Notes1 “The choice is between capitalism and chaos.” —Ludwig von Mises An enduring myth is that Cuba in the 1950s was a socially and economically backward country whose development, especially in the areas of health and education, was made possible by the socialist nature of the Castro government. Despite the widespread acceptance of this view, […]

Notes1 Systems of financial support for old people are experiencing serious financial difficulties worldwide and the old-age, disability, and survivors’ pension system of Cuba (the pension system from now on) is no exception to this trend. The pension system of Cuba has been extensively discussed in the literature by Mesa-Lago (see below) and it has […]

Notes1 “…de un país en desgracia, pobre, solitario y “socialista” (p. 70)…” “Socialismo o Muerte, valga la redundancia” (p. 20) —Zoé Valdés, La Hija del Embajador. El estudio de la CEPAL (en adelante ESCEPAL)2 es el más amplio y completo estadísticamente sobre la economía cubana desde 1989; no obstante, acepta sin mayores salvedades las estadísticas […]

Notes1 BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE U.S. EMBARGO AGAINST CUBA The Cuban Democracy Act of 19922 (hereinafter “the CDA”) is but one of several measures adopted over the last three decades that exert economic pressure to effect political change in Cuba. Economic sanctions against the island were adopted in 1962 and, other than the ebb and […]

The U.S. embargo on food and medicine exports to Cuba are, in my opinion, critical to the Castro government’s ability to manipulate internal and international public opinion by placing the blame for Cuba’s grave problems on external factors. It is also key to understanding the bitter international outcry against the Cuba policy of the United […]