In October 1960, the United
States began an embargo on trade with Cuba with the exception of food and
medicine. The U.S. implemented a full trade embargo against Cuba
on February 3 1962. This came about because the Kennedy Administration
believed Castro was headed towards creating a totalitarian regime.
Castro had done a couple of things to bring this fear to the U.S.
He confiscated Cuban, U. S., and other foreign-owned property in Cuba,
and he supported violent revolution that was taking place in the Americas.
In 1964, the embargo became
continent-wide when the Organization of American States, with the exception
of Mexico, agreed to stop direct and indirect trade with Cuba. In 1971,
Cuba’s failing economy caused Castro to do away with the policy with the
Soviet Union for awhile and develop diplomatic relations with other Latin
American countries. These countries, Chile, Peru, and Argentina,
sought to get the OAS to end their embargo on Cuba. When this failed,
they tried to get local U.S. subsidiaries to trade with Cuba. The
U.S. felt pressured by this and feared this would cause division within
the ranks of inter-American business. Therefore, they allowed some
subsidiaries in Latin America to export to Cuba with the stipulation that
the exports be composed of no more the 20% of U.S. materials. The
United States also agreed in 1975 to the OAS compromise that allowed members
of the OAS to decide for themselves whether or not to trade with Cuba.
On at least three different
occasions, the U.S. government considered improving relations with Cuba.
However, Castro’s poor choices kept the embargo in full swing. In
1974, President Ford felt pressured by groups that were sympathetic to
Castro’s regime to try to develop better relations with Cuba. Once
Castro sent 40,000 troops, with the support of the Soviet military, to
Angola, and he took military action in other third world countries, the
President ceased to work towards better relations.
Two years later, Carter wanted
to improve Cuba’s human rights and reduced the restrictions of travel to
Cuba by U.S. citizens. This plan was also stopped after Castro sent
15,000 troops to Ethiopia, sent more troops to other parts of Africa, and
continued to support revolution on Central America.
The U.S. government was
perhaps the most disgusted with Castro when in 1980 he allowed 125,000
Cubans, many who were criminals or mentally ill, too flee to the United
States. This was to reduce the economic and political pressures he
was experiencing in his own country.
These events helped lead
to Reagan’s decision in 1982 to tighten the embargo. U.S. business
were prohibited from dealing with foreign owned businesses in the U.S.,
Panama, and Jamaica that were suspected of merely being Cuban guises to
break the U.S. embargo. In addition, a previous ban of U.S. citizens'
travel to Cuba was re-imposed.
In 1992, the Cuban Democratic
Act was passed in the U.S. because of Castro’s refusal to instill democratic
reforms and the increase of the amount of human rights that were being
violated in Cuba. This Act, often called the Torricelli Bill, tightened
the law on trade with Cuba and Pariah nations like North Korea, Iraq, and
Libya. It also urged foreign nations that were recipients of U.S.
aid to avoid giving assistance to Cuba. The goal of this act was
to isolate, thus weaken the Cuban government and increase pressure for
democracy.
In October 1995, Clinton created initiatives to help groups in the U.S. develop contact with Cuba. These initiatives allowed U.S. non-governmental organizations to help Cuban NGOs; it allowed sales and donations of communications equipment to Cuba. It established new bureaus and increased exchanges in academics, culture, and education. It also allowed one year visits to close relative in Cuba under humanitarian emergencies once a general Treasury license was received. The next law, created in 1996, was the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act (LIBERTAD). This law, also called the Helms-Burton law, was eagerly signed by President Clinton after two U.S. Civilian planes were shot down by Cuba. First, this law makes it impossible for a president to loosen or to do away with the embargo without an act of Congress. Next, it demands that visas be denied to individuals who use or receive profit from property confiscated by the Cuban government.
Finally, it gives Cuban-born
Americans the right to sue individuals who use their property confiscated
by Cuba.
The most recent occurrence came after the historic visit of Pope John
Paul to Cuba. On March 20, 1998, President Clinton decided to aid Cuban
citizens regardless of what is going on in their government. His
decision allows direct humanitarian charter cargo and passenger flights
to Cuba. Cubans had suspended (this after the downing of two American
civilian planes on February 24, 1996). Next, it allows Cuban Americans
and Cuban American families living in America to send $300 per quarter
to close relatives in Cuba. Finally, it simplifies the issuing of
licenses for the sale of medicine and medical supplies to Cuba.
