Give capitalism a chance to change Cuba

Give capitalism a chance to change Cuba

By Fareed Zakaria



In the midst of the extraordinary spectacle of Nelson Mandela's funeral

– in a stadium with some 90,000 mourners, including more than 90 heads

of government – a small gesture caught the world's attention. President

Barack Obama moved to greet Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil. On

his way, he shook hands with the person to Rousseff's right. The

photograph of that handshake ricocheted around the world.

Understandably, because the man Obama shook hands with was Raul Castro,

president of Cuba.

Remember, the United States does not have diplomatic relations with

Cuba, and has a tight trade embargo in place against the island nation.

So, many wondered whether this handshake was the beginning of a great

shift in policy.

I hope so. Let's begin by asking whether the existing policy is working.

In 1960, the United States enacted an embargo against Cuba. Its purpose

was simple and explicit: regime change. Did it work? Well, until he

retired from the presidency in 2008, Fidel Castro was the longest

serving head of government in the world. Surely that's about as powerful

evidence as one can get that the policy did not work and is not working.

The truth is that Cuba's miserable economy is almost entirely its own

fault. The Castro regime has coupled political repression with communist

economic policies and the result, predictably, has been total failure

and stagnation. But things are changing in Cuba. The government has been

experimenting with opening up elements of the economy. By some estimates

about 20 percent of the Cuban economy is now in the private sector.

The best path forward for Washington is one that has been recommended by

many experts, from Jorge Casteneda, the former Mexican foreign minister

to Human Rights Watch. The United States should shift from a policy of

regime change in Cuba, which has not worked, to one that promotes reform

and human rights aggressively.

President Obama should offer the Cuban government a series of steps that

would relax restrictions on trade and travel with Cuba – but only if

they are matched by real economic and political reforms in Cuba. Let the

Cuban people know, for example, that if its government were to free all

political prisoners, the United States would be willing to relax the

embargo.

Americans should have greater faith in the power of markets, trade and

travel to eat away at the Cuban dictatorship, strengthen Cuban civil

society, including private business, and thus change the character of

the country. Washington has tried isolation, sanctions, and embargoes

against Cuba for more than five decades with dismal results. Why not try

capitalism for five years?



Source: "Give capitalism a chance to change Cuba – Global Public Square

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