Thread by @jpolga

Please check out the new issue of Foro Cubano (programacuba.com/revista-de-div…), which I coordinated, in which a diverse group of scholars and practitioners evaluate issues surrounding foreign economic sanctions on #Cuba and #Venezuela.

A summary and link to each:

The first four articles focus on Cuba.

@ChrisSabatini examines why US sanctions against Cuba have failed to produce democratization, focusing on lack of 1) multilateralism, 2) narrow and clearly defined goals, and 3) flexibility and credibility.

programacuba.com/us-cuba-sancti…

@ric23 compares US policy towards Cuba under Obama and Trump. He shows how a return to pre-Obama policy has yet to produce progress towards democratization, has deepened the ties between the Cuban and Venezuelan govts, and has harmed ordinary Cubans.

programacuba.com/u-s-cuba-polic…

@turylevy is even more critical about the intention of economic sanctions against Cuba. He argues that the economic embargo is a relic of the Cold War that seems to exist for purely punitive reasons rather than to promote human rights or democratization.

programacuba.com/todo-menos-der…

Laritza Diversent argues that the embargo has served as justification for the Cuban state to breach its human rights obligations. She finds these explanations for imposing restrictions or limitations on individual rights have little legal merit.

programacuba.com/la-soberan%C3%…

The rest of the pieces focus on Venezuela.

Celina Realuyo summarizes the rationale behind sanctions and describes the types of tools in the US sanctions toolkit. She argues that lack of progress towards democracy is the product of sanctions evasion.

programacuba.com/the-use-of-san…

Two other articles expand upon this topic to examine precisely how the Nicolás Maduro government has blunted the effect of sanctions. Each argues for ways to make US pressure more successful at realizing a democratic transition.

@AdriBoersner describes the menu of strategies used by Maduro to mitigate sanctions' effects. She suggests that secondary sanctions will be vital to deterring foreign companies and individuals from doing business with the Venezuelan government.

programacuba.com/the-menu-of-st…

@RyanBergPhD explores how sanctions have incentivized Maduro to seek proceeds from illicit markets, especially that of gold. He recommends expanding Venezuela’s sanctions perimeter and engaging in secondary sanctions against third parties.

programacuba.com/assessing-the-…

Beyond ways of improving the effectiveness of sanctions, others examine their failure to bring about change as well as their humanitarian consequences.

@Maripuerta assesses the impact of sanctions on the worsening humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela. She argues the crisis is largely the fault of the Maduro government, although she also recognizes that US economic pressure has also hurt.

programacuba.com/effectiveness-…

@AyusoAnna & Susanne Gratius examine measures of coercion applied by both the US and EU. They argue inconsistencies in formulation, coordination, and application may impede rather than promote a transition, and may actually help further entrench Maduro.

programacuba.com/las-sanciones-…

@MaryhenJimenez shows how sanctions have had the unintended effect of hurting Venezuelans and weakening Venezuelan civil society—which in turn undercuts the type of activism that can aid regime liberalization.

programacuba.com/the-weakening-…

And @GRamsey_LatAm argues that to the extent that sanctions have had any impact on internal dynamics inside the Maduro government, there is more evidence of the effectiveness of targeted sanctions than those aimed at businesses or the economy.

programacuba.com/venezuela-a-ca…

I am delighted with the range of voices and the high quality of work in this issue!

Thank you to all the authors and to @liendonicolas and @angelsergioa for the invitation.

Btw, my intro article (in English and Spanish) is here:
programacuba.com/foro-cubano-la…

Sorry, @crealuyo, for not tagging you!