Cuba made its first US soyoil purchase in more than five years this month with the purchase of 7,600 tonnes, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The transaction made headlines because the trend in exports from the US to Cuba has been declining since it peaked in 2008. Also, drought and heavy rains in … Read more
Cubans are incredibly creative people, and most Cubans enjoy making music in just about any setting. For Cubans, music has a physical dimension as the mastery of a craft but there is also a metaphysical dimension that is a cultural connection to an eclectic blend of histories and influences stretching back hundreds of years. Turn … Read more
The Cuban telecom services market, measured by revenues derived from voice, data, and video services, grew 10% in 2014 to $918 million, slightly slower than the average annual growth rate of 12% during the preceding four years. The industry is tightly controlled by the government, with ETECSA operating as the monopoly provider in both the … Read more
Reading Richard Feinberg’s book, Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy, reminds me of the phrase, “Sometimes it’s better to be approximately right rather than exactly wrong.” This point was driven home for me in the collapse of LTCM (run by two Nobel Prize-winning economists) – and provides an interesting counterpoint to Feinberg’s use … Read more
Learning some Spanish before traveling to Cuba will greatly enhance your experience by exposing you to aspects of Cuban culture that you would otherwise miss if you could not communicate directly with Cuban people. Poetry contains essential elements of culture and lots of vocabulary that is likely missing in structured language learning tools. Plus, encoding … Read more
The Alabama State Council plans to build statewide support for Congressional action to end the travel ban and trade embargo on Cuba. Engage Cuba today launched the Engage Cuba Alabama State Council to advocate for a change in US policy towards Cuba. The founding members of the State Council include Alabama leaders from a broad range of sectors including agriculture, … Read more
Grand Circle Cruise Line today announced that it will begin operating Cuba’s Cultural Treasures: A Coastal Voyage, an 11-night, 89-passenger cruise tour from Miami to Cuba in January 2017. Grand Circle will be one of the first cruise lines to operate in Cuba and the only US cruise line to offer a cruise experience with … Read more
According to a report by Fox News Latino, ATMs in Havana will now accept MasterCard cash advances, including those from Stonegate Bank, the first US bank authorized to provide this service in the island nation, and the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. Cuban Central Bank (BCC) vice president Irma Margarita Martinez confirmed that MasterCard is … Read more
According to a report by Reuters, Sheraton has posted a sign at The Quinta Avenida (Avenida 5ta A 76 – 80, Miramar District, Havana, Cuba): “Four Points by Sheraton.” The company’s website is listing rooms starting at $249 a night. Sheraton is the first in Cuba to operate under a US brand since the 1959 … Read more
The Cuban constitution establishes two types of property rights, those guaranteed to Cuban citizens and those guaranteed to the state. According to Cuba’s constitution, all Cuban citizens are granted the right to own their homes as well as, “other possessions and objects which serve to satisfy one’s material and cultural needs.” Likewise, Cubans are allowed … Read more
