ASSESSING UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’S ENGAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATIONS TOWARDS THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA UNDER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ADMINISTRATION (2009-2016) By LELA TRESNA ASIH 016201300083 A thesis presented to the Faculty of Humanities President University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Bachelor Degree in International Relations Concentration in Diplomacy JANUARY 2017 THESIS ADVISER RECOMMENDATION LETTER This thesis entitled “Assessing United States of America’s Engagement Implementations towards The Republic of Cuba under President Barack Obama Administration (2009-2016)” prepared and submitted by Lela Tresna Asih in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Faculty of Humanities has been reviewed and found to have satisfied the requirements for a thesis fit to be examined. I therefore recommend this thesis for Oral Defense. Cikarang, Indonesia, January , 2017 Recommended and Acknowledged by, Drs. Teuku Rezasyah, M.A., Ph.D. i DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY I declare that this thesis, entitled “Assessing United States of America’s Engagement Implementations towards The Republic of Cuba under President Barack Obama Administration (2009- 2016)” is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, an original piece of work that has not been submitted, either in whole or in part, to another university to obtain a degree. Cikarang, Indonesia, January 27th, 2017 Lela Tresna Asih ii ABSTRACT “ASSESSING UNITED STATES OF AMERICA‟S ENGAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATIONS TOWARDS THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA UNDER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ADMINISTRATION (2009-2016)” Adviser: Teuku Rezasyah Normalization means to restore relations between countries. United States and Cuba finally agreed to have bilateral normalization after being isolated from each other for more than a half century. The normalization itself is initiated by President Barack Obama and President Raul Castro on December 17, 2014. The hostility policy which divided United States and Cuba from each other is failed to bring change in Cuba which is favored by United States. Rather than keep pursuing a failed policy to justify United States relations with Cuba, President Obama thought that policy engagement and coexistence would address United States interests in Cuba better than the hostility policy. United States under President Obama seeks for a new approach which might be beneficial to handle United States and Cuba‟s affairs after the normalization. Engagement policy is initiated following the normalization, President Obama stated that United States would end its failed policy and shift into policy engagement and coexistence with Cuba. This policy opened up new loop to engage more with the Cubans. It fosters the United States‟ interest to influence Cuba to uphold democracy and human right values. One of the initiations is Cuban-American family reunion which had been separated for a long time, and hope that the American would interact more with Cuban so Cuba could transform into more democratic country eventually. Keywords: United States of America, The Republic of Cuba, normalization, engagement, embargo. iii ABSTRAK “MENILAI IMPLEMENTASI ENGAGEMENT AMERIKA SERIKAT TERHADAP REPUBLIK KUBA PADA MASA PEMERINTAHAN BARACK OBAMA (2009-2016)” Pembimbing: Teuku Rezasyah Normalisasi adalah pemulihan hubungan antar-negara. Amerika Serikat dan Kuba bersepakat untuk menormalisasi hubungan bilateral yang mengasingkan satu sama lain selama lebih dari setengah abad. Normalisasi tersebut dicetuskan oleh President Barack Obama dan Presiden Raul Castro pada tanggal 17 Desember 2014. Kebijakan luar negeri hostility yang diimplementasikan Amerika Serikat dan memisahkan kedua negara dari satu sama lain telah gagal untuk membawa perubahan yang diinginkan oleh Amerika Serikat di Kuba. Maka dari itu, daripada melanjutkan kebijakan luar negeri yang gagal terhadap Kuba, Presiden Obama menyatakan bahwa kebijakan luar negeri engagement atau coexsistence akan mewujudkan kepentingan Amerika Serikat lebih baik dari kebijakan luar negeri hostility. Amerika Serikat pada masa pemerintahan Presiden Obama menemukan pendekatan baru yang berfungsi untuk menangani hubungan antara Amerika Serikat dan Kuba paska normalisasi. Kebijakan luar negeri engagement diinisiasi setelah normalisasi terjadi, Presiden Obama berkomitmen untuk menghentikan kebijakan luar negeri yang telah gagal dan menggantinya dengan kebijakan luar negeri engagement dan coexsistence terhadap Kuba. Kebijakan luar negeri tersebut membangun jembatan baru untuk terlibat dan bekerja sama dengan Warga Kuba. Kebijakan luar negeri tersebut membantu untuk mencapai kepentingan Amerika Serikat untuk mempengaruhi Kuba agar menjunjung tinggi nilai-nilai demokrasi dan menghormati hak asasi manusia. Salah satu inisiatif yang terkandung dalam kebijakan tersebut adalah reuni keluarga diantara Warga Kuba-Amerika dan keluarga mereka di Kuba yang telah berpisah untuk waktu yang lama, dan berharap bahwa Warga Amerika dapa lebih berinteraksi dengan Warga Kuba sehingga Kuba mampu berubah menjadi negara yang lebih demokratis secepatnya. Kata Kunci: Amerika Serikat, Republik Kuba, normalisasi, engagement, embargo. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all I would like to convey my gratefulness to Allah SWT for his infinite blessings. I finally finished and accomplished one of the most important steps in my University life which is thesis. I have spent years of my life to study in President University and it will be an unforgettable experience for me in the future. My parents who endlessly love me for the way I am. The parents who always try their best to fulfill their daughter needs, the parents who do not even take care of themselves well to provide all the best for their daughters. Hereby here, their nagging daughter will promise them that I will be someone for them to be proud of in the future. Also to my sister, Lelly, who support me as well all this time. Thank you, I may not say this often but I love you. My advisers; Sir Teuku Rezasyah and Ms. Isyana Adriani who assisted me since the first time I wrote my thesis until I managed to finish it right on time. Thank you, I would do nothing without both of you. For friends who stay behind my back: Yanri, Khoirunnisa, Dwi, Maretha, Ega, Marietta, Efi, and my fellow University friends. I hope we can reap our hard work in the future. Let us work harder and meet again when we succeed in the future, shall we? Thank you for all the bittersweet, laughter, and for being there when I need someone to rely on. Sincerely, Lela Tresna Asih v TABLE OF CONTENTS THESIS ADVISER RECOMMENDATION LETTER ..................................................... i DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY ............................................................................ ii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I.................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 I.1. Background of Study ............................................................................................. 1 I.2. Problem Identified ................................................................................................. 5 I.3. Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................... 6 I.4. Research Objectives .............................................................................................. 7 I.5. Significance of the Study ....................................................................................... 7 I.6. Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................... 7 I.6.1. Realism Theory .............................................................................................. 7 I.6.2. Foreign Policy ................................................................................................ 8 I.6.3. Conceptual Framework ................................................................................... 9 I.7. Scope and Limitations of the Study ..................................................................... 10 I.8. Literature Review ................................................................................................ 10 I.9. Research Methodology ........................................................................................ 18 I.9.1. Qualitative Research ..................................................................................... 18 I.9.2. Data Collections ........................................................................................... 19 I.10. Thesis Structure ................................................................................................ 20 CHAPTER II ................................................................................................................ 22 DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN UNITED STATES - CUBA ........................ 22 II.1. Cuba‟s History of Recognition ..............................................................................