FRIDE - Helping Castro? EU and US policies towards Cuba

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Democracy promotion / Working Paper

Helping Castro? EU and US policies towards Cuba

31/10/2005 By Susanne Gratius

The stagnant political situation in Cuba is a sign of the limited influence that external actors have in advancing the process of democratic transition in countries with authoritarian regimes.

Nonetheless, had the EU and the US both coordinated their policies, they could have contributed to political openness in Cuba.

When one compares EU policy towards Cuba with that of the US, a series of contradictions are revealed which have prevented a coherent and effective policy of democracy promotion.

At the same time, they have also hindered the formulation of a transatlantic agenda, without which neither a policy of sanctions nor one of engagement can work.

Cuba is a source of significant controversy between the US and the EU. This is reflected in the engagement versus sanctions debate which has intensified as a result of the recent measures taken by Washington.

The US and the EU differ more than they concur with respect to their policies on Cuba. Several divisive lines separate them regarding the most appropriate economic instruments, the property ownership issue, national sovereignty, the type of transition and democracy, as well as the main dialogue partners, and all of these reflect very different philosophies.

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