GA4 - The question of the restoration of the Cuban-American relations

2017 GA4 The question of the restoration of the Cuban-American relations 1

Index Introduction... 3 Definition of key-terms... 4 General Overview... 7 Major parties involved and their views... 9 Timeline of important events/documents... 11 UN involvement... 15 Possible Solutions... 16 List of Sources... 17 2

Forum: GA4 Issue: The question of the restoration of the Cuban-American relations Student Officers: Florencia Pazos & Sol Igarzabal Position: Chairs of GA4, EMUN 2017 Introduction The Cuban American relationship has been one of political antagonism since 1959. Fidel Castro established a revolutionary socialist state after overthrowing a U.Sbacked right-wing regime. During the next fifty years several U.S. leaders would carry out policies with the intention of blocking Cuba both economically and diplomatically. In recent years, both countries have taken significant and astonishing steps towards restoring full political relations. Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro (he replaced his brother in 2008 as leader) met each other; ease travel and remittances restrictions, among other measures. It s important to note that the trade embargo still remains in place. It s unclear whether the Donald J. Trump administration will walk the path of Obama and continue the détente or take a more aggressive policy and remove some or all executive actions; and whether the U.S. Congress, controlled by the Republican Party, will lift the decades-old trade embargo.. 3

Definition of key-terms Socialism - A political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. Embargo - Official suspension of import and/or export of some specific or all goods, to or from a specific port, country, or region, for political, health, or labor related reasons, for a specified or indefinite period. Ten Years War - Was part of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. Cuban-born planters and other wealthy natives led the uprising. On October 10, 1868, sugar mill owner Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and his followers proclaimed independence, beginning the conflict. This was the first of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other 2 being the Little War (1879 1880) and the Cuban War of Independence (1895 1898). The final three months of 4

the last conflict escalated with United States involvement and has become known also as the Spanish American War. Treaty of Paris - Was an agreement made in 1898 that involved Spain relinquishing nearly all of the remaining Spanish Empire, especially Cuba, and ceding Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States. The cession of the Philippines involved a payment of $20 million from the United States to Spain. The treaty was signed on December 10, 1898, and ended the Spanish American War, which came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the documents of ratification were exchanged. Platt Amendment - On March 2, 1901, the Platt Amendment is passed as part of the 1901 Army Appropriations Bill. It stipulated seven conditions for the withdrawal of United States troops remaining in Cuba at the end of the Spanish American War, and an eighth condition that Cuba sign a treaty accepting these seven conditions. Good Neighbor Policy - The policy's main principle was that of non-intervention and non-interference in the domestic affairs of Latin America. It also reinforced the idea that the United States would be a "good neighbor" and engage in reciprocal exchanges with Latin American countries. Overall, the Roosevelt administration expected that this new policy would create new economic opportunities in the form of reciprocal trade agreements and reassert the influence of the United States in Latin America; however, many Latin American governments were not convinced. Cuban Project - The Cuban Project, also known as Operation Mongoose, was a covert operation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that was commissioned in March 1960 during the final year of President Dwight Eisenhower's administration. On November 30, 1961, covert 5

operations against Fidel Castro's government in Cuba were officially authorized by President Kennedy and after being given the name Operation Mongoose at a prior White House meeting on November 4, 1961. The operation was led by United States Air Force General Edward Lansdale and went into effect after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. Special Period - In Cuba was a euphemism for an extended period of economic crisis that began in 1989 primarily due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and, by extension, the Comecon. The economic depression of the Special Period was at its most severe in the early to mid-1990s before slightly declining in severity towards the end of the decade. It was defined primarily by the severe shortages of hydrocarbon energy resources in the form of gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum derivatives that occurred upon the implosion of economic agreements between the petroleum-rich Soviet Union and Cuba. The period radically transformed Cuban society and the economy, as it necessitated the successful introduction of sustainable agriculture, decreased use of automobiles, and overhauled industry, health, and diet countrywide. People were forced to live without many goods they had become used to. Guantanamo Bay - Is a bay located in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the largest harbor on the south side of the island and it is surrounded by steep hills, which create an enclave that is cut off from its immediate hinterland. The United States assumed territorial control over the southern portion of Guantánamo Bay under the 1903 Lease agreement. The United States exercises complete jurisdiction and control over this territory, while recognizing that Cuba retains ultimate sovereignty. The current government of Cuba regards the U.S. presence in Guantánamo Bay as illegal and insists the Cuban American Treaty was obtained by threat of force and is in violation of international law. Some legal scholars judge that the lease may be voidable. It is the home of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp located within the base, which are both governed by the United States. 6

General Overview U.S. Cuba Relations Relations between the Spanish Cuban colony and North America began in the early 18 th century through commercial contracts. The United States express several times the desire to annex Cuba to the North American Union due to the richness of the territory in matters of tobacco and sugar. While the integration of the Cuban economy into the North American system grew, the ties the colony had with Spain slowly weakened. The Spanish-American war began in the aftermath of the internal explosion of the USS Maine in the Havana harbor leading the United States intervention in the Cuban War for independence. On 1898 Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris in which Spain surrender all righst to Cuba. U.S ruled the island up until 1902 when Cuba was granted formal independence. Around the 1930s, General Fulgencio Batista rose to a de facto leader and President of Cuba. The Batista era was one of close co-operation between both countries, but also, Cuba witnessed the almost complete domination of its economy by the U.s. Armed conflict broke out around 1959, as a young lawyer named Fidel Castro lead a revolution against Batista and successfully overthrew the government. Castro established a socialist state. The Eisenhower administration became increasingly concern by Cuba s agrarian reform and the nationalization of industries owned by U.S. citizens. As state intervention continued in Cuba, the U.S. began imposing gradual trade restrictions on the island. This led Cuba to turn to their newfound trading ally, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). The administration quietly authorized de Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to organize a guerrilla force to overthrow Castro. In 1960 the U.S. broke off all diplomatic relations as Cuba began to consolidate trade relations with the USSR. Later on the Kennedy administration formulated new plans aimed to destabilized Cuba; this was to be a coordinated program of political, psychological, and military sabotage, involving intelligence operations as well as assassination attempts on key political leaders. Kennedy deploys a brigade of 1,500 CIA train exiles at the Bay of Pigs, but Cuba resisted the armed invasion. The political relation reached its highest point in 1962 when U.S. spy satellites discover that Cuba let the USSR build intermediate-range missile sites. This discovery led the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. initiates a naval quarantine of the island. Kennedy warned Khrushchev on national television that any missile launched from Cuba aimed at the U.S. would provoke a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union. The confrontation is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating 7

into a full-scale nuclear war. The soviets demanded the removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey, in exchange to dismantle the nuclear bases in Cuba. The Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union on the late 1980s and early 1990s, leaving Cuba without its major international ally. U.S. President Bush tightened sanctions and declared that Cuba was one of the outposts of tyranny remaining in the world. After Fidel Castro handed the power to his brother in 2008, the U.S. stated that they will maintain the trade embargo. That same year Barack Obama became President of the United States, and since then, the relation between both nations have improved significantly. Obama eased economic sanctions and travel restrictions, among other measures, but stated that he would only lift the embargo if Cuba underwent political change. In the beginning of 2013, Cuba and the U.S. held secretive meetings hosted by Canada and The Vatican. 18 month later and Obama and Castro announced they would normalize relations despite the embargo still remaining in place. On 2015 President Barack Obama announced that formal diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States would resume, and embassies would be opened in Washington and Havana As of January 2017 the state of relations between both parties are unclear. With the election of Republican businessman Donald J. Trump as the new U.S. president its still unknown the positions he ll take towards Cuba. During his campaign he condemned Obama administrations change in policy and suggested that que could break off relations with Cuba unless he could negotiate a good agreement 8

Major parties involved and their views USA (United States of America) The USA has recently restored their diplomatic ties with Cuba, when it had been separated during the Cold war. The USA used to have fruitful trade with Cuba, and Cuba was prospering from their tobacco and sugar industries. However, the USA saw this as an opportunity and after several years of negotiations, the USA got to handle Cuban affairs. This is also when the USA obtained Guantanamo bay. Following the Cold war, the embargo on Cuba was tightened even more, causing huge deterioration of relations and trade. Things changed since the time Obama was elected as president of the USA, the ties between the two countries have changed. Obama reduced restrictions place upon Cuban travel, and met with the president of Cuba, to restore their diplomatic ties. However, it must be noted that the tight embargo between the nations still exists. Cuba Cuba had a flourishing industry for tobacco and sugar, and was prospering greatly from the trade between them and the USA. However, when Fidel Castro took over Cuba and converted it into a communist rule, Castro imposed taxes on American imports, and made ties with the Soviet Union. In retaliation the USA placed large embargoes as well as cutting off diplomatic ties. After continually increasing the embargo and restrictions on Cubans, the USA arrested 5 Cuban counterintelligence officers, while they were supposedly committing espionage. This in 2014 led to the restoration of ties, as the USA had a prisoner swap, as two American soldiers were swapped for the five Cuban officers. From then on the ties have gotten increasingly better, as travel bans have been released and Cubans have more leeway in entering and immigrating to the USA. China China had a surprisingly large impact on the decisions made by Fidel Castro, and Cuba in the 20th Century. When Castro came to power, he made strong ties with both Russia and China. When considering ties, Castro didn t want to jeopardize the strong ties with Russia or China, and therefore acted in the way that they did. But China also had other incentives. They created the strong ties with the Cubans in order to gain vital influence of Chinese 9

products in Latin America. Thus boosting the economy, and hindering their competitor-the USA. Russia Cuba s relationship with Russia is even more Anti-America than their ties with China. Russia aimed to combat international isolation, and decided to open their doors to Cuba. After removing 90% of Cuba s debt, the Russian had large investments in oil and agriculture in Cuba. However, the Russians has even more going for them, making them vital for Cuba s economic survival in the future. Furthermore, Cuba are almost trapped in this China- RussiaCuba tie, as restoring ties with the USA, would seem like a major betrayal to their historic alliance. 10

Timeline of important events/documents Date Description of event 1959 Cuban Revolution Establishment of a revolutionary socialist state conducted by Fidel Castro against right-wing authoritarian President Fulgencio Batista. Castro later build up a strong relationship with the Soviet Union. 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion Failed military invasion executed by the Einsenhower administration (later carried by the Kennedy administration) through a CIA-sponsored paramilitary group, Brigade 2506, to overthrow Fidel Castro. The invading force was defeated within three days by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces. 1962 Full Embargo Announced The Kennedy administration imposes a commercial, financial and economic embargo on Cuba. The Cuban government estimated that they had suffered economic losses of approximately $1.126 trillion over the past 50 years. 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis 13 days confrontation between the United 11

States and the Soviet Union. US Air Force U-2 spy plane discover that Cuba allowed the Soviet Union to build nuclear missile bases on the island. In response, Kennedy orders a naval quarantine The US and the USSR negotiates via back channels. Kennedy agrees to withdraw US nuclear missiles from Turkey if the USSR withdraws its missiles from Cuba. Kennedy pledges not to further invade Cuba Khrushchev orders the missiles to be removed The confrontation is often consider the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war 1982 U.S labels Cuba a terrorism sponsor President Ronald Reagan designates Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism. Due to heavy economic santions already in place, the designation is largely a symbolic act 1996 Helms- Burton act signed into law Clinton signs the Cuban Liberty and 12

Democratic Solidarity Act, which tightens and codifies the US embargo. the statue penalizes foreign companies that do business with Cuba, provoking some US allies to denounce it as a violation of international law The law may only be lifted after Fidel Castro and his brother Raul are no longer in office. 1998 Cuban 5 arrested The Clinton administration charged five Cuban intelligence officers with conspiracy to commit espionage, to commit murder, and other illegal activities. They were sent by Castro to infiltrate Cuban-American exile groups in Miami; arrested in 1998 and found guilty in 2001. 2009 Obama signals potential Thaw Warming of Cuban-American relations President Obama eases restrictions on travel and remitances. The step is widely consider the most noable move yet towards normalizing relations, though the trade embargo remains in place 2014/2015 Obama & Castro announce they will restore full diplomatic ties 13

Barack Obama and Raul Castro announce they will restore full diplomatic ties following the exchange of a jailed US intelligence officer for exchange of the remaining Cuban Five. US removes Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. 2015 U.S & Cuba reopen embassies The US and Cuban embassies, which had been closed since 1961, reopen. The trade embargo remains in place, and it cannot be lifted without congressional approval. 14

UN involvement Since the embargo was imposed in Cuba, United Nations, in conjunction with all Member States have condemned this action and have called on the United States repeatedly to lift and end the embargo through resolutions of the General Assembly For all those time a new resolution pass in the GA aiming to put an end to the decades-old embargo, the U.S. always voted against it. But surprisingly, in 2016 for the first time the U.S. abstain against a resolution. General Assembly, adopting Resolutions, 1. A/46/193-19 August 1991 2. A/RES/47/19-17 March 1993 3. A/RES/48/16-11 November 1993 4. A/RES/49/9-8 November 1994 5. A/RES/50/10-15 November 1995 6. A/RES/51/17-21 November 1996 7. A/RES/52/10-12 November 1997 8. A/RES/53/4 22 - October 1998 9. A/RES/54/21-18 November 1999 10. A/RES/55/20-9 January 2001 11. A/RES/56/9-4 December 2001 12. A/RES/57/11-16 December 2002 13. A/RES/58/7-18 November 2003 14. A/RES/59/11-16 December 2004 15. A/RES/61/11-5 December 2006 16. A/62/92-3 August 2007 17. A/71/L.3-5 October 2016 On the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. 15

Possible Solutions Bringing an end to the decades-old US-Cuba embargo is urgent in order to restore normal economic ties. In broad terms, both countries want national security and economic opportunity, and there are mutual opportunities in three areas which are agricultural trade, energy development and immigration. The opening of Cuban markets would lead to lucrative and feature low transportation costs, which would lead to benefits from greater liberalization which are relaxed payment options for Cuba and the end of licenses and quotas for US farmers. Despite the embargo, the US is Cuba s largest supplier of food and its sixth-largest trading partner. Direct US engagement could allow two of the nation s largest revenue generators, the Cuban nickel and sugar industries, to expand into more capital-intensive energy research through university and private-sector partnerships. Finally, retiring the wet-foot dry-foot policy and normalizing immigration laws could stop Cuban brain drain, end charges of a US immigration double standard, and save hundreds of millions of dollars for the US taxpayers who must fund four different agencies to implement this policy. 16

List of Sources Browning, Mark, Amy Lang-Tigchelaar, Patrick; Vocke Karen McGuire, Fern, and G. HODGE. "Cuba." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2007. Web. June 2016. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/cuba.aspx>. Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. June 2016. <http://www.cfr.org/cuba/timeline-us-cuba-relations/p32817 Ramani, Samuel. "Why A Genuine Normalization of Relations Between America and Cuba Is an Uphill Struggle." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. June 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-ramani/why-a-genuine-normalizati_b_9655864.html "United States Embargo against Cuba." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. June 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/united_states_embargo_against_cuba Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 24 June 2016. Ramani, Samuel. "Why A Genuine Normalization of Relations Between America and Cuba Is an Uphill Struggle." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 24 June 2016. "Timeline of Events." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 24 June 2016. "United Nations Official Document." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 24 June 2016. "The History of Cuban-American Relations." History of Cuban-American Relations. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2016. "Anti-Communism in the 1950s." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. N.p., n.d. 17

Web. <http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/fifties/essays/anti-communism-1950s>. "Cuba: A Country Study." Librar of Congress. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.loc.gov/resource/frdcstdy.cubacountrystudy00huds/?sp=205>. "Cuba." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. <http://www.state.gov/p/wha/ci/cu/index.htm>. "The Cuban American Influence." Al Jazeera English. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insideusa/2008/04/200861505358823829.html>. "Cuban Immigrants in the United States." Migrationpolicy.org. N.p., 06 Apr. 2015. Web. <http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/cuban-immigrants-united-states>. "Cuban-Americans: Politics, Culture and Shifting Demographics - Journalist's Resource." Journalists Resource. N.p., 14 Dec. 2015. Web. <http://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/immigration/cuban-americanspoliticsculture-demographics>. "Cubans in the United States." (2014): 34-47. Pewhispanic. Web. <http://www.pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/23.pdf>. 18