The United States imposes two types of economic sanctions on Latin American countries. Currently, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua are under comprehensive, nationwide embargoes that severely restrict their economic activities and international trade. These broad sanctions are never justified because they hurt the general populace more than the political elites they target. The people in these countries suffer from shortages of essential goods, inflation, and economic instability, exacerbating poverty and hardship.
In addition to these broad sanctions, the U.S. Congress also imposes targeted sanctions on individuals and businesses throughout Latin America under the pretexts of corruption and human rights violations. These sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on business dealings, affecting countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, and Mexico. While they are purportedly aimed at fighting corruption and protecting human rights, they often serve to maintain the dominance of American, Canadian, and European companies over vital sectors of these developing economies, further entrenching economic disparities.
Our foreign policy, through these sanctions and other measures like supporting coups to replace leaders, creates economic hardships and instability. These actions disrupt local economies, diminish job opportunities, and undermine the social fabric of the affected countries. As a result, many people from these nations are forced to leave their homes in search of a better life, often seeking refuge in the United States. These migrants are, in a way, escaping the very conditions that U.S. policies have helped create, thus feeding into the cycle of displacement and migration towards what some perceive as the 'American Empire.' Sanctions are not just ineffective; they are inhumane as they punish ordinary citizens, leading to widespread suffering and increased migration.