...Eisenhower administration placed an embargo on exports to Cuba. Until recently, the US has maintained a strict economic embargo against Cuba. Loosening restrictions on the US embargo against Cuba allows the two countries separated by approximately 90 miles of water to begin to take the steps or normalize their trade relations with hopes to promote “a democratic, prosperous, and stable Cuba.” There was a time when the United States and Cuba engaged in trade. Towards the end of the 19th century the United States were in control of Cuba’s sugar industry and purchased a large majority of Cuba’s exports; close to 90% of their total exports. Just a few years before the trade embargo and travel restrictions were set...
Words: 1261 - Pages: 6
...International Marketing July 29, 2012 Dr. David Holness, Instructor 1. Analyze the key issue that prompted the EU to take the Helms-Burton dispute to the WTO. The key issue that prompted the EU to take the Helms-Burton dispute to the WTO is the theory that law argues against the governments’ authority and the principle of International Law. The EU believed that there are measures in the Act that are divergent to the obligations of the United States of America in the WTO Agreements, particularly the GATS, Article 14 applying to trade and services, and GATT , Article 21 applying to trade in goods (Toledo, 2011). According to John H. Jackson, Andreas F. Lowenfeld, both Professors of Law, it is argued that the GAT and GATT contracts would provide a defense for the United States to many if not all of the United States Helms-Burton measures, even if some of these measures would otherwise be considered to be inconsistent with United States treaty obligations. These exceptions, however if given a broad interpretation could undermine the whole WTO treaty and impair the security and stability of the world trading system for which the WTO has been created. On the other hand, it is extremely important to all nations that national security to a requirement, and for an international organization to disregard the importance of national concerns and policies, could lead powerful trading nations to ignore or disregard the rules of such...
Words: 1324 - Pages: 6
...For over 50 years the United States of America and Cuba have had a negative relationship. In 1959, Fidel Castro and a group of revolutionists overthrew the Cuban government, changing it to a Communist country, which then created a strong relationship between Cuba and Soviet Union. During this time, the United States was at a stalemate war with the Soviet Union, now known as the Cold War. As Cuba’s relationship grew with the Soviet Union, their relationship with the United States quickly faded. As communism grew it began to ruin the United States’ idea of containment, which caused havoc within the economy. Cuba then became an enemy of the United States. Since that pivotal moment in history, the relationship between the United States and Cuba have experienced turmoil, which the current U.S. president Barack Obama, and the Cuban leader Raul Castro, have been trying to end the disorder between the two countries. In 1953 Fidel Castro and a group of 130 revolutionaries attempted to overthrow the dictatorship of Cuba but ended in a failure and later led to Castro’s imprisonment. The current dictator of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista, pardoned Castro, which was a major mistake. In 1956 Castro lead another revolt and promised the people of Cuba that he would replace Batista’s dictatorship with free elections and also promised that he would end the corruption in the Cuban government. (Dowling) Castro wanted to overthrow Batista because of his corruption and violence. Batista was known as a cruel...
Words: 1542 - Pages: 7
...The United States made the right decision in intervening during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Missiles brought to Cuba were against the Monroe Doctrine, and the USA had to act on it. The Monroe Doctrine warns all nations to not interfere in American affairs. The Nuclear Missiles that were brought to Cuba were an extreme threat to the United States, therefore, establishing a naval quarantine around Cuba and intervening had to be done for the welfare of the United States. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a conflict between the United States and Soviet Union over Soviet nuclear missile bases that were found and being built in Cuba. The conflict only lasted 13 days in the October of 1962. In the short amount of time that the Cuban Missile Crisis transpired,...
Words: 1424 - Pages: 6
...The United States had imposed an embargo against Cuba since the 1960s, that still stands today.. It has been about more than half a decade since the embargo was imposed, and not all proponents have been relaxed. It is important to study what political events and actions occurred because of the US embargo of Cuba in 1961, and why has the embargo not been lifted. The relationship between the United States and Cuba has gone far before the revolution. In the 1960s the United States placed “el bloqueo”. This was an embargo placed on Cuba thats consists of economic sanctions against Cuba and restrictions on Cuban travel and commerce for all people and companies under US authority. The first was in 1960 by President Eisenhower, and then in 1962,...
Words: 508 - Pages: 3
...opinion on why the U.S. should not lift the embargo on Cuba. Many critics have expressed their opinion as to why, the embargo should be lifted. This paper will explain why united States order a trade embargo against Cuba? What are the results for both countries? [What was the effect of the embargo on the citizens of Cuba and what was the result of the embargo on the US?], and what did the Cuban Government do to retaliate against the Trade Embargo? Finally, look at the strategic results and necessity for trade embargo in a globally interconnected economy. When the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish American war of 1898, Cuba along with Puerto Rico and Guam were signed over to the United States by Spain. The United States had the right to involve in the affairs of Cuba at any time. When Castro overthrew the existing government, run by President Batista, the United States supported this action by imposing arms embargo against the Batista government in 1958. Then in or about 1960, Castro not only seized private lands and companies of Cuban citizens, but also subsidiaries of the United States of America. This is when the Eisenhower administration imposed trade restriction with the exception of food and medical supplies. Not only was Castro started trading with the Soviet Union; but the Soviet Union also building missile bases in Cuba; the United States severed all ties and imposed a permanent embargo on Cuba at the direction of President Kennedy on February 7th...
Words: 2121 - Pages: 9
...annihilation of countries and cause unimaginable damage from the use of nuclear weapons by the United States and the former Soviet Union. The conflict had historical roots in the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union, as well as in the history of relations between the United States and Cuba. The strife between the United States and Cuba culminated when Fidel Castro overthrew a government publicly supported by the United States, although political and military officials in the United States secretly welcomed the events. However, it soon became clear that the takeover of Cuba by Castro would result in escalating conflict between it and the United States, something that quickly became more evident in the Bay of Pigs invasion and Operation Mongoose; both designed to eliminate Castro from the political field in Cuba. The Soviet Union supported Castro’s regime and Cuba’s stand, and forced its hand with the placement of nuclear missiles on the island. The United States countered, and the two countries played out their hands to determine the fate of the world. In the end, the United States and the Soviet Union came to an agreement, both sides attempting to avoid a nuclear war. To this day, the way in which the threat was diffused remains an important model in studying how to avoid future conflicts that threaten the world. The history of relations between the United States and the former Soviet Union paved the foundation that would culminate in the Cuban Missile Crisis...
Words: 2550 - Pages: 11
...U.S. Embargo Against Cuba Needs to End Park University The sixties have been described as “America’s most historically and culturally complex decade” (The Sixties: Timeline, 2005). It was the decade of many changes and events that helped shape our culture and our country into what it is today. The 1960’s was the decade that saw the likes of famous people like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as historical events like the first Woodstock and the race to space. It was the decade of the Vietnam War and Soviet Spies, and it was the decade that saw the end of the relationship between the United States and the small island nation just 90 miles off its coast: Cuba. On February 7th, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a Proclamation that ended and blocked all trade with Cuba. In it he wrote, “[I] Hereby prohibit…the importation into the United States of all goods of Cuban origin and all goods imported from or through Cuba” (Proclamation 3447 – Embargo All Trade With Cuba, 1962). What exactly is an embargo? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes an embargo as an order of a government prohibiting the departure of commercial ships from its ports and a legal prohibition on commerce. One of the main purposes of the embargo against Cuba was simply to deny hard currency to the Cuban government. However, it seems that purpose was one that did not really work. Even with the embargo in place, American dollars, still to this day, make its way into the hands...
Words: 2037 - Pages: 9
...the United States and Cuba. The turmoil between the United States and Cuba continued after John F. Kennedy took office. Each one these men, Fidel Castro, President Eisenhower, President Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev struggled for power and almost led our nations to a nuclear war. What led to the Cuban Missile Crisis? Fidel Castro was a lawyer in Cuba, he was unhappy with Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship and tried to use the law to remove Batista from power.1 After his failed attempts he became a rebel with the intent of overthrowing Cuba’s dictator Fulgencio Batista. His vision was to spread the wealth of the rich and give to the poor; and provide everyone with the same resources.2 Batista’s cruel behavior and murder of the Cuban people made him a target, he eventually fled.3 After winning public support and overthrowing their dictator, Fidel Castro began to spread the wealth among the Cuban people.4 This was a positive movement for the poor, but not popular among the more educated people who knew how to make money, so they began to flee Cuba.5 On April 15th 1959, Fidel Castro made an attempt to meet with President Eisenhower, instead, President Eisenhower went to play golf to avoid interaction with Castro.6 His intentions may have been to address the turmoil between the United States and Cuba. Instead, Vice President Nixon met with Fidel Castro, the vice presidents impression of Castro was that he was a communist.7 The United States was not happy when “Cuba distributed...
Words: 1229 - Pages: 5
...Questions Chapter VII 1. Should the United States seek to tighten the economic grip on Cuba? If so, why? The relationship between United States and Cuba deteriorated when the us corporations in Cuba were nationalized during the Cuban Revolution, since then the United States has declined to do business with Cuba. In my opinion the US should open his market and stop the embargo to Cuba because it will open many opportunities and break a lot of barriers between the countries. 2. Should the United States normalize business relations with Cuba? If so, should the United States stipulate any conditions? Yes they should normalize business because that would give opportunities to US corporation to sell their products in that country and therefore the economy of both countries will improve, in my opinion the condition that best suits the US should be that Cuba returns all the companies to the US companies. 3. Assume you are Cuba's leader. What kind of trade relationship with the United States would be in your best interest? What type would you be willing to accept? If I were Raul Castro I would try to reconcile with the US because that would mean breaking trade barriers between the countries and a dramatically improvement in exports of their main products (Sugar Caine, Rum and Cigars). Also tourism will improve making Cuba an attractive destination to US citizens. 4. How does the structure and relationships of the U.S, political system influence the existence and specification...
Words: 372 - Pages: 2
...The Cuban Missile Crisis February 13, 2012 On October 14, 1962, a U2 spy plane, flying a mission over Cuba, snapped a series of photographs that became the first direct evidence of Soviet medium range ballistic nuclear missiles in Cuba. These missiles clearly displayed an offensive weapons buildup on the island. These photographs lead to the closest the world has ever came to a nuclear war. According to Nikita Khrushchev's memoirs, in May 1962 he conceived the idea of placing intermediate range nuclear missiles in Cuba as a means of countering an emerging lead of the United States in developing and deploying strategic missiles. He also presented the scheme as a means of protecting Cuba from another United States-sponsored invasion, such as the failed attempt at the Bay of Pigs in 1961. Furthermore, the Soviet Union wanted to have missiles within the range of major United States cities because of the Americans stash of missiles in Turkey. After obtaining Fidel Castro's approval, the Soviet Union worked quickly and secretly to build missile installations in Cuba. On October 16, 1962 President Kennedy was informed that the Soviet Union was constructing sites in Cuba for surface to air missiles with a range of 1000 miles. The United States is about 90 miles away from Cuba The missiles had the potential to carry warheads 60 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. The President called together a group of advisors ( named the Ex -Comm) who contemplated...
Words: 1246 - Pages: 5
...The Cuban Missile Crisis was a thirteen day confrontation between The United States and The Soviet Union that was arguably the closest the two countries ever came to a nuclear war during The Cold War. On October 14, 1962, photographs taken by United States reconnaissance planes showed that nuclear missile sites were being built in Cuba. Bypassing private, diplomatic procedures, Kennedy went on national television on October 22 and revealed to the public that nuclear missiles had been found in Cuba and were within range of the continental United States. Kennedy also announced in his speech that the United States would enact a naval blockade on Cuba by putting a ring of ships around Cuba. Kennedy placed this "quarantine," as he called it, to...
Words: 1150 - Pages: 5
...on what was once called Oriente Province. Located on the southeast corner of the island country of Cuba. Oriente Province has since been divided into five distinct provinces, Las Tunas, Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantanamo. Guantanamo Bay is situated in the belt of the Caribbean trade winds; it receives sea breezes from the southeast during the afternoons, and shortly after sunset, the wind changes to a northerly direction and becomes a land breeze. The constant breezes help to keep the bay cooler than most semi-arid deserts. However, the mountains that surround the bay to the west, north, and east shelter it from cloud systems, thus producing less precipitation and maintaining the lands aridity. The Guantanamo Bay area is a semi-arid desert very similar to the climate found in San Diego, California. With predominantly dry, sunny days ranging from 80 degrees to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly one-fourth of Guantanamo’s total average annual rainfall of 24 inches, which occurs in October. The region contains parched, brown land and woody plants and succulents capable of enduring the scarcity of water. The terrain and climate of Guantanamo Bay make it a haven for iguanas and banana rats. Guantanamo Bay was named by the Taino Indians, which is a subgroup of the Arawakan Indians, which inhabited the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, consisting of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola ( Haiti and the Dominican Republic ), and Puerto Rico. In April of 1492...
Words: 1455 - Pages: 6
...the United States and the Soviet Union. The two superpowers had a competition at all times, especially when it came to communist and democracy belief. Stalin believed using these poster he could be recruiting people for military. However due to the Soviet Union being a military based government, he played a role in securing his people and making sure that they had strong enough military means to fight. The Soviet Union believed that they were dominant to and everyone...
Words: 860 - Pages: 4
...respect for the United States and that the USSR is prepared to develop a friendly relationship between the two countries. Khrushchev believed that Kennedy will take a soft response on foreign policy and is prepared to take full advantage of the situation. Feeling overwhelmed with his immediate responsibilities Kennedy brushes off Khrushchev first letter with a short response agreeing that everlasting peace is also a focus of the United States and thanking him for his kindness. Kennedy has become aware that Khrushchev has two different sides one that wants and dreams of world peace and another that wants to become extremely powerful. In his second letter to Khrushchev, Kennedy states that although there are many topics that these countries will not be able to agree on the manner in which these topics are approached and handled is of great importance. He also reemphasized the responsibility that rest upon the Unites States and the USSR in world affairs, following this letter everything remains “peaceful.” On April 18th, 1961 Khrushchev writes to Kennedy in response of to the Pay of Pigs invasion in Cuba. Khrushchev is fully aware that the order came from the United States and makes it clear that the USSR will render the necessary help to repel armed forces in Cuba. This is where Cuba becomes the center of focus between Khrushchev and Kennedy’s correspondence. Kennedy understands the mistake in allowing the invasion to go forward he quickly responds to Khrushchev, he states that the United...
Words: 459 - Pages: 2
