Cuba in the 1960s was a place of great uncertainty as years of the oppressive Batista regime had come to an end as a result of the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro. After Batista had been deposed Castro became the new leader of Cuba and under his rule Cuba developed into a socialist state which later evolved into a communism. After this new system had formed, similar acts of oppression occurred as the media was censored and any the people were stripped of their voice. Threat of arrests and harsh punishment kept the people from opposing this new regime. Reports of numerous human-rights violations occurred frequently as the Castro regime fought to maintain control over Cuba. The government of Cuba also developed a relationship with the Soviet Union and its allies. As this soviet presence grew and gross violations of human rights occurred, the United States decided to respond with an embargo designed to contain communism and stall the Soviets in the area. The Cuban missile crisis caused a panic in America, this led to a temporary physical naval blockade of Cuba. On October 19, 1960 an embargo was implemented which meant that travel, trade and communication between the countries would become limited or cease altogether. This embargo is still in place today, fifty six years after it was implemented. Cuba is currently lead by Fidel Castro's brother, Raul, who up until recently has not strayed far from his brothers ideals. (Fernandes 4007)

Economic independence, maintaining a family, and cultural advancement all things that we as Americans have supported and fought to protect for centuries. These freedoms have been held in high regard for centuries and are now part of our social structure.  As Americans we enjoy several freedoms that exist only in the dreams of citizens of other countries. We have freedoms which allow us to express ourselves through politics and attain economic prosperity. We can hold a political rally, vote for candidates and form our own opinions about any issue. We are also free to travel as we please and can engage in the world economy. Americans hold these abilities in high regard as we are a people who value freedom and individual liberties. Americans are quick to prevent action that would infringe upon any of these rights. We have also pledged to spread these freedoms to other countries especially those who are oppressed. We attempt to weave the ideas of personal liberties into most of our foreign policy decisions. The embargo of Cuba is an American action that has restricted the independence of the Cuban people for over fifty years. This is a piece of American foreign policy that has further restricted the freedoms of the already oppressed Cuban people. While support for the dissolving of the embargo is growing and progress is being made, the embargo of Cuba is still in place today and still serves its original function. I believe that as a people who put such high value of individual liberties, we can no longer support the embargo of Cuba as it restricts the abilities of Cubans to engage in the economy, maintain their separated families and advance culture.

In its designed capacity, the embargo of Cuba was meat to weaken the Cuban economy in an attempt to slow the spread of communism. Many of the issues of the Embargo involve the strict economic restrictions placed on Cuba under the embargo. The economy of Cuba, already restrained by communism, suffers further under the embargo as many of its trade connections are severed and its partners hesitant to do business with Cuba.  In his article Remy Herrera states that the embargo was designed to " ... cause the Cuban people a maximum of hardship ... " and is a " ... assault on the Cuban people's right to self-determination ... " (Herrera 4141) Herrera, an economist, has studied the effects of the embargo on the Cuban economy and people, specifically the economic limitations that are place on the Cuban people. In his studies he notes that the embargo on longer has the desired effect. The embargo is now only punishing a people who may already live in fear of the oppressive Castro regime.  These economic restrictions include limits on the transfer of private funds and foreign investments.  By placing the limitations on the people of Cuba, the embargo has taken away their ability to support themselves and their families. Cuban defectors who now reside in the United States are still restricted under the embargo as limits are placed on how much money they can transfer to their families back in Cuba. In addition to this, any money transferred in this manner is closely regulated by the United States government who can place further restraints on these transfers at any time.  According to Remy Herrera, the embargo of Cuba is an "assault on the Cuban people's right to self-determination" and should be considered "an attack on freedoms themselves." (Herrera 4142) As a series of legislative restriction placed on Cuba, the embargo has limited the freedoms of the Cuban people by disrupting the economy and making it difficult for people to support their families who still live in Cuba under the communist system. America is indeed the land of opportunity due to the wealth of economic opportunities that American have access to. Americans enjoy one of the freest markets found on Earth.  America needs to communicate this value of economic opportunity by releasing restrictions on the economic abilities of Cuba.

In addition to the restriction of the economic freedoms of the Cuban people, travel between the countries is made extremely difficult or in most cases impossible. Since the beginning of the embargo travel between the two countries has been a topic of much debate. In its early policy of containment, the U.S. ceased all travel between the two countries. Travel was originally restricted in an attempt to ensure the security of the U.S. During the Cuban missile crisis, fear of Cuban attack created a need for this measure. After this crisis was ended, the threat of a Cuban attack was greatly diminished. In later years these restrictions were eased slightly to allow political communication to resume and Cuban-Americans to visit their families in Cuba. The ability to visit family is still heavily regulated as the visits could only occur on average once every three years. This process of family visits was also made very rigorous and invasive. (Bilbao) Special permits and passes were required and the duration of the visit was heavily regulated. Herrera states that Cuban-Americans have their "travel to Cuba is henceforth subject to a authorization on a case-by-case basis". (Herrera 4142)  In the last few years the general tourism ban has been eased or lifted in some cases allowing U.S. citizens to visit Cuba while the special process of defectors visiting Cuba remains. The government of Cuba does not allow Cuban people to leave the island so this process is their only way of seeing their family in America.  The embargo mandates these special circumstances and still requires this process for Cuban defectors wishing to visit their families. While U.S. tourism to Cuba has increased by over 77 percent, Cuban defectors are still subject to the system established by the embargo. (Bilbao) In an attempt to preserve the capital city of Havana for future tourism, it was declared a world heritage site in 1982. (Totten 35) This was done to "nudge Fidel Castro into making sure that it isn't completely destroyed by neglect". (Totten 37) While areas are being preserved and travel restrictions are loosened, the U.S. embargo of Cuba serves to make maintain family relationships difficult for Cuban-Americans who seek to keep their families together. American places a very high value on the family and should seek to make it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit their families. 

Along with the limitations placed on the economic and travel freedoms of the Cuban people, the embargo of Cuba has had a profoundly negative effect on the culture of Cuba. Under the embargo and Castro regime the people of Cuba found themselves restricted and voiceless. The Castro regime actively suppresses the Cuban people by robbing them of their voice in politics and placing strict restrictions on their everyday life. The embargo of Cuba has had a similar effect on Cuba due to the isolative effect the embargo has had on Cuba. While the embargo hasn't been physical for many years, an imaginary blockade is in place around Cuba. The U.S. has actively severed many of its ties with Cuba and discourages other nations from trading with Cuba through fines and selective U.S. aid distributions. (Coll 233-240) Communication between Cuba and the rest of the world has also been limited until recently as countries were hesitant to communicate with a country with the number of human rights violations as Cuba. This created the effect of isolation of Cuba and her people. Under the Castro regime and embargo, the technology and medical systems of Cuba are several years behind the rest of the world. This lapse and the public opinion of Cuba has made it difficult for the Cuban people to develop as a culture. Under the embargo the people of Cuba cannot travel and they receive little information from sources outside of Cuban government. It wasn't until 2008, when Raul Castro allowed the sale of some computers, cell phones and DVD players. (Wylie 664) This restriction of information coupled with the imaginary barricade of the embargo have created a cultural cap for the Cuban people. In recent years, President Obama has lessened the effect of the embargo by allowing more cultural and academic trips to Cuba in an attempt to preserve and advance the current culture of the Cuban people. The embargo of Cuba has made it difficult for the people of Cuba to develop their culture by adding to the feeling of isolation established by the Cuban people. Americans hold culture and background in high regard as we have come to value difference. How can we as a group who claims to support culture continue to support the embargo which limits the advancements the culture of the Cuban people? 

As support for the lifting of the embargo of Cuba, numerous groups oppose the lifting of the embargo. Several of these groups even seek to expand the embargo and make no attempt to normalize relations.  As a piece of American Foreign policy that has existed for over fifty years there are many different viewpoints and opinions that exist and several of them conflict with my argument that the embargo should be lifted as it further restricts the freedoms of the Cuban people. One of the most prominent groups against the lifting of the embargo believe that the embargo should not be lifted until it has led to a regime change. Dr. Lars Schoultz, a political science is a part of this group has he doubts that Raul Castro will ever truly desire to negotiate with the U.S. due to his belief that it would threaten the "independence and sovereignty" of Cuba. (Schoultz 153) He believes that the embargo is a practical answer to a country that practices communism and actively violates the human-rights of its citizens. He believes that we cannot ease off our restrictions while Castro still has such a power over the people. While it is true that Raul Castro has been hesitant to deviate too far from the platform of his brother, he has made some noteworthy changes over the past few years. Specifically, he has worked to normalize communications with the United States and has released some of his control of the Cuban economy. (Wylie 666) A recent visit by President Barack Obama to Cuba demonstrates that he is more open to communication and negotiation than his brother. In this visit a historic baseball game was played between the Cuba and the Miami Marlins to signify a willingness to cooperate in negotiations. (Castillo) From this visit and his previous actions it is evident that Raul Castro would like to have the embargo lifted and a relationship be established. It is also evident that the American government believes that lifting the embargo and reestablishing a relationship with the government of Cuba is an important first step in the process of bringing democracy to Cuba. 

The U.S. embargo of Cuba is a very significant piece of American foreign policy and will maintain its prominence in American politics until a real solution is found. The embargo of Cuba is an issue that has outlasted nine U.S. presidents and over fifty years of legislation. The embargo of Cuba is one of the most divisive pieces of legislation ever implemented due to its wide spanning power over the island of Cuba. Any decisions made regarding the embargo have a dramatic impact on both the United States and Cuba. The power of the embargo, the involved parties and the moral implications of the embargo make this an important issue that needs a thoughtful solution. In his article, William LeoGrande stresses the need for change to the system and urges President Obama to lead that change. He cites the president own words, "We've been engaged in a failed policy with Cuba for the last fifty years and we need to change it". (LeoGrande 21) LeoGrande stresses that changes with the embargo need to be made if any real U.S. relations with Cuba are to occur. He states that the current state of Raul Castro's reform and the growing American desire to life the embargo make the next few years the ideal time to reform and possibly lift the embargo. Indira Rampersad has studied this American drive to life the embargo in great detail. She cites the numerous corporations, groups and politicians who are actively trying to get the embargo lifted. Many of these corporations hope to expand their markets and reestablish trade with the people of Cuba. (Rampersad 404-407) 

I believe that the current political environment of Cuba is at a very rare transition period where Raul Castro I willing to make changes to his policies in order to better provide for his people. In recent years it is evident that he wants to better support his people. It is also evident in recent polls and political discussions that a large portion of Americans would like to see a reform or lifting of the embargo. I do not believe that Americans can any longer support the embargo due to the oppressive effect it has on the Cuban people. As a country that values civil liberties and independence, we should not support legislation that restricts these things for another group of people. I believe that the steps of reestablishing communication and visiting Cuba are both valuable as they reopen the conversation of the embargo. We must communicate with Cuba, support and pass legislation to lift the embargo so that we may truly begin to assist the people of Cuba. We must communicate our appreciation of civil liberties to the Cuban people by returning some of theirs to them.  

