Third Way: The US Government’s Anti-Humanitarian Approach to Cuba
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI
Since Fidel Castro took power over Cuba in 1959, US-Cuba relations have been rocky at best. This is in large part due to Castro’s Communist leadership. Within a year of taking control, Castro increased taxes on US imports as well as strengthening Cuba’s relationship with the Soviet Union. To combat this, US President Eisenhower imposed a trade embargo – which JFK expanded into a full economic embargo – as well as cutting off diplomatic ties with the Cuban government and restricting travel. These economic restrictions have stayed in place for over sixty years. Until there was a glimmer of hope in 2008.
When President Obama was elected, one of his goals during his campaign trail was to restore a diplomatic relationship with Cuba. To help with this campaign promise, Fidel Castro stepped aside and allowed his brother, Raul Castro, to take over. Raul Castro and Obama worked together to establish a more diplomatic relationship between the two countries. Additionally, Raul Castro reformed some aspects of Cuba’s previously state-controlled economy, which helped to bolster Cuba’s economy and Cubans to travel abroad. Consequently, Obama loosened some restrictions on trade and travel, as well as being the first US president to visit Cuba since 1928. Yet, while Obama suggested that Congress lift the trade embargo established by Eisenhower and JFK, the embargo remained in place during and after his presidency.
While it seemed as if some progress was being made on the diplomatic front, President Trump made a mission of undoing all President Obama attempted to change. Trump once again prevented travel to and from Cuba, threatened some of Cuba’s tourist industry, and tightened economic restrictions again. Now, with Cuba in turmoil and citizens rioting on the street under their new leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, the choices that Trump made and the policies that he helped to pass are partially to blame.
Cuba’s Protests
The beginning of July saw streams of protestors running on the streets of Havana. They protested against their lack of freedom and called for the current president, Díaz-Canel, to step down. In response, these protestors were beaten down, tear gassed, and arrested. The Cuban people are facing unprecedented economic and health crisis as a result of power outages and severely limited access to COVID-19 vaccines and other medicines. These crises are caused in part by the pandemic, which of course has impacted almost every country’s economy nationwide. However, Cuba’s crises have been amplified by the sanctions that were imposed by the US over fifty years ago and which were strengthened by Trump.
However, the protests go beyond just food shortages. Mass protests like these have not been seen in Cuba during most people’s lifetime, and one of their biggest calls is to end the communist regime in Cuban history. The government responded by shutting down internet across the country as well as selectively shutting off phone lines. They also ordered several groups of people, members of the Communist Party, government workers, and students to attend large rallies and demonstrations opposing the protests and supporting the Communist government. The Cuban President, Díaz-Canel, has also responded by calling for the US government to lift the sanctions and travel restrictions that Trump imposed, as he blames the food shortages and power outages on these sanctions.
Anti-Humanitarian Sanctions
One of the biggest questions surrounding this crisis in Cuba is whether or not US-imposed sanctions on struggling countries is truly humanitarian. The Trump administration passed similar sanctions on Venezuela – which is going through a similar economic and governmental crisis – beginning in 2017. The Washington Office on Latin America published a report stating that Trump’s sanctions “directly contributed to [the economy’s] deep decline, and to the further deterioration of the quality of life of Venezuelans.” The US sanctions of Venezuela caused a decline in oil production, which then decreased the amount of hard currency circulating in Venezuela. Although Cuba was not reliant on oil production, the restrictions that Trump placed on travel created a large loss in revenue in the second highest source of revenue, the tourism industry. Similar to Venezuela, these restrictions, combined with some of the economic sanctions, reduced the amount of hard currency, which prevented Cubans from being able to buy goods and services. This has led to shortages in food, medicine, vaccines, and power outages.
Given the significant decline of the life of the citizens of these countries after strong US sanctions are imposed, it does not appear that economic sanctions – which are usually set when the US believes that the country is committing human rights violations against its people – are helpful in the long run. Instead, the US government then plays a role in new human rights violations. The sanctions are one of the reasons that the citizens of Cuba are suffering. While the purpose of the sanctions is to send a message to a country’s communist government, they are also sending a different message – that the well-being of the people of these countries does not truly matter as much as letting the government know how the US feels about their politics.
Federal Action
Some Congressmembers believe agree with this line of thought. Eighty Democrats in the House recently sent a letter to Biden asking him to repeal Trump’s sanctions against Cuba. During his campaign, Biden had said that he would undo these sanctions as they “have inflicted harm on the Cuban people and done nothing to advance democracy and human rights.” Thus, not only did the sanctions not achieve their supposed purpose of stopping human rights violations but indeed contributed to the humanitarian crisis. Even still, Biden has not made good on his promise to repeal these sanctions.
The people of Cuba are struggling and calling out for help and our nation has not stepped in to help. As a global superpower, it is our duty to help the people of other nations who are struggling economically and politically. We need to aid the Cuban citizens in whatever way possible – just not by imposing any more economic sanctions on them or other countries in a similar position.
