Ricardo Torres

I said, why not?

I mean, this is a good place to be if you want to do something for your own country.

He started talking about our economy is not in good shape and we can trace some of the factors behind that to our economic system.

So we need to introduce some changes here.

We want the private sector as long as it is a complement.

to state activity, but it cannot become more important than the state sector.

that boom you know lots of people wanting to visit Cuba in part was driven by this romantic idea well you know Cuba is changing so fast it's no longer gonna be a communist country or a socialist country in a few years so we want to go there and see it before it it changes completely and we have McDonald's in every corner of Cuba like everywhere else so we want to see it before it

It ends.

Small economies, they tend to be more specialized.

than big economies.

And then if your main industry is affected for one reason or the other, then you are in trouble.

From boom to bust, but like without preparation or anticipation of any kind.

Like in a few months, all gone, almost all gone.

According to government statistics, there were...

almost 10,000 of those operating in Cuba.

I think I've contributed more than enough.

And I've sacrificed many things as well.

So I said, OK, well, it's time for a new beginning elsewhere.

And, well, the U.S.

was that place.