In the past, Cuba was a de facto vassal of the United States, with American businessmen buying large tracts of land and establishing sugarcane plantations, profiting from the local cheap labor.
However, these businessmen showed little concern for the welfare of the Cuban people.
In 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolutionary movement that overthrew the US-supported dictatorship, establishing a new government.
Two years later, during the Bay of Pigs invasion, Castro's forces defeated US-backed mercenaries, subsequently declaring Cuba a socialist state and implementing a planned economy.
Under Castro's leadership, Cuba underwent significant reforms, redistributing land to the people and nationalizing foreign-owned assets, turning them into state property.
This move angered American capitalists, who felt their properties were "stolen."
During the Cold War, Cuba's defiance infuriated the US government.
Rather than direct military intervention, the US imposed a comprehensive economic embargo aimed at crippling Cuba, which continues to this day.
Despite Cuba's resilience, the US has maintained its Guantanamo Bay military base on the island.
In the past, many Cubans worked at the base, earning wages far higher than the local standard.
However, as US-Cuba relations deteriorated, the Cuban government banned the employment of Cuban workers at the base and planted cacti around the area to prevent Cubans from entering.
In 1964, as a countermeasure, Cuba ceased its freshwater supply to the base.
The US had to purchase water from elsewhere and eventually built a desalination plant within the base to address the water issue.
Today, Guantanamo Bay still hosts a significant number of US troops and is equipped with comprehensive facilities, including McDonald's and Pizza Hut.
Despite the US's continued occupation, the Cuban government refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of the US lease on the base and has not accepted any rent for years.
To assert its legal claim, the US continues to make annual rent payments to a bank account.
Cuba remains a thorn in the side of the US, a socialist stronghold in America's backyard, which has led to numerous assassination attempts on Castro, over 3,000 in his lifetime. Despite the economic hardships caused by the US embargo, Cuba has steadfastly maintained its socialist path.
Even today, the US continues its efforts to undermine Cuba's socialist regime.
Recent attempts at a color revolution in Cuba have had some impact, but the US has refrained from waging war.
The US understands that an attack on Cuba would rally anti-American forces across Latin America in collective resistance.
In recent years, Cuba's situation has been very challenging.
There is hope that one day the US will lift the comprehensive sanctions, allowing the Cuban people to live with dignity.
Under Castro's leadership, Cuba's reforms, land redistribution, and nationalization of foreign assets angered American capitalists and challenged US dominance during the Cold War, leading to a longstanding embargo that continues to shape Cuba's difficult circumstances.
Comments