By: Chenee Tracey
A phone call between President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro about normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba ended with a quip about the lengthiness of the call. “You [President Obama] have still the chance to break Fidel’s record. He once spoke for seven hours straight,” said Castro. As the two leaders joked about light matters, they were making history: Cuba and the United States were rekindling an old relationship.
The two historically unfriendly countries have begun talks about restarting diplomatic relations. The restoration will result in the establishment of a U.S. embassy in Havana, fewer restrictions on the amounts of money that Cuban-Americans can send to family members in Cuba, and lighter travel restrictions. Cuba will allow U.S. telecommunication companies to establish internet infrastructure, ending Cuba’s internet isolation. On top of these developments, the Cuban government also agreed to release 53 political prisoners. These rapid advancements and the talks between Castro and Obama have led to widespread debate over whether beginning normalized relations with Cuba is a good decision.
Obama’s negotiations with Cuba began in June 2013, when U.S. and Cuban officials held meetings in Canada. Pope Francis influenced the meetings and urged the resumption of relations between the two nations. During the talks, both sides were represented by presidential administrations instead of diplomats to convey that they were speaking directly for each country’s executive branch. One of the first topics discussed was a spy exchange. Prior to the talks, the United States held three Cuban spies, each of whom was accused of reporting back to Havana about anti-Castro protests in Miami. Meanwhile, Cuba held Alan Gross, a U.S. Agency for International Development worker who had been accused of spying. Initially, the two sides were reluctant to make any compromises or concessions on the issue. However, the involvement of Pope Francis led to major changes. During a visit to the Vatican, President Obama and Pope Francis discussed the United States’ conflict with Cuba. Soon after the meeting, the Pope began to send a series of letters to both Castro and Obama in which he urged both sides to reconcile. Negotiations for the spy exchange were finalized at the Vatican in November 2014, and the Cuban and American prisoners were returned to their respective homes.
Although these new relations have positive undertones and even some happy endings, various aspects of the thawing relationship between the United States and Cuba are open-ended. Cuba still has a slew of human rights violations, and President Obama has not made stipulations with Cuba to curb the repressive regime. Instead, President Obama hopes that increasing trade will spread democratic ideals to Cubans and lead to a democratic regime. However, the United States had similar hopes for China, but that country still remains an oppressive regime.
Although the United States wants to increase trade with Cuba, there is an existing embargo that prevents significant trade between the two nations. This U.S. embargo was levied against Cuba in 1960, and it remains a major source for the cold relations between the two. The embargo was meant to deter the communist and oppressive tendencies of the Cuban government by halting some trade between Cuba and United States. However, it simply strengthened anti-American sentiments already present in the island nation. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy added more restrictions to the embargo by including food, medicine, and all trade. Travel restrictions were added soon after, and 50 years of tension began. The only thing standing between repealing this embargo and fully opening relations with Cuba is Congress.
Congress will have to vote to overturn the embargo. However, many members of the legislative branch are not supportive of the renewed relations. One major opponent is Senator Robert Menendez (D–N.J.), a Cuban-American critical of Castro. Other prominent figures such as Senator Marco Rubio (R–FL) have expressed antiquated views about U.S. relations. He has advocated for a continuation of Cold War relations and has promised to oppose any future nomination for a Cuban ambassador.
Not all members of Congress are opposed to the policy shift. Senator Rand Paul (R–KY) expressed support for the removal of the embargo and recognizes that the embargo has fostered anti-American sentiment in Cuba. If no consensus is reached in Congress, President Obama may be able to use his executive power to issue a presidential proclamation to make the embargo less severe and open Cuba to some U.S. businesses.
Other problems exist in the thawing of relations. First and foremost is Cuba’s relationship with the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah and its facilitating of their terrorist actions in the Western Hemisphere. Hamas and Hezbollah are supported by Cuba and Venezuela, another country with a history of bad relations with the United States. The two countries provide intelligence to Hamas and Hezbollah to fuel and raise funds for future terrorist activities such as bombings within the U.S. and Latin America. Cuba has also been implicated in drug smuggling into the United States. U.S. officials assert that Cuba gave arms to Colombian guerrilla group M-19 in exchange for smuggling drugs into the United States. The United States’ legitimacy within the international community could be threatened if it begins to develop friendly relations with a repressive regime that supports and perpetuates terrorist actions and the illegal drug trade.
Despite these national security concerns, renewed relations will have some positive effects. The cultural exchange that will occur in areas such as dance, art, and music will increase drastically. Prior to President Obama’s announcement, U.S. painters and musicians had been able to travel to Cuba with educational and cultural licenses, but these licenses expired annually. Now, Cuban and American art institutions could become partners and share works and artists on wider scale. President Castro’s decision to allow U.S. companies to provide widespread access will lead to less internet censorship and more instances of free speech. This new public forum will give Cubans a voice to speak for or against their government and potentially lead to the regime change in Cuba that the United States is hoping for.
The thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations brings with it both hope and uncertainty. While increasing trade could benefit both nations economically and culturally, it will be an uphill battle to realize these benefits if Congress doesn’t repeal the crippling embargo. President Obama made a symbolic gesture through his negotiations with the Castro regime. His plan will not be successful if Congress doesn’t support his new policy. The United States also needs to be wary of what this open relationship with Cuba can bring to U.S. soil in terms of illegal drugs and terrorist plots sponsored by Cuba. The solutions to these national security concerns will be up for discussion as the world watches President Castro and President Obama discuss the future consequences of an open relationship and finally removing the last vestiges of the Cold War.