DW+RaymondSukarn

The United States federal government should normalize its economic relations with Cuba.
 * Plan**

Current US policy is aiming to improve US-Latin America relations but the unilateral policy goal of regime change prevents genuine improvement
CDA ~’13 - Center for Democracy in the Americas ("News Flash? Has the Administration rediscovered Latin America?" 6/7, [])

Today, as we put cursor-to-screen, we were struck by AND -cost, low-probability "regime change" solution for Cuba.

====We~’re at a tipping point – we either act in the wake of Chavez~’s death to counter the growing Anti-American sentiments or the growing gulf between the two continents will doom all future cooperation efforts==== White ~’13 -Senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and former U.S. ambassador to Paraguay and El Salvador (Robert, "After Chávez, a Chance to Rethink Relations With Cuba", New York Times, 3/7/13, []

FOR most of our history, the United States assumed that its security was inextricably AND cooperating in matters of common concern would be reduced to a historical footnote.

Normalizing relations with Cuba by lifting the embargo is a prerequisite to effective US-Latin America relations, which are vital to promote democracy in the region
Inter-American Dialogue ~’12 - the Inter-American Dialogue is the leading US center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs ("Remaking the Relationship The United States and Latin America", April 2012, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)

The democratic outlook in the Americas is on balance positive, particularly when compared with AND US concern about human rights violations, would be an important first step.

Now is key – Latin America and various developing countries are experimenting with democracy

 * Hillman ~’2** – Ph.D., Professor and Director, Institute for the Study of Democracy and Human Rights, St. John Fisher College (Richard S., Democracy and Human Rights in Latin Americai, Preface, p. vii) //SP

Latin American experiences, especially in the areas of democratization and human rights protection, AND human rights have definitively entered the political lexicon and discourse throughout the worlds.

Democracy acts as a preventative structural barrier to multiple extinction threats
Diamond ~’95 - Hoover Institute Senior Fellow (Larry, "Promoting Democracy in the 1990s," http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/ccpdc/pubs/di/fr.htm)

This hardly exhausts the lists of threats to our security and well-being in AND which a new world order of international security and prosperity can be built.

The changing economic situation and Washington~’s declining influence puts the Organization of American States (OAS) at risk – Normalizing relations with Cuba is key to broader engagement

 * Reuters ~’12 ** (Brian Ellsworth, "Despite Obama charm, Americas summit boosts U.S. isolation," 4/16/12, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/16/us-americas-summit-obama-idUSBRE83F0UD20120416)//SJF

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama sat patiently through diatribes, interruptions and even AND said Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America.

OAS legitimacy is key to coordination and effectiveness in the event of a deadly cyber attack

 * Caribbean News Now 6/25 ** ("OAS launches cyber security crisis management exercise," 6/25/13, http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/headline-OAS-launches-cyber-security-crisis-management-exercise-16500.html)//SJF

WASHINGTON, USA — The assistant secretary general of the Organization of American States ( AND and security specialists, among others. The event will conclude on Tuesday.

Extinction

 * Andreasen 6/14 ** – national security consultant to the Nuclear Threat Initiative and its Nuclear Security Project (Steve, "Cyberwar~’s Threat Does Not Justify a New Policy of Nuclear Deterrence," 6/14/13, http://www.nti.org/analysis/opinions/cyberwars-threat-does-not-justify-new-policy-nuclear-deterrence/)//SJF

President Obama is expected to unveil a new nuclear policy initiative this week in Berlin AND lead to shared approaches to cybersecurity, including agreements related to limiting cyberwar.

Russia and China are competing for business and geopolitical influence in Latin America—weapons deals, strategic alliances and economic ties
**Llana and Downie 10, Sara Miller Llana is the Monitor~’s European Bureau Chief based in Paris., She covered Latin America for the paper, from Mexico City, for seven years. She has a masters in journalism from Columbia University and a BA in history from the University of Michigan. Andrew Downie is a correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor(Sara/Andrew, "Iran, Russia, China beat a path to Latin America~’s door" 4/23/10, Christian Science Monitor, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2010/0423/Iran-Russia-China-beat-a-path-to-Latin-America-s-door)//AD** Latin America suddenly finds itself with many suitors. In the same week, Chinese AND market," Mr. Maciel says. "We need to learn more."

Lifting the embargo is the first step in reestablishing US relations in the region—reverses anti-American sentiments and boosts credibility
Goodman 09, Joshua Goodman is a reporter for Bloomberg News, who is stationed in Rio de Janeiro, covering Latin America. He is a policy analyst covering regional economics and politics. Goodman has spent more than a decade covering Latin America, formerly contributing to Business Week, tracking the drug war and Argentina~’s 2001 financial collapse(Joshua, "Latin America to Push Obama on Cuba Embargo at Summit," 4/13/09, Bloomberg News, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive%26sid= a0_zyWMi297I%26refer=uk)//AD

April 13 (Bloomberg) — When Barack Obama-http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Barack+Obama%26site=wnews%26client=wnews%26proxystylesheet=wnews%26output=xml_no_dtd%26ie=UTF-8%26oe=UTF-8%26filter=p%26getfields=wnnis%26sort=date:D:S:d1 arrives at the fifth AND widely played, Funk says, is one called "Barack the Magnificent.-http://svarten.blogspot.com/2008/02/mighty-sparrow-barack-magnificent_25.html"

Increasing Russo-Chinese influence trades off with US—they are actively pursuing policies to undermine US credibility
Cohen 13, Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy at The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Policy Studies. He is an expert on economic and political policies in former Soviet republics. Cohen is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, and Association for the Study of Nationalities. He also writes for the Heritage Foundation(Ariel, "The Russia-China Axis Grows" 3/14/13, Frontpage Mag, http://frontpagemag.com/2013/ariel-cohen/the-russia-china-alliance-grows/)//AD

China~’s new president Xi Jinping will make his first official foreign visit later this month AND . national security interests still stands. Washington should plan its policy accordingly.

Cuba is ground zero for expansionism—economic and military ties are setting the groundwork for future spheres of influence
Llana 12, Sara Miller Llana is the Monitor~’s European Bureau Chief based in Paris. She covered Latin America for the paper, from Mexico City, for seven years. She has a masters in journalism from Columbia University and a BA in history from the University of Michigan(Sara, "50 years after Cuba missile crisis, US influence in hemisphere waning" 10/14/12, The Christian Science Monitor, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas /2012/1014/50-years-after-Cuba-missile-crisis-US-influence-in-hemisphere-waning)//AD

Investment from emerging economies like China and Russia are diminishing Latin America~’s reliance on the AND pariah state; it is now a linchpin for all the other countries."

Extinction—Chinese and Russian expansionism spurs development of opposing alliances, military deals and arms races.
Nyquist 06, Independent journalist and policy analyst. Jeffrey Nyquist is a writer for Financial Sense and an expert in Chinese and Russian military and foreign policy strategies. He was formerly a Contractor for the Defense Intelligence Agency(Jeffrey, "MORE TRICKS," 3/24/06, Financial Sense, http://www.financialsensearchive.com/stormwatch/geo/pastanalysis /2006/0324.html)//AD

The strategic alliance of Russia and China continues to develop, embracing an ever AND something the Russians have encouraged for many years. Everything here is interconnected.

United States sphere of influence key to check back instability—promotion of regional institutes and reforms
Wood 06, Sgt. Sara Wood is a sergeant in the United States Armed Forces, a writer and photographer who specializes in military affairs(Sara, "U.S. Support Critical to Latin American Stability, Commander Says," 3/14/06, United States Department of Defense/American Forces Press Service, http://www.defense.gov/News/newsarticle.aspx?id=15175)//AD

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2006 – Latin America faces security problems and threats to AND influences recede and internal democratic processes are strengthened and mature, Craddock said.

Trade embargo isolates Cuba and is the underpinning factor that threatens relations—continuation of this policy risks loss of American influence and loss of regional legitimacy
**Huddleston and Pascual 09,** Vicki Huddleston is a visiting fellow at Brookings and co-director of the Brookings Project on U.S. Policy Toward a Cuba in Transition. Carlos Pascual is vice president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings(Vicki/Carlos, "REFRAME U.S. – CUBA RELATIONS" No Specific Date 2009, The Brookings Institute, http://www.brookings.edu//media/Research/Files/Reports/2009/4/13%20summit%20americas /0413_summit_americas_huddleston_pascual.PDF)//AD Cuba policy should be a pressing issue for the Obama administration because it offers a AND he has ample executive authority to put in place a policy of engagement.

US engagement helps push against Chinese and Russian influence—developing economic and political relationships is key
Villarreal 09, Policy analyst and writer for Global Security and the Voice of America(Alex, "Clinton Says US to Counter Chinese, Iranian and Russian Influence in Latin America"5/2/09, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/05/mil-090502-voa08.htm)//AD

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Obama administration is working AND have different views, but that pursuing better relationships is worth a try.