why did the United States want Cuba

Question

rina.r · Answer

Welcome to OS:)
Cuba has a very stratigic location. Cuba is also only 90 miles from the US and as a communist country it posed a threat to the US.

anonymous · Answer

Cuba has huge plantations of sugar cane and tobacco. It managed to supply the entire Soviet Union with sugar. And above all that Cuba is just 90km away from United States. That makes it by far one of the most easy-to-access places to grow cash crops. Right now it does not seem the issue, however, back in late 19th century, when US wanted to get Cuba enough to get into a war with Spain, there was no airplane shipping. Henceforth, shipping sugar and tobacco from Cuba via ship to Miami in a few hours, together with cheap Cuban labor was a rational thing to do. 
US invaded Cuba in 1898, Teddy Roosevelt was at the head of the invasion.They did gain the temporary control of Cuba like they wanted under the dictator F.Batista who ruled Cuba through a part of 20th century. Later, he was overthrown by Castro and US had to reorganize a lot of things and lost quite a bit of cash.