It is undeniable. Cuba is changing, and rapidly. It seems that with each passing month the Cuban government continues to advance towards a more free market economy and abandon its socialist principles. I found this week's readings and class discussions particularly interesting. Hufbauer and Kotschwar's article on economic normalization and Kirk's article on Cuba's impressive healthcare system both piqued my interest. Especially since my portfolio focuses on Cuban business and economics. Relations between the United States and Cuba have come a long way in the past 60 years. We are in an era where we will see the lifting of the US trade embargo and an increase in American tourists to the island. As we discussed in class, Cuba has much to gain from lifting the embargo; however, they also have a lot to lose if they are not cautious during the transition. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the article Economic Normalization with Cuba: A Roadmap for US Policymakers, there are many examples outlined on how trade embargo sanctions are negatively impacting several countries. areas of activity. Take for example the impact of sanctions on air travel. In 2013, the Cuban Civil Aviation sector conducted a study to verify the effects of sanctions on the country. The ban on Cuban airlines from operating in the United States has had a significant economic impact. It is estimated that from 1960 to 2012, Cuban airlines lost nearly $4 billion in revenue. Not only that, but this has also hindered the modernization of automated check-in and baggage systems. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 2012, more than “6 million Americans traveled to the Caribbean with an average travel expense (not including airfare) of $1,000 per person.” In the wake of full normalization between the two nations, an additional one million Americans could visit Cuba each year, which would translate to a $1 billion boost in the Cuban tourism economy. This alone should be cause for celebration. Obviously, there are many factors at play and complexities that could cause problems down the road. In any case, it seems that Cuba would have a lot to benefit from this market. In the second reading we discussed, Cuban Medical Internationalism under Castro by John Mirk, I was amazed by the humanitarian and healthcare efforts the Cuban government has made in the past decades. What amazed me most was the fact that Cuba has achieved so much in the field of healthcare, even though it does not have the resources of a large country. Or the fact that the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), based in Havana, has almost 10,000 medical students from all over the world and sponsors the Polyclinic project. Cuba itself still suffers from poverty, but still wants to provide aid to other Latin American countries that are less fortunate than them, such as Kingston, Jamaica, where Operation Miracle is underway. Operation Miracle is a vision restoration program that has already restored the sight of over 61,000 Jamaicans since 2010. To date, the program continues to thrive. If the US embargo were lifted, Cuba would also have much to gain from exporting its pharmaceutical products to the United States and European countries. The 32-page government document, Lineamientos, outlines suggested plans for restructuring Cuba's political economy, as well as expanding pharmaceutical production. Please note: this is just an example. Get a document now.