Cuba news.
Sundance Institute announced today its return to Cuba with film screenings and filmmaker discussions open to the public as part of Sundance Film Forward, July 14-16. Local artists, students, and film lovers are invited to attend public events at venues across Havana, including Cine Yara and Casa del Festival. Sundance Film Forward will host free … Read more
The European Union (EU) and Cuba held seven rounds of talks—two in 2014, four in 2015, and one in March 2016—on a Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) covering political, trade, and development issues. The new cooperation agreement, which has to be officially approved by EU governments, would replace the 1996 Common Position. In 1996, … Read more
Looking for a cultural cruise on a small-ship to Cuba? You’re in luck. Friendly Planet Travel, one of the leading companies specializing in Cuba travel, has teamed up with Celestyal Cruises to provide a culturally immersive experience in a seven-night all-inclusive voyage through Santiago de Cuba, Havana, Punta Francés, Isla de Juventud and Cienfuegos. Tour-goers … 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
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
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
Hall of famer Shaquille O’Neal, a 15 time National Basketball Association (NBA) all-star, will serve as a US Department of State Sports Envoy to Cuba from June 25–28. Building on the momentum of US President Obama’s historic March trip to Cuba, this people-to-people program taps into the unique strength of sports – including basketball – … Read more
Prior to the 1959 revolution, US companies played a leading role in Cuba’s telecom market. In 1949, AT&T and US conglomerate International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) installed an undersea cable between Cuba and Florida to carry telephone and telegraph traffic between the two countries for the next 40 years. On the eve of the revolution, … Read more
The US Senate Appropriations Committee adopted four separate amendments related to travel and trade with Cuba. Amendment lifting travel ban The amendment ending the travel ban allows Americans to travel to the one country in the world to which the US prohibits Americans to travel to freely, Cuba. Committee passage of this amendment follows the US Department of Transportation’s announcement … Read more
Over the years, although US lawmakers have agreed on the overall objectives of US policy toward Cuba – to help bring democracy and respect for human rights to the island – there have been several schools of thought about how to achieve those objectives. Some have advocated a policy of keeping maximum pressure on the … Read more
