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Cuba and the United States: The Start of a New Era

Forty-Fifth Annual

November 17, 2015 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Cuba and the United States: The Start of a New Era

CONTENTS

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…..1

Cuba—A Brief History…………...……………………………….……………………………………………………………………...3

Cuba’s Foreign Policy—The Early Years..……...…………………………………………………………….………………………4

Cuba’s Current Foreign Policy……………………………………………………………………………………………………...…..5

Cuba and the Global Economy..………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6

Key Issues and Conclusions...... …...………………………………………………………………………………….………...…..8

Key Terms and Phrases.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12

Websites.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..12

Sources and References………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13 BOXES

Notable Names in Cuba’s Political Leadership…...………………………………………………………………………………….2

Che Guevara...... …...…………………………………………………………..………...……..………………….………..3

Cuban Troops in Angola and Around the World..…………………………………………………………………………………...5

The U.S. Embargo against Cuba……………….…………………………………………………………………………...………..6

Human Rights in Cuba………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

The Influence of the Cuban Exile Community in the U.S………………………………………………………………………….10

Cuba’s Notoriety in Health Care and Sports………………………………………………………………………………………..11

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh 2640 BNY Mellon Center • 500 Grant Street • Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2510 412-281-7970 • fax 412-281-1795 email: [email protected] • www.worldpittsburgh.org

This paper was researched and written by: Jonathan Hill

Introduction

In December 2014, the leaders of Cuba and the United States (U.S.) announced that the two nations would reestablish diplomatic relations. This comes more than a half century after the two countries broke off ties in 1961. The opening of the U.S. embassy in Havana in July 2015—along with the simultaneous opening of the Cuban embassy in Washington D.C.—has raised hopes that the two nations would begin to cooperate on a number of important regional and bilateral issues after decades of sometimes hostile disagreements.

An opening of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S.—in which the two nations exchange ambassadors and diplomatic staff who reside in each country—is the beginning of a long process toward normalization of relations and a settling of the deep differences between the two countries. Typically, diplomatic relations between two nations include management of a wide range of bilateral issues, from issuing tourist visas to assisting in promoting trade and investment. This all requires a degree of cooperation and day-to-day contact not possible without the legal recognition of each country's government and diplomatic status among nations.

Early in the 1960s, the United States imposed an economic embargo and a freeze on diplomatic relations as part of a long-term effort to force a change in Cuba’s political and economic policies. The policies that Washington was targeting had come about as the Cuban revolutionary leadership, headed by Fidel Castro, imposed a strict communist economic system. This change seized virtually all private property from foreign and domestic holders, denied basic economic and political freedoms to individual citizens, and pursued a foreign policy that aligned Cuba closely with the Soviet Union and other communist regimes during the Cold War.

Decades later, the resumption of diplomatic ties comes at a critical time in both Cuba and the U.S. Cuba’s communist government, which has been in power for over fifty years, is likely to soon face an unprecedented leadership transition, as someone outside of the ruling Castro family is expected to take power within the next few years. Brothers Fidel and Raul Castro, who have maintained power in Cuba since the revolution of 1959, are well into their 80s. Their departure from office will mark the end of an era. In addition, Cuba’s economy has also shown increased signs of stagnation (little economic growth), even with the aid of its friend and ally, Venezuela. A difficult economic recession in recent years has made Venezuela an unreliable supporter for Cuba.

The United States also finds itself in a unique situation. The powerful Cuban exile community, numbering around 2 million and located predominately in Florida, continues to undergo its own aging process. Many of the most hardline opponents to the Castro-led regime are becoming less numerous and less influential in U.S. politics. For decades, U.S. politicians from both parties carefully echoed the Cuban exile communities’ often bitter opposition toward the ruling Castro family. This opposition was deeply rooted, and reflected the violent political and economic dislocations of many individuals during the Cuban revolution in the early 1960s. Many Cubans fled the country; thousands died at the hands of the regime.

This paper is designed to help the reader understand some of the key domestic, economic, and foreign policy challenges facing Cuba today. As an additional resource, the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh has provided added articles, links, and sources on the topic, which can be found at www.worldpittsburgh.org/wai2015/wai-resources/.

Notable Names in Cuba’s Political Leadership

Brothers Fidel and Raul Castro

Since the Cuban revolution in 1959, Cuba has been led by just two brothers; Fidel and Raul Castro. Fidel Castro, the older brother, became the leader of a revolutionary movement that began in the early 1950s in response to the dictatorship of Fulgencia Batista. Along with his brother and other revolutionaries, Castro overthrew Batista in January 1959 following several years of guerrilla warfare.

Fidel Castro was born in 1926 as the son of a wealthy sugar plantation owner and one of seven siblings. He was educated at Jesuit boarding schools and graduated from the University of Havana law school in 1945. It was in law school that Fidel is believed to have developed his interest in Marxist-Leninism, although it was not until several months after the successful revolution that he decided to formally adopt the model that existed in the Soviet Union and throughout most of Eastern Europe at the time.

Almost immediately after taking power, Fidel Castro named himself Prime Minister, a title he held until 1976 when he became President. Castro also became First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, a position he held until 2011. Irrespective of his titles, Castro had complete control over the nation’s political and economic systems, and remains influential in Cuba to this day.

As the unelected leader of a one-party, Marxist-Leninist state that was allied to the Soviet Union and located less than 100 miles from the United States, Fidel Castro quickly developed a high profile in the United States and around the world. He was admired in many developing countries for his support of revolutionary movements, and in the Soviet Union for his willingness to stand up to the United States. He provided military and political support to many movements around the world even as he accepted critical financial aid from the Soviet Union, and then later from Venezuela. By the mid- 2000s, failing health forced Fidel Castro to relinquish control of Cuba to his brother Raul.

Raul Castro, born in 1931, was at his brother’s side in planning and implementing the guerrilla war throughout the 1950s. Although not as academically gifted as his brother, he was tutored by Fidel during the early years. His willingness to remain in the background was ultimately rewarded when he was granted control by Fidel of Cuba’s government in 2006, and was named president in 2008. For decades, he had formal control of the army—one of the most important institutions in Cuban life—and was Defense Minister until 2008. Raul has indicated he will likely step down as President in 2018.

Over the past several years, Raul Castro has demonstrated a significant degree of independence from his brother by implementing modest, but significant economic reforms that have expanded the role of the private sector in the Cuban economy. Although long considered a committed communist, Raul reportedly had begun to have doubts in recent years about Cuba’s long-term economic viability, especially in light of the likelihood that Venezuela will begin to cut back on its support. Raul’s ability to overcome his older brother’s more rigid communist ideology and anti-Americanism extended to his willingness to renew diplomatic ties with the United States. These efforts have raised his profile vis-à-vis his brother in a way not thought possible just a few years ago.

Cuba — A Brief History

Cuba's modern history, as with many of the islands in the Caribbean region, is marked by colonial conquest and control by Spain, one of the major European powers active in the New World. Beginning in the late 15th century, following Christopher Columbus’ exploration to the Americas, Spain began the not uncommon exploitation of indigenous peoples. In Cuba, and many of its island neighbors, this resulted in the introduction of slave labor to support a plantation economy that characterized the island and much of the region for centuries. By the late 19th century, Cuba's control by Spain became increasingly problematic, and was ended by the Spanish-American War of 1898.

The United States briefly took direct control of Cuba before signing the Treaty of Paris with Spain in 1902. The treaty, with a few critical exceptions, granted Cuba its formal independence for the first time from any outside colonial power. However, given Cuba's strategic location destination for many American tourists, businesses, and just 95 miles off the coast of Florida, the U.S. remained investors. Cuban culture became an influential factor in strongly interested in Cuba's future and retained U.S. society, and the same was true for American culture significant influence in Cuba. The Treaty of Paris allowed in Cuba. for provisions in the new Cuban constitution. It gave the th United States the right to intervene in Cuban domestic During the first sixty years of the 20 century, Cuba's affairs if the U.S. deemed it necessary. Moreover, the political system became increasingly undemocratic. Any 1901 Platt Amendment also reserved to the United States semblance of a pluralistic democratic system (more than many interests in Cuba, including the right to lease a one center of power) was gone by the early 1950s. strategic port located in Guantanamo Bay. Although most Fulgencio Batista, a pre-World War II army Sergeant of the provisions of the amendment were retracted in and, briefly, an elected Cuban president in the early 1934, as part of the Roosevelt Administration’s Good 1940s, staged a coup in 1952 that resulted in a one-man Neighbor policy, the leasing rights to Guantanamo Bay dictatorship for most of that decade. Although still have been retained by the United States to this day. relatively prosperous compared to many other nations in the region, the growing income inequality and political In the decades leading up to the Cuban Revolution of turmoil of that decade ultimately led to the 1959 1959, the U.S. played an active role in Cuba's economy, revolution orchestrated by Fidel Castro. cultural life, and domestic politics. Cuba was a popular

Che Guevara

A Key Player in the Cuban Revolution

Che Guevera was born in Argentina in 1928, and became widely known before his death for his Marxist revolutionary activities throughout Latin America. He met the Castro brothers in Mexico where they had fled following a failed coup attempt against the Cuban government in 1953. Guevara reportedly helped instill in the Castros a more radical and violent revolutionary ap- proach to governing, which was implemented in Cuba almost immediately after the revolution.

Guevara effectively became a Cuban at the time of the revolution. He was one of Castro’s key deputies during the war, and his role in post-revolutionary Cuba was prominent. He was respon- sible for instituting agrarian land reform as Minister of Industries, as well as the creation of Cuba’s political prison camp system, and directing the government’s executions against its political opponents. He even briefly became head of the new nation’s national bank, and traveled globally as a diplomat representing Cuba’s new form of radical revolutionary socialism.

After several years in Cuba, Guevara left to help promote other violent revolutionary movements in Latin America and around the world. His willingness to use violence, against any element of the population that opposed his vision, characterized much of his activities. Yet, these methods were often overlooked by supporters of Guevara in the West who saw only the committed opponent to Western imperialism. His death, by execution, at the hands of the Bolivian government in 1967 added to his cult-like following. He remains most revered in Cuba, where statues and posters of his image remain prominently displayed. The Cuban government constructed a large and formal mausoleum for him near Santa Clara, Cuba, the site of the last battle in the Cuban revolution.

The Cuban Revolution of 1959

Within months of the Castro led insurgency that toppled the Batista dictatorship, relations between the United States and Cuba deteriorated rapidly. The U.S. was an initial supporter of the revolution as it was a marked departure from the dictatorial control and corruption that existed previously. However, the decision by the newly installed revolutionary leadership to follow socialistic policies, coupled with the violent suppression of opposition groups, led the U.S. to oppose the regime.

One of the defining characteristics of Cuba in the years following the revolution was the rapid process of nationalization (shifting from private to state-owned) of President Fidel Castro and Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev. most foreign-owned businesses and large locally-owned companies. The classic communist principles of public ownership of all means of production and services were south coast of Cuba in a small bay a little over 100 miles quickly adopted. Limited exceptions were in place for from Havana (see map below). The 1961 Bay of Pigs small farms that could continue to be owned and run by Invasion, as it was named, ended as a complete failure the farmers themselves. for the new Kennedy Administration, and contributed to the deterioration in relations between the U.S. and Under the control of Fidel Castro for most of the next Cuban governments. The Bay of Pigs is also cited as a several decades, Cuba remained committed to motivating factor in Cuba’s willingness to cooperate with government-owned enterprises. This continued even the Soviet Union in the Cuban Missile Crisis—one of the after the demise of the communist system in the Soviet most dramatic and direct Cold War confrontations Union, and the widespread adoption of market-oriented between the United States and the Soviet Union. economic reforms in China and elsewhere in the communist world. Cuba and the Soviet Union, 1959-1991

Cuba’s Foreign Policy — The Early Years As a part of Cuba’s willingness to assist the Soviet Union in its foreign policy goals, Cuba benefitted from the During the first few decades after the Cuban revolution of economic and military assistance it received. During the 1959, Cuba’s foreign policy was highly ambitious and height of the Cold War, Cuba received substantial foreign driven by a strong communist ideology. Castro’s decision aid from the Soviet Union (amounting to as much as $5 to align his nation with the Soviet Union ultimately led billion per year) in the form of direct aid, military Cuba into actions that provoked the United States at that assistance, trade, and investment advantages and loans. time. Cuba’s small size and relative poverty did little to Cuba became highly dependent on markets in the Soviet stop the country from engaging in ambitious adventures Union and its allies, in part to offset the effects of the overseas, sometimes at great cost. Only after the Soviet U.S. trade embargo. Cuba even joined the Soviet Union’s Union collapsed in 1991 did Cuba’s foreign policy economic organization, COMECON, whose members moderate. were located primarily in Europe, as a way of boosting cooperation with the other planned economies (those Cuba’s early foreign policy direction can be attributed, at economies directed by a central government) in the least in part, to the decision of the United States to Soviet sphere of influence. support an armed insurgency against the Castro regime. This came early in the years after the revolution when the By the late 1980s, Cuban troops numbering in the tens of U.S. helped land 1,500 anti-Castro Cuban exiles on the thousands were serving in wars throughout the world.

Cuban Troops in Angola and Around the World

The willingness of the Castro regime to use its limited military assets in support of Soviet foreign policy goals deepened the animosi- ty between the United States and its tiny neighbor. Even without pressure from the Cuban exile community in the United States, it is likely that the U.S. and Cuba would have been at odds during much of the Cold War. During this time, Cuba seemed anxious to be a more active participant abroad as a Soviet ally. Cuba actively supported revolutionary movements around the world, but this trend was truly highlighted in one high-profile role in Africa.

In late 1975, Cuba sent more than 25,000 troops to Angola , located in Southern Africa, in support of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). The MPLA had been one of at least three major military forces seeking independence from Portugal through a war of liberation. A civil war between the various factions quickly ensued. Some were supported by the Apartheid regime in South Africa, others by Zaire to the north, and in various ways by the United States and the So- viet Union and their respective allies and proxies.

Cuba’s involvement in Angola, which continued until the late 1980s when Cuba finally withdrew its troops, highlighted the extent to which the Castro regime would go to support other Marxist movements around the world. In terms of its population size, Cuba’s commitment of troops in Angola mirrored the size of the United States’ troop levels in Vietnam. Cuba’s large presence in Angola has also been blamed for side-tracking the process of détente (an effort to reduce ten- sion) that had begun in the early 1970s between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Cuba’s willingness to send troops and advisors around the world in support of revolutionary movements was a key characteristic of the Castro government’s foreign policy, especially during the Cold War. Cuba’s small military was leveraged with support of the Soviet Union in providing troops, as well as key military advisors in places throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Even today, rumors persist that Cuba remains active in various regions that are in opposition to Western interests. If true, these actions could slow further normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cu- ba.

Supported by the Soviet Union, Cuba had developed a Soviets withdraw all of its nuclear missiles from Cuba. large standing army with a range of advanced weapons After a tense 13 day period, the Soviets agreed. In systems. With the assistance of Soviet training, Cuba exchange, the United States signed an agreement with developed an expertise that was used in many hot spots the Soviet Union that promised it would never invade around the world. Cuban troops commanded tanks in Cuba without direct provocation, and agreed to withdraw Syria in 1973 as part of the Yom Kippur War. Troops its missiles from Turkey. The crisis was considered the were also present in Ethiopia and Angola in the late closest the two sides had ever come to a nuclear war, 1970s, fighting in support of Marxist regimes. See the and prompted the creation of a direct “hotline’ or phone box above for more information on Cuban military link between the leaders of the two nations so as to avoid interventions. any future nuclear confrontation.

The Cuban Missile Crisis Although the crisis primarily played out as a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, Cuba’s Cuban-American relations reached their low point in mid- eagerness to provide the Soviets with a critical base— 1962 when the Soviet Union agreed to a request by less than 100 miles from Florida—highlighted Cuba’s President Castro to place nuclear missiles in Cuba in an growing importance to the Soviets’ projection of power effort to deter the United States from targeting the Castro and influence abroad. regime. The Soviet Union also viewed the deployment of the missiles as a counter-balance to the American Cuba’s Current Foreign Policy introduction of the nuclear tipped medium-range Jupiter missiles that had been recently positioned in Turkey—a Even after the fall of the Soviet Union and its allies in neighbor of the Soviet Union and a strong NATO ally to Eastern Europe in 1991, Cuba remained committed to its the United States. Beginning in the summer of 1962, the ideological roots, denouncing many of the economic and Soviet Union began construction of missile facilities in political changes taking place in the post-Soviet Union. Cuba that would support intermediate-range ballistic Meanwhile, the Cuban economy was devastated as its missiles that could target much of mainland United deep dependency on Soviet aid left it ill-prepared to deal States. with the global economy.

What developed was a standoff between U.S. and Soviet The 1990’s turned out to be a bleak decade for Cuba. naval forces during October 1962. The Kennedy The collapse of the Soviet Union resulted not only in the Administration imposed a military blockade on Cuba loss of $5 billion a year in subsidies, but also Cuba’s (typically considered an act of war), and insisted that the strongest political and foreign policy ally. Without its main

The U.S. Embargo against Cuba

The U.S. embargo against Cuba was imposed in Octo- ber 1960, almost two years after Castro took power in Cuba. The embargo was enacted in retaliation to several Cuban actions, including the nationalization (or seizure) of U.S. company assets in Cuba, as well as charg- es that Cuba violated human rights and political freedoms in the crackdown on regime opponents.

By 1962, the embargo included virtually all goods and services, including prohibitions on direct flights from the U.S. to Cuba. Significantly, the United States did not attempt to block Cuba’s trade with third parties, including the Soviet Union, although it lobbied many U.S. al- “Cuba and Venezuela: Two Friendly Countries” — Graffiti art on the streets in Havana. lies in the region to limit their trade with Cuba. Over the last several decades, most nations have developed an economic relationship with Cuba that includes trade in goods as well as direct travel—to the extent Cuba itself trading partners in the former Soviet bloc, Cuba’s permits. For many years, Cuba imposed strict controls economy stumbled throughout what became known as on the rights of its own citizens to travel abroad. the “Special Period.” Cuba’s energy situation was particularly hard hit as the Soviet Union’s subsidized Even though the U.S. embargo, based on U.S. law, can exports of crude oil ended. Total GDP declined by as only be formally removed by the U.S. Congress, many much as a third, reaching a low point mid-way through of the restrictions are fading following the resumption of the decade. diplomatic relations. Nevertheless, even as prohibitions

are removed, U.S. investment in Cuba will likely lag as Cuba and Venezuela, 1999-present investors remain cautious in re-entering Cuba’s political

and economic system. Prospects improved dramatically by the end of the decade when Cuba found a new ally much closer to home. Hugo Chavez, a former leftist military officer, was elected President of Venezuela in 1999 and quickly For the past fifteen years, this oil-for-services trade has turned that country into one of Cuba’s strongest formed the basis for much of the interdependency supporters, both ideologically and in its opposition to the between the two nations. This relationship has also United States. In praising Fidel Castro as his mentor, and begun to generate concerns in both countries. While the Cuba as a “revolutionary democracy,” Chavez was a death of President Chavez in March 2013 did not change natural friend and ally of Cuba. His increasingly the public face of the relationship between the two autocratic and socialistic rule during the 2000’s provided nations, Chavez’s successor, Nicolas Maduro, faces a strong basis for a range of shared interests between intense domestic and international pressures that may the two nations. force him to change the current relationship.

In aligning itself with Venezuela, Cuba effectively Ultimately, the most important aspect of the Cuban- transferred its economic dependence on the Soviet Venezuelan relationship is economic, at least for Cuba. Union to Venezuela. Cuba’s trade with the Soviet Union, Political and economic problems in Venezuela affect which had been as high as 40 percent of GDP in the Cuba’s ability to adapt to external changes. The close early 1980s before dropping to zero ten years later, rose ties with Venezuela have allowed Cuba to avoid making to around 20 percent with Venezuela by 2010, much of it the needed changes to its economy policies; yet, that in the form of petroleum imports and services exports. seems to be changing.

Venezuela began supplying Cuba much of its energy Cuba and the Global Economy needs at subsidized rates, with exports of petroleum products to Cuba amounting to over 100,000 barrels per Decades of one-party rule and government control has day. Cuba, meanwhile, provided Venezuela with much left Cuba’s economy lagging well behind its neighbors in needed medical and other technical assistance. At any development and income. Per capita Gross Domestic given time, Cuba has tens of thousands of doctors and Product (GDP)—an indicator of a nation’s economic well- other medical personnel working in Venezuela, as well being measured by the total output of the economy as ongoing technical and social services assistance and divided by its population—is just under $7,000 at current training operations. In addition, Cuba provides relatively exchange rates; yet, this overstates personal income. In high levels of medical care in Cuba itself for qualified the public sector, where most Cubans continue to work, Venezuelans, including especially high ranking politicians the total take home pay allowed by the government is and other officials. Lastly, Cuba has become a key just $20 per month; however, additional non-cash income supporter of Venezuela’s military and intelligence in the form of benefits and medical care can be added to agencies by offering the assistance of a large numbers of this figure. Generally, because of the many economic advisors. restrictions that have characterized the Cuban economy

from the beginning, including rationing of many basic between key friendly nations—most notably Venezuela. foods, most citizens would be considered poor by Western standards. Cuba remains one of the only countries in the world to have officially retained a “Marxist-Leninist” economic One of the many factors that have limited Cuba’s model—a term referenced on numerous occasions by economic growth is the relative isolation from the global the Castro regime. In the early 1960s, Fidel Castro economy in terms of trade and foreign investment. A lack transformed Cuba's economy into a centrally controlled of investment has left Cuba unable to earn foreign system that involved government ownership of all means exchange, or import consumer goods that generally are of production. Virtually all economic activity was directed considered basics elsewhere in the global economy. by the central government, and the private sector was Instead, Cuba depends primarily on bilateral trade effectively banned. Cuba's decision to nationalize all

foreign-owned and its political isolation. businesses and other The next few years will assets marked the radical be a critical test as to transformation of the whether Cuba’s economy into a tightly revolutionary principles controlled communist will be sacrificed for the system, modeled after economic well-being of those in the Soviet Union the population. and China. It also prompted much of the Key Issues and antagonism with the Conclusion United States, as many of the nationalized Many of the key issues foreign businesses were that separated the United owned by U.S. States and Cuba have companies and existed for decades and individuals. Note: Per capita GDP is a measure of the nation's total GDP, or remain unresolved even value of all goods and services produced, divided by population. with the resumption of More recently, Cuba has However, Cuba's political system restricts most employees to $20 a month income. The per capita GDP data therefore is likely an diplomatic relations. struggled with the need overstatement of the actual income levels of Cubans when compared These include to reform. Raul Castro to most other economies around the world. widespread criticisms of has begun a series of Cuba's human rights cautious economic record and the continued reforms that have allowed the private sector to expand. existence of the U.S. trade and financial embargo. Yet, these reforms have focused on the small business area, and still prevent any meaningful investment in the The Obama Administration’s decision to remove Cuba larger manufacturing sectors. This reflects the still from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism was a tentative nature of political change. significant step for Cuba. This move reflected the Administration’s belief that Cuba was ready to resume With these reforms in place, Raul Castro has reportedly normal relations with the U.S. and its allies. But doubts argued that Cuba’s private sector should grow to 50 remain concerning Cuba’s willingness to abide by percent of GDP—a meaningful development for Cuba’s standards set by Western democracies, and its historic economy. His willingness to break from his brother’s tendencies to align itself with anti-Western governments orthodox communist ideology demonstrates his around the world. understanding of the crisis that looms over Cuba’s economy. This mindset is likely tied to his decision to In addition, the future of the U.S. presence in normalize relations with the United States. Guantanamo Bay continues to play a role in this complex relationship. The U.S. Government opened a detention Other nations, such as China and Vietnam, have adopted facility on the U.S. base located in Guantanamo Bay market-oriented economies even while the ruling soon after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The facility Communist Party retains political control. For Cuba, was designed to house combatants captured on the political control of the government, and all facets of battlefields in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. Because society (a classic characteristic of totalitarianism), has the conflict with terrorism in the Middle East has long included economic control. To give up control over continued, there has been disagreement over what to do the economy beyond small businesses is perceived by with the prisoners and the facility itself. The Obama many in the leadership as giving up the political control Administration pledged that it would close the facility that the communist party, and Fidel Castro, have early in his first term of office. Yet, the detention facility demanded from its inception. remains open reflecting the indecision over the fate of the inmates who have been effectively treated as prisoners Cuba’s inability to develop a modern economy, which of war. Although substantial numbers of inmates were can be integrated into the global economy, means it gradually released over the years, many remain. At its cannot generate enough foreign exchange to pay for peak, more than 500 individuals were detained at the necessary imports, ranging from energy to food. For facility in Guantanamo Bay. By mid-2015, the number decades, employment opportunities were limited to the had dwindled to a little more than 100. The Obama public sector where wages are low. Even with modest Administration announced in 2015 that it was looking for reforms in place, most Cubans do not experience the U.S. sites to house the remaining inmates, but many incentives that exists in a market-oriented economy, and obstacles stand in the way. Even if the inmate facility instead must continue to rely on the state for most basic eventually closes, the large U.S. military installation goods and services. located in the Guantanamo Bay region will likely remain under the control of the U.S. for the foreseeable future. A more open economy with a significant private sector would likely threaten both Cuba’s socialist ideals, as well Another critical underlying issue includes how and to as its sense of independence from the United States. what extent Cuba will become a part of the global Cuba has long prided itself on its ability to exist next door economy, and how this move will change the lives of to the United States, in light of the economic embargo Cubans who remain among the poorest in the Caribbean

Human Rights in Cuba

From the very beginning, the Castro-led revolutionary government drew sharp criticism for its human rights violations. While few in the West, or even the U.S., regretted the end of the Batista regime due to its corruption and violence, the Castro regime’s direct use of violence offset much of the limited goodwill that existed at the time in the West.

The early months and years were the most violent. Castro ordered the arrest of thousands of opponents, including many members of the overthrown Batista government. By most accounts, Che Guevara was also a key figure in the violent suppression of any opposition that was left in Cuba after the revolution. He is recognized as one of the regime’s most enthusiastic enforcers of arresting, detaining, and executing opponents of the regime, including those considered traitors to the cause. See the box on page 3 for more details on Guevara’s role in the Cuba revolution.

Estimates of the number of Cubans executed for political crimes have ranged from a few hundred in the first several years to a more generally accepted several thousand citizens. Thousands more were jailed for years in Cuban political prison camps.

In recent years, Cuba’s human rights record has remained poor, though restrictions on travel and communication between citizens and their families abroad have been eased. In its most recent assessment of Cuba, Amnesty International reports that “Cuban authorities often misuse a number of laws to harass and imprison activists,” and “peaceful demonstrators and human rights activists are routinely detained for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and movement.” Along with other human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International argues that much more needs to be done by Cuban authorities to bring Cuba’s human rights record to standards generally accepted in the West. Human rights protestors in Cuba. Source: The Telegraph The United States was criticized in the months prior to the formal resumption of diplomatic relations for not demanding more of the Cuban authorities in addressing its long history of human rights violations. In a July 1, 2015 editorial, The Wash- ington Post complained that in the first six months of 2015, Cuba detained 3,000 political prisoners, and reportedly continued to physically attack civil protestors. The Washington Post argued that the U.S. Administration missed an oppor- tunity to gain an “even modest alleviation of the dictatorship’s repression in exchange for what amounts to a political and economic bailout of a failing regime.”

The Breakdown of Cuba’s Human Rights Record

The following was taken from the Human Rights Watch 2015 World Report on Cuba

Illegal Imprisonment: Short-term imprisonments are used as a form of harassment and intimidation by the Cuban government against individuals that have thoughts and opinions which conflict with the values of the state. Dozens of Political Prisoners remain behind bars without the possibility of a fair and public trial.

The prisons themselves are overcrowded and unhygienic, leading to cases of malnutrition and illness.

Prisoners are subjected to 12-hour work days and those who engage in hunger strikes or other forms of protest can be subjected to solitary confinement, beatings, and denial of medical care, among others.

Freedom of Expression: The Cuban government maintains oversite on all media channels, and tightly controls access to outside information. Only a small number of Cubans are able to legally access the Internet.

Travel Restrictions: Recent reforms have made some travel to and from Cuba easier in a sense; however, restrictions remain. Among them includes Decree 217, which stipulates that Cubans must obtain government permission before moving to the country’s capital.

region. Opening itself more fully to outside markets and The Influence of the Cuban Exile Community trade will be a challenge for the regime that has prided in the United States itself on socialist principles of government control and

th independence from Western influences. Although Cuba Throughout the latter half of the 20 century, Cuban ex- has maintained diplomatic relations with many other iles played a major part in U.S. and international politics nations in the West, its lack of a market-oriented in their opposition to the communist regime in Cuba. At economic system excluded it from taking advantage of least a million Cubans were forced into exile in the early global markets, including a potentially key source of 1960s. Many ended up in Florida by the new revolution- earnings in the tourism sector. ary government. Whether through imprisonment, execution, or exile, Fidel Castro was eager to remove all traces Full normalization of relations is also dependent on the of pre-revolutionary Cuban society, and was happy to resolution of a number of key issues. This includes see most of his more strident opponents leave the coun- addressing Cuba's human rights record, as well as a try. What he did not count on was the intense and pro- liberalization of its political and economic environment, longed opposition that these exiles brought against his (i.e., allowing multiple political parties to exist alongside regime. Rarely has a population of refugees had more of the Communist Party). In addition, Cuba will need to a targeted effect on the domestic and international poli- establish a legal structure to convince foreign investors tics of its host country, than with the Cuban exile commu- that the country is safe for investment. The Cuban nity in the U.S. government will also need to further expand the non- state economic sector to allow workers the freedom to The exiles represented an unusually well-educated group pursue opportunities outside the government controlled that influenced U.S. politics in profound ways in the early economy. 1960s. The exiles’ anti-Castro politics also complement- ed the deep divide that already existed in the early 1960s Since assuming the political leadership in 2006, between East and West in both Europe and Asia. The President Raul Castro has undertaken a number of small U.S. political establishment of the time was willing to ac- but important steps toward liberalization of the economy. cept the influence of committed anti-communists who The changes taking place in Cuba today will ultimately targeted a revolutionary government just 95 miles off the determine the viability of the revolutionary state, coast of Florida. including its ability to modernize the economy and provide greater benefits to its impoverished population. While thousands more Cubans escaped the island for the Cuba will likely look to other communist countries, such United States in various ways over the years, the influ- as China and Vietnam, which have pursued market- ence of the original exiles remained dominant. Only as oriented economic reforms while maintaining the single- the population aged did the exile community’s influence party control of the Communist Party, rather than the wane. Today, many Cuban-Americans—mostly those former Soviet Union where the Communist Party was born in the United States—favor diplomatic ties. Although dissolved after losing control of the government in 1991. the current U.S. Congress is likely to resist ending the formal economic embargo so long as a Castro remains in Politically, Cuba is not likely to change in the near future. charge, the reality is that many of the economic re- Without any precedent for free elections, it is widely strictions in place are being addressed through the warm- believed that the Castros are looking to hand pick their ing of diplomatic relations. The exile community’s goal of successor from among the highest ranking communist removing the Castro government may have failed, but officials in the government. Although still shrouded in Cuba’s economic isolation is ending, its political system mystery, it is likely that the current First Vice President, will likely experience dramatic change over time, and the Miguel Diaz-Canel, could assume the Presidency in influence of the United States will continue to grow. Cuba in the near future .

Despite the opening of embassies in the United States and Cuba, tensions will persist related to Cuba’s poor record on domestic human rights and political freedom, as well as its actions overseas. In moving forward on diplomatic relations, the United States accepted that decades of isolation and economic embargoes had failed to change the Cuban political system. The hope now is that normalization of relations will bring about what decades of U.S. pressure failed to do.

For Cuba, it now must decide whether it is worth maintaining a political system that has isolated it for decades from the United States and its allies or implement the internal and external change in policies that will allow tensions to relax and bring greater Cuban-themed murals adorn the streets of Little Havana freedoms (both political and economic) to its population. in Miami. Source: Reuters For both sides, the restoration of diplomatic relations brings hope over time for a significant improvement in relations between the two neighbors.

Cuba’s Notoriety in Health Care and Sports

Cuba’s Health Care

Despite its relatively low per capita GDP, Cuba’s has provided its citizens with a relatively high degree of health care. Several important health care indicators in Cuba are more closely aligned to a high-middle income country than those of similar economic status and size. Through a strong emphasis on primary care, Cuba provides its citizens with the kind of basic health care that is lacking throughout much of the developing world. As a result, Cuba’s population has among the highest life expectancies in the world. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, the average life expec- tancy in Cuba is 79 years. This is three years more than the regional statistic, and five more than the global average. Likewise, the under-five mortality rate for Cuba lies somewhere below 10 deaths per 1000 live births, a rate less than half of that for the region. Overall, Cuba’s health system is also ranked quite high, with a WHO ranking of 39th in the world, well above most of the world’s middle and lower income economies.

Cuba’s success in providing health care to its population is due in part to its ability to directly control the incentives and requirements of citizens trained in medical care. The Cuban economy’s small manufacturing and technology base has resulted in limited opportunities for Cubans, forcing or encouraging many of the most talented students into health care. Over the years, many of these health care workers have been sent abroad to assist developing countries in establishing health care programs. For Cuba, these programs often generate modest foreign exchange earnings. Cuba’s current trade relationship with Venezuela is a prime example. However, as Cuba continues to loosen travel restrictions on its citizens, there is some concern that more Cuban doctors and other health care workers will leave the country for higher earning opportunities abroad.

Cuba’s Sports Program

Along with many Soviet bloc countries, Cuba began emphasizing international sports in the 1960s as a way of showcas- ing its political system. Fidel Castro argued early on that sports should be “the right of the people,” and in post- revolutionary Cuba, sports became an important part of every child’s education. Cuba focused much of its sports training on key Olympic events, including boxing, track and field, and more recently, judo and wrestling. Baseball—reportedly one of Fidel’s favorite sports—is also a large part of the Cuban sports programs—highlighting the countries historic ties to the United States.

On a per capita basis, Cuba has earned more Olympic medals than almost any other nation. Cuba holds 208 Olympic medals, the vast majority of which have been won since 1972. More than a third of these medals are gold. Boxing has been the most successful sport for Cuba, winning 34 of Cuba’s 72 gold medals in this sport. By comparison, the second most successful sport, track and field, has acquired 10 gold medals.

Cuba’s emphasis on sports at the international level is also reflected in an unusual program that exports coaches and trainers to the world. During the bleak post-Soviet economy of the 1990s, Cuba created Cubadeportes, an agency that markets Cuba’s expertise in sports training and coaching to nations around the world. This sports training industry earns Cuba much needed foreign exchange, while also promoting Cuba’s expertise to a wide range of countries.

If you were a policy analyst, what predictions do you have for the future of the U.S.-Cuba relationship? How should Cuba’s leadership address the foreign policy challenges it faces today? What can the United States do to continue to encourage the domestic, political, and economic change it believes Cuba needs to survive?

As you prepare for the World Affairs Institute, think creatively about Cuba’s future, and how its challenges and actions have an impact on its relations with the global community.

Key Terms and Phrases

Capitalism: An economic system where trade and industry are privately controlled rather than controlled by the state.

Coup: A sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.

Indigenous: Native to or originating from a particular region.

Marxist-Leninism: A political philosophy based on both Marxism and Leninism ideologies. Marxists-Leninists generally support one-party rule of a country, state dominance over the economy, and opposition to a middle class society and capitalism.

Normalization: To bring or restore relations between countries to a normal condition.

Proxy: A country or person given the authority to act on behalf of another.

Remittance: The action of sending money. This typically refers to migrants and/or refugees working outside their home.

Websites

NGOs & International Agencies US Government

Amnesty International US Central Intelligence Agency www.amnestyusa.org/russia www.cia.gov

Human Rights Watch The US Department of State www.hrw.org www.state.gov

International Monetary Fund The White House www.imf.org www.whitehouse.gov/

Organization for American States (OAS) The World Factbook www.oas.org/en/default.asp www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/

OECD Statistics World News stats.oecd.org BBC News United Nations www.bbc.com www.un.org Bloomberg World Bank www.bloomberg.com www.worldbank.org The Economist World Health Organization www.economist.com www.who.int/en/ Forbes World Trade Organization www.forbes.com www.wto.org/ The Los Angeles Times Research Organizations www.latimes.com

Brookings-Latin America and the Caribbean The New York Times www.brookings.edu/research/topics/latin-america-and- www.nytimes.com the-caribbean Reuters Foreign Policy www.reuters.com www.foreignpolicy.com The Wall Street Journal Center for Strategic and International Studies www.online.wsj.com www.csis.org The Washington Post Council on Foreign Relations – Cuba www.washingtonpost.com www.cfr.org/region/cuba/ri327

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