After nearly half a century of rule, Cuban President Fidel Castro has officially ceded his powers to brother Raul Castro.
“I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief,” Castro said late Monday in a letter of resignation. His address was published online in Cuba’s state-run newspaper, Granma.
This past summer, three former N.C. State students traveled to Cuba without permits in open defiance of the U.S. travel ban. Dante Strobino, a former graduate student in electrical engineering from Charlotte, Yolanda Carrington, former N.C. State student, now a writer and activist in Raleigh, and Tyneisha Bowens, a senior in psychology traveled to Cuba. Their visit aimed to challenge the legitimacy of the U.S. travel ban on Cuba, and to show solidarity with Cubans that they believe have suffered as a result of prohibitions.
Despite Castro’s resignation, Deputy Secretary of State, John Negroponte, has confirmed the U.S. embargo on Cuba will not be lifted in the foreseeable future.
Since the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the U.S. has divested from Cuba with little-to-no alteration in legislation that would affect the terms of the travel ban. The three, representing the group Fight Imperialism-Stand Together, visited Cuba to make a statement in opposition to such laws as the Helms Burton Act of 1996, which banned U.S. companies and their subsidiaries from trading with Cuba. This act toughened the trade embargo that has been in place since John F. Kennedy’s 1962 ban on trade. Their trip was also in solidarity with groups such as the Venceremos Brigade — a coalition that has openly challenged the travel ban since 1969.
“I’m not surprised that Castro has announced his resignation,” Strobino said. “Castro has been talking about [stepping down] for a long time, and he is very conscious of not surprising or alienating people from the decision-making process. The embargo is the result of pure political, ideological warfare — it hopes to, vis-a-vis the embargo, break the will of the Cuban people.”
In 2000, the U.S. Government relaxed sanctions to allow the export of certain agricultural and medical freight to Cuba. The ban on imports from Cuba was not lifted or altered by this legislation. In 2003, the Bush Administration eliminated travel for educational exchanges unrelated to coursework and two years later, licensing guidelines for religious trips were further restricted, according to Congressional Research Service reports.
“This is a speculative comment, but I feel a large part of the U.S. population feel that Cuba is not a threat to the U.S. militarily, economically or politically,” said Robert Butler, a professor in history. “It’s long since time to relax the trade embargos and travel bans.”
In practice, the punishment for traveling to Cuba without a permit varies, and extenuating factors may weigh in. The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets typically fines first-time offenders $7,500.
“I’m not surprised [that Castro has announced his resignation],” Hans Kellner, a professor of English, said. “Personally, I think it’s not altogether clear that he’s alive. The embargo is a response to a very powerful and passionate constituency in the U.S., and I don’t think it will change anytime soon.”
