Time to End the Cuba Embargo
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| contrainjerencia.com |
by Doug Bandow, Cato Institute
The
U.S. government has waged economic war against the Castro regime for
half a century. The policy may have been worth a try during the Cold
War, but the embargo has failed to liberate the Cuban people. It is time
to end sanctions against Havana.
Decades
ago the Castro brothers lead a revolt against a nasty authoritarian,
Fulgencio Batista. After coming to power in 1959, they created a police
state, targeted U.S. commerce, nationalized American assets, and allied
with the Soviet Union. Although Cuba was but a small island nation, the
Cold War magnified its perceived importance.
Washington
reduced Cuban sugar import quotas in July 1960. Subsequently U.S.
exports were limited, diplomatic ties were severed, travel was
restricted, Cuban imports were banned, Havana’s American assets were
frozen, and almost all travel to Cuba was banned. Washington also
pressed its allies to impose sanctions.
These
various measures had no evident effect, other than to intensify Cuba’s
reliance on the Soviet Union. Yet the collapse of the latter nation had
no impact on U.S. policy. In 1992, Congress banned American subsidiaries
from doing business in Cuba and in 1996, it penalized foreign firms
that trafficked in expropriated U.S. property. Executives from such
companies even were banned from traveling to America.
On
occasion Washington relaxed one aspect or another of the embargo, but
in general continued to tighten restrictions, even over Cuban Americans.
Enforcement is not easy, but Uncle Sam tries his best. For instance,
according to the Government Accountability Office, Customs and Border
Protection increased its secondary inspection of passengers arriving
from Cuba to reflect an increased risk of embargo violations after the
2004 rule changes, which, among other things, eliminated the allowance
for travelers to import a small amount of Cuban products for personal
consumption.
Three
years ago, President Barack Obama loosened regulations on Cuban
Americans, as well as telecommunications between the United States and
Cuba. However, the law sharply constrains the president's discretion.
Moreover, UN Ambassador Susan Rice said that the embargo will continue
until Cuba is free.
It is far past time to end the embargo.
During
the Cold War, Cuba offered a potential advanced military outpost for
the Soviet Union. Indeed, that role led to the Cuban missile crisis.
With the failure of the U.S.-supported Bay of Pigs invasion, economic
pressure appeared to be Washington’s best strategy for ousting the
Castro dictatorship.
However,
the end of the Cold War left Cuba strategically irrelevant. It is a
poor country with little ability to harm the United States. In 1998, the
Defense Intelligence Agency concluded that “Cuba does not pose a
significant military threat to the U.S. or to other countries in the
region. Cuba has little motivation to engage in military activity beyond
defense of its territory and political system.” The Castro regime might still encourage unrest, but its survival has no measurable impact on any important U.S. interest.(emphasis added)
Editor’s Note:
Convicted spy Ana Belen Montes was the primary architect of the 1998
DIA assessment referenced above. Amazingly, 11 years into her prison
sentence, Montes continues to influence think tanks and the US
government. Are there any real “Cuba experts” left?
Read entire Cato document here: http://www.cato.org/
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