>>716443It's not solely about "trade with the usa." That's a reductive way of looking at it. There's other aspects of the embargo you're ignoring. Yes Cuba and the USA can't trade because of the embargo, but also foreign companies partially owned by the US also can't trade with Cuba. Foreign companies can't use raw materials from Cuba when trading with the US. Ships entering a Cuban port can't enter a US port for 6 months. Cuba can't access SWIFT, the global financial transaction system to pay for its imports, hindering its ability to easily trade with pretty much anybody, even when it comes to products not nominally blocked by the USA like food and medicine… the entire world opposes this but the USA keeps imposing it through its veto on the UN security council.
Washington has maintained a suffocating blockade against Cuba for more than 60 years. This has starved the country of an estimated $159 billion, or approximately 150% of Cuba’s entire GDP.
The US embargo prevents Cuba from importing certain technologies, machine parts, medicines, and even foods, despite Washington’s misleading claim to have “humanitarian exemptions” – a rhetorical sleight of hand that in reality does not apply when foreign firms are afraid of secondary sanctions and therefore do not bother the risk of trading with Cuba.
Illegal US sanctions make it exceedingly difficult for Cuba to get access to international financing, and cut off communication with many risk-averse foreign banks.
The US blockade has directly contributed to many preventable deaths of Cubans, who have perished because their country was not able to import specific medicines, medical equipment, or machine parts that were needed to treat them.
Washington’s goal behind this criminal blockade is very clear: “to bring about hunger, desperation, and overthrow of government”.
In an internal State Department cable from 1960, the year after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro,
top US diplomats regretfully conceded that “the majority of Cubans support Castro” and “there is no effective political opposition”.Post too long. Click here to view the full text.