Back Channel to Cuba summary

As Fidel Castro put together his new government, tensions between Cuba and the United States were already high, and things only got worse.

In February of 1960, Cuba and the Soviet Union agreed to a $100 million trade agreement, forming a relationship that would cause friction between Cuba and the United States for decades to come.

As John F. Kennedy stepped into the White House, Cuba was proving that it could be both politically independent and economically prosperous.

But the height of the Cold War was close at hand, and the United States was still intent on trying to overthrow Fidel Castro. Cuba’s troubling relationship with the Soviet Union was only made worse by the fact that, prior to the revolution, there had been more US investments in Cuba than anywhere else in Latin America.

After the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the United States was faced with the issue of trying to peacefully negotiate the release of 1,200 prisoners.

For this, they turned to ace negotiator James B. Donovan who had just successfully handled the release of a US soldier from East Germany.

After the release of the Bay of Pigs prisoners, both Donovan and Castro were intent on keeping the conversation going. Through their talks, they were building a mutual friendship, and both felt that progress could continue to be made.

As 1963 began, Donovan and Castro continued to work together to release several dozen US citizens who’d been arrested during Castro’s revolution. In January, these prisoners were exchanged for four Cubans who’d been imprisoned in the United States.

While Howard was making progress with her back channel, President Kennedy asked French journalist Jean Daniel to pass along a message of hope to Castro that relations could improve.

But just as Daniel was talking to Castro on November 22, 1963, Castro received a phone call informing him that Kennedy had just been assassinated.

If Castro was displeased with the hard-line tactics of Lyndon Johnson, he was infuriated by the policies of Richard Nixon.

When Nixon took office in 1969, he disliked Castro extremely, informing his cabinet that, as long as he was president, there would be absolutely no change in policy regarding Cuba.

After the Watergate scandal, and Nixon’s resignation, Vice President Gerald Ford took office. Kissinger remained secretary of state, and continued to approve secret meetings with Cuban officials throughout the mid-seventies.

Kissinger even approved US travel visas to Cuban representatives, allowing for the first face-to-face talks in many years.

In 1977, when Jimmy Carter took office, the issues of Cuban exiles and Angola still loomed over negotiations. But the new president had a different agenda.

Carter believed the best way to bring about change in a communist regime was to open it up to trade and commerce. He also put an end to spy plane fly-overs and added an “Interest Section” in Havana, which was much like embassy but without official diplomatic status.

Ronald Reagan trounced Carter in the election of 1980. Reagan had a very aggressive policy when it came to Cuba; he was willing to tighten embargos and sanctions, and, if given the chance, even to order a military invasion.

Castro knew this and, hoping to maintain non-threatening relations with the new administration, he stopped sending support to guerrilla armies in Nicaragua and El Salvador.

By the 1990s, Florida was an important swing state for winning US elections, and it had a very large Cuban-American and anti-Castro population. Bill Clinton was well aware of this, so when he campaigned for the presidency, he ran on an aggressive policy toward Cuba.

Soon after he stepped into office in 1993, Clinton signed the Cuban Democracy Act into law. This act was designed by Florida’s anti-Castro lobbyists to tighten the embargo and support opportunities for internal revolt against the Castro government.

Castro held up his end of the bargain with Clinton, and by election time in September 1994, there were no migrants for the Coast Guard to pick up.

But just as Clinton began his second term, anti-Castro demonstrators started making things increasingly difficult.

Much like his father, George W. Bush had no intentions of trying to negotiate or improve relations with Cuba.

Instead, during his time in office, he passed two initiatives that continued to put pressure on Castro’s government.

Many, including the Cuban government, were hopeful about Obama’s announcements for a change of policy toward Cuba, but things didn’t exactly get off to a good start.

In the Obama administration's desire to improve telecommunications in Cuba was the seed of a covert cyber war.