{"id":116390,"date":"2021-07-22T16:04:18","date_gmt":"2021-07-22T23:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=116390"},"modified":"2021-07-22T16:06:18","modified_gmt":"2021-07-22T23:06:18","slug":"why-does-us-want-to-annex-cuba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/07\/22\/why-does-us-want-to-annex-cuba\/","title":{"rendered":"Why does US want to annex Cuba?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Have\nyou ever wondered why the most powerful nation in the world with 328m people is\nso obsessed with Cuba a tiny island with 11million people? The quest to annex\nCuba to US has been taking place since 1820. In 1840s the US offered $100 million\nto Spain to buy Cuba. This little island has been withholding pressures for\nover 200 years and Cuba & Cubans must be commended & nations facing\nsimilar threats must take inspiration from the Cuban people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manifest Destiny \u2013 US in Cuba<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuba\nis a former Spanish colony. The British captured & temporarily occupied the\ncapital Havana in 1762. The American Revolution was in 1776. It was the same\nyear that Spain opened Cuba\u2019s ports to trade with North America. It is a habit\nof the US to want to acquire any country that can secure profit and thus from\n1820 US Presidents have been eyeing to take over Cuba. So much so the Americans\ndespatched were even executed by the Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\n1854 the US offered $130 million to Spain to buy Cuba via a proposal known as\nOstend manifesto or threatened war. By 1897 the US offered $300m to buy Cuba\n(119 years later in 2016 US offered $480m for MCC\/Sri Lanka) The US offer was\nrejected & kickstarted the US-Spanish War. In 1898 the Treaty of Paris was\nsigned with Spain renouncing rights to Cuba and US commencing its dominance in\nthe region. Immediately following the treaty US began selling Cuban land to\nAmericans via Cuba Real Estate Company. US military rule in Cuba ended in 1902.\nYet US ensured Cuba remained committed to leasing Cuban land for US naval\nbases. This is how US controls Guantanamo Bay since 1898. Guantanamo Bay was\nleased to US in 1903 as part of Platt Amendment. Cuba claims that the lease\nviolates Article 52 of 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (Coercion\nof a State by the threat or use of force) \u2013 can\u2019t Sri Lanka apply same against\nIndia for the signing of Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 under similar coercion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuban Rebellion against Spanish\noccupation  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cubans rebelled against Spain in 1868 which lasted 10 years.\nBeneath the scenes the US was making its own plans and as usual playing both\nsides! The 2nd<\/sup>attempt\nby Cuba for independence was in 1897.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nfact, the 1990 Republican Party election campaign poster in fact depicted US\nrule over Cuba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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US-Cuba trade<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trade\nthat began under Spanish occupation resulted in 83% Cuban exports going to US\nby 1877. By 1926 US companies owned 60% of Cuban sugar industry & imported\n95% of total Cuban crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President\nKennedy continued trade restrictions by President Eisenhower & banned all\ntrade with Cuba. Travel & financial transactions by US citizens with Cuba\nwas also prohibited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cubans rebel against Cubans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cubans\noverthrew the government of G. Machado in 1933 & successor Ramon Grau\nimmediately nullified the Platt amendment \u2013 immediately US militarily\nintervened sending 29 warships. The rule of Gen. Fulgencio Batista from\n1940-44\/1952-59 saw increase in US corporations in Cuba and Cuba became a\nsanctuary for organized US crimes. It was against this that an armed conflict\nbroke out in 1953 led by Fidel Castro against the Batista government which was\noverthrown in 1959.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Batista\ncan best be described in the words of US State Department advisor William\nWieland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nknow Batista is considered by many as a son of a bitch\u2026 but American interests\ncome first\u2026 at least he was our son of a bitch\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castro\nended US influence in Cuba. Castro visited US and even held meetings with\nPresident Nixon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Castro: Why the US hates the Cuban Revolution (1962)<\/a><\/blockquote>