For a while, I have been in favor of the United States lifting the embargo they and their allies placed on Cuba. I have felt that the policy was nothing more than an imperialistic desire to have Latin America run by those they prefer to have in power.

I feel that the United States should be concerned with what goes on in their own borders as opposed to dictating how other nations operate and so forth. If it is NOT within our borders, it most certainly is NOT our business to get involved and dictate how others should operate. The imposition of this policy has been the result of a bloody game of chess that the US and USSR were playing with one another during the Cold War period.

The origins for these policies came from the fact that the United States was ideologically opposed to the direction the Cuban people had gone, causing them to want Cuba to fail and push the people against their government. The severing of the relationship with Cuba by the US and its allies has not been successful in regards to minimizing the Cuban government’s effectiveness at providing for their people through hardships and so forth. However, time has shown that the Cuban people have endured and have learned to make things work, despite harsh sanctions.

Over the years, I have felt that this policy was nonsensical and impractical, all it has done is damage ties and minimize opportunities for growth and advancement on both ends. There’s a group in the area that seeks to actually rebuild a relationship with Cuba and allow the United States, as well as other nations, to actually start trading with them once again, this organization is called the Central Ohio Cuba Solidarity Committee. This organization has been working on getting support for ending these policies that have done nothing beneficial and have done more harm than good.

Some of the people involved, myself included, have written letters to elected officials asking to lift the embargo against Cuba. In my letter, I mentioned how it is outdated, useless, harmful, and even brought up how it might be beneficial to do so in regards to the distribution of vaccines against COVID-19.

In regards to the pandemic, the United States currently claims to have a desire to distribute as many vaccines against COVID-19 around the world as they possibly can. President Joe Biden claims to put in efforts to distribute as many COVID-19 vaccines around the world as possible. The Cuban people have developed numerous vaccines, some of which more than 92% effective against Coronavirus. Unfortunately, the Cubans have no syringes to put them in for distribution.

Given how the United States has a large role in international relations, a lot of other nations are following suit as well, depriving the Cuban people of tools necessary to provide more vaccines against a virus in a pandemic. The question a lot of people are asking is “should lives be at risk and the distribution of a beneficial vaccine be curtailed due to decades-old policies based in the hopes that a government and its people suffer and fail?” It seems very practical that the United States, among other Western nations, should open up trade with Cuba in order to distribute the vaccine to as many people as possible and actually help bring an end to this terrible pandemic. There is no need for this outdated Cold War foreign policy move to still be in place.

“Happiness exists on earth, and it is won through prudent exercise of reason, knowledge of the harmony of the universe, and constant practice of generosity.” -José Martí