Tuesday, 14 April 2009
US President Barack Obama allowing unlimited travel to Cuba
US President Barack Obama lifted a ban on Americans' limited travel to the communist country, Cuba. He is also allowing unlimited money transfers to family in Cuba. This is the first step the new US Government is taking towards a more open relation with the communist nation.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/world/americas/15cuba.html?_r=1&ref=americas
ReplyDeleteActually it is only Cuban-Americans who can travel or send money to Cuba.
Still, this is progress and recognition that the United States must adopt a new approach with regards to relations with Cuba.
Clearly this is an attempt to use soft power to influence the Cuban people so they "can work on the kind of grass-roots democracy that is necessary to move Cuba to a better future.” This is a marks a refreshing change from the military-backed nation building of the previous administration.
How do we know this is a more effective means of promoting Cuban democracy? Are there any effective means? (Not that the policy would be bad if it didn't promote democracy. It may be good on humanitarian grounds but still not promote democracy - but does it?).
ReplyDeleteWell, considering that Cuban authorities tax money sent from Cuban-Americans, an increase in money sent is going to help the current regime.
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ReplyDeleteThe measures that President Obama has taken are good for a change between its policy and decennies of failure in Cuban - US relations.
ReplyDeleteBut there are many exile Cuban figures as Espinosa Chepe (economist), who think that is a little step and President Obama should show and take a more drastic changes, to make Cuba take bigger steps to democracy, as eliminate the embargo on the island.
President Obama's decision is good because it will help people in the island but the thruth is that some of the money will go the Communist government. President Obama is making good in making "baby steps" towards Cuba because to make big step could cause big failures. The Past century the US has showed that its a bad dealer with dictatorship as Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein have turned over the US. Also helping Cuba too much will be dangerous because the prosperity will be acredited to the Cuban government and not to the US as what happen in the USSR. The US has sent massive quantities of engineers, specialist and factory builders to the USSR in order to help the country and make it more democratic but that did not happen.
Also the Cuban government has not make big steps towards democracy. Even Raul castro is more the promotor of the most "democratic comunist" party that ever existed: In Cuba " we have a Party, but we have to turn into the most democratic Party that exists, where there are many discussions, that differences exist, not antagonistic, and that are expressed in the place that corresponds... It is necessary to fight in order that it is like that, without fear of any class, that everyone expresses what everyone sits "*. So in this case Raul Castro just want to stay in power and will not do any more democratic changes or his brother Fidel is stopping him to do the changes. For this reason, Cuba will show its true will when Mr. Fidel Castro dies. That will be the turning point.
*citation took from the official Cuban newspaper Gramma. With my own translation
It is a start...Obama is clearly showing he is of a new generation of Americans who do not fear Communism and are at least willing to open some doors...It may only be baby steps but probably in 20-30 years America and Cuba will have a good (ish) relationship.
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