After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, American foreign policy shifted from Latin America to the Middle East. This new focus meant that critical issues in Latin America were ignored, such as the Cuban embargo. The United States’ economic sanctions against Cuba have resulted in a degraded quality of life. Cubans lack access to basic goods and services. Additionally, the embargo has decreased the United States’ ability to exert its influence in the region. China has filled the power vacuum left by the United States. Latin America provides China with a new and relatively untapped market. China needs resources from Latin America–such as oil—to maintain its growth. The United States should end the economic embargo against Cuba in order to regain its hemispheric influence in Latin America.
The sharp shift from democratization during the Cold War to isolation post-9/11 resulted in the lowest point in U.S.-Latin American relations ever. Between 1989 and 1995, the United States reached a high point in relations; the Brady debt-relief proposal relieved Latin American countries; the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed; the United States was the undisputed hemispheric power (Hakim 39). Relations began to slip in 1996 when Congress added further restrictions to the embargo in the Helms-Burton Act. Later, President Clinton expanded the embargo to prevent foreign subsidiaries of American companies from trading with Cuba (Siegelbaum). After 9/11, American focus shifted away from Latin America. This moment was inevitable after a culmination of Washington’s leadership failures; both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were unwilling to stand up to powerful domestic constituencies (Hakim 39-40). As the United States began waging its war on terror...
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...pera Mundi. Opera Mundi, 29 May 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. < http://operamundi.uol.com.br/conteudo/opiniao/29149/ong+britanica+e+vitima+das+sancoes+economicas+dos+estados+unidos+contra+cuba.shtml>.
NBC World News. “Cuba issue deals blow to US stature at ‘Summit of the Americas’.” NBC, 15 Apr. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
Perez, David. “The Way Forward: A Policy Recommendation for the U.S. State Department.” Harvard Latino Law Review 13 (2010): 187. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
Roosevelt, Theodore. “Theodore Roosevelt’s Annual Message to Congress for 1904”; House Records HR 58A-K2; Records of the U.S. House of Representatives; Record Group 233; Center for Legislative Archives; National Archives
Siegelbaum, Portia. “Cuba: U.S. embargo causes $1 trillion in losses.” CBS News, 14 Sept. 2011. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. < http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cuba-us-embargo-causes-1-trillion-in-losses/>.
The 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act grants Cubans a unique place in U.S. Immigration Law and Policy by declaring that all those who arrive in the United States are accepted as political refugees, and are eligible to become legal permanent residents after one year (Marc R.). It was created to offer protection to Cubans escaping oppression from their Communist government. As might be expected, this law is always the debate of Cubans who think about coming to America seeking freedom and a better life. For many Cubans to reach American territory is all a dream, mostly because of the chances of attaining a better economic situation for themselves and their families. A lot of them also pursue to reunite with their families in the United States after many years of separation. Some others are opponents of the Castro regime. Because they don’t have freedom of speech and can see their lives threatened if they speak out against the government, seek for more political freedom and a democratic form of government, in a land of capitalism where there are fewer restrictions and more opportunities.
"JFK Announces a Blockade of Cuba." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Cuba and the U.S.: The Tangled Relationship. New York: The Foreign Policy Association, 1971. Flaherty, Tom.
The U.S.’s relationship with Cuba has been arduous and stained with mutual suspicion and obstinateness, and the repeated U.S. interventions. The Platt agreement and Castro’s rise to power, served to introduce the years of difficulty to come, while, the embargo the U.S. placed on Cuba, enforced the harsh feelings. The two major events that caused the most problems were the Bays of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis.
America had begun to indulge in the unilateral environment afforded to it during the Cold War. As the Soviet Union began to collapse in the 1980s, the United States was on its way to becoming a solo super power. This acquisition of complete power would inevitably lead the country into new problems, including those foreign and domestic. One of the main issues that came around in the 1980s for the Unites States was the Iran-Contra Affair, which involved the Reagan Administration. With the United States readily inserting influence across the globe, the Iran-Contra Affair proved how foreign intervention can lead to scandal and disgrace in the modern world. Along with detrimental scandals, the Iran-Contra Affair showed how America’s imperialistic behavior in South America was beginning to catch up. In order to remain a dominant influence in South America, the United States had no choice but to topple governments that did not align with American ideology. Using guerillas like the Contras insinuates America’s cornerstone of doing what is necessary in order to satisfy foreign interest.
Is the Cuban Embargo a cruel reminder of the Cold war, or is it an important factor of American Democracy fighting the spread of Communism? The Cuban Embargo was a declaration issued by American President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The embargo was issued because of the threat that the Communist government of Cuba, led by Fidel Castro in 1959, had on American security, assets and democracy at the height of the Cold War. Some 1.8 billion worth of industrial assets were lost with Cuban communist nationalization. (Mr. D’Angelo personal interview) In support, constant influence of the Soviet Union during the early 1960s, particularly the time between 1961 and 1962, led to the creation of the embargo. In addition, the Soviet Union had planned to build a missile base on the island, which drove the Cold War to its height and made nuclear destruction a real possibility. Consequently, The Embargo called for total economic sanctions for Cuba and the institution of a blockade around the island, as shown by the seven-day stand off that followed the embargo with the USSR. Unfortunately, this blockade completely restricted any trade to foreign countries and even restricted travel to and from the island. The shattering of The USSR, or Soviet Union, should have called for the end of the embargo, but instead the federal government, in 1992, further restricted the embargo with the 1992 Cuba Democracy Act and the 1996 Helms-Burton Act. The Cuban Democracy Act was a bill presented by U.S. Congressman Robert Torricelli and passed in 1992, which prohibited foreign-based subsidiaries of U.S. companies from trading with Cuba, travel to Cuba by U.S citizens, and family remittances to Cuba (Lee). Most importantly, the Helms-Burton Act extended the territoria...
Over the course of the history of the United States, specific foreign policies have affected the methods in which the U.S. involves itself around the globe. Specifically, certain policies have affected U.S. involvement in Latin America. It is the intention of this essay to explain the United States foreign policy behind specific doctrines. In order to realize current objectives, this paper will proceed as follows: Part 1 will define the Monroe Doctrine, Sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 will concurrently explicitly explain the Roosevelt Corollary, Good Neighbor Policy, and the Nixon Doctrine, discuss how each policy resulted in U.S. involvement in Latin American countries, describe how it was justified by the U.S. government, respectively, and finally, will bring this paper to a conclusion.
White, Robert E. 2013. "After Chávez, a Chance to Rethink Relations With Cuba". The New
Throughout the Cold War the United States considered the installation in Latin America of radical regimes-socialist, Marxist-Leninist, or “leftist” in any way- to be utterly intolerable. Any such development would represent an advance for the communist cause and a vital loss for the West. Acceptance of this outcome could weaken the credibility of the United States as the leader of the west and as a rival for the USSR. In the eyes of Cold Warriors, the consolidation of any left-wing regime in the Western Hemisphere would have dire and perilous implications for U.S. national security and for the global distribution of power. It was therefore crucial to resist this possibility by any means necessary in countries such as Grenada, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
Recommendations of the US Commission on Immigration Reform, and Favoritism for Cubans. 20 Oct. 2000, http://www.fairus.org.
Ewing, Walter. "The Many Facets Of Effective Immigration Reform." Society 47.2 (2010): 110-117. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
On January 1, 1959, Cuban dictator Fulgencio was overthrown.(Goode, Stephen 75). Fidel Castro overthrew the old government and took over as Cuba’s ruler. During the weeks ahead, Castro found a new government and on February 16, he was officially declared ruler of Cuba (Finkelstein, Norman H. 127). The United States did not mind this new regime because the old ruler was running an unfair, corrupt, and unpopular government. Soon after everything was set, Castro and his men made a quick move to change their political course. These events worried the United States and there were concerns about Castro becoming too powerful. One reason was the friendship Castro had with the Soviet Union. Cuba was receiving armed forces to expand and improve its army. Cuba received 30,000 tons of arms a year, which included Soviet JS-2 51-ton tanks, SU-100 assault guns, T-34 35-ton tanks, 76-mm field guns, 85-mm field guns, and 122-...
Gomez, Alan. "White House immigration plan offers path to residency." USA TODAY 17 February 2013, n. pag. Web. 24 Apr. 2013.
However the US played a much larger role in Cuba’s past and present than the building of casinos and the introduction of the first taints of corruption. In the past, even before Batista, Americans were resented by Cubans because the Americans made a lot of Cuba’s decisions. Under Batista, 80% of Cuban imports came from the US, and the US controlled at least 50% of sugar, utilities, phones and railroads. If Cuba was a business in the stock markets, then the US would have been close to owning 50% of its shares. When combined with a long history of US-backe...
Higgins' book begins with a brief review of the way United States presidents dealt with Latin America during that era. It starts with President Franklin D. Roosevelt leasing Guantanamo Bay and President Dwight D. Eisenhower invading Guatemala in Operations Fortune and Success, which became the model for President John F. Kennedy's Bay of Pigs operation. The book provides more in-depth information on how Eisenhower's tactics and plans set up the invasion of Cuba, which was later altered, modified, and approved by President John F. Kennedy. The book addresses how the United States intervened around the world to combat communism. The United States focused specifically on Latin America, indicating the imperialistic mentality of the United States during that era, which I believe continues to this day.