With Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, Cuba ended nearly 500 years of Spanish and United States influence. Our unsuccessful Bay of Pigs revolt against this revolutionary took place in 1961 after we broke diplomatic relations with his government. Over the years, the U.S. tried to destabilize the Castro regime by, among other things, enacting an embargo against Cuba which prevents American businesses from conducting trade with Cuba. Castro died in 2016 after his brother Raul took over as president in 2103. In 2015, President Obama restored official diplomatic relations with Cuba, announcing our two nations were reopening their embassies after 56 years. This action will facilitate travel and trade with Cuba but Congressional approval is required to lift the economic embargo and allow tourism.

Embargo supporters, many of whom are ex-Cuban nationals living in Florida, claim the Cuban government is a danger to our nation and the Cuban people. Embargo critics say Cuba has not been a threat since the fall of the Soviet Union and our embargo serves no purpose. They claim Cubans are suffering because of our past military and diplomatic policies, including this embargo - the most enduring trade embargo in modern history. Many claim normalizing relations with Cuba would allow us to more easily assist the Cuban government as it moves towards capitalism and true democracy.

Pending Legislation: S.653 - Freedom to Export to Cuba Act of 2023
Sponsor: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Status: Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Chair: Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH)