The Jamaica-Cuba relationship in history

The relationship between Jamaica and Cuba has had a long history. The Spanish, following Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, first settled Santo Domingo between 1496-1498. They began formal settlement of Jamaica in 1509 and Cuba in 1511. There must have been contact between these Spanish settlements. When the British captured Jamaica from 1655, the Spanish settlers moved to Cuba.

The struggle for independence and slavery abolition

With possible influence from the independence of the American colonies in 1776, a revolution and independence in Haiti in 1804, and with independence movements in South and Central America, the independence flame was lit in Cuba. In fact, Spanish Florida was ceded to the United States by Spain between 1819-1821.

In the 1820s, a clandestine independence movement developed in Cuba.

The Iznaga brothers

In researching an article on the Mount Mansfield Great House along the Gordon Town Road, which became the Mount Mansfield Guest House and later the Blue Mountain Inn, it was discovered that José Antonio Abad Iznaga y Borrell (1790-1827), a member of the noted Cuban Iznaga or Yznaga family, and a member of the nascent Cuban independence movement, was the registered owner of Mount Mansfield in 1829.

From information found online, it appears that José Antonio Abad Iznaga y Borrell, because of his involvement in the independence movement, had to secretly leave Cuba for the US where he reunited with his two older brothers, José Antonio Simeón (1790-1827) and José Aniceto (1793-1860). José Aniceto appears to have been living in New York, USA, from 1819 where he was a merchant and involved in the Cuban independence movement writing under a nom de plume. At the end of 1826, the brothers were in Jamaica. At some point, at least José Aniceto met with the liberator, Simon Bolivar, who had been in Jamaica in 1815 and was sympathetic to the Cuban independence movement, in Caracas in 1823 and later in 1827.

It is recorded that his brother, José Antonio Simeón, was killed in Kingston, Jamaica, on January 12, 1827, it is assumed, by Spanish agents. The other brother, José Antonio Abad, it appears, was also killed in Kingston, Jamaica on January 26, 1827 for his political views. Jose Aniceto died in Cuba in 1860. He seemed to have remained involved in the independence movement, though mainly living outside of Cuba.

For economic and humanitarian reasons, the British actually encouraged Spain to end slavery in Cuba.

The independence/abolition struggle continues

The Cuba independence movement and campaign to end slavery continued with the unsuccessful Ten Years War of 1868-1878 when Jamaica was a base of operations and nearly 2,000 Cubans found refuge on the island helping to improve the sugar industry and develop the tobacco industry. Anthony Gambrill’s article in The Gleaner of September 8, 2019 addresses ‘How Cuban’s created a Jamaican Tobacco Industry’, and Jean Stubb’s article in the Journal of Cuban Studies, volume 25, 1995 is titled ‘Political Idealism and Commodity Production: Cuban Tobacco in Jamaica, 1870–1930’.

Black Cuban General, Antonio Maceo (1845-1896), was a leader in the Ten Years War. At its end, refusing to accept the settlement which neither gave independence nor ended slavery, he took refuge in Haiti and Jamaica, and later moved to Costa Rica.

The Cuban independence and abolition movement continued with Jose Martì (1853-1895), a tireless advocate for Cuban independence. He travelled extensively in Europe, the US, the West Indies and Latin America for his cause. The Gleaner reports that Seňor José Marti was in Kingston, Jamaica, on June 24 and 25, 1894, meeting with Cuban émigrés. He was planning an uprising in Cuba. He was killed in this 1895 revolt. Cuban rebels continued to fight. The US declared war on Spain in April 1898 starting the Spanish-American War. Jose Martì is Cuba’s pre-eminent national hero.

Achieving Abolition and Independence

Slavery was officially abolished in Cuba by Spain on October 7, 1886. Cuba was one of the last territories where slavery was abolished in the Americas, just before Brazil in 1888.

Cuba gained independence from Spain on December 10, 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War, but came under US military occupation as the US defeated Spain and gained Spanish colonies. Cuba was granted full independence under the USA on May 20, 1902.

Jamaica’s relationship with Cuba continued in the first half of the 20th century when Cuba became a major producer of sugar for the US market. The United Fruit Company employed Jamaicans to work in Cuba. It is estimated that from 1900 to 1930 about 150,000 Jamaicans went to work in Cuba. My father was among this number. So, there is a Jamaican diaspora in Cuba.

Following the Fidel Castro-led revolution in 1959, Jamaicans consistently found work on the US Military base at Guantanamo Bay, which the US retained.

Jamaica and other CARICOM member states formally entered into diplomatic relations with Castro’s Cuba in 1972 and has maintained a friendly relationship with the Republic of Cuba for 54 years.

Marcia E. Thomas is a history enthusiast and member of the Jamaica Historical Society and Built Heritage Jamaica