The Blockade
It may not be a "blockade in a technical or formal sense," but it is actually "a literal blockade that prevents Cuba from trading" with many companies, even companies in foreign countries, by fining them if they do. The UN delegates aren't ignorant about the blockade, but this time I'll forgive you for not knowing about what the blockade is. It's not something the media tells you about - the same way mainstream media also often 'forgets' to tell you about the UN General Assembly's annual condemnation of the blockade.
However, there's a Wikipedia page about El bloqueo. It is far from perfect and leaves out many things, for instance this, at first sight, pretty innocuous example:
From the same article - and with a link to another NBC article:
From the linked article:
Add to that the problem with international transfer of money mentioned above and in this example from the first NBC article:
$8.9 billion for violating sanctions against Sudan, Cuba and Iran! It makes a company think twice before trading anything at all with Cuba. Why risk violating such sanctions that companies may not even be aware of? Is it worth the risk of inadvertently violating some obscure sanction? Is it worth hiring a lawyer specializing in this to find out?
Other examples, big and small:
Travel Services Provider Fined $5.9 Million for Cuba Sanctions Violations (WSJ, Oct 1, 2020)
U.S. judge orders Norwegian Cruise Line to pay $110 million for use of Cuba port (Reuters, Dec 31, 2022)
Expedia Fined $325,000 for Breaching Travel Sanctions to Cuba (Time, June 14, 2019)
You probably believed it yourself when you wrote that nothing "prevents Cuba from trading with anyone else," which was what made you think that the blockade was only figurative. It isn't, and it does prevent Cuba from trading with many countries, which is why so many countries vote against the blockade in the UN General Assembly every year.
But why don't you go see for yourself? Norah Jones seems to have found a loophole in the travel restrictions:
Norah Jones Announces Educational Visit and Concerts in Cuba (Norah Jones, Nov 7, 2023)
ETA: You can call it an embargo instead of a blockade. I don't care. A turd by any other name ...
I like how, in that fantasy world, the US embargo on Cuba is a literal blockade that prevents Cuba from trading with anyone else either. I wouldn't be surprised if half the votes in the UN came from delegates who assume there really is a literal blockade.
It may not be a "blockade in a technical or formal sense," but it is actually "a literal blockade that prevents Cuba from trading" with many companies, even companies in foreign countries, by fining them if they do. The UN delegates aren't ignorant about the blockade, but this time I'll forgive you for not knowing about what the blockade is. It's not something the media tells you about - the same way mainstream media also often 'forgets' to tell you about the UN General Assembly's annual condemnation of the blockade.
However, there's a Wikipedia page about El bloqueo. It is far from perfect and leaves out many things, for instance this, at first sight, pretty innocuous example:
Nestled in his bedroom studio under vinyl records and a cluster of microphones, DJ Milano makes electronic music that combines traditional Cuban sounds with modern beats. It is a tortuous process.
“We can’t use certain applications because they are blocked,” said DJ Milano, 33, who hasn’t been able to update Rekordbox, the platform he needs to mix samples, as he can’t get a protected virtual network for his Mac computer. “I have no way of buying it — I have the money in my bank, but you can’t use Cuban bank cards to buy online.”
(...)
Log in to PayPal in Cuba and you’re greeted with this message: “Access Denied.” On Amazon: “Unable to process this order.” Try downloading an app on the Apple App Store: “unavailable in the country or region you are in.”
Sixty years after U.S. embargo, its imprint affects Cubans' daily lives (NBC News, Feb 4, 2022)
From the same article - and with a link to another NBC article:
Although the U.S. can export food and medicine to Cuba under the embargo, the laws significantly limit the amount of goods that can be sent, even from third countries.
From the linked article:
And America-created isn't merely 'Made in the USA'. It is any American company abroad as well. When a Danish company manufacturing medical apparatus was bought by Americans, for instance, Cuba could no longer buy the fluid from the company that it needed for running the apparatus (for blood analysis, if I remember correctly).Over the years, the U.S. has added more laws on the embargo, making it harsher — while also creating more exceptions. It’s now a complex set of laws with many layers.
(...)
The embargo does not prevent other countries from trading with Cuba, but (!!!) if a product contains 10 percent of American-created content, then it must get a license from the U.S. to be exported to Cuba.
“When you take global supply chains into consideration, that significantly limits the amount of products that can be exported to Cuba, even from third countries,” said Ric Herrero, executive director of the pro-engagement Cuba Study Group.
Cuba says the U.S. embargo is 'genocidal.' What does it really do? (NBC News, Aug 22, 2021)
Add to that the problem with international transfer of money mentioned above and in this example from the first NBC article:
A functionary said in an interview on condition of anonymity for security reasons that because of the difficulty of making wire transfers from the island, he has flown many times to Canada, his suitcase flush with millions of dollars, to purchase oncological medical equipment.
(...)
While Cuba has long been forbidden to use U.S. dollars, in the past customers and suppliers could find workarounds. But the advances in computing and a tightening of anti-money-laundering efforts over the last 15 years have put an end to Cuba’s ability to use dollars, as well as euros.
(...)
Sources say that following stiff fines in U.S. courts over the last decade, the pool of banks in Europe prepared to receive wire transfers from Cuban banks has shrunk. That in turn has raised costs and reduced the range of clients and suppliers the island can do business with.
$8.9 billion for violating sanctions against Sudan, Cuba and Iran! It makes a company think twice before trading anything at all with Cuba. Why risk violating such sanctions that companies may not even be aware of? Is it worth the risk of inadvertently violating some obscure sanction? Is it worth hiring a lawyer specializing in this to find out?
Other examples, big and small:
Travel Services Provider Fined $5.9 Million for Cuba Sanctions Violations (WSJ, Oct 1, 2020)
U.S. judge orders Norwegian Cruise Line to pay $110 million for use of Cuba port (Reuters, Dec 31, 2022)
Expedia Fined $325,000 for Breaching Travel Sanctions to Cuba (Time, June 14, 2019)
You probably believed it yourself when you wrote that nothing "prevents Cuba from trading with anyone else," which was what made you think that the blockade was only figurative. It isn't, and it does prevent Cuba from trading with many countries, which is why so many countries vote against the blockade in the UN General Assembly every year.
But why don't you go see for yourself? Norah Jones seems to have found a loophole in the travel restrictions:
Norah Jones Announces Educational Visit and Concerts in Cuba (Norah Jones, Nov 7, 2023)
ETA: You can call it an embargo instead of a blockade. I don't care. A turd by any other name ...
Last edited: