ABSTRACT
In 1959 the appeal of Fidel Castro and the nascent Cuban revolution lay, in large part, in promises and expectations of a brighter economic future for Cuba. Given the secretive nature of Cuba’s political system and its frequently unorthodox economic management techniques, precise economic data is difficult to obtain, and as a result, efforts to conduct comprehensive studies are often hindered. Cuba’s long-term economic performance under Castro pales in contrast to the long-term performance of most Latin American nations. Pre-revolutionary Cuba was characterized both by a concentration on sugar production as the nation’s principal economic activity and a trade dependency with one partner—the United States. The production and export of sugar has remained Cuba’s economic mainstay. In spite of early efforts to diversify the economy, sugar has represented over 80 percent of the total value of Cuban exports since 1959 and as recently as 1982 it accounted for 83 percent.
