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Follow the Pope's visit day-by-day: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
Icons at the Crossroads | Cuba and Catholicism | An Exile Returns
Testing the Embargo | Live Webcasts | The Struggling Revolution | Related links
EFFECT OF THE SANCTIONS
In the 1960s and 1970s, Cuba weathered the embargo in large part because of preferential trade relationship with the Soviet Union. But as the Soviet Union and the Soviet Bloc crumbled in the late 1980s, Cuba's economy began to suffer.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Cuba lost huge subsidies. The economy was badly hurt, and health conditions deteriorated greatly. Several years ago, reduced food intake resulted in 50,000 Cubans suffering loss of vision.
The Clinton administration claims that the dire conditions have forced Castro to undertake reforms, including legalization of dollar holdings in 1993 and the opening of private food markets in 1994.
But some say Castro has used the embargo in his favor -- as an excuse for economic problems in Cuban life.
HISTORY
FOR THE EMBARGO
AGAINST THE EMBARGO
EFFECT OF THE SANCTIONS
THE FUTURE
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related sites:
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- U.S. State Department: U.S.-Cuba policy
- U.S. Treasury Department: Overview of the U.S. embargo
- U.S. Government fact sheet on the Pope's trip to Cuba
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