A new chapter opens between US and Cuba

Mohammad Amjad Hossain from Virginia, USA | Published: July 05, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: July 05, 2015 17:11:01

Another cap has been added to the legacy of the 44th US President  Barack Hussein Obama by the decision of the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba to open diplomatic missions in each other's country. This is aimed at removing bad blood between  the two countries since the administration of President Eisenhower broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961 after Fidel Castro and his brother  Raul Castro led a revolution to dislodge US-backed President Fulgencio Batista, a corrupt and repressive dictator. Unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Fidel Castro regime through the Bay of Pigs invasion by President Kennedy led to further deterioration of relations between the two countries.
Despite opposition by some die-hard anti-Cuban Republican lawmakers including Senator Marco Rubio, a prospective presidential candidate, President Obama declared from the White House on July 01 that the US and Cuba would establish diplomatic missions in Washington DC and Havana on July 20. The announcement was made simultaneously from both the capitals. While announcing opening of diplomatic missions, Obama had Vice-President Joe Biden by his side. In his statement, he said, "There are those who want to turn back the clock on a policy of isolation. But it's long past time for us to realise that this approach does not work." This announcement has been made possible in view of the proposed visit by Pope Francis of the Vatican in September this year to the US at the invitation of President Obama. Pope Francis in fact negotiated secretly normalisation of relations between the US and Cuba.
 It is interesting to note that the war of nerves between the US and its allies over the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1966 known as the Helms-Burton Act had caused bad relations between the US and its allies because the Act required the US government to impose sanctions on foreign companies investing too much in the oil and gas industries of Libya and Iran. This was an even more bizarre piece of extraterritorial legislation during the Bill Clinton era aimed at foreign companies which do not only operate outside the US but whose transactions involve no US financial transactions and no transfer of American technology. The European Union immediately adopted retaliatory legislation which allows European companies targeted under the Act to sue for damages in European courts.
Similar legislation was adopted by Canada. The Helms-Burton Act turned out to be disaster for the US. A columnist Croci had stated that the "Act was mainly a restatement of economic sanctions, first imposed by President Kennedy in 1962, mixed with a series of inducements designed to encourage liberal reforms in Cuba." The Economist had described the Act as stupid. Lawmakers in the US were living in fool's paradise because the Helms-Burton Act did not have serious repercussion on Cuba as the Economist indicated that 25 new joint ventures were signed and 143 new negotiations began since the Act came into force in 1967.
 Since Obama had dramatically announced normalisation of relations with the island state of Cuba on December 17, 2014 following secret negotiation brokered by Pope Francis there has been a spate of criticism from the Republican lawmakers and neo-con intellectuals also. Cuba is located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean which is 150 miles off from south of Key West of Florida whereas the US Guantanamo Naval base is cut off from the hinterland. In 1934, the Guantanamo Bay was leased out perpetually to the US through the Cuba-US treaty. The infamous prison is now located there and has been described by Amnesty International as Gulag of the Soviet Union during the reign of President George W. Bush. In spite of commitment by President Obama to close it down, the Guantanamo Bay prison remains open because of objection by the Republican lawmakers.
The Republican lawmakers did not possibly change their stand as Senator Marco Rubio stated recently that he would oppose tooth and nail appointment of an ambassador to Cuba unless there has been development of human rights in Cuba. Several critics in the Republican party including majority leader in the Senate Mitch McConnell is reported to have said opening of an embassy sends a wrong message and it would be difficult to send an ambassador to Cuba. Another Senator Ted Cruz, who is prospective presidential candidate, opposed opening of an embassy in Havana while Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner holds the opinion that relations with the Castro regime should not be revisited, let alone normalised, until Cubans enjoy freedom.
 Instead of negative views, there is a silver lining in the horizon of politics. Republican Senator Dean Heller and Senator Jeff Flake of the Republican party are of the view that opening of embassies would provide a number of opportunities beneficial to people of America and Cuba and it is time to abandon five decades of failure. On the other hand, the US chamber of commerce, agricultural groups and other business organisations have backed opening of embassy in Cuba. A number of positive development has taken place in improving relations with Cuba. These are: the US has lifted some travel restrictions on Americans and has begun permitting US companies to export telephones and computers to Cuba. In May this year the US administration removed Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. President Obama has now urged the Congress to lift economic sanctions and travel embargoes against Cuba.
It is high time that the Republican party understood a diplomat could make a huge change in the host country. Therefore, there should not be any obstruction in appointing an ambassador. A Charge d' Affaires, a.i, for the time-being, could serve the purpose of developing relations with administration and civic society of Cuba.  Obama is following the footprint of President Richard Nixon when he opened relations with the People's Republic of China, another communist country in 1972.
The writer is a retired diplomat from Bangladesh and freelance writer. amjad.21@gmail.com