Cuban Embargo Research Paper

“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.

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

Relations between the United States and Cuba had been declining since Castro seized power in 1959. U.S. officials feared that Castro’s government would lead Cuba into communism and this would start a domino effect in Latin America. In 1960 Castro signed a trade treaty with the Soviet Union. With the Soviets providing the guns, Cuba was able to help other communist regimes in conflict such as the Congo Crisis (1960-1965), Bolivia Insurgency, the Eritrean War, Yom Kippur War, the Ogaden War, Invasion of Grenada, the Salvadoran Civil War, and the Nicaraguan Civil War. In this respect Cuba was proving the U.S’s “Domino Theory” correct.

In 1961 Kennedy sent over people banished from Cuba back in hopes to end Castro. The U.s. made many attempts to end Castro. Even though they failed and the invasion didn’t go as planned the attempts to ruin Castro didn’t end for a few decades. President Kennedy even sent over Castro's favorite cigars infused with poison in attempts to kill him. Like all the other attempts it failed. Castro was aware that the U.S. was trying to kill him so he used that to his advantage. Castro setup his enemies in his place so they would die instead of himself. Kennedy wanted Castro dead. Kennedy started to burn farms and blow up the sugar mills. He was even ready to call and nuclear war on

I think that the Embargo act of Cuba should not be uplifted simply because they do not meet the requirements of business in the trade industry. The embargo also known as the blockade signed by President Kennedy Feb. 3, 1962, consist of economic sanctions against Cuba and restrictions on Cuba travel and commerce for all people and business under the U.S jurisdiction (Cuba-embargo.procon.org) and acts of communist powers. It will only benefit the Government of Cuba and not be beneficial to the citizens within the Island meaning that the money of financial gain only supports the Government and overall not the biggest satisfaction of the society in the Cuban Island. The political viewpoint of the perspective is that the United States having more than 75 countries they do trade with around the world, Cuba that only has done trade with just about 7 countries such as companies of Canada, Europe, and Latin America, those countries have not enjoyed economic relationship. I personally think that their will be no difference if the president was to uplift the act against Cuba they have failed to meet the expectations of deliberately honoring their commitment as a friend or business to relay on. In 2012 Cuba was deeply in debt and owed $13.6 billion although few countries still remain to import and export goods with them. For over 55 years the Unites States has had restrictions hold against Cuba since 1982 the

During this research on Cuba, a study was conducted to determine changed views of the Caribbean island. The embargo placed on Cuba by the United States has implemented a certain view and depicted the opinions of Americans. While many countries can visit Cuba, the ban of Americas traveling to Cuba has isolated the reality of the countries situation. A group of eight was ordained to compare certain aspects of Cuba before and after their trip to Cuba. They focused on the levels of safety, feelings toward the embargo, and their expectation. After they were interviewed, the first drastic change was on the dangerous travel situations American Tourism placed on Cuba. Those in this research found Cuba to be one of the safest places they have visited.

In 1959 Fidel Castro attempted to overthrow dictator Fulgencio Batista; Castro led a revolutionary movement in a guerrilla war against Batista 's forces. "As anti-Batista sentiment grew, Castro took a leading role in the Cuban Revolution which eventually ousted the president."(Stevenson 118)Once in power, Castro nationalized American property and because of this the United States diplomatic relations with Cuba were cut in 1961. Even prior to the break in relations, President Eisenhower agreed to a CIA-backed plan to overthrow Fidel Castro. When John F. Kennedy was elected, he was informed of the CIA 's plan. The newly elected president, unfortunately approved of the plan to attempt an uprising in Cuba against Fidel Castro.

In October of 1992, the US congress passed the Cuban Democracy Act which would prohibit U.S foreign subsidiaries to trade with Cuba, impede ships carrying Cuban goods from entering U.S ports, and stop all commercial sales of food and medicine to Cuba unless Cuba holds free and fair elections (USITC, 2004). This law was later enhanced in 1996 by the passing of the Helms-Burton Act which allowed for U.S nationals to file suit in U.S court against foreign nationals that benefit or profit from expropriated U.S. property in Cuba (USITC, 2004). Even though these two laws defined US-Cuban relations for the next couple of years, they were not enough to oust the Castro leadership from Cuba’s government. Later on, the two laws were rescinded at the request and concerns of the European Union who had interests in dissolving several enactments from the Helms-Burton Act of 1996 (USITC, 2004). In the end, there are several unanswered questions that come about as to the reason why the fall of the USSR, the added constraints from the United States, and the internal hardships from pro democratic movements were not enough in being able to overthrow the Cuban government. To understand the factors that sustained the Castro leadership throughout these tumultuous years, it is important to look into the ways the Cuban economic system was reconstructed and influenced by the same neoliberal forces that sought to disposed the communist government at the

The United States and Cuba have had a rocky history since 1959 during the Cold War. Fidel Castro is a Cuban politician who governed Cuba as a Prime Minister and then as a President from 1976 to 2008. Under Castro’s administration Cuba became a one-party communist state. Castro came to power by overthrowing Fulgencio Batista. The United States recognized his government, however as his regime increased trade with the Soviet Union, U.S. owned properties and high taxes on imports, the U.S. responded with and economic retaliation. Congress instituted a ban on almost all exports to Cuba, President John F. Kennedy expanded on the ban by turning it into a full economic embargo that also included strict travel restrictions.

On October 16th, 1962, President Kennedy was informed about the presence of nuclear missiles on the island of Cuba (White), a direct threat to national security situated 90 miles south of the United States. In context, the event was a domestic challenge for Kennedy, as he had taken a hard stance against Fidel Castro and the presence of a Communist nation in the Western Hemisphere. In his 1960 presidential campaign, Kennedy had attacked Richard Nixon, Vice President and the Republican nominee for President, and the Eisenhower administration for allowing Fidel Castro to overthrow the American-favored dictator Fulgencio Batista in the 1959 Cuban Revolution (Fursenko and Naftali, 65). This factored into the events of Kennedy’s administration,

From October 16 to October 28 of 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union had a 13-day political and military dispute over the installation of Soviet missiles on the island of Cuba. This dispute was known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. After the failed and humiliating Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban people and their dictator, Fidel Castro, asked for support of the Soviet Union and defensive weapons. President John F. Kennedy took careful consideration into his options, choosing to put a naval “quarantine” around Cuba. Finally, this crisis resulted in a treaty for a ban on nuclear testing and the removing of missiles by both the US and USSR. The Cuban Missile Crisis is a critical point in the history of the Cold War and the closest we have

The Cuban Revolution began on July 26, 1953 with the intent to remove General Batista from power. General Batista was a cruel dictator, and under his rule, Cuba experienced many hardships and Cubans lost their democratic rights. Many CUbans looked towards the revolution as a salvation from all of the cruelties they had to endure under Batista’s rule. In 1959, Fidel Castro was declared leader and declared it his intention to transform Cuba into a functioning socialist country. Although the Cuban Revolution managed to establish free health care and education for everyone in Cuba, it ultimately failed in improving the life of Cuba’s citizens because the revolution failed to establish a successful economy, and under Fidel, many citizens had to

Relations between Cuba and the US went directly downhill after Fidel Castro came into power in 1959. Castro was soon disliked by America because he proposed high taxes on America’s imports. In the early 1960’s the US tried to get rid of Castro using any tactic they could. In 1962 American spy planes saw that the soviet union was building missile

The U.S. and Cuba historically have had a complicated relationship and they each know how to hold a grudge. When Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, relations between the two countries quickly devolved into bitter arguments, political grandstanding and the occasional international crisis, even though things started out pleasant enough. Fidel Castro, full name Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, seized power in Cuba on January 1st, 1959, over throwing the corrupt and right-wing military dictatorship of Batista. Curiously, in April of that year, he visited Washington D.C. receiving a warm welcome from Vice President Richard Nixon. However, soon after all US businesses in Cuba were nationalized without compensation. In retaliation, the Americans broke

Although Obama is easing the embargo on Cuba, there are still many political arguments to support not lifting the embargo restricts against Cuba. At the beginning, the goal of embargo on Cuba was to restrict the ability of Castro to support the communist revolution in other countries. Embargo on Cuba can reduce the number of Cuba’s military, so Castro can not have any money to provoke revolutions around Latin America and Africa. Also, the embargo can limit the flow of founds to end in the Cuban government who doesn’t use money to feed its people. Even though some kindhearted tourists donated to Cuba, but it is end in the Cuban government easily. Cuban government uses this money to spy on its citizens, review the information provided to them and lock up any political opponent rather than its people (Santos, 2016).