Helms-Burton Act: A Strategic Critique

摘要

The 1996 Helms-Burton Act (the Act) codifies and expands U.S. economic sanctions,including a comprehensive embargo, against Cuba. The primary strategic objective behind the Act is the overthrow of Fidel Castro and the establishment of a democratic transition government in Cuba. In spite of U.S. sanctions, recent events confirm the commonly held belief that Castro's government will not fall in the near-or mid-term. Consequently, the Act is fatally flawed because its primary strategic objective is unrealistic. The United States should replace the Helms-Burton Act with a diplomatic strategy managed by the Executive Branch in consultation with Congress. This diplomatic strategy should focus on developing economic and domestic conditions within Cuba favorable for a post-Castro transition to democracy rather than on the immediate, and highly unlikely, downfall of Castro.