Cuba

"Cuba: Confronting the U.S. Embargo" details and analyzes the effects of the U.S. embargo on Cuban society and the response of Cuba and its population to overcoming its consequences. Although the embargo disrupts and harms almost all aspects of life, the book focuses on those sectors most affected. It is framed by the issue of human rights--from both the Cuban and the U.S. perspective--an ideological gulf which underpins the political differences that exist between the two countries and which raises the question of how extensively the implementation of the embargo violates the human rights of Cuba and its citizens. Although the country has been ravaged by the embargo, it has fought back. The results of the confrontation over human rights are joined in a number of areas. Matters that relate to domestic, social, and foreign policy are examined. Cuba's relations with the international community, and with the nations of the Eastern Caribbean have been severely affected by the embargo. The political dynamic among Cuba, Europe and the U.S. is observed within the context of the embargo cum blockade along with the political outcome each struggled to reach. Cuba and the Eastern Caribbean serves as a case study of how the U.S. attempted to isolate Cuba using military and economic means, and how Fidel Castro responded. Who won and who lost is an important consideration; more decisive is the nature of the struggle.