Siden 1960 har USA anlagt en [[Handelsembargo|embargo]] mod Cuba. Den amerikanske kongres vedtog i 1992 ''Cuban Democracy Act'', der fastslår, at sanktionerne vil fortsætte "så længe [Cuba] fortsætter med at nægte at bevæge sig hen imod demokratisering og større respekt for menneskerettighederne".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://1997-2001.state.gov/www/regions/wha/cuba/democ_act_1992.html |title=Cuban Democracy Act |year=1992 |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=6. september 2009 }}</ref> Den amerikanske diplomat [[Lester D. Mallory]] skrev et internt notat 6. april 1960, hvor han argumenterede til fordel for en embargo: "Det eneste forudsigelige middel til at fremmedgøre intern støtte er gennem desillusionering og utilfredshed baseret på økonomisk utilfredshed og nød. [...] at mindske de penge der er til rådighed og reallønnen, at fremkalde sult, desperation og oprør der vælter regeringen."<ref>{{cite book |url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1958-60v06/d499 |title=Foreign Relations of the United States |chapter=499. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Mallory) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom) |date=6. april 1960 |location=Washington |publisher=Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute - [[United States Department of State]] |access-date=13. maj 2022 |quote=If the above are accepted or cannot be successfully countered, it follows that every possible means should be undertaken promptly to weaken the economic life of Cuba. If such a policy is adopted, it should be the result of a positive decision which would call forth a line of action which, while as adroit and inconspicuous as possible, makes the greatest inroads in denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://brill.com/view/book/9789004501201/BP000010.xml |title=Sanctions at War |chapter=Chapter 8 US Sanctions Cuba ‘to Bring About Hunger, Desperation and the Overthrow of the Government’ |first=Helen |last=Yaffe |series=Studies in Critical Social Sciences |date=9. december 2021 |access-date=17. maj 2022 |pages=129–147 |isbn=9789004501201 |doi=10.1163/9789004501201_009|s2cid=245412919 }}</ref> [[FNs generalforsamling]] har hvert år siden 1992 vedtaget en resolution, der fordømmer embargoen og erklærer, at den er i strid med [[De Forenede Nationers Pagt]] og international lov.<ref>{{Cite web|date=7. november 2019|title=Cuba: UN Members overwhelmingly support end of US embargo, as Brazil backs Washington|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1050891|access-date=2. januar 2021|website=UN News}}</ref>
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