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Cuban Economic News
Archive: 2014-2015
Who Will Speak for Black Cubans on the Lack of Economic Opportunity? 12/23/2015 The
Root: by DeWayne Wickham - "In 2010
Morales was kicked
out of the Communist Party after writing an article in which he said Cuba was
threatened more by corrupt government officials than by the country’s relatively
small number of dissidents. A year later, he was reinstated. Now he leads a
national commission that pushes the highest levels of Cuba’s government to
address this nation’s race problems."
¡INDIGNANTE! Policía golpea a vendedora ambulante cubana 12/18/2015 Yusnaby
Post: "La cuentapropista y miembro de la opositora Unión Patriótica de Cuba
(UNPACU) explicó que “la agente de la PNR me ordenó que tenía que retirarme de
mi lugar de venta porque yo estaba vendiendo productos no autorizados. Le
demostré que mi licencia respaldaba la venta de todos los artículos que yo
ofertaba; pero ella me dijo que no discutiera y que cumpliera la orden”.
Fernández Guzmán refiere que “apenas Rebeca comenzó su protesta, la agente de la
PNR arremetió contra ella con una violencia absolutamente injustificada, donde
se apreciaba un odio inconcebible contra una mujer respetuosa y pacífica, que
escasamente pesa 39 kilogramos y tiene casi 50 años de edad. ¡Es una
vergüenza!”."
Clandestina: A way of creating “99% Cuban design” 12/1/2015 On Cuba: "In
February of 2015, when the store and design studio Clandestina opened its doors
a few blocks from the Capitolio, Idania del Río and Leire Fernández had set out
to create a design boutique right in the middle of Old Havana, with San
Sebastian, New York and Paris as references."
Startup Weekend Havana, oportunidad para el emprendimiento en Cuba 11/10/2015 On
Cuba: "Al primer Startup Weekend Havana llegaron jóvenes emprendedores de La
Habana, algunos desarrolladores, especialistas en marketing, programadores,
diseñadores, todos con la idea de aportar y vivir un momento único y naciente en
Cuba. Desde el viernes en la tarde el Hotel Panorama fue espacio de consultas,
de intercambio y sala de trabajo de los ocho equipos seleccionados para
presentar un proyecto final de startups."
Startup Weekend Havana, opportunity for entrepreneurship in Cuba 11/9/2015 On
Cuba: "At the first Startup Weekend Havana came young entrepreneurs from Havana,
some developers, marketing specialists, programmers, designers, all with the
idea of ??contributing and living a unique and nascent moment in Cuba. From
Friday afternoon the Panorama Hotel was a space of consultation, exchange and
work room of the eight teams selected to present a final project of startups."
Cuban foreign investment portfolio: more than 200 projects and nearly nine
billion dollars 10/28/2015 Cuba Contemporanea: "It includes projects linked
with the fields of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, agricultural food,
construction and renewable energy, among others, which are found in all
provinces and in the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud, said the
Vice-President of the Council of Ministers, Marino Murillo Jorge, in the
meeting, in which President Raúl Castro participated."
Viajeros de Estados Unidos impulsan turismo en Cuba 9/13/2015 El Economista
de Cuba: "Ni los cálculos más optimistas luego del restablecimiento de
relaciones diplomáticas entre Washington y La Habana, anunciado el 17 de
diciembre pasado por los presidentes Barack Obama y Raúl Castro, permitían
pensar en tan voraz apetito de viajeros norteamericanos por la Isla.
Sorprendente es poco. Según cifras confiables facilitadas a Excelencias News
Cuba por el profesor de la Facultad de Turismo de la Universidad de La Habana,
José Luis Perelló-Cabrera, del 1 de enero al 2 de septiembre llegaron a Cuba 100
703 ciudadanos de Estados Unidos."
El 31% de los jóvenes en Cuba trabaja en el sector no estatal 9/8/2015 El
Economista de Cuba: "El 31 por ciento de los jóvenes empleados en Cuba, más de
1.5 millones, trabajaba en el sector no estatal y el resto, un 76 por ciento,
desempeñaba ocupaciones laborales estatales al cierre de 2014, según datos
oficiales."
Cuba: Avalancha de turistas no se detiene 9/6/2015 El Economista de
Cuba: "La avalancha de turistas no para. Al cierre del pasado mes, el
crecimiento en la llegada de visitantes internacionales registraba un 17 por
ciento por encima de enero-julio de 2014. Dicho de otra manera, en los pasados
siete meses estuvieron por aquí 318 423 personas más que en iguales días del año
anterior."
Otorgarán créditos a trabajadores por cuenta propia sin pedir garantías 9/6/2015 El
Economista de Cuba: "Sin necesidad de presentar garantía, los cuentapropistas
podrán solicitar hasta 10 000 pesos en crédito, nuevo producto aprobado por el
Banco Popular de Ahorro (BPA) para incentivar el uso del financiamiento externo
en el creciente sector económico."
Influyente compañía de lobby estadounidense pone los ojos en Cuba 9/4/2015 Cuba
Contemporanea: "Akin Gump, la mayor firma de lobby en Washington en términos de
ingresos, está lanzando un nuevo servicio dedicado a asesorar a sus clientes en
torno a las nuevas políticas y regulaciones relacionadas con el reciente
mejoramiento de las relaciones entre Estados Unidos y Cuba."
Looking for where
to advertise or buy something in Cuba? 9/4/2015 Havana Times: "Over the
last decade, classified ads have been the pioneers in the rebirth of publicity
in Cuba. The increasing number of websites dedicated to classifieds or “Lists”
of offers and demands in dozens of service and product categories is
advertising’s most popular appearance. For now we’re going to have a look at the
most popular sites, describing each one of them and their establishment, in the
cases where dates are given, objectives and other details."
Algunas observaciones al Informe de Stratfor “Cuba, un potencial de prosperidad" 8/6/2015 Misceláneas
de Cuba: "La importancia de Cuba para Estados Unidos es básicamente la que tiene
para los dos millones de ciudadanos de Estados Unidos de origen cubano. Poco
más."
In Cuba, a Potential for Prosperity 8/5/2015 Stratfor: "Thanks to the
diplomatic thaw, the Cuban tourism sector is on the rise. Tourist traffic to the
island is up 15 percent compared with the same period last year, with around 1.7
million people visiting in the first five months of 2015. Moreover, each of the
first five months has seen a double-digit increase in visitors — many of whom
are coming from the United States. For May that number jumped 21 percent.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Cuba's economic performance in the first half of
2015 registered a growth of 4.7 percent, which shows a reversal of the downward
trend between 2013 and 2014. Now Cuba's economy is projected to grow 4 percent
this year, largely driven by the construction and agriculture sectors. That is
almost four times its growth rate in 2014, the fastest climb Cuba has seen since
2008."
Florida and the end of the embargo 8/1/2015 OnCuba: "In any case, some
sectors of Florida’s economy would benefit immediately if the embargo were
lifted—the transport industry, for example. Just imagine if Cuba were to enter
the dynamic of the international market, based on Florida ports and interaction
with the Mariel Development Zone. Three major maritime ports exist in Florida:
Miami, the most important point for commerce between Latin America and the
United States; Tampa, the Gulf of Mexico port closest to western Cuba; and
Jacksonville, one of Europe’s ports of entry to the United States. Most analysts
agree that Cuban tobacco and rum could occupy a fundamental place in U.S.
consumption; we could also suppose that Florida companies would distribute those
products. Recently there was talk of ferries operating between Florida and Cuba,
and in conditions of normal relations, they would be a very effective mode of
transport between the two coasts."
Relaunching Direct Foreign Investment in Cuba 8/1/2015 OnCuba: One
promising initiative has been the Mariel Special Development Zone, for
generating exports and replacing imports; transferring cutting-edge technology,
know-how, and abilities related to business management; creating jobs and
developing infrastructure for contributing to economic progress; creating a
logistics system that will facilitate high levels of efficiency in the import,
export and production processes; stimulating the formation of national and
foreign companies; and, logically, articulating these companies with the rest of
the economy."
Wi-Fi technology with big acceptance in Camagüey 7/30/2015 Adelante: "The
opening of two points for Internet navigation by means of Wi-Fi in this city,
and the reduction of the quota per hour of 4.50 cuc to 2.00 cuc, has had big
success among the Camagüeyans."
IMO in Cuba: Shortening Distances Between Relatives 7/30/2015 OnCuba: "According
to Antonio Aja, researcher at the University of Havana’s Center for Demographic
Studies (CEDEM), one out of every three Cubans has a relative living abroad. The
installation of Wi-Fi areas across Cuba (35 in total so far) therefore becomes
doubly important. Photo: Eric Yanes On the one hand, it broadens Internet access
on the island, even though the cost is still too high: two CUC ($2.25 USD) for
an hour, charged a population whose average monthly salary is a little over 20
CUC."
Stonegate Bank-Cuba Agreement will reduce transaction costs 7/25/2015 OnCuba: "In
the difficult art of coming to an understanding with Cuban institutions, a
couple of elements have worked in Stonegate Banks’s favour. The most important
is probably the bank’s step forward in responding to a request of the Department
of State in early 2015, when they were looking for a bank willing to provide
services to the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, at a time when that
diplomatic mission was sort of “untouchable”, financially speaking, in U.S.
territory."
Bloqueo entorpece reincorporación de Cuba a instituciones financieras
internacionales, asegura exsecretario de comercio 7/16/2015 Cubadebate: "El
exsecretario de Comercio de Estados Unidos, Carlos Gutiérrez, reconoció que el
bloqueo a Cuba entorpece el apoyo que la Casa Blanca pudiera dar a su
reincorporación a organismos crediticios internacionales. En declaraciones
citadas hoy por Progreso semanal y otras publicaciones, el exfuncionario señala
que la isla deberá iniciar un proceso de reinserción en los principales
organismos económicos multilaterales como el Banco Mundial (BM), el Fondo
Monetario Internacional (FMI) o el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)."
Una iniciativa plástica 7/12/2015 Granma: "Llueva, truene o relampaguee,
los socios de la cooperativa no agropecuaria La Esperanza necesitan disponer
cada mes de ocho toneladas de desechos plásticos en sus almacenes, una ecuación
muy simple que han venido aquilatando de manera metódica a lo largo de un año de
vida como asociación."
Western Union Breaks U.S. TV Ads Filmed in Cuba 7/9/2015 Ad Age: "Western
Union is pushing money transfers to Cuba in a new series of TV spots produced on
the island, which was recently opened to U.S. travel and business. The two
Spanish-language ads are among the first to be filmed in Cuba by an
American-based company since the 1962 U.S. embargo."
Turismo de cruceros se dispara en Cuba tras deshielo con EEUU 7/9/2015 El
Universal: "El turismo de cruceros registró un fuerte repunte en 2015 en Cuba,
tras el anuncio del deshielo diplomático con Estados Unidos, llegando a 174
visitas de buques y más de 62.000 pasajeros entre enero y mayo, informó este
jueves el Ministerio de Transporte… En todo 2014, un buen año en comparación con
los anteriores, se registraron 139 escalas con 37.519 pasajeros, según el
Ministerio, que destacó que cruceros de una naviera italiana comenzarán a llegar
a Cuba."
Commodity leaders explore Cuba grain market 7/9/2015 Iowa Farmer
Today: "Nine farmer leaders and staff members from the U.S. Grains Council
(USGC), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the North Dakota Barley
Council (NDBC) traveled to Cuba this past month to see opportunities for
expanding U.S. coarse grain exports if trade is fully normalized with the island
nation."
“Ave Fénix”: apoyar el emprendimiento en Cuba 6/18/2015 Negra Cubana: "Nos
interesa estimular el emprendimiento en las personas negras y mestizas en Cuba,
para promover la creación de pequeñas empresas y la realización de trabajo por
cuenta propia, dentro del marco legal existente en el país, teniendo en cuenta
la nueva Ley de Inversión Extranjera. Intentaremos gestionar recursos motivando
a personas y entidades afines, interesados en efectuar préstamos a bajos
intereses para estas actividades económicas y/o en forma de donaciones."
“Ave Fenix”: supporting entrepreneurship in Cuba 6/18/2015 OnCuba: "We want
to encourage entrepreneurship in the black and mixed blood people in Cuba to
promote small business creation and implementation of self-employment within the
existing legal framework in the country, taking into account the new Foreign
Investment Law. We are trying to manage resources to motivate people and related
entities interested in making low-interest loans to these economic activities
and / or in the form of grants."
¿Quién está detrás de Engage Cuba? 6/17/2015 El Mundo: "Se presenta como un
grupo de presión sin partido que promueve el fin del embargo económico a la isla
comunista. Pero detrás de 'Engage Cuba' se encuentran poderosos intereses
económico y financieros cuyo único objetivo es ampliar sus negocios. Al grupo lo
respaldan empresas gigantes, como la agroindustrial Cargill, la distribuidora de
productos para el hogar Procter&Gamble y la constructora de maquinaria pesada
Caterpillar, y al frente está el abogado y cabildero James Williams, quien, al
mismo tiempo, es director del 'súper' Comité de Acción Política 'New Cuba'."
Major U.S. companies support new group that will lobby to lift sanctions against
Cuba 6/16/2015 Miami Herald: "Cargill, Procter & Gamble, Caterpillar, and
other major U.S. companies have thrown their support behind Engage Cuba, a
bipartisan coalition that formally began operating out of the nation’s capital
this week and will focus on lobbying Congress to lift restrictions on travel and
trade with Cuba."
Google testing the waters in Cuba 6/13/2015 Politico: "The visit coincides
with the six-month anniversary of President Obama’s announcement of a thaw in
relations with Cuba, including the loosening of sanctions that, said Obama,
“have denied Cubans access to technology.” Those who have paid close attention
to Cuba since the thaw describe an exuberance over the quick flowering of
technology tempered in short order by the realization that the island of 11
million lacks the networks, both land-based and wireless, needed to support
modern devices. Without those networks, many technologies are little more than
paperweights."
Cuba’s Web Entrepreneurs Search for U.S. Clients, and Reliable Wi-Fi 6/10/2015 NYT: "And
ever since the United States in February authorized Americans to import goods
and services from Cuban entrepreneurs for the first time in half a century, they
have their eyes on America as well."
How will financial ties with Cuba change now that it’s off the terrorism list? 5/30/2015 PBS: "CARLA
ROBBINS: It means more than anything else, that U.S. banks can have relations
with Cuban banks, which will make it much easier to follow through on the easing
of financial relations that Obama is promoting, and the Cubans said it was the
biggest precondition for reestablishing direct diplomatic relations and opening
the embassies."
What we know about Cuba’s economy 5/28/2015 Pew Research: "According to a
survey conducted in March and published in The Washington Post, 79% of Cubans
said they were dissatisfied with the country’s economic system; 70% said they
wanted to start their own business. Nearly two-thirds of Cubans (64%) said
normalizing relations with the U.S. would change the economic system, though
only 37% thought the political system would change. With so much change in the
air, we decided to work our way as best we could through the data difficulties
to put together a primer on what we know, and don’t know, about the Cuban
economy."
Cuba - Figuring Out Pieces Of The Puzzle 5/27/2015 ZeroHedge: "One way that
the standard of living of Cubans is being reduced because of Cuba’s financial
problems is by cutbacks in the types of goods being subsidized. Also the
quantities and prices are being affected, but the average wage of $20 month
remains unchanged."
Cuban First Vice President Says Use of Modern Technologies is Crucial for the
Country 5/23/2015 Adelante: "He referred to the urgent automation of
production processes to achieve the rational use of available labor, bearing in
mind the progressive aging of the Cuban population."
Lo que
acordaron los franceses y cubanos 5/14/2015 Havana Times: "Francia quiere
intensificar sus intercambios comerciales con la isla, que en 2014 se cifraron
en 180 millones de euros, algo inferior a la del año anterior y alejada de los
flujos que mantiene con otros socios europeos como España, Holanda o Italia.
Jean-Francois Lepy, director comercial de Soufflet, corporación líder francesa
en la exportación de granos, dijo que su empresa ha estado 30 años establecida
en Cuba. Los principales ejecutivos del grupo Pernod-Ricard, comercializador de
los rones Havana Club con ventas que aumentan cada año y son del orden de cuatro
millones de cajas, también dieron cuenta de sus éxitos en este mercado. Por otra
parte, el grupo Accor anunció la construcción de un nuevo hotel de lujo en la
Isla y la aerolínea Air France dijo tener la intención de aumentar sus actuales
14 vuelos semanales."
Diplomats, business people flood Cuba amid warmer US ties 5/10/2015 AP: "Top
diplomats from Japan, the European Union, Italy, the Netherlands and Russia have
visited the island in recent months in bids to stake out or maintain ties with
an island that suddenly looks like a brighter economic prospect amid warming
U.S.-Cuba relations. On Sunday night, Francois Hollande becomes the first French
president to ever visit communist Cuba, bringing along five ministers and two
dozen business people, including the heads of Pernod-Ricard, Cuba's partner in
exporting Havana Club rum, and grain exporter Soufflet."
Engage Cuba Advocates Normal U.S.-Cuba Relations 4/27/2015 OnCuba: "James
Williams will be president of Engage Cuba, an advocacy group that will be
launched in May to get as many votes as possible in Congress in favour of
normalizing relations with Cuba. The organization has been described by The Wall
Street Journal as “a group of heavy-hitting political operatives” who are
“setting up a new campaign to press Congress to repeal the long-standing trade
and travel embargo with Cuba.”"
Las barras y las estrellas aparecen por toda Cuba 4/24/2015 El
Financiero: "Muchos cubanos se emocionan con los potenciales beneficios
económicos y sociales que podrían traer las renovadas relaciones entre Estados
Unidos y Cuba”, dijo Marc D. Perry, un antropólogo en la Universidad de Tulane,
quien estudia las tendencias sociales cubanas. “Se trata del actual y popular
'zeitgeist’ de Cuba, por así decirlo, y estas expresiones culturales lo
reflejan”."
The Americans are coming: Cuba prepares for an invasion of art dealers 4/13/2015 Independent: “Most
of us are expecting that for the Biennial there will be an explosion of American
collectors coming to buy,” explains Mario González. “It should be a stampede.”
The Price of State Classifieds in Cuba 4/10/2015 Havana Times: "We could
conclude that a normal ad could easily cost between 10 and 20 CUC, that is to
say, the monthly wages of a regular Cuban worker. That is the offer made by AIN,
which, in addition to operating this juicy business, will also sell a printed
version of the magazine at 3 Cuban pesos."
Biofarmacéutica y servicios médicos en Cuba: motor de exportaciones y desarrollo 4/5/2015 Cuba
a Contraluz: "Una industria que lideran el grupo empresarial BioCubaFarma* y la
empresa Servicios Médicos Cubanos (SMC), que aporta anualmente unos 6000
millones de dólares a la economía cubana y -tan importante como eso- ensaya y
genera constantemente novedosos y efectivos medicamentos en campos de impacto
creciente como el cáncer o las enfermedades infecciosas, tiene sin dudas que
despertar el interés -económico, científico, social y humano- a nivel
internacional."
Opportunity Knocks at Cuba's Door 4/3/2015 #CubaNow: "Following last
month’s news that direct calls between the U.S. and Cuba would resume for the
first time in years, another entry into the Cuban marketplace stands to boost
Cuban entrepreneurs in a major way. Airbnb, a U.S.-based website that allows
people to rent their homes, announced this week that they would be expanding
into Cuba. As we write in today’s blog post, this move is bigger than you might
think: “One of the other more positive effects is the increased demand this will
create for expanding Internet service in Cuba. While some might have initially
scoffed at the idea of a streaming service like Netflix expanding to the Island,
services like these will better allow Americans to engage with the Cuban people
while building pressure for the kinds of investments that will bring Cuba into
the 21st century."
Fox News Latino: How a Hashtag Helped Thaw U.S.-Cuba Relations 3/25/2015 #CubaNow: "At
LabMiami, a technology business incubator located in Miami’s trendy Wynwood
neighborhood, Ric Herrero wages a national campaign using traditional and social
media that has played a significant role in thawing frosty relations between the
United States and Cuba. As executive director of #CubaNow, Herrero is the public
face of an organization backed by prominent Cuban-American businessmen in Miami
who want to end the embargo…"
Inaugurarán nuevas salas de acceso público a Internet en Santiago de Cuba 2/28/2015 Sierra
Maestra: "Cinco salas para el acceso al servicio público a Internet y la
creación de cuentas de correo electrónico internacional (nauta), serán puestas a
disposición de la población santiaguera a partir de hoy por la Dirección
Provincial de los Joven Club de Computación y Electrónica, de conjunto con la
División Territorial de ETECSA. Según información ofrecida por directivos de la
empresa de Telecomunicaciones, las nuevas salas se ubican en los municipios de
San Luis, Contramaestre, Mella, Guamá y II Frente."
Cuban cooperatives present a new economic model 2/25/2015 PRI: "The
cooperatives are seen by some as a way of opening the country up to capitalism
and privatization while maintaining some of the revolution’s collectivist
ideals. And so far, Cubans seem to like them. For the first time in decades,
these enterprises give workers a stake in their success, and allow their members
to take home the money they earn."
Cuba’s Tech Start-up Sector: ‘People Are Hungry to Work’ 2/24/2015 Wharton: "Even
in university, when he finally had access to the Internet, Pimienta, now 27, was
limited to 20 megabytes per month of data — a small fraction of what fits on a
thumb drive today. Yet, in 2013 when PayPal hosted its first-ever global
hackathon competition in San Jose, Calif., with a $100,000 purse, Pimienta and
two partners placed third for developing a peer-to-peer lending app called
LoanPal."
CUBAN ENTREPRENEURS CAN SELL EVERYTHING FROM SHOES TO SOAP IN THE UNITED STATES 2/23/2015 The
Cuban Economy: "The State Department says its new rules will encourage private
Cuban entrepreneurs to develop products for export. While all live animals and
animal products are prohibited, raw hides, skins, leather, furs, saddlery and
harnesses, handbags, and travel goods are allowed. So are paper products,
plastics and rubber articles, ceramics, glass and glassware, articles of stone,
plaster and cement; footwear, hats, umbrellas, toys and games, artificial
flowers and feathers. Independent entrepreneurs who make soap, cosmetics,
candles, waxes and polishes, perfume or photographic or cinematographic goods
are also in the clear. Jewelry makers, including those who work with pearls and
precious and semiprecious stones, also got a green light as did producers of
cutlery and tools."
The Cuban economy and Obama’s new policy 2/12/2015 OnCuba: "Even without
eliminating the embargo, the announced measures could begin to gradually benefit
the Cuban economy. Some effects will be more direct and tangible and will be
appreciable in tendencies of tourism, remittances and goods and services that
arrive in Cuba from the United States, while other effects will be more
indirect, depending on what kind of signal is sent to the international economic
and financial community and the restoration of U.S.-Cuba relations."
Conexion Miami / Florida farming fears Cuba 2/10/2015 Progreso
Weekly: "“Forty-nine state farm bureaus support the lifting of the embargo, but
Florida does not,” William Messina, University of Florida agricultural
economist, told The Palm Beach Post. The explanation: Florida has a lot to lose
if Cuba begins sending fruits, vegetables and sugar here where the same crops
are grown. Cuba and Florida have similar subtropical climates and both produce
sugar cane, fruit and winter vegetables. Goes to show you… We’re of the belief
that a little competition is good."
Russian diplomat in Cuba for talks on investment projects 2/8/2015 Progreso
Weekly: "Among the projects discussed were the construction of four power plants
with a total output of 800 megawatts, improvements to the José Martí
iron-and-steel works in Havana, and the participation of the Russian oil giant
Zarubezhneft in the offshore exploration for crude. The commission will meet
again in April in Kazan, Tatarstan, to discuss those projects further, the
Russian visitor said."
AmEx plans to begin activities in Cuba 1/27/2015 Progreso Weekly: "Last
week MasterCard announced that it would allow its cardholders to use the credit
card in Cuba. This as a result of President Obama’s decision to establish
diplomatic relations with the island after more than 50 years of animosity. The
latest economic giant to jump into the fray is American Express which said it
could begin operations in Cuba. No specifics as to dates, etc. were offered."
Cuba: las desigualdades se tornan visibles 1/15/2015 Nueva Sociedad: por
Katrin Hansing / Uwe Optenhögel - "Tal vez la dirigencia necesita una mayor
audacia y confianza en la propia población para que no se convierta en realidad
la advertencia profética realizada por Fidel Castro en 2005, cuando dijo: «La
Revolución solo puede ser derrotada desde adentro»."
Beyond the Rhetoric: What the U.S. Can Learn from Ole Cuba 1/12/2015 Thy
Black Man: "Cuba has some of the best civil engineers and construction managers
in the world. I have witnessed some of their projects being built on every
continent of the world. Their work is excellent, affordable and reliable. It
would be great if many of our Black businesses would joint venture with them and
take on projects around the world as they do. There is nothing we could not
build. As our new relationship builds, such activity can become a reality. This
would build Black business capacity in this nation and create jobs by the
millions. Yes, Cuba could greatly help us to get around the racial adversity
that we face in this current economy."
The US-Cuba agreement in five major economic issues 12/27/2014 OnCuba: "Part
of Obama´s reforms will allow US telecommunications firms to start working with
Cuba to expand its communications infrastructure, which will help Cuban economy
and will set the basis for financial transactions more sophisticated in the
future."
Rosita: Una mujer con el emprendimiento en los genes 12/23/2014 Negra
Cubana: "Si las circunstancias históricas, políticas e ideológicas (la
revolución marxista-leninista, la caída del campo socialista), si la situación
económica (mejoramiento durante épocas, empeoramiento en otras), o el nivel de
instrucción (que se mantiene elevado desde 1959) no consiguen justificar
completamente la persistencia de desigualdades raciales en Cuba, ¿dónde hallar
explicaciones a este fenómeno? "
Speech by Cuban President Raul Castro on re-establishing U.S.-Cuba relations 12/18/2014 Progreso
Weekly
GRADUAL AVANCE DE LA TELEVISIÓN DIGITAL EN CUBA 12/16/2014 UNEAC: "La
Televisión Digital en la Isla avanza con paso firme hacia el objetivo final de
lograr que, para e 2021, se produzca el Apagón Analógico. De esta manera el
Instituto de Investigaciones y Desarrollo de Telecomunicaciones (LACETEL) dio a
conocer los planes y proyectos que para 2015 se prevén implementar en aras de
lograr una mejor optimización de esa señal en todo el país."
Los ajustes económicos del Gobierno agravan la marginación de negros y mestizos,
advierten activistas 12/15/2014 Diario de Cuba: "Los negros y mestizos
cubanos han quedado marginados en las reformas económicas puestas en marcha por
el Gobierno de Raúl Castro y su situación en un eventual escenario de transición
podría ser, una vez más, la menos favorecida. Estas fueron dos de las alertas
lanzadas por los participantes en la cuarta edición del "Foro Raza y Cubanidad.
Cuba, pasado, presente y futuro", auspiciado por el independiente Comité
Ciudadanos por la Integración Racial (CIR) y celebrado en La Habana entre el 11
y el 13 de diciembre."
The digitalization of society, a priority for Cuba 12/15/2014 Granma: "Efforts
to advance Cuba’s connectivity have been directed toward the development of
telecommunications infrastructure capacity, with the purpose of strengthening
social connectivity, and developing automated operations in strategic sectors.
The trial balloon has been the opening of 154 Public Navigation Centers,
distributed throughout the nation."
The sad story of Cuban transportation 11/24/2014 OnCuba: "There are few
sectors in Cuba that have accumulated so much inefficiency for many years as the
public transportation. Things didn’t work well even in the time of plenty, when
Soviet aid was counted by billions and oil was paid with sugar. Even the humor
reflects this. Before Cuba entered the crisis of the 90s already a banner showed
the painting of a Cuban bus packed with scenes of Guernica, Pablo Picasso´s
painting representing chaos in a Basque village after the bombing of Nazi
aviation."
OnCuba presented its communication platform in FIHAV2014 11/8/2014 OnCuba: "The
richness of Cuban culture, events that mark the history of the country, the
economic, the daily life and traditions, are topics of interest for OnCuba that
continues to put its eyes on Cubans. More than just magazines, OnCuba is a
communication platform that functions as a sort of bridge between the so-called
two shores. During the afternoon yesterday in FIHAV 2014, in the Business Round
Room at Expocuba Fairground, the presentation of the communication platform and
exhibition of projects and updated statistics from its president Hugo Cancio,
took place."
Cuba unveils foreign-investment portfolio 11/7/2014 Progreso Weekly: "The
big news at the 2014 Havana International Fair was the launching of the
Portfolio of Opportunities for Foreign Investment. During the process of
approval of Law 118 [on Foreign Investment], the authorities stressed the
pertinence of that document, explaining that in the past any foreign businessman
could come and tell us what he wanted, without a well-defined counterproposal.
The principal benefit of the Portfolio is that it indicates a truly proactive
stance on the part of Cuba, indicating clearly where and how investments should
be directed."
Corruption and its Weeding Out 11/6/2014 OnCuba: "The Comptroller’s Office
is making a huge effort, but it is pitted against a silent army of corrupt
and/or inept officials united by common financial interests. They protect and
rescue one another as they are “busted.” This is why the Comptroller’s Office
complains that some of the inept officials who are dismissed reappear six months
later as managers in just another company. Their mutual aid network reaches far
back in history, having emerged as a means of skirting regulations against
nepotism. Official X cannot give his son or wife a good job where they work, so
official Y gives them a good position in his place of work. In exchange, X
repays Y by hooking up his relatives and friends with jobs where one can get
one’s hand on hard currency, trips and gasoline."
Cuban Medical Services presents seven lines of business at FIHAV 11/6/2014 OnCuba: "The
Distributor of Cuban Medical Services Company (SMC by its Spanish acronym) gave
an updated account of its operations during the past year during FIHAV 2014
event where it is participating for the fourth consecutive year. The seven lines
of business that give prestige to the company responsible for the promotion of
health services in Cuba in the world were exposed by Dr. Exposito Lliliam
Jimenez, president of the organization. The doctor explained that the business
portfolio is based on sustained success for decades of the Cuban health system
as a result of principles and values of humanity, solidarity and a fundamental
concern for having the highest ethical and scientific standards for workers, who
constitute the fundamental bulwark of Cuban medicine."
Cuba: Emprendedoras rurales intercambian saberes 11/5/2014 Semlac: "Desde
cómo organizar un negocio hasta trucos para la artesanía, la siembra de
hortalizas, cría de animales y cultivo de plantas exóticas compartieron mujeres
emprendedoras durante la "Jornada Internacional de Economía Rural y Derechos
Económicos de las Mujeres", celebrada en el hotel Panorama, en La Habana, del 27
al 29 de octubre."
Trabajo comunitario cubano se abre al enfoque de derechos 10/7/2014 IPS: "Los
llamados "llega y pon", observados al menos en Holguín, Santiago de Cuba y
Matanzas, son la expresión más dura de la persistencia y crecimiento de la
pobreza en Cuba, que califica de "con amparo" porque el gobierno socialista
garantiza acceso gratuito a la salud y educación junto a otras asistencias
sociales."
Cooperative Farm in Camagüey, the First in Cuba to Deliver 1 m. Liters of Milk
in 2014 10/2/2014 Radio Cadena Agramonte: "Small farmers at the “Niceto
Pérez” Credit and Service Cooperative (CCS) farm near the village of Camalote,
in northern Camagüey, were the first in Cuba who delivered one million liters of
raw milk to the industry in 2014, a figure that they have reached for eight
consecutive years."
Modern cruise terminal will be built in Cienfuegos 9/28/2014 OnCuba: "The
Ministry of Transportation will invest in a modern cruise terminal at the port
of Cienfuegos, which is thought of as “something big, something at world level,”
announced José Enrique Gonzalez, an officer at the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR)
in the Pearl of the South. In August, more than 30 luxury ships had called at
the ports of the center and south of Cuba, which means the largest number of
cruise ship arrivals since the start of this type of tourism on the island in
1996."
Cuba approves 498 non-agricultural cooperatives in the last year 9/20/2014 Fox
News Latino: "The Cuban government approved 498 non-agricultural cooperatives
since the first 124 were created a year ago as a new model of economic
enterprise, Cabinet secretary Homero Acosta said. Of the 498 approved, 283 are
now in business, chiefly in the sectors of restaurants and related services,
Acosta said Friday in the closing speech of an international congress of
attorneys held in Havana, according to a report by the official AIN news
agency."
Cuentapropistas Refuse to be Deterred 9/17/2014 #CubaNow: "On Monday, an
EFE article told the story of how gyms, bars, mobile phone repair shops, real
estate, gift stores, photo studios and party organizers are sprouting up as
independent small family businesses throughout the island. The article explains
that the entrepreneurs behind these businesses are refusing to be deterred by
the constraints and arbitrary restrictions imposed by the Cuban regime on
‘cuentapropistas.’ Not only that, but niche businesses like promotions, mobile
phone apps, and IT support are all growing to provide services to this sector.
As I argued in my op-ed for Diario De Cuba last week, while Castro’s government
continues to find ways to tighten its own embargo over the Cuban people, we
should be doing everything we can to expand the flow of contacts and resources
from the American private sector to all driven and hard-working entrepreneurs,
not just those with family abroad."
Cuba's Women Entrepreneurs Are On The Rise 8/29/2014 #CubaNow: "Cuba’s
private entrepreneurs, or “cuentapropistas”, are focused on solving everyday
problems. An impressive 29% of small businesses in the Island are run or
operated by women who are transforming their own lives and their local
communities. When compared to the 37% of businesses run by women worldwide, this
emerging sector shows how entrepreneurship is becoming an increasingly important
part of the Cuban reality today--one President Obama and Congress should allow
all Americans to support."
In Cuba, entrepreneurial spirits sparkle 8/28/2014 USA Today
Institutional Changes of Cuba’s Economic Social Reforms 8/1/2014 Brookings: "Overall,
Mesa-Lago concludes that institutional reforms in Cuba are advancing in a
positive direction, albeit slowly. The most important of these so far has been
the establishment of microcredit, bank accounts and wholesale markets for the
non-state sector, and the sale of homes and establishment of inheritance rights
for usufructuaries and home owners. However, key structural changes and
components are still missing: integral price reform, elimination of monetary
duality, a realistic exchange rate and bank system restructuring."
Resoluciones de la Aduana - Las medidas no quieren decir que las personas no
puedan importar 7/18/2014 Granma: "Incomprensivas; alejadas de la realidad
cubana; injustas, porque abarcan a infractores y a quienes no lo son; demasiado
administrativas, por lo cual favorecerían al germen de la corrupción; incluso no
acordes con algunas de las medidas implementadas en la actualización del modelo
económico, como por ejemplo, el desarrollo de los trabajadores por cuenta
propia."
Cuba hails Russia's economic support 7/13/2014 Zambia Post: "Receiving his
Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for official talks at the Palace of the
Revolution on Friday evening, President Castro said before Cuba ended up
contracting the now cancelled US$35.2 billion debt, the communist island nation
survived on financial support from the Soviet Union. He said the US$35.2 billion
debt was an accumulation of loans from Moscow during the first 40 years after
the triumph of the Revolution "without which the Cuban Revolution could not have
survived."
Putin hails Cuba's "strategic" importance for Russia 7/12/2014 EFE: "Castro
and Putin also presided over the signing of a package of 10 agreements and
memoranda to expand bilateral cooperation, including accords on oil exploration
signed by Russian state oil company Rosneft and Cuban counterpart Cupet. Putin
later traveled Friday to Nicaragua for a previously unannounced visit, meeting
in that Central American country with President Daniel Ortega."
Russia: Hoping
Cuba Can Help Spur Trade with Latin America 7/10/2014 EurasiaNet
The new realities of running a business in Cuba 7/2/2014 CSM: "“The Cuban
government is afraid of losing subsidies from Venezuela and they are … turning
to cooperatives to help fill the gap the state can’t provide,” says Christopher
Sabatini, the senior director of policy at the Americas Society and Council of
the Americas. “Decentralizing the economy will allow the government to earn
money from taxes [from cooperatives], inject productivity into the lumbering,
inefficient government, and sop up some of the thousands of employees that were
recently let go by the state,” Mr. Sabatini says."
Cuba authorizes Internet access for emerging private companies 6/23/2014 Cuba
Si: "The Cuban government has authorized the state telecom company to provide
Internet access to the country’s budding private cooperatives, the Cuban News
Agency reported Friday. Communications Minister Maimir Mesa Ramos instructed
Etecsa to start the service on June 29, according to the news agency. Internet
access will be provided via modems and only to the cooperative’s location, to
avoid service being transferred to third parties."
Entrepreneurs at World Oil Congress Interested in Cuban Opportunities 6/23/2014 Cuba
Si: "Cuban deputy minister of Energy and Mining, Ruben Cid, said in Moscow that
many Russian companies, which attended the 21st World Oil Congress, are
interested in doing business with Cuba."
“Ave Fénix”: apoyar el emprendimiento en Cuba 6/22/2014 OnCuba: "La
situación actual de una parte importante de las personas negras y mestizas en
Cuba, precisa concebir e implementar medidas económicas capaces de empoderar a
las familias, como vía para la satisfacción de sus necesidades básicas. El apoyo
a la creación de fuentes de empleo podría ser una medida efectiva para estimular
tales procesos. En el contexto de la consolidación del trabajo por cuenta propia
en Cuba, y teniendo en cuenta la reciente aprobación de la nueva Ley de
Inversión Extranjera, la creación de proyectos de financiación figura como una
vía concreta de ayuda al emprendimiento."
Cuba building seven more solar parks 6/19/2014 Cuba Standard
“Ave Fénix”: apoyar el emprendimiento en Cuba 6/18/2014 OnCuba: "La
situación actual de una parte importante de las personas negras y mestizas en
Cuba, precisa concebir e implementar medidas económicas capaces de empoderar a
las familias, como vía para la satisfacción de sus necesidades básicas. El apoyo
a la creación de fuentes de empleo podría ser una medida efectiva para estimular
tales procesos."
Bacardi chairman: Family split about embargo 6/16/2014 Cuba
Standard: "Hinting that yet another Cuban American business dynasty may be
softening its approach to Cuba, Bacardi Ltd. leader Facundo Bacardi told Cigar
Aficionado magazine in an interview that his family has differences over U.S.
embargo policies."
Executive of French Bank Forced to Retirement due to US's Anti-Cuba Policy 6/13/2014 ACN: "A
top executive of France's BNP Paribas Bank has seen himself forced into
retirement amidst a dispute involving a 10 billion dollar fine that Washington
intends to impose on the financial institution in an extraterritorial action for
having violated US sanctions against Cuba, Sudan and Iran. The French bank
announced that Operations Chief Georges Chodron de Courcel will retire in
September. "
Cuba Food
Industry Cooperatives Feel Betrayed 6/6/2014 Havana Times
The Role and Impact of Remittances on Small Business Development during Cuba’s
Current Economic Reforms 6/1/2014 Desigualdades: by Katrin Hansing and
Manuel Orozco - "This paper explores the extent to which Cuban remittance
recipients are responding to the Cuban government’s current economic reforms
which seek to incentivize entrepreneurial activities as an economic growth
strategy and state liberalization policy. In so doing we hope to make some
preliminary observations and recommendations about the potential role and impact
of remittances in Cuba’s socio-economic development. It is based on an original
survey conducted in Cuba in 2012."
We wish to support this vital and growing private sector in Cuba 5/30/2014 OnCuba: "Mr.
Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of the United
States, is visiting Cuba for the second time. The organization that runs
entirely autonomous and independent of the U.S. government represents 3 million
businesses of the most diverse sectors."
Rusia en la búsqueda de petróleo cubano 5/28/2014 OnCuba
Cuba’s
Cooperatives “Without Papers” 5/20/2014 Havana Times
Hundreds of Cooperative Make their Way in Cuban Economy 5/19/2014 CAN
U.S. academics say Cuban reforms not going well 5/10/2014 Miami
Herald: "But while up to 485,000 Cubans are reported to be licensed to work in
low value-added jobs such as tailors and seamstresses, there are many
constraints, Gonzalez-Corzo told the University of Miami’s Institute for Cuban
and Cuban American Studies (ICCAS). An “onerous tax system” piles “taxes upon
taxes upon taxes” that make it difficult for the new micro-enterprises and
“confiscate the limited prosperity that people are generating,” he said. There’s
a shortage of appropriate retail space needed for the new businesses, property
rights remain largely unclear and government inspectors often look for bribes,
the professor added. The cooperative sector is not doing as well as projected by
the government, Gonzalez-Corzo said. And the average bank loan approved under a
micro-credit program designed to help the private sector stands at about $55."
Mientras Washington lo piensa, Bruselas negocia con Cuba 5/5/2014 IPS
Cuba: "España encabeza el intercambio comercial europeo con La Habana, con más
de 1.156 millones de dólares en 2012. Sin embargo, fue justamente un gobierno
conservador español, el de José María Aznar (1996-2004), el artífice de la
llamada Posición Común que la UE adoptó en 1996 y que constituye para Cuba una
injerencia en sus asuntos internos. Este tema no estuvo sobre la mesa en esta
primera ronda de pláticas. A una pregunta de IPS, Leffler, de nacionalidad
sueca, también aclaró que la UE no trajo condicionamientos políticos. “Si
queremos negociar un acuerdo, no es muy constructivo venir con un punto inicial
de condiciones e imposiciones”, afirmó."
Invertir en Cuba 5/1/2014 OnCuba: por Hugo Cancio
Habanos S.A. Marketing Director Leaves 4/23/2014 Cigar
Aficionado: "[Afrodescendent] Ana López Garcia, the director of marketing
operations for Cuba's tobacco monopoly, Habanos S.A., has left the company. In a
short message, she told Cigar Aficionado she was leaving for "personal reasons."
Her departure was confirmed by sources at Habanos. Lopez had spent nearly 40
years working in the Cuban cigar industry. She reported that she remembered
dealing with Alejandro Robaina, the famous Cuban tobacco grower, and was the
person who introduced him to the cigar that bore his name."
Especialistas investigan cómo empoderar a mujeres cuentapropistas 4/14/2014 SEMlac
Cuba: "La división sexual del trabajo por cuenta propia en Cuba motiva una
investigación en curso para caracterizar el emprendimiento de las mujeres en el
municipio capitalino Habana Vieja, uno de los más hacinados y con mayor índice
de desigualdad económica de la capital cubana."
Expertas crean red sobre gestión, conocimiento e innovación con equidad de
género 4/14/2014 SEMlac Cuba: "La Red cubana sobre gestión, conocimiento e
innovación con equidad de género fue presentada el 10 de abril en la capital
cubana, durante la celebración del taller "Construyendo equidad: estrategias
para el cambio", convocado por la Empresa Gestión del Conocimiento y la
Tecnología (Gecyt)."
Struggling to Film in America’s Chokehold - Cuban Moviemakers Feeling Burden of
U.S. Embargo 4/4/2014 NYT: "What hasn’t changed, however, are the financial
and legal restrictions that make transferring money to Cuba illegal without a
special license from the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign
Assets Control." [Absolutely false, as all information products can be sold by
Cubans to the US market without any license or government oversight whatsoever.
See our Berman
Amendment page.]
Cuba plans big tax breaks to lure foreign investors: official media 3/26/2014 Reuters
In Cuba,U.S.embargo elicits a shrug 3/24/2014 Al Jazeera: "An economy in
which the state was once the sole employer now includes a growing gray zone of
private enterprises operating with the consent of the authorities. That reflects
an effort by the communist leadership to stimulate an economy stunted by low
growth, despite its relatively high human development index and bountiful
government benefits. Only a small number of citizens have seen their living
standards improve over the past two decades."
The Fanjul flak: Typical Miami schizophrenia 2/7/2014 Progreso
Directo al bolsillo de Fanjul 2/6/2014 Cartas desde Cuba: "El conocido
anticastrista Mauricio Claver-Carone amenazó al magnate azucarero Alfonso Fanjul
con hacer campaña para que le retiren las subvenciones."
Magnate azucarero Alfonso Fanjul dispuesto ahora a invertir en Cuba bajo
“circunstancias adecuadas” 2/2/2014 Progreso Semanal: "Pero el cambio de
Fanjul es mucho más significativo. No solo él y su familia controlan una de las
mayores operaciones de azúcar en el mundo, sino que también han estado entre los
mayores donantes a grupos de activistas como la Fundación Nacional
Cubano-Americana y el U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC, que han sido defensores activos
de las sanciones comerciales."
Sugar tycoon Fanjul open to investing in Cuba under ‘right circumstances’ 2/2/2014 WaPo: "But
the shift by Fanjul is far more significant. Not only do he and his family
control one of the largest sugar operations in the world, but they also have
been major donors to activist groups, such as the Cuban American National
Foundation and the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC, that have been vocal advocates for
trade sanctions."
Ordenanzas de la ciudad, otro “amarre” para los cuentapropistas? 1/17/2014 La
Esquina de Lilith: "Significa, además, que posiblemente cientos de familias que
apuntalaban la economía familiar con el alquiler de espacios de sus viviendas
podrían quedarse sin esa entrada, sin contar con lo que significa para los
propios cuentapropistas que, con la nueva ley para esa actividad, invirtieron en
toldos, mesetas… Lo peor, no obstante, es la sensación de inestabilidad que,
ahora mismo, ronda a quienes ejercen esa actividad que, cada año hasta ahora, se
incrementado sus aportes al presupuesto nacional."
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