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It is relevant to remember that Cuban-American diplomatic relations were maintained during the duration of the nationalization period of 1960. It is only on 3 January 1961 that the US government break diplomatic relations, initiating the first incident in an escalating war.
It was not the nationalizations carried out by the Cuban Government that cause the breaking down of diplomatic relations, it was because the Cuban Government requested that the hundred or so employees that were part of the Embassy and Consulate of the United States in Cuba should be reduced to a rational and nominal number. This request is in accord with the practice of International Law and thus recognized as the established norm that stipulate diplomatic relations, as given in Article 11 of the Vienna Convention in reference to Diplomatic Relations.
On January 3rd 1961 the Foreign Relations Minister, Dr. Raul Roa, wrote to the President of the UN Security Council the following explanation:
" The Cuban Government adopted the decision to request the US Government to reduce its embassy personnel in Havana to 11 people, in similar proportion to members of our representative personnel in Washington... The determining reason for this action is based on the evidence obtained by the Cuban government indicating that the majority of this personnel is implicated in the criminal activities of espionage, subversion and terrorism."
The American reply was excessive and arrogant: the cessation of diplomatic relations between the two governments. This is the tenure of the note received by the Cuban Government:
"...This unjustifiable measure of the Cuban Government establishes limits to the capacity of the diplomatic mission of the United States to fulfill its normal diplomatic and consular duties. Thus this measure seems to be destined to bring about an effective cessation of the diplomatic and consular relations between the Cuban Government and the United States. The United States Government, therefore, formally notifies the Cuban Government the cessation of such relations..."
On the 22 February 1960 the Cuban Foreing Relations Minister sent a note to the US government:
The Revolutionary Government in accordance with its intention to restablish relations and continue negotiations already initiated through diplomatic channels on the matters at hand between both governments has nominated a commission which will be able to carry out its functions in Washington at a date agreed by both parties. The Revolutionary Government of Cuba wishes to clarify neverthelss that said relations must necessarily be subject to the following: that neither the Government nor the Congress of your country will adopt unilateral measures that might prejudice the results of such negotiations or that might harm the economy of the Cuban people...."
The US Government's reply was clear on this matter, making its intentions apparent:
"The Government of the United States cannot accept the conditions to negotiate expressed in your Excelency's note, to the effect that unilateral measures will not be taken by the United States Government that might affect the Cuban economyand its people be it by the Legislative or the Executive ..."
This is the way successive US governments wish governments to negotiate on their knees and with a gun to their heads!
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