Cuba Perks up as Venezuela Foils Embargo

[TomClash]

Excellent article.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia, Aug. 3 — As Raúl Castro takes up the task of leading Cuba in place of his brother Fidel, there is, surprisingly, one less thing he may have to worry about: the state of Cuba’s economy.

The credit goes, in large part, to the economic lifeline thrown to Cuba by the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, who is using his country’s tremendous oil reserves to prop up the Castro government and counter Bush administration policy in Latin America.

To the exasperation of American officials, long determined to force a change of government by choking off the Cuban economy with an embargo, Venezuela’s patronage may take some pressure off Raúl Castro at what is otherwise a time of great uncertainty.

<snip>

Compared with the grim early 1990’s, when imports — the vast majority from Eastern Europe — plunged nearly 75 percent in three years, Cuba’s economy has shown important signs of renewal in recent years.

At the Farmers Market on 19th Street in Havana on Thursday, stalls were brimming with super-sized avocados and mangoes. String beans were almost a foot long. Rolls came out warm from the oven. Vendors offered lobster and shrimp caught fresh that morning. And the place was bustling with paying customers.



http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/04/world/americas/04cuba.html?hp&ex=1154750400&en=268b3eb63e9643b4&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[LaurenG]

1. I find it very interesting that the Latin countries

can fend bush off (at least Chavez can) but the huge oil conglomerates in the middle east have buckled.

[Moderator]

2. duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2434760