No analysis of cigars would be complete without taking a look at the country that has had the single strongest influence in the popularity of cigars the world over. The story of Cuba is as rich and interesting as it's famous stogies. Cuba has withstood centuries of war, revolution and endured a long chain of dictators throughout it's colorful and violent history.
A Peaceful Existence:
The original Cubans were the Ciboney, related to the Arawak. They were a relatively advanced society. Traditional hunter, gatherers, they also cultivated staples like maize, beans, squash, yucca and tobacco. The tobacco plant is indigenous to Cuba, and tobacco was used for medicinal, religious and ceremonial purposes.
The Conquering Spanish:
Christopher Columbus reached the island in 1492. Mistakenly believing he had landed somewhere in Asia, the new lands became known as the "Indes"; the indigenous people, "Indians." Columbus declared the natives friendly and moved on. Although the Spanish empire thrust alternate names upon the island of Cuba, (Columbus named it Juana, and later it was renamed Fernandina) But the original name was Cubanascnan, and the derivative stuck.
In 1510, Spain decided to investigate the island further, hoping for gold. In 1511, Diego Velasquez sailed from Hispaniola to conquer and eventually colonize Cuba.
Sixteenth century Spanish explorers sought spiritual as well as material and gain, as they desired the conversion of all peoples to Catholicism. The first settlement was at Baracoa. The native Cubans tried to repel the invading Spaniards but they were vulnerable, and in the end forced to surrender. By 1515 seven settlements had been established, Havana being one of them.
Natives became subjugated to the Spanish; Organized to work the mines, cultivate the soil, tend livestock and perform tasks as servants and porters.
In the 1530's rumors spread of a greater potential for wealth on the mainland. The Inca, Aztec and Mayan empires of Mexico and Peru attracted a large number of Spanish invaders. Cuba depopulated. It was during this time that Havana was transformed into an important port city.
By the 1540's living conditions for the native Cubans had become appalling, and by the mid sixteenth century the native population was nearly extinct; The result of disease and exploitation. The Spaniards began to rely instead on imported slaves for their work force.
Pirates of the Caribbean:
In 1555 Havana was burned by Jacques de Sores. The Caribbean was plagued by pirates, and Cuba was a favored prey. To counter continuing enemy attacks, Havana was fortified. As her strength grew so did her importance and in 1589, Havana became the capitol of Cuba, and the chief port of importance for Spain's overseas interests. By the mid sixteenth century all of Cuba's gold deposits had been exhausted. Unscrupulous and incompetent officials turned Cuba into a retreat for smugglers, thieves and prostitutes.
In 1713 the Treaty of Utrecht allowed British vessels to carry slaves and an annual cargo of British goods to Cuba. This freedom of travel nurtured the already thriving black market business.
Europeans had acquired a taste for tobacco, and realizing the economic potential, the Spanish government placed Cuban tobacco production under strict control in 1717. Tobacco growers revolted several times in the 1720's and ignored government restrictions through contraband practices.
The British Rule:
At the end of the Seven Years War, the British briefly occupied Havana from 1762 to 1763, introducing Freemasonry and the concept of religious tolerance. This short period had long term effects on Cuba as the British opened the city to free trade with all nations. The independence of the United States also opened new consumer markets.
Back to Spain with a Dash of French:
The French revolution provoked political turmoil throughout the Caribbean and West Indies, resulting in the Haitian revolution in 1796. Widespread slave revolts sent an estimated 300,000 French refugee's to Cuba, bringing with them advanced farming technology.
While tobacco continued to be a major export crop, coffee was introduced to the island. Sugar production in Cuba expanded as Haiti's sugar yield declined. By the end of the 18th century Cuba was considered a tremendous economic possession for Spain.
During the Napoleonic wars, (1792 - 1815) more slaves were brought into Cuba, more land was brought under cultivation and a new class of wealthy plantation owners emerged within the Creole society. Trade increased between the US and Cuba under both legal and illegal conditions, and Cuba became increasingly important as a major international port. Conditions were generating for revolution.
Although many were seeking independence from Spain, numerous other wealthy land owners were apprehensive of severing ties with the crown, and were rewarded, (or bribed, depending on how you look at it) with an official end to the tobacco monopoly in 1817.
The highly volatile slavery issue continued to draw the attention of the world. Slave holders lived in constant fear of loosing their dominance in sugar and tobacco production. Slave uprisings took place in Cuba from 1832 - 1838. Violent retaliation by the crown caused the continuing rise of anti-slavery sentiment.
An alternative to independence was annexation to the United States; Three separate efforts at annexing from 1848-1851 failed. There was little support for Cuba from the US, as the States were embroiled in their own bitter dispute over slavery.
The Ten Years War:
On October 10, 1868 a group of Cuban landowners officially declared independence from Spain and launched the Ten Years War. It soon became clear that all Cubans had to be united to break free of Spanish rule, so Cuba rapidly adopted a democratic stance that supported abolition.
The Spanish government was not willing to loose their Caribbean jewel easily. An estimated fifty thousand Cuban lives and over two hundred thousand Spanish lives were lost.
In 1878 an uneasy truce was enacted between Cuba and Spain, however the seeds of independence had been sown and another war broke out in 1879. The resistance was defeated in 1880, and the fight for independence, though not abandoned, was driven underground.
Cuba became increasingly dependent upon the US economy. In 1885 there was an estimated fifty million in US funds privately invested in Cuba. In 1886 slavery was officially abolished, and in 1893 the equal status of blacks and whites was formally proclaimed.
Revolution:
The organizer of the War of Independence was Jose' Marti' y Perez, considered the "Apostle of Cuban Independence." Although he was killed in an early encounter, his ideas had a lasting influence on Cuban revolutionaries. Declaration of war was signed on January 29, 1895 and the population supported revolution, despite it's inevitable economic repercussions. After so many years of sacrifice and loss of life another succession of bloody encounters ensued.
The US Steps In:
On February 15, 1898 the US battleship USS Maine, which had been sent to protect American citizens, exploded in the Havana harbor. It was a turning point in Cuba's quest for independence. The United States eventually declared war against Spain on April 25, 1898. Cuba accepted military aid from the United States, although the US entered the war without officially recognizing Cuba's independent status.
The war was short. Seventeen thousand troops landed at Siboney and Daiquiri in June; By July 3rd, the Spanish fleet was destroyed, with final surrender of land troops on August 12th. Spain lost Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and other islands in the Pacific and West Indies to the United States. Cuba had freed herself of one master, only to gain another.
An Uneasy Alliance:
The US began initiating programs to help in Cuba's reconstruction, including the eradication of yellow fever, but the interest in annexing Cuba had waned. Cuba was economically traumatized after so many years of war, and viewed as a liability.
In 1900 a constitution was drafted that provided for an elected president, a legislature and the separation of church and state. The United States government conditioned it's approval with a series of clauses that would insure an upper hand in dealing with the new "Independent Cuba." These clauses became known as the Platt Amendment. (The Platt Amendment imposed permanent restrictions upon Cuba, and was a constant source of debate until it's repeal in 1934.)
It granted, among other things, the right of the United States to intervene at any time to preserve Cuban independence; There by allowing for a continuing military presence.
The US viewed Cuba as an important strategic vantage point and established a naval base at Guantanamo Bay in 1903.
A Fledgling Country Tests Her Wings:
Cuba enjoyed a fragile and tenuous independence. Elections were fraught with violence and accusations of fraud. In 1906 a serious insurrection brought US troops back into Cuba. The US occupation officially ended in 1909, although the Naval base at Guantanamo was maintained. In 1917 Cuba entered World War I on the side of the allies.
The Machado Regime:
In 1925, the inauguration of Liberal Gerardo Machado y Morales heralded a new beginning for the political infrastructure of Cuba. Mahcado realized that Cuba needed to industrialize in order to compete on a world scale and had campaigned on a platform of reform.
By 1929, Cuba supplied nearly fifty percent of the world's sugar. Increased revenue was used to modernize hospitals, schools, roads and public works. These advances were achieved at the expense of the labor leaders, who were deported or harassed. Police brutality became commonplace as Cuba's work force suffered under Machado's "successful" government.
Cuba became a sanctuary for foreign business. In 1929, US investors alone had acquired $1.5 billion of property in Cuba; But the Wall Street crash affected the entire world economy and within a year foreign trade in Cuba had dropped to one tenth it's former level. By 1930 the island was ready to explode. Uprisings were brutally suppressed by Machado's henchmen. Hatred for the president was growing and foreign support of his regime was fading.
The Batista Regime:
In 1933 an army base in Havana staged a revolt organized by Fulgencio Batista y Zaldivar. Machado was forced into exile and Batista ushered in the provisional presidency of Ramon Grau San Martin. His presidency was quickly replaced by that of another Batista appointee, and a protracted period of violence and unrest followed.
In 1939 Batista resigned his post as Commander of the Armed Forces, ran for the presidency and won in 1940. In 1941 Cuba declared war on Germany and Japan, joining the allies in WW II.
In 1943 Batista established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.
Batista's candidate lost the next election to his long time opponent, Ramon Grau. The country was fertile ground for political activism, enhanced by the autonomy of the University, which was off limits to the police.
Batista took advantage of the political upheaval. Supported by the army he suppressed the electoral process and appointed himself president. Years of political development ground to a stand still as Batista suspended the constitution. He promised a general election the following year. The people were wary of Batista as his years in office were characterized by prosperity in exchange for freedom.
Opposition Grows:
Under Batista's rule, Cuba was once again a paradise to foreign visitors and their business interests. Cuba became a refuge for Mafioso, and white collar criminals. Within Cuba, opposition to Batista was widespread, especially in Havana. Students at the University were among the most vocal; Fidel Castro Ruz was among them. In July of 1953 Castro led a revolt against an army barracks. It was a failure, but the seeds of revolution were sown. Castro was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
By 1954 the economy was booming again and Batista decided to hold elections as scheduled. However his opponent, Grau, withdrew from the race claiming his supporters had been terrorized. Batista inaugurated himself again in 1955. Under pressure and perhaps overly confident, he granted a general amnesty that freed many political prisoners. Castro left Cuba for exile in Mexico and the US.
Castro Takes Charge:
He returned in 1956, attempting and failing again to overthrow Batista. Most of Castro's guerrillas were killed. Castro, his brother Raul and a handful of others fled into the Sierra Maestra Mountains. He continued to hound the Batista regime with guerrilla tactics, and the dictatorship began to collapse; Loosing ground until New Years Day 1959, when Batista fled into exile.
The revolutionaries came down from the Sierra Maestra and began a complete restructuring of Cuban society. There was a general sense of relief, and optimism for the future, but it was to be short lived.
The revolutionary process grew increasingly radical and relations with the US became strained to the point of military action; Cuban communists began putting pressure on the Soviet Union for assistance. By 1960, the Soviet Union had replaced the US as Cuba's dominant foreign influence.
The US declared an embargo on trade with Cuba in 1960, becoming absolute in 1962. Foreign owned business in the country was seized and nationalized. Dispossessed owners were forced to relocate. Many cigar manufacturers were American and English owned companies, and they moved to neighboring islands, where growing conditions were similar. As a result of the embargo, Cuban cigars have been smuggled into the US in enormous quantities for decades.
The Bay of Pigs Fiasco:
In January of 1961, Eisenhower broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba, and in April of 1961, Castro declared himself a Marxist-Leninist, inducing newly inaugurated President Kennedy to approve plans to invade Cuba. An air strike flying from Nicaragua was ineffective and caused resounding protest at the United Nations. A second attempt was canceled. On April 17, 1,297 troops landed at Playa Giron on the Bay of Pigs. The operation was doomed from the start. Kennedy had forbidden the use of US air support and Castro, leading the forces that met the invasion, was well familiarized with guerrilla warfare and knew the area well. The invading troops surrendered on April 19, with substantial casualties. Survivors were taken prisoner and ransomed for medical supplies.
Castro's successful deflection of the foreign invaders cemented his place among the many feuding political factions and served to unite Cuba even more completely. Wary of future attempts at invasion, Castro began amassing one of the largest armed forces in Latin America.
Cuba Stands Alone:
Throughout the 1960's, the US tried to subvert the revolution economically, succeeding on many levels. Production in Cuba was nearly cut in half, and to compensate a system of rationing was introduced. On October 22, 1962 a confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union began when the US, concerned at the build up of Soviet weapons, announced a Naval quarantine on Cuba. The altercation became known as the "Cuban Missile Crisis." It was settled by Kennedy and Kruschev without Castro's consent, severely straining Soviet-Cuban relations. In spite of these diplomatic trials, with the help of Swiss Embassy arbitration, Castro agreed to allow dissatisfied Cuban nationals to leave the country, via a US airlift. An estimated 260,000 fled Cuba between 1965-1971.
A Return to Traditional Communism:
Following years of economic hardship, Castro announced a return to the Soviet model of communism in the 1970's. A new constitution was drafted and approved in February of 1976, describing Cuba as a socialist state. Cuba became increasingly involved in providing military and technical assistance to revolutionaries in Africa. The Carter administration attempted some reform in regard to Cuban-US relations, and many restrictions involving visas and travel between the countries were lifted. However in 1979, the discovery of Soviet troops in Cuba brought the new détente to a close. Castro's regime had some lasting positive effects; Chiefly, universal health care for all citizens and an emphasis on education. Cuba is on par with Costa Rica in regards to literacy in Latin America.
A Country on the Brink:
In 1979, Cuba's tobacco crop was ravaged by a fungus and by 1980 virtually all tobacco for that year had been destroyed. Severe weather leveled farms in the following years, adding more shortages and stress to an already overburdened society.
In the mid 1980's a mass exodus of some 125,000 Cuban refugees arrived in Florida. Shortly after, 10,000 Cubans stormed the Peruvian embassy in Havana demanding political asylum. Perhaps overwhelmed by the degree of unrest, or merely to show a stance of tolerance, Castro announced all who were dissatisfied were free to leave. The US agreed to a limited period of immigration and soon giant flotillas began arriving from Cuba. It's hard to imagine Castro anticipated the enormous numbers; He soon put a stop to the exodus. However, not before he used the opportunity to purge the country of criminals, the mentally ill, and other "antisocial elements". The affair caused further anti Castro sentiment in the US. The Reagan administration viewed Castro as a threat and a liability and reversed many of the policies that had brought some temporary relief to Cuba.
In 1989 Gorbachev visited Havana and signed a twenty five year friendship treaty, but there was an abrupt turn around to that policy in September of 1991. Perhaps due to serious scandal infecting the Cuban military, Gorbachev announced an end to trade subsidies and a withdrawal of the eleven thousand troops stationed on the island.
The collapse of the Soviet Union further affected trade; And Cuba carefully opened it's doors to foreign business. Cuba received a small economical shot in the arm by emphasizing it's tourism potential. In September of 1994, Cuba and the US agreed an emigration lottery, aimed at stemming the flow of illegal exiles; Hundreds of Cubans sought applications. Relations seemed to be thawing, however...
Cuba Today:
in February of 1996, the Clinton administration responded swiftly to the February 24th attack on two unarmed American planes flying over Cuban airspace. The Helms-Burton Bill attempts to tighten the US embargo by deterring foreign trade, and went into effect on August 1, 1996. Trading partners to the US generally resent the extension of US law to international affairs; Particularly Canada, which has invested heavily in Cuba in the nineties. Cuba is suffering under the blockade; The once successful health system is distressed from lack of supplies, and potential foreign investors are wary, waiting to see how the US will enforce it's new policy on Cuba. As a result, black market prices on Cuban cigars are skyrocketing.
In 1996, Castro turned sixty nine. He has ruled longer than any chief of state in Cuba's history and the communist party remains the only legally recognized political party in Cuba.
A Peaceful Existence...?
Cuba has taken baby steps toward private enterprise, with at least 200,000 people now working for themselves. However they are under constant, nervous government supervision.
With significant airport improvements in the works, the tourism area of Varadero can only hope to improve. Major hotel chains from Europe have recently opened enormous resorts in and around the Havana, or "La Habana" area. Club Mediterranee of France has contracted to build a six hundred room resort; Delta Hotels & Resorts of Toronto is attempting to cash in, as are Spanish investors. England continues to be a major exporter of Cuban cigars.
It seems as if Cuba is may be heading towards viable economic attention from the world once again. What this could mean for Cuba's cigar trade is widely speculated. Some feel that Cuba's cigar industry has long been living upon it's mystique, that the product just isn't what it used to be, suffering for too long from poverty, and can't compete with it's thriving competitors.
