So all of Cuba’s problems are due solely to the US not trading with them? Such a tragedy that there are no other nations on the planet that could do business with them. If only there were one or two other countries, such as Canada or Mexico for instance, that traded with them, their troubles would be over. If only China, or the EU dared risk an American frowny face…

By the way, if the US lifted its embargo, how would that free up travel into and out of the nation? How would it release gays from concentration camps? How would it free political prisoners? How would it allow criticism of the government? How would it end entrenched corruption?

Most of Cuba’s economic problems are due to the collapse of the USSR, which since 1990 has not been buying Cuban sugar at above market prices to prop up the Revolution. Just as the Soviets got a hard economic slap in the face, so are the Cubans. Communism is mass death, and blaming it on lack of US consumer goods is fatuous at best.