A NEW DAY FOR
After decades of hostility, the U.S. and Cuba are beginning to repair
their broken relationship. But will restoring ties finally bring
freedom and prosperity to the Communist country?
BY REBECCA ZISSOU
I
—-;--
THE ISLAND NATION of Cuba is
just 94 miles from Florida, but
until recently, it might as well
have been on the other side of the
world. The U.S. cut off all ties with
Cuba in the 1960s because of the
country’s undemocratic policies.
Since then, most Americans have
been forbidden to travel to Cuba,
and U.S. companies haven’t been
allowed to do business there.
For decades, the policy
tore apart a miii c, preventing
thousands of Cuban-Americans
living in the U.S. from seeing their
relatives on the island.
I SymboLs of Cuba’s past (an oLd carl
and future (Cuban and American fLags
side by side) are caught together in JuLy.
0
But after more than 50 ‘ears of
conflict, the two nations are starting
a new chapter. This summer,
U.S. President Barack Obama
and Cuban President Radl Castro
formally re-established diplomatic
relations between their countries.
They have reopened long-closed
embassies in each other’s capitals,
exchanged prisoners, and relaxed
travel restrictions, making it easier
tor Americans to visit Cuba. These
were big victories in the long
Pi’ocess of restoring ties,
“A year ago. it might have
seemed impossible that the United
States would once again be raising
our flag, the Stat’s and Stripes,
over an embassy in Havana,
Obama said. “This is what change
looks like.
Many Cubans celebrated when
news of these shifts was first
announced. They’re hopeful that
the policy changes will improve
their lives, which have been filled
with hardship—due, in part, to
Cuba being cut off from the U.S.
“There were times when I thought
I would die before this day caine,”
Cuban author Leonardo Padura told
The New York Times.
OCTOBER 12, 2015 JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC 17
Still, the process of restoring
full diplomatic ties is far from
complete. Obama is still trying to
get Congress to lift the economic
embargo that has been in place
since the 1960s. (An embargo is
an official order that forbids trade
and most travel between two
countries.) While the president can
re-establish relations with Cuba,
only Congress can completely lift
the embargo.
According to a recent p1 by the
Pew Research Cenlei, 72 percent
of Americans support ending the
embargo, saying that ignoring
Cuba for so long has failed to bring
freedom and democracy to the
island. But some U.S. lawmakers,
including Republican Senator
Marco Rubio of Florida—a 2016
presidential candidate—argue
“I THOUGHT I
WOULD DIE BEFORE
THIS DAY CAME.”
opened or an embassy has been
established.”
Howevei U.S. lawmakers
ultimately proceed, their decisions
will have important implications
for millions of Cubans.
A Troubled History
that the U.S. should keep up
the pressure on the oppressive
Castro regime. Rubio, the son of
Cuhan immigrants, says the policy
changes will do nothing to improve
the lives of ordinary Cubans.
‘Economic opening and
diplomatic engagement do not
automatically lead to political
freedom,” he recently wrote in The
New York Times. “No Communist
police state has ever unclenched its
fist just because a McDonald’s has
18 JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC OCTOBER 12, 2015
The American debate over how
to deal with Cuba is rooted in the
complex history the nations share.
In 1898, the U.S. gained control
over the sland after defeating Spain
in the Spanish-American War. Four
years later, Washington helped
Cuba form its first government.
But for decades after that, the U.S.
retained the right to intervene in
the islands affairs, which fueled
resentment among many Cubans.
In 1959, the relationship
between the two countries reached
4 Clockwise from top left: Empty
shelves at a Cuban pharmacy; thousands
of Cubans attempt to escape to the U.S.
in makeshift boats each year; people
celebrate the poLicy changes at the
newly reopened U.S. embassy in Havana
in August; Presidents Barack Obama and
Paul Castro in Panama earlier this year.
a new low when Raül Castro’s
older brother, Fidel, led a revolution
that overthrew a U.S.-hacked
dictator. Shortly after seizing power,
Fidel formed an alliance with the
Soviet Union, America’s CoLd War
adversary, and set up a Communist
government. (Under Communism,
the government owns all land and
businesses, and individual freedom
is severely limited.)
Soon, Fidel began to crack
down on free speech by jailing or
executing thousands of political
opponents. He also confiscated
thousands of acres of privately
owned property and millions
of dollars’ worth of American
businesses on the island.
To pressure the Cuban
gnvernnwnt to change its brutal
policies, then-U.S. President Dwight
D. Eisenhower ended diploma tic
relations with Cuba in October
1960. He also banned nearly all U.S.
exports to the island nation. Less
than two years later, his successor,
President John F. Kennedy, enacted
a full economic embargo—banning
almost all exports and imports.
Relations rurtlier deteriorated
in 1962, when the Soviet Union
installed missiles in Cuba, bringing
the U.S. and the Soviet Union to the
brink of nuclear war. (After 13 tense
days, the missiles were removed.)
The embargo, which remains in
effect today, has taken a huge toll on
the Cuban economy. Until the early
1960s, the nation had relied heavily
on trade with the U.S. Massive aid
from the Soviet Union and other
Communist countries helped keep
Cuba afloat for decades after that.
But when the Soviet Union collapsed
in 1991, so did Cuba’s economy.
Life in Cuba
Without Soviet aid, Cuba’s econ
omy plummeted, and many people
sank even deeper into poverty.
Today, shortages of food and
other essentials are common.
Although education and health
care are free, most Cubans struggle
to get by on government salaries
that average about $20 a month.
They often depend on money
sent by relatives living overseas,
most in the U.S. Many things
that Americans take for granted,
including air—conditioning and
microwaves, are luxuries in Cuba.
Unable to afford new cars, man\’
Cubans drive old American models
that were built more than 50 ‘ears
ago. And anyone who speaks out
against the government can be
harassed, beaten, or arrested.
Fed tip with the lack of freedom
and economic opportunities,
thousands of Cubans risk their lives
to escape to the U.S. every year.
Many cross the Straits of Florida
in rickety boats made from old car
parts, inner tubes, or Styrofoa ni.
(Sec map, p. 17.) About 25,000
Cubans arrived in the U.S. last year
without travel visas, Hundreds of
others have died attempting the
dangerous journey.
But in the past few years, there
have been small glimmers of hope.
In 2008, an ailing Fidel transferred
power to his brother, Raül, who
has lOOSeIWd restrictions on the
economy and tried to reduce
tensions with the U.S. Cubans
can now own businesses and buy
cell phones, computers, and D\’D
CUBA BY THE NUMBERS
$20
The average monthty salary
for a government worker in Cuba.
A doctor can make about
$67 a month.
3
Percentage of Cuban househotds
that have access to the Internet.
The government maintains tight
oL over the Web.
Age of Cuban President Raât Castro,
who plans to step down from the
presidency in 2018. FideL Castro is 89.
67
Percentage of the 1.8 million CubanAmericans in the U.S. who Live in
Florida, a key swing state. This is
one reason U.S.-Cuba rotations
could be a major issue in the
2016 presidentiaL election.
8
The number of times in the 1960s
that the U.S. government
reportedly attempted to
assassinate Fidel Castro.
players—if they’re among the few
who can afford such things.
A New Chapter
Obama’s policy shift could
provide even more relief for
Cubans. Already, he has used his
powers as president to make it
easier for Americans to visit
OCTOBER 12. 2015 JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC 19
What is this cartoon saying about
relations between the U.S. and Cuba?
Cuba, which could help revitalize
the island’s struggling economy.
About 50,000 Americans traveled
to Cuba during the first five months
of this year, up 37 percent from
the same period in 204. Cuban
officials estimate that as many as
1.5 million Americans would travel
to Cuba every year if all restrictions
were lifted, injecting $2 billion into
the island’s economy.
“We are very hopeful,” says
Mario Otero, 25, a waiter at a
privately owned restaurant in
Havana that’s popular with tourists.
Ohama has also eased some
business restrictions, and many
U.S. companies are eager to set
up shop in Cuba. Starting in July,
Jet Blue began offering direct
charter flights from New York to
Havana. Carnival’s cruise ships
may start sailing between Cuba
and the U.S. next spring. And a
New Jersey telecommunications
company recently signed a deal
with the Cuban government to
offer direct long-distance calls
between the two nations.
Another major change is the fact
that Americans are now allowed to
send up to $8,000 a year to friends
on the island, up from $2,000. That
money can help Cubans afford
everything from new clothes and
food to much-needed home repairs.
A Tough Road Ahead
Despite these shifts, many experts
say that real change won’t come
to Cuba until the U.S. embargo is
lifted. Supporters of ending the
ONLY CONGRESS
CAN FULLY LIFT
THE EMBARGO.
trade ban say that it has stifled
Cuba’s economic growth and
kept most Cubans from escaping
poverty. They point out that the
approach of isolating our neighbor
hasn’t brought significant political
or economic change to the island.
“I do not believe we can keep
doing the same thing for over five
decades and expect a different
result,” says Obama.
But many U.S. lawmakers,
especially Republicans, have vowed
to keep the embargo. Ending the
trade ban, they argue. will only help
Cuba’s oppressive government stay
in power. They say that any money
that comes into the island from
American tourists or businesses
would benefit the Castro regime
more than the Cuban people.
“Relations with the Castro
regime should not be revisited, let
alone normahzed, until Cubans
enjoy freedom —and not one
second sooner,” Speaker of the
House John Boehner, a Republican
from Ohio. recently said.
Experts say that the Republicancontrolled Congress is unlikely
to vote on whether to end the
embargo anytime soon. But with
15 months left in ottice. Obama
could continue to take it upon
himself to further open trade and
travel with Cuba. Carlos Alzugaray
Treto, a former Cuban diplomat,
says that it will be difficult for
U.S. lawmakers—or the next U.S.
president—to roll back the progress
that’s already been made.
“The genie is out of the bottle,”
he told The New York Times. “And
once it’s out, you’re not going to be
able to put it back in. •
Junior Scholastic
SKILLS SHEET
Name:
Date:
TEST PREP
RESET QUIZ
11123/2015
SCORE QUIZ
Know the News:
A New Day for Cuba
Read the article on pp. 16-20, then answer the questions.
1. Which statement expresses a centraL idea of
the articLe?
3. Which best describes the structure of the
section “A Troubled History”?
® Many Cubans drive American cars that were
® compare/contrast
built more than 50 years ago.
® chronological
® The U.S. gained control over Cuba in 1898.
© problem/solution
© According to a recent poll by the Pew
© none of the above
Research Center, about 72 percent of
Americans support ending the embargo.
© After more than 50 years of hostility, the
4. Which happened first?
U.S. and Cuba are beginning to repair their
relationship.
® Fidel Castro seized control of Cuba.
© President Dwight 0. Eisenhower ended
2. The author states that “The island nation
of Cuba is just 94 miLes from Florida, but
until recentLy, it might as weLL have been
on the other side of the world.” What does
that mean?
diplomatic relations with Cuba.
© President John F. Kennedy enacted a full
economic embargo on Cuba.
© The Soviet Union installed missiles in Cuba.
® The U.S. and Cuba are located on opposite
sides of the world.
© Americans and Cubans often travel to each
5. What does deteriorated mean in the folLowing
sentence?
other’s countries.
“ReLations further deteriorated in 1962,
when the Soviet Union instalLed missiLes
in Cuba, bringing the U.S. and the Soviet
Union to the brink of nuclear war.”
© The U.S. and Cuba are neighbors, but they
haven’t had a relationship for years.
© The U.S. and Cuba have been at war for
decades.
ended
© escaped
© improved
© worsened
continued on next page
JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC
•
OCTOBER 12, 2015
•
PAGE 1 OF 2
Junior Scholastic
SKILLS SHEET
Name:
Date:
RESET QUIZ
11/23/2015
SCORE QUIZ
Know the News: A New Day for Cuba, cont’d.
9. Which of the following is not one of the recent
changes in US.-Cuba relations?
6. What is the main purpose of the section
“Life in Cuba”?
® Americans are now allowed to send up to
to explain the changes Ratil Castro has
made to Cuba
$8,000 a year to friends in Cuba.
© Congress has lifted the economic embargo.
© to encourage readers to support ending the
embargo
© President Obama has eased some business
© to explain the hardships Cubans face
restrictions.
© President Obama has made it easier for
© to persuade people to send money to Cuba
Americans to visit Cuba.
7. According to the article, what might happen if
all restrictions on travel to Cuba were lifted?
10. Which statement would Speaker of the House
John Boehner most likely agree with?
® Cuban businesses would close.
® The approach of isolating Cuba has failed to
© Fewer Americans would travel to the island.
bring freedom and prosperity to the island.
© More Americans would send money to Cuba.
© Congress should end the embargo.
© Cuba’s economy would get a much-needed
© The U.S. should keep up the pressure on the
Castro regime.
boost from American tourists.
© Lifting the embargo will help Cubans escape
poverty.
8. Which statement from the article best
supports the cLaim that the Castro regime
is “oppressive”?
® “Anyone who speaks out against the
government can be harassed, beaten,
or arrested.”
® “Many cross the Straits of Florida in rickety
boats made from old car parts, inner tubes,
or Styrofoam.”
© “Cubans can now own businesses and buy
cell phones, computers, and DVD pLayers.”
SAVE A COPY
© “Many Cubans drive old American models
PRINT THIS PAGj4
that were built more than 50 years ago,”
JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC
•
OCTOBER 12, 2015
•
PAGE 2 OF 2