Cubas Current Problems and How They Relate to America

Modern Cuba has been shaped by the U.S.'s abhorrence for the communist government. Today there are many problems in Cuba such as its waning economy, its health care issues, even its pollution, but almost all of them stem from the U.S. unwillingness to cooperate with the Cuban government, and ultimately, the U.S.'s goal to spread "freedom and liberty" to Cuba's "oppressive communist regime" The U.S. embargo is a cease-trade between the U.S. and Cuba which the U.S. put in place after the new communist government came to power, and is the root of many of the problems in Cuba today, whether directly or indirectly. "The Cuban embargo represents America's last, futile hope of…destroying the communist regime which has such a strangle hold over the country…" ; though it has not had the desired effect of toppling the Castro government, it has hurt the Cubans in just about everyway imaginable in terms of economy. Cuba is renown for its literacy rate, however, ironically the educational system is what hardest hit by the embargo. From pencils to computers, most school supplies are a rare commodity in Cuba. This combined with the limited access to the Internet leaves Cuba behind in terms of technology. The school supplies must be purchased from other countries such as Canada, which spike the price and cost more to ship. The teachers are underpaid as well, and with wages that are barely enough to live on. "Teachers receive a salary of some 300 Cuban Pesos [about $15US], teachers and professors have difficulty with personal expenses still less can they pay for some things out of pocket as is often the case in US school systems" . Part of the problem is Cuba's devalued currency, a problem that also comes, in part, from the U.S.'s embargo. After the revolution, a Cuban Peso, Cuba's form of currency, was equal to one American dollar. However, the embargo hurt Cuban sugar trade, which was one of the main staples of the Cuban economy. The U.S. refused to buy Cuba's sugar crop.

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