Close to Home: US may be ready to renew relations, but is Cuba?

When President John F. Kennedy imposed an embargo on Cuba, he hoped to overthrow the revolutionary government of Fidel Castro. More than 50 years and 11 presidents later, Castro is still alive and his brother Raul runs Cuba, despite the embargo, an invasion, terrorist attacks and assassination plots.

But this relic of the Cold War is about to disappear. It not only failed to remove Castro, but became the justification for his prolonged dictatorship. Now, however, his brother has admitted that their economic system has failed and needs help.

After announcing the normalization of diplomatic relations in December, President Barack Obama announced that the two countries will exchange ambassadors in July. Before the embargo can be lifted, however, Congress must remove the barriers to trade and travel with Cuba.

Although foreign policy should be based on national security, followed by national economic interests, and Cuba does not threaten either, the fate of the embargo may be caught up in partisan politics and a presidential election.

There will be objections that we should not reward the Castros by lifting the embargo without insisting on democratic reforms, but such pre-conditions would have been a non- starter in negotiations with Cuba. Cubans fought to defend their right to self-determination, and the embargo has not advanced the cause of liberty or human rights.

Negotiations will continue long after the exchange of ambassadors. While American companies may seek compensation for confiscated properties, Cuba can claim damages from the Bay of Pigs, the cost of defense against constant threats, the losses from sabotage and terrorism, and the lost trade and high costs of imports because of the embargo. The return of Guantanamo would be a bonus.

With the exception of Americans of Cuban descent, traveling or investing in Cuba remains problematic for the rest? of us. It is not illegal to travel to Cuba, but it is illegal to use American currency there, since the Cuban government controls 85 percent of the economy and that violates the “trading with the enemy” policies on which the embargo is based. Therefore, we have to apply for a special license from the Treasury Department to visit Cuba, or travel through a third country.

Despite the rush to upgrade and build new hotels in Havana, Cuba does not have the capacity to handle a sudden onrush of American tourists in terms of hotel facilities, electricity or food. Thanks to an inefficient economic system, the embargo and a tropical climate, Cuba imports 80 percent of its food. If we think we have neglected our roads and infrastructure, Cuba has 50 years of gross neglect to repair.

Although Raul Castro has introduced reforms to open up the economy and decentralized decision-making, the changes have been piecemeal, and economic not political. Their success depends on an entrenched bureaucracy and the support of ordinary Cubans who fear the loss of jobs and benefits provided by a paternalistic state and rely on a black market to survive.

Other than rearranging the deck chairs, there have been no major political changes in Cuba since Raul assumed power in 2006. Dissidents are still harassed and detained, censorship endures, and there is only one political party. The government also restricts access to the Internet.

While the denial of the right of travel is often cited to illustrate the lack of freedom in Cuba, Cubans can now travel abroad, though there are exceptions for dissidents, computer engineers and medical personnel and youth who have not completed their national service.

We now have the opportunity to develop a special relationship with Cuba based on mutual respect and cooperation. By removing the external threat and opening up the economy, Cuba may also evolve more democratically. It is also in our interest to avoid the chaos and corruption experienced by other Soviet bloc countries. An unstable Cuba would bring more suffering, a foreign relations crisis and a new wave of refugees.

While I welcome the normalization of relations, I also hope that Cuba can sustain its exemplary educational and medical programs, continue to support its cultural achievements, preserve its architectural heritage and manage to protect its natural environment.

Tony White, a resident of Santa Rosa, taught Latin American History at Sonoma State University and has organized educational tours to Cuba in recent years.