On November 2, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly once again voted overwhelmingly for the United States to lift its economic and trade embargo on Cuba. Since 1992, the majority of the UNGA have repeatedly called for an end to the sanctions originally placed on the country over 60 years ago. The US embargo on Cuba prevents businesses owned by or operating under the US from engaging economically with Cuba, and is considered “the oldest and most comprehensive US economic sanctions regime against any country in the world.”
As long as these strict economic sanctions endure, Cuban citizens will continue to suffer as the Cuban government struggles to provide livable wages, healthcare resources, and political and social freedom. The simple fact of the Cuban government does not justify economic oppression enforced by the US government, especially when trade continues with Russia and Iran — countries historically considered a threat to the US. If the United States wishes to position itself as an entity more sympathetic to Cuban citizens than the Cuban government, then the embargo must end.
The trade embargo intends to force a regime change in Cuba, which has been ruled singularly by the Communist Party of Cuba since 1965. The Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 specifically calls for the sanctions to exist “so long as [Cuba] continues to refuse to move toward democratization and greater respect for human rights.” Within the country, political repression is rampant and human rights abuses are frequently perpetrated by the state. Dissenters are imprisoned and sometimes even killed for expressing anti-government sentiment.
Combined with political and social oppression, Cubans also experience wide-spread, intense poverty. National food, clean water, medicine and other shortages have forced Cubans into poor health. Due to a lack of money and resources brought on by foreign sanctions, the Cuban government is unable to provide for its citizens. Additionally, restrictions on trade means Cuba cannot source food and medicine from the US or American-run businesses.
Harsh sanctions have forced Cuba to seek economic ties with countries historically antagonistic towards the US. Instead of pushing Cuba towards democratization, the decades-long sanctions pushed its government to further align with the opposite through China and Russia. To avoid this, the US should be incentivizing Cuba’s democratization through trade agreements and continued humanitarian efforts within the region. By normalizing Cuba-US relations, soft power efforts could help establish a relationship of economic dependency. Rather than encouraging food and medicine shortages from afar, presenting Cuba with an alternative future through democratic relations with the US could inspire change within the country.
Additionally, a positive change in relations would spur US endearment among Cuban citizens , removing a key propaganda tool of the Cuban government. In 2021, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel blamed the US embargo for protests against the government’s poor COVID-19 response. Recognizing the political will of the Cuban people, changing the perception of the US through the lifting of sanctions could further incite anti-government protests.
Sanctions are a key tool of the US’ foreign policy strategy. However, the embargo on Cuba is unique because it imposes a total restriction on trade and businesses. The short list of countries strictly sanctioned by the US includes Cuba, Iran, Syria, and Russia. Embargoes on other countries are often justified by aggression towards the US and/or alleged human rights abuses. Cuba, however, no longer poses a diplomatic or military threat to the US government.
Promoting a positive relationship with Cuba will likely garner American support too, as a 2016 poll conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center found that 75% of Americans approved of the movement towards resuming relations with Cuba and 73% supported the end of the blockade. The same year, Gallup reported that, for the first time, the majority of Americans viewed Cuba in a favorable light.
Clearly, the perception of Cuba is changing, both domestically and among its own citizens. Americans are more ready than ever to accept an end to the long-standing sanctions levied against a country in the midst of political change. After more than half a century, it is time to terminate the inhumane embargo, to cease contributing to poverty and inequality, and to begin the process of restoring political and economic relations with Cuba, a country whose citizens do not deserve to be treated as pawns in an antiquated proxy war.