I got a response from an American friend who agrees with my essay EXCEPT on the embargo issue. He says the embargo is what caused the ruin of the Cuban economy. Below is my reply to him.

I might lose the battle on the embargo and diplomatic relations issues because more powerful self-serving globalists want relations and the embargo lifted. I still hold that the embargo IS NOT the reason for Cuba's economic downfall. You are giving the US too much importance and power when you say that ALL THE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD cannot make up for the lost US trade. Cuba went broke BECAUSE of COMMUNISM, just look at East Germany before the reunification.  In addition ALL THE SMART CUBANS LEFT THE ISLAND. Those who could took their money out, and those who could not took their HUMAN CAPITAL out, that is their education, their moral character, their family values and entrepreneurship. So, who was left to run the sugar mills? The answer is a STUPID COMMUNIST, not a qualified SUGAR ENGINEER. This was the same for every other Cuban business and every sector of government, everything run by Communists, not qualified individuals. This is happening in the US right now. Did you know BEFORE CASTRO Cuban was the world's largest producer of sugar? Did you know Bacardi is a Cuban owned company? Lucky for them they had plants OUTSIDE of Cuba and were able to continue production. Castro also spent most of Cuba's resources on EXPORTING COMMUNISM to Latin America and Africa. He could have helped the Cuban people, but he chose to spend it abroad as well as keeping a lot for HIMSELF. Castro is filthy rich. THAT IS WHY CUBA IS BROKE, NOT BECAUSE OF THE EMBARGO.