Cuba: US Policy of Isolation
While a travel ban and embargo restricts not only goods, but also the flow of ideas and people between the US and Cuba, Oxfam America works tirelessly to find other ways to relive the Cuban people.
Current US policy toward Cuba is based on values of isolation. Two tactics are the principal components: a general embargo (except for recent openings for food and medicine) and a travel ban. These policies of isolation have led to increasing difficulty in daily lives of everyday Cubans and impoverished the United States in lack of knowledge about our next door neighbor.
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The United States has maintained a trade embargo against Cuba for over 40 years. It is the longest-running in the world and overwhelmingly condemned for 11 years by the UN General Assembly by votes as large as 173-3. This policy can only be seen as a failure, even when judged by its own goals of "rapid and peaceful transition to democracy." It has, however, been a resounding success in negatively affecting the Cuban people's daily lives. Oxfam America supports changing current US policy toward Cuba, as does the majority of the United States.
The other component of isolation is the drastic travel restrictions for US citizens to legally travel to Cuba. Small openings in travel restrictions in 1996 allowed a variety of US citizens to travel legally to Cuba. Groups flocked to Cuba, particularly under the "People-to-People" program. However, in May 2003, the Administration cut off this key component of legal travel to Cuba. People-to-People exchanges allowed a variety of US citizens to participate en educational and cultural exchanges not necessarily linked to any academic program. While the People-to-People program was established by the Clinton Administration to challenge the Cuban government, the US government discovered that it also worked to end its own policy of isolation as US travelers began to play active roles in working to end the trade embargo and travel ban.
Oxfam America supports a policy of engagement with Cuba. Over the past years, we have been active in working to lift the trade embargo and create openings for food and medicine. While a travel ban and embargo restricts not only goods, but also flow of ideas and people, Oxfam America has worked tirelessly to find other ways for people of the United States and Cuba to connect while supporting legislative efforts to raise the travel restrictions. This work is in addition to our project work on the island with trusted Cuban partners.
On September 10, 2003, the House voted to defend the travel ban, re-establish the People-to-People exchanges, and allow unlimited remittances to the Cuban people. These are good first steps in the right direction but our work is not over.
For next steps, and for more information about legislative initiatives to change current US policy, visit Oxfam partner Latin American Working Group at www.lawg.org.