Culture Exam 2: MBCCUL2B.1
Lectures Winny
Lecture 6: Cuba in World politics
1. Describe the current situation of Cuba. Address the following items:
• Who is Cuba’s leader, why and since when?
• Economic situation/economic embargo/foreign investments.
• Emigration.
• USA politics towards Cuba.
• International pressure on the USA regarding politics towards Cuba.
The political situation:
1. Party system since 1959
2. Presidents: Fidel Castro – 2006. In 2006 Fidel Castro started to feel sick and Raúl, his brother became the president
(chosen). Raúl Castro– to date, Raúl was already with the party and revolution from the start. Especially the older
generations maintain their fidelity to Fidel and the system due to social improvement since the revolution.
After the revolution all the people were equal. The black, white, all equal economically etc. The medical care is quiet
good, medical school is good, but they have a pharmaceutical problem. Some chemicals are only made in USA. They
do not give the chemicals to Cuba.
The first thing what happened after the revolution were land reforms. They nationalized factories like Bacardi. There
was kind of a friction between the USA and Cuba.
US Embargo on Cuba: Cuba lost its most important market to sell sugar. No American company or person were
allowed to trade with Cuba.
Cuba was importing oil to the USA. Cuba lost its most important supplier of oil.
The country has been politically and economically isolated by the United States since the Revolution, but has
gradually gained access to foreign commerce and travel as efforts to normalize diplomatic relations have progressed.
Domestic economic reforms are also beginning to modernize Cuba's socialist economy.
2. When did Cuba become independent from Spain? Who helped Cuba to achieve independence from Spain
and why? Include the Spanish war.
1895-1898: war of independence.
• Started with Marti in 1895. Unfortunately, Martí was killed when their group was surprised by a
column of Spanish soldiers.
• February 1896 the U.S. Senate recognized Cuban belligerency when it passed overwhelmingly the
joint John T. Morgan/Donald Cameron resolution calling for recognition of Cuban belligerency and
Cuban independence. This resolution signaled to President Cleveland and Secretary of State Richard
Olney that the Cuban crisis needed attention. U.S. President Grover Cleveland declared that the U.S.
might take action in Cuba if Spain failed to resolve the crisis there.
• February 9 1898 New York Journal published the confidential letter of Spanish Ambassador Dupuy
de Lôme critical of President McKinley. This letter's revelation was one of the incidents to push Spain
and the United States towards war.
• March 1898: Spanish government called for the removal of U.S. Counsel from Havana; United States
refused request. Máximo Gómez rejected offer of Spanish Captain General Ramón Blanco of an
Lectures Winny
Lecture 6: Cuba in World politics
1. Describe the current situation of Cuba. Address the following items:
• Who is Cuba’s leader, why and since when?
• Economic situation/economic embargo/foreign investments.
• Emigration.
• USA politics towards Cuba.
• International pressure on the USA regarding politics towards Cuba.
The political situation:
1. Party system since 1959
2. Presidents: Fidel Castro – 2006. In 2006 Fidel Castro started to feel sick and Raúl, his brother became the president
(chosen). Raúl Castro– to date, Raúl was already with the party and revolution from the start. Especially the older
generations maintain their fidelity to Fidel and the system due to social improvement since the revolution.
After the revolution all the people were equal. The black, white, all equal economically etc. The medical care is quiet
good, medical school is good, but they have a pharmaceutical problem. Some chemicals are only made in USA. They
do not give the chemicals to Cuba.
The first thing what happened after the revolution were land reforms. They nationalized factories like Bacardi. There
was kind of a friction between the USA and Cuba.
US Embargo on Cuba: Cuba lost its most important market to sell sugar. No American company or person were
allowed to trade with Cuba.
Cuba was importing oil to the USA. Cuba lost its most important supplier of oil.
The country has been politically and economically isolated by the United States since the Revolution, but has
gradually gained access to foreign commerce and travel as efforts to normalize diplomatic relations have progressed.
Domestic economic reforms are also beginning to modernize Cuba's socialist economy.
2. When did Cuba become independent from Spain? Who helped Cuba to achieve independence from Spain
and why? Include the Spanish war.
1895-1898: war of independence.
• Started with Marti in 1895. Unfortunately, Martí was killed when their group was surprised by a
column of Spanish soldiers.
• February 1896 the U.S. Senate recognized Cuban belligerency when it passed overwhelmingly the
joint John T. Morgan/Donald Cameron resolution calling for recognition of Cuban belligerency and
Cuban independence. This resolution signaled to President Cleveland and Secretary of State Richard
Olney that the Cuban crisis needed attention. U.S. President Grover Cleveland declared that the U.S.
might take action in Cuba if Spain failed to resolve the crisis there.
• February 9 1898 New York Journal published the confidential letter of Spanish Ambassador Dupuy
de Lôme critical of President McKinley. This letter's revelation was one of the incidents to push Spain
and the United States towards war.
• March 1898: Spanish government called for the removal of U.S. Counsel from Havana; United States
refused request. Máximo Gómez rejected offer of Spanish Captain General Ramón Blanco of an
