President John F Kennedy enacted the Cuban trade embargo more than 55 years ago with hopes of pressuring the Castro regime to step down. However the Castro family is still in power today. Pressuring Cuba to improve its human rights through economic sanction does not work. Half a century of US sanctions did nothing but repress the Cuban people even more. By lifting the Cuban embargo the US can turn a lose-lose situation into a win-win one.
Illegal immigration from Cuba can be stopped if the embargo is lifted. The Cuban embargo puts a lot of economic pressure on the Cuban people themselves. One key example of this was the Mariel boatlift in 1980. Tens of thousands of Cuban fled their country on makeshift boats with Miami in mind. The influx of immigrants caused Jimmy Carter to grant every Cuban automatic political asylum status the moment they step foot on US soil, a policy that is still in effect today. Criminal syndicates have used this loophole into their advantage. Colombian cartel members in the 80’s known as the “Cocaine Cowboys” wreaked havoc in Miami with fake Cuban asylum papers. If the US lift the trade embargo this would remove Cubans from political refugee status back to regular economic migrant status like most other countries This would
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Foreign investments can bring in much needed industries such as manufacturing. Cubans can look forward to a better life with more job opportunities and with new job opportunities comes the incentive to stay at home rather than risking life to immigrate to America. New jobs would also require more Cubans to better themselves through education and training programs. When education level improves that correlates to a burgeoning middle class like in China and Vietnam ( also politically communist countries). The end of the embargo would not only bring economic growth to Cuba but it would also present American companies with a new untapped
Goods or services of Cuban origin may not be imported into the United States either directly or through third countries” (2001) . According to the Cuba Policy Foundation, the United States loses up to $4.84 billion annually in trade and exports alone (Pepper 2009) . The amount of money being disregarded because of now defunct reasons is radically lacking in logic. A simple repealing of the embargo would bring both the United States and Cuba great economic success.
Trade and doing business with Cuba could cause legal issues due to the issues that they may have with certain products, due to their culture and government rulings. Since the government in Cuba is Communist, most of the decisions are made by the government. Culture plays a big role in the products that people use in other countries, and this could cause future issues with doing business in Cuba for the U.S.
The U.S. imposed an Embargo against Cuba on Oct. 19, 1960. Has the time come to the United States to lift the five-decade embargo? The Embargo was a part of America’s Cold War strategy against the Soviet Union, imposed on the belief that Cuba was a threat to the U.S. since the Soviet Union was a danger to the National Security because of its alliance with the Soviet Union. Although Cuba would like the U.S to terminate the embargo against their country, the U.S. wants Cuba to make their situation a better living environment and to promote human rights for its citizens before any sanctions are removed.
More than fifty years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Cuba is still a ruthless nation. Cuba has tried to become a peaceful nation. Cuba has resources that are very effective in the rise of a country. Countries like the United States don’t want to trade with Cuba after the conflict. However, this is just a hypothesis. Both countries have been at each other since Fidel Castro came into power in 1959. Castro began a revolution and overthrew Fulgencio Bastista, who was the president of Cuba at the time. Cuba became a Communist country under the rule of Castro. He started making deals with Russia, the mother country of Russia. Not only that, he started to increase taxes on American imports. The government made the decision to ban any form of export to Cuba. President John F. Kennedy made it into an embargo that made restrictions on traveling. The United States wanted to overthrow the government which angered Cuba. In response, they allowed the Soviet Union to build a missile base. The United States found out these plans and made a demand to destroy the base for good. This resulted in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Crisis ended with an agreement. The agreement was that Cuba will destroy the base if the United States doesn’t invade their country. Cuba lost about 1.126 Trillion dollars all because of trade restrictions. This embargo has affected Cuba dramatically.
The United States and Cuba officially cut diplomatic ties in the 1960’s. After the relationship between the two nations deteriorated as a result of the Cold War, the United States enforced an embargo that restricted trade to the Caribbean island (Rothman, Why Did the U.S. and Cuba Sever Diplomatic Ties in the First Place?). Eventually, traveling to Cuba was also prohibited by the United States, which further affected the island’s economy in which American tourism decreased. However, after months of negotiations, the United States and Cuba have finally decided to restore their diplomatic relations. The reestablishing of the Cuban embassy and probable embargo lift will promote Cuba’s economic growth due
The dispute between the U.S and Cuba dates back more than two centuries. Centuries within which some say conflict primarily arose due to the United States’ attempts to exercise and impose its governing concepts upon Cuba; ignoring the islands own right to independence and sovereignty (Hernandez, 2008). Following relentless turmoil, in the year 1960 the United States broke off relations with Cuba and imposed a trade embargo-a ban on trade. Most recently, President Obama issued the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Cuba, relations of which have been non existent now for a little over the half century that the embargo has been in place (Baker, 2014). This restoration of relations will now allow for the U.S exportation of telecommunications and goods, as well as permit expanded travel for Americans and open banking relations between the nations (Spetalnick & Hughes, 2015). I believe this ultimate policy shift could do one of two things, potentially help the seemingly socio-economically stagnant Island of Cuba globalize or destroy its sovereignty and exploit its members. Thus I raise the question of: will having the United States of America restore ties with Cuba serve to benefit the Caribbean Island?
There have been some great strides made in regards to US and Cuban relations in recent years to include the restriction of US citizens being allowed to travel to Cuba being lifted. This restriction being lifted was part of a larger US strategy to help the country completely defeat socialism. Specifically, the US government presented the Obama administration with three economic reforms that would aid the country in achieving freedom for it’s citizens; “fostering the small-enterprise sector in Cuba, encouraging US investments, and boosting US tourism to the island” (Aze., 2015, p 19). Those who were responsible for these reforms believe that by eliminating sanctions the US would be helping to strengthen the Cuba self-employed sector and would
An embargo is an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country. The United States and Cuba have a long history of hatred and bitter altercations. The US settled all of this with a commercial, economic, and financial embargo which was placed in the 1960’s. The Cuban Embargo should not be lifted because Cuba has not met the requirements to have it be extinguished.
Nearly fifty-five years ago, an embargo was placed on Cuba, halting all trade between the two countries. Fidel Castro led the Cuban Revolution, which began in July of 1953, leading to their victory and the previous leader, Fulgencio Batista, being driven out of his position. Castro had gained a lot of support from Cuban citizens with his promises to restore political and civil liberties. Castro later began to stray from these promises, starting by nationalizing American businesses within Cuba and by presenting anti-American actions. In 1960, he began talks with the Soviet Union and moved toward communism leading to America creating the embargo in 1961. The embargo was put mainly put in place to contain the spread of communism to other South American countries. The terms to lift the embargo included, the revocation of their communist ways and move toward democracy, and to improve the freedom of the individuals whom live on the island. These have both yet to have happened, yet fifty-four years later, the embargo is still firmly in place. Lifting the embargo can fix issues related to the Cuban people, it can bring countless trade opportunities, and it can push for positive changes in Cuba. Therefore, the United States should lift the embargo on Cuba.
Thought it is unlikely for Castro to change the economic stance of his country, the U.S embargo on Cuba proves a serious issue for Cuban citizens. A lack of basic technology, open trade, and resources from the U.S. leaves citizens dissatisfied with the government. The 50-year embargo has failed to pressure the Cuban government and has instead harmed the people of Cuba. Though it’s uncertain who will succeed Raul Castro, it is likely the embargo will remain in place, but as long as Cuba fails to meet the conditions set out by President Kennedy to shift its alignment
An infusion of infrastructure, investment, and modernization from the U.S. could help Cuba and the rest of its Latin America partners in the world of trade. The embargo currently restricts millions of people, eliminating a whole new market. Endless opportunity can arise from removing the current barrier. Arising would be American competition competing in the country.
political system has influenced all of the trade embargo sanctions and alleviations over the last 50 years. The WTO is requesting the U.S. ease up on the trade embargo because it is hurting the Cuban economy and people. There are supporters in the U.S House of Representatives and Senate that are calling for the embargo to stay resilient, while others want the trade restrictions removed. Corporations are wanting to trade with Cuba for increased profits. The United Nations voted against the U.S. embargo with a vote of 188 to 3 against (Daniels, Radebaugh, & Sullivan, 2015, p.253). By repealing the embargo the U.S. would benefit from the trade and Cuba would be able to stabilize their economy which would result in more trade and less humanitarian relief. However to lift the embargo I am afraid that the Cuban government would not change and the profits and import of goods would benefit the government regime only and not the
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
Building better relations with Cuba will increase tourism rates and will be a major factor in pushing the economy further. One theory is that by loosening restrictions, the United States is less likely to experience major waves of immigration. This is because Cuban people will see hope and opportunity and want to stay in their home country. On the other hand this doesn’t stop this problem from happening. United States businesses are jumping at the bit to get in at the ground level of the private sector and in particular the tourist industry. Cuba is a beautiful island that would draw many Americans and with the tourists would come pockets full of money that would ultimately end of up stimulating the Cuban market. Opening this market would create an abundance of jobs for natives of the islands and workers back in the United States. To open this market would aid both Cubans and Americans and to say no to that would be
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).