U.S.-Cuba Relations and the Cuban Economy

Philip Brenner, Professor, School of International Service, American University
Jorge Mario Sanchez Egozcue, Professor, University of Havana, Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy
Margaret E. Crahan, Senior Research Scholar, Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University - Moderator

Since Fidel Castro turned over power to his brother Raul in 2006, Cuba and U.S.-Cuban relations have undergone a variety of changes. Raul has increasingly emphasized transforming the Cuban bureaucracy and economy in an effort to eliminate inefficiency and lack of competitiveness in the international market. The discovery of oil off the north coast of Cuba has opened the possibility for Cuba to become a major oil and gas producer. The overhaul of the domestic economy allows more space for small domestic entrepreneurs and encourages foreign investment, especially in tourism and agriculture. While European, Asian, and Latin American investors are increasingly exploring opportunities in Cuba, the U.S.-Cuban economic and political relations stagnate. What’s next for the Cuban economy and U.S.-Cuban relations?

MLF: International Relations
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 12:30 p.m. check-in,  1 p.m. program
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Norma Walden