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    Obama Quietly Renews U.S. Embargo on Cuba

    Obama Quietly Renews U.S. Embargo on Cuba

    With little fanfare, President Obama has renewed his authority under the 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act to extend the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, according to a statement from the White House press office. "I hereby determine that the continuation for 1 year of the exercise of those authorities with respect to Cuba is in the national interest of the United States," Obama declared in a memorandum to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury. In a post last year, The Havana Note explained that Cuba is the only country whose trade with the U.S. is restricted under the act (North Korea escaped its fetters in 2008) and that "for close to 3 decades now, the embargo remains in place because of a yearly presidential determination that it ought to."

    RELATED: Cuba Fetes Danny Glover, Syria Airs Chilling 'Confession'


    There are other reasons why Obama's move isn't surprising beyond the fact that the embargo has been extended every year for three decades. The President had harsh words for Cuba's economic reforms this week in an interview with Spanish-language correspondents in Washington."They certainly have not been aggressive enough when it comes to liberating political prisoners and giving people the opportunity to speak their minds", he said. In the age of the Arab Spring, he added, "here you have this small island that is a throwback to the 60s." But not everyone agrees with Obama's stance on the embargo. A Los Angeles Times op-ed this week made the case for lifting the restrictions:

    Who wants the embargo? Practically no one beyond a small number of Cuban Americans in the Miami area. It exists today only because Florida is the largest swing state and Republicans believe, probably correctly, that they are unlikely to win its 29 electoral votes without strong support from this special-interest group.

    Lifting the embargo would not turn the U.S. economy around. But it would be of marginal assistance to the overall economy and could be of substantial help to businesses and employment in industries that would have significant exports to the island.

     
     
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    14 comments

    • Jimmy D  •  Seattle, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Is the United States the only country which has an embargo against Cuba? I know that Mexico, Canada, Japan, and Europe does not have an embargo against Cuba and that Cuba trades with these nations. My question is this: why isn't Cuba more prosperous if it has good trade relations with all these other nations? Perhaps someone with a deeper understanding of economics can answer that for me, thanks!
    • Flick  •  8 mths ago
      This embargo is a joke. Why are we embracing China (which is far more threatening than Cuba) with all our capitalistic fervor while we keep alienating a country that is about as threatening as Papua New Guinea? The Cuban Community should mind their own business... don't restrict MY right to travel.
    • Jose Villasenor  •  8 mths ago
      This is a joke [[[obama hates cubans cause they vote rep, obama is a clown
    • America  •  8 mths ago
      The lies of obuma continue. It is quiet because this is ANOTHER failure of obuma. Who cares if we trade with Cuba? castro hates America but obuma tries to think he can salvage the haters. Doesn't work so he quietly continues the embargo.
    • Ian  •  8 mths ago
      An ineffective and misguided policy of long standing, more Republican than most Republicans, continued for no good reason. Wars, boycotts, embargos never ending. Who the heck did we elect?
    • Ken  •  8 mths ago
      So what we'll get is more cuban illegals and American businesses going to cuba.
      • yovany 8 mths ago
        Cuban are not illegal here, read more!!!
    • Greg  •  8 mths ago
      Continued isolationism toward our neighbor I see.
    • cesar  •  8 mths ago
      Mr PRESIDENT END THE EMBARGO.......
    • oakland  •  8 mths ago
      With little fanfare because he hates to offend his communist friends around the world.
    • Bryan  •  8 mths ago
      what about china
    • rosita  •  8 mths ago
      That's terrible, thought OBusto was going to retire there in 2012
    • ed  •  8 mths ago
      another broken promise
    • Jonathan  •  8 mths ago
      Obama just lost Robert Redford's and Danny Glover's vote.
    • Kurt Russet  •  8 mths ago
      Why? We should all hope to one day live in that paradise. Maybe if we keep going down the current path we will get that chance.
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