El reto del sector exterior en la crisis de la economía cubana

The crisis of the Cuban economy has been caused more by political than economic factors. Until the breakup of the socialist planning system in the Soviet Union, Cuba was a subsidized country, and with the loss of this condition, a depression of unprecedented intensity and speed takes place. Against such a situation, to which one has to add the impossibility of attending the burden of the external debt, Cuba does not have any other option but to promote its exports and foreign investment. All the development strategy converges towards the achievements of the foreign sector; as it is a secure source of financing, it guarantees a solvent demand and, without its contribution it is quite impossible to improve productivity. However, in our opinion the expansion of the foreign sector, in particular the most important export items in the fields of mining and tourism, coupled with foreign investment, are contributing to create a dual and more unequal economy, without any measurable impact on the internal productive sectors. To the structural defects of an economic nature one must add political conditions, since economic and political development can not be independent of one another.