The end of the embargo on Cuba brings new possibilities for tourism and cross-cultural exchange with a country that has a fraught relationship with the U.S.
Many Cubans look forward to the economic boost that tourism could bring, but others worry an influx of U.S. and international visitors will have a negative effect.
Cuba's economy suffered from the 1962 embargo on trade from the U.S. along with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the group of Communist countries let by Russia that helped support Cuba. Now, Cuba’s close proximity to the U.S. and reopened status will likely bring a high demand for tourism.
But the crumbling infrastructure and lack of hotels present obstacles to travelers. While developers will likely build new resorts, online companies like Airbnb allow regular Cubans to offer rooms to tourists in the meantime.
Carmen Blanco Boyce is skeptical. She worked for an American company in Havana before the embargo and remembers the way American businesses treated Cuba prior to communist takeover. She said she worries about reintroducing capitalist interests. “I’m very, very scared that things won’t come out as I think it should,” Boyce said.
Many Cubans and Americans celebrated the repeal of the embargo, but others hope the U.S. will still recognize that Cuba's one-party communist system is a problem for the region.
“The Cuban people are not free,” said Manuel Mons of Somos Mas, a political dissident group that translates to We Are More. “In Cuba, thinking independently from the government is illegal.”
Warm up questions
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Where is Cuba?
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What do you know about the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba?
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What is an embargo and when does the U.S. use it?
Critical thinking questions
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According to the report, how was the Cuban economy affected by the fall of the Soviet Union?
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How would you describe attitudes toward Americans in Cuba?
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How will an increase in American tourism affect Cuba? Why would Cuba be cautious about more American tourism?
