U.S. Foreign Policy

From Monroe to Ratcliffe: Cuba and the United States

As the Trump administration tightens its pressure on Havana in 2026 — sanctions, an oil blockade, a surprise visit by the CIA director — this essay traces the long arc behind the standoff: from the Monroe Doctrine through the Platt Amendment to Batista and the revolution. The patterns in today’s headlines are as old as the relationship itself.