Yes, just like all those other Marxist-Leninist economies of towering riches.  Even Russia, blessed with "beaucoup" natural resources and enormous stretches of fertile land could not feed itself because the basic system was so crummy.  The only surprise is that Cuba, blessed with less than Russia, did not do worse.  Maybe it could have been a bit better with American trade, but you really need to look at the comparable countries and realize there was no way Cuba would ever do well economically because of the political system Castro saddled them with.  The complaint about the US embargo remains deflection and bovine scat.  Castro could have sided with the USSR but not adopted that crippling political/economic system.  Does anyone ever discuss that?  A final point:  Sanctions against Cuba started in 1959 and were tightened but the embargo did not happen until 1962 -- after Cuba signed trade agreements with the USSR in 1961.  Cuba went with the the USSR before the embargo.