PHA-Exchange> Cuban Sanction

[Claudio]

Anti-Cuban Embargo (excerpt)

New Curtailment of Freedoms

George W Bush on May 6 signed a report of the 'Committee for Aid to a Free Cuba', which lists a series of measures tightening the embargo. The new measures approved by him affect the rights of Cubans who have acquired US citizenship and who reside in the US.  The embargo has also been broadened to prevent the free circulation of scientists and scientific knowledge.

REMY HERRERA

The US Government has recently taken another step in its aggressive policy against Cuba.  Repeating that he does not rule out the use of armed force to "hasten the day of liberation" and that the US army would back a (post-"Castrocommunist") "provisional government of transition", George W Bush signed on May 6 a report of the 'Committee for Aid to a Free Cuba', which lists a series of measures tightening the embargo. The unjustified and unjustifiable embargo was imposed unilaterally 43 years ago and was meant to cause the Cuban people a maximum of hardship - "to cause hunger and despair" in the words of the US Department of State in 1959.  It placed an enormous burden of sacrifice on the Cuban people and caused the Cuban economy to lose more than 70 billion dollars [UN 2002].

Practically all of the member states of the United Nations General Assembly have condemned it.  One hundred and seventy-nine member states voted in favour of it being lifted in 2003, with only three states voting against: the US, Israel, and the Marshall Islands.  Though backed up by the Torricelli1 and Helms-Burton2 Acts, which already damaged the transfers of private funds, foreign investment and tourism to Cuba, the arbitrary system imposed by the US did not succeed in blocking a real and systematic recovery of the economy that began in 1994.  The GDP in Cuba has shown a satisfactory average level of growth over the past 10 years [Herrera 2003].  In spite of its countless negative repercussions, the embargo has not broken the country's spirit.  While it is clear that the US blockade is an assault on the Cuban people's right to self-determination and an attempt to break their will to establish the autonomous and sovereign society they desire, it is important to understand that the US government, by attacking Cuba, is waging an attack on freedoms themselves.

A new feature of the measures approved by G W Bush is that they affect the rights of Cubans who have acquired US citizenship and who reside in the US.  First and foremost, their freedom of movement is restricted: travel to Cuba is henceforth subject to an authorisation on a case-by-case basis (rather than to a general authorisation as previously), and one visit is authorised only once every three years (instead of each year heretofore).  But the measures also strike a blow at people's freely chosen commitment to send financial assistance to their dear ones: the ceiling on transfers of currency to Cuba has been lowered considerably.  The recipients are now also restricted to the category of direct relatives: children, spouses, parents, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren only.  This ignores the ties based on affection and solidarity which may naturally bind people to more distant relatives, friends, neighbours and colleagues.
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