THE WORLD, CONNECTED
DIRECTIONAL RELATIONSHIP · 2026

Cuba → United States

This score represents Cuba's relationship toward United States. The reverse direction is calculated separately and shown alongside it.

CUB → USA-12Competitive74% evidence confidenceBroad sourced evidence
USA → CUB-11Competitive1-point gap · not analytically meaningful
SIX-COMPONENT MODEL

Current component scores

Component values run from −100 to +100 and are combined with the published weights.

Security0

No reviewed evidence met this component’s scoring threshold.

Why this score?

The model starts every component at zero. No documented condition or active event currently changes this one.

Coverage gap: No 2015 evidence met a frozen security cooperation or active-war rule.

Diplomacy-10

5 documented factors produce the -10 diplomacy assessment.

Why this score?
  1. +10Sustained diplomatic channel restores embassies
    Baseline rule · 2015

    Leader-directed negotiating teams completed the reciprocal re-establishment of diplomatic relations and created an ongoing official channel.

  2. -15Profound political differences and the embargo remained
    Baseline rule · 2015

    Restored diplomacy coexisted with formally acknowledged profound political and human-rights differences and the continuing statutory embargo.

  3. -15New sector-linked sanctions intensify pressure
    Active event · 2026

    The executive action broadened restrictions to actors operating in Cuban energy, defense, mining, financial-services and security sectors.

  4. +20Normalization framework broadens engagement
    Active event · 2016

    The policy directive institutionalized cooperation, regulatory openings, direct travel, commerce and societal contact while preserving acknowledged differences.

  5. -10United States reverses part of the normalization opening
    Active event · 2017

    New policy restricted transactions and travel and renewed pressure on the Cuban government without closing restored embassies.

Economic-25

3 documented factors produce the -25 economic assessment.

Why this score?
  1. -25New sector-linked sanctions intensify pressure
    Active event · 2026

    The executive action broadened restrictions to actors operating in Cuban energy, defense, mining, financial-services and security sectors.

  2. +15Normalization framework broadens engagement
    Active event · 2016

    The policy directive institutionalized cooperation, regulatory openings, direct travel, commerce and societal contact while preserving acknowledged differences.

  3. -15United States reverses part of the normalization opening
    Active event · 2017

    New policy restricted transactions and travel and renewed pressure on the Cuban government without closing restored embassies.

Coverage gap: Cuba-reported 2015 trade is unavailable, so no frozen economic baseline rule is activated.

Alignment-35

3 documented factors produce the -35 alignment assessment.

Why this score?
  1. -30United Nations voting alignment
    Baseline rule · 2015

    A rolling three-year comparison of UN General Assembly votes activates the alignment threshold.

  2. -10New sector-linked sanctions intensify pressure
    Active event · 2026

    The executive action broadened restrictions to actors operating in Cuban energy, defense, mining, financial-services and security sectors.

  3. +5Normalization framework broadens engagement
    Active event · 2016

    The policy directive institutionalized cooperation, regulatory openings, direct travel, commerce and societal contact while preserving acknowledged differences.

Disputes0

No reviewed evidence met this component’s scoring threshold.

Why this score?

The model starts every component at zero. No documented condition or active event currently changes this one.

Coverage gap: The reviewed source acknowledges profound differences but does not establish the frozen evidentiary threshold for a specific territorial, boundary or cyber rule.

Societal+25

3 documented factors produce the +25 societal assessment.

Why this score?
  1. +20Deep family ties and expanding people-to-people travel
    Baseline rule · 2015

    The official record documented deep family and friendship bonds and concrete expansion of travel, educational and people-to-people contacts.

  2. +15Normalization framework broadens engagement
    Active event · 2016

    The policy directive institutionalized cooperation, regulatory openings, direct travel, commerce and societal contact while preserving acknowledged differences.

  3. -10United States reverses part of the normalization opening
    Active event · 2017

    New policy restricted transactions and travel and renewed pressure on the Cuban government without closing restored embassies.

CHANGE SINCE 2015

-6 in 2015 → -12 in 2026

The change is generated from sourced events and frozen scoring rules, not retrospective editorial adjustment.

ACTIVE EVIDENCE

Events affecting the current score

-9

New sector-linked sanctions intensify pressure

The executive action broadened restrictions to actors operating in Cuban energy, defense, mining, financial-services and security sectors.

+7

Normalization framework broadens engagement

The policy directive institutionalized cooperation, regulatory openings, direct travel, commerce and societal contact while preserving acknowledged differences.

-4

United States reverses part of the normalization opening

New policy restricted transactions and travel and renewed pressure on the Cuban government without closing restored embassies.

Interpret with care

This analytical score is not an objective fact, endorsement or prediction. Confidence reflects evidence coverage, while incomplete or unavailable observations remain explicit. Differences below 5 points are treated as practical ties rather than a meaningful ranking.

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