Relations
- U.S. is part of the Cuban psyche
- Cubans pay close attention to American elections more than their own
- culture and how it is imported will change if normalization occurs
+ "El Paquete" might change or not be necessary
-
The Embargo - Key Acts
- 1960, 1992, 1996
- Helmes-Burton Act
+ 8 political conditions Cuba must meet to lift the embargo
+ one being the elimination of Cuban FBI-like intelligence agency

Congress of Communist Party
- meeting next month!
- the party determines policy
- executive ministers only execute policy, don't introduce policy

Q: Given that the US has done so much to Cuba, why don't Cubans hate Americans?
" The American people have done nothing to Cubans, its been the American government."
- in the political discourse in Cuba, Fidel has made sure that Cubans differentiate between Americans v. American Government

B-corps in Cuba
- academy of sciences
- How do we engage b-corps and other socially conscious sectors with Cuba? So as to not undermine their environmental efforts

Labor and Foreign Investment
- unions are very strong in Cuba
- 2 years paid maternity leave is mandatory
- ACOPEC - agency in charge of foreign company hiring Cubans

Reflection:
This has been the most insightful lecture thus far. Professor Olga Rodriguez did an amazing job at explaining the U.S.-Cuba relations. She mainly focused on how important it is to have the embargo lifted while not moving in a direction that undermines socialist ideals. Something else that stuck me was when she said "Cubans will decide their own fate".