It's the communism stupid! Go hang out with Castro and the tourists, they'll be buying your goods and supporting the depression you found so appalling.
Cuban officials and U.S. businesspeople who participated in the conference insisted that letting Americans travel to Cuba would improve the country's economy and in turn allow the nation to purchase more goods from its northern neighbor.
How is that, when Castro can trade to his heart's content with most of the world? Hmmmm??
You negoiate with someone who has something you want. Bush understands that. Castro wants our dollars and he wants to buy goods on credit. Bush responded, hey - try out some freedom Castro and we'll talk about it. The ball is in Castro's court but the merchants just want the money in their pockets. They don't care if it's govt. backed loans that Castro will default on, they just want to get the money. The Left loves Castro and his repressive system. To them it's just fine to have an elite block ruling over the masses. It's what floats their boat.
Effort to weaken embargo of Cuba is axed from spending bill after veto threat
It would also supply Castro money with which he could better finance his program to export his brand of Communism to other parts of the world.