AMERICAN POLICY TOWARD CUBA.   Term Paper ID:30628 Click to get this paper

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Paper Abstract: Examines policies of U.S. Presidential administrations. Events that have impacted upon the economic, cultural, and political dimensions of American policy toward Castro and Cuba. Pressures placed on the American government by its allies to reshape its Cuban policy. The role of the U.S. Cuban community in U.S. politics. The Elian Gonzales incident. Paper Introduction: Dimensions of American Policy Toward Cuba Introduction Since Fidel Castro took control of Cuba in the 1950s during the administration of U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, American policy toward Cuba has been based on the dream of a communism-free Cuba with a democratic government and a capitalist free market economy (Radhu, 1998). American policy toward Cuba has tended to position Fidel Castro as the primary obstacle to the achievement of this dream. The presence of a politicized, activist, and influential Cuban exile community in the United States has been one of several factors that underpins the persistence of this policy. Michael Radhu (1998) notes that from Eisenhower to Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, few meaningful changes have occurred in official Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Dimensions of American Policy Toward CubaIntroduction Since Fidel Castro took control of Cuba in the 195 s during theadministration of U.S. Effortsto eliminate Castro and his followers from control of Cuba have uniformlyfailed since the Bay of Pigs invasion and have shown little promise ofsuccess. The spectacle of a small nationbeing incrementally strangled by a powerful neighbor has triggered agrassroots mobilization of American churches and humanitarian groups torepeal the embargo and to begin delivering aid to Cuba. Russia, which might be expected to provide some supportfor Castro, is having her own problems. Theattitude of the administration was softened partially by election yearconsiderations, namely the importance of the well-organized Cuban exilevote. NationalJournal, 33 (17), 1274. The Cuban Democracy Act, which was passed by the U.S. Admittedly, as 2 1 winds down, President George W. Americanpolicy toward Cuba has tended to position Fidel Castro as the primaryobstacle to the achievement of this dream. The struggle over Elian (whowas eventually taken from his relatives in Florida and returned to hisfather in Cuba) has produced resulted in new antagonisms between the Cubanexiles and the American government, which the Cubans see as abandoning itscommitment to their cause (Wilde, 2 ). embargo, but this military adventurismis very much a thing of the past. Cuban-American dialogues. Further,says Smith (2 ), the Cuban-American exile community itself is divided onthe questions of how Cuba should be "handled" and the more extreme elementswithin that community are losing their own grip on a united Cuban "blocvote." The case of Elian Gonzales, a young Cuban boy whose mother was killedalong with her fiancé as she attempted to seek refuge in the United States,further flamed tensions in the Cuban exile community and placed theAmerican government in a difficult position. nationals to sue foreign investors whoprofit from property confiscated by the Cuban government and denying thoseinvestors from doing business in the United States (Malone, Problems withcurrent..., 1999). The passage of this Act has angereda number of American allies, including Canada, which has a $385 millionannual trade relationship with Cuba (Robinson, 1996). Castro is still firmly in power, despiteefforts to have him removed or even assassinated. Moresignificantly, according to Smith (1998), the passage of the CubanDemocracy Act and the later passage of Helms-Burton has had the net effectof antagonizing America's important allies in the North American Free TradeAssociation (NAFTA). interests such as engagement with future Cuban leaders, regional security initiatives, relations with U.S. (2 ). The president must now obtainCongressional approval for any major policy shift with respect to Cuba.Helms-Burton also introduced new penalties for foreign companies doingbusiness in Cuba, permitting U.S. Some elements of U.S. Wilde, M. U.S. Washington's costly Cuba policy. ORBIS, 42 (4),545 - 552. Given that a number of America's allies trade andinvest in the Cuban economy and have diplomatic relations with Cuba, therehave been pressures placed on the United States government to reshape itsposture on its neighbor (Malone, Cuba: Policy agenda..., 1999). The Economist, 344, 2. Smith (1998) advanced the argument that American policiestoward Cuba in general and the embargo in particular are counterproductivebecause Cuba has become of little importance to the U.S. In essence, America's "get tougher" policy onCuba, as reflected in Helms-Burton, created enormous difficulties for herallies and trade partners, who have invested heavily in some instances inCuba and who have come to the conclusion that America's policies toward theisland nation are at best outmoded and at worst excessively punitive (BiterBitten..., 1996). (1999). allies, and humanitarian support for the Cuban people. The Cuban-Americancommunity has exhibited long memories of their exile and their misfortunesand despite some new cleavages in that community, antagonism toward theCastro government still runs wide and deep (Maggs, 2 1). (1998). Congress in1992, prohibited foreign subsidiaries of U.S. The Cuban-Americancommunity has failed in several efforts to mount a military operation toretake the government of Cuba, and the international business and politicalcommunities are no longer willing to join with the U.S. There are disagreements among Cuban-Americans over any number ofquestions related to Cuba and a growing sense among many Cuban-Americansthat democracy will come to Cuba with the death of Fidel Castro and hisreplacement by more moderate elements within Cuban society. Portes, A. Helms-Burton appears, on balance, to have given Castro an opportunityto garner sympathy for his government. Anti-Castrogroups (including some key actors whoa re not part of the Cuban-Americancommunity as well as portions of that community) hope that Bush willaggressively enforce Helms-Burton. S. News and World Report, 12 (1 ), 35 - 36. (1996). Robinson, L. Thus, as Schneider (2 1) argues, the Cuban-American exilecommunity still wields enormous political power and influence and can evencoalesce to defeat a major political candidate. ORBIS, 42 (4),533 - 544. The Nation, 271(1), 19 - 2 +. policy imply that Washington aims to destabilize Cuba's Present and dictate its future . However, in recent years increasing number of conservativeRepublicans have turned against the Cuban embargo because, they believe, ithurts America's best interests. Payback time for the Miami Cubans? TheCCD has become an opponent of the Cuban American National Foundation(CANF), which under the leadership of the now deceased Jorge Mas Canosa,had exerted enormous influence over American policy in the Caribbean area.The CANF and Mas Canosa were highly instrumental in generatingCongressional support for Helms-Burton and mobilizing support for numerousefforts to overthrow Fidel Castro. Such a shift would be inthe best interests of the United States and her allies - who are ready,willing and able to move ahead in Cuba without American support. Elements of the first track have been in placesince 196 , when the United States imposed an economic embargo on tradebetween the two countries. Gonzalez, upon his rescue atsea in 1999, was placed with relatives among the Cuban-American exilecommunity. A narrow focus on isolating Castro hinders other U.S. Lacking the support of the Soviet Union,Cuba has been largely unable to engage in this kind of agitation. (1998). policy toward Cuba: . The Economist,339 (7969), 45. Alejandro Portes(1998) claims that as the 199 s were ending, the Cuban Committee forDemocracy (CCD) had begun to advocate an end to the American embargo. Most of the U.S.'s trade partners went on record as against the Helms-Burton sanctions and provisions. Cuba's former militarism in Africa and throughout Latin America wasanother justification for the U.S. Smith (2 )commented that for many Cuban-Americans, the need to provide assistance tothe Cubans living in poverty and lacking adequate medical and otherresources has begun to take precedence over the downfall of Castro. The Cuban exiles who follow in the stepsof Jorge Mas Canosa are seen as demanding that both Bush brothers not onlycontinue the embargo on Cuba, but deploy the provisions of Helms-Burton tofurther constrain Castro's government and prevent that government fromimproving the overall economic status of the Island. Music (1996) reported that in addition to this provisionof the Act, the U.S. The Economist (Biter Bitten..., 1996)stated that Mexico, Canada, members of the Organization of American States(OAS), and EU nations all agreed in principle that Helms-Burton wasantithetical to the American doctrine of promoting free trade and theglobalizing impulse itself. The second track of the Cuban Democracy Act opened up possibilitiesfor providing support to the Cuban people. since the end ofthe Cold War. Malone, S. (2 1). The argument will beadvanced that America's attitude toward Cuba is largely shaped by anti-communist ideology and the need to placate the Cuban-American community.Discussion Malone (Cuba: Policy agenda..., 1999) believes that in recent years,American policy towards Cuba has been guided by two primary objectives or"tracks." These objectives are to isolate the Cuban government from theworld community and to provide support to the Cuban population. that his mother hadsought (Wilde, 2 ). Though they werehumanitarian in intent, some of these initiatives were later justified byU.S. economic sanctions against Cuba were in the process ofbeing relaxed, allowing U.S. (1996). Currently Cuba imports about $6 million worth of food goods eachyear. He terroristattacks on American, which took place in September of 2 1, and thecontinued "War on Terror" that the country is waging, is most definitelythe central item on the foreign policy agenda. As significantly, the Elian Gonzalez case had a direct impact uponthe 2 presidential election. He immediately became a cause celebre and a focus of demandsfrom the Cuban-Americans that the American government refuse to returnhis to the custody of his father in Cuba (Wilde, 2 ). S. Schneider, W. Mexico and Canada have been particularly vehement intheir opposition to Helms-Burton and have taken the position that theUnited States is acting in a foolish manner and clinging to policies thatno longer make sense in the new global economy. New president, same old Cuba policy. has had less flexibility to adjustAmerican policy to changing circumstances. U.S. Smith (2 ), a former State Department Cuba expert, believes that thebest description of American policy vis-à-vis Cuba is the term"dysfunctional," indicative of a failure on the part of the United Statesto recognize that Castro has become a permanent fixture in Cuba and thatthere will be no "popular uprising" in Cuba against his regime. Foreign Policyin Focus, 4 (29), 2. Smith, W. Cuba: Agenda for the future. Responding in part topressure from the exile community, the Clinton administration agreed in theaftermath of the planes being shot down to support the Helms-Burton Act. government also acquired the authority to deny entryvisas to representatives of foreign-owned companies that have invested inCuba - which EU members perceived as an anti-free trade move on the part ofthe U.S. William Schneider (2 1) reported that theClinton Administration's raid on the home of the Cubans caring for Eliancaused the Cuban-American community to abandon Democrat Al Gore in his bidfor the presidency. Washington and Brussels reached an accord in 1997 to suspend Europe'splans to challenge Helms-Burton before the WTO. sanctions in their dealings with Cuba, Iran, and Libya. (2 1). Others of a less extreme bent on theCuban question are hoping that Helms-Burton will not be enforced at all. Robinson (1996) reports that the White House had earlier opposed theHelms-Burton Act on the grounds that it would anger other countries andwould infringe on the president's authority to conduct foreign policy. The Oil Daily, 46(188), 3-5. Foreign Policy inFocus, 4 (29), 1. The United States agreedto seek waivers for European companies and individuals from the Helms-Burton act. (1996). dollars in Cuba,financing transactions, traveling to Cuba, and limiting U.s. (1999). To do so, a company must first apply toand receive a specific license from the Treasury Department's Office ofForeign Asset Control (OFAC). Malone, S. (2 1). The presence of a politicized,activist, and influential Cuban exile community in the United States hasbeen one of several factors that underpins the persistence of this policy.Michael Radhu (1998) notes that from Eisenhower to Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon,Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, few meaningful changes haveoccurred in official policy with respect to Cuba. American posture regarding Cuba is, therefore, a present-day and long-term problem for many of her allies in the Americas and Europe. For the U.S., Cuba thus represents a very real challenge.President Bush and his brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush, owe much to theCuban-American community and to a degree, they both believe that their ownpolitical futures may depend on the support of this small but powerfulgroup (Payback time for..., 2 1). For many multinationals based in the U.S., denial of opportunityto do business with and in Cuba is seen as a threat to their own growth. Free trade and newly opened markets are driving globalization of theeconomy, and big money has become intolerant of the American government'spolicies on doing business with Cuba. Elian Gonzalez defeated Al Gore. Whereas Smith (1998) believes that the trade embargoinitially made sense after Castro nationalized all American-ownedproperties without compensation, over time and with the collapse of theSoviet Union, the embargo has made less and less sense. The Christian Century,117 (16), 5556 - 558+. Bush may wellhave far more pressing problems on his plate than Cuba. politics will be analyzed along withthe problems caused by the Elian Gonzales incident. In the countries of the Organization forEconomic and Cooperative Development (OECD), similar negative responses toHelms-Burton were recorded. Bush. As Maggs (2 1) commented, political groups in the United statesremain divided over Helms-Burton and the foreign policy course that Americashould take under the leadership of President George W. U.S. food and agricultural sales to the Island.However, strict laws remain n place on using U.S. Trade with Cuba? The pressures exerted on the American government by its Europeanallies from the EU resulted in a deal allowing waivers for Europeancountries from U.S. Maggs, J. officials as a means of subverting the Cuban government. Manyinternational companies and capital investors have made substantialeconomic investments andcommitments to Cuba and want to ensure that their investments are protectedand flourish. While many expected an emphasis on isolation todecline with the end of the Cold War, recent years have instead brought anintensification of American pressure tactics initiated primarily by thelegislative branch. The increase in tourism and Cuba's centralized economy have thepotential to raise demand for imported foods. NationalJournal, 33 (24), 1822 - 1823. Shawn Malone (Problems with current..., 1999) contends that the neteffect of the Cuban Democracy Act and other pressures exerted by the UnitedStates on Cuba has been to strengthen Castro's position and to create theimpression that the United States aim is to destabilize Cuba's presentgovernment and dictate the structure of a new government. (1998). Frozen Food Digest, 16 (3), 4 . President Dwight Eisenhower, American policy towardCuba has been based on the dream of a communism-free Cuba with a democraticgovernment and a capitalist free market economy (Radhu, 1998). (2 1). (2 ). The proximity of the Island, its viability as alocus for investment and trade, and its growing number of links toAmerica's allies all combine to ensure that the question of how Americanshould structure her policy toward Cuba will not go away. Earlier, President Clinton had garnered 35 percent ofthe Cuban-American vote in Florida; Gore, on the other hand, drew less than2 percent. Similarly, theEuropean Union (EU) decided to register a complaint with the World TradeOrganization (WTO) over the passage of Helms-Burton; at issue was the Act'sprovision allowing naturalized U.S. The Floridan community itself as divided on theissue. The roleof the U.S. The American Prospect, 38, 28 - 32. Almost a half-century has elapsed since Fidel Castro and hisrevolutionary army took control of Cuba and caused a massive exit ofelements within Cuban society to the United States. Cuba's primary source of support,the Soviet Union, is no longer a player in the geopolitical arena, and theCold War is over. At the same time, the Cuban-American community (much of which islocated in Florida) is apparently showing some signs of backing down fromits position of antagonism toward Fidel Castro and Cuba. disappointed by EU decision to registercomplaint with WTO over Helms-Burton law. Maggs(2 1) suggests that pressures from America's trading partners on the Cubanquestion are likely to increase rather than decrease over time. American policy represents a near-total disjuncture betweenthe stated objective of aiding the Cuban people and the means chosen toachieve this policy. This incident reaffirmed the passionate animosityof Cuban-Americans towards the Castro regime, which had been firmly inplace since the abortive 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. Maggs (2 1) believes that once the waterssurrounding the terrorist issue are calmed down (or perhaps even beforethis occurs), Cuba will again emerge as a foreign policy issue of politicaland economic significance. Undercurrent regulations, representatives from private firms may travel to Cubaif such travel is related to marketing, sales negotiation, and companyingdelivery of agricultural products. Europeans and Canadians areincreasingly regarding Cuba as both a desirable vacation destination and agood economic market. companies from trading withCuba, urged other countries to restrict trade and finance arrangements withthe island, approved economic sanctions for any country providingassistance to Cuba, and prohibited ships docking in Cuba from entering U.S.ports for six months (Malone, Cuba: Policy agenda..., 1999). Smith, W. Our dysfunctional Cuban embargo. In the spring of 2 1, Frozen Food Digest (Trade with Cuba..., 2 1)reported that U.S. citizens to file cases against foreignfirms or individuals who profited from property seized from these formerCuban citizens. Given the extremely close results in the Florida vote count,that 15 percent differential may have literally cost Gore and the Democratsthe White House. Problems with current U.S. Cuba represents an excellent market for the American agriculturalsector. With thepassage of Helms-Burton, the U.S. Thesesanctions had previously been implemented by executive order. governmentassistance to Cuba (even under the rubric of "humanitarian aid"). Reinforcing Cuba's perception of external meddling, the 1996 Helms-Burton Act had the effect of codifying U.S. These possibilities includedthe authorization of regulated donations of food and medicine to Cuba,payments to Cuba for telecommunications services, and travel to Cuba forjournalistic, religious, or educational purposes. Honking at Havana: Cuban exiles vow to keep upthe pressures on Castro - and Washington. Wayne S. In 1996, Cuba shot down two airplanes pilotedby members of the Cuban-American exile group known as Brothers to theRescue (Robinson, 1996). As Cuba's economy responds to increased foreigninvestment and new levels of tourism, incomes will invariably rise andconsumption of all types of products (including food) will increase (Tradewith Cuba?, 2 1). Malone (Problems with current..., 1999) summarized the key problemswith U.S. References Biter bitten: The Helms-Burton law. sanctions against Cuba. The goal of this alliance is to loosenthe embargo and to allow America's farmers to sell their products to Cuba(Payback time for..., 2 1). efforts to isolate Havana are counterproductive, generating domestic and international sympathy for Castro . Nevertheless, Portes (1998) maintainsthat many in the American public, in Cuba, and in the exile communityitself began to object to CANF's excesses. The formerhas generally taken priority over the latter, precluding various measuresthat would assist the Cuban people but which might simultaneously benefitthe Castro regime as well. American policy, particularly in the economic sphere, isperceived by these firms as inhibiting their capacity to profit andprosper. However, Cuba is still aquestion of significance. Because ofpressure applied by Cuban-Americans on both the Democrats and theRepublicans, the thrust of American policy toward Cuba has been punitive.This may change, and some commentators believe it must change (Maggs,2 1).Summary and Conclusions Smith (1998) characterized America's policy toward Cuba as"dysfunctional," stressing the fact that it has become clear that theembargo has simply not worked. Only 9 percent of Cuban-Americans favored a return to Cuba for theboy, as opposed to 76 percent of white, non-Hispanic Floridians and 92percent of African-Americans in the region. in enforcing tradeand other sanctions against the Island. Don't reward Cuba, keep the embargo. Radhu, M. Inessence, pressure from big business interest and from American economictrading partners and allies may very well force President Bush to avoid"getting tough" on Cuba or using the provisions of Helms-Burton to furtherpenalize and isolate Castro's regime. governmentofficials, was the question of whether or not the boy should be returned tothe care and custody of his sole remaining natural parent, or whether heshould be allowed to achieve the refuge in the U.S. Exerting what some analysts believe to be an undue amount ofinfluence over American policy affecting Cuba is the presence of Cubanexiles in the United States. In light of all these factors, itseems that it is time for a major policy shift. Ever since the farm crisis of the mid-198 s, Republicans in grain producing states have formed a rare alliancewith liberal Democrats in Congress. At issue in the case of Elian, according to U.S. policy. D. It is the purpose of this report to examine recent events that haveimpacted upon the economic, cultural, and political dimensions of Americanpolicy towards Cuba. Cuban community in U.S. Morning in Miami: A new era for Cuban-Americanpolitics. Music, K. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.