Cuba's Economic Fate Up in the Air

Fidel Castro is ailing after surgery, and the country is anticipating the rule of brother, Raul Castro. Anxious to see what occurs, people believe that Raul will change Cuba's economy, for the better, and he is open to some changes. The U.S. is eager for Cuba to welcome capitalism and economic reforms. Since the Cuban missle crisis, the relationship between the U.S and Cuba has been somewhat shaky. http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2006-08-27-cuba-economy_x.htm. The U.S. has an embargo on Cuba limiting nearly all exports except those of agricultural and medicinal purposes. Cuba is ranked as one of the world's least-free nations.
More than half of the Cuban population lives in poverty, and it has also ran a heavy debt owing European nations forty billion dollars. Along with the people and money problems, the production of goods has fallen and only oil, gas, and nickel have seen growth. If Cuba and the U.S. make ties and the embargo is lifted, agricultural exports would grow drastically, helping the U.S. economy. The U.S.-Cuba Trade Association works on behalf of its U.S. business members to protect the current trade and to expand and increase the potential for future business between Cuba and the U.S.

So, imagine if we lifted the embargo and traded not only agricultural products, but also medicine. We could help poverty, we could save lives, and we could help their economy grow, as weel as our own economy.