Notes1 Aside from very powerful personal experiences and testimonies of people I met in Cuba, the limited time available forces me to be pragmatic. Following are some of my conclusions regarding the Pope’s visit to Cuba. First, Cuba is not in a process of transition yet. In fact, in the aftermath of the Pope’s visit, […]
Update on Foreign Investment in Cuba: 1996–97
Last year’s paper presented at this conference1 concluded that the argument for commercial engagement is fundamentally insupportable as a justification for foreign investment in Cuba under the current circumstances. Two primary factors were found to inhibit the feasibility of foreign investment as a vehicle of reform in Cuba. First, the island’s distressed investment climate limits […]
Foreign Investment in Cuba: The Limits of Commercial Engagement
Since the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, the Cuban government embarked on economic liberalization based on the adoption of capitalist mechanisms which include an opening to foreign investment. This has led to increasing claims abroad that engagement— particularly commercial engagement within the context of constructive engagement1— is the policy instrument that will lead to economic […]