The severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba in early January 1961 was a culmination of escalating tensions that had been brewing since Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. Castro's government, which quickly adopted socialist policies and aligned itself with the Soviet Union, led to significant anxiety among U.S. officials regarding the spread of communism in the Western Hemisphere. After taking control of U.S.-owned businesses and properties without compensation, Castro’s government faced swift condemnation from the Eisenhower administration, which responded with a series of economic retaliations aiming to destabilize the Cuban economy.

The relationship further deteriorated with the imposition of a trade embargo and restrictions on Cuban sugar imports in 1960. These economic sanctions were met with defiance by the Cuban regime, leading to a complete breakdown in communications. U.S. Secretary of State Christian Herter announced the severance of diplomatic ties, laying bare the animosity that had developed over the previous years and marking a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape of the region.

This decision would set the stage for increased tensions that would escalate with events such as the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, solidifying a hostile U.S.-Cuba relationship that persists in various forms to this day.