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Cuban And Human Rights

Decent Essays

In 1959, Cuban leader Fidel Castro seized power over Havana and overthrew the U.S. during the Cold War. Castro then began an alliance with the Soviet Union and proceeded to increase trade with them. After these events, Washington banned exports from the U.S. to Cuba. Restricted were later extended over the whole economy by placing an embargo, which limited Americans travel and the ability to do business with Cuba. These events lead towards restriction between both countries for over 50 years.
The United States and Cuba have had a history of tension that goes back about 50 years. Within those years, an embargo was placed that kept Cuba isolated from participating in activities such as trade with the U.S. In 2008, a major step towards …show more content…

The U.S. did not help their situation as they proceed to pressure and prevent other foreign nation from trade with them, resulting in Cuba to remain in isolation. This event not only hurt Cuba economically, but socially as well by depriving innocent people from access to the outside. However, the embargo was not meant to cause harm, instead it symbolizes a probable improvement in human rights. In 2016, the Human Right Watch, reported that Cuba was still, “repress dissent and discourage public criticism," resulting to be the primary reason the U.S. would consider lifting the embargo. The U.S. would like to see the Cuban government improve, in return, they would remove the ban on trade or commercial activities.
In order for the embargo to be lifted, Cuba has to obey certain conditions that are mandated by the U.S. “The requirements for a transitional government… the legalization of multiparty political activity, the release of political prisoners, and the dissolution of the Department of State Security” (Coll, 219). Even so, one of the major issues that Cuba will have to endure is having to transition from being a communist economy into a democratic economy. However, immediate change is advised in order for Cuba to live on. According to “Understanding a Cuban Transition,” authors Roy Smith and Ingo Walter stated, “unless it [Cuba] abandons its political

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