In addition, this policy has provided the excuse that the Cuban government has brilliantly used to blame all of Cuba's problems on the U.S. embargo of the island. The United States has a long-standing record of supporting humanitarian causes. This record should continue and we wholeheartedly support the President recent initiatives towards Cuba in this direction. But humanitarian support is not enough. Humanitarian aid addresses the few and not the many.
Humanitarian aid increases dependency in an era of market driven forces.
Cubans must learn the value of capitalistic trade and business practices and not be dependent on the charity of the United States or their relatives abroad. Trade and aid will pave the way for the eventual democratization of Cuba. These changes have to occur now. The continued deterioration of Cuba's economic and social order will make the transition to democracy much harder and could leave the nation in a serious state of confusion and chaos in case of an abrupt change in leadership. The Cuban Humanitarian Trade Act, gives Congress the opportunity to take the first steps in opening certain trade policies still in place and this change can help the Cuban people develop skills that will help them get ready to face a much needed Democracy, which in my opinion is inevitable.