2005 International Debates

Legality of U.S. Sanctions on Fidel Castro's Government
(Excerpted From International Debates, November 2005)

Only 90 miles of water separate the island of Cuba from the United States. But for nearly five decades, relations between the two nations have been far from neighborly.

Recently, the U.S. embargo has come under increasing criticism by other nations. For the past 14 years, the United Nations General Assembly has passed resolutions condemning the sanctions.

The United States countered that the sanctions are a bilateral issue that is not within the domain of the United Nations. It pointed to reports of ongoing human rights abuses - including those documented by the United Nations itself - as justification for the embargo.

The Bush Administration continues to toe a hard line against Cuba and shows no signs of changing course, unless there are sweeping reforms on the island. Thanks to a growing tourist industry and increasing support from countries such as Venezuela and China, Cuba appears to have rebounded from its economic troubles following the termination of Soviet financial support. While continued sanctions may please Cuban exiles and other U.S. anticommunists, it appears that nothing short of Fidel Castro's death will lead to significant change on the island - and, even then, change is far from guaranteed.