Several years later another conflict broke out when a group of Cuban exiles in the USA staged a coup against the Spanish colonial government. Spain reacted with public executions of sympathizers and other such measures which quelled the situation only momentarily. After the mysterious explosion of the US warship Maine which was anchored in Havana’s harbor, in 1898, the Spanish-American war broke out.

Spain was soon defeated as it had been weakened considerable by other conflicts with its colonial interests. It soon gave up sovereignty over Cuba and the American troops occupied the island. Cuba was run by an American military administration.

In the peace treaty, it was established that Cuba was from then on, an independent republic; nevertheless, the US continued its administration of the island until 1902.