Why did Cuba develop close ties with the Soviet Union after 1959?

Following the 1959 revolution, Cuba’s shift toward the Soviet Union was driven by a combination of internal ideological alignment and escalating hostility with the United States.12

As the new regime under Fidel Castro began to dissolve the capitalist system, it nationalized hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S.-owned property and businesses. This move, along with Cuba’s adoption of a centrally planned economy and Castro’s declaration of himself as a communist, provoked retaliatory measures from the U.S. government, including a trade embargo.23

These U.S. actions, such as the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, further solidified Castro's reliance on Soviet support. The Soviet Union provided crucial economic and military aid, including loans, petroleum, and the purchase of Cuban sugar at prices above the free market rate, which became essential to the island's budget. Ultimately, the antagonistic stance of the United States pushed Cuba to become a key Soviet ally in the Western Hemisphere.2314