The Cuban Cigar Embargo

For those of you who came to age during thethroughout the world, believing that the form of
1960's, you probably vividly remember where yougovernment that works for insect colonies would
were when JFK was shot. For those of you whonot necessarily work for humans, but no
are cigar lovers, you probably vividly rememberAmerican wanted cigars from Cuba to become
where you were when he made Cuban Cigarsillegal either.
illegal.JFK himself was among those who indulged in the
For over four decades, cigar smokers of Americaluxuries of a Cuban Cigar. In fact, knowing the
have been left without the ability to procureembargo was imminent, JFK sent his press
what's reputed to be the finest smokes on thesecretary out to obtain a stockpile of Cuban
market; they've been left empty -handed like aCigars on the eve before he signed the Executive
child who lost a favorite toy, a very luxurious,Order.
flavorful toy, in a neighbor's backyard. This hasFor those who didn't have the inside information
placed cigar lovers in perpetual wonderment,of the President, the Cuban Cigar embargo ended
asking why they are missing out on one of life'sa cigar democracy Americans had come to love
greatest pleasures.and expect.
The HistoryJust as Prohibition forever changed the alcohol
Bent on a legacy of close economic andindustry, the Cuban Cigar embargo forever
geographical relations, the ties between Cuba andchanged the cigar industry; it is as if all the
America began to unravel when the Cubangovernment needs to do to shake up any
Revolution gave Fidel Castro power on January 7,industry is make something about that industry
1959. These tensions between the two countriesillegal. While Prohibition saw bootleggers and wine
were further compounded when Cuba and thesmuggling, the Cuban Cigar embargo saw the
Soviet Union appeared in cahoots, like two forcesblack market obtain a best selling item.
attending a Communistic tea party. Reacting toAnd, of course, anytime anything comes onto the
this two-headed threat, the US dealt withblack market, counterfeiters sit by licking their lips
unraveling ties by severing them altogether.and waiting for unsuspecting purchasers. This is
Cuban Cigars found their way into the historyparticularly true with Cuban Cigars. While they are
books on February 7, 1962. Intending to cut offseemingly easy to get inside the US, everyone
Castro and his government, JFK implemented ahas a friend who has a friend who sells them,
trade embargo. Americans, under this embargo,those patrons who purchase them have a better
were prohibited from purchasing Cuban Cigars andchance of being scammed than obtaining the real
Cuba, as JFK intended, lost a majority of theirthing.
customer base, and a great amount of revenue.The Cuban Cigar embargo also added to the
The US government knew this would happen; justcigar's already exciting reputation: smoking
four years earlier 67 percent of Cuba's exportssomething illegal often seems more fun than
and 70 percent of their imports involved the US.smoking something not prohibited by law. Banning
A trade embargo was sure to hit them below thethe cigars drew attention to them and, as soon
belt. And so, JFK laced up his gloves.as smokers learned they couldn't have them,
While the embargo resulted in Americanthey wanted them even more. This resulted in a
exporters losing an estimated 1.2 billion, the Cubanboom in the black market (Cuban Cigars began
government lost much more; the embargo costcirculating everywhere), an upslope of cigar
them roughly 70 billion. However, this loss didn't hitsmuggling (people began transporting Cuban Cigars
Cuba with the force intended; the Soviet Union,from Canada, where the embargo did not exist)
supplying Cuba with subsidies, shielded the blow.and a foundation of counterfeiting (some people
The Criticismwere able to quit their day jobs and start a
As soon as the embargo began, so did thebusiness peddling fake Cubans, not much of a
criticism. While tobacco lovers everywhere weredental plan, but lucrative nonetheless).
angry, standing by and watching their ability toThe Cuban Cigar embargo is the epitome of
procure the best cigars in the world go up intobacco history. Not only have few government
smoke, much of the criticism came on a politicalacts in the entire existence of America impacted
level.the smoking industry so drastically, but the Cuban
While some argued that the embargo onlyCigar embargo demonstrates how much the
strengthened the unity between the Soviet Unionhistory of a nation is intertwined with the history
and Cuba - just as the attack on Pearl Harborof cigars.
strengthened the relationship between the US andThe embargo had nothing to do with cigars
Great Britain - others argued that the embargothemselves, JFK wasn't offended or turned off
gave Castro an excuse for Cuba's lack ofby something a Cuban Cigar had once said to him.
prosperity. In a time when Cuba was plagued byIt was merely a political move to protect a
problems, critics feared Castro would be able tocountry during a time when Communism seemed
shrug his shoulders and say, "What? It's not me;ready to take over.
blame the cigars."However, times have changed: the Soviet Union
To this day, the embargo continues to be lookedhas since dissolved and Cuba is not the threat
on negatively by members of the United Nations.they were in the years that preceded the Cold
Each year the UN calls, by a large majority vote,War. It seems, in fairness to American smokers,
for the US to lift its embargo and each year thethat Cuban Cigars should once again be legal in the
US refuses.US; the Cuban Cigar embargo needs a little
The Impactembargoing of its own.
No American wanted Communism to spread