Cuban Embargo

In 1959, Cubareceived 74 percent of its imports from the US, and the US received 65 percentof Cuba’s exports. On February 3, 1962, the United States imposed a fulltrade embargo on Cuba, completely ending any type of trade between the twocountries. This embargo remains in effect today, more than four decades later,and has grown ! to be a huge center of debate and controversy (DeVarona 8).Opponents to the embargo argue that the embargo does nothing more than hurt theCuban people, while proponents argue that the embargo places pressure on Castroto repair Cuba’s mismanaged and corrupt government. Both the supportersand the opponents of this embargo have strong arguments and evidence to supportthese

across 6 states, allowing the nation to be tied together and to be utilized for internal commerce. Later in Jefferson’s term he set a law that potentially was one of the worst notions during his presidency. In 1807 the Embargo Act was placed with the purpose of attempting to prevent foreign tension with France and Britain by not allowing American ships to any foreign ports and eliminated international trade. “The embargo, however, backfired and brought greater economic hardship to the United States than Britain” (Newman and Schmalbach. 136). While Jefferson’s attempt to preserve the economy failed once he passed the Embargo Act, he later at least recognized his doings during his presidency that it must be repealed. The embargo eventually got repealed in 1809, during James Madison’s term.

Castro was not even aware of his impact on the people. In an interview with American journalist Liza Howard on April 30th 1963, Castro had given Liza “the impression that he was not completely aware of the extent to which terror had gripped Cuba” (United States. Central Intelligence Agency). The next strategy was to attack Cuba and Castro commercially, economically, and financially. Eisenhower administered the first trade embargo on Cuba on October 19th 1960. After working with the policy committees of US to Cuba, the White House had composed a document stating the regulations. This embargo covered all U.S. exports of good, but not medicines and certain foods. The States thought that creating this law against exporting would be taken as a form of more peaceful protest, to gain back the trading, Castro will need to step down from power. (United States. Presidential Directive). Castro also tried to restrict trading too, to get back at the U.S. to show that this was not a one way street. He created the Platt Amendment to stop Cuban sugar from being imported to the United States. In 1993 the US cracks down on Cuba intensifying the embargo in hopes of the economy failing. This soon forced Cuba into an agreement of allowing a certain amount of citizens to immigrate to either country per year. When Cuba shot down two U.S.

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.

There are many countries that the United States frequently traded with who are now under a set of economic sanctions today. The sanctions were designed to restrict a country to the resources of their country and their allies until they comply with specific request. The US-Cuban sanctions were suppose was supposed to be in place until democracy and human rights were restored in Cuba. One effect of the sanction resulted in Cuban citizens only being able to purchase vehicles made before 1958. Although this is a minor effect of sanction, can you imagine if you were only able to possess a microwave that was made before 1958?

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 Cuban Embargo, also known as “el bloqueo” to Cuban citizens, was declared by the United States in 1960 to eliminate imports of Cuban

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

Embargos are rarely ever explained to the normal citizen and when the explanation of the embargo comes down from the country leadership it is more than likely propaganda that says, “the United Nations is out to steel our land”. When the leadership of the most powerful countries are about to create an embargo on they should be force to explain to the poor farmer or worker that is barely able to make a buck. This might be enough to give pause on the harm you are causing the country that is about to get

The history of the embargo started when The famous revolution took over Cuba in 1959. When Castro arrived to the power he decided to nationalize private properties and business owned by American companies. This action led to the emigration of many Cubans to America and the antagonism of Cuban- American relations. In 1960, the Eisenhower administration placed an embargo on exports to Cuba except for food and medicine. After that the Cuban government turned to the Soviet Union for assistance converting themselves in a communist country and an enemy of the United States. In 1962, President Kennedy expanded the Embargo including this time any trade or travel to the Caribbean island. During his presidency Jimmy

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

The Spanish had firm control over Cuba. The Cubans began to rise up and rebel to get the Spanish to leave them alone. The Spanish clamped down hard on the Cubans and enforced rules. The Spanish would try and round up rebels and put them into concentration camps. "Spanish misrule" was published in the US newspaper and the Americans began to think that they had to help their neighbors. In the year 1898 the United States sent the USS Maine to Cuba to try and protect the Americans living there. The USS Maine blew up and sunk. It was then reported in the newspaper that the Spanish blew it up and were harming Americans. Public opinion for intervening changed. People wanted to help Cuba. Congress declared an official war on Spain. An investigation

appear weak. Lifting the embargo before the Cuban government has met the requirements set forth by the U.S. government would send a message that the U.S. is weak in it enforcing its laws as, “according to U.S. law, Cuba must legalize all political activity, release political prisoners, commit to free and fair elections, grant freedom of the press, and allow labor unions.” (Meyers) The Cuban government has not responded positively to any of these guidelines and has reacted with aggression when the United States showed signs of easing the embargo. In 2014 the United States reopened its embassy in Cuba, and “since the United States agreed to reopen the U.S. embassy in Cuba, the Cuban government has continued to persecute and arrest its own citizens. There were 630 political arrests in June 2015 alone. One protester claimed, “the Cuban government has grown even bolder as result of the normalized relations.” (“Cuba Embargo”) Discontinuing the embargo would make the United States appear weak to international powers and provoke Cuban

sanctions, such as the withholding of funds (Nye, 12). Arguably, the most severe hard power and

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