The Economic War against Cuba: a Historical and Legal Perspective on the US Blockade

Salim Lamrani, The Economic War against Cuba: a Historical and Legal Perspective on the US Blockade (New York: Monthly Review Press, 2013)

review by Professor Imti Choonara
The University of Nottingham

This is an excellent concise description of the effect of the United States economic sanctions against Cuba. These are the most comprehensive sanctions ever imposed upon a country. Salim Lamrani has documented the impact of these sanctions on Cuba and also on numerous multi-national firms who trade with both Cuba and the United States of America. Specific chapters describe the effect of sanctions on health care in Cuba.

As well as providing specific details of some of the huge fines imposed upon large corporations for trading with Cuba, the author also highlights examples of the sanctions which have had an impact on individuals in both Cuba and the United States. Examples include the 13 year old Cuban boy who was a regional winner in an international children’s painting competition organised by the United Nations. Following pressure by the US government the Nikon camera that was due to be given as a prize to the Cuban could not be awarded because it contained component parts made in the United States. Nikon would have had a huge fine imposed upon them by the US government if the prize had been given to a Cuban boy. The author also highlights church leaders who travel to Cuba as part of a religious and humanitarian group who were fined $25,000 each for “undermining national security”.

The book also highlights how each year the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly votes against the US sanctions. Lamrani points out that the sanctions have not succeeded in changing the government in Cuba and that the majority of US citizens oppose the sanctions. Additionally many companies in the US are against the sanctions as they wish to trade with Cuba. It is to be hoped that members of the US government actually read the book and realise that their economic sanctions against Cuba are immoral, illegal and also after 60 years clearly ineffective.

Book available here:
http://monthlyreview.org/press/books/pb3409/

Tags: economic sanctions, government in cuba, legal perspective, salim lamrani