LUCAS PUENTE

Cuban embargo hits close to home

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Posted: 10/30/07

Last week, President George W. Bush addressed the issue of the United States' embargo on Cuba, reaffirming his administration's hard-line approach regarding the country, with specific regard to Raul Castro's growing role.

As a first generation Cuban-American and as a sophomore majoring in international affairs and finance, the political and economic relationships of the two countries, or lack thereof, have been deeply perplexing to me. After studying it further, I feel we Americans have no choice but to change this situation for the better.

Upon seizing power, Fidel Castro's regime forced my father's family out of the country, with little but the clothes on their backs. His soldiers knocked out their house door with machine guns in hand, informed them the revolution had begun and they could either become Communist (i.e. peasants), or leave the country. Either choice implied giving all assets to the government.

Unsurprisingly, my paternal relatives have strong feelings regarding the situation and, like most Cuban Americans, are pro-embargo. Nevertheless, this embargo, enacted by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1962, has undisputedly been a failed policy.

Due to the political significance of Florida's electoral votes, presidential candidates simply cannot afford to alienate themselves from the vital Cuban American voters who refuse to accept anything but an embargo. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of Americans who stand to benefit from change have failed to unify and defeat this irrational policy.

These benefits are enormous and mutually beneficial. Free trade with Cuba represents a huge potential commercial market that has American companies salivating.

Cuba's lush beaches, beautiful culture and rich history are huge tourist attractions worldwide, despite their off-limits status for Americans. Nicolás Crespo and Santos Negrón Díaz of the Latin American Network Information System have projected an increase of one million U.S visitors annually, bringing almost $4 billion in revenue to Cuba and creating more than 14,000 Cuban jobs, assuming Cuba operates in a free market economy without trade restrictions. Pedro Alvarez, the Cuban official in charge of food imports, said Cuba would receive almost $20 billion over the first five years of such a change.

Fortunately, even that vital sect in South Florida is slowly loosening its stance. A Florida International University poll showed that 57 percent of Miami's Cuban-Americans would favor reestablishing diplomatic ties with the country and 64 percent favored decreased travel restrictions. Current legislation significantly would change the scope of Cuban-American relations, including House Resolutions 217 and 624, which both effectively repeal preceding, relevant legislation while also significantly liberalizing trade.

HR 654 calls for unrestricted travel of all Americans to Cuba. Also promising has been the rhetoric of presidential candidates Chris Dodd, who called for the end of restrictions on Cuba, and Barack Obama, who wrote an editorial in the Miami Herald defending his stance of liberalizing relations with Cuba.

Adding to the dynamics is the rapidly deteriorating health of Fidel Castro, who is not officially running the country. Raul Castro, his younger brother, has that privilege. Although Cuban officials have denied any terminal illness, many speculate Castro could have Parkinson's or even Crohn's disease. The involved politics will become turbulent upon Castro's death, despite his wish to have his brother succeed him.

I feel the U.S. will be prepared for this event, as the State Department has been given a $35 million annual budget to plan for it. There are also several private companies that have detailed business plans for a free Cuba and are poised to develop commercial opportunities for both American companies and Cuban entrepreneurs upon trade liberalization.

Now is the time for change. I know if the U.S. were to lift the embargo today, the real beneficiaries would be the oppressed Cuban people, American business interests, and all interested travelers. My remaining relatives in the country finally would have the access to American capital and, with the associated economic boost, undoubtedly would receive a boost in their quality of life.

It is only fair for my family, and many others, to have this opportunity. Let us now hope that rational policy prevails as this debate progresses.

- Lucas Puente is a sophomore from Wilmington, N.C. majoring in international affairs and finance.