ABSTRACT

European Union (EU) relations with Cuba have always been conditioned by the discord between the United States and the Island, but it would be wrong to say—as some Cuban officials did—that Brussels’ policies merely reflect those of Washington. Cuba has been the only Latin American country considered worthy of the creation of an EU common policy. Since 1898, the two external axes radiating from Cuba have pointed toward the United States and Spain. While political dialogue between the EU and Cuba is conditioned by the Cuba-US-Spain triangle, the EU has always maintained its economic engagement. The Common Position points to Cuba’s exaggerated role in EU politics, which stems from the historical quarrel between Spain and the United States over the Island. Until 2014, the major shifts in the international system over the previous fifty years contrasted with the barely altered bilateral relationship between the United States and Cuba.