CUBA

I’m going to present my topic which is Cuba. My presentation will divide

into four parts.

• CUBA’s history

• The political regime

• The embargo and I will finished with

• My personal opinion

1. Before the arrival of the conquistadors, Cuba was populated of

Amerindians: Siboney and Tainos. Spain conquered the island during
the 16th (sixteenth) century after the discovery of the island by
Christophe Colomb on October 28th, 1492. The Spanish domination
lasted to the signature of the treaty of Paris in 1898. During these
four centuries, new cities risen among which Santiago of Cuba
(1514) and Havana (1515). During the Spanish domination, the
Indian population was decimated. There wasn’t gold on the island,
so the conquistadors were turned to production of tobacco, coffee
and sugar canes. For face up to lack of labor, Spanish imported
slaves from Africa.

In 1886, slavery was entirely abolished. In 1898, Spanish conceded

the control of the island to the United States.

The United States gave independence to Cuba in 1902. The USA and
CUBA kept a special relationship id est they kept an important
commercial bond. The USA invested in the production of sugar and
tobacco. Initially the government of the United States supported the
Cuban revolution, by recognizing the new government of Fidel
Castro on January 7th, 1959, after the escape of Batista on January
1st. However relation between the two states worsened very quickly.
Fidel Castro nationalized several strategic sectors which were under
 the control of American. Then Cuba bound commercially and
politically with the USSR.

2. What are the characteristics of Cuba’s regime? In first, Cuba is

characterized by a communist regime. It is a socialist State directed
by the principles of Marx, Engels and Lenin. The inscription on the
electoral registers is universal and frees for all the 16 years old
Cubans completed, and having their civic rights. The Cuban regime
is much discussed. For some, CUBA is regarded as a dictatorship but
for other as an example of “participative democracy”. After his come
to power in July 2006, the president, Raúl Castro, invited the
population to take part in a vast national debate on the future of the
country; a million Cubans would have taken part in it. There is one
party represented in the political scene; the Communist party.

The human rights in Cuba: The question about the human rights in
Cuba is controverter. Some people say Cuba doesn’t respect the
human rights however there isn’t case of torture, assassination or
political disappearance in Cuba. For some the situation in Cuba
would be better than some countries of Latin America according to
“Amnesty International”. The level of education and medical care
are remarkable for this geographical area so we can’t say that Fidel
Castro is a despot who is indifferent to the fate of his people.

3. The embargo of the United States against Cuba (described in Cuba

by the term Spanish “el bloqueo” which means “the blockade”) is an
economic commercial and financial embargo. The embargo is
bigginning since 1962. The embargo of the United States against
Cuba is condemned by a majority increasingly countries of the
United Nations. However the embargo continues is imposing in spite
of reiterated injunctions of UNO. The report of UNO wanted to blame
this embargo and to denounce the violation of the legality.
According to UNO this embargo isn’t legitimate.
 This embargo is considered like a crime against humanity. It is
intolerable for the Cubans. It’s like an act of war not declared from
the USA to CUBA. The economic and social effects are disastrous.

4. Finally, I wanted to speak about Cuba because it’s a country which

attracted me since my childhood. I left to Cuba this summer and for
me it was a dream become reality. It is not only for the beauty of the
country and the climate but it is rather for its cultural richness and
its history. Its political history is also very enriching and interesting
for my studies because I am in sciences policy at the University of
Brussels. Also I use a vocabulary strictly political. That’s allows me to
make a revision for my examination in English. I wanted to specify it
because I know that is not an easy subject.