Simons Chase 
The problem with Cuba’s vexing scarcity of basic supplies and materials – things that are common in most other countries – is the social impact for Cubans struggling with the challenges of daily life. Yet there has been an abiding sense that Cuba’s pervasive condition of scarcity may one day result in great abundance in … Read more
A new competition for Cuban entrepreneurs was announced yesterday at AngelSummit Americas in Miami. The international competition, 10x10KCuba, is a call to innovation for the island’s emerging technology sector, which seeks to help talented programmers and entrepreneurs in Cuba integrate into the global startup community. Leaders at the forefront of Cuba’s growth and development in the … Read more
According to a report in the Financial Times, Cuba’s commercial creditors have hired Rodrigo Olivares-Caminal, a professor at Queen Mary University of London, to help organize an effort to negotiate settlement terms for Cuba’s defaulted private sector claims. Background A country’s debt is made up of official debts it has with other countries (bilateral) and … Read more
The AngelSummit America‘s event in Miami on April 14-15, 2016 has roots in the local tech scene but its branches reach around the globe. Beginning with “Billion Dollar Companies Can Come From Anywhere”, the conference’s topics cover global themes as well as local opportunities – including the tech scene in Cuba, the most interesting place … Read more
The Independent ran a story yesterday about a mysterious plan to build an American-style theme park in Cuba replete with iconic attractions including Cayo Castro, Revolutionary Road and Hemingway’s Hideaway. Designed as the second-largest theme park in the world, the project’s sponsors and Cuban partners were undisclosed. A popular meme in the recent wave of … Read more
Vulnerability is a powerful communication tool. In one 30 minute speech delivered in Cuba this month, President Obama pierced the theater of politics and forced a ligature between his own heritage and Cuba’s complex history by stirring emotions in Cubans that were seemingly inexpressible until a black US President suggested his muddled past is a … Read more
Cuba Its Past, Present, And Future by A.D. Hall, now in the public domain, offers an amazing glimpse into Cuba’s history and condition as of 1898. Much of the excitement and allure about Cuba as portrayed by an 1898 observer is alive today. The author’s language captures the tension, beauty and potential of an enchanted … Read more
President Barack Obama on Tuesday acknowledged the difficult history between the US and Cuba, but offered a “message of peace” to the Cuban people as he neared the end of a landmark visit to the communist country. Speaking at the Gran Teatro de Havana, he said it is time for the US and Cuba to … Read more
Marriott International announced today that the the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury has approved its application to pursue a business transaction in Cuba. And yesterday Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it has partnered with several Cuban entities to manage hotels in the island nation. Reports indicate … Read more
On 28 January 2014, a subsidiary of AB InBev, AmBev, acquired a 50% equity interest in Cerveceria Bucanero S.A. (CBSA), a Cuban company in the business of producing and selling beer. The other 50% equity interest is owned by the Cuban government. Publicly traded AB InBev was formed through successive mergers of three international brewing … Read more
