[glup]

Agriculture, including tobacco production, accounts for only approximately 4% of Cuban GDP--after heavyweights like tourism (embargo just prevents Americans from going there), gas export, industrial production, and the medical sector. Of greater interest to HN readers than the implications for one trivial luxury good, Cuba has one of the greatest mismatches between literacy (~97%) and telecom development and accessibility (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_Cuba) in the world.

[ghayes]

Note: Americans could previously go there; you just couldn't go directly from America.

[wcummings]

Americans could previously go there, they just couldn't spend money there and no airlines offered flights from the US.

[jeffwass]

Not true. I went to Cuba twice from the USA, legally as a student with an OFAC license. This was in 2002 and 2003.

First time via Toronto (Baltimore -> Toronto -> Havana).

Second time we took one of they very few available IIRC American Airlines flights from Miami. Baltimore -> Miami -> Havana.

Believe it or not, the Canada trip was much easier. In Miami we encountered a lot of hostility from the Miami Cuban immigrant community. Eg, the gate to fly to Havana was really hidden in an obscure place between two terminals, and we felt people were jerking us around when we asked how to find it (we were literally sent to both extreme ends of the airport a couple times). Returning we had some aggressive questions from an immigrations officer when he found out we weren't visiting family there, and sent us to the line for getting our bags fully inspected for farming produce contraband.

So yeah, it is possible to fly there from the USA legally, but in our opinion flying waaaay out of the way to Canada was actually easier and less stressful.

[eigenvector]

I think you will find US dollars (cash) accepted quite readily in Cuba.

[toyg]

Of course, but the problem is that US authorities have a problem with you giving US dollars to Cuban businesses. You can go there and spend, sure, but when you go back, somebody will (should) knock at your door. Obviously this doesn't happen to simple tourists, only to Jay-Z/Beyonce and businessmen.

[scintill76]

I think the point is that it was illegal (under US law) in many cases for Americans to spend money there (probably in any currency).

[baddox]

As I understand it, the only way for an American citizen to legally travel to Cuba is through specially designated cultural exchange programs.

[washedup]

Good point. Lot's of opportunity will open up for the people of Cuba and developers in the US if connections are made and firewalls come down.

[morenoh149]

exactly. Awesome opportunity to build a vocational school there to crank out quality devs. :))

[mkramlich]

I'd argue quality devs are mostly born and self-made and then slowly polished over a long period of time -- not the kinds of folks who are cranked out of a vocational school. It's an intellectual craft. It's not manning a fry bin.