The Helms-Burton Act: A Strategic Critique.

Abstract

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.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 31, 1998
Accession Number
ADA345000

Entities

People

  • J. R. Scharfen

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Commerce
  • Congress
  • Economic Policy
  • Economic Sanctions
  • Employment
  • Europe
  • Foreign Policy
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • International Law
  • Law
  • Market Economy
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • New York
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Strategic Security Studies