The Cuban embargo has persisted since its creation in 1960, when the United States imposed restrictions on trade and general diplomatic relations with Cuba. After nearly half a century, President Obama announced plans to loosen these restrictions after the release of American prisoner Alan Gross in December of 2014.
While the lifting of the Cuban embargo has not yet been discussed or approved by Congress, improved relations between the U.S. and Cuba could impact students and faculty members focused on Latin American and Caribbean studies at UM.
Additionally, the potential lift of the embargo could transform research at the graduate level.
While it is too early to determine the effects of improved relations on tourism trade, Study Abroad Director Devika Milner explained that exchange programs with Cuba could potentially take a different route. While Study Abroad does not have a formal program with Cuba, students could contact the office to suggest a faculty-led program on the island.
The teaching of Cuban history is also an issue that comes into play. While the past cannot be changed, the new relations will need to be taken into account when discussing a timeline of the Cuban embargo or its effects.
Melissa Hurtado, a sophomore in the Fellows in Latin American Studies Program (FILAS), agreed that the discussion of Cuba in the classroom could be deepened.
While some courses will have to adapt if changes come, others like the Cuban Studies Certificate Program, a degree offered twice a year by the Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies (ICCAS), will not necessarily change its line of study.
As well as impacting the world inside the classroom, the development in U.S.-Cuba relations could affect UM’s Cuban-American population. For example, contact with family members on the island could be made easier through potentially cheaper airplane tickets.
Those opposed to the potential lifting of the embargo at this time also propose that the U.S. should not have diplomatic relations with a country that does not seem show progress towards democracy.