Cuban Democracy Act
The Torricelli Act, officially The Cuban Democracy Act, is a law in the context of the economic embargo policy of the United States against Cuba. The law was adopted in 1992 at the initiative of the then member of the U.S. House of Representatives Robert Torricelli and with the support of Senator Bob Graham by the U.S. Senate and set by the then U.S. President George HW Bush in power.
Background
With the Torricelli Act were first made since the imposed shortly after the failed invasion of the Bay of Pigs by John F. Kennedy embargo again significant changes in U.S. economic policy with Cuba. The law represents a dramatic worsening of the economic restrictions against Cuba, the ambition of this Torricelli Act was paralyzing the Cuban economy to an extent that would lead to the overthrow of the Cuban President Fidel Castro in a few weeks, as Robert Torricelli declared in 1992.
Content
The Torricelli Act prohibits subsidiaries of U.S. companies abroad all trade with Cuba. Ships of foreign companies that invest in Cuban ports, a barrier of 180 days to the start of U.S. ports is imposed. Even foreign vessels trading to trade with Cuba, expect the seizure as soon as they are in U.S. waters. Members of Cuban families it is forbidden to send remittances to Cuba. It was also U.S. citizens prohibited entry into Cuba.
Impact on Cuba
The Cuban government called the fines imposed by the U.S. sanctions as a blockade. The sanctions laws hinder normal relations of Cuba to foreign states and institutions. The difficult supply situation with food and medical equipment in the following years led to a number of health deterioration of the Cuban people. Despite the fact that Cuba has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world, led nutritional deficiencies in pregnant women at an increased rate of births with underweight. Due to lack of chemicals and technical equipment for water treatment, there was an increase of diseases and deaths caused by unsafe water diseases. In 2000, the United States eased the embargo by the " Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act " with respect to food and drug exports and were in the course of the following decade, the largest country of delivery for consumed by the Cuban people food. Since 2008, the island state has its imports from the U.S., however, reduced resistance. With an embargo repeal, however, is for the time being specifically not to be expected even under President Obama.
See also
- Helms -Burton Act
- Relationship between Cuba and the United States