>I'm not going to argue it's the sole cause of Cuba's economic woes. I've heard it said that one common observation by defectors from communist/authoritarian regimes is that they knew they had to defect when they visited a typical Western grocery or superstore. Bare shelves in Cuba may be due to real or perceived shortcomings with their government, but trade restrictions have contributed as well.
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>Bare shelves is also a manifestation of the awful situation in Venezuela at this time - a country which could and should be a leading light in Latin America.

How? With Chavez gone... what can be wrong?