Hare Weighs in on Economic Impact of U.S.-Cuba Deal
Paul Webster Hare, visiting lecturer at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, said that Cuba’s need for hard currency was behind the thawing of relations between that nation and the U. S., as announced by president Barack Obama on Dec. 17.
Hare’s remarks were published by the Associated Press. In an article titled, “After 53 Years, Timing Right for U. S. and Cuba,” Hare said:
“If you look around the world, (Cuba is) in urgent need of economic resources, hard currency. Russia’s under sanctions of course, Iran’s under sanctions, the Chinese are pretty hard-headed businesspeople,” said Paul Webster Hare, a former British ambassador to Havana. “So if they want to quickly turn on the tap of new hard currency, America is top of the list.”
Hare, a former British ambassador to Cuba, was also interviewed by NPR host Anthony Brooks on Radio Boston. You can listen to his segment here.
Hare also wrote an indepth analysis of the policy change for The Conversation, titled “Only through engagement will Cuba change.” Said Hare in that piece:
The Cuban American community is increasingly reconnecting with their families and with small businesses being set up on the island. They want restrictions removed on ways they can interact, for example on the use of US credit cards, banking services and the ability to supply US communications equipment. President Obama has long been conscious of these wishes and his measures today show he is making the engagement between Cuban Americans and those on the island easier.
Hare also shared his insights with the Italian newsmagazine Pagina, as well as the Miami Herald.
Hare graduated with First Class Honors in Politics and Economics from Oxford University in 1972 and from the College of Law in London in 1976. He worked for 5 years in the private sector, in law and investment banking, before serving for 30 years in the British Diplomatic Service. Hare served overseas in Portugal, New York, at the UK Representation at the EU in Brussels, and in Venezuela as Deputy Head of Mission. He was Head of the Foreign Office’s Non-Proliferation Department and the first Project Director for the UK’s presence at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.