Cuba Journal Yesterday, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the chief author of the Freedom to Export to Cuba Act, continued her pro-Cuba support by highlighting the agreement between the US and Cuba to resume commercial air travel. She said, “Securing commercial flights between the United States and Cuba will make it easier for Americans to seek travel and commerce … Read more
In broadcast speech today, Castro reflected om advances the two countries have made in the last year when he and US President Obama announced they would work to normalize ties and repair decades of Cold War-era hostilities. In the unscheduled speech, Castro said, “The government of Cuba is fully willing to continue advancing in the … Read more
The United States and Cuba have reached a bilateral agreement to establish scheduled air services between the two countries, the US State Department announced. Scheduled commercial flight service has been suspended for decades. Charter flights have connected the two countries in the interim, with carriers from JetBlue to American Airlines operating the flights. “This arrangement … Read more
American travel to Cuba is surging. Authorized travel by Americans to Cuba has increased by more than 50 percent this year, according to Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the United States Charge d’Affaires to Cuba. The increase has come in light of eased travel restrictions since the US-Cuba rapprochement at the end of 2014. It’s likely that … Read more
Cuba has concluded a deal with certain of its Paris Club group of creditors to restructure its debt on favorable terms. The Cuba Group of the Paris Club creditors includes 14 of the 19 sovereign, industrialized nations that have existing defaulted debt with Cuba. France is the largest single creditor. The US is not part … Read more
This week’s Major League Baseball (MLB) goodwill tour marks the MLB’s first visit to the island since the Baltimore Orioles played an exhibition game against the Cuban National Team in 1999. The goodwill tour, which will take place between December 15th-18th, includes MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark and Hall of Famers Joe Torre (Chief Baseball … Read more
MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately-owned global cruise line, announces the start of cruise ship operations this month. The 2,120-guest MSC Opera will homeport in Havana for the winter 2015-16 season and will offer guests 16 Caribbean region cruises. A second ship, MSC Armonia, will operate out of Cuba starting November 2016 for the entire winter season. MSC Cruises, the world’s … Read more
U.S. President Barack Obama may visit Cuba in 2016, under certain conditions. In an interview with Yahoo! News, Obama indicated he has told the Castros that, despite the historic re-establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries earlier this year, he is unlikely to visit the Communist island nation before he leaves office without “progress.” … Read more
At last week’s Cuba Summit conference in Washington, DC, Fernando Monzote, Cuban farmer-entrepreneur, said organic farming is having an impact and creating opportunity in Cuba. According to the United Nations, Cuba’s transition to organic agriculture has had a positive impact on people’s livelihoods by guaranteeing a steady income for a significant proportion of the population … Read more
It’s one of the best places to visit in Cuba — the wonderful, perfectly preserved Finca Vigia, the place where Ernest Hemingway spent three decades of his life. And there’s a small tent next door that honors Hemingway with what is the best cocktail in Cuba right now. It’s called the Coctel Vigia, said to … Read more
