Abstract

On March 22, 2013, the Dean Rusk Center brought together a variety of viewpoints on the Cuban Embargo for a valuable discussion on the effectiveness and consequences of economic sanctions, as well as the potential outlook for trade with the United States in a post-embargo era.

The keynote speaker was José R. Cabañas, Chief of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C.

Panelists included Cuban and American scholars, legal practitioners, and trade specialists. The first panel laid the groundwork for the conference by discussing the economic effects of the embargo over the past 50 years, the effect of the embargo on political and economic reforms in Cuba and the possibility for changes in Cuba with or without economic sanctions. There was a discussion in the second panel on executive actions that might be taken to ease sanctions short of legislation and the legal issues related to lifting the embargo through legislation. The final panel explored the potential impact of lifting the embargo on trade and investment opportunities and on the U.S.-Cuban economic relationship.

This conference was co-sponsored by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute and the Hispanic Law Students Association and the Georgia Society for International and Comparative Law.

Panel 1 Video

Panel 2 Video

Panel 3 Video

Keynote Address video

Streaming Media