The article plainly stated that the effect was small and tied to transportation costs. The principal issue was lack of currency, and that isn't an embargo issue. Nice straw man at the end there though. cn
Currently that is the case, the artical also clearly states that the terms of the embargo have not remained constant. If you are so ignorant as to think that Cuba has hardly been affected, I need only point to the most recent OAS summit. You probably heard about the hooker party that the Secret Service enjoyed. Much more occurred. Obama's trade policies did not differ one iota from those neoliberal policies of the previous president. Cuba was not invited. Despite the near ubiquitous opposition by the entire hemisphere, the US allowed no changes to drug war policies. So the fact remains, the US is not only an obstacle to the prosperity of the entire hemisphere, but particularly so against Cuba and despite this, they are healthier than we are.
As for what you call a strawman, I contend that it is not a distortion of your views because a nation 90 miles from the US can not grow economically with out being able to trade with the US or its allies who hoard most of the world's wealth and therefore supply.