Economic sanctions as a tool of foreign policy. (c2006)

Abstract

The success of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 dramatically altered the relationship between the United States and Cuba. From 1959 to date, the relationship between the two countries turned into a harsh confrontation. Economic sanctions have been an open bastion of U.S. foreign policy toward the political regime in Cuba. What is intriguing in this research is the long period it has been enforced, especially that the cold war has ended and the communist regime is no more a threat to the rest of the world. In other words, the reasons behind the economic sa nctions are no more valid and opponents of economic sanctions use such an argument. Besides the reasons behind economic sanctions, the effectiveness of sanctions and the reasons why it is still used as a foreign policy tool is another important question raised in this thesis. The thesis elaborates on the opponents and proponents of economic sanctions, whereby both list convincing arguments supporting their stance. Nevertheless, we finally concur that the effectiveness of economic sanctions, whether effective or not it, certainly causes immense collateral damage to innocent civilians instead of protecting them. So, the question remains are economic sa nctions really serving their objective or is just a foreign policy tool implemented until a better one is discovered?