing Cuba to seek allies elsewhere.

One is left to wonder what possible interest remains in prolonging such an arbitrary blockade, with its devastating consequences. Ultimately, it may be that the embargo has isolated the United States from the world as much as it has isolated Cuba.