The International Affairs Association

A few days ago the UN voted to condemn the continued US embargo on Cuba that has been in effect for almost half a century.  This is by no means the first condemnation of the US embargo by the international community, and like the many before it, it will not deter the current US government from lifting the embargo.  However, with the current president promising to smooth other US relations abroad, this vote may be a signal by other nations to have President Obama to deliver on this promise in regards to Cuba.  And it may be finally time to lift the embargo.  While the regime of Castro has been a dictatorship responsible for a number of human rights abuses in the name of socialism, our reason for continuing the embargo on human rights reasons is null and void.  Since the start of the embargo, the US government has backed the dictatorships like that of Augusto Pinochet in Chile whose policies were far more hazardous to his own people than Castro’s policies.

Even without these historical comparisons, the embargo should have been ended as it prevents the people of Cuba from getting many of the valuable resources and products the US has to offer.  Depriving Cuba of this trade and access to US goods has only compounded to the problems of Cuba’s citizenry rather than deteriorate the power of its government.  Politically, if we wanted to promote democratization in Cuba, the embargo was not the way to do it.  Reduced relations with America has not caused the Cuban government to cave in but only made it more resilient and given it a role as a figurehead in Latin America as opposing the “mighty imperialist United States.”  Economically and politically, the embargo has only entrenched the Castro regime, kept our two nations from engaging in any fruitful relations, and has received little support among other nations.

            However, these reasons for ending the embargo set aside, the chances of it being ended before Raul or Fidel Castro’s death is slim in my opinion.  Despite his commitment to improving US relations around the world, President Obama like presidents before him seems content to free some relations with Cuba as a conciliatory gesture, but still wait for the ever aging Castro brothers to die or finally democratize.  By ending the embargo without Cuba first implementing the kind of reform the US, the Obama administration would be heavily criticized at home for kowtowing.  These sorts of constraints prevent the Obama administration from ending the embargo and maintaining the status quo even if there is a desire among administration officials to end the embargo.  However, the wait and see game the US has been playing may be a false hope.  Castro and his brothers have continued to live and rule despite the idea that they would soon die or end their rule.  Even if and when they die, it is not a sure thing that Cuba will transition to democracy or that the communist party will end their complete control over the country.  In this wait and see approach, many fail to see that there will be political elites left over even after the end of the Castro brothers who stand to benefit from a continued communist Cuba and that while there may be dissatisfaction with the government, only a unbearable living situation will cause the people to overthrow their government.  Until then the embargo will continue to exist as it has so many years before unaffected by brief glimmers of reconciliation.

Hope you guys are all having a great halloween and feel free to comment on this article or e-mail me at fuchsy@sas.upenn.edu.

-Yuri