The Embargo

A narrow Cuban residential
street (taken on my phone).

        This winter break my family went to Cuba. When I told people I was traveling to Cuba, everyone's initial reaction was: Cuba? Are you flying through Canada? And my response: no. We had to travel on people-to-people visas, meaning that we would interact with the people of Cuba and had a full itinerary with an approved tour company. This is the result of the 1962 full trade embargo on Cuba. 2012 also marks the 50th year the United States has kept the embargo going. An embargo is "an order of a government prohibiting the movement of merchant ships into or out of its ports." President John F. Kennedy placed this embargo on Cuba in order to "reduce the capacity of the Castro regime... to engage in acts of aggression, subversion, or other activities endangering the security of the United States and other nations of the hemisphere." But after 50 years is this really necessary? It is unconstitutional to restrict American citizens to travel places they desire to go or even bring back souvenirs that Cuba is most known for such as cigars, rum, and coffee? If we are truly "free" why not buy what we want and go where we want if safety is no longer an issue?
       
                     A 2009 report suggested how much the U.S. was also missing out  
                     on by continuing the sanctions. Relaxing the embargo, the report 
                     found, could create 6,000 new jobs in the U.S. and benefit exports  
                    by about $365 million a year.

Typical Cuban cars in front of
the International Art Museum
(taken on my phone).

           After reading this I thought, why not? I feel like at least relaxing the embargo could only benefit the United States and Cuba as well. Most Cubans are constantly struggling only making about 10 CUCs a month, which is about $12. This is why many doctors, lawyers, professionals etc. abandon their original jobs and take up a new professions in the tourist industry- taxi driving, or waiting tables- where significant tips make up their pay. Allowing American citizens to purchase and export Cuban goods could potentially help their economy. Stepping into Cuba is like going back to the 1950s before the embargo even happened. They do say that Cuba has the best mechanics because the Cuban people have to fix the cars that the United States had in the 1950s.