By Peggy Goldman Cuba Journal Contributor For Americans wishing to finally experience Cuba’s rich Afro-European culture after fifty years of embargo and enmity, news that commercial air service is on the horizon (pun, fully intended) is being met with celebration. And it should. For consumers, commercial air service means increased competition, lower fares and more … Read more
Sure, you may have seen the old 1950s Chevrolet taxis. But Havana’s taxi drivers operate the world’s most eclectic fleet — and it extends far beyond American made. You’re likely to see scores of vintage automobiles, from the aforementioned Chevys to Soviet Ladas to, well, 1960s-era Alfa Romeo spider convertibles. If you can find a fare … Read more
Reports indicate that legendary rock band The Rolling Stones will be playing in Havana. The Cuban Music Institute (ICM), through the Cultural News, announced conclusive talks with Rolling Stones about a concert in Havana in March. Noticiero explained that officials are working on organizational aspects of the show to be held at Havana’s Sports City. … Read more
A new level of cooperation in Cuba By Dana Niland Cuba and Russia have a series of agreements aimed at expanding cooperation in biotechnology. Eulogio Pimentel, director general of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) for the business group BioCubaFarma, signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Alexander Chernov, Vice President of the Skolkovo … Read more
On Tuesday, working-level representatives from the United States and Cuba held a technical meeting in Havana to exchange information and best practices related to preventing cybercrime and online fraud, including in the areas of pharmaceutical fraud and illicit narcotics. Participants also discussed the legal framework for investigating and penalizing cybercrime. Additionally, participants held a session … Read more
A new look at the modern art of Cuba By Dana Niland Cuba Journal Contributor “Growing Up in Neverland,” an exhibition featuring the work of eight contemporary artists from Cuba, opens March 4 at The University of Tampa’s Scarfone/Hartley Gallery, and will run through March 18. The exhibition is a co-presentation of The University of … Read more
On March 3, 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged a prominent Miami-based business leader (dubbed “Miami’s little Madoff”) and his wife with fraud for conducting a $135 million Ponzi scheme with real estate investments from hundreds of elderly Cuban-American investors living in South Florida. In 2012, Gasten E. Cantens plead guilty and was sentenced … Read more
Few things symbolizes Cuba’s special place in the world more than rum. It all started nearly 200 years ago when Facundo Bacardí Massó came to Cuba from Spain in 1830 and began to experiment with ways to refine rum. Today, Bacardi is no longer in Cuba, and a trademark dispute makes Bacardi’s future in Cuba … Read more
This article was updated October 2016. Traveling to Cuba from the United States has gotten a lot easier in the last year, but staying connected while you are there requires some planning. Last year, Sprint and Verizon started offering roaming services for their customers traveling to Cuba. It’s not cheap but it offers access if … Read more
In a statement before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday he plans to travel to Cuba “in the next week or two” for talks on human rights. “I may be down there in the next week or two to have a human rights dialogue, specifically,” he said. … Read more
