Introduction
There are different countries that were affected by the Cold War that came after the Second World War. Cuba is an island country in the Southern America. This country was involved in the Cold War in different ways. The country allied itself to the Soviet Union and was used as a place where missiles that were directed to the United States of America were kept. This instance caused the country to be a player in the War. The diplomatic relations between the country and the United States of America also deteriorated.
There were different changes that occurred in the country as a result of the Cold War between the years of 1991 and 2011. The most prevalent of all changes was the economic changes that occurred in the country. The Soviet Union withdrew subsidies that it was offering to Cuba. This is because USSR was disintegrating into different smaller republics. This really crippled the economy of Cuba as it was used to foreign financial aid from USSR and its allies. The country was forced to import sugar from Brazil so as to meet the requirements by the Western countries that were importers from this country. The country was thrown into foreign debt as it sought to balance the scales of economy. The people of the country were in big problems as different problems in the country followed them. The people lacked food and there were blackouts in several parts of the country that would last for a period of several days. The economy was further crippled by sanctions that were imposed on the country by the European Union as well as the United States of America. The country thus resulted in allowing the citizens of Cuba to use the United States of America dollar currency. In the 21st Century however, the country has been able to reform and reorganize its economic programs and policies and it has been able to improve and it can now offer much better services to its citizens.
The government of Cuba did not change that much. Fidel Castro remained as the president of the country for a long period until 2008 when he announced that he would not be vying for another term in office due to health complications. There have been numerous complications however in the government of Castro. There have been instances where the political prisoners were jailed in Cuba due to speculations of espionage. The government has also been focused on trying to rebuild the relationships between Cuba and the United States of America. Even though these efforts have been futile, the country has been able to build economic relations with Venezuela -where a petroleum-trade agreement has been reached.
There have been different societal changes in the country after the Cold War. Christmas was re-introduced as a public holiday in 1997 in which it was not before. The country has also been receiving many tourists in the country and it has helped not only the interaction between Cuba and other countries but also it has raised the economy of Cuba. There have been little changes about the change of gender roles that have been documented. The country has had difficult times in the industrial sector after the United States passed an act that prohibited the companies that were trading in Cuba and regulations were set up to ensure that there was minimal interaction between Cuba and the investing companies in the United States.
In conclusion, different countries that participated in the Cold War were affected differently depending on their level of interaction in the war. The countries that were too involved in the war had grave consequences. The different reactions from other countries determined whether the countries involved in the war would enjoy good times or they would suffer from the actions of participation in the war.
Works Cited
Morley, Morris H, and Chris McGillion. Cuba, the United States, and the Post-Cold War World: The International Dimensions of the Washington-Havana Relationship. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2005. Print.
Purcell, Susan K, and David J. Rothkopf. Cuba: The Contours of Change. Boulder: L. Rienner Publishers, 2000. Print.
Tulchin, Joseph S, Andrés Serbín, and Rodríguez R. Hernández. Cuba and the Caribbean: Regional Issues and Trends in the Post-Cold War Era. Wilmington, Del: SR Books, 1997. Print.
