Cuban Embargo

Due to the geographic proximity to the US, strengthening ties with Cuba is militarily significant because there is less of a threat of enemy fire coming from the country. Cuba’s military is not a substantial threat, but the communist ties with the Soviet Union cause concern that the possible use of Cuba by other nations to launch attacks on the US. The military force of Cuba does not offer much by way of an alliance with the US but it is the fact that the military is large enough to help mold the country into a democracy the is significant to the US. When the Soviet Union cut diplomatic ties with Cuba and withdrew the military forces, the Soviet Union also withdrew the four to six billion in annual subsidies to Cuba. This left Cuba in a state where under the current trade embargo keeping Cuba’s military up to date was proving too …show more content…
The Bay of Pigs was an American CIA led attempt to overthrow the communist government of Cuba before the Soviet Union had a chance to get a foothold on the country, it did not succeed. The Cuban military has a force of 90,000 active troops; this is due to the two-year minimum compulsory service of all citizens. The current military budget of $700,000 sustains two thousand land vehicles, eighty aircraft, and twelve coastal defensive ships. Therefore, Cuba can sustain a viable and appropriate military posture in terms of personnel, but they lack the capital to provide financial support for this force. This is why the US is so interested in lifting the trade embargo with Cuba, because it will allow the US to fulfill multiple goals of the National Security Strategy through Cuba’s military force. These goals being combat the threat of terrorism, support emerging democracies, and uphold human rights and freedoms. Only through a competent military force will Cuba be able to enact these changes with the aid of the United states to make these changes long