The Negative Effects of the American Embargo on Cuba The U.S government spends 1.2 billion dollars a year to keep maintaining the fifty-year-old embargo on Cuba [Pepper]. This money is used to prevent Cuba from trading with America, and America from trading with Cuba. The embargo was created close to fifty years ago when Cuba was buying American territory. The embargo’s goal was to get Cuba to become a democracy. The embargo on Cuba costs America a lot of money, and the embargo also prevents America from making a lot of money. Because the embargo on Cuba is hurting America, and Cuba’s economy the government should take off the embargo that is on Cuba [pepper]. Lifting the embargo would help make the U.S. economy better than it is at the moment.