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
Suntine International-Economic Trading Company of China and Cuba’s Cubanacan hotel group are partners in a project to build a new Hemingway Hotel at the Hemingway Marina just west of Havana. The state-run Chinese investor will have a 49% ownership and will provide $150 million for the project. Cubanacan, with 51 percent ownership, is providing the … 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
Every year Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment prepares a tome of investment opportunities available to foreign investors. The recently published 2015 Portfolio of Opportunities for Foreign Investment offers insights into the priorities and limitations for foreign investment from Cuba’s point of view. Some historical context may be helpful in understanding the purpose of … Read more
Cuba’s participation in the 36th International Tourism Fair (FITUR) 2016, in Madrid, Spain, showcased the vital link between Spain’s private sector and Cuba’s rapidly expanding travel and tourism sector. The Cuba delegation was led by Cuba’s Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz. The mission was to promote the island nation’s newest top tourist destinations: Varadero, Trinidad, … Read more
Virginia’s Governor, on an official visit to Cuba, indicated today that Virginia’s port authority will become the first US port operator to sign a cooperation agreement with its Cuban counterpart. “We are going to sign an agreement tomorrow between the Port of Mariel and our Port of Virginia which will be a strategic alliance,” Virginia … Read more
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday’s “Cuba Summit”, organized by The Economist Events, explored Cuba’s changing economic, social and political landscape and what it means for businesses planning a move into Cuba. The island nation faces many challenges as it tries to create a more dynamic and prosperous economy. The Economist editors – along with a diverse … Read more
The first Startup Weekend in Cuba ended last month with great enthusiasm for the startups teams’ success in organizing ideas and turning them into reality. The organizers for Startup Weekend Havana included: Ramphis Castro (no relation to Fidel), Medardo Rodriguez, Rodney Hernandez and Alex Medina. The event’s facilitator was Santiago Zavala, Venture Partner, at 500Startups. … Read more
What’s the price of sitting on the sidelines? by Simons Chase, Editor-in-Chief SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – “Where to start?” was a topic of interest at the Cuba panel of the CHICOS 2015 HVS Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference held this week in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For hotel developers and operators, distilling the bigger picture … Read more
The Cuba Journal caught up with Alex Medina today to discuss tomorrow’s kickoff of Startup Weekend’s first event in Cuba — to be held in Havana at the Panorama Hotel. Startup Weekend organizes high-impact, experiential events that foster entrepreneurship and community building in every corner of the world. As of last year, the organization hosted … Read more
