Arturo López-Levy 16/09/08
Anything but Human Rights: U.S policy toward Cuba (1996-2006)
Arturo Lopez-LevyPhD Candidate and Research Associate
Josef Korbel School of
International Studies
University of Denver,
Colorado,
USA
On 16 September, 2008, Arturo López-Levy spoke at the IISC on the subject of US policy towards Cuyba. He analyzed the Human Rights dimension of U.S. policy through the case study of U.S policy toward Cuba, especially during the decade between 1996 and 2006. He concluded that U.S. policy toward Cuba is not designed to further Human Rights.
The paper evaluated U.S. policy toward Cuba by comparing and contrasting it with the principal theories and international norms of Human Rights and Human Rights Foreign policy (Donnelly, Forsythe, and Koh).
He also compared U.S. policy toward Cuba with some concrete cases of U.S. policies in which Human Rights improvements occurred. In terms of methods and conceptions, the paper reviews the "all-or-nothing" approach and priorities of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996 (Helms-Burton law) and its implementation.
The paper concluded that the Human Rights component of U.S. policy toward Cuba is minimal at best. U.S. policy toward Cuba was not conceived to improve Human Rights on the island but to appease domestic constituencies through an agenda of property claims and Cold War anti-communist symbolism.
Arturo Lopez-Levy is a PhD Candidate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. He received masters of International Affairs (2003, Columbia University (New York) and Economics (1998, Carleton University (Ottawa).
In Cuba, Arturo graduated as Licenciado at the Higher Institute of International Relations (Havana). He was Secretary of the Bnai-Brith lodge of the Cuban Jewish Community between 1999 and 2001.
Currently, Arturo is a lecturer at the University of Denver and the University of Colorado. He specializes in U.S policy toward Latin America and Cuba.
This event was recorded and a DVD is available. To obtain a copy please send a cheque for £5.00p made payable to 'London Metropolitan University', a return address and a note saying that you want the film of this event to the following address:
IISC
London Metropolitan University
31 Jewry St.,
London
EC3 2NY
