dwight0 t1_itly2kg wrote on October 24, 2022 at 4:54 PM

Why did the blockade start ?

FranciscoSolanoLopez OP t1_itm3ltb wrote on October 24, 2022 at 5:29 PM

Great question! After the Cuban Revolution, the new government decided to nationalize the US-owned oil refineries. Essentially using the resources of Cuba in the interests of the country and its people. For the United States, it's unacceptable for any country to do this, so it unilaterally imposed the blockade.

koei19 t1_itmcg67 wrote on October 24, 2022 at 6:26 PM

This is not only a vast oversimplification of the history of US/Cuba relations but also factually incorrect. Exactly what Cuban resources did nationalization of the US refineries allow Cuba to use? The Cuban government nationalized the US refineries because they refused to refine Soviet (not Cuban) oil. The Cuban government then went on to nationalize all US businesses in Cuba, without providing any compensation to the legitimate owners.

jewishjedi42 t1_itn8j3m wrote on October 24, 2022 at 9:54 PM

If you want an oversimplification, the reason is capitalism.

FranciscoSolanoLopez OP t1_itmfe6c wrote on October 24, 2022 at 6:45 PM

This really strikes at the heart of the issue of national sovereignty .The US government wanted the revolutionary government out of power, and of course so did the corporations operating in Cuba. They wanted to deny the Cuban people their right to self-determination. And you're right, the refineries refused to work with Soviet oil, after the US decided to stop sending US oil to Cuba. Essentially, you had these private corporations and a foreign government trying to dictate Cuba's foreign policy to it! That they couldn't have normal and full normal relations with the Soviet Union.

That's the legacy of the blockade. The United States is dictating Cuba and other countries relate to each other. That's none of the US's business. And none of this is happening in a way that benefits the people of the United States. Whatever the initial justification of the blockade, Cuba has more than paid that price. The world recognizes that it must end, and it's been saying that for 30 years.