The recent retirement of Castro would seem like the perfect time to end the embargo. The embargo has changed with every presidency, and under current issues binding the contract are Fidel in power and human rights issues. Therefore, a rational being would assume that since Fidel Castro is out of power, and two his brother has allowed UN involvement within the country to regulate human rights issues that the there is no further need for the embargo. Nonetheless Washington’s response is one that beats around the bush. President Bush commented on Castro’s retirement by repetitively stating how the country should go into a democratic transition and to let go of the prisoner. Not once did Bush comment on how this will effect the embargo, which is the major issue at hand, nor how the United States could lend a hand.
Unlike President Bush there were several Washington officials who spoke on the embargo topic. John Negroponte (Deputy Secretary of State), told an IPS reporter in reference to the US ending the embargo, that he couldn’t “imagine that happening anytime soon.” The article also told the positions of the 2008 presidential candidates which followed as such: McCain mimicked Bush’s statement, Clinton said it was up to Cuba to make the first move, and called on the international community to help Cuba transit; and Obama stated, “If the Cuban leadership begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change, the United States must be prepared to begin taking steps to normalise relations and to ease the embargo of the last five decades.”
On the Cuban side, Julia Sweig who is on the Council of Foreign Affairs, as well as a Cuban expert, claimed that, “Raul is likely to promote reforms in agriculture and small business in ways designed to reduce the role of the state in the economy” which has already begun.
The most important information taken from the IPS article is when William LeoGrande, a veteran Cuba specialist at American University and dean of its School of Government declares,”Raul Castro has said now three times that he’s interested in talking with the United States unconditionally to try to resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries. “The Cuban leadership is in the process of considering some sign of economic changes, and it would make sense for the United States to be able to influence that in a positive way. You can’t have any influence if you don’t have any contact.”
The statement above sums up the main point. The US once again has the chance to help Cuba, and if ignored once again could lead to the current existing problems. Communism is not the issue anymore, nor should democracy be. Why should the US care if Cuba is a democracy as it trades with China. China is the number one human rights violators! At least Raul has allowed the UN into Cuba to address and maintain human rights issues. Therefore, what is the underlying political motives behind the embargo, because I’m not buying democracy or human rights support.
This is just a news clip in Spanish by a news channel reporting reactions to Castro’s retirement http://youtube.com/watch?v=rFJAIQV-ZZE&feature=related
