Cuba's Foreign Policies benefitted the Jamaican Economy more than Cuba itself 19721980.

Introduction The decade of the 1960s saw the emergence of political independence throughout the Caribbean with Jamaica, and several other British Caribbean islands gaining their independence. At this time there was a virtual non-existence of relationship between Cuba and these islands. However the early seventies (70s) saw significant developments in relations between Castros Cuba and Manleys Jamaica. Motivated by the common interest of regional integration, the newly freed English-speaking countries in the Caribbean, Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados decided to recognize Cuba, and jointly established full diplomatic relations with the country in 1972. This move was a landmark in hemispheric affair and played a significant role in regional integration. In the early 1970s Cuba committed a minimal but significant share of its economic resources to the Third World which included Jamaica. Cuba is viewed as one of the few Third World countries to have a foreign assistance program. Despite both a severe debt crisis that has besieged its economy and heavy dependence on Soviet assistance, Castro expanded Cuban aid programs which not only survived but also flourished. Cuba's economic programs in the 1970s, offered specialists in agriculture, sugar cultivation and refining, mining, fishing, transportation, cattle raising, irrigation, economic and physical planning, and management. One major component of the economic civilian aid was the construction program which involved Cuba offering materials, organizational and planning advice, builders and topographic surveys.

As a newly emerging independent nation, Jamaicas economy was in shambles. One reason being, our former colonizers robbed and raped our countrys economy and also the former government administration mishandled the little funds the country had and did very little to help the country progress. Manley thought about reconstructing and redeveloping the Jamaican economy, so that the countrys entire population would be able to live comfortably, afford sufficient food, clothing and shelter. His aims included the rebuilding of the agricultural sector, and the establishment of tourism and bauxite industries. "We must then consider development in the context of International relations and foreign policy, together with the issue of foreign capital. Ownership, co-operatives, rural development, growth, and incomes distribution all have to be looked at as well".(Michael Manley,1974) Castro was deeply inspired by Manleys leadership and goals, he respected him, and thought that it would be beneficial to both countries if Cuba were to aid and assist in the development of the Jamaican economy. Although Castro aimed at helping to develop and restructure the Jamaican economy one cannot overlook the fact that the Cuban economy was also not at its peak, so along with some financial aid Jamaica received social development strategies which in turn would aid in the success and sustainability of the economy. While Jamaica receives all these economic benefits, Cuba is not receiving any in return.

Discussion and Analysis By far the biggest Cuban influence across the Caribbean has been not a political but a pragmatic economic one. The principal instrument of this Cuban policy was economic assistance; although Cuba had few resources even limited aid had some dramatic and fundamental impact on the smaller islands economies. During Michael Manley's terms as Prime Minister of Jamaica (197280), the Peoples National Party (PNP) aligned itself with democratic socialism forces throughout the world. This alignment opened the door to a relationship between Cuba and Jamaica in the 1970s resulting in a comradeship between Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and Cuban leader Fidel Castro. These men had similar ideologies and theories as it related to the development of the Caribbean economy, and this tightened the bond between the two. The intensification of relations between Jamaica and Cuba in the 1970s was significantly influenced by the personal relationship that developed between the two leaders. Cuban aid to Jamaica was highly visible and aimed directly at the needs of the poor, renewed economic relations between Cuba and Jamaica began in 1974, with the establishment of an airline link between the two islands. In 1975, the Agreement for Technical, Scientific and Economic Cooperation was signed and a Joint Commission on Cuba-Jamaica Economic Cooperation was established for the formal decisionmaking process. An agreement was signed between Jamaica and Cuba in 1975, for a line of credit in the amount of Canadian $5 million [US $4.30 million]. This facility was established to promote two-way trade between the two islands and was available to public and private sectors. The line of credit
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provided financing for the purchase of raw material, consumer, capital and semi-capital goods such as cement, frozen fish, artisan tools, plumbing fixtures, glass packaging and fertilizer. This was done to facilitate and aid Jamaicas economic development; Castro was making an investment in Jamaica since he realized that the country had potential. The Gleaner on Friday, May 9, 1975 reported that thirty- three (33) Jamaican workers left the island for a one year training program in Cuba, and that another one hundred and fifty (150) persons will follow shortly after. The workers will study construction methods, and technology. This training is a part of the Technical and Scientific Co-operation Agreements between the governments of Jamaica and Cuba. The Honorable Anthony Spaulding, Jamaicas minister of Housing said that Jamaica would benefit greatly from the upgrading of skills as the pace of housing development was traditionally retarded by lack of sufficient expertise in the construction field. In agriculture, Cuba and Jamaica exchanged manpower, information and samples in livestock, plantain, cocoa, coconut, grains, tubers, bananas, sugarcane and vegetables. Joint research was conducted on smut disease resistant varieties of sugarcane. Cuba constructed and donated microdams and relevant equipment and raw materials valued at $1.5m. The Cuban Government also made farming equipment such as tractors available to Jamaicans. This proved to be a vital contributor in the agricultural industry as it allowed for the efficiency of work. Under the Cuban Jamaican economic aid agreement construction was a major component. This agreement saw Cuba building several schools and training facilities. This included The Jose Marti School which was valued $6m, the Garvey/Maceo Secondary School, G.C. Foster Physical Education College, high schools at Vernmanfield and Montepelier. The construction economic
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aid also included two Sandino Prefabrication Plants valued at US$1.2m each. These institutions contributed to the development of the Jamaican economy by allowing more individuals to be able to have access to an education, which resulted in the dramatic decline of an exorbitantly outrageous illiteracy rate. Manley believed that this was a vital contribution to Jamaica, it is impossible to create either a modern economy or a just economy if substantial proportion of the adult population is denied the social tools (Michael Manley, The Politics of Change: A Jamaican Testament, 1974). The Cuban Government engaged in trade with Jamaica, one such example is La Crema milk which was milk that was subsidized for the lower class. It was proven that the Jamaican mass population was suffering from a calcium deficiency, and by supplying the island with subsidized milk Cuba was able to help the Jamaicans gain or regain much needed strength which would contribute to a more reliable work force, and thus aid in the restructuring of the Jamaican economy. Cuba was teaching Jamaica the value and discipline of work, and Senator Dudley Thompson believed that Cuba was leading us in the right direction.

Conclusion Cubas foreign policy in the Caribbean region in the 1970s was geared towards ending its isolation in the hemisphere, include cooperation with conventional governments and legitimizing the Cuban regime in the eyes of the world (Jones, 1979). Castro said we like the government of Jamaica because we believe it is a progressive government (Anthony T. Bryan), indicates the extent Cuba was willing to be involved in Jamaica

In some ways Cuba derived some benefits from the close relations with Jamaica in the 1970s. First, and foremost, the Cuban revolution gained recognition as a political reality and its position in the Caribbean community was legitimized. Furthermore, it showcased socialism as an attractive option since it seemed to offer alternate solutions to socio-economic issues common to all Caribbean nations. Cuba did not benefit economically from its relationship with Jamaica as Jamaica did not have much to offer the strength

There was exchange of personnel between the two countries. Castro expanded the civilian assistance program in the late 1970s for economic and not merely ideological reasons, the official policy rationale notwithstanding. While overseas activities did not immediately generate significant trade in the decades to come (1990s) Cuba expanded civilian assistance program reaped some return as it began to charge, in convertible currencies, for projects.