There were some rumors within the Spanish language media that the U.S.’s 45 year old trade embargo on Cuba could be lifted or at the very least, loosened. Especially interested in this possibility are U.S. businesses who see the Caribbean island as an untapped source of dollars. This combined with the health issues of Fidel Castro has bolstered calls for the embargo to be reevaluated. U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez couldn’t disagree more. Speaking February 21 to the Council of the Americas, a Washington business organization, Gutierrez said:

I submit to you that foreign businesses will not flourish on the island as long as there is an active communist regime in control.

Gutierrez rejects the idea that the embargo is worsening the situation for Cubans on the island and reiterated that the problem wasn’t U.S. policy but rather Cuban policy. He also isn’t convinced that Fidel’s little brother, Raul Castro, promises to be a better leader.

Gutierrez has a personal interest in the matter since he left Cuba with his family when he was a small child.

Via / Media- Newswire and Univision.com