Cuban Embargo Analysis

President Barack Obama stated “In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date” (qtd. in LeoGrande 939) in regard to the USA embargo against Cuba. The embargo started on 1960, as an idea of the Eisenhower’s administration to cause the collapse of the emerging Cuban Socialist Regime by provoking economic pressure. In 1962, President J. F. Kennedy, formally implemented the total embargo of trade between the United States and Cuba, prohibiting any commercial and financial relations between American businesses and the Island, and declaring that severe monetary penalties will be implanted to those that violate the embargo. Over the years, the embargo has limited USA and Cuba trade possibilities,

Another reason forimplementing the embargo on Cuba concerns the corrupt communist government andUS hopes of promoting a transition to a democratic system. On February 3, 1962,President Kennedy was confident that “Castro was moving toward theestablishment of a to! talitarian regime in alliance with the Soviet Union”(DeVarona 7). This raised a huge national defense issue since Cuba is only 90miles from US soil. The US government claims that the transition from communismto democracy will help Cuba flourish, as other democratic countries in thewestern hemisphere have. (“Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of1996”).

As also stated by Mr. D’angelo, in a personal interview about the Cuban embargo, “Yes I think it will last until Cuban reforms, change in Cuban leadership…” This shows that many people, including professionals believe that the embargo will not end soon without the removal of the Castro’s. This idea of no Castro in the government makes sense since many speculate that even though Fidel is no longer is power he still has some influence over what his brother does. Vividly depicted, this is shown by a passage made by Catharine Moses from her book: “They might not like him, they might complain about him, might see his failing and might blame him for all the countries problems, but he is Fidel. He is in control of the island…”(pg. 7) In compliance, this just shows that many still believe he holds power and some hold truth to their hearts that it is Fidel’s Cuba. On an other aspect that goes hand and hand with the Cuban democracy Act is the declaration of John F. Kennedy that states that the goal of the embargo is to submit Cuba’s government into giving up its communist government. Evidently, this was the main goal of the embargo and Cuba has not, and for the foreseeable future, will not change its government from the communist one that it is known for. An idea and aspect that is clearly shown and supports the idea of containment, is that the embargo also

The Cuba Policy came into effect to end all relations between the United States and Cuba. The U.S. policy toward Cuba is controlled by the embargo, which contains economic agreements and restrictions on travel to Cuba. The effect of this policy is to minimize commercial, political and resident relations between the United States and Cuba. The State Department indicated that the purpose of the embargo was to have a nonviolent transition to a secure, democratic form of government and respect for human rights in Cuba.

When President Obama announced the change to US-Cuban relations, it was the most significant change of foreign policy

President Obama addressed the situation and policies between Cuba and the United States in his State of the Union Address. " In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date. When what you're doing doesn't work for fifty years, it's time to try something new. Our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere, removes a phony excuse for restrictions in Cuba, stands up for democratic values, and extends the hand of friendship to the Cuban people. And this year, Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo," the President said regarding Cuba and the antiquated policies.

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.

The United States embargo of Cuba has its roots planted in 1960, 53 years ago, when “the United States Congress authorized President Eisenhower to cut off the yearly quota of sugar to be imported from Cuba under the Sugar act of 1948… by 95 percent” (Hass 1998, 37). This was done in response to a growing

The new era began, Barack Obama and Raúl Castro announced that the United States of America and Cuba will restore full diplomatic relations for the first time in more than 50 years since severing ties in 1961. Barston 2006, defines diplomatic relations as “the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of states. It usually refers to international diplomacy, the conduct of international relations through the intercession of professional diplomats with regard to issues of peace-making, trade, economics and culture” (p. 1). One of the major areas it will address is the lifting of the Cuban embargo. The embargo restricts trade, travel and communication between the two states which hinders the economic development of Cuba.

“Change is hard in our own lives and in the lives of nations” President Obama said "Change is even harder when we carry the heavy weight of history on our shoulders. But today we are making these changes because it is the right thing to do"(cnn.com). The poor relations with Cuba and the United States have been like this since the cold war. Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba in 1959 by removing from power Fulgencio Batista who was in charge at the time. Castro taxed the United States hard on their imports. Which lead President Kennedy into a full economic embargo that included stringent travel restrictions that are still in effect today.

U.S. wanted Cuba to meet special requirements in order for the embargo to go into effect, including rules such as: transition to a democracy, demand Havana support small businesses in exchange for sheathing restrictions on remittances, denounce presence of either Fidel or Raul Castro in Cuban government, better living conditions for all Cuban citizens, absolutely no travel to Cuba, and promote human rights. Cuba has not yet met all requirements, but is currently working on them. Obama reversed some of these polices, such as, allowing U.S. citizens to send remittances to non-family members in Cuba and travel under license of religious or educational purposes. As of today United States citizens may travel to Cuba with only special reasons like religious or

shouldn’t enter just because their families reside in the country. Hilary, on the other side,

Cuba and the Affects of the Embargo The island nation of Cuba, located just ninety miles off the coast of Florida, is home to 11 million people and has one of the few remaining communist regimes in the world. Cuba’s leader, Fidel Castro, came to power in 1959 and immediately instituted a communist program of sweeping economic and social changes. Castro allied his government with the Soviet Union and seized and nationalized billions of dollars of American property. U.S. relations with Cuba have been strained ever since. A trade embargo against Cuba that was imposed in 1960 is still in place today. Despite severe economic suffering and increasing isolation from the world community, Castro remains committed to communism. (Close Up

President John F. Kennedy signed the Proclamation 3477 of 1962 concerning the embargo of Cuba because of the fear that Communist threats and influences would inspire the American people. Also, much fear stemmed from losing America’s reputation among other countries due to the association with a Communist state. In order for the embargo to be lifted, Cuba must establish free and fair election and grant freedom of the press, respect for human right, establish labor unions, in order to demonstrate and representative democracy. America does not want to look weak among other county and by taking away the embargo, we look weak in the eye of the other super powers. Many presidents tried to lessen the rule associated with the embargo, but Cuba did

Able to weather a variety of political leaders, economic events, and historical eras, the U.S. embargo of Cuba is the longest and harshest embargo by one state against another in modern history. Following Castro’s overthrow of the Batista government in 1959 and threats to incite revolutions elsewhere in Latin America, the Unites State cancelled its trade agreement to buy Cuban sugar. Then, following a series of increasing hostile events, the United States severed diplomatic relations and initiated a full trade embargo in 1962. Trade between the United States and Cuba stopped. Spurred by the collapse of communism more than thirty years later, Congress