Those on the left believe that this accounts for 100% of the poverty, many on the right think that it is a contributing factor made necessary as a way of holding the regime to account.
In reality, the US embargo (which I fully and steadfastly support) is largely symbolic.
Cuba is poor because the Communist government not only destroys enterprise and prosperity at home, it is so unreliable and deceptive as an international partner that every developed country besides the US has an unofficial embargo against it.
Castro IS the embargo.
He needs the embargo as a convenient scapegoat to convince people that their terrible economy is not because of their horrible policies.
The fact is, if the US suddenly said they wanted to lift the embargo, Castro would make up all kinds of ridiculous conditions, in order to make it unfeasible to lift it.
There are a lot of people who also buy into the myth that the embargo is about Castro. It’s not. It’s about billions in private property that was stolen from American citizens and corporations.
Castro could die today and the embargo would stay in place until those issues are resolved.