Cuba's Strained Relations with the USA

Sønderborg Folkeuniversitet examines the relationship between Cuba and the USA - a relationship marked by blockades, sabotage operations, and invasion attempts since the Cuban Revolution in 1959. J.F. Kennedy imposed a complete embargo on the island and made it illegal to visit Cuba. Since the 1960s, the USA has implemented economic blockades, terrorist operations, and assassination attempts against political leaders, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Trump administration threats of invasion and new sanctions have led to poverty and shortages of basic goods in a country that had aimed to eliminate poverty and inequality. What lies behind the USA's declaration on January 29, 2026, that Cuba is an "extraordinary and unusual threat"? And how has the conflict arisen and developed historically?

Lecturer Henrik Thejl Hansen is a trained primary school teacher and holds a master's degree in Spanish and social studies. Over the past 26 years, he has spent six to eight months per year in Cuba, where he works as a tour guide and interpreter.

The lecture takes place in room U106 at Alsion.