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HomeToday in HistoryThe U.S.-Cuba Embargo: The Breakup That Never Ended

The U.S.-Cuba Embargo: The Breakup That Never Ended

So, picture this: It’s 1962, and the U.S. and Cuba are in a full-on, ugly breakup. We’re talking blocking-on-social-media levels of bad. The U.S. basically says, “That’s it! No more trade, no more exports, no more imports! You can’t sit with us!” And Cuba? Cuba’s like, “Fine, I didn’t like your capitalism anyway!” Meanwhile, the Soviet Union slides into Cuba’s DMs like, “Hey, girl, I got you.”

This all goes back to Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution, which, to the U.S., was like coming home to find your ex has sold all your stuff and changed the locks. American businesses in Cuba got nationalized, which is a fancy way of saying, “Mine now!”—and then Cuba started getting real cozy with the Soviet Union. The Cold War was already a mess, so the U.S. decided to make a statement: “No more Cuban cigars, no more Cuban rum, no more…well, anything Cuban.” And thus, the embargo was born.

Now, you’d think after sixty years, we’d have moved on, right? Maybe let bygones be bygones? Nope. This is the longest, pettiest grudge in U.S. history. We tightened it in the ’90s with the Cuban Democracy Act and the Helms-Burton Act, which basically told the rest of the world, “If you’re still talking to Cuba, we’re not talking to you.” Classic toxic ex move.

Then came 2014, when Obama was like, “Okay, this is ridiculous, let’s be adults about this.” He started lifting some restrictions, reopened embassies, let people travel, and—you guessed it—gave us back our Cuban cigars. But then the next administration showed up like, “Wait, wait, wait—who said you could have fun?!” and slammed the door shut again.

And now, as of 2025, things might actually be shifting again. The White House announced plans to ease some sanctions because, you know, 60 years of this nonsense hasn’t exactly led to the democratic utopia anyone was hoping for. Shocking, right? Turns out, when you ghost a whole country for six decades, they don’t suddenly come running back ready to change everything about themselves just to win you over.

So here we are, still stuck in this never-ending Cold War divorce. The U.S.-Cuba embargo: it’s the grudge match that just won’t quit. And if history tells us anything, we’ll probably keep playing this game of economic hard-to-get until we finally realize—maybe it’s time to just let people have their rum and cigars in peace.

Irma Gasser
Irma Gasser
Irma Gasser cuts through global nonsense with sharp insight and unflinching truth. From her humble Texas roots to her expertise in international relations, she brings a unique, no-nonsense perspective to foreign affairs. Read Irma's full bio here.
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