WASHINGTON. -The President of the United States, Donald Trump, renewed for another year the Trading with the Enemy Act, a 1917 charter which represents the basis of the economic blockade imposed against Cuba.
The President announced his determination to continue with the exercise of certain powers of that legislation that only affects the Caribbean country, under the pretext that it is the United States’ national interest, through a memorandum sent this Monday to the Secretaries of State and Treasury.
This is the second time the Republican proceeds this way because he also extended the regulation for one year in 2017, and before the expiration of the postponement on September 14th, he decided to keep it in force until the same date in 2019.
The renewal carried out by Trump implies that he has authority over some of the sanctions through executive decrees, which also would allow eliminating some restrictions if they were interested in, although the total lifting of the policy against the Antillean territory requires a decision of the Congress.
This law, in its section five, delegated to the American head of State the possibility of applying economic penalties in time of war or in any other period of national emergency, and banned trade with the enemy or its allies during armed conflicts.
In 1962, the then president John Kennedy used that charter to impose the economic, commercial and financial blockade against the Caribbean nation, which has been renovated since then by the following rulers.
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 restricted the powers of the president to impose other sanctions mentioning national emergency situations; however, the previous legislation continued to apply to Cuba.
Under the 1917 regulations, the Cuban Assets Control Regulations were adopted in 1963, u which prohibits to national Americans or people subject to the jurisdiction of this country to make financial transactions with the island, among other restrictions.
The extension of this regulation occurs when the Caribbean island prepares to present the resolution to lift the siege with more than 55 years in the UN General Assembly at the end of October for the 27th consecutive time.
On November the 1st, 2017, 191 members of the international organization out of 193 backed up Cuba’s demand, while only the United States and its ally Israel objected to it.
At the same time, various sectors inside the North American territory want the end of that policy, that Trump’s predecessor at the White House, Barack Obama, described several times as obsolete.