On a farm in southeast Cuba in October 1868, an event known as “The Cry of Yara” sparked the island’s quest for independence.
But it wouldn’t arrive until May 20, 1902.
First came the “Great War,” which lasted nearly 10 years, followed by the “Little War,” which lasted more than a year. Then there was the Cuban War of Independence, followed by the Spanish-American War.
Cuba eventually became independent.
The White House issued a presidential statement to commemorate the anniversary.
“On this Cuban Independence Day, our Republic stands in solidarity with the Cuban people and with the millions of Cuban-Americans who have so profoundly enriched the life of our Nation,” the statement said.
However, the Cuban government doesn’t celebrate the date, and neither do its supporters on the island.
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Why doesn’t Cuba celebrate Independence Day?
Cuba’s independence in 1902 was tied to the Platt Amendment, introduced by a US senator from Connecticut. It gave the US the right to intervene in Cuban affairs “for the preservation of Cuban independence” (among other things) and allowed the US government to lease or buy lands to establish naval bases on the island.
While the agreement was repealed under former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Cubans.
“There is only one thing to be grateful for on that day,” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel wrote on Wednesday on X.
