After the Spanish-American War, the "C. Platt Amendment" reserved the right of the United States to intervene in Cuba's internal affairs. This was later overturned by Cuba.
A flashback gives more of a reflective feel...that the author is almost reliving that certain experience. If you look into the flashback a little more, it could be biased because the character could just be remembering what he/she WANTS to remember, rather than what ACTUALLY happened. Comparing the actual chain of events in the book and viewing the character's flashback in a film is a great way to see those little differences in perspective.
It looks like the cartoon is sort of mocking the Nazis. Or comparing it to America. You can tell my the symbol of the dude on the right’s shirt..
