Ever since Fidel Castro assumed power in Cuba, there has been a rise in tensions between the Cuban government and the United States. While relations between Cuba and the United States saw some improvement during Eisenhower and Kennedy’s administrations, it was notably during Kennedy’s presidency that tensions escalated compared to Eisenhower’s.
President Kennedy faced numerous challenges during his presidency, such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The United States had a strained relationship with Cuba for a long time. In President Eisenhower’s second term, Fidel Castro initiated more aggressive attacks, but Eisenhower decided to ignore them.
Critics accused Eisenhower of inciting and permitting the comments. Despite choosing to disregard Castro’s radical comments, he was fully informed about the events in Cuba. The CIA presented him with multiple plans to overthrow Castro’s government, including the proposal to spray a chemical in the broadcasting room.
The plan mentioned in M&P 383 was not accepted because it was considered unreliable. Moreover, alternative methods were suggested, including contaminating a box of Castro’s favorite cigars, seeking help from an underground criminal group to attempt an assassination, and introducing a poisoned pill into Castro’s drink (M&P 384). In March of 1960, President Eisenhower directed the CIA to establish a facility in Guatemala for training Cuban exiles with the possibility of their eventual return to Cuba. It was crucial that the United States’ involvement in this operation remained confidential as any indication of their participation could provoke retaliation from the Soviet Union. The training of these exiles took place towards the end of Eisenhower’s presidency.
During the transition from President Eisenhower to President-elect Kennedy, there were limited efforts made to bring exiles back to Cuba and overthrow Castro. These efforts included training of Cuban exiles in Guatemala, which CIA director Allen Dulles informed President Kennedy about upon his inauguration. President Kennedy subsequently granted approval for the continuation of the exile training.
After evaluating the situation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded that the CIA’s training of exiles would not likely result in the successful overthrow of the Cuban dictator. It was deemed necessary to have the support of discontented citizens still residing in Cuba to increase their chances of success. To achieve this, the aim was for the people to rebel simultaneously with the exile’s arrival. Following a meeting between Kennedy and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Guatemala’s President ordered the removal of the CIA and Cuban exiles from his country.
Kennedy had to make a hasty decision after learning that the Cubans were receiving Soviet fighter crafts. Upon receiving this news, President Kennedy authorized the mission, with the provision to cancel it within 24 hours. Shortly before the invasion, a series of unsuccessful bombings occurred on strategic military bases in Cuba.
The goal was to destroy the Cuban fighter planes, but only a small number were effectively shot down. To conceal the B-26 bombers’ true origin and make them resemble Cuban air force planes, they were painted accordingly for the Bay of Pigs Invasion. The objective was to create an illusion that these planes were flown by Cuban pilots who had defected and turned against their government. Once they left, the planes headed towards Miami. The invasion took place on April 17th.
Anticipating the invasion, Castro readied his troops to confront the incoming exiles. The exiles faced immediate resistance as Castro’s Army swiftly apprehended them. Moreover, Cuban aircraft effectively destroyed a ship carrying ammunition for the exiles. The crackdown by the Cuban army made it impossible for the United States to conceal its involvement in the coup any longer. Consequently, this led to international opposition and severed ties between the United States, Russia, and Cuba.
There is a widespread belief that Kennedy bears responsibility for the tense relations and the encouragement of Khrushchev to deploy missiles in Cuba. The Soviet decision to place nuclear missiles in Cuba can be attributed to two main factors: Soviet insecurities and fears of losing control over Cuba due to potential U.S. invasion. These insecurities arose from the presence of a substantial number of U.S. missiles stationed in Turkey, which directly threatened Russia.
Khrushchev was primarily worried about the possibility of a first strike from the U.S. Additionally, he had concerns regarding Fidel Castro and Cuba due to continuous American efforts to overthrow Castro since he assumed power.
Both the Bay of Pigs and Operation Mongoose were distinct events, yet they contributed to Khrushchev’s development of a strategy aimed at challenging the US in Turkey. Ultimately, this resulted in the occurrence of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The identification of the Soviet Union’s existence in Cuba prompted significant worries regarding the well-being of American citizens. Given Cuba’s proximity to US territory, these concerns were even more heightened than usual.
According to Khrushchev’s memoirs, Russia swiftly deployed nuclear-capable missiles in Cuba as a response to the United States’ development and deployment of missiles. President Kennedy subsequently received reconnaissance photos that revealed Soviet nuclear bases on Cuban soil. Armed with this information, Kennedy and his advisers convened a seven-day intensive meeting to deliberate on their course of action in light of this crisis.
Russia refuted the claims of placing missiles in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy reacted by giving a televised speech to the nation, stating that any nuclear attack from Cuba would be perceived as Russian aggression towards the United States. This occurrence is famously known as the Cuban Missile Crisis and holds great historical significance.
In order to prevent more Russian munitions from reaching Cuba, the U.S. Navy deployed a fleet of ships and established a blockade. Throughout the crisis, there was ongoing correspondence between the President and the Premier of Russia, where they exchanged letters and other forms of communication. Khrushchev, in his letters, disclosed that there were multiple Russian nuclear weapons present in Cuba. Furthermore, he sent several letters stating that if the United States guaranteed not to invade Cuba, they would dismantle the launch sites.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy chose to abide by one requirement in a threatening letter while disregarding another. Following the cessation of these letters, negotiations transpired to reinforce agreements between Russia and the United States. In a meeting, the United States insisted on the withdrawal of Russian bombers from Cuba, intensifying tension in an already precarious situation that brought nuclear war dangerously close for several days.
Efforts were made to prevent Russia from retaliating against the United States with nuclear missiles in relation to U.S. foreign affairs, but once these ongoing issues were resolved, Kennedy could shift his focus towards improving relations with both Cuba and Russia. In general, the Cold War had a significant impact on the relationship between Cuba and the United States, and currently, there are still challenges in America’s diplomatic ties with Cuba.
Highlighting the necessity for a stronger relationship between Cuba and the United States, every day in the news presents a young boy entangled in an international dispute. The reunion of this boy with his father would have been possible if these two countries had a better rapport. Thus, it emphasizes the persistent unresolved issues between them.
