Why do we have sanctions against Cuba & What are they?

Answer 1

While I agree that the US does do business with China and not Cuba because of it's own personal interest, I am much more concerned with a "free" Cuba then whether or not a KFC or McDonald's gets built on the island. My husband has family there, and knows first hand of the oppression the people face due to Fidel and his Communist Regime. While people only care about the tourism aspect..how the island will change...it will be more expensive to visit.. the timeless atmosphere will disappear. I've heard them all, and frankly the PEOPLE are more important than anything else.

To answer your question, the United States imposed sanctions against Cuba in 1962 shortly after Fidel Castro seized power.
The embargo was a response to Castro's nationalization of American-owned enterprises; it sought to deprive Cuba of foreign exchange and hasten the end of communism.

Before 1962, more than two-thirds of Cuba's foreign trade had been with the United States -- so when the embargo came into effect Cuba had to find alternative markets, and became highly dependent on the Soviet Union.

The embargo has since been strengthened, most recently by a 1996 bill -- the Helms-Burton bill -- which punishes foreign companies dealing with Cuba.


I left a link to the US Treasury Dept. where you can read exactly what the sanctions are.

Answer 2

If you are a Canadian, there are NO sanctions against Cuba. However, if you are a US citizen, you cannot go the Cuba via any means. Also the US does not accept any imports from Cuba, an example would be Cuban cigars. This ban has been in effect since the "Bay of Pigs" since President Kennedy was in office.

The USA would certainly not let Castro into the country but Canada has a couple of years ago.

Answer 3

I agree with dpcemker about the influence of very vocal ex-Cubans. I also think that it's mainly economic. A couple of years after Castro took power he expropriated businesses and lands owned by Americans without compensation. I think this is a major factor.

As for any military threat, Cuba doesn't pose one at all (According to US military assessments). The Cuban military is lucky if they have gas to put in their soviet era equipment, they pose no serious military threat to anyone. You could argue that it's for other reasons but like human rights but then you'd have to explain the lack of embargos against other nations that are equal to or worse than Cuba.

It's too bad about the embargo because nothing would bring down Castro/communism faster than lifting the embargo. You see, every Cuban is under the false impression that the only thing that is keeping them from prosperity is the US embargo. The Cuban economy is in shambles. With or without the Embargo the Cubans need to do a lot of catching up (similar to what we see/have seen in other communist countries) The presence of the Embargo gives Castro a built in excuse for all the short comings that are causing his people to suffer.

Once people in the USSR got wind of what life was really like outside of their workers paradise, didn’t Communism crumble? Remove Castro’s excuse and watch the same happen in Cuba.

Answer 4

Because there is a very influential community of Cuban Americans in Miami that for 50 years now have been fighthing to take Castro down.
They pressure our Goverment into embargo Cuba.

Some of the most important sanctions are as follow:
No travel to Cuba allows to American Citizens unless: they have family there, going to school there, or religions interest in Cuba.

No purcharse of $500 or more can be made of Cuban made products.

No Cuban products value $200 or more can be enter into America soil.

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Answer 5

In July 1963 the US placed into effect an embargo against Cuba. It is illegal for a business to do any type of business with a Cuban company and illegal for individuals to travel to Cuba with special permission for the US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets and Control (OFAC). As a matter of fact any ship that has had Cuba as a port of call on it's current voyage cannot enter a US port.

The OFAC web site has good information concerning the embargo.

http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/cuba/cuba.shtml

Now.. you have a good start.. write your own paper.

Answer 6

Hypocrisy. that is why the international community thinks so poorly of the U. S. in spite of each and every of the money we supply them. Human rights, nukes, Communism there are multiple clarification for sanctions hostile to Cuba. notwithstanding, if that is the way you manage Cuba then why are we so pleasant with others that behave a similar or worse? the reply is solid old vogue capitalistic GREED....

Answer 7

We have sanctions against Cuba because U.S. has not grown up yet. U.S. wants Cuba more tahn anything becaus ethe distance from Florida. Once U.S. moves into Cuba, the culture flavor is gone and all you get is Walmart, KFC, McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc. Go and see it for yourself and you will love it with open arms. Here is a question for you. Why do U.S. do business with China? Have them make clothes for U.S. and everybody around the world. China is communist. Why don't U.S. have a sanction against them. It's because U.S. needs China because it's billion dollars ($) industry. Without China, U.S. will go bankrupt. Imagine having to pay someone $20.00 an hour vs. someone $3.00 an hour. What would you pay as a business person? Exactly! I hope Hilary Clinton gets elected as President of U.S. and lift the stupid sanction against a beautiful country. Viva Cuba!

Answer 8

We don't trade with them, and we command all out allies to not trade with them, under threat of not trading with countries that don't go along.

We have sanctions because they are Communist. The embargo was put into place at the height of the "Red Scare". When Communism was seen as the single largest threat to the American way.

Answer 9

We are still upset of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Answer 10

Basically, because we didnt like the fact that Cuba wouldnt let us boss them around.