Trump Threatens a Second Embargo of Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

A Cuban supporter waves a Cuban flag in front of the country's embassy after it re-opened for the first time in 54 years July 20, 2015, in Washington, D.C.
MARK WILSON / GETTY IMAGES

BY
Marjorie Cohn, Truthout
PUBLISHED
February 24, 2019

The Trump administration is threatening to unleash a flood of lawsuits involving Cuba, which no U.S. president has ever done. It has set a deadline of March 2 to announce whether it will create, in the words of the National Lawyers Guild, “a second embargo” of Cuba — “one that would be very difficult to dismantle in the future.”

Trump may give current U.S. citizens standing to sue in U.S. courts even if they were Cuban citizens when the Cuban government nationalized their property after the 1959 Revolution. They would be able to bring lawsuits against U.S. and foreign companies that allegedly profit from the nationalized properties.

In accordance with international law, the Cuban government had offered compensation to U.S. nationals for the taking of their property, as I explain below. If Trump permits myriad new lawsuits to proceed, it would unleash a tsunami of litigation that would harm U.S. companies and punish the Cuban people even more.

For 59 years, the United States has maintained a cruel embargo against Cuba. “The embargo on Cuba is the most comprehensive set of U.S. sanctions on any country, including the other countries designated by the U.S. government to be state sponsors of terrorism — Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria,” according to the U.S. government.

In 1960, the Eisenhower administration declared a partial embargo on trade with Cuba in an attempt to pressure Cuba to change its form of government. The embargo was prompted by a secret State Department memorandum that proposed “a line of action which, while as adroit and inconspicuous as possible, makes the greatest inroads in denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.”

More:
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-threatens-a-second-embargo-of-cuba/

Editorials and other articles:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016227273

[Iliyah]

1. And yet he is having a secret meeting with a killer

dictator who starves his people.

[procon]

2. If the US really wanted to see changes in Cuba's government,

we should host a trade fair and hang out the "Open for Business" and "Under New Management" signs in our Cuban embassy. Back it up with grant money, tax incentives (NOT tax cuts), startup workshops, expert mentoring programs, business/government partnerships, subsidize NGO and nonprofits groups to build basic background infrastructure projects that support business growth while still allowing the social services the Cuban people expect.

If we invite every sort of business, venture capitalists, bankers, lobbying groups interested developing trade with Cuba to bring lots of cash and come on down to Havana and make a deal, it would bring about positive changes that can't be undone.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Will no one rid me of this meddlesome SOB?

[GatoGordo]

4. Fact: Cuba is free to do business with anybody

except US citizens and US entities.

The "embargo" is self induced

[Judi Lynn]

5. You are totally unware of the extraterritial reach of the embargo, unlike the rest of the world.

When new measures were attached to the impact of the embargo countries everywhere stated that this action was illegal in international law. You've got a whole LOT of research ahead of you before you are in touch with the dynamics of the embargo.

Might as well try to find out what you're talking about first before launching a series of comments so far short of reality.

It's a common shortcoming among people of a certain political posture. First you must build a foundation based on real information then you make your claims.

You may recall the Bible refers to people who build their houses on sand, and those who build their houses on stone.

[GatoGordo]

6. You are enthralled with the Marxist dictatorship

Last edited Mon Feb 25, 2019, 10:54 AM - Edit history (1)

I am well versed in what is going on in Cuba. And how they have infected much of Latin America.

If Cuba doesn't have "something", it is self induced.

Example: Their USSR vintage planes (and newer Airbus, Russian built planes) routinely auger due to lack of maintenance and spare parts. NOBODY is preventing Russia from selling them spare parts. NOBODY is preventing A&P mechanics from doing work on their planes. NOBODY is preventing Russia from financing their fleets. Yet somehow, it is the vile United States fault that Cuba refuses to pay for the capitalist tools it needs to keep its boot on the throat of the Cuban people.

If Cubans suffer, it is because of their leadership wills it.

I am not blinded by far leftist, failed ideology.

Because I disagree with your fawning adorance of the failed ideology of Karl Marx, I am a "right-winger". And clearly I am "uneducated" because only YOU know what is really going on in the world. Because you read all about it in ColombiaReports and Granma?