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Pre-Cuban Revolution
Prior to the 1959 Cuabn Revolution, the United States held a strong hold on Cuban trade, garnering most of the exports from the Caribbean Island. -
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Cuban Revolution
Beginning in July of 1953, Fidel Castro led an armed rebellion against Cuban president, Fulgencio Batista. The revolution would continue sporatially until January 1, 1959. On this day, Fidel Castro's revolution succeeded in bringing a Socialist regime to Cuba. -
U.S. Enforces Trade Embargo
Following the Cuban Revolution, U.S. - Cuba Relations became strained. Many U.S. Based businesses were being nationalized and taken under control of the new Cuban government. A few days after Fidel Castro spoke with U.S. Vice President, Richard Nixon, the trade embargo began. Oveer the following years, various political activities would push the trade embargo to maximum levels, banning all trade entirely with the island nation. -
La Coubre Explodes in Havana Harbor
Following the explosion of La Coubre, Fiedl Castro directly blamed the U.S. for the explosion. This same month, Eisenhower greenlighted a CIA porject to train guerillas to overthrow the Cuban government. -
Embargo Enacted
Since the revolution, Cuban officlials had repeatedly gone against US wishes, seizing U.S. business interests in Cuba. On OCtober 19, 1960 a full embargo was reached, forcing Cuba to reach out to the USSR, completely shattering U.S. relations. -
Relations with Cuba Completely Cut
Due to various incidents involving U.S. diplomats being expelled from the isalnd, and the current embargo, all diplomatic ties with Cuba were cut from the U.S. government. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs involved 1,500 Cuban Exiles and CIA Operatives attepting a coup against Castro's regime. The invasion was a complete failure, further bolstering the side of Cuba. -
Full Trade Ban
The embargo reached its highest level in 1962, when all trade, even at the individual level, was prohibited with Cuba. Travel was also banned. -
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Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis existed for one reson: Soviet missiles. Due to their close ties with Cuba, Soviet Russia transported missiles to Cuba. Following US intervention, this 2-week period was the closest we have come to nuclear war. The US succeeded in ridding the missiles in Cuba, but they had to remove their missiles in range of the USSR. -
Maritime Boundary Treaty
This treaty agreed to a boundary in which U.S. and Cuba officials would operate. The boundary was off the coast of Florida. -
Mariel Boatlift
The Mariel Boatlift occured when The U.S. and Castro agreed to allow any Cubans who wanted to leave go to the U.S. The passengers, however, included criminals and mental patients, a fact not known to the U.S. government. -
End of the Cold War
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, Cuba was left without their main Internaitonal sponsor. This led to economic hardship, what was known as the Special Period. -
Cuban Democracy Act
This act banned U.S. subsidiaries, including aid groups, to the island. -
Brothers to the Rescue shot down
Two unarmed Cessna 337s were shot down by the Cuban Government, killing two Cuban-Americans and one American born Cuban man. They were members of the group, Brothers to the Rescue, a paramilitary group dedicated to overthrowing Castro's regime. Another paramilitary group, Alpha 66, still practices their AK-47 drills in South Florida.