An International Heavyweight

During the past 5 decades Cuba has played an important role in many international forums, including the Non-Aligned Movement which held its most recent summit in Havana (see article). Cuba has used its international profile to critique many aspects of US foreign policy and to promote its own development agenda.

The US elephant in the room
The George W. Bush White House remains firmly committed to maintain and strengthen sanctions (the most commonly known of a body of an extensive body of legislation are the Helms-Burton measures) and his administration has taken actions in recent years to increase economic pressure on foreign companies doing business with Cuba.

On July 10, 2006 the second report of the US Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba (CAFC) was published which confirmed the general US policy stance, including an insistence on transition not succession and measures aimed at a renewed tightening of sanctions. A classified annex was interpreted by the Cuban authorities as containing plans for the overthrow of the government.

Any discussion of Cuba's international rolehas to deal with the actions, influence and position of the US administration.

February 2006 when pressure exerted on Starwood Hotel and Resorts to expel Cuban officials from its subsidiary, SheratonMaría Isabel in Mexico City was widely interpreted as a heavyhanded infringement on Mexican sovereignty. Similarly,attempts to exclude Cuba from the inaugural World BaseballClassic drew widespread opposition. In October 2006, Nikon,citing the embargo, refused to give a Cuban 12-year old boy a prize he had won in a UN-sponsored painting competition in Algiers.

During 2006 OFAC increasedpressure on several overseas financialinstitutions involved in Cuba. Thespecific institutions targeted(including ING) had actually beenfinancing trading with Cuba. Thishad the result of making other bankssomewhat skittish in terms of theircompliance and resulted in HSBCshutting down the US dollar accountsof Banco Metropolitano, and Canadian Scotiabank closing the accounts of Canadian businessmen working in Cuba.

While in the last two years the US anti-sanctions campaign has remained relatively muted there remain some legislative support for a change ofpolicy. On June 14, 2006 a number of Cuba amendments were added to a House of Representatives spendingbill. The first one, easing payment for US products, passed while the amendment to ease studen texchanges lost 236-187 and the onecalling for the end of all sanctions wasdefeated 245-181.

Now that the democrats have a majority in both houses it islikely that the embargo will be chipped away at with at least areduction made in the funding for enforcement and the tantalising prospect (although less likely) of attempts to exemptoil exploration. Going forward all eyes will be on the 2008 Presidential election with a democratic win heralding the prospect of fundamental change in US policy.

Politically Cuba has repeatedly pointed to the double standardsof the US in its war on terror, highlighting the treatment of the 'Miami Five', five Cuban agents imprisoned in Miami (who were allegedly trying to prevent a further wave of bombings in Havana), and Luis Posada Carriles who is wanted for extradition by Cuba and Venezuela for his alleged role in the bombing of a Cuban airplane in Barbados in 1974.

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