• rockSlayer@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    edit-2
    10 hours ago

    So a couple things:

    1. I’m not entirely blaming the US embargo, the Cuban government is also at fault and are responsible for ensuring food security and electrical production.
    2. It’s ridiculous to claim that the embargo hasn’t seriously hindered the growth of Cuba or made it more difficult to maintain status quo for their citizens. The embargo prevents any trade with the Cuba if it involves the US, including foreign companies that want to do business in the US. Food and medicine purchases are allowed but still bound with significant red tape.
    • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      10 hours ago

      Well, it’s an island. So, there’s little room for growth in the first place. Secondly,they can and do trade with various countries, including Mexico and Canada, which do a lot of business with the US.

      • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        10 hours ago

        There’s more to growth than literal expansion. The Helms–Burton Act is what I’m referring to. The companies that trade with Cuba are banned from operating in the US. That doesn’t mean no country can trade with Cuba, it’s just forcing foreign companies to choose between one of the wealthiest and most populous countries in the world and a poor little island in the Caribbean.

        • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          9 hours ago

          There have been no Caribbean islands I have been to that are what you would call industrial strong. Little resources.

          Companies can and do business with Cuba. They just can’t use US banking or sell to the US government. It’s not slowing Cuba down.

          • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            9 hours ago

            It’s like you have no historical context for the topic you’re trying to discuss. They do have some heavy industry, they produce 4% of worldwide nickel (and therefore also cobalt). Oil production is also heavy industry. They didn’t develop it very much because it’s an island, so after the Cuban revolution they relied on the USSR for heavy industry. That was a major flaw in international soviet socialism, relying on the USSR for most industry. However it made sense for an island nation, but impacted them substantially after the USSR was illegally disbanded.

            This article has the backdrop of the energy revolution program within the country, started in 2005 to diversify energy production and fight climate change. You want to talk about how the embargo hasn’t impacted them? Let’s start with how they’ve been trying to modernize and decarbonize for 20 years, but hurricanes, the embargo, and the historical effects of the embargo have hindered this program.

            • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              8 hours ago

              They don’t develop their nichel resources because there is a lot of nichel in this world. Canada and Australlia are the largest producers.

              For a country that you believe wants to diversify their energy, they’ll be in the dark tonight.