Opportunities to Promote Human Rights and Democratic Norms Abroad: The Case of Canadian Foreign Policy Toward Cuba

ABSTRACT This article argues that to understand Canadian foreign policy toward Cuba, and specifically its quiet and reserved support for democratization in the island, one needs to examine the opportunities at both ends of the bilateral relationship; specifically, opportunities for democratization in Cuba, and opportunities to prioritize human rights and democratic values in Canadian foreign policy. The greater these opportunities, as is the case for bilateral relations with Venezuela and Nicaragua for instance, the greater the probability that a vigorous policy of democracy promotion will be adopted. Conversely, in the case of bilateral relations with Cuba, low opportunities make this option unlikely, although the article examines how that could change, in light of the recent protests of July 2021.