 | |
 Cuba |  Spain |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Cuba,Madrid | Embassy of Spain,Havana |
Cuba–Spain relations are thebilateral relations between theRepublic of Cuba and theKingdom of Spain, which date back to the 15th century. Cuba was a Spanish colony from 1492 up until 1898, when theUnited States took over the territory in theSpanish–American War. Many Cubans have ancestry from Spain. Many Spaniards escaped the first Spanish Civil War[clarification needed] and went to Cuba, and other countries, around 1820–1825.
The first contact between Spain and the island of Cuba was in October 1492 when explorerChristopher Columbus arrived to Cuba. The first permanent Spanish settlement on the island began in 1511 when Spanish conquistadorDiego Velázquez de Cuéllar established a settlement inBaracoa.[1] Cuba would become the launching point for further Spanish exploration on the American continent. By 1521, Cuba became part of theSpanish Empire and was governed from theViceroyalty of New Spain based inMexico City.[2]
During Spanish administration of Cuba, the island became a substantial producer of sugarcane and in order to meet global demands, Spain began to importslaves from Africa to work in Cuba.[1] This made the economy of Cuba highly volatile to world prices as its economy depended on one single crop.[2]
By 1868, many countries inLatin America had obtained independence from Spain. In October 1868, Cuban planter and sugar mill ownerCarlos Manuel de Céspedes and his followers proclaimed independence for Cuba. This proclamation led to theTen Years' War with Spain and ended in the independence movement defeat in 1878.[1] In August 1879, a second struggle ensued known as theLittle War and lasted until September 1880 with the independence movement defeat once more.
In February 1895, a new independence struggle movement began and is known as the "Cuban War of Independence" and was led by Cuban PoetJosé Martí who died in May 1895 at theBattle of Dos Ríos. The war lasted until 1898 when theUnited States deployed forces to the island. That same year, American naval ship,USS Maine (ACR-1) exploded and sank in theHavana Harbor and resulted in the United States blaming the incident on Spain. This resulted in theSpanish–American War which began in April 1898 until August 1898. At the end of the war, the United States came out as the victors in the war and obtained Cuba as a possession and it resulted in the defeat and collapse of the Spanish Empire.[1] In 1902, Cuba seceded from American governance and became an independent nation.
The first Spanish consul general, José Felipe Sagrario arrived to Cuba in July 1899[3] during theUS occupation. Spanish consul general Joaquín María Torroja became thechargé d'affaires after the formal establishment of the Cuban Republic in May 1902.[4] In 1902, Cuba and Spain established diplomatic relations.[2] Between 1902 and 1928, Cuba would receive more than 1.2 million Spanish immigrants.[5]
During theSpanish Civil War (1936-1939), the Cuban government showed a neutral stance with inclinations to the SpanishRepublican faction. In 1937, Cuban PresidentFulgencio Batista's position favored theFranco regime, reflecting his changingrelations with the United States.[5]
In spite of Franco's anticommunism, Cuba and Spain held diplomatic relations afterFidel Castro came into power and becamePrime Minister of Cuba in 1959.[6] In 1960, Prime Minister Castro expelled the Spanish ambassadorJuan Pablo de Lojendio e Irure [es][7] after an argument on TV, where Castro accused the Spanish embassy of supporting counter-revolutionary groups in Cuba.[8] The Spanish ambassadorship in Cuba would remain vacant for the next 15 years, however, diplomatic relations between both nations continued at the level ofchargé d'affaires.[9]
During Franco's regime in Spain, Prime Minister Castro welcomed Spanish Republicans, such as the CommunistDolores Ibárruri, GeneralEnrique Líster andAlberto Bayo, who had taught guerrilla warfare to the Cuban revolutionaries inMexico.[8] When the United States decreed anembargo against Cuba in 1960 and 1962, its Latin American and European allies followed suit, however, Francisco Franco did not place an embargo on Cuba. American pressure against the Spanish embargo breach was deflected by the renegotiation of the American military bases in Spain in 1963.[citation needed]
After Franco's death, Cuba decreed three days of mourning.[8] In 1974, ambassadors between Cuba and Spain were appointed. After theSpanish transition to democracy, Spanish Prime MinisterAdolfo Suárez visited Cuba in 1978.[10]
In July 1992, Fidel Castro visited Spain for the first time to attend the 2ndIbero-American Summit in Madrid. During his time in Spain, Castro also paid a visit to the town ofLáncara inGalicia where his father was born. Castro returned to Spain in 1998 to meet with Spanish Prime MinisterJosé María Aznar.[11]
In November 1999, Spanish monarchJuan Carlos I paid an official visit to Cuba and to attend the 9thIbero-American Summit being held in Havana. He returned to Cuba in 2016 to attend Fidel Castro's funeral.[12]
In 2018, Spanish Prime Minister,Pedro Sánchez made an official visit to Cuba. While in Cuba, Prime Minister Sánchez met with Cuban PresidentMiguel Díaz-Canel and both leaders signed a memorandum for the establishment of permanent political contacts through annual meetings.[13] In November 2019,Felipe VI paid a state visit to Cuba.[14]
Over the years, both nations have signed numerous bilateral agreements, such as an Extradition Treaty (1905); Scientific and Technical Agreement (1978); Trade Agreement (1982); Cultural and Education Cooperation Agreement (1982); Promotion and Protection of Investments Agreement (1994); Double-Taxation Avoidance Agreement (1999) and an Air Transportation Agreement (2005), among others.[2]
There are direct flights between Cuba and Spain through the following airlines:Air Europa,Cubana de Aviación,Iberia,Iberojet, andWorld2fly.
In 2017, trade between Cuba and Spain totaled €1.3 billion Euros.[2] Cuba's main exports to Spain include shrimp, rum, tobacco, and sugar. Spain's main exports to Cuba include machinery, food, automobile parts, and electrical equipment. Spain is the largest foreign investor in Cuba from theEuropean Union; Cuba is Spain's 42nd largest trading partner globally and 4th largest from Latin America (afterMexico,Brazil andChile).[2]
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