| The US government is one of the three countries in | | | | ones from the United States, will remain a distant |
| the world that have initiated and maintained the Cuba | | | | "dream" as long as the embargo is in place, according |
| blockage. Specifically, only US, Israel and Uzbekistan | | | | to the government of Fidel Castro. Thus, under the |
| are the rejecting the voice of the United Nations | | | | current circumstances, given the absence of normal |
| General Assembly to seize this type of trade | | | | commercial relations or transportation mechanisms |
| treatment. More cases appear every year in the | | | | between the two countries, "it is not practical or |
| news regarding the US embargo consequences on | | | | viable to speak of such transactions," the Cuban |
| the lives of millions of Cubans. Food, medicine and | | | | Minister of Public Health, Carlos Dotres, had said in |
| other important supplies are withheld from the | | | | 2000. This fact is further supported by the fact that |
| citizens of this island due to its political history and | | | | there is currently great difficulty in purchasing |
| recent communist upheaval that led Fidel Castro in | | | | products since there are no commercial flights |
| power. But although the General Assembly of the | | | | between the two countries and ships that dock in |
| United Nations approved a resolution, condemning the | | | | Cuba are prohibited from visiting the US ports for the |
| economic blockade that the US has applied to Cuba | | | | following six months.Meanwhile, the regulations |
| for more than 35 years, the situation remains almost | | | | accompanying the decision to streamline procedures |
| unchanged.Some critics consider the Cuban resolution | | | | for licensing purchases of supplies and health care |
| not only a logical decision but actually one of great | | | | equipment, rather than making trading more flexible, |
| importance for the Cuban citizens' well-being. Health | | | | have in fact created more obstacles, according to |
| personnel reported an increase in some infectious | | | | local experts. The seller, for example, must oversee |
| diseases, an increase in iron-deficiency anemia among | | | | the product until it reaches its final destination, which |
| pregnant women and young children, and a rise in the | | | | according to U.S. policy may not be linked to the |
| incidence of low-birth-weight babies. The Ministry of | | | | Cuban government or be used in biotechnological |
| Public Health attributes these changes, to problems in | | | | production under any circumstances. The U.S. |
| importation of food supplies; and that the neuropathy | | | | companies that Cuba has contacted, often back |
| epidemic, which appeared in late 1991 in Cuba, is | | | | away from completing the sale when they realize |
| probably partly the result of nutritional deficiencies.But | | | | that they must account for the destination of their |
| in order for the Cuban situation to improve, a | | | | exports and who they will benefit.After carefully |
| company has to be able to invest in such a | | | | studying and analyzing this county's case, it is only |
| challenging environment without being excluded from | | | | logical to conclude that the United States embargo |
| tremendously important markets like that of the US. | | | | should not continue to force the Cuban citizens to |
| On the other hand, the possibility of Cuba making | | | | search for another country and especially US as their |
| any product or service purchases, especially medical | | | | new permanent residence. |