Which statement describes the Platt Amendment's impact on Cuba–U.S. relations?

Which statement describes the Platt Amendment's impact on Cuba–U.S. relations?

• A. Cuba Became an Independent Republic With No U.S. Involvement
• B. Cuba Became a U.S. Protectorate With a U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay and the Right for the U.S. to Intervene
• C. Cuba Gained Full Statehood Within the United States
• D. The United States Withdrew From Cuba Entirely

Answer: (B)

The Platt Amendment established a relationship where Cuba’s autonomy was limited and the United States had significant control. It guaranteed the U.S. the right to intervene in Cuban affairs to maintain Cuban independence and order, and it secured a permanent U.S. naval presence at Guantanamo Bay. This combination created a protectorate-like dynamic: Cuba was technically independent, but U.S. influence and interference ensured it remained under Washington’s significant leverage. That is why the description that emphasizes a protectorate status with a U.S. naval base and the right to intervene best captures the actual impact on Cuba–U.S. relations. The other ideas—full Cuban independence without U.S. involvement, Cuba becoming a state within the United States, or the U.S. withdrawing—don’t fit how the amendment constrained Cuban sovereignty and defined U.S. authority.

The Platt Amendment established a relationship where Cuba’s autonomy was limited and the United States had significant control. It guaranteed the U.S. the right to intervene in Cuban affairs to maintain Cuban independence and order, and it secured a permanent U.S. naval presence at Guantanamo Bay. This combination created a protectorate-like dynamic: Cuba was technically independent, but U.S. influence and interference ensured it remained under Washington’s significant leverage. That is why the description that emphasizes a protectorate status with a U.S. naval base and the right to intervene best captures the actual impact on Cuba–U.S. relations. The other ideas—full Cuban independence without U.S. involvement, Cuba becoming a state within the United States, or the U.S. withdrawing—don’t fit how the amendment constrained Cuban sovereignty and defined U.S. authority.