Castro: US wants to annex Cuba

The Miami Herald translates Castro’s first newspaper piece since “resigning” his position in government. Apparently he’s now channeling Hugo Chavez;

In his first newspaper column since stepping down Tuesday, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro opened ”ideological fire” against Washington and the candidates for the White House, saying President Bush is looking to annex Cuba.

It’s an old charge, one that dates back to pre-Spanish-American War months when some US congressman were afraid that  the US might be tempted to annex Cuba after it was freed from Spain. Included in the authorization for war was the Teller Amendment which expressly forbade the US government from annexing Cuba.

The mention of the Teller Amendment is left out of many discussions about US-Cuba relations. I remember it because I spent an entire Latin American History class arguing that the US had no colonial interests in Cuba in 1898. I’m sure the fact that I embarrassed the professor (and his mentor who had written our textbook and conveniently left out any mention of the Teller or Platt Amendments) affected my grade.

What possible reason would the US need Cuba, in 1898 or now. The US was expanding it’s naval capability in 1898 and having coaling stations 90 miles from our shores would do no good. Today, we trade with every nation in the Caribbean without having to apply colonial pressure to them to provide us with fruit and sugar. What could Cuba possibly own that we’d want to take advantage – besides vintage  US-made automobiles.

Just more scare-mongering to keep the Cubans under thumb.

Category: Politics