An embargo (from the Spanish embargo) is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is imposed. Embargoes are similar to economic sanctions and are generally considered legal barriers to trade, not to be confused with blockades, which are often considered to be acts of war.

Embargo may also refer to the practice of blocking fare classes at certain levels, and award availability on airlines. In response to embargoes, an independent economy or autarky often develops in an area subjected to heavy embargo. Effectiveness of embargoes is thus in proportion to the extent and degree of international participation.

The Embargo of 1807 was a series of laws passed by the U.S. Congress 1806–1808, during the second term of President Thomas Jefferson. Britain and France were engaged in a major war; the U.S. wanted to remain neutral and trade with both sides, but neither side wanted the other to have the American supplies. The American national-interest goal was to use the new laws to avoid war and force that country to respect American rights.

Fausto Miño (born 1981) won the Quinde de Oro Award

Fausto Miño was born in 1981 in Ambato, Tungurahua, Ecuador, son of a Quiteño (a person from Quito) father and a manabita (Chone) mother. He began to compose and play music at the age of 15, thanks to a neighbor's influence, with whom he learned to play the guitar. With only three chords he was able to compose 22 songs. Thereafter he composed more songs, now holding a repertoire of 70 songs. He also participated in the movie "Que Tan Lejos", directed by Tania Hermida, in which he was a supporting actor playing an egotistical and superficial character.He received the "Quinde de Oro" which took place at Itchimbía on August 12–13. He also participated in the promotion of "Enseñame y Aprendere", theme of the campaign Niñoesperanza de UNICEF and Ecuavisa. Now he is taking part of the Gamavision TV show "Bailando por un sueño".

Guido Ditto is his cousin. Alexandra Castillo calls him "El Churoncito"

Serracosteño : His first album has 8 songs. The CD is named for his roots. In this first album, the cumbia and "son" rhythms prevail. He started to work in this album in 2003 with Diego Acosta. This CD includes singles like Mara Rocío, Baila mi vida.

Ana Belén is the professional name of María del Pilar Cuesta Acosta, a Spanish actress and singer. She was born on 27 May 1951 in Madrid.

Ana Belén studied acting in Spain during her youth and began acting in theatrical and cinematic productions in the mid-1960s. While working on the film Morbo by Gonzalo Suárez, she met Víctor Manuel, marrying him in 1972 in Gibraltar. At this time she also started her career as a singer, releasing several successful albums.

Ana Belén also appeared in various films: La petición by Pilar Miró, Emilia parada y fonda by Angelino Fons, El buscón by Luciano Berriatúa, La oscura historia de la prima Montse by Jordi Cadena, La criatura by Eloy de la Iglesia and Sonámbulos by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón. She gave birth to her first child in 1976.

In 1991 she recorded Como una novia, with songs by Gloria Varona, Pancho Varona and Antonio García de Diego, this being the first album that did not include any songs composed or adapted by Víctor Manuel.

In 1997 she released a new album, Mírame, which consisted of her own songs and duets and which went on to become the best-selling album of her solo career. With its release, she went on tour throughout Spain, and in the autumn of the same year, the 'El gusto es nuestro' tour went to America, where it was received with the same enthusiasm as in Spain.

Joaquín Ramón Martínez Sabina (Úbeda, Jaén, Spain, 12 February 1949), known artistically as Joaquín Sabina, is a singer, songwriter, and poet. He has released fourteen studio albums, two live albums, and three compilation albums. He has collaborated and composed songs for Ana Belén, Olga Román and Miguel Ríos amongst others.

He performed both solo and with a group for his live albums, performing with Javier Krahe and Alberto Pérez in La mandrágora, the group Viceversa in a 1986 concert, and with Joan Manuel Serrat in "Dos pájaros de un tiro" (Two birds with one stone).

Sabina suffered a stroke in 2001 and although he physically recovered, he entered a deep depression which resulted in a four-year-long concert hiatus. He recovered and released his eighteenth album, Alivio de Luto, in November 2005. He released his latest album, Vinagre y rosas, in 2009.

Joaquín Sabina, is the second son of Adela Sabina del Campo and Jerónimo Martinez Gallego. His father was a policeman. He attended a Carmelite primary school and he started writing his first poems and composing music at the age of 14. He was part of a band called Merry Youngs which imitated singers such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, as well as many others.

Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba, also known as Koffi Olomide (Friday, August 13, 1956), is a DR Congolese soukous singer, dancer, producer, and composer. He is also known by a multitude of other names and aliases.

He was born in Kisangani, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His father is Congolese (Gbandi tribe from Equateur region) and his mother was born from a Sierra-Leone father and a Congolese mother (Songye tribe from Kasaï region). According to the ethnic custom of his Sierra-Leone grand father, his mother named him 'Koffi' because he was born on a Friday . Koffi grew up in the city of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a middle-class family, where education was valued.

He was a very bright student. He earned a scholarship and went to study in Bordeaux, France where he obtained a Bachelors Degree in Business Economics. He is also reported to hold a Masters Degree in Mathematics from the University of Paris.