U.

S AND CUBA
RELATIONSHIPS

CASTRO BREAKS TIES WITH THE US.

Castro disavowed Cuba's 1952
military pact with the U.S.,
confiscated U.S. assets,
established military tribunals for
political opponents and jailed
hundreds

Castro at the time

CUBA ALLIES WITH THE SOVIET UNION

.
The U.S. broke relations with Cuba on Jan. 3,
1961, and Castro formalized his alliance with
the Soviet Union. Also established Soviet-style
collective farms

BAY OF PIGS INVASION

In 1961, a U.S.-backed group of
Cuban exiles invaded Cuba.
Planned during the Eisenhower
administration, the invasion was
given the go-ahead by President
John Kennedy. It was thought that
it would rally other Cubans into
fighting as well

BAY OF PIGS DISASTER

The landing at the Bay of Pigs was

on April 17, 1961. President John
Kennedy he refused to give U.S. air
support and The invaders did not
receive popular Cuban support and
were easily repulsed by the Cuban
military.

Failure made him look bad

and blow up in his face

SOVIET MISSILE CRISIS

Soviets attempt to install medium-range
missiles in Cuba capable of striking targets in
the United States with nuclear warheads
provoked a crisis in 1962

SOVIET MISSILE CRISIS RESOLVED

President Kennedy promised a U.S.

blockade of Cuba to stop the missile
delivery. Six days later, Soviet premier
Nikita Khrushchev ordered the missile
sites dismantled and returned to the
USSR in return for a U.S. pledge not to
attack Cuba.

FIDEL ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

In Feb. 2008, Fidel Castro ended 49

years of power when he announced
his retirement. The 81-year-old, who
ruled Cuba since leading a revolution
in 1959, said he would not accept
another term as president.

Current day Fidel

NEW CUBAN LEADER

Fidels brother Ral Castro

succeeded him , becoming
the 21st president of Cuba
on Feb. 24, 2008.

CUBA SIGNS U.N. COVENANT ON

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL
RIGHTS.
The Covenants ensure citizens'
political and civil freedom, and
guarantee the right to work,
fair wages, social security,
education, and high standards
of physical and mental health.

SMALL GAINS IN CUBA

The government relaxed land

restrictions for private farmers in July
2008 and Castro made the surprise
announcement in July 2010 that he
plans to release 52 political prisoners.

LEADER WHO IS NOT CASTRO

Cuba made the most significant change to

its leadership by appointing Jos Ramn
Machado to fill the second-highest position
in the Communist Party. It was the first
time since 1959 that someone other than
the Castro brothers has been named to the
position.

MORE FREEDOMS IN CUBA

in October 2011, buying and selling cars

became legal. Cubans are now allowed to go
into business for themselves in a variety of
approved jobs. the government began
allowing real estate to be bought and sold
for the first time since the revolution

POPE VISITS CUBA

On March 26, 2012, Pope

Benedict XVI visited Cuba. It was
the first papal trip since Pope
John Paul II visited 14 years ago

REASON FOR VISIT

During his visit, Pope Benedict XVI,

pushing for Cuba toward freedom,
said, "I am convinced that Cuba, at
this moment of particular importance
in its history, is already looking to the
future, and thus is striving to renew
and broaden its horizons."

EXIT VISA REQUIREMENT IS DROPPED

On October 16, 2012, the government

announced that in early 2013 Cubans would
no longer be required to have an exit visa
when leaving the country. This new policy is a
way to answer the rising calls for change by
Cubans.

Exit Visa

NEW POLICY FOR LEAVING CUBA

Cubans can leave the country on vacations
or forever. They only need a valid passport
and a visa from the country of their
destination. However, the new policy also
stated that Cubans could be stopped from
leaving the country for "defense and national
security" reasons.

ALAN GROSS RELEASED

The Cuban government freed U.S. aid contractor
Alan Gross, who had been in captivity for five
years, on Dec. 17, 2014. Gross had been
sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2011 after his
effort to create a way to communicate outside
of the Cuban government's control.

CUBA RESUMES DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

WITH U.S.
in response to the prisoner release, U.S.
President Barack Obama announced that the
U.S. would resume full diplomatic relations with
Cuba, which includes opening an embassy in
Havana. There hasn't been any diplomatic
relations between the U.S. and Cuba since 1961

HOW MIGHT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CUBA

AND THE U.S. BE CHANGING? IN YOUR OPINION,
IS THIS GOOD OR BAD?
The relationship between the United states is changing for the better. Instead of ignoring each other
they will finally interact with each other and end the outdated policy of isolation. This is good because
by ending the embargo the United States can empower the Cuban people by trading with them and
letting be more informed of what life can really be like making them wanting to end communism in
there country the problem that cause the near six decades of isolation.

WORK CITED
"Cuba." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 04 Jan. 2015.