US – Cuba: Historic Breakthrough

Finally! – one might say on hearing the news about the exchange of ambassadors and of the beginning of the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba after half a century of an American embargo.

The policy of isolating the regime in Havana proved to be a failure. It only served the Castro brothers in strengthening the feeling of being in a besieged fortress, and was a convenient explanation for Cuba’s bankrupt economy.

After the end of the Cold War and the isolation that sanctions brought, America lost ground against other countries of the West which invested in Cuba. The embargo was maintained mainly because it was strongly defended by the lobby of Cuban immigrants in New Jersey and Florida – the latter state being decisive in presidential elections. But even there, support for sanctions has diminished due to a young generation of Cuban-Americans who understand its futility.

The Obama administration is now loosening trade and travel restrictions between both countries. Still, it cannot do everything because there will be a Republican majority in Congress beginning in January. Leading politicians of this party, like Sen. Marco Rubio, have already made a fuss about it because he views the promised normalization of relations as an “award” for the Communist regime. Obviously, this is not a prize, but a response to the reforms in Cuba, where Raul Castro is clearly trying to follow the “Chinese road.” Washington is encouraging Castro to stick to this course because following a “Chinese road” on an island 90 miles from the U.S. means that it is not going to stop there.

Rubio, as the future Republican chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, is going to block further progress, having the support of Sen. Robert Menendez, the current Democratic chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. The GOP can use Obama’s decision against the Democrats in the elections in 2016.

All the more praise and recognition is therefore due to the U.S. president who has the courage to make such a risky decision. It is already his second action – following the declaration of amnesty for illegal immigrants. There is still going to be a lot of fighting around the lifting of the embargo, but Obama will have the support of the majority of Americans.