Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Should the US maintain the embargo against Cuba?
Position‹2 of 2

No, the US should lift the embargo.

In spite of being one of the longest-running embargoes in history, the measures taken against Cuba have proven ineffective. To avoid more damage to the Cuban people and the US economy, the block should be repealed.

Supporting arguments · 5

  1. Lifting the embargo will stimulate the US economy
    America is set to be Cuba's biggest trading partner. Reforms that have liberalized trade with Cuba have already produced millions of dollars in revenue. The embargo should be lifted so that the US can benefit economically.
  2. The Embargo has achieved nothing
    The original purpose of the embargo was to force regime change. The government of Cuba has still not allowed free elections and shows no signs of budging on human rights issues. Cuba has found many ways around the sanctions. The embargo has done nothing and should be lifted.
  3. The embargo has hurt innocent Cuban people
    The Cuban embargo has made it difficult for ordinary Cubans to get access to important medical treatment. Widespread food shortages have caused malnutrition. The embargo is a cruel measure that harms ordinary people, not the Cuban government.
  4. The Cold War is over
    The Cuban embargo was created in response to the threat of global communism. Tensions reached their peak in the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. The USSR has since collapsed, and the Cuban threat along with it.
  5. The Cuban-American Lobby is holding the US to ransom
    The majority of Americans do not want a Cuban embargo. The state of Florida is an important swing state in American elections. Due to the number of Cuban-Americans living in Florida, successive American presidents have maintained the embargo in order to win votes, against the will of the majority.