Raul Castro touts economic changes

Raul Castro touts economic changesRaul Castro touts economic changes - National Business - MiamiHerald.com

Posted on Saturday, 12.18.10
By ANNE-MARIE GARCIA
Associated Press

HAVANA -- Cuban President Raul Castro told legislators Saturday that the future of the country's revolution is at stake as the government tries to institute sweeping economic reforms, adding that the changes are meant to strengthen socialism - not replace it.

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Castros’ ship is making water and it is in a lot of trouble as recognize by Raul. The regime is desperate for dollars and is trying by any means to put an end to the economic crisis. The regime hopes to lure the Obama administration to end the embargo and obtain millions of dollars in credits and keeps its control over the Cuban people. But it looks there isn’t enough time left for the brothers to calm the trouble waters.

I hope this is the beginning of a reformist economic path for Cuba. I think the country will prosper as soon as it is given the chance.

Well South Africa recently waived Cuba's 161 million dollar debt to them as well as supplying them with a 30 million dollar credit package, so the fall of the government is most definitely not imminent.

Washington has maintained an economic embargo on the communist-run country for 48 years

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The Cuba food import agency Alimport, affirmed that since operations began in December 2001 to date, the island has transacted more than $4.4 billion worth of business with the US. Cuba's National Statistics Office placed the United States as Cuba’s fifth business partner at $810 million in 2008. Currently the US is Cuba’s first food supplier and the most generous donor of humanitarian aid for decades.

Sandokan said:

The Cuba food import agency Alimport, affirmed that since operations began in December 2001 to date, the island has transacted more than $4.4 billion worth of business with the US. Cuba's National Statistics Office placed the United States as Cuba’s fifth business partner at $810 million in 2008. Currently the US is Cuba’s first food supplier and the most generous donor of humanitarian aid for decades.

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Can you give a link for that?

WeAreReborn said:

Can you give a link for that?

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Here are the links:

Cuba Imported $4.4 Billion in Food from U.S. Since 2001
Latin American Herald Tribune - Cuba Imported $4.4 Billion in Food from U.S. Since 2001
National Statistics Office (ONE)
(Anuario Estadístico de Cuba - 2008)

"There isn't the slightest willingness on the part of the United States to change the policy against Cuba, not even to eliminate its most irrational aspect," Raul said.

Since President Obama's administration relax restrictions in 2009 on Cuban-Americans, and on religious organizations, school and cultural groups, academics and other professional visiting the island, travel has increased markedly. The administration also cut the budget for busting individuals who violate the travel ban, making it easy for people to go there illegally.

“As many as 400,000 U.S. citizens are expected to visit Cuba by year's end, Nick Miroff reports from Havana for NPR.”

This will make American tourists visiting the island second larger after Canada. US tourist dollars would only serve to tighten the regime's grip on power. So much for the statement “effectively bars most U.S. tourists from visiting.”

Is there any information on what these reforms are?

And please spare me the partisan bull****, I'm really not in the mood for it.

"There isn't the slightest willingness on the part of the United States to change the policy against Cuba, not even to eliminate its most irrational aspect," Raul said.

Click to expand...

Since President Obama's administration relax restrictions in 2009 on Cuban-Americans, and on religious organizations, school and cultural groups, academics and other professional visiting the island, travel has increased markedly. The administration also cut the budget for busting individuals who violate the travel ban, making it easy for people to go there illegally.

As many as 400,000 U.S. citizens are expected to visit Cuba by year's end, Nick Miroff reports from Havana for NPR.

Click to expand...

This will make American tourists visiting the island second larger after Canada. US tourist dollars would only serve to tighten the regime's grip on power. So much for the statement “effectively bars most U.S. tourists from visiting.”

The economist and ex political prisoner Espinosa Chepe said “They don’t get to the root of the problem. The mentality continues to be the same: tight control by the State and the Party.” Without or with reform, with the current regime the country goes anyway in free fall toward the precipice.

Cuba's "bailout", by obtaining US-backed credit lines and loans, will guarantee the continuation of the Castros regime, delaying instead of accelerating a transition to democracy. These credit and loans will not be pay back, as is the case with the external debt of over $70 billion to other countries, and the American taxpayers will be ones to pick up the debt.

You don’t need to look further; here you have the answer from the “horse” mouth: “It is necessary to impose financial, economic and material restrictions to dictatorships, so that they will not take roots for long years….Diplomatic and morals measures do not work against dictatorships, because these make fun of the Governments and the population”. Fidel Castro (Excerpt from the book “Fidel Castro and Human Rights”, Editora Política, Havana, Cuba, 1988)

What will bring "Change" to Cuba are free elections, the freeing of all political prisoners, and the implementation of a market economy. This is one of the few times that I agree with Castro. In this case a 100%.