Reading Room Document
Legal and Practical Consequences of a Blockade of Cuba
The President has the power to establish a blockade of Cuba under the laws of the United States without further congressional action. A blockade may be unilaterally established by the United States under international law but its establishment may be questioned within the Organization of American States and the United Nations. In addition, such a blockade could be regarded by Cuba and other Soviet Bloc nations as an act of war. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/20906/download.
The OLC's Opinions
Opinions published by the OLC, including those released in response to our FOIA lawsuit