The Trade Embargo

Decades of isolation and the sanctions from the trade embargo brought upon Cuba by the United States in 1962 has failed to accomplish the goal of overthrowing a Communist party and promoting a democratic society. Since the trade embargo and broken ties with the United States, Cuba has not flourished like it did before the Fidel Castro regime seized power in 1959, and it is still controlled under Communist rule today. There is still no freedom of the press, free elections or human rights in Cuba, even after 50 years of U.S. isolation and the trade embargo, so why does the U.S. keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome? It is time to lift the trade embargo on Cuba and help lift Cuba back up economically to encourage political reform.

Communism then took root in Cuba with Fidel Castro as the Prime Minister or dictator. In 1960 Fidel Castro nationalized U.S. companies in Cuba. At this time Cuba also became friends and traded with the Soviet Union, and at one point allowed the Soviet Union to put a missile base in Cuba. This was a big threat to the United States since Cuba was only 90 miles by sea from the U.S. The United States at that time also had a bad relationship with the Soviet Union since this was during the time of the Cold War. In response these events in Cuba, Dwight D. Eisenhower, near the end of his presidency in 1961, put embargos on sugar, oil and guns to Cuba and also cuts diplomatic ties. Then in 1962, President John F. Kennedy imposed a complete trade embargo with Cuba that prohibited American companies from doing business with Cuba and stopped travel by Americans to Cuba. The embargo stemmed from the United States distrust of the Fidel Castro regime and Cuba’s diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. The Cuban embargo to this day has still not been lifted, Cuba is still ruled by a Communist party and the Cuban President, a dictator, is Fidel Castro’s younger brother, Raul

President Obama in his first term as president reversed some travel restrictions for U.S. travel to Cuba. He also allowed some telecommunication companies to provide more cellular and satellite services in Cuba. Recently, Pope Francis has been in talks with President Obama about the U.S. working with President Raul Castro to come to some agreement to lift the embargo to help the Cuban people. Opening communication between President Obama and President Raul Castro is a possible solution. In August 2015, the American Embassy was also reopened in Havana, Cuba after being closed 54 years earlier. This was a huge step forward to improving U.S. relations with Cuba. It will take an act of Congress to lift the Cuban trade embargo, but maybe it is possible if we can slowly introduce the Cuban people to the freedoms enjoyed in the United States. Maybe we can change the minds of President Raul Castro and others in power in Cuba. Democracy is the best commodity the United States has, so we need to sell it to Cuba! Lastly, we need to change the minds of the U.S. Congress so they reverse their decision and lift the embargo on Cuba. We trade with China, which is a Communist country and gives little freedoms to it’s people so why is this any different than Cuba? We need to help Congress see this