International business in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International business in the USA - Essay Example From the perspective of the Castro regime, there might be little incentive to open up trade relations with the USA. After all these years, the American trade embargo against Cuba has had the effect of strengthening Castro’s grip on power by providing a rallying point around which the Cuban people can offer him their support. Castro has been able to point to the â€Å"evil† Americans across the Florida Straits and blame them for his country’s poverty and relatively poor standard of living. Opening up trade with America would deprive him of that crutch; and it would force him to have to take responsibility for any continuing economic problems his country faces, potentially threatening his grip on power. Because the status quo has enabled Castro to preserve his power, it is unlikely he would want to normalize trade relations with the U.S. The structure and relationships of the American political system have a tremendous influence on the state of U.S. trade relations with Cuba. There is a huge constituency of Cuban-Americans, particularly in the pivotal state of Florida, who support the current policy due to their resentment of Castro. Thus, it would be highly risky from a political standpoint for anyone to press for normalization of relations with Cuba. The Cuban exiles who fled that country in the wake of Castro’s assumption of power, and subsequently became American citizens, constitute a tremendously powerful voting block, to the extent that a Presidential candidate who supported opening trade with Cuba would be virtually assured of losing Florida.