Though with a lot truth contained, the above is not fully true.
I worked for years for Dutch company, responsible for sales in the USA, Caribbean and Mexico.
I had a counterpart responsible for sales in Canada and Cuba.
There is bauxite in Cuba, which was a significant market for using our equipment. The Dutch company had no issues in dealing with Cuba. I, of course, was precluded from participating.
The European Union has no problem dealing with tyrants and terrorists. Remember that their “big” countries also deal directly with Iran.
frankly, it is not a bad model. Let the Euros milk out Cuba while the Us makes sure the Cubans do not steal their assets, as in trust and verify. That is how it ahould be plaid out.
The only reason the Chinese or what. not are not developing Cuba is for the same reasons they hate develop Africa: it is an updront dragging investment they do not want to make,
The communists want the capitalists to invest, to dirt their hands in labor negociations, and then take it all for themselves in revolution..
What part of stupid party have we not understood in our greed to this honey trap?