The United States Embargo Against Cuba

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The United States Embargo against Cuba (described in Cuba as el bloqueo, Spanish for "the blockade") is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo partially imposed on Cuba in October of 1960 and strengthened to a near-total embargo in February of 1962.

It has been advocated by the pro-embargo Cuban-American exiles, whose votes are crucial in Florida, and consequently most politicians have chosen to adopt Cuban-American views. The Cuban-American views have been opposed by business leaders, who claim that trading freely would be good for Cuba and the United States.

The embargo was codified into law in 1992 with the stated purpose of maintaining sanctions on the Castro regime so long as it continues to refuse to move toward democratization and greater respect for human rights. It is entitled the Cuban Democracy Act. In 1996, Congress passed the Helms-Burton Act, which further restricted United States citizens from doing business in or with Cuba, and mandated restrictions on giving public or private assistance to any successor regime in Havana unless and until certain claims against the Cuban government are met. In 1999, U.S. President Bill Clinton modified the trade embargo by requiring that foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies stop trading with Cuba. He also authorized the sale of certain US products to Cuba.

At present, the embargo, which limits American businesses from conducting business with Cuban interests, is still in effect and is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history. Despite the existence of the embargo, the United States is the fifth largest exporter to Cuba (6.6% of Cuba's imports are from the US).

Religious leaders oppose the embargo for a variety of reasons, including humanitarian and economic hardships the embargo imposes on Cubans. Pope John Paul II called for the end to the embargo during his 1979 pastoral visit to Mexico, and again during his 1998 visit to Cuba. Patriarch Bartholomew I called the embargo a "historic mistake" while visiting the island on January 25, 2004. United States religious leaders have also opposed the embargo. A joint letter in 1998 from the Disciples of Christ and the United Church of Christ to the U.S. Senate called for the easing of economic restrictions against Cuba. Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Minister Louis Farrakhan have also publicly opposed the embargo. On May 15, 2002 former President Jimmy Carter spoke in Havana, calling for an end to the embargo, saying "Our two nations have been trapped in a destructive state of belligerence for 42 years, and it is time for us to change our relationship."

The United Nations General Assembly has condemned the embargo as a violation of international law every year since 1992. In 2002, for example, it condemned the embargo by 173 votes to 3. Israel routinely joins the U.S. in voting against the resolution as has Palau every year since 2004. The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cuba, Perez Roque called the embargo "an act of genocide". Cuba has also denounced as "theft" the use of frozen Cuban assets to pay for lawsuits filed in the US against the Republic of Cuba.

The US Chamber of Commerce estimates that the embargo costs the US economy $1.2 billion per year in lost sales and exports, while the Cuban government estimates that the embargo only costs the island itself $685 million annually. The US has spent over $500 million broadcasting Radio Marti and TV Marti, even though the transmission signals of the latter are effectively blocked by the Cuban government. The non-partisan Cuba Policy Foundation estimates that the embargo costs the US economy $3.6 billion per year in economic output.

In addition to the Cuban authorities, film director Michael Moore has also challenged the embargo by bringing 9/11 rescue workers in need of health care to Cuba to obtain subsidized health care.

On April 13, 2009, President Barack Obama loosened the travel ban, now allowing Cuban-Americans to travel freely to the country. The President has outlined a series of steps that Cuba could do to demonstrate a willingness to open its closed society, including releasing political prisoners, allowing United States telecommunications companies to operate on the island and ending government fees on money sent to Cubans by relatives living abroad. Many see this as opportunity for Cubans and Americans to engage in viable businesses together.

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[aviomaster]

No country but USA holds embargo on CUBA ,,,

No Eeropean country has any blockade or anything against CUBA but only  USA fascist scum.

GOD bless Russian Federation Nuclear Stockpile

[nailsrbroken]

The bright side of socialism.

[NassguI]

@UDSS; Indeed, this is the most accurate statement here.

[aviomaster]

@Amnes1a92 -- Yes USA can wipe the floor with Russia after USA is being flashed down the toilet.

[YourOasis97]

@paulsviplist I'm American but my family are Cubans and emigrated here.

[UDSS]

The US government is anti-Cuba because Castro kicked US capitalism out of Cuba. That is why that embargo is still there. It is not about democracy or human rights. America is trading with China and Russia, who are both not democratic nations.

It is all about capitalism. In China and Russia, Americans can hire and exploit workers. In Cuba that is not the case. The American government is a capitalist dictatorship. Both George Bush and Barack Obama are right-wing and anti-Cuba.

[stevan33ify]

hi im cuban and have to live in this oppressive regime its like a prison here communist dictator i have free education and medical very oppressive

[stevan33ify]

you people must be ex-cuban the U.S. Government are the real terrorists

[ElMataCHE]

Traitors to the USA .. Communist losers and ass holes!!

Even the background is red !

[gustavth1]

Cuba is the only place in the world where communism have been sucsessfull to some extent

[themailman43]

DOWN WITH THE DIRTY DICTATORSHIP OF THE CASTRO DYNASTY