Abstract
The Cuban embargo seems to have become a staple of US-foreign policy, however, there has yet been no democratic transition on the small island nation. This research article seeks to answer the questions: ‘why did the embargo fail?’, ‘what are/should be its goals?’, and ‘what can be done to create a more effective policy?’ In order to establish effective policies with Cuba, the United States must rethink the goals, purpose and reactions of the current and past sanctions and actions that have been put into place. This paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of US foreign policies toward Cuba including the failure of the embargo to block hard currency remittances from reaching the Cuban government. Further, the research suggests implementing potentially more effective polices as well as highlighting which policies to avoid. The ultimate realization is that in order to create change in Cuba, it may be time to implement a hybrid foreign policy that incorporates both more effective sanctions and meaningful (and consistent) engagement in order to produce a more democratic Cuba.
Recommended Citation
Ribas, Joseph
(2010)
"The Cuban Embargo: Why US Sanctions Fail and What to do About it,"
Rollins Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 2
:
Iss.
1
, Article 2.
Available at:
https://scholarship.rollins.edu/rurj/vol2/iss1/2