The 101 most useful websites

There are tens of millions of sites to visit. Not forgetting telegraph.co.uk, here are the only ones you actually need.

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Cubans allowed to check into hotels for foreigners

Cubans allowed to check into hotels for foreigners

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Raúl autoriza a los cubanos la entrada en los hoteles

El presidente cubano, Raúl Castro, ha autorizado a los cubanos la entrada a los hoteles reservados para los turistas extranjeros, según un comunicado emitido por el Gobierno."Sí, hemos recibido esta instrucción y desde hoy está vigente ", confirmó uno de los recepcionistas del hotel Copacabana de La Habana.

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Cellphones in Cuba? This is exactly what this means:

Babalublog explains what it means for a Cuban to buy a cellphone "I have a slightly used Motorola phone that I am willing to sell you cheap. Since it is used and a little dinged up, I am willing to sell it at 2005 prices. For just $34,586 (the yearly per capita income in the US in 2005) "

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Havana Rakatan in UK Tour: free tickets to give away/ Tengo boletos gratis!

I got some free tickets to give away for their performance on Thursday April 3rd in Wimbledon at 2:30 pm. I know, I am working as well at that time ;-) but maybe some of you might be free and can make it to Wimbledon.
Just email/call me if YOU KNOW YOU CAN MAKE IT ON TIME. This is very important as the performance needs an audience. We have to know for sure to be able to make the booking
Feel free to pass on to friends!
Further info:
http://www.theambassadors.com/tickets/wimbledon/newwimbledon/4208/havana-rakatan.html
If you cannot make it, Rakatan will be touring the UK for 3 months, I will keep you posted

Tengo boletos gratis para la presentacion de Rakatan el jueves 3 de abril en Wimbledon, a las 2:30 pm. Ya lo se, tambien estoy trabajando a esa hora pero seguro otros no lo estan y pueden ir a verlo.
Enviame un email o llamame SI ESTAN SEGUROS QUE PUEDEN ASISTIR. Esto es muy importante para asegurar que haya publico y poder hacer las reservaciones!
Pasa este mensaje a tus amistades
Mas informacion:
http://www.theambassadors.com/tickets/wimbledon/newwimbledon/4208/havana-rakatan.html
Si no pueden ir esta vez, Rakatan esta de gira por tres meses en el pais

Nuevo Herald: El dia de la ira - llegara en Cuba?

Vicente Echerri en su columna comienza la cuenta atras sobre los llamados "cambios " en Cuba

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Tomado del Granma - Arriba , lleva tu celular aqui .... en CUC (also in English)

De acuerdo al Granma y a ETECSA, van a vender celulares en Cuba por la libre, en CUC

Como dice la cancion ?? "Soy cubano ... con celular" '-)


http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2008/03/28/nacional/artic05.html

Link in English

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080328/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_cell_phones

Jack Daniel's Blog: Cuba tendrá su ley sobre derechos homosexuales

Jack Daniel's Blog: Cuba tendrá su ley sobre derechos homosexuales

Los cubanos enfrentan el reto de las aperturas tecnológicas

Segun El Universal, Mexico

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More Cubans in airports, a la Tom Hanks in The Terminal

In Spanish only, I posted one about a Cuban girl living in an airport in Costa Rica
Now this one comes from Bolivia, taken from newspaper Los Tiempos courtesy of Penultimos Dias blog

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Dan Rather reports from Havana, from Penultimos Dias blog

Dan Rather reports from Havana, from Penultimos Dias blog

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Cuba: compra tu horno de microondas aqui!

Caballeros quien es el ultimo para los maicroueis?

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Newsmax on Cuba: Reality Check for Fidel Castro's Lies

Newsmax on Cuba: Reality Check for Fidel Castro's Lies

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BBC: One Castro champions gay rights in Cuba

Mariela has been talking gay rights in Cuba since as long as I remember she's been head of Cenesex. Probably to defend her dad ;-)Nothing has changed and I think the Cuban goverment is just jumping in the same bandwagon of the Spanish: It is "fashionable" to promote gay rights so let's do it I am all for gay rights and all rights that defend human beings from discrimination. I cannot help but remember in 1993 when I was denied a job in a hotel because "I could be gay".. according to the hotel mamager and the Communist party representative at the hotel board. For them, my long hair was "sign of being gay." Again, that was 1993! So yes, this is just a PR exercise by Castro II

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Cuba joins the 80s as microwave ovens land in households

What's next? Dallas on Cubavision?

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Los potros de la web siguen relinchando en Cuba

Siguen luchando por evadir la censura informatica. Aqui vemos como

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La bloguera cubana batea nuevamente!

Nos da un "parte medico" sobre la censura de la que es victima en Cuba

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Deja vu a la cubana? Yoani le da una mirada a los debates

La bloguera cubana comenta sobre una vuelta al "debate" en Cuba

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Havana Rakatan is back in the UK! Several dates!

I went to see them last year and loved it!

Nilda Guerra's acclaimed Cuban company Ballet Rakatan brings a slice of Havana flavour to the UK, as this high-octane Cuban dance combines with an awe-inspiring Cuban band in this spectacular new show direct from the world's most soulful city.

The Churchill - Bromley - until Saturday 29 March 2008
http://www.theambassadors.com/tickets/bromley/churchill/4130/havana-rakatan.html

New Wimbledon Theatre - Wimbledon - April 1st - April 5th
http://www.cuba-solidarity.org/events.asp?EventID=172

http://www.theambassadors.com/tickets/wimbledon/newwimbledon/4208/havana-rakatan.html

Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 8th - Sat 12th April
http://www.list.co.uk/article/7264-havana-rakatan/

Further details as I get them!

Havana Rakatan - until Sat 29 March - 08 in Bromley, London

Direct from Cuba, Havana Rakatan brings the heat of a Latin summer to The Churchill. All the sexy breathtaking Cuban dance moves - jazz, mambo, bolero, son, cha-cha-cha, rumba, salsa, and many more - are set to fill the stage in a show which features some of the country’s most accomplished and dazzling dance artists.

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Havana Rakatan - Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 8–Sat 12 Apr

Cuba's Ballet Rakatan demonstrate fast, furious routines to jazz, mambo, bolero, son, cha-chacha, rumba 'and' salsa. Phew.

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Ravsberg de la BBC sobre los derechos gay en Cuba

Los derechos son un sueño para los gays, lesbianas y para todos los cubanos en general. Mariela Castro ha luchado por esto, claro ella tiene la suerte de ser la hija del actual presidente. Fernando Ravsberg nos habla un poco sobre esto

El cocodrilo, la concretera y el reloj (la vida en Cuba)

Tomado del blog Retazos, un sumario genial de como hemos vivido los que nacimos despues del 70'.

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Censored Cuban blog tells its story (in Spa only)

Potro salvaje vuelve a relinchar

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The Guardian, late to report about censored Cuban blog

The Guardian, late to report about censored Cuban blog

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Bay of Capitalist Pigs- Is this the post Castro Havana

The Atlantic.com gives an apocalyptic but possible insight

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Rumor de Cuba: NUEVAS REGULACIONES SOBRE ACCESO A INTERNET

Rumor de Cuba: NUEVAS REGULACIONES SOBRE ACCESO A INTERNET

Like Tom Hanks in The Terminal, Cuban girl lives in Costa Rican airport

In Costa Rica, a Cuban girl lives a similar story to that of Hanks

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ELPAIS habla con historiador cubano Rafael Rojas hoy martes, 25 de marzo de 2008

Cuban bloggers worldwide temporarily take down Cuban official online paper

Bloggers worldwide take down Cuban official online paper for a few minutes in protest against the web censorship in the island

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Protesta ‘ciber’ contra la dictadura cubana

Promovida por el blog de Daniel Tercero: Convocada, para esta tarde a las 17 horas (hora peninsular española), una acción internáutica ‘para protestar contra el bloqueo a las páginas del servidor Desde Cuba, donde están alojados los blogs Generación Y y Potro salvaje, que ahora no pueden leerse dentro de la isla’.

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Virtual Sit-In to protest against Cuban web censorship

RIGHT NOW, it started at midday EST and 4pm GMT. Go to http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/ and click F5 to refresh the page. Babalublog is promoting the idea that came from Penultimos Dias, a Cuban blog in Spain

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Bloguero de la BBC analiza la prensa en Cuba

Realista y objetivo, Ravsberg comenta sobre su experiencia cercana a la prensa cubana

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Over Internet, Cuban youths offer rare insights (English version of previous post)

The young men and women sitting around a living room somewhere in Havana laughed and talked as if they were guests at a party.

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Herald: Jovenes cubanos revelan su oposicion al gobierno en videoconferencia via internet

No estoy seguro de como se las arreglaron para esta reunion pero el caso es que ahi estan, hablando lo que todos sabemos

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La bloguera cubana, censurada en su tierra

De regaños y paginas “presilladas”, a Yoani le quieren cortar el agua y la luz en Cuba, los censores informaticos

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Potro Salvaje: victimas de la censura informatica en Cuba

Los blogueros de Potro Salvaje son censurados dentro de Cuba

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Cuban mambo pioneer Cachao dies in Miami

Rest in peace, Cachao. I am sure you're joining Compay and Celia in the big rumba of heaven.

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HavanaJournal lists Raul Castro’s reform initiatives

An invaluable commentary about what's going on in post-Fidel Cuba

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Reuters: Cubans can now write opinions to offical daily

Is this another gimmick from the Cuban goverment or has Reuters become Raul Castro's new mouthpiece

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Cuba studies travel rules change BBC

 
 
As I predicted
 
Cuba is studying the easing of restrictions on its nationals who want to travel abroad, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque has said. 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7306250.stm
 
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/cuba/story/463254.html
 
 
Tambien en espannol pero el Granma no lo dice explicitamente como sabemos
 
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2008/03/20/interna/artic05.html
 
http://www.ain.cu/2008/marzo/marzo17iggemigracion.htm
 
http://www.ain.cu/2008/marzo/19ascanciller.htm
 
http://www.ain.cu/2008/marzo/20asemigrados.htm
 
http://www.prensalatina.com.mx/article.asp?ID={1970FCD8-A6B4-4193-81E7-6EA26BC43C39})#uage=ES
 
 
 


 

Cuban leaders reach out to countrymen living abroad

Cuban leaders reach out to countrymen living abroad

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Conditional Cubans - the view from Babalublog

An interesting take on the alleged future changes in migratory regulations for Cubans

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Cuba reconsidering travel restrictions

(UPI) -- Cuba is considering abolishing stringent laws dictating the travel of its citizens abroad, Granma newspaper reported Thursday

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Penetraciones del mar causan daños en Baracoa

 
 
http://www.venceremos.co.cu/pags/varias/portada/penetraciones_mar_baracoa_3024288.html
 
 

Guantánamo, 20 mar (Redacción Digital Venceremos) Olas superiores a los cinco metros de altura, sobrepasaron el muro de contención del Malecón de Baracoa, afectaron los inmuebles aledaños y la circulación vehicular por esa arteria, en lo que se conoce como el peor siniestro de esta naturaleza en los últimos 50 años allí.

 

The Economist: The inalienable right to a toaster in Cuba - not there yet?

Quite a headline from the Economist. When (I say when and not if) the Cuban goverment starts selling DVD players and computers, they will be too expensive for the average Cuban. The Cuban goverment profiteers from marking up goods up to %200 in the dollars-only store, we all know that. Nevertheless we all applaud the gesture. Why is no one asking why were they banned in the first place? No one is asking why the dual currency system is still in place.

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What about Cuba after Raul?

An interesting analysis of the recent change of guard in Cuba

What about Cuba after Raul?

By José Azel is a senior research associate at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami. Dr. Azel was an adjunct professor of international business at the School of Business Administration, University of Miami. He holds undergraduate and master's degrees in business administration and a Ph. D. in international affairs from the University of Miami.

The succession from Fidel to Raul, programmed since the early days of the revolution, is now an official fact. It was an efficient, effective and seamless succession. The hallucination in which Raul Castro intervenes forcefully to end the communist era and inaugurates a new democratic and market oriented Cuba is not how the story ends. We need to rethink how Cuban communism will come to an end.

Clearly, given Raul's age and possible health problems there will be another succession in the not to distant future. And this next succession may not go as smoothly as the one from Fidel to Raul. Raul Castro's perfunctory successor, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, is 77 years old and not obligatorily seen as the next Cuban leader in the same way that Fidel had anointed his younger brother as his successor. Perhaps an interesting parallel can be made with the events in the Soviet Union following Leonid Brezhnev's death in 1982. His successor Yuri Andropov, who was 78 years old, died two years later. He was, in turn, succeeded by the also elderly Constantin Chernenko who died a year after and was succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev.

Therefore, from a longer-term strategic perspective, the critical questions are not what economic reforms Raul may or may not introduce, but rather what follows after Raul. The younger brother has been in charge of the armed forces for nearly fifty years and has had the opportunity, over all those years, to appoint his military officers to any number of positions in government and industry. His most recent appointments of Machado Ventura, Casas Regueiro and others are illustrative. Accordingly, the most likely "after Raul" scenario will have a strong military flavor and will include his loyalists in the military and the communist party. Possible succession scenarios, among others, are a more or less classical military dictatorship, a triumvirate, or some other "first among equals" approach. Yet, there may be a more sinister plot in the making.

Currently the role of the Cuban military in the economy is extensive and pervasive with the military managerial elite controlling, by some estimates, over sixty percent of the economy. The breath and depth of this military control of the country's key economic sectors is astonishing. GAESA, the holding company for the Cuban Defense Ministry, is involved in all key sectors of the economy. Enterprises with innocuous sounding names such as TRD Caribe S.A., Gaviota, S.A. and Aerogaviota are all part of the vast economic involvement of Cuba's Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FAR). There is every reason to expect that Raul Castro will continue to promote the involvement and monopolistic control of his armed forces in the economy as he has since the late 1980's and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

If we postulate that Raul Castro, as a matter of survival not ideology, is likely to introduce some tentative economic reforms, we need to note the corollary that he will simultaneously continue to expand the metamorphosis of his officers into businessmen. Arguably this can be viewed as a positive development where warriors turn in their weapons for calculators. But we need to look into our crystal ball for what happens next, when the Raul era comes to an end leaving FAR officers in political control as well as in control of all key sectors of the economy.

In a system where enterprises are state owned and managed, the military officers turned business executives enjoy the privileges of an elite ruling class. Their standard of living is higher, they move into better homes, and the like. But these benefits are miniscule when compared with the opportunities to gain significant wealth via a position of equity ownership in the enterprises under their managerial control. It will not take long for the military elite to realize that managing government owned enterprises, as they have done under Cuban communism, offers only limited benefits - owning the enterprises is a far more rewarding and lucrative option. In the first instance they may enjoy some foreign travel and live in a nicer Havana home. In the second, the travel would be by privately owned executive jets to second homes in Paris or Madrid.

Once the Castro brothers are no longer in the picture the military elite will be highly motivated to lead the way towards a privatization of the economy. Specifically the military officers will have every incentive to champion a manipulated privatization of the industries under their managerial control in order to monetize their managerial positions. Alas, this illegitimate and corrupt mockery of a privatization process will end up with the military managing team as the new ownership team initially controlling the cash flows and eventually creating the market conditions to monetize their equity position.

A "liberalization" of the Cuban economy following its current militarization, if not conducted in a transparent democratic environment, is likely to make the military elite into instant millionaires as the new Cuban "captains of industry." In another possible parallel to the Russian experience, only sixteen years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we learn that: "Russia with 87 billionaires is the new number two country behind the U.S., easily overtaking Germany, with 59 billionaires…" (1) Either Russian businessmen posses the most extraordinary entrepreneurial skills in world history or their ascendancy in wealth accumulation has a suspect origin.

In a supreme ironic twist we could see a post-Fidel/Raul situation in which a fraudulent privatization takes place leaving the likes of Gen. Julio Casas Regueiro as the new majority shareholder of GAESA Enterprises with Raul Castro's son-in-law Col. Luis Alberto Lopez Callejas as his CFO, Comandante Ramiro Valdez Menendez as the new CEO and sole owner of the newly created Cuban Electronics Group, Gen. Ulises Rosales del Toro as Board Chairman and controlling shareholder of the new Cuban Sugar Enterprises, Marcos Portal León, another of Raul Castro's relatives, as president and COO of the lucrative Cuba Nickel, S.A. and more.

By and large, the politically exhausted and by now apathetic Cuban population will not view these ownership changes as particularly undesirable or nefarious. They may even view them as a positive transition towards free markets and prosperity. The international community will also acclaim the generals as agents of change bringing a market economy to Cuba. Indeed, in this disheartening end game scenario Cuban communism will have come to an end, leaving the generals and their heirs as the nouveau riche devoid of a democratic culture.

It is often argued that the introduction of economic reforms even in isolation of political reforms will lead sequentially and inexorably to democracy. Advocating for a China or Vietnamese transition model for Cuba, the unilateral lifting of the U.S. embargo, etc. are all offered as first steps on the eventual road to democracy. But decades after the introduction of economic reforms we are witnessing a China that, although certainly wealthier, is no less authoritarian.

I am afraid that putative economic reforms conducted in a corrupt military controlled environment without hand-in-hand political reforms will lead only to a transfer of wealth from the state to the ruling military/party elite. Even if we posit that democracy will ultimately follow an economic opening, we need to heed the admonishment that, democracy delayed is democracy denied. (2) Cubans deserve better.

_______________________________________

Notes

(1) Luisa Kroll, "The World's Billionaires 2008," Forbes.com, March 5, 2008, http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/03/05/richest-people-billionaires-billionaires08-cx_lk_0305billie_land.html.

(2) This is a rewording of former British Prime Minister William E. Gladstone's famous "Justice delayed is justice denied."

Enrique Colina and Leonardo Padura will be in London in separate events

International Institute for the study of Cuba
Further info check http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/research-units/cuba/

Book Launch: An evening with Leonardo Padura
6.30pm, Thursday 24 April, 2008
The Graduate Centre
London Metropolitan University
Room GC-108,
160-220 Holloway Road,
London
N7 8DB
Leonardo Padura is Cubas most internationally acclaimed author and creator of one of the islands best-loved fictional characters, police detective Mario Conde. With the publication of Havana Gold (Vientos de cuaresma) in English, the original Havana Quartet of Mario Conde novels will be complete. The other novels: Havana Red, Havana Black and Havana Blue have already been published by Bitter Lemon Press. In this evening of discussion Leonardo will
talk about his latest work, writing in Cuba and Cuban cultural life in general. He will be happy to sign copies of Havana Gold and all four novels will be available to purchase at a discounted price.
A wine reception will follow the presentation
Admission is free but entry will be limited to those who register in advance.
Please indicate your intention to attend by email: admin@cubastudies.org



Documentary film-maker to visit Londonmet
The renowned Cuban documentary film-maker Enrique Colina is to visit London Metropolitan University and talk about his work.
At a meeting hosted by the Film Making Society on 3 April, there will be a film presentation of
some of his best work followed by a discussion. The event will take place at 5pm, 3 April in the North Campus Tower Building (Holloway Road) Room TMG 58. If you are not a student or member of staff and wish to attend, please make sure that you send your name and contact details to admin@cubastudies.org at least one day prior to the event, otherwise entry to the building cannot be arranged.

Further info check http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/research-units/cuba/

Alison Littlewood will never forget her trip to Cuba last year

Alison's concerns were mostly counting the pennies when she went to Cuba, however she regrets not spending one pound in a wooden tortoise

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BBCMundo Blog La batalla por educar en Cuba

El corresponsal de la BBC en Cuba Fernando Ravsberg, habla de su experiencia con el sistema educativo cubano. Yo quiero decirle que en lineas generales es muy positivo e inspirador lo que has escrito pero es solo una mirada a traves de lentes rosa del sistema educativo cubano. El desastre actual que es la educacion cubana es un reflejo de todo lo que esta pasando en aquel pais. No es ni la sombra de lo que fue en los 80s y 90s y en esa epoca no era perfecto. No ha salido de la crisis cuando los profesores tiene la misma edad que los estudiantes y no hay respeto. Hace un mes se dio un caso de un estudiante que murio pues su "maestro emergente" le tiro una silla por la cabeza!!!Que suerte tuviste Fernando, que no tuviste que pagar la educacion de tus hijos. Tengo una amiga que es cubana y su esposo es canadiense pero residen en Cuba la mayor parte del tiempo, tiene que pagar por la educacion de su hijo. Otra amiga, britanica, fue a estudiar a Cuba con su hijo de 3 pues no tenia quien se lo cuidara en Londres, tuvo que pedirle directamente al Consejo de Estado que le dieran una plaza para estudiar en la primaria pues si no tenia que pagar la escuela!Ademas, la educacion es gratis pero tienes que "sobornar" a los maestros todo el tiempo para que tengan atencion con su hijo. Vale la pena?

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A proposito de dos noticias aparecidas en El Pais hoy sabado

El Pais publica hoy dos notas sobre Cuba. Este diario como siempre lleno de esperanzas sobre los "cambios" que sabemos que no llegan

La primera habla de que el Granma va a criticar los aspectos negativos del pais. Me pase dos horas buscando en la pagina web www.granma.cu y su version local http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/ y no encuentro nada mas que llamados a la "Informar con objetividad" http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2008/03/14/nacional/artic35.html
Otro articulo llama a "No debe descansarse hasta lograr que cada artículo, crónica, reportaje o información lleven una enseñanza, una lección, una experiencia "
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2004/03/15/nacional/articulo01.html

Quisiera poder decirle a El Pais que me muestre donde encontro esas "criticas" pero se que El Pais no me va a hacer caso. Como tampoco me hizo caso cuando le escribi en 2005 diciendole que un hotel de Sol Melia en Santiago de Cuba me prohbio la entrada por ser cubano a pesar de vivir en Europa y tener reservada habitacion. En ese momento pense que tal vez El Pais le tenia miedo a los Escarrer de Sol Melia pero creo que le tienen mas miedo a los Castro.

Este comentario me trae al segundo articulo pues dice que los cubanos van a poder hospedarse en hoteles. WOWOWO que magnanimo esta Raul! Lo que no pregunta nadie es por que el gobierno cubano, violando la propia constitucion cubana y olvidanse de Guillen, habia prohibido que sus ciudadanos entraran a los hoteles. Esta semana tambien salio la noticia que levantaban la prohibicion a la venta de computadoras y DVDs ... sin comentarios

Claro, mas vale tarde que nunca y aplaudo los cambios si es verdad que pasaran. Acuerdense que el Granma todavia no los publica! Mientras tanto, siempre estara El Pais

http://tinyurl.com/yr3fej
La prensa cubana comienza a publicar noticias negativas del país

Hasta ahora, las críticas han estado enfocadas contra Estados Unidos, su enemigo ideológico.- Los casos de corrupción, los delitos y la ineficiencia del Gobierno empezarán a aparecer en el diario oficial 'Granma'
AGENCIAS - La Habana - 15/03/2008
El periódico cubano Granma, portavoz del Partido Comunista del país y del ex presidente del Gobierno, Fidel Castro, ha empezado a incrementar el espacio de información en sus páginas dedicados a la ineficiencia del Gobierno, los delitos y la corrupción de la economía del país.
Por primera vez, el rotativo, la principal fuente de información oficial en Cuba, duplicó el viernes el número de páginas a 16. "A partir de hoy 14 de marzo, Día de la Prensa Cubana, Granma circulará los viernes con 16 páginas, como parte de los esfuerzos por elevar la información al pueblo y la calidad de nuestro trabajo", dijo el diario en su portada.
Este aumento en el volumen es otro de los cambios introducidos en la isla con la llegada a la presidencia de Raúl Castro, hermano de Fidel, quien abandonó el poder de forma activa, aquejado por una enfermedad intestinal.
Granma y el otro diario de gran influencia en Cuba Juventud Rebelde han comenzado a publicar informaciones acerca de la ineficiencia, el robo y la corrupción en la economía estatal. Hasta ahora, los diarios cuabnos han centrado sus críticas a su enemigo ideológico, Estados Unidos, y han ignorado las noticias negativas en Cuba. De hecho, muy pocas veces aparecen noticias sobre delitos en sus páginas.
Pero el año pasado, Juventud Rebelde comenzó a informar sobre el mal funcionamiento de muchas empresas estatales y los serios problemas sobre la asistencia médica, principalmente dental, así como la cuestión del desempleo.
Creado en 1965 como órgano del Comité Central del Partido Comunista, el periódico lleva el nombre del yate en que Fidel Castro desembarcó en 1956 en Cuba para emprender la guerra de guerrillas que lo llevó al poder.
En los últimos años, las autoridades cubanas han pedido a los funcionarios y los periodistas que sean "más críticos" al reflejar los problemas que enfrenta la isla. "La revolución cubana necesita de un periodismo analítico e investigativo que posibilite la solución de temas medulares de la sociedad de hoy", dijo Rolando Alfonso, jefe del departamento ideológico del Comité Central del Partido Comunista.


Los cubanos podrán alojarse en hoteles
Raúl Castro adopta una nueva medida de 'liberalización' económica
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yo8chh
MAURICIO VICENT - La Habana - 14/03/2008
Los cubanos podrán hospedarse en los hoteles de turismo. El Gobierno de Raúl Castro ya ha tomado la decisión y acabará "muy pronto" con una de las prohibiciones que la población criticó con mayor dureza en las asambleas celebradas en el país el año pasado.
Los cubanos podrán hospedarse en los hoteles de turismo. El Gobierno de Raúl Castro ya ha tomado la decisión y acabará "muy pronto" con una de las prohibiciones que la población criticó con mayor dureza en las asambleas celebradas en el país el año pasado. "Muy pronto" significa en los próximos meses, seguramente antes del verano, según fuentes cercanas al poder y algunos hoteleros extranjeros que extraoficialmente saben de la medida. Ayer, el diario Granma indicó que si en un momento crítico fue necesario "priorizar el turismo foráneo" para conseguir más divisas y "evitar la desigualdad en una sociedad marcadamente igualitarista", hoy las circunstancias han cambiado.
Nadie ha explicado a EL PAÍS cómo se llevará a cabo en la práctica esta liberalización, si manteniendo ciertas restricciones o abriendo enteramente los hoteles a los clientes cubanos. Lo que está claro, según todas las fuentes, es que las autoridades desean acabar cuanto antes con esta prohibición, que genera gran malestar en la población y choca con la propia Constitución, que en su artículo 43 consagra el derecho de todos los nacionales a hospedarse en "cualquier hotel".
Administradores extranjeros de hoteles dijeron que la medida será beneficiosa para el sector, más si se adopta antes del verano, como todo parece indicar. Si se compara el salario medio en Cuba con los precios de los establecimientos turísticos, una sola noche de hotel es prohibitiva para la mayoría. Pero se estima que muchas personas se beneficiarán con el fin de esta prohibición ya que cada vez es más la gente con acceso a divisas, incluidos artistas, deportistas, trabajadores de firmas extranjeras, campesinos privados o cubanos que reciben remesas del extranjero.
Hoy los que tienen más recursos no puede gastar su dinero en pasar unas vacaciones, por ejemplo, en un hotel de Varadero. Y se dan absurdos como el siguiente: alguien que se fue de su país en una lancha puede, si regresa, alojarse en cualquier establecimiento turístico; pero su hermano o su vecino, que no se fueron de Cuba y quizás militen en el Partido Comunista, no pueden quedarse con él aunque se haga cargo de los gastos.
Las autoridades adoptarán una estrategia de bajo perfil para acabar con muchas de las prohibiciones que se quieren eliminar, dijeron fuentes cubanas conocedoras de lo que se cuece. Por ello, la liberalización de la venta de DVD, ordenadores y otros equipos electrónicos, o la autorización a los cubanos para hacer uso de los hoteles, y otras medidas por venir, no se publicitarán a bombo y platillo en la prensa, chirriaría demasiado.
El artículo de Granma, firmado por su director, Lázaro Barredo, afirma que la eliminación de prohibiciones, aunque alivie, no resolverá los problemas económicos del país; para cumplir el compromiso de Raúl Castro de mejorar la vida de los cubanos hace falta producir y generar riqueza, y eso, dice Barredo, no caerá del cielo, sino que surgirá "del trabajo y de que gane más salario el que más produzca". El final de su análisis es elocuente: "Sería imperdonable que por nuestra inercia hipotecáramos el futuro".

babalublog: Cuba to end tourist apartheid?

A posting in babalublog comments on an El Pais article that Cuba will allow Cubans in hotels. El Pais does not comment why the ban was there in the first place. I still remember the day a Sol Melia hotel in Cuba did not allow me to stay. I also wrote to El Pais to complain and they did not bother answering. I always wondered if El Pais was afraid of Fidel Castro or of the Escarrers at Sol Melia

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EXCLUSIVA-Cuba libera venta de computadoras y DVDs / Cuba lifts ban on computer and DVD player sales

 
 

http://lta.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idLTAN1330146320080313
EXCLUSIVA-Cuba libera venta de computadoras y DVDs
jueves 13 de marzo de 2008 16:32 GYT
Por Marc Frank
LA HABANA (Reuters) - Cuba liberó la venta minorista de computadoras, reproductores de DVD y otros electrodomésticos, la primera medida del presidente Raúl Castro contra el "exceso de prohibiciones" en la isla.
Un memorando del Gobierno al que Reuters tuvo acceso dice que esos y otros electrodomésticos anhelados por muchos en Cuba serán vendidos libremente de forma inmediata.
La lista incluye televisores -que ya estaban a la venta-, hornos de microondas, ollas a presión eléctricas, bicicletas eléctricas y alarmas para automóviles.
Otros equipos como los tostadores eléctricos, sin embargo, recién serán liberados a mediados del 2010.
"Basado en la mejoría de la generación eléctrica que muestra el país, se ha aprobado por el nivel superior de dirección del mismo la comercialización de algunas líneas de equipos cuya venta estaba prohibida," dice el documento, sin fecha, que circula entre gerentes del sistema estatal de tiendas minoristas en moneda dura.
En su discurso inaugural al suceder el 24 de febrero a su convaleciente hermano Fidel Castro en el poder, Raúl dijo que comenzaría a eliminar prohibiciones en las próximas semanas.
La noticia, que no ha sido publicada por la prensa oficial, fue aplaudida por algunos en La Habana.
"Es bueno (...) la venta de esos equipos nos beneficiará, pues acabamos con la gente que los vende en el mercado negro," dijo Colás, custodio de una tienda de Centro Habana.
Pero los productos serán vendidos en pesos convertibles, la moneda dura que es 24 veces más fuerte que los pesos con los que el Estado paga los salarios a la mayoría de la población.
"Está bueno, pero no resuelve el problema, porque nosotros, los que tenemos un sueldo (estatal), ãcon qué vamos a comprar computadoras o nada que nos vendan?," dijo Claribel, de 42 años, mientras compraba en una tienda de ropa reciclada en La Habana.
Raúl Castro ha reconocido que los sueldos que paga el Estado son insuficientes y prometió medidas para reanimar la economía y devolverle poder adquisitivo a los cubanos.
Las computadoras y otros equipos sólo podían hasta ahora ser adquiridos en las tiendas del Estado por extranjeros y empresas, no por el público en general.
Raúl Castro había flexibilizado en el 2007 las regulaciones aduaneras, permitiendo el ingreso de computadoras y equipos de DVD -hasta entonces prohibido- mediante el pago de impuestos.
El memorando dice que el Gobierno está ahora "dando pasos" para adquirir los equipos, que inicialmente serán vendidos en tres tiendas de La Habana.
El documento no precisa el origen de los equipos cuya venta será liberada. Muchos de los televisores, refrigeradores y ollas eléctricas que el Gobierno ha distribuido a la población con financiamiento a largo plazo y bajos intereses, son chinos.
"NECESIDADES MATERIALES"
Raúl Castro había anticipado medidas de este tipo al asumir la presidencia tras la renuncia de su convaleciente hermano, un feroz crítico del consumismo y el despilfarro de recursos.
"El país tendrá como prioridad satisfacer las necesidades básicas de la población, tanto materiales como espirituales," dijo Raúl Castro cuando asumió como presidente.
El general de 76 años, que ya venía ejerciendo la presidencia temporal desde que su hermano enfermó, ha prometido elevar la calidad de vida de los cubanos sin comprometer en lo más mínimo el sistema socialista que heredó de su hermano.
Reconoció que existe un "exceso de prohibiciones" y prometió comenzar a eliminar las más simples "en las próximas semanas."
El memorando establece una segunda categoría de productos que serán vendidos libremente a partir de abril del 2009, siempre y cuando la oferta de electricidad lo permita.
La lista incluye equipos de aire acondicionado, de gran demanda en este país tropical, calentadores de agua y duchas eléctricas.
Una tercera categoría saldrá a la venta a mediados del 2010, incluyendo hornos, cocinas y tostadores eléctricos.
Los comentarios de Castro sobre el exceso de prohibiciones llevaron a muchos cubanos a especular con la futura liberación del mercado inmobiliario y de automóviles, la simplificación de los trámites para viajar al extranjero o la posibilidad de abrir cuentas de teléfonos celulares.
Nada de eso es mencionado en el memorando.
El Gobierno cubano impuso en la década de 1990 un sistema de doble moneda y creó una red de tiendas minoristas para captar las remesas enviadas por los cubanos que viven en el extranjero, en especial en Estados Unidos.
Eso dio lugar a una creciente desigualdad en la que es, quizás, una de las sociedades más igualitarias del planeta.
Ese fue otro argumento para prohibir en su momento la venta libre de equipos electrodomésticos y la estancia de cubanos en los hoteles para extranjeros.
(Reporte de Marc Frank, reporte adicional de Nelson Acosta y Rosa Tania Valdés en La Habana. Editado por Esteban Israel y Silene Ramírez)

© Reuters 2007.

Cuba lifts ban on computer and DVD player sales
Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:14pm EDT
By Marc Frank
HAVANA (Reuters) - Communist Cuba has authorized the unrestricted sale of computers and DVD and video players in the first sign that its new president, Raul Castro, is moving to improve Cubans' access to consumer goods.
An internal government memo seen by Reuters on Thursday said the appliances long desired by Cubans can go on sale immediately, although air conditioners will not be available until next year and toasters until 2010 due to limited power supplies.
Only foreigners and companies can buy computers in Cuba at present, while DVD players were seized at the airport until last year, when customs rules were eased.
Now Cubans will be able to buy them freely, paying for them in hard currency CUCs, or convertible pesos, worth 24 times more than the Cuban pesos state wages are paid in.
"Based on the improved availability of electricity, the government at the highest level has approved the sale of some equipment which was prohibited," the memo said.
It also listed television sets, which were already on sale, electric pressure cookers and rice cookers, electric bicycles, car alarms and microwave ovens.
Raul Castro, 76, has led Cuba since July 2006 when his older brother Fidel Castro provisionally handed over power after intestinal surgery from which he has not fully recovered.
The younger Castro was formally named president on February 24, becoming Cuba's first new leader in almost half a century, and he promised to ease some of the restrictions on daily life.
"The country's priority will be to meet the basic needs of the population, both material and spiritual," he said as he replaced Fidel Castro, a staunch critic of capitalist consumer society.
Last year, under Raul Castro's provisional government, customs regulations were eased to allow Cubans to bring in some electronic equipment and car parts.
AIR CONDITIONERS AND TOASTERS
The new memo circulated within the state-run retail system said Cubans will have access to a second group of products in 2009, including air conditioners, which are much in demand to help endure the hot summer days in the tropical country.
If Cuba's electricity supplies permit, additional appliances to be sold freely in 2010 include toasters and electric ovens, the memo said.
Cubans were delighted with the prospect of being able to buy items such as microwave ovens and air conditioners that were previously only available as stolen goods on the black market.
Shop attendants in central Havana had not heard about the measure but said there was great demand for the items.
"That's great. I hope this is the necessary start along a new path," said second-hand clothes vendor Maritza Hernandez, eager to see further reforms to Cuba's command economy.
The sale of many electric appliances was banned in the 1990s when the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived Cuba of billions of dollars in subsidies and oil supplies, resulting in an energy crunch and daily blackouts of as long as 18 hours.
Cuba put an end to power cuts in 2006 by importing hundreds of electricity generators run on fuel supplied by Venezuela, its main foreign ally.
Raul Castro has encouraged debate of Cuba's economic woes and has received a torrent of complaints focusing mainly on poor wages and limited access to consumer goods that are priced in hard currency.
In December, he said Cuba had too many restrictions and last month, formally assuming leadership, he vowed "in the next few weeks we shall start removing the most simple of them."
Many Cubans expect the state to soon allow them to buy cellular telephones. While they will now be able to buy computers, access to the Internet remains controlled by the government.
(Additional reporting by Rosa Tania Valdes, Editing by Anthony Boadle and Kieran Murray)

© Reuters 2007.

UN backs out of virtual protest against Internet censorship

Reporters Without Borders organized today's Online Free Expression Day and accompanying cyber-protests, but was dismayed when a UN agency backed out of sponsoring the event at the last minute.

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March 12, 2008

.Cuban Weekly News Digest  -  "A compilation of news articles about Cuba, distributed since 1992 in order to encourage a balanced understanding of the Cuban situation and to promote investments in the Republic of Cuba"

Havana – DTC - Cuba's tourism authorities are promoting the training of qualified personnel to meet the growing demand for staff as a result of the sector's expansion. The Hotel and Tourism School in central Villa Clara province, which has an enrollment of 700 students, is one of the educational centers in charge of training the tourism personnel. The students who will graduate this school year will join 820 workers who have been trained in that center over the past six years and who are working in tourist facilities on the province's northeastern keys. The students will graduate as waiters, cooks, desk clerks and entertainers, among other specialties. More than 100 students will major in Tourism, and others will graduate as masters at the Central University of Las Vilas.

HAVANA - For 28 years, Jose Luis Gomez was a state health worker earning less than $20 a month. That changed 15 years ago when he leaped at the chance to become self-employed. Cuba's economy was in crisis, and in a rare concession to capitalism, Fidel Castro announced the creation of small business licenses. Gomez and thousands of others rushed to sign up. "It changed my life completely," said Gomez, 60, sitting in the shade of a tree next to the wooden handicrafts stall that has made him a rich man - at least by Cuban standards.

Cuba's flirtations in the mid 1990s with market-style reforms were emergency measures designed to meet the crisis brought on by the collapse of the Soviet Union, its main trading partner. Today its economy is on the verge of another round of economic liberalization, analysts say, similar in many ways to the measures of the 1990s. "I don't have any doubt there will be economic changes. The question is how profound they will be," said Carmelo Mesa-Lago, a Cuban-American expert on the Cuban economy at the University of Pittsburgh. Cuba's new president, Raul Castro, 76, is expected to introduce the first reforms in the coming weeks, from new micro-business licenses to redistribution of idle state land to small farmers. Despite surrounding himself with old guard hard-liners, Castro used his inaugural speech last month to reiterate a commitment to improving the standard of living of Cuba's 11-million citizens.

Attention to such practical matters is why many Cubans find themselves reassessing the younger Castro, once considered little more than a ruthless enforcer for his brother. "Raul has shown he is different," said Rafael Diaz, a state taxi driver. "He calls things the way they are and wants to make them better." Even so, Castro says he needs time to come up with the right policies. "A mistake brought about by improvisation, superficiality or haste could have substantial negative consequences," he said in his speech, a seeming reference to the political and economic chaos in the former Soviet Union a decade ago. Cuban officials continue to reject the Chinese or Vietnam model of broad economic liberalization under one-party rule. "Its socialism will undoubtedly alter - but not in the manner of a China or Vietnam. Cuba will continue to go its own way," according to Ignacio Ramonet, co-author of Fidel Castro's recent official biography, My Life. "The new regime will initiate changes at the economic level, but there will be no Cuban perestroika - no opening up of politics, no multiparty elections."

Raul Castro seems to accept the reality that banning private business activity only forces it underground, generating large sums of untaxed income. Cuba's current dual currency system means that Cubans are paid state salaries in the weak national peso, while a much stronger so-called "convertible peso" circulates in the tourist sector. This has created absurd inequalities; those with access to the tourist economy - taxi drivers, hotel maids, restaurant and bar workers - make 10 to 20 times the income of university professors, doctors and civil servants. Domestic production of basic goods has also fallen so low that the state is unable to provide many essential items in the national peso, adding to the misery of those who depend on state salaries. Cubans complain that their peso salaries, worth barely $20 a month, cover only a fraction of their daily needs. Real wages have fallen 76 percent since 1989 and Cubans today find themselves spending 75 percent of their income just on food, economists say.

Subsidized state rations offer little these days besides bread rolls in the morning, a pound of chicken, and a few pounds of rice, beans and sugar a month. Other essential items such as cooking oil, detergent, milk, soap, toilet paper, not to mention more luxury household items, have to be bought in foreign currency stores at unattainable prices. "I don't care what the currency is called as long as I can buy food for my family with it," said Javier Reyes, a night watchman who earns a state salary of 240 pesos, roughly $10. To make ends meet, Reyes operates a small black market business on the side he asked to conceal its nature to avoid reprisals that earns more than 10 times his official salary.

By distributing state land to private farmers, and loosening government control on the sale and distribution of their produce, the government hopes to stimulate increased agricultural production. The impact this could have is clear already at a dozen open air markets across the city where stalls brim with fresh daily produce. Prices, though, remain out of reach for many Cubans. Fresh pork was selling for 40 pesos ($1.75) a pound. "I can't afford it, all I can do is look and dream," said Odalys Garcia, 36, a state storekeeper who earns 250 pesos a month. "If they give real autonomy to major cooperatives, and allow people to sell not only to the state but to the private markets, there will be a phenomenal transformation in the agricultural sector," Mesa-Lago said.

Small business licenses could have the same effect in urban areas. "Past policies have wasted a remarkably rich resource by suppressing entrepreneurship," said Archibald Ritter, an expert on the Cuban economy at Ottawa's Carleton University. "If Raul Castro wants a low-cost solution all he has to do is liberalize licenses for people to operate their own micro-businesses." Only 134,000 licenses for private businesses exist today, operating under heavy restrictions such as no advertising or hiring of labor. Ritter estimates that at least 200,000 Cubans run illegal businesses, often bribing government inspectors and police. When Gomez, the handicraft seller, switched to the private sector, he tried his hand at running a family restaurant out of his home. After four years he became frustrated by state restrictions, which allowed a maximum of 12 seats. With two friends he turned to sculpting wooden handicrafts. His stall does a steady trade in polished mahogany wood carvings with tourists from Canada, Argentina and Europe.

"The difference between working for the state and the self-employment sector is like night and day," he said, calculating he makes about 25 times his old state salary. He built a new house with air-conditioning and owns two cars, including a 1952 Ford. When his wife won a visa lottery to immigrate to the United States, he opted to stay. "This is my country and I'm doing fine here," he said. "With what I earn I have enough to live, to eat and to drink. I don't ask for any more."

Havana – DTC - The eastern Cuban province of Granma has greatly improved the quality of tourist services, as a result of large investments in the sector. According to local tourism authorities, the hotels' rooms, restaurants and kitchens were improved, and establishments were painted and equipped with new air-conditioning systems and power generators. Works benefited the hotels Marea del Portillo and Villa Punta Piedra, in Pilón, and the hotels Sierra Maestra, in Bayamo, and Guacanayabo, in Manzanillo. Remodeling works also included Villa Balcón de la Sierra, in the municipality of Bartolomé Masó, and 55 percent of extrahotel centers run by Grupo Palmares. In addition, several trails devoted to nature tourism have been improved at the national parks Desembarco del Granma and Turquino, among other actions.

Vancouver – Financial News - Leisure Canada Inc. (the "Company" or "LCI") confirmed that as per the December 21, 2007 press release, Profile Investments LLC and persons associated therewith ("Profile") have completed the due diligence process and have irrevocably agreed to invest C$15 million in new capital into Leisure Canada. Additionally, Profile and persons associated therewith have agreed to invest US$5 million in the Company's operating subsidiary, Wilton Properties Limited ("Wilton"). Profile is a Dubai-based investment group with global interests in real estate across India, the Gulf Cooperation Countries ("GCC"), Cape Verde and North Africa.

The transaction is composed of Profile holding 49% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company at the time of closing. This will result in the issuance of 60 million units at C$0.25 each for aggregate proceeds of C$15,000,000. Each unit will be composed of one Class "A" common share plus one-half warrant. One full warrant would entitle the holder to subscribe to one additional common share of LCI for a period of 24 months after the closing date at a price of C$0.35 per share. The Company will undertake to extend the term of the warrants for a further 24 months at an exercise price of C$0.40 in the third year and C$0.45 in the fourth. Additionally, Profile will acquire a 25% holding of the outstanding capital of Wilton by means of the subscription of new shares in Wilton for a total sum of US$5 million. Finally, LCI will arrange for the appointment of two directors nominated by Profile to the Company's Board of Directors. Profile has also expressed its strong desire to have Mr. Walter Berukoff remain as Chairman of the Company for a further period of not less than five years. The completion of this transaction is subject to all the necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals.

Commenting on the investment, Mr. Hanif Patel, Founder and Chairman of the Profile Group, said "Cuba is an exceptional market; one of the most exciting markets we have seen. We have visited all of Leisure Canada's sites in Cuba and met with their partners, Grupo Hotelero Gran Caribe S.A. The sites are world class and the partners have a real commitment and long term vision for the development of Cuba as a major tourist and resort destination. We are very happy with our decision to go ahead with this investment and to become LCI's largest shareholder. Profile will offer many synergies to LCI; assistance with design; access to capital to develop the projects; a strong international marketing net work with over 30,000 existing clients and contacts; and a significant international team of experts to support the Cuban developments."

Walter Berukoff, the Executive Chairman of Leisure Canada said, "Profile has completed its extensive due diligence procedure and is confident in making this investment into Leisure Canada. Cuba is without a doubt one of the most exciting new markets in the world. With the backing of a vertically integrated global real estate developer such as Profile, we are ready to accelerate development of our world class asset base in Cuba and become that nation's premier hospitality and resort development company."

HAVANA - (AP) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made his first visit to Cuba since the presidency passed from Fidel Castro to his younger brother Raul, state television reported. Broadcast footage showed Raul greeting Chavez when he arrived in Havana along with Yolanda Pulecio, the mother of French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, and Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba. The two women have conducted an international campaign for the release of Betancourt, who is the highest-profile hostage held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the rebel group known as the FARC.

Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told reporters that Chavez had met with Raul Castro. But he did not mention that the women had accompanied the Venezuelan president to Cuba and it was unclear if they were at the meeting. Cuba and Venezuela are key political and economic allies and Chavez is a close friend of the ailing 81-year-old Fidel Castro. Chavez made the unannounced visit on his way home from a summit in the Dominican Republic, where he and the presidents of Colombia and Ecuador agreed to end a bitter dispute over a Colombian cross-border raid on rebels in Ecuadorean territory.

The Cuban government did not release an agenda of Chavez's visit, and state media carried no other details. He was accompanied by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro. Chavez has visited Fidel Castro several times since he stepped aside provisionally in mid-2006 after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery. Fidel permanently resigned from the presidency on Feb. 19, and Cuba's parliament elected his 76-year-old brother Raul to replace him on Feb. 24. Raul Castro's government has remained silent on the dispute between the three Andean countries that began when Colombia carried out a March 1 commando raid across the border in Ecuador that killed 25 people including a senior commander of the FARC, Colombia's largest rebel group.

Also, the European Union's top development aid official said he would work to persuade EU members to drop remaining diplomatic sanctions against Cuba. ''I think the necessary conditions exist to open a new era in relations,'' Louis Michel said during a news conference after meeting with several top officials. Imposed in 2003 after the island arrested 75 dissidents, the sanctions were suspended after two years but are still subject to periodic review and potential reinstatement. Cuba wants them lifted entirely. Sixteen of those arrested have since been released on medical parole and another four were freed into exile in Spain last month.

Havana – DTC - Health authorities in the eastern Cuban province of Holguín have improved surgical services in all hospitals in the region. According to statistics, more than 90,000 surgeries have been performed every year since 2000, including 108,000 in 2005. In 2007, programs such as hip arthroplasty were reactivated, benefiting 43 patients from provinces of Holguín, Las Tunas and Granma. In addition, surgeons are performing video-endoscopic neonatal surgery at the Octavio de la Concepción de la Pedraja Children's Hospital, which has reported a survival rate of 95 percent. Moreover, 42 kidney transplants were performed, and 29 kidneys and eight corneas were extracted. Surgeons also began performing video-endoscopic surgery to treat several ailments.

Miami Herald – Miami - As he climbed up the ranks of Cuba's armed forces, it was years before Julio Casas Regueiro could shake the reputation that he was being promoted because of who he knew -- not what. Casas wasn't a good military man, one of his former bosses said, but with promotions from a friend in high places -- then-Defense Minister Raúl Castro -- he eventually proved to be a great logistician and business manager. And now he is Cuba's new defense minister and vice president, moving up after Castro was elected the island's president Feb. 24. He'll not only be leading Cuba's armed forces but is also expected to apply his business acumen to the country's ailing economy.

Castro's decision to surround himself with Casas and three other generals at the top level of government underscores the vast trust that the new president has in his military buddies, experts say. And while the armed forces are unlikely to take on any more major business initiatives -- that would hardly be possible -- the generals are expected to become the masterminds of efficiency-minded plans to boost the island's economy. Cuba's 55,000 member Revolutionary Armed Forces is already in charge of most of the business sectors, including hotels and domestic airlines. With its top leaders now in some of the nation's highest positions of power, its role in a post-Fidel Cuba is likely to be reinforced, experts added.

Casas' promotion as one of five vice presidents in the ruling Council of State is a prime example. ''Casas Regueiro was always considered someone who was somewhere he should not be -- someone who got there through friendship,'' said José Quevedo, a former general who now lives in Miami. ``Eventually, he became the person who took advantage of military discipline for use in business, and that showed results. ``He's more a businessman than soldier.''

Casas and Castro became close friends in the 1950s, when both were members of Fidel Castro's ragtag army of guerrillas fighting to topple Fulgencio Batista. Casas founded the rebel army's Sixth Column and the National Police after the revolution's triumph in 1959. He participated in the Bay of Pigs and later became the military's point man for logistics. ''He worked brilliantly,'' Raúl Castro said when he announced the appointment. ``He [stood out] in a phase of the Air Force when we had a vacuum and no one to name.'' Quevedo -- who was Casas' boss at one point -- said the now-72-year-old distinguished himself managing logistics.

''He was repudiated by most of his own men,'' Quevedo said. ``Then the economics of the armed forces was in his control, and he developed purely logistical experience at the highest level. He's good at that.'' A former head of Cuba's Eastern Army -- one of the three main regional divisions -- Casas was also first vice minister of defense. A veteran in Cuba's involvement in Ethiopia, he is also a member of the Communist Party's Political Buro and a member of the National Assembly since 1981. He's been on the Council of State's central committee since 1998. ''I have criticized practically all the Armed Forces generals,'' Castro told the Assembly. ``I do not recall having made a criticism in these past 50 years of comrade Julio Casas, except that he is very stingy. But that's where he gets his economic success.''

True enough: the former banker is credited with the Armed Forces' so-called ''business perfection plan.'' He sent top military officers to study hotel management and accounting abroad to bring home a sense of efficiency and business expertise to the armed forces. Soon, the FAR was not just running troops. Under Casas, the military formed GAESA, the holding company that runs up to 60 percent of Cuban state companies, including hotels, airlines and retail outfits. His No. 2 in the company was Col. Luis Alberto Rodríguez, Raúl Castro's son-in-law. In a post-Soviet Cuba, the severely shrunk and equipment-short FAR is not the military power it once was, but a money machine that's still one of the government's most respected institutions.

Military enterprises now control an estimated 90 percent of the nation's exports and 60 percent of its tourism revenue, and employ 20 percent of state workers. Generals are in charge of several ministries, including sugar and fisheries, and young conscripts work agricultural fields to boost production. Somewhere in Cuba, Raúl Castro said , there's a signed legal document citing Casas as the only person with the right to veto the new president's economic decisions. ''If you look at Casas Regueiro, he has played a role in every state-owned enterprise -- tourism, agriculture, retail,'' said Dan Erikson, a Cuba expert at the InterAmerican Dialogue in Washington, D.C. ``He's known to be tight-fisted in a penny-pinching sense in his managerial style. He did a relatively good job in running a system that by design is going to be inefficient and unproductive.''

Casas' business experience is critical, because Castro's chief task as head of state is to save the nation's ailing economy. Cubans are growing increasingly frustrated because of high prices and low salaries, and are eager to see changes that would allow them more control over their economic destinies. ''If there is an economic opening, the military will play a role in that,'' Erikson said. Castro has suggested that the solution to boosting Cuba's production and economy is by relaxing some of the bureaucratic regulations that stifle growth. But when he named old-timers to top positions of power, many experts said it was a signal that reform is a long way off.

Besides Casas, Castro also promoted old-timers José Ramón Machado Ventura, 77, as first vice president and Interior Minister Gen. Abelardo Colomé, 68, to second vice president. Western Army Gen. Leopoldo Cintra Frias and Alvaro López Miera, head of the joint chiefs, were also named to the council. In a column published last week, Fidel Castro said their appointments were his suggestion and not a result of Raúl Castro's ``militaristic tendencies.'' But some say their appointments could just be a sign that Raúl Castro is looking to spread that military efficiency and discipline to other aspects of the economy. Castro probably deliberately surrounded himself with military loyalists so he could implement reforms in the context of socialism, said Hal Klepak, a professor of military and war studies at the Royal Military College of Canada who has studied and taught in Cuba.

''Casas Regueiro was the architect of military reform -- this is a sign that the economy will be taken a bit more seriously,'' Klepak said. ``This is the man who sent military officers to Spain for MBAs. But he is not going to upset the apple cart. The FAR's role is to hold the reins while the politicians sort things out. ``If the reforms threaten the revolution, they will not be implemented.''

Havana – DTC - Cuban experts are using methods from traditional and natural medicine to treat drug addiction. Experts at the International Clinic El Quinqué, in eastern Holguín province, are using those methods to reduce the administration of chemical drugs in detoxification treatments. That initiative has allowed reducing the volume of chemical drugs used in detoxification treatments by 3,500, nearly 80 percent less than those initially administered. As an example, experts noted that only 10 of 88 patients needed chemical drugs during the last stage of their treatment. The most used methods are yoga exercises, acupressure and musical therapy for relaxation. The International Clinic El Quinqué, inaugurated in 1991, treats nearly 100 patients every year who are addicted to alcohol, crack, heroin, cocaine, marihuana and other drugs.

Granma Intl. – Havana - SPECIALISTS within the Havana Marine Bioproducts Center (Cebimar) are working on two research projects, the results of which could have applications in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. These studies are the continuation of the study, national in scope, undertaken by Cebimar with the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, which ended in 2005. This allowed for the evaluation of close to 100 substances extracted from marine organisms (plants, seaweed, sponges and sea fans) collected in waters off the Cuban coast, for biopharmaceutical research.

Miguel David Fernández Pérez, head of the pharmacology department, told Granma International that they are going to examine more closely action mechanisms of certain substances isolated through a separation process, primarily focused on their anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, as well as the abundance and accessibility of the marine organisms from which these substances were obtained. The extracts found by Cebimar specialists were subjected to pharmalogical evaluations to identify other properties such as anti-oxidant, neuro-active or cardio-active. These last two indicate action on the nervous and cardiovascular systems level, respectively.

Fernández Pérez reported that one of the projects – being carried out with the Ministry of Public Health – is directed toward the search for a topical anti-inflammatory product, while the other – with the Cuban Environmental Agency – has as its goal the development of a sunscreen using seaweed, marine plants and sponges. The search for natural anti-inflammatory drugs is gaining ground internationally and among these, those based on marine organisms which, given the challenging environment in which they live, have developed strong defense substances that can be used in the field of biomedicine. Anoland Garateix, deputy scientific director, indicated that, internationally, substances obtained from seaweed are part of anti-aging formulas, those used to combat cellulite and for protection against damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Garateix emphasized that Cebimar already holds the patent and a health license for the cosmetic use of an extract from the marine plant Thalassia testudinum with anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Seaweed can also be used as human and animal food, given its high fiber, vitamin and protein content. Cebimar is carrying out a study toward this end with a seaweed very common in Cuba. The deputy director likewise referred to another research project, related to the issue of biodiversity, with the goal of disseminating – through publications, data bases and educational software – information obtained by the institution as to the possibilities for use of marine macro-organisms collected off Havana's coastline.

In conjunction with the National Oncology and Radiobiology Institute, an investigation into substances found in seaweed with anti-tumor properties has been completed, producing positive results, according to Cebimar executive reports. Garateix reported that in collaboration with Institutes of Physiology in Puebla, Mexico and of Toxicology in Kiel, Germany, the Cuban center has developed new combinations of substances from sea anemones (Bunodosoma granulífera and Condylactis gigantea), of interest to biomedical researchers as biological reactive agents.

Havana – DTC - Cuba's iron and steel industry is working to increase exports of finished products. In 2007, exports totaled 140 million dollars, accounting for a 19-percent growth compared to the previous year. The iron and steel sector, which has 187 companies, reported a production of 2.52 billion pesos. As in previous years, the main income in hard currency came from the iron and steel, recycling and mechanic sectors. The main markets for Cuba's iron and steel products are the Caribbean and Europe, including Holland, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Venezuela, Honduras, Canada and Jamaica.

The Toronto Star - For many years, the word cancer was taboo in Cuba. In death notices, families would not admit loved ones had died of the disease; it would be reported they had passed on after a "long and sad" illness. "No one would say 'cancer' and that was part of the problem," says Dr. Rolando Camacho, speaking from Havana. For the last decade, Cuban health educators have been working to dispel the secrecy and shame about cancer. At the same time, Terry Fox – the Canadian hero who boldly showed the world the effects of cancer (he wore an artificial leg) and how one could fully live with cancer – played a pivotal role in turning Cuban thinking around.

This Saturday, in the 10th Terry Fox Run for cancer research, 2.5 million Cubans are espected to walk, run, ride, rollerblade – do whatever they can – remembering a young Canadian who has become a hero in their own country. Camacho, who heads Cuba's National Oncology Group, says Terry's message echoes the objectives of the island nation's national health program: "If you don't accept cancer as a common disease you will not fight against it." He's watched as participants swelled from about 800 in 1998 to 2.3 million in 2007, becoming the world's largest outside of Canada. The Terry Fox Run was introduced to Cuba in the 1980s by staff at the Canadian embassy in Havana but it took a few years to capture the public's imagination.

Cubans learned more about Terry through documentary films, and over the years embraced his philosophy. The start of the run, which is organized by the National Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Recreation of Cuba (INDER) and other national ministries, is announced on national radio. It has a festive feel to it. People dash out of their doorways and join in as it passes their homes. "We almost don't have to call people to come," says Camacho. "It is something you go to because your heart is involved. It's very close to our way of thinking about what people should do for a cause they believe in. The personality of Terry Fox impressed a lot of Cubans." Terry lost his right leg to bone cancer when he was 18. In the summer of 1980, believing that cancer research saved his life, he wanted to give something back. He started his Marathon of Hope, and thousands of Canadians – moved by his lopsided gait, his grit and the sweat in every step – lined the streets and highways to cheer him on. When cancer returned, he tearfully ended his run. He died in 1981.

"Doing something without self-interest – for the good of others – that really strikes a chord here," says Simon Cridland, counsellor with the Canadian Embassy in Havana.  "They are fascinated by it. You travel across Cuba and ask, `Do you know anything about Canada?' They'll say, `It's cold'. If you ask, 'Have you heard of Terry Fox?' they know he ran across Canada to raise money for cancer. You'll be in a little town or village and they will have heard about him because they had a run there." Terry's youth also resonates with the Cuban people. Revolutionary leaders like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were young men still in their 20s when they began their struggle to overthrow Cuba's leadership. "He (Terry) was very young and that was very important for us," Camacho says. "It is young people who convince the rest. That is a hero and for the Cubans, he became a hero."

Breeda McClew, international director for the Terry Fox Foundation, says the Cuban runs remind her of that heart-stopping Canadian summer 27 years ago. "The way the inspiration of Terry Fox pulls the Cuban people together reminds me of 1980, when he pulled our country together for a desperate and necessary cause. It's such a credit to the memory of Terry Fox that 27 years later he has the same impact on a country far removed from his own." Every dollar raised in Cuba stays in Cuba, where it is to be used to fund research. Over the years, 8 million Cubans have raised some $140,000, a considerable sum in a country where the average monthly wage is $17.

Two Terry Fox-funded research projects recently completed in Cuba include a study on genetic factors in breast cancer, including a registry of families with a history of the cancer; another project looked at HPV cells in cervical cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Cubans under 75; the cancer mortality rate is growing at about two per cent a year. While the Terry Fox Run takes place in Canada during September, runs are held throughout the year in other countries – because of weather or religious or national holidays. Some 660,000 Canadians visit Cuba each year. The ministry of tourism is encouraging Canadian visitors at resorts like Varadero, Cayo Coco and Guardalavaca to join in the runs.

Cridland describes the Havana run as highly emotional. "You have people in wheelchairs, people who have survived cancer, people with prostheses. It's not just another run. At the end of the race you see people lining up to donate money." The embassy official believes a secondary effect is a change in attitude to people with disabilities. Barriers, he says, are tumbling down.  "It has inspired disabled people like you would never believe. People say, `I was always ashamed of being an amputee, but if Terry Fox can do it, I can too. Anything is possible. I used to cover my prosthesis and now I run in shorts so people can see.' "

Havana – DTC - Cuba's food industry reported a 15-percent increase in production in 2007, as a result of authorities' efforts to develop the sector. According to statistics, the industry grew at an annual average of 8 percent from 2003 to 2007. Last year, international economic associations grew 26 percent in contrast to 2006. Over the past five years, 11 products have reported the largest increase in production, including pork, cheese, pastas, canned fruit, wines, soft drinks and beer. The official strategy is aimed at reducing imports and increase sales to the tourism sector and hard-currency shops, which rose 15 percent last year. Exports of Havana Club rum grew considerably, accounting for 97 percent of net revenues.

Voir – Films - Cuba si!  - Melora Koepke - Resurrecting Kalatozov's ¡Soy Cuba!, again

In Mikhail Kalatozov's ¡Soy Cuba! (I Am Cuba!), the palm trees and sandy shores have a somewhat menacing quality. This may perhaps be a result of the technical choices made by the Russian filmmaker. His neutral-density filters and the harsh blacks of his expressionistic angles and shadows coarsen and dramatize the black-and-white stock that was de rigueur in 1964, the year this tremendous film about the Cuban revolution was shot with Russian money, marking a particular vision of Cuba's evolution from Batista to Castro.

Though the film was released to ill winds the first time around both in Russia and the USSR, "tremendous" is, in fact, an understatement. ¡Soy Cuba! is one of the weirdest films ever made, for sure - a mix of aesthetics and purpose, shot in one of the most exciting cinematic times in the most tumultuous of places. No wonder this re-release is a result of Martin Scorsese's long fight to have the film restored, including its official selection as part of Cannes '03. Now, it returns for a one-week run at the Cinéma du Parc in conjunction with a groundbreaking exhibit of Cuban art at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, and Fidel's your uncle.

Fade up on a long helicopter shot of the Caribbean island from the air, where the green of the palm trees seem to sear the blue of the sky. Then zoom in on the pool scene at a casino in Varadero, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty - you might, if you didn't know better, think you were in a Fellini movie. That Felliniesque vibe doesn't fade during the first of four vignettes, about a prostitute named Betty who is also a girl-next-door named Maria, who is in love with a banana salesman who might also be selling guns or drugs. Ah, si - soy Cuba, all right.

The movie takes a more overt propagandist turn with the next vignette, about a farmer squatting sugarcane on a rich man's land, and before the climax of the film, which includes a dead dove shot by the army during a demonstration and a speech about how "even the stones will rise up" after there are no more righteous men left to run the revolution. Still, that was the style then, and there are enough strange and beautiful pictures in this cinematic oddity to stop an army.

Havana – DTC - The Cienfuegos refinery, in the central Cuban province of the same name, will be enlarged in a short term. According to experts, the company PDV-CUPET S.A will carry out engineering studies prior to the investment, which will increase the plant's processing capacity to 150,000 barrels a day. Inaugurated in 1990 and equipped with Soviet-made technology, the refinery was modernized and remodeled by PDV-CUPET, S.A. at a total cost of 136 million dollars, and reinaugurated in late 2007. Enlargement works, which will include facilities for the petrochemical industry, will cost two billion dollars. The works will be completed in 36 months, from 2009 to 2012, and the startup of the plant is scheduled for 2013, as part of Cuba-Venezuela collaboration agreements.

HAVANA - (Reuters) - The Cuban government called President George W. Bush a "furious and impotent spectator" with zero influence over changes in the communist country following Fidel Castro's retirement. "He can neither stop, interfere with or influence what happens in Cuba," Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said. Bush said that neighboring Cuba had replaced one dictator with another and vowed to maintain hard-line policies against Havana until it begins a democratic transition. Bush insisted that Fidel Castro, despite having stepped aside last month and turned over the presidency to his brother Raul, "is still influencing events from behind the scenes."

Perez Roque said Bush's view that nothing had changed in Cuba was acknowledgment of the failure of his Cuba policy, which has tightened sanctions to financially undermine the one-party state. "President Bush's words show that he is just a furious and impotent spectator," the minister said, in the first official Cuban comment on Bush's statement. "I enjoyed listening to the frustration in his words." Perez Roque said Bush's lament that more of the world's major democracies had not joined the United States in isolating Havana was also recognition that Washington's policy on Cuba had itself become isolated.

He spoke at a news conference with the European Union's top development aid official, Louis Michel, who was in Havana to try to relaunch EU ties with Cuba. Washington had opposed the visit. Speaking after a White House meeting with Cuban dissidents on Friday, Bush said he thought it was wrong to see Castro's retirement as a chance to reconsider a decades-old U.S. trade embargo. He said Cuba must release political prisoners and allow free elections before sanctions can be lifted. Growing ranks of U.S. politicians, from members of Congress to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, are urging a review of the U.S. policy of shunning Cuba. Perez Roque recalled that 184 countries voted in November at the United Nations for an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba, with only three states voting with the United States.

Havana – DTC - The central Cuban province of Cienfuegos reported exports for more than 100 million pesos in 2007. Local authorities pointed out that two dozen companies involved in foreign trade are exporting 18 items. The largest volumes are exported by the sugar and basic industries. The latter is exporting cement clinker. In addition, exports of sugar, citrus, coffee and cigars have increased over the past few years. Cuban cigars are highly-demanded on the international market due to the high-quality of the raw materials and excellent manufacture. Nearly 75 percent of exports consist of traditional products. However, authorities are analyzing three dozen products that would be produced locally to reduce imports.

Joong Ang Daily - A state export insurer will be able to collect unpaid export-related payment of 3 billion won ($31 million) from Cuba. The payment was due seven years ago. Cuba could not dodge the payment because the country was suffering from an electrical shortage and needed Korean-made power generators and low-energy consuming electronics. The Korea Export Insurance Corporation said that the head of the company, Cho Hwan-eik, plans to visit Cuba and recoup 2 million euros. That was the payment for tires exported by Hankook Tire in 2001. The amount is 1.4 million euros plus 6-percent annual interests. These are good conditions for collecting unpaid balance.

Relations were rocky at the beginning. The corporation and the Havana branch of the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency tried to persuade Cuban bureaucrats to pay, but they were unwilling. The country¯s electrical shortage, however, got serious two years ago and relations improved. Cuba came to desperately need Korean goods.
Chinese products swept the Cuban market, but Korean-made goods like LG refrigerators and washing machines from LG and Samsung Electronics were much more energy-efficient. Technological development and an energy-efficiency grading system aided Korean products. Korea¯s exports to Cuba jumped sevenfold in the last four years because of surging exports of electronics to the communist nation. Korean power generators are also a necessity in Cuba. Hyundai Heavy Industries has delivered $800 million worth of portable power generators to Cuba since it started exporting them in 2005.

Burlington Free Press – Editorial - The lawsuit filed by Vermonters against Washington seeking to allow more frequent family visits to Cuba illustrates just one opportunity represented by the change in leadership in the last Cold War standout in our hemisphere. The opportunity lies with the United States. With Fidel Castro stepping aside after five decades as the country's leader, and brother Raul taking over, this country has the opportunity to make gestures that signal a possibility of change. The first steps can include easing some of the more nonsensical tightening of restrictions in recent years such as limiting family visits.

The Vermont plaintiffs want to visit Cuba so that grandparents can attend a wedding ceremony, or to visit an aging aunt. This is playing politics -- outdated geopolitics, at that -- with families as pawns. Allowing these kinds of visits are neither appeasement nor a threat to U.S. security. Easing restriction on family visits is also the kind of move that can be easily reversed if the policy causes an unforeseen problem. Cuba and the United States seem to be locked into decades-old roles based on hard-line ideologies. At least on the U.S. side, the strident stand against a tiny Communist dictatorship hardly reflects the overall policies of this nation, given our relations with Communist China.

At this point, the U.S.-Cuban situation seems more like a schoolyard row that has festered too long than a relationship between neighboring countries. And given the difference between the two countries, it is too easy to cast the United States -- bigger, richer and more powerful by far -- as a bully. The Bush administration tightened restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba in 2004 saying the move was meant to push Cuba toward democracy. But that goes against the policy of constructive engagement, the idea that we would have more influence for good from within, which drove this country's continued relations with apartheid South Africa. Even in the darkest days of the Cold War, we engaged the Soviet Union and China. Yet we continue to shun Cuba. From a humanitarian, political or security standpoint, or even for encouraging democracy, keeping families apart makes no sense.

The Financial Times – Tim Yeo Commentary - The most important, though so far largely overlooked, consequence of Fidel Castro's long-awaited retirement is its significance for golf. Cuba is one of the world's great unexploited golf opportunities. I once had dinner with the charismatic Cuban leader after playing the island's only course at Varadero. But he showed little interest in golf even when I mentioned his match against Che Guevara, a photo of which hangs in my study in London. Cuba, with its agreeable climate and a convenient geographical position, is ripe to be turned into a land of milk and honey - in golfing terms at least.

However, the last thing Cuba needs is a proliferation of dull developer-driven resort courses surrounded by low-end holiday homes. To prevent this fate befalling a country whose economy has been held back for decades by Castro's misguided policies, a golf dictator should be appointed with a brief to make the island into the world's premier 21st-century golf destination. The first step is to set aside parcels of land of 200 acres in the most attractive coastal and inland terrain for golf. By allocating so much land for courses, large areas of undisturbed habitat could be created between the holes in which all sorts of flora and fauna can flourish. No more than 50 homes would be allowed to be built around each course.

Hotels would not be permitted within a mile of any part of any fairway, green or tee. Instead cottages will be provided for visiting golfers who want to stay on site. Special attention would be paid to making facilities appeal to women and children because the survival of the game in the 21st century depends on it not being played mainly by men.

Motorised carts and buggies would be banned. Distances between green and tee would be kept to a minimum. No round would last more than four hours and any group of golfers who exceed this limit would have to terminate their games, regardless of whether they have reached the last hole. No four-ball matches should be allowed on any course before 11am. To encourage two-ball foursomes the charge for four players playing two ball foursomes would be half that for four players hitting their own balls. Meticulously maintained practice grounds should be located close to the first tee at every course with balls ready to be hit throughout the hours of daylight. These facilities should include video cameras capable of measuring and analysing the swing of any player who uses them. In addition to state-of-the-art showers a spa with trained masseurs would be incorporated within all the clubhouses so that aching muscles could be toned up after each round.

Adopting this approach would ensure that Cuba's reputation among discerning golfers would be unmatched. Few countries have the chance to build a whole new infrastructure and, in a spirit of unselfish generosity, I am available to take on the post of golf dictator, on a part-time basis, with only unlimited upper-class return fares to Havana from London as remuneration.

Havana – DTC - The historic heart of the city of Camagüey, the capital of the eastern Cuban province of the same name, will benefit from the inauguration of new cultural facilities. One of the new institutions is the gallery-workshop of painter Orestes Larios, which is housed in an 18th-century building in a city sector proposed to be declared Humankind's Heritage. The new cultural center is on a pedestrian street, less than a block from the commercial Maceo Street, and two blocks from the former Arms Square. Experts noted that the Orestes Larios gallery-workshop would exhibit artworks and promote creation, teaching and plastic arts in general. The building, which was restored recently, will contribute to highlighting the importance of that part of the city of Camagüey. Precisely, that area of Camagüey has more than 2,500 buildings and covers 16 percent of the historic heart of the city.

Orlando Sentinel – Commentary - A South Florida Thaw?  New Cuban documentaries say "Si" - It is the community responsible, more than any other, for Florida's "Banana Republicans," the hard right anti-Castro zealots who run the Cuban emigre community out of Miami's Little Havana, grabbing seats in Congress, keeping the Bush family close at hand and shouting down, or worse, anybody who doesn't toe the party line.

But a couple of new documentaries suggest that the "Death to Fidel" cries that drove this Friends of Fulgencio (Batista, the right wing dictator Castro replaced) are losing their teeth as they, um, age and lose their teeth. Those Cuban expats who oppose the Batista holdovers' stranglehold on Florida politics, emigre community opinion and U.S. foreign policy, many of them from younger generations, have begun to make themselves heard. And they're living to tell the tale, something that didn't always happen in the bombing-and-assassination riddled S. Fla. enclave. Might the So. Florida vortex of the Cuban Embargo being losing some of its suck?

First came Shoot Down, a shockingly even-handed look the Cuban Air Force's 1996 downing and murder of the Brothers to the Rescue pilots who flew their tiny private planes into Cuban air space to drop leaflets on Castro's isolated little fiefdom. Now, there's Man of Two Havanas, a warm, witty and very revealing documentary about Max Lesnik, a Cuban Don Quixote, onetime revolutionary colleague of Castro who soured on the revolution when the firing squads and the trips to Moscow replaced a "Cuban for Cubans" ideology. The Lesnik film is a personal essay documentary by his daughter, Vivien, who narrates the film and uses interviews with her father, her family, experts and others to detail Lesnik's lonely struggle to suggest a "third way" to Cuban emigres and Cuban nationals torn for decades by their "communist" or "imperialist" labels. It's one of the best documentaries featured in this year's Florida Film Festival.

Vivien Lesnik Weisman places herself in the apolitical corner in this nearly 50 year old conflict/debate at the outset of the film, lamenting a father whose political passions always seemed to take precedence over his family. But by the film's middle, after visiting Havana and talking with people who knew her dad back in the day, watching newsreel footage, first of Max with Fidel, then of Max rejecting Fidel, coming to Miami and trying to create a negotiated softening of Castro and his foes, his decades of enduring 11 bombings of his news magazine, death threats, Vivien sees her father as heroic. And she sees his struggle, to wear down the Castro regime (he helped arrange a Papal visit that reinforced Cuba's out-of-government-favor Catholic Church) and outlive and outlast his stateside foes, as an epic one.

Viven recounts the near-thaw in Cuban-American relations during the Carter administration, the ways S.Fla. Cubans fought that and even bloodied their hands by bombing embassies and blowing up a Cuban airliner in 1976. She and her sister re-live those years when the family had to live behind closed curtains, fearing a drive-by shooting thanks to her father's outspoken criticism of the hard-liners and what he said and says they are doing to Cuban families, thanks to their narrow world view.

She connects the dots, from the emigre community to the Jeb Bush governorship and the Bush White House. She follows dad's struggle to hold those who blew up their airplane, creating a generation of Yankee-hating Cubans, accountable. She questions why the F.B.I. continued to turn a blind eye to the violence that ripped through S. Fla., much of it caused by C.I.A. trained counter-revolutionaries who didn't have the guts to take the fight to Cuba itself, so they attacked embassies, civilian targets and voices of dissent. "Terrorists," Max labels this Orlando Bosch Omega 7/Alpha 66 gang. You might find yourself agreeing with him.

It's a terrific film, a little indulgent as these personal essay docs often are (she's on camera...A LOT), but a welcome history lesson and contrary voice from a part of Florida that from Revolution to Elian has seemed shrill, bloody-minded and intolerant in the American and world media. And as the film makes its way through festivals (note the Tribeca shot above) hither and yon, one can only hope that this film, Shoot Down and others suggest a generational softening that might someday connect the two Havanas and give Disney's cruise ships a vast island of ports and people to invade, thus saving Key West.

Cuba Headlines - Is Google blocking Cuba? – Posting by Cuban Internet User - The greatest and the most used internet explorer has closed some of its services without a clear explanation which are inaccessible from Cuba.  When requesting the Google bar, a brief sign in English says "We are sorry, but this service is not available for your country".  The same answer appears when requesting known services like Google Earth, Google Desktop Search, Google Code or Google Toolbar. The site which is famous throughout the world for providing a simple and fast way to find out information in more than 8168 millions of web sites is consulted more than 200 millions of times a day. In addition, it offers to users other opportunities like searching free codes font, see maps and aerial pictures, locate online publicity or find what it's lost in our computers. These options however are not available for Cuban people.

Although its apparently liberal philosophy, Google is placed in United States, therefore, not only follows the law but increases the denunciations of collaborations with its policies that include espionage to supposed terrorist people.  A simple request to access specific Google services from a Cuban server results in a polite but sharply denial in some of them.  Among the prohibited services are:

Google Earth:  This program, according to its site, has a free download.  It shows high-quality air pictures from all over the world took by a satellite, including Cuba and even to those places relevant for the national security.  Those pictures include a list of interest places like roads and hotels and even we can get objects closer or farther and insert marks or print pictures and send them by e-mail.  Since August 2007, Google Earth offers also the possibility to access Sky, a virtual telescope that allows users to watch virtually the sky in the same way it is seen from the earth.
Google Desktop:  This tool offers the possibility of finding texts in e- mail messages, team files, chats and web sites visited by users what avoid organizing manually files and messages.
Google Ad Sense: This service for webmasters and web publicity companies is a space that shows text with the aspect of a Google search, where the announcement links appear. The webmasters receive a payment for every click in the Ad Sense links of its web site, something prohibited by the American blockade.   
Google Adwords: Quick and simple way to advertise on Google offering both cost-per click (CPC) and cost-per-impression (CPM) pricing regardless of budget.  Since there are no normal commercial relations, Cuban products or companies can not have access to this service.  
Google Code Search:  This searcher within the mega searcher was launched on October 5, 2006 and allows web users to look for Open Source code through Internet.  This let programs developers to exchange knowledge and take advantage of others' experiences.  
Google Sketch Up:  This free software of Google is aimed at designing structures in third dimension (3D).  It is a small show of a program originally designed for modeling 3D buildings that can be geographically referenced and placed over the images of Google Earth to observe how it could be placed in its environment.

The aforementioned services are some of Google programs to which Cuba is not having access today.  It is curious that some programs like Google Earth or Google Desktop were not banned at the beginning because Cubans could download them, which is not possible nowadays. It is contradictory that services like Google Code Search, that promotes the facilities of the free software and the free exchange of knowledge, opposes, with its refusal, to a movement always favored by Google creators. It could be asked why does the mega searcher is not answering in the same way and provide to national people access to all of its services?  Is Google also blocking us?

Redlands Daily Facts - The is the third in a series of articles written by Redlands resident Janet Landfried on her recent trip to Cuba in November 2007 as part of a humanitarian mission sponsored by Redlands Travel Service.

Religion was never officially banned under the communist government of Castro. Prior to the revolution, Catholicism was the religion of most of the people. Today there is a small Jewish community, and Protestant denominations are growing. Churches and temples are open to all. Weddings, however, take place in the Matrimonial Palace and we saw the celebrants taking their bridal spin in a classic American convertible. Which brings us to the cars of Havana. I knew about the vintage, classic big American cars that are still there, but I was still mesmerized by the variety. Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Fords, still bright after all these years, held together with Bondo and wire. There were Chevy Suburbans and Bel Aires, Cadillacs, DeSotos and every other imaginable 1950s car. That first afternoon I stood on the veranda of our hotel slack-jawed, watching the endless stream of cars. The only comparison in my experience was walking through the red light district of Amsterdam. Someone finally told me to close my mouth.

Most of the gas-guzzling V-8 engines have been replaced with Soviet-built diesel engines. Auto mechanics must be in big demand in Havana. We got to ride in a 1951 lime-green Mercury with semi-functioning suicide doors and always-open wing windows. We did learn, from Lola, that there are 15 different license plate colors, each depicting the use of the vehicle.

For example: Blue - company car that can be driven for eight hours a day, 9 to 5. Red - company car that can be driven all day and on weekends. Yellow - private. White - government, high-ranking official. Dark green - army. Light green - security. Dark brown - rental car for foreigners. Light brown - foreign journalist. Light orange - agricultural use. Yellow with a key - Foreign technician who works in the country. Yellow - Pre-1959 that can be sold; post-1959 that cannot be sold but can be inherited.

Even with money one cannot buy a car, one must "earn" it. Some cars cannot be ridden in by foreigners. Others are advertised on their doors as "taxis" which foreigners can ride in. It's all very confusing! We walked down the Prado del Paseo to the ocean and the entrance of Havana Harbor. Upon reaching the end, to the left was the Malecon, the four-mile waterfront drive of Havana facing the Florida Straits. Occasionally, at high tide or during storms, waves crash onto the street and you can "surf" the Malecon. We could see ships passing in the distance, so near yet so far.

We came upon men fishing off the jetty, catching pompano, snapper, and other small fish. The people cannot have fishing boats to go out to sea for bigger fish. With a boat you could travel 90 miles, and that is not allowed. One morning we struck up a conversation with Fernando, who had come from Mexico 11 years earlier and still lived in Cuba, although he is free to travel home. Across the entrance to the harbor was El Castillo del Morro (Fort of the Morro), which dominates the skyline. A tunnel now links old and new Havana, making a formerly long drive around the harbor so much easier.

We went through the tunnel on our way to the south side of the island. There are no directional signs or other indications of where you are going. Traffic is light in the interior and there are few if any amenities for travelers along the roads. Because we were foreigners in a tour bus, we traveled in some comfort. A stop was included an hour out of Havana in the sugarcane belt of Cuba. At the rest stop there was a cafe, restrooms and several souvenir shops. As an attraction, there was a stationary locomotive used as a sugar train. I remember the last sugar trains in Hawaii, which were sold to Cuba in the late 1950s. Maybe this was one of them, so I excitedly took a picture.

I imagined Cuba to be similar in tropical clime as Hawaii. In many ways it is, but without the flowers and scented breezes. I noticed the absence of tall trees, maybe the result of frequent hurricanes. But the vegetation is similar and I recognized most of the trees and crops. There were groves and stands of mango, papaya, guava, oranges, cherimoya, banana, plantain, coconut and breadfruit. Stately royal palms, the national tree of Cuba, dotted the landscape as we passed small towns and people waiting for rides on the side of the road. This was a major roadway, which we shared with buses, trucks, horse carts, bicycles and rental cars full of foreigners.

We passed through fields of sugar and rice. Cuba produces about 45 percent of the rice needed for domestic consumption. The rest is imported, primarily from Vietnam. This communist country can be compared to Vietnam; it is small, mostly agrarian, and with limited resources. But when I went to Vietnam a few years ago, I saw a country that is thriving under the many joint ventures with foreign countries and companies. Limited free enterprise and encouragement of incentives have caused Vietnam to shift its economic focus. Cuba may be able to do that, given time.

Rationing of food is strictly regulated by the government. Each person is issued a ration book, which gives them the right to buy the rationed products. You must still have the money to buy and a container to carry home the items. Each person is allotted the following per month: six pounds of rice, one pound of beans, 150 milliliters of cooking oil, five pounds of sugar, one package of coffee, one bar of soap, and one tube of toothpaste. In addition, each person can receive one bun of bread a day. Notice there is no protein rationed - there is very little. As foreigners, we were able to buy a wide assortment of food, but our host often gathered up our leftovers to help out her friends.

So how does one get enough food and the basic necessities of life, school supplies and clothes? Through the irregular economy, the black market, that is thriving in Cuba. But how does one get extra beans or sugar? There is someone who works in the sugar mill or warehouse, who sweeps up the leavenings and offers it for sale. There is no advertising, no classified ads, no Yellow Pages, so you must know someone who knows someone whose cousin has a friend that has some extra rice or soap. As we gave away our used clothes to the maids or hotel toiletries to the bus driver, we knew what they or their families could not use, they could sell for extra money.

The dual economy is further complicated by the dual money system. The local currency is the peseta and many local transactions are done in that. The official currency is the Cuban Convertible Currency (CUC) or chavito. When Americans exchange dollars, 20 percent is taken off the top. So one chavito is equal to 80 cents U.S. We dealt only in chavitos. One chavito equaled 24 pesetas, but we were warned to avoid using pesetas and to check to be sure we did not get pesetas in change. Money exchange was somewhat simple, but our hotel often ran out of currency and we had to go to another, bigger hotel or to a bank. Travelers' checks were almost impossible to exchange, but U.S. dollars were welcomed. Unlike many areas of the world, we did not use dollars to buy goods because it would be difficult for the Cubans to exchange them. Credit cards issued by U.S. financial institutions are not accepted anywhere, but international Visa and MasterCard could be used.

Living arrangements are as complex as anything else. No one pays rent or owns a house. I can't tell you how many times Lola had to explain this to us; it is just not in our realm of understanding. Multiple generations live together, and several families may occupy a single house. The doctor we visited rented out one of the bedrooms of his family's apartment for extra money (his family of four then used the other bedroom.) Many others in the neighborhood did this, as well. If these guests wanted a meal, they could contact the doctor and he would hustle around for foodstuffs and cook meals for people, again for extra money. But that came with a price: heavy taxes for the licenses. These taxes must be paid whether or not you have patrons. If you do not pay the tax regularly you may lose your license and never get it back.

Lola helps support her mother and mother-in-law because the pension each receives from the government would not sustain them. By the way, she did have a car because her mother was married to a government official. When he died, she inherited the car, and now Lola drives it. It is a Russian Lada. Just from listening to Lola, I discovered that the "rules and regulations" of living under the Cuban regime are complicated and necessitate a lot of very creative ways to navigate through the system.

Dutch News.nl - Representatives from 23 different Dutch firms are heading to Cuba this week in the hope of doing business on the island, the NRC Handelsblad reports. 'It is the biggest Dutch economic delegation ever to visit Havana,' Gerard Vaandrager, director the trade promotion group NCH told the paper. The mission comes just one month after Fidel Castro said he is handing over the leadership of the communist country to his brother Raúl.  'There are enough signs that a more liberal wind is going to blow on Cuba,' Vaandrager told the NRC. 'Our visit comes at an extremely strategic moment.'  At present foreign companies which do business with Cuba run the risk of ending up on a US blacklist. America has operated a trade embargo on the island since 1961.

Banking concern ING stopped its lucrative activities on the Caribbean island last year under US pressure, the NRC points out. The names of the companies taking part in the mission is being kept secret, the NRC said. But Rabobank did admit it is on the list. 'We are curious about the new economic possibilities,' spokesman Raymond Salet said, adding that the bank was not afraid of US sanctions.  Three Rotterdam shipping companies are also among the delegates, the NRC says.  Agriculture is another important sector where Dutch firms can play a role in reforming the Cuban economy, Vaandrager told the paper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1999, OFAC (The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C.) confirmed that it had previously issued an opinion in 1994 which stated that a U.S. company or individual could make a secondary market investment in a "third-country company" that had commercial dealings with the Republic of Cuba as long as that investment in the "third-country company" was not a controlling interest. (Therefore, under that criteria, U.S. citizens and companies can invest in a private or public Canadian company doing business with Cuba)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James
Cuban Weekly News Digest

http://www.cubaninvestments.com

Reporteros sin Fronteras organiza el primer día por la libertad en internet (also in English)

Further info in English after the text in Spanish

Participe en la cibermanifestación (solo en inglés y francés) vaya a

http://www.rsf.org/

Reporteros sin Fronteras inaugura, el 12 de marzo de 2008, el primer Día por la Libertad en Internet.

"A partir de ahora, todos los 12 de marzo llevaremos a cabo acciones para denunciar la cibercensura en el mundo. La creciente represión de los bloggers y los, cada vez más numerosos, cierres de sitios de Internet, necesitan una movilización así, imponen una respuesta", ha declarado Reporteros sin Fronteras.

"Este primer día es una ocasión para que todos se manifiesten en los lugares donde normalmente son imposibles los movimientos de contestación. Esperamos que sean muy numerosos quienen se manifiesten virtualmente en la Plaza de Tiananmen de Pekín, en la Plaza de la Revolución de Cuba o en las calles de Rangún en Birmania. Actualmente en el mundo hay al menos 62 ciberdisidentes encarcelados y, en 2007, se cerraron, o hicieron inaccesibles, más de 2.600
sitios de Internet, blogs o foros de discusión", ha señalado la organización.

"También hemos actualizado nuestra lista de los 'Enemigos de Internet' con la incorporación de dos países : Etiopía y Zimbabue. Y ofrecemos una nueva versión de la Guía práctica del blogger y el ciberdisidente", ha añadido Reporteros sin Fronteras.

El 11 de marzo por la noche, Reporteros sin Fronteras supo que la UNESCO retiraba su patrocinio al Día por la Libertad en Internet, organizado este miércoles, 12 de marzo (leer el comunicado de la organizacíon).

Para denunciar la censura ejercida por los gobiernos y reclamar más libertades en Internet, Reporteros sin Fronteras llama a manifestarse en nueve países enemigos del Net. Durante 24 horas, desde el miércoles 12 de marzo a las 11 horas hasta el jueves 13 de marzo a las 11 horas (hora central europea, GMT + 1), los internautas podrán crear un avatar, elegir el mensaje de su banner y participar en una de las cibermanifestaciones que tendrán lugar en Birmania, China, Corea del Norte, Cuba, Egipto, Eritrea, Túnez, Turkmenistán y Vietnam.

La nueva lista de los "Enemigos de Internet", elaborada este año por Reporteros sin Fronteras, consta de quince países : Arabia Saudí, Belarús, Birmania, China, Corea del Norte, Cuba, Egipto, Etiopía, Irán, Uzbekistán, Siria, Túnez, Turkmenistán, Vietnam y Zimbabue. En 2007 eran solamente trece. Se han sumado a los tradicionales censores dos países subsaharianos:
Zimbabue y Etiopía. "Nada sorprendente viniendo de unos países que normalmente agreden a los medios de comunicación tradicionales. En ellos, el índice de penetración de Internet es muy débil aunque, sin embargo, suficiente como para proporcionarles algunas pesadillas. Como sus mayores, pujan en la panoplia de la censura adaptada a la Red : arsenal legislativo, caza en los cibercafés, control de los proveedores de acceso...", escribe Reporteros sin Fronteras en la introducción de su informe.

A esa primera lista se han añadido once "países bajo vigilancia" : Bahrein, Emiratos Arabes Unidos, Eritrea, Gambia, Jordania, Libia, Malasia, Sri Lanka, Tayikistán, Tailandia y Yemen. A diferencia de los primeros, no encarcelan a los bloggers ni censuran masivamente la Red. Pero la tentación es muy grande y los patinazos frecuentes. A menudo estos países han creado el marco jurídico necesario para amordazar Internet, cuando les parece bien. Sus autoridades judiciales o políticas utilizan a veces las leyes antiterroristas para vigilar y localizar a opositores y militantes, que se expresan en el Net.

"La caza a los malpensantes de Red es aun más eficaz porque grandes empresas occidentales se convierten en cómplices de esos gobiernos en la caza a los "causantes de alteraciones'. En 2007, la empresa norteamericana Yahoo! Presentó sus excusas por el 'malentendido' que llevó al periodista Shi Tao a la cárcel, para diez años. En total, cuatro ciberdisidentes chinos le deben
estar detenidos. Ella se habría limitado a 'obedecer las leyes locales' que le obligan a identificar a los internautas considerados peligrosos...", precisa Reporteros sin Fronteras.

Finalmente, está disponible una nueva versión de la Guía práctica del blogger y el ciberdisidente, en francés e inglés, en el sitio www.rsf.org. La Guía incluye consejos y astucias técnicas para crear un blog en buenas condiciones, y eludir la censura en Internet. Explica como bloguear
anónimamente y ofrece testimonios, entre otros de bloggers de Egipto y Birmania.

La cibermanifestación ha sido concebida y realizada por la agencia Saatchi & Saatchi.

© Reporteros sin fronteras 2008

In English

First Online Free Expression Day launched on Reporters Without Borders
website

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26086

The new list of Internet Enemies

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26082

Download the updated version of the Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26187

Stonewall Mayoral Hustings - meet your candidates for London

Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick will all be vying for the pink vote on Saturday 19th April 2008 at Stonewall's Mayoral Hustings.The event, which takes place at the BFI Southbank between 11am and 12.30 pm, is designed to invite each respective candidate to voice their potential pink policies

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La Ultima Cena o El Nuevo Gobierno de Cuba

 
The Last Supper or
 
The new goverment in Cuba

Korea sends export insurance bill collector to Cuba

Korea sends export insurance bill collector to Cuba get payment for electrical goods. I wonder if Raul will blame the embargo once more

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 Publicado el viernes 07 de marzo del 2008

Expulsan a estudiante de leyes

WILFREDO CANCIO ISLA

El Nuevo Herald

Un estudiante cubano denunció que fue expulsado de la Universidad de Pinar del Río por colaborar con una revista digital que aboga por el pluralismo democrático y la libertad de expresión en la isla.
Néstor Pérez, de 25 años y alumno de segundo año de Derecho, relató que fue sometido el pasado miércoles a un proceso disciplinario relámpago por discrepancias intelectuales con un profesor, pero indicó que la sanción se fundamentó en su colaboración con la revista sociocultural independiente Convivencia, que dirige el activista laico Dagoberto Valdés.
''La reunión se convocó para analizar una supuesta indisciplina por discrepar con el profesor durante una clase de Derecho Constitucional Cubano, pero todo derivó en un cuestionamiento político por mis vínculos con Convivencia y Dagoberto Valdés'', relató anoche Pérez en entrevista telefónica con El Nuevo Herald. ``Se me comunicó que era una decisión irrevocable e inapelable''.
El estudiante publicó el pasado 14 de febrero un artículo sobre La transición española, del franquismo a la democracia, una serie documental de Televisión Española presentada en Cuba. El texto se publicó en Convivencia, y sugiere que la serie audiovisual sea discutida en pequeñas tertulias como una ``forma de educación cívica''.
Pérez, natural del poblado pinareño San Juan y Martínez, manifestó que le permitieron permanecer en la sede universitaria por los próximos tres días. En estos momentos espera el documento oficial de su expulsión que solicitó al decano de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanísticas de la entidad universitaria.
Ayer fueron infructuosos los intentos de contactar a directivos de esa facultad universitaria para que comentaran sobre el caso.
El estudiante narró que la reunión se realizó con los estudiantes de su clase, presidida por representantes de la Juventud Comunista (UJC), la Federación Estudiantil Universitaria (FEU) y varios directivos de la institución académica.
''Defendí mi derecho al libre debate y mi condición de revolucionario, pero una representante institucional me dijo que con ser revolucionario no bastaba, y me repitió enfáticamente que la universidad era para los comunistas'', indicó Pérez, que es católico practicante.
Pérez dijo que apelará la decisión ante el rector de la Universidad de Pinar del Río, porque tiene la convicción que se le sancionó injustamente.
''Sentí que el rumbo del país iba en esa dirección, siguiendo las palabras de [el gobernante electo] Raúl Castro a favor de la discrepancia'', argumentó Pérez.
En su discurso de toma de posesión al frente del gobierno cubano, Raúl Castro exhortó a ''no temer a las discrepancias'' en la sociedad cubana, y defendió el derecho de los ciudadanos a expresarse, ``siempre que sea en el marco de la ley''
Pérez considera improcedente que en el debate sobre su expulsión se intentara descaracteizar a Valdés y se criticara un editorial de Convivencia donde se promueve el pluralismo, la libertad de expresión y la sociedad civil en la isla.
Valdés dijo ayer que Convivencia analizará en su momento el caso, y opinó que ``ahora lo que debe escucharse es el testimonio de Pérez''.
Convivencia se estrenó en la internet hace 20 días y se envía por correo electrónico a 3,700 usuarios en la isla.
''Lo sucedido es parte de un proceso de apertura a la crítica y la libre expresión que se está generando entre los jóvenes universitarios'', declaró Váldés, ex director de la revista Vitral. ``Los antedecentes están a la vista''.
A mediados de septiembre se produjeron protestas estudiantiles en la Universidad de Oriente y el Instituto Politécnico ''Julio Antonio Mella'', ambos en Santiago de Cuba, las cuales fueron aplacadas con reuniones de urgencia y la mediación de agentes de la Seguridad del Estado. Los jóvenes se quejaban de las pésimas condiciones de vida en los centros universitarios.
El pasado mes, una grabación del encuentro de jóvenes de la Universidad de Ciencias Informáticas (UCI) con el presidente del parlamento, Ricardo Alarcón, provocó numerosas especulaciones sobre los desafíos lanzados por los jóvenes contra el inmovilismo gubernamental.
Vea los artículos de Convivencia en www.convivenciacuba.es
 
 

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Digg Story: Does Google Censor Cuba?

Just one question, WHY DOES THE CUBAN GOVERMENT CENSOR INTERNET FOR CUBANS?

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"Does Google Censor Cuba?"
A number of services offered by the grand search engine are not available to Cubans, and with no explanation given. Federal prohibitions enabling the US blockade of the island could be the key to the mystery
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BBC Blog desde Cuba "Sospechosos habituales"

Hace unos días mi mecánico me contó la buena nueva, el Estado autorizó una financiación bancaria a 18 meses para los “cuentapropistas”, lo que de alguna manera es el primer crédito que recibe este sector en toda su historia.

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Cuban Weekly News Digest - March 7, 2008

Cuban Weekly News Digest  -  "A compilation of news articles about Cuba, distributed since 1992 in order to encourage a balanced understanding of the Cuban situation and to promote investments in the Republic of Cuba"

Havana – DTC - The group Oasis Hotels and Resorts will run the four-star Oasis Las Morlas Hotel in the Cuban beach resort of Varadero. The 143-room hotel is the seventh establishment administered by the group, which runs 2,193 rooms in the Caribbean Island. Recently, the company – the hotel division of the group Globalia – added two establishments owned by the group Cubanacán, including the 444-room Oasis Brisas del Caribe Hotel. The second hotel is the 412-room Oasis Brisas Santa Lucía, on Santa Lucía beach in Camagüey, which is very close to a coral reef. The consortium runs more than 11,000 rooms, mainly in Spain and the Caribbean.

The News Tribune – Tacoma, Washington - I was chatting with a senior administration official about Syria not long ago. Why, I asked, does the United States maintain an embassy in Damascus if, as the administration claims, Syria is a state sponsor of terror – providing support to Hezbollah in Lebanon and anti-American insurgents in Iraq?  "If you close the embassy," this official said matter-of-factly, "then you close off your ability to influence events there." Which brings me to the subject of Cuba.

For almost 50 years, emotion-driven political considerations have governed America's relationship with Cuba – with a total absence of logic. Every presidential candidate feared alienating the 800,000 Cubans in South Florida who frame their lives around their fervent hatred of Fidel Castro. Well now that Castro has retired, Washington has a brief, unique window of opportunity to influence events in Havana. Cuba's relationship with America is a paradox. Castro built his career around vilification of Washington. And yet, for decades tens of thousands of Cubans have risked their lives to reach America. No country has a greater potential to wield influence there. But time is short.

Across the island the promise of change hangs like humidity in the air, and right now the United States can wield influence with little if any political cost. Bush is not running for re-election. And if Cuban Americans erupt in anger, John McCain can simply say he disagrees with Bush's decision. The central committee has selected Raul Castro, Fidel's 76-year-old brother, as president. In his acceptance speech, he said once again that he is unhappy with the status quo. While serving as acting president last year, he said more than once that he would like to improve relations with Washington. Now is the moment to see if that is so.

A year from now, after a new president takes office in Washington, Cuba's new leadership team will have settled into the palace – as well as the perks and privileges that come with absolute power. Their single ambition will be to hold onto their jobs. A year from now, the new American president will already be worrying about re-election – and the votes he or she may lose by alienating Cuban Americans in Florida. President Bush has a singular opportunity. But he says he will not talk to Cuba's leaders until they begin creating a democracy. That's been the American line for decades. What other nation do we hold to that standard? Not China. Not Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya… Part of the reason, Bush explained, was that the Cuban people have "suffered under Fidel Castro." No doubt.

But under Kim Jung Il's leadership, North Koreans are subjected to successive famines, floods, fuel shortages, pandemics and mass assignments to gulag labor camps. And yet, senior American officials have met with Kim and his aides several times in recent years, to discuss North Korea's nuclear program and other issues. The New York Philharmonic performed recently in Pyongyang. The United States holds Omar al-Bashir, the dictator-president of Sudan, responsible for genocide in Darfur that has claimed more than 200,000 lives. But the United States maintains a full embassy in Khartoum. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her deputies frequently meet with Bashir, including one time when his guards beat up members of Rice's staff.

The State Department has this to say about conditions in Zimbabwe last year: "Unlawful killings and politically motivated kidnappings occurred. The state sanctioned the use of excessive force and torture, and security forces tortured members of the opposition, union leaders and civil society activists." And yet the United States maintains an embassy in Harare. Compared to citizens of those states, Cuba's people almost seem privileged. And given the economic deprivation of the last 40 years, Cuba stands as a hungry new market for American goods.

Washington fought hard to win a free-trade agreement with Costa Rica, which has a population of 4.1 million. "A lot of people are benefiting" from that agreement, Bush averred last year. Cuba's population is nearly four times as large. Wouldn't the benefit be four times as great? Why not task Thomas Shannon, the assistant secretary of state for the region, to meet with Cuba's new leaders. I know and respect Shannon; he is not an ideologue. I bet he would relish the assignment. Perhaps he could lay out a reciprocal series of steps Cuba and the United States could take with the eventual goal of normal relations. To start, the United States could liberalize visitation policies for Americans while Cuban begins releasing political prisoners. What harm would come from trying?

Moscow – DTC - The number of Russian tourists to Cuba increased 4 percent last year, according to sources from the Caribbean Island. The sources said that 30,000 Russian vacationers visited Cuba in 2007, and conditions exist to welcome more Russian travelers. In addition, Russian businesspeople are interested in investing in Cuba's tourism sector, so negotiations are underway. They added that real possibilities exist to increase tourist arrivals in Cuba. As part of promotional actions, the Caribbean Island will attend the fairs Intrumarket and International Hall of Trips and Tourism MIIT-2008 in early March.

HAVANA - (IPS) - Cuba's new government, headed by Raúl Castro, appears to be prepared to take urgent action to tackle complex problems like the country's dual monetary system and the low wages that fail to stimulate production, in a country that has been in the grip of an economic crisis for nearly two decades. The priority to be given to economic questions was made clear in Castro's first speech as president, on Feb. 24, and has lately been the buzz on the streets in Cuba.  "They say they're going to devalue the Cuban convertible peso (known as CUCs) against the national currency," said a 34-year-old woman while standing in line to exchange money in the capital.

Speculation is rife. The rumours, which began to spread even before Raúl replaced his ailing brother Fidel as president, point to a drop from the current rate of exchange of 25 Cuban pesos for one CUC to 20, 16 or even 13 Cuban pesos per CUC.  The dollar officially stands today at 1.04 CUCs. "If it's true, it will benefit the people who depend on their salaries in Cuban pesos," said the woman, who changes 40 CUCs a month for Cuban pesos in order to "more or less" cover the price of the food she needs from the farmers' markets. "But people like me, who live on remittances sent from their families abroad, would be hurt," she told IPS.

It has become clear that for the government the priority is to strengthen the national currency and thus boost the real value of wages, which have been heavily undermined since the start of the economic crisis that broke out in 1990 after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the East European socialist bloc, Cuba's main aid and trade partners.  In his first speech as president of the Council of State on Sunday, Raúl Castro said one of the main aims of his administration would be to "meet the basic needs of the population, both material and spiritual, based on the sustained strengthening of the national economy and its productive base".

Pavel Vidal, an expert with the Centre of Studies on the Cuban Economy, said that thanks to "the growth in gross domestic product and exports in sectors like nickel and professional services," Cuba is in a position to strengthen the Cuban peso against the CUC. Since 2005, the CUC has traded for 25 pesos in the government exchange bureaus. The measure would benefit a large part of Cuba's population of 11.2 million, and "would not dampen the inflow of hard currency," Vidal told IPS. However, segments of the population with a larger proportion of their income made up of hard currency, such as dollars or euros sent home from relatives overseas or earned from working with tourists, would feel a drop in their buying power.

Cubans receive state salaries and pensions in pesos, which are used to pay the low rates charged for basic public services like water and electricity, buy tickets for cultural and sporting events, purchase some manufactured products and a very limited range of subsidised rationed food items, or buy food in the farmers' markets. Each Cuban family has a ration book, a system used by the government to ensure that everyone has access to a basket of basic goods at reduced prices, including rice, beans, sugar, coffee, oil, eggs, salt, pasta, bread and biscuits, fish, chicken and other meats like sausages, and milk and yoghurt for children. For fresh produce and other goods, consumers go to the free farmers' markets, where a variety of high quality food is available, and prices are set by supply and demand.

The CUC, meanwhile, which replaced the dollar in 2004, provides access to a much broader range of often essential -- and higher quality -- goods, including food, clothing, footwear, furniture, home appliances, and personal hygiene and household products in the government's chain of hard currency stores. The rumours of a possible devaluation of the CUC have given rise to long queues outside the exchange bureaus in Santiago de Cuba, some 850 km east of Havana, where "people have begun to withdraw CUCs from the bank to exchange them for Cuban pesos," high school teacher Yolanda Felipe told IPS.

"I believe that reaction is due to speculation and to a misinterpretation of (Raúl) Castro's speech," said economist Armando Nova, who is sceptical about the possibility of a devaluation of the CUC in the near future. Nova told IPS that he believes the solution does not lie in gradually devaluing the exchange rate, but in bolstering production. The dual monetary system was legalised by the government in 1993, with the aim of injecting fresh dollars into the national economy at the height of the crisis. At that time, the Cuban peso stood at 150 against the dollar, and dollars were only available on the black market. The CADECA exchange bureaus were not opened until 1995.

"The elimination of the dual monetary system would not put an end to the inequalities," said Vidal. Since the start of the crisis, social differences have become more pronounced in Cuba. Today, hotel doormen, taxi drivers, and others who work in the tourism sector, and thus have access to dollars or euros, can make as much in a day as a doctor or other state-employed professional earns in an entire month. In Vidal's view, the disparities between incomes could be reduced by strengthening the Cuban peso in the CADECA exchange bureaus and by increasing wages and pensions, both of which would depend on factors like labour productivity, exports and competitiveness.

According to official estimates, around 60 percent of Cubans have access to CUCs, through family remittances, tips, limited self-employment initiatives like "paladares" (small family restaurants) or the rental of rooms to tourists, government productivity bonuses or wages and other payments from foreign firms or agencies operating in the country. "The greatest benefits from the elimination of the dual monetary system would be seen in the business sector," said the analyst.

Enterprises that operate in Cuban pesos cannot use them to purchase CUCs or hard currency, which means "it is very difficult for them to make the imports necessary to complete their economic cycle," he added. In his Feb. 24 speech, President Raúl Castro warned that "any changes related to the currency shall be made with a comprehensive approach, mindful, among other things, of the wage system, the retail prices, the entitlements and the subsidies running in the millions presently required by numerous services and products distributed on an egalitarian basis". "It is our strategic objective today to advance in an articulate, sound and well-thought out manner until wages recover their role and everyone's living standard corresponds directly with their legally earned incomes, that is, with the significance and quantity of their contribution to society," said the president.

In a study published in early 2007, Nova concluded that a family of four needed 1,319 Cuban pesos a month to cover their basic needs, and that if both parents worked and earned the average monthly salary of 408 pesos, the family would still need an additional 503 pesos to make it to the end of the month. Cubans pay very little in rent and for public utilities, while education and health care are free. But the average Cuban family dedicates 93 percent of their income to putting food on the table, leaving very little for other necessities like clothing and shoes, or for recreational and cultural activities.  Another study, carried out by Vidal, found that the real average wage in 2006 represented just 24 percent of the real average wage in 1989, the year before the onset of the economic crisis, despite the increase in nominal wages in that period, from 188 to 385 pesos. However, the across-the-board increase in state wages and pensions in 2005 did slightly increase purchasing power.

In his speech, Castro described the state's subsidies for the egalitarian distribution of services and products, especially those covered by the ration-book system, as "irrational and unsustainable."  Similar statements made by Fidel Castro in March 2005 prompted speculation among local economists that the policy of equal distribution would be replaced by a system that would take into account differing income levels and living conditions, but so far no moves have been made in that direction.  "Many people still depend on the ration-book to be able to eat," 62-year-old Elena Suardíaz told IPS. "If they do away with it, they'll have to put in place some alternative for those who have little money, especially pensioners like me," said the retired nurse, who is supported today by her children because "I can't afford anything on my pension."

Havana – DRC - The Granma branch of the Extrahotel Entrepreneurial Group Palmares reported excellent economic results in 2007.  Palmares executives said the company's revenues in hard currency and Cuban pesos increased, and operation costs dropped last year. In that regard, they noted that investments have been made in 11 units to improve the company's image and comfort. They added that Palmares had revenues of two million pesos last year, and they expect the company to grow 6 percent in 2008. Cuban tourism authorities urged to reorient the province's tourist strategy, making emphasis on the Marea del Portillo hotel complex.

Vnunet.com - The government of Cuba has announced plans to take the whole country open source as soon as possible. Communications Minister Ramiro Valdés announced the plan at a conference in Havana, and said that Microsoft had cooperated with government agencies and intelligence services in the past.  Valdes insisted that the information technology industry is a "battlefield" on which Cuba must fight. He also highlighted a quote from Bill Gates, who described open source enthusiasts as "some new modern-day sort of communists", pointing out that this would be a badge of honour for Cubans.

Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, also gave a speech at the conference, describing commercial software as violating basic morality by seeking to prosecute those who did the computing equivalent of sharing recipes. "A private program is never trustworthy," he said, according to reports in Associated Press. Parts of the Cuban government, such as the Customs Service, are already using open source software. But there is still a huge amount of work to be done, according to Hector Rodriguez, whose Cuban university department of 1,000 students has been dedicated to developing open source code.

"It would be tough for me to say that we would migrate half the public administration in three years," he said. "Two years ago, the Cuban free software community did not number more than 600 people. In the past two years, that number has gone well beyond 3,000 and is growing exponentially." Cuban students are developing their own version of Linux, called Nova, based on the Gentoo Linux coding structure.

Havana – DTC - Cuba has exported 10,000 pieces of state-of-the-art medical equipment over the past five years, as part of health programs. The equipment was made by the Neurosciences Institute and the Digital Research Institute (ICID). Experts from the two institutions pointed out that they have received 4,000 orders for export and the domestic market. Some 5,647 such pieces of equipment have been installed in Cuba's medical network and 1,948 apparatus are being used by medical personnel working abroad. The institutes have produced a line of cardiologic equipment, including a portable ECG apparatus known as Cardiocid BB. They also made the Excorde, which monitors the patient's heart parameters during his/her everyday normal activities.

Financial News - Sherritt International Corp. has provided its fourth quarter and annual results for 2007.

Highlights:

- Net earnings increased by 51 per cent to a record $370-million.

- The company had record production in metals and power.

- It also achieved record annual revenues in all four business units.

- The company acquired Dynatec Corp. for $1.6-billion.

- The expansions in metals and power are progressing well.

- The company purchased for cancellation 1.8 million common shares valued at $25.3-million pursuant to a normal course issuer bid.

Net earnings for the year of $370.4-million, an increase of 51 per cent over 2006, represented record basic earnings per share of $1.80. The combination of robust commodity prices in 2007 and strong operational performance across all business units helped drive the record earnings. The significant rise in the Canadian dollar in the latter half of the year offset a portion of the gains delivered by all business units.

As reported on June 14, 2007, Sherritt acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Dynatec. Through the transaction, Sherritt acquired an interest in the Ambatovy project, a large-scale nickel and cobalt project in Madagascar. The Ambatovy project is progressing well and is on target for commissioning in 2010.

Phase 1 of the Moa joint venture expansion is in the process of being commissioned and phase 2 is progressing well. The two phases will increase mixed sulphide production capacity by a further 4,000 tonnes and 9,000 tonnes, respectively. In power, construction of the recently approved 150-megawatt, combined-cycle expansion at Boca de Jaruco is scheduled to begin in 2008.

In metals, annual mixed sulphide production was a record 33,661 tonnes (100-per-cent basis) of contained nickel and cobalt compared with 29,855 tonnes (100-per-cent basis) in 2006. Full-year finished nickel production was 31,392 tonnes (100-per-cent basis), exceeding last year's production by 1,180 tonnes. Annual cobalt production of 3,573 tonnes (100-per-cent basis) exceeded last year's production by over 260 tonnes to establish an annual production record. Revenue and EBITDA increased by 48 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively, on account of increased production and strong commodity prices.

In oil and gas, Sherritt's gross working-interest oil production in Cuba was 30,637 barrels per day, consistent with gross production in 2006. Revenue and EBITDA increased 12 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, as strong oil prices, steady production and operating efficiencies helped drive profitability growth. The corporation also signed an additional production sharing agreement for a contiguous block in Cuba.

In power, record electricity production of 2,288 gigawatt hours was achieved as a result of increased capacity with the commissioning of the 65 MW expansion at Boca de Jaruco. EBITDA increased by $12.1-million in 2007 to a record $83.6-million.

The corporation's metals segment now consists of the Moa joint venture (formerly known as the Metals Enterprise) and the Ambatovy joint venture. The current year will be capital intensive for the corporation as expansions at the Moa joint venture and in power, and the construction in the Ambatovy joint venture are either continuing or set to proceed.

Full-year capital expenditures for 2008 are expected to be approximately $2.2-billion, principally comprising growth capital in metals for the Ambatovy project ($120-million), and sustaining and growth capital for Moa and Fort Saskatchewan ($359-million), oil and gas development and exploration drilling expenditures ($150-million), and power sustaining and growth capital ($75-million). Sherritt anticipates financing the expenditures from a combination of cash flow from operations, project specific finance, including in respect of the Ambatovy project ($1.3-billion), Ambatovy joint venture non-controlling partners' contributions ($160-million) and cash on hand.

Full-year production (100-per-cent basis) is currently expected to be approximately 32,500 tonnes of nickel and 3,500 tonnes of cobalt, reflecting the production from phase I of the expansion and also the difficulties experienced with CN Rail in the first quarter of 2008 in moving mixed sulphides across Canada. The key focus in 2008 will be on the commissioning of the phase 1 Moa/Fort Saskatchewan expansion, which commenced in the first quarter, and the continued construction of phase 2 at Moa/Fort Saskatchewan. Phase 1 is expected to increase annual production capacity by 4,000 tonnes (100-per-cent basis) of mixed sulphides. The corporation expects to realize operating margin improvements as mixed sulphides from Moa Nickel temporarily displace more expensive third party feed as phase 1 becomes operational.

Significant progress is also expected to be made on phase 2 of the Moa/Fort Saskatchewan expansion in 2008, with commissioning forecasted to commence in mid-2009. Phase 2 is projected to add a further 9,000 tonnes per year (100-per-cent basis) of mixed sulphide production capacity. Sustaining capital expenditures for the Moa joint venture, and for the utility and fertilizer assets in Fort Saskatchewan in the first quarter and full year 2008 are expected to be $8-million and $37-million, respectively. Growth capital spending at Moa and Fort Saskatchewan is estimated at approximately $89-million in the first quarter and $322-million for the full year (50-per-cent basis). Sherritt's partner will contribute $257-million of the Moa joint venture growth capital in 2008.

In 2008, both gross working-interest and net working-interest production volumes are expected to remain consistent with prior year levels. In Cuba, negotiations continue with respect to the terms and conditions of an enhanced oil recovery concession and a number of new exploration blocks. Total capital expenditures for 2008 are expected to be approximately $150-million and will include drilling of 11 development wells and one exploratory well in Cuba, as well as one development well in Pakistan and a seismic program in the east Irish Sea.

Construction on the recently approved 150 MW combined-cycle expansion at Boca de Jaruco is expected to begin in 2008. The increase in capacity from the initial 125 MW estimate reflects the optimal configuration for the project considering existing infrastructure and capital costs. The combined-cycle expansion will increase Sherritt's total capacity in Cuba to 526 MW and provide Cuba with additional low-cost, efficient power. The project is also expected to qualify for certified emission credits through the United Nation's clean development mechanism. Full operation of the facility is scheduled to begin in late 2010.

Sherritt expects 2008 power production to be approximately 2,400 GWh, reflecting production from the 65 MW expansion for a full year as well as an expected seven-month outage for one turbine following a fire late in 2007. The net capacity factor for 2008 is estimated to be approximately 80 per cent. Estimated capital costs at the Boca de Jaruco expansion are $247-million, of which $59-million are scheduled for 2008.

Sherritt Technologies will continue to support the metals projects in Canada and Madagascar. There continues to be a strong interest in Sherritt's nickel, cobalt and zinc pressure-leach technologies, particularly from China, where additional licence agreements are anticipated to be signed in 2008. The construction of the Centre for Clean Coal Technology should be completed in 2008, with partial financing from the Alberta Energy Research Institute. In addition, technologies will continue to provide support for the Dodds-Roundhill coal gasification project. With steady plant operation at the Moa facility, mixed sulphide production in the fourth quarter reached a record 8,864 tonnes (100-per-cent basis), 1,504 tonnes higher than in the prior-year quarter and 474 tonnes above the third quarter. The annual production of 33,661 tonnes (100-per-cent basis) established an annual production record and reflected the impact of process improvements implemented to alleviate bottlenecks experienced in the prior year.

Full-year finished nickel production was 31,392 tonnes (100-per-cent basis), exceeding last year's production by 1,180 tonnes. Annual cobalt production of 3,573 tonnes (100-per-cent basis) exceeded last year's production by over 260 tonnes to establish an annual production record. The increase in production also reflected higher feed availability, despite being restricted by low mixed-sulphide inventories at the beginning of the year, the rail strike and dusting issues that limited third party feed additions. Annual finished nickel and cobalt sales volumes grew 2.6 per cent and 7.8 per cent, respectively, reflecting the higher finished nickel and cobalt production volumes.

Full-year EBITDA was a record $481.8-million, an 83-per-cent increase over the prior year. The significant improvement was a result of record nickel and strong cobalt prices, and higher production volumes, which were partly offset by higher operating costs and a stronger Canadian dollar. The average LME nickel price in fourth quarter was $13.36 (U.S.)/pound, or $1.64 (U.S.)/pound lower than in the prior year, when stainless steel demand was stronger. For the year, the LME nickel price averaged $16.87 (U.S.)/pound, or $5.85 (U.S.)/pound higher than last year. The metal bulletin low-grade cobalt reference price averaged $27.99 (U.S.)/pound in 2007, or $12.77 (U.S.)/pound above prior year's prices, as the metal benefitted from stronger demand from a number of industry sectors.

Metals capital expenditures, excluding Ambatovy, were $179.7-million in 2007. Capital spending increased due to higher expenditures associated with the metals expansion at Moa and Fort Saskatchewan and increased spending related to continuing operations. For the year, maintenance capital expenditures were $47.5-million, $23.5-million higher than in 2006. Spending increased as a result of the higher level of investment required to sustain production, and includes a $14.5-million purchase of real estate in Fort Saskatchewan. As phase 2 of the Moa/Fort Saskatchewan expansion moved into more active construction activities, the combination of growth capital for phases 1 and 2 increased to $132.2-million in 2007 from $48.8-million in 2006.

Oil and gas revenues for the year ended Dec. 31, 2007, were 11.5 per cent higher than 2006 due to higher net production and higher realized oil prices. Fourth quarter revenues were approximately 25 per cent higher than in the fourth quarter of 2006, as a result of greater operating efficiencies and significantly higher oil prices. The positive impact of higher oil prices was partially offset by lower net production during fourth quarter due to lower cost-recovery spending in Cuba and lower realized prices on the Pakistan production. Higher realized oil prices at the Cuban operations during the fourth quarter 2007 led to a 29-per-cent increase in EBITDA to $65.6-million as compared with the prior-year period.

Havana – DTC - Cuba's health services are boosting laparoscopic surgery, as part of efforts to improve the people's quality of life. In eastern Ciego de Avila province, that surgical technique has benefited 3,000 patients over the past 26 months. According to experts, minimal-access surgery reduces the patient's period of hospitalization and prevents their transfer to other hospitals. Surgeons in the two hospitals in the province perform laparoscopic surgery in a dozen medical specialties. Most patients have undergone general, pediatric, reconstructive, gynecological, orthopedic and urological surgery using the laparoscopic procedure, which requires new sophisticated equipment.

Associated Press - HAVANA - Raul Castro talked behind closed doors with the Vatican's No. 2 official, in his first meeting with a visiting foreign dignitary as Cuba's new president. The meeting with Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Pope Benedict's secretary of state, came after the 76-year-old Castro succeeded his brother Fidel to become the first new Cuban head of state in 49 years. Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque and vice-presidents Esteban Lazo and Carlos Lage also attended the meeting.

Bertone, whose visit marks the 10th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's trip to Cuba, has called for improving often-strained relations between the Roman Catholic Church and Cuba's government, and also reacted warmly to official invitations that Benedict visit the island. He has also voiced the Catholic Church's long-standing request for some religious services and news on government-controlled radio and television. "Authorities have promised me more openness in the print press and the radio - and in some exceptional cases, in television as well," Bertone told the news agency of the Italian Bishops Conference, SIR, on Tuesday before meeting with Raul Castro.

"We do hope for some openness, because nothing is impossible," the agency quoted him as saying. The cardinal has already met with Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque and other officials. He told SIR that he did not ask "directly" that Cuba release any political prisoners "because it would look like interference," and he said "the Church does not impose but proposes." After John Paul's trip to Cuba in 1998, authorities released a large number of inmates, including 99 detained for political crimes. Catholic officials on the island have also long urged the government to ease bans on religious schools, but Bertone told the news agency that he "did not ask for Catholic schools, but for greater space in formation and education."

During his visit, Bertone also criticized the U.S. embargo against Cuba. Cuba's single-party, communist government never outlawed religion, but expelled priests and closed religious schools shortly after Fidel Castro's takeover of Cuba in 1959. Tensions eased in the early 1990s when the government removed references to atheism in the constitution and let believers of all faiths join the Communist party. They warmed more with John Paul's visit. But in a message to Cuban bishops last week, Benedict said some Catholics on the island are frustrated by difficulties, mistrust and a lack of resources. Since arriving in Cuba, Bertone has presided over large masses in Havana and Santiago, the island's second-largest city, as well as in Guantanamo, which borders the U.S. naval base.

Havana – DTC - The Company BRASCUBA S.A. presented the new popular brand that was introduced in the Spanish market, at the 10th Havana Cigar Festival. The new brand resulted from a market research carried out in the Iberian Peninsula in 2006 to define the image, color and even the Cuban origin of the tobacco used to make cigarettes. A broad advertising campaign was launched using Cuban typical elements. The campaign contributed to increasing sales by 12 percent in January. According to experts, the mixture of Cuban tobacco used to make the cigarettes has captivated Spanish smokers, because it is lighter than the one enjoyed by Cubans. BRASCUBA S.A. plans to sell some 400 million cigarettes in 2008 and expand its presence in Mexico and Ecuador. The company has licenses to sell its Cohíba cigarettes in Portugal, Austria, South Africa, Hong Kong, Romania, the United Kingdom, Italy, Dubai and the Pacific region.

Harper's Magazine - With Fidel Castro giving up power in Cuba, might there be a change in American policy towards Havana, such as scrapping the ancient, spectacularly unsuccessful trade embargo? Probably not as long as Congressman Eliot Engel continues to wield power as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. Engel, the generally liberal Democrat from New York, is a member of Congress's Cuba Democracy Caucus, which seeks the maintenance of a hard-line approach to Cuba, including continued economic sanctions. Members of the caucus "have drawn up lists of lawmakers and their positions on Cuba," said a story last year in the Miami Herald. "Those who are new to the issue or undecided get a full briefing…Others who have voted against easing sanctions in the past are pulled aside for a brief chat to make sure their position hasn't changed."

Engel has also received notable financial support from the US-Cuba Democracy PAC, a pro-embargo group that has been described as "the loudest voice for Cuban exile politics." During the past five years, the PAC has donated $13,000 to Engel, including $5,000 in the current election cycle. Members and contributors to the PAC have given another $7,550 to Engel since last year. Engel will be holding a hearing on Cuba policy tomorrow. The witness list, not surprisingly, seems to be heavily tilted towards the conservative side. It includes Susan Kaufman Purcell, director of the Center for Hemispheric Policy at the University of Miami, and Nancy Menges of the Center for Security Policy (the widow of Constantine Menges, a national security aide for Latin America during the Reagan Administration).  Engels' donors will be pleased, no doubt.

Havana - (acn) - The Cienfuegos oil refinery, a new joint Cuba- Venezuela project, reached 112.9 percent its target production for the first two months of operation. According to Julio Sanchez, general director of the expansion project, 2,239,263 barrels of crude oil had been processed up until March 3, and fuel oil from the plant is being supplied to the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes generating plant in Cienfuegos. Sanchez said that production has been steadily increasing since the start of operations on January 8 reaching full capacity, some 65,000 barrels a day during this first stage. The refinery produces liquefied gas, naphtha, diesel, and turbo-fuel. As part of the project, docks are being repaired along with three 50,000 cubic meter tanks.

Turkish Press.com - IZMIR - Cuban Ambassador in Ankara Ernesto Gomez Abascal said Cuba was the favourite choice of Turkish tourists in Latin America. Ambassador Abascal who visited the Izmir Chamber of Commerce recalled that his country was chosen the honour guest of the 77th Izmir International Fair and said they wanted to promote Cuban culture and products at the fair. Abascal said it was important that the theme of the fair was health care as Cuba could show the level it reached in this field. He said many Cuban companies would attend the fair. Abascal said the trade volume between Turkey and Cuba had a rapid trend of growth. "Many Turkish products are sold in Cuba, but these products are imported through intermediaries. We should work together to enable direct imports from Turkey," said Abascal.

Havana - (acn) - Cuba is attending the 26th International Commercial Fair Expocomer 2008, to run for four days in Panama City.  The international fair officially opened March 5 with a ceremony at the Anayansi Theater, of Atlapa Convention Center, in the capital of Panama, reported EFE. Domingo Latorraca, the president of Panama's Chamber of Commerce, said in a press conference that more than 600 exhibitors are expected at the fair including both national and foreign enterprises. He said he expects the event to exceed last year's transactions, valued at 128 million dollars.  Latocarra pointed out that Panama's Canal authorities will make presentations on the impact of the canal in world trade. They will also talk about progress in the expansion of that water course. The fair is being attended by Cuba, Taiwan, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Malaysia, Italy, Costa Rica, France, Israel, El Salvador, the United States, China and Spain.

Havana – DTC - Cuba's iron and steel industry reported exports of more than 139 million pesos last year, a record for that sector. Officials pointed out that exports increased 19 percent in 2007, compared to the previous year. During the said period, Cuban iron and steel products were exported to Holland, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Venezuela and Honduras. The most demanded items were steel and byproducts, scrap metal, furniture, medical equipment, aluminum bars and the so-called crop houses. In order to maintain and consolidate exports, the sector's companies are certifying their quality control system.

The Times – Food Editor - Being a die-hard foodie, one of my firm maxims is that you can't expect to eat well in a country ending in 'A'. It may sound extreme, but it works for me. I've eaten fish I wouldn't give to the cat in CroatiA, bland filth in AmericA, and don't even get me started on RussiA. So why venture into CubA, a gastronomic desert known best for its food shortages and a fairly nasty national dish of rice, pork and beans?  Well, as a food snob, I respect Castro for not allowing KFC, McDonald's and those ubiquitous coffee shop chains to soil his principles. Also, I'd heard that he'd recently allowed paladars, privately run restaurants in people's homes, to operate outside the black market. More importantly, last year saw the opening of two allegedly five-star hotels on the island: the Saratoga in Havana and the grandly-named Royal Hideaway Los Ensenachos, billed as "Cuba's most luxurious beach resort ever" on the north coast.

Having travelled regularly with my husband to the Caribbean for the past 20 years, it seemed time we gave Cuba a whirl. I don't equate travel with suffering, so if the country's gone five-star, then I'm all for it. The Saratoga turned out to be a marvel. It's in a perfect position in the centre of Old Havana overlooking the Parque de la Fraternidad and the handsome Capitolio, ironically modelled on the Capitol Building in Washington.  A hotel once before in the 1930s, it's been stripped to the rafters for a major makeover. Our room was typical of a smart Spanish parador: dark wood four-poster, ochre-tiled floor and wrought iron balcony, with a tremendous view overlooking the park and beyond. The downside? Earplugs are vital for the ceaseless traffic noise, and the plumbing is hopeless. Toilets block regularly and our shower may have washed a small lettuce, but it couldn't wash me.

Still, I can forgive them everything for the rooftop pool and bar, currently the coolest cocktail spot in town. Slipping into the shallow end with my first mojito was one of those sublime travellers' moments, worth being jet lagged for. The thrill of Old Havana is its unique juxtaposition of shanty-style poverty and faded neo-classical grandeur, and this is where you get the city's best view.  Getting a panoramic fix on its crumbling facades, abandoned buildings tugged down with creepers, and almost artful rubble heaps - as if it just survived a war last week - is essential. The Saratoga's sun-beds are perfectly positioned to take it all in and look down on those famed 50-year-old classic American cars which give the city its film-set sex appeal.

Friends, and even the tourist board, had told me that you don't come to Old Havana to eat. You come for the Latin sounds, the baroque glories of the Plaza de la Catedral, to buy your Cohiba cigars, ranked the world's finest, at the Partagas factory, and for the rum cocktails. A mojito at La Bodeguito del Medio, once frequented by Hemingway, Graham Greene and Errol Flynn, plus a daiquiri at La Floridita, another Ernest favourite, are tourist essentials. That said, we had the dinner of a lifetime at La Guarida, widely regarded as the best paladar in town. There's no sign outside, yet all the cabbies know it. It's easy to think you've got the wrong place as you ascend the worn marble stairs in a shabby tenement block with washing across the yard and urchins kicking a ball around in the shadows. Three floors up and a knock on a discreet wooden door gains entry to a magic box.

Inside is a candlelit shrine to decadence with film posters, Hollywood starlet pin-ups and pictures of past satisfied customers, including Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg and the King of Spain, on the walls. There are religious effigies next to the loos and pink ballet shoes dangling from the ceiling. They break even more taboos by serving Coca-Cola and Californian wines. The food is just as amazing, and surprisingly good - red snapper ceviche, followed by mahi mahi with fufu (mashed green banana), or swordfish with vanilla sauce.  I could easily have spent longer round the Saratoga pool but Cuba is known for its superlative beaches and the Havana traffic was becoming oppressive. City and beach make excellent holiday partners but do insist on the short internal flight from Havana to Cayo Las Brujas, a nippy five minutes from Los Ensenachas. When we visited the flight hadn't started and we had to endure a punishing five-hour taxi transfer through boring flatlands.

Royal Hideaway, which opened last summer, is an all-inclusive resort of more than 500 rooms, owned by the Spanish Occidental group. This is the company's third venture in Cuba and its first stab at a five-star property. First impressions were of an unexpectedly grand airy lobby, heavy with marble and giant chandeliers with lots of squishy sofas and Windsor chairs - think of a John Lewis furniture showroom in the tropics. Our two-storey junior suite had two of everything, including loos, TVs and seaview terraces, yet looked bland put next to the Andalucian-style charms of the Saratoga. The plumbing worked better, but there were some shabby bits, including a jagged piece of wood and plaster missing out of the staircase, as obvious as a bite out of an apple.

Next morning the only sound was birdsong as I crossed a wooden footbridge through mangroves alive with yellow-breasted warblers, currently the only visitors from North America, for an early swim. Even as a seasoned Caribbean traveller I had a sharp intake of breath. The beach, a gentle curve of Johnson's soft white sand a mile-long, is a stunner and immediately went into my all-time top five. Apart from a flock of gulls and a solitary wader, it was mine alone. After breakfast, reservations manager Silvio O'Farrill took us on a golf buggy tour of the resort to reveal another mile-long beach of equal beauty and just as empty. He explained that only 50 of the resort's 500 rooms were taken, mainly by middle-aged Canadians, hence the empty sunbeds. Admittedly it was late October, therefore low season, but it felt uncomfortably quiet, like being the only diners in a restaurant.

"Yes, it is sad," he said. "Everything is pristine and virgin here as the only building is the hotel. No one lives here. I wish we could accept North Americans, then I think we'd be full," he added wistfully. Still, it's easy to be positive about a spectacular empty beach. Even a two-minute paddle brought shoals of trumpet fish, various pretty starfish and an inquisitive ray. Silvio told us that the water was just as rich in fish for the plate and you could catch snapper, barracuda and grouper straight from the beach. So why then was there no choice except surf n' turf, a pet hate of mine, on the menu at the beach restaurant that evening? We all started with shrimp cocktail embellished with lumps of hard cheese. No thanks. The "turf" was a passable steak, but the "surf" was yet more dry bready shrimps. They must have been frozen. Why aren't they catching that fish? If Castro can lift his curbs on paladars, can't he allow a few private fishing boats to service the hotels?

The staff are so eager to please, carrying our drinks great distances down the beach, and the water is such perfection that I don't want to be picky, but every time we eavesdropped on our fellow guests they were complaining about the food. Surely the Italian restaurant could do better? On our last night we ordered a bottle of excellent Chilean red (we had no complaints about the drinks) and I decided to play safe with a simple mozarella, tomato and basil salad starter. It arrived with great ceremony under a silver dome - another pet hate but I'm trying to be fair. The maitre d' removed it with a flourish to reveal a single Kraft cheese slice garnished with three sliced baby tomatoes. Of course I could have complained, but I just looked at my husband and burst out laughing. Later, strolling along that wonderful empty beach by moonlight, we agreed that despite the food we might still come back, but next time we are bringing a rod to catch our own supper.

Jill Hartley visited Cuba with Caribtours (0207 751 0660), A 10-night package starts at £1,463 per person, including return flights with Virgin Atlantic to Havana, internal return flights to Cayo Las Brujas, three nights b&b at the Saratoga and seven nights all-inclusive at the Royal Hideaway Los Ensenachos. Booking is essential at La Guarida ( 00 53 7 863 7351)

Havana – DTC - Cuba's construction material industry guarantees the necessary raw materials to reduce imports, including gypsum to make cement. Last year, the country consumed 103,000 tons of that material, 16,000 tons of which were imported at a total cost of 500,000 dollars. In order to achieve that goal, local mines have been reactivated. One of those mines must supply 7,000 tons of gypsum a month to cement factories in western and central Cuba. Another mine in Ciego de Avila must supply gypsum to cement plants in eastern Cuba.

The Denver Post – "Eating Cuban" - Since Fidel Castro's recent retirement, the eyes of the world are once again focused on Cuba. For a first-person view of the mysterious island, I called cookbook author Beverly Cox at her northern Colorado ranch. She and photographer Martin Jacobs spent four weeks in Cuba as food consultants for an American company in 2006, and "Eating Cuban: 120 Authentic Recipes From the Streets of Havana to American Shores" grew out of their travels. "Cuba was such a popular destination for Americans in the 1930s, '40s and '50s — people thought nothing of taking weekend trips from Miami to Havana," Cox said. "Then suddenly it was as though a sugar-cane curtain was lowered, and it was harder for Americans to get to Cuba than to Tibet or Timbuktu. And amazingly, it's been off limits ever since."

What surprised you most?  People don't realize what a big island Cuba is. It has everything from mountains to seashores. It's the biggest island in the Caribbean — there's a lot of diversity of climate. And, I was surprised at how kind and generous people were to us. You know if they invite you to their house for dinner it has probably taken their food allowances for a month, and they gathered their friends and families to help. It probably took their egg ration for a month to make a rich flan. Is it that difficult to get ingredients?

Barter is a big way of life in Cuba. Marty and I were walking along and we saw people carrying big flats of eggs and other people started following them. Someone was selling them somewhere. You know the plastic grocery bags that Whole Foods is going to ban? Those things are like gold. People carry them in their pockets — they are always on alert, if they see mangos on sale they can buy them and then trade them. It keeps people scrambling for the daily necessities. There's a saying if you drop a mango pit in your garden, come back and there will be a tree. Most of the land in Cuba is organic — they couldn't afford fertilizer. Now, there is a trend starting to take advantage of the fact that you can grow anything, whereas meat is still hard to get. Vegetarianism is becoming popular.

One of the good things that grew out of the 1990s, the "difficult period" after the collapse of the Soviet Union when food was in short supply, was that the government began to allow small cooperatives to grow food for themselves and sell the surplus. The result of that is more farmers markets, where people can buy locally grown fresh produce.

Street food — what was that like?  Very interesting. People who are good cooks see an opportunity to make a little money. We stopped in one small restaurant where the family was preparing fried rice and potato balls stuffed with picadillo. They sell tamales out their window — it was like takeout. But you ate in some restaurants, too? Some of the best food in Cuba is at paladares, private restaurants — you have to put out your feelers, there's no sign outside. La Guarida is one we talk about in the book. You have to make a reservation and you have to know where it is. I loved their baby back ribs with guava barbecue sauce and their coconut flan with curried custard sauce.

What are the culinary influences on the island? The strongest one is Spain. You see regional Spanish influences like the caldo gallego (bean soup from Galician settlers) and the tortilla española de patatas (a potato and egg omelet). People are surprised that Cuban food is not hot. They have peppers called cachuchas that look like a habanero but they have no heat.

But in Santiago de Cuba, on the eastern side of the island, there's more of a Jamaican influence and people like hotter food. There's also a tremendous African influence: After most of the native people had been killed off, the Spaniards brought in Africans to work in the sugar plantations — bananas and plantains originated in the Canary Islands. You also have things like okra and ñame, an African yam. Havana had a large Chinatown in the early 1900s. Chinese worked in the sugar fields after the Africans and they started the first ice cream parlors in Cuba — they brought with them a tradition of making fruit ices that can be traced back to China. That's also why fried rice is a standard all over the island. And Native American: Yuca is a real staple, as are other tubers. Avocados, too, they island hopped their way up from South America.

What do you think the future holds for Cuba? No one really knows yet, but I hope that life there will become easier for the Cuban people. It is definitely worth seeing. I've been fortunate to travel to many countries, but this island, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida, is among the most exotic and beautiful places I've visited.

Flan de Coco La Guarida Coconut Flan with Curried Custard Sauce

"The street outside the elegant old mansion is in disrepair. Inside, in what was once the grand entrance hall, a couple of stray dogs are camping out on dirty marble floors, and a poor family has set up housekeeping. Climbing the crumbling staircase, you may begin to have reservations about this culinary adventure, but at the second landing there is a large black door. Ring the bell and a face appears at the peephole. When you are recognized, the door swings open and you step into La Guardia, a world of well-dressed patrons and great food. The innovative menu features new Cuban recipes like this delicate coconut flan served with a subtle but exotic custard sauce."

From "Eating Cuba" by Beverly Cox, serves 6.

Ingredients

 1 1/2 cups sugar
 1 cup half-and-half
 5 large eggs
 1 3/4 cups thick fresh coconut milk, or 1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract  

Directions

Place six individual 6-ounce metal flan molds or ovenproof custard cups in a baking pan large enough to hold them without touching each other. Place 3/4 cup of the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts and the syrup takes on an amber tinge, 8-10 minutes. Quickly but carefully pour a portion of the caramel into each mold, tilting the mold to evenly coat the bottom with caramel.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the half-and-half and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until just combined, then slowly whisk in half-and-half mixture, coconut milk and vanilla. Strain custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, then ladle it into caramel-coated molds. Place baking pan on middle rack of oven and pour enough boiling water around molds to come two thirds of the way up the sides of the molds. Carefully slide the rack back into oven. Bake flans for 50-60 minutes, until barely set in the middle. Remove the pan from the oven and let custards cool slowly in water bath. Refrigerate until ready to serve, about 1 hour.

When ready to serve, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of each flan, penetrating about 1/2 inch below the surface. Turn molds over onto individual dessert plates. One by one, grasp plate and mold firmly and shake up and down until flan drops onto plate. Carefully remove molds and allow caramel to drizzle over flans. Spoon a ribbon of Curried Custard Sauce around each flan. Place three or four dots of Guava Sauce in the custard sauce and draw the tip of a paring knife through the dots to make a decorative pattern. Serve immediately.

Havana – DTC - The Belgian company BDC International S.A. opened an office in the central Cuban province of Cienfuegos, as part of its expansion strategy in the Caribbean Island. The firm, whose main office is in Havana, has branches in Moa and Cienfuegos. BDC International S.A. is the exclusive representative of such brands as Peugeot (cars, spare parts and technical assistance), Michelin (the world leader in radial tires) and Renault (industrial vehicles). The Belgian company also represents Jungheinrich (forklift trucks and other equipment to handle cargo) and Steco (auto batteries). The company also supplies spectrometers, chromatographers, electronic microscopes, diagnostic equipment, balances and other accessories. It also exports alcohol from sugarcane, lead ingots and chemicals.

Havana - (Prensa Latina) - The Cuban population decreased by 1,889 in 2007 for the second year in a row, despite a slight increase in the birth rate, the National Statistics Office (ONE) reported. According to the report "Demographic Indicators. Cuba and its Territories", published on the ONE website, the Cuban population decreased from 11,239,043 to 11,237,154. Although the number of births increased in relation to 2006, the combination of deaths and migrants tilted the balance towards a decreasing tendency, according to the ONE.

The ONE's predictions are not encouraging, as the Cuban population is expected to decrease by 26,000 by 2020. Meanwhile, demographic aging increased, as 16.2 percent of the Cuban population is over 60 years of age, compared to 15.9 percent in 2006. After the demographic boom in the 1960s and 1970s, when an average of 250,000 children were born, Cuba's population began to decrease in the 1990s, and that tendency persists. According to Cuban demographic authorities, that tendency is similar to the one reported in developed countries, and has resulted from Cubans' high educational level and the economic crisis that affected the country in the 1990s.

TORONTO - CNW Telbec - As waiting lists get longer, medical tourism becomes a way to get quality medical services, without waiting. Health Services International is a non-profit organization which has recently begun arranging medical services in Cuba for Canadians. Cuba has been developing medical tourism for over 20 years. Cuban doctors are now recognised as some of the world's finest. In the last 5 years, over 35 thousand patients from 32 countries have benifited from Cuban Medical expertise. Many Cuban hospitals are certified ISO 14,001 and ISO 9001 which are international standards of cleanliness and excellance. The reputation of Cuban hospitals is well established. Many Canadians have returned from Cuba healed and reassured and are ready to tell their stories.

This was the case of Mrs. Dominique Forget who suffered severe back pain for 10 years. With less than 2 weeks in Cuba, her problem was cured and her life was transformed. Note the case of Manon Lefrançois, a young woman forced to cancel business trips as it had become too painful to remain seated for long periods. Her doctor in Quebec told her to come back : ''when she could no longer walk''. She went to Cuba for orthopaedic surgery and today she travels the world and her business prospers. Similarly, Mrs Anne Lortie, a young mother informed that she would go blind within two years as she had retinitis pigmentosa. The only help offered was to suggest that she register with the Braille Institute. Specialists in Canada maintain that there is no treatment for this degenerative disease. Patients who inquire about treatments given in Cuba receive dire warnings from specialists here. But, Health Services International has helped over a dozen Canadians get treatment for this disease. After an operation and treatments, these clients of HSI will not go blind. Imagine their joy to look forward to the hope of a normal life again, after the despair of a cruel diagnosis.

The full range of medical services are available in Cuba: major surgery, diagnoses, aesthetic surgery, skin care treatments, thalassotherapy and a highly regarded drug rehabilitation program. Health Services International has an agreement with Cubanacan Turismo Y Salud, to make access to Cuban medical services easier for Canadians. H.S.I. maintains communications between Canadian patients and Cuban medical services and arranges all the details for treatment and travel. H.S.I. is pleased to present a few Canadians who wish to tell their stories that there are alternatives to the present health service system. For further information: Sandy Rhéaume, Vice President, Health Services International (HSI), (418) 479-2942, Cell: (418) 654-6762, info@hsi-ssi.com

Havana – DTC - Public libraries in the central Cuban province of Villa Clara will benefit from a project to computerize its services. Experts from the Information and Documentation Center of the Central University of Las Villas are working on the project, which will allow hooking up local libraries into a computer network. They will also have access to the network of the Ministry of Education to meet the growing demand for information and specialized materials from university students. Students from faraway areas will access important documents to accomplish the tasks demanded by their professors. The computerization project, which will demand large investments in equipment, is carried out in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture and the Council of Universities of Belgium.

Lima - (Prensa Latina) - Cuba and Peru's intense relations experienced two significant events, the inauguration of a new house of friendship and a welcome for Cuba's contribution to the development of education. La Casa de la Amistad in the populous Lurin municipality in Lima was inaugurated with the attendance of Cuban Ambassador Luis Delfin Perez, who congratulated the leadership, led by journalist and historian Augusto Rivas. The diplomat urged the leaders of the brand-new house, to work in favor of strengthening bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation between both countries. The ambassador was also the guest of honor at the closing ceremony of the second International Antonio Encinas Congress of Pedagogy that honors this Peruvian educator, with the participation of high level educators from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador and other countries.

Havana - (acn) - The Terry Fox Marathon of Hope takes place for the tenth consecutive year in Cuba on March 15. As usual, the run starts simultaneously at 10am across the island. Participants may cover the 1,86 miles on foot, by wheelchair, bicycle, or on skates.  "We intend to beat the record of 5,128 locations taking part in the Maracuba event and even have remote countryside areas participating in this race for life and against cancer," said event organizer Carlos Gatorno in a press conference.  The race is aimed at raising awareness of the fact that a better life style can avoid developing cancer, and is one of the fundraising activities for research projects to fight cancer organized in Cuba.  The counsellor of the Canadian embassy in Havana Simon Cridland, praised the magnitude of the race in Cuba, the second most important after Canada, where over two million people participated last year.  

Cubans will also pay tribute to Canadian Terry Fox who started the first race on April 12, 1980, 3 years after losing his leg at the age of 18 from osteosarcoma. The young athlete had decided to run from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast in order to raise $1 from each Canadian citizen for cancer research.  Fox was forced to stop the run on September 1 after 143 days. His bone cancer had metastasized to his lungs. He had run 5,373 km (3,339 miles, or around 23.3 miles per day). Soon after, on June 28th, 1981, he died. He is considered one of Canada's greatest heroes of the 20th century. The Terry Fox Run is the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research.

Brussels, Belgium – Business Week - The EU's top development aid official starts a four-day trip to Cuba in a bid to heal strained relations with Havana. Louis Michel's mission, which was planned before the official hand-over of power from Fidel Castro to his brother Raul, will be the first high-level visit of an EU official to the Caribbean island since 2005 and the first since Raul became president. Michel's spokesman, John Clancy, said the European Commission wanted to see "the resumption of an open and constructive political dialogue" with Cuban leaders, a move Havana remains hesitant to endorse after the EU slapped political sanctions against the island in 2003. The EU has since suspended those measures, but ties have remained icy.

Clancy said Raul's appointment as president "constitutes a new situation and Commissioner Michel has expressed his willingness to engage in a constructive political dialogue with President Raul Castro." He added that Michel was "particularly interested to learn more, to listen, to hear about" Raul's intentions over possible political administrative and economic reforms that might happen. Clancy said the EU was eager to resume talks on a wide range of issues related to climate change, the environment and on closer cooperation with Cuba on humanitarian aid issues. Michel was scheduled to meet senior Cuban lawmakers and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque. "The dialogue should cover all topics of mutual interest, including the political, human rights, economic, scientific fields," Clancy said. The EU's 27 governments reached out last year to Raul to restart regular bilateral talks on various issues, including human rights. In the wake of Europe's olive branch, Cuba invited Michel to visit the island after EU nations decided to suspend sanctions that were put in place in 2003 to protest the detention of 75 dissidents accused of working the U.S. to undermine Fidel Castro's government. Cuban authorities then released 16 for medical reasons, and the EU suspended the measures in January 2005, restoring diplomatic relations and scrapping its ban on talks with Cuban officials.

DUBLIN, Ireland – Business Wire - Research and Markets has announced the addition of "Cuba - Telecoms Market Overview & Statistics" to their offering. Despite strong economic growth in 2006, Cuba still occupies last place in Latin America for both mobile phone and Internet penetration, and is fifth from the last in fixed-line teledensity. The government has blamed the embargo for the country's poor telecom development, which has prevented the implementation of submarine fibre-optic cables; thus, Cuba has had to rely almost exclusively on satellites for international connectivity. However Etecsa, controlled 73% by the government and 27% by Telecom Italia, holds a monopoly in both fixed and mobile services. It offers GSM, TDMA, and AMPS services through its subsidiary Cubacel, though mobile rates are prohibitive for the vast majority of Cubans. In addition, Cubans cannot legally buy a computer or subscribe to an ISP without having a government permit. Fidel Castro's ailing health in early 2007 means that his brother Raül's transitional power is likely to become permanent during 2007, regarded by many as the first step towards democratisation. A transition to democracy, aided by the lifting of the US embargo and by an inflow of foreign investment, would stimulate the growth of all Cuba's telecommunications' sectors. For more information, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c84744.

Forbes - One day Castro really will be gone, and so will his brother, Raúl, and the whole junta. That 50-year-old fantasy of flying into Havana like Sky Masterson and getting your girlfriend drunk at El Café Cubano won't be a dream anymore. Yet Cuba is potentially so much more than casinos and luxury hotels, cruise lines, cigars and condos. The island of 11 million souls is an untapped wilderness of human capital. "Cuba has already transitioned to a knowledge-based economy," says Johannes Werner, editor of Cuba Trade & Investment News, a monthly run out of Tampa. The nation has the leading high school enrollment in the region (86% of teens, compared with an average 69%) and the highest literacy rate (99.8%, says the CIA). Look a little closer, and there are tantalizing opportunities for U.S. investment in such areas as biotech, information technologies and basic industries. Some day.

The island claims to have 10,000 scientists--on a per capita par with China, Brazil and Mexico--1,245 of them at Havana's Center for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, the largest of the nation's 53 biotech labs. Over the last decade Cuba has thrown $1 billion into this fledgling industry. But it pays dividends, as it were: Last year pharmaceutical exports ranked fourth, after nickel, sugar and tobacco, taking in $162 million. Foreigners are already part of the game. GlaxoSmithkline and Cuba have distributed a bacterial meningitis vaccine. Heber Biotec SA, the commercial arm of the biotech center, produces interferons for China, while Cimab SA, the for-profit outgrowth of Cuba's Center for Immunology, has partnered with India's Biocon Pharmaceuticals to produce anticancer monoclonal antibodies in Bangalore. There are thousands of doctors serving Venezuelans in exchange for 92,000 barrels of oil a day. Imagine bringing a fraction of them home for a new gig in, say, surgical tourism.

On the computer front Cubans have been very enterprising. While they can't readily access Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) programs, they've designed their own e-office suites, and a few brave geeks and dissidents have found ways to link to the Web (mostly from universities). Thanks, in small part, to the 2002 launch of the University of Informatics Sciences, there are now 10,000 computer science students working inside and out of Cuba (mostly in Mexico and Venezuela). Once a joint project with Venezuela is completed next year, Cuba's slow and costly satellite Internet connections will be dumped in favor of a fiber-optic link to the outside world--which could, perhaps, as a result, force a small fissure in the military dictatorship. Canada's Sentai Software Corp. and Indcom Trading outsourced work to CubaSoft Solutions, a wing of the Castro government.

Down the road there could also be opportunities in manufacturing. Cubans are making televisions and refrigerators for China's Haier. They've been putting their excellent automotive skills to use, not only keeping all those 1955 Chevys running on their crumbling streets but also making vans for Brazil's Busscar. A deal is in the works for Cubans to start assembling buses for Yutong Group of Zhengzhou, China. Now, to break the spell. The U.S. won't be lifting the embargo anytime soon. The next President may liberalize travel to Cuba or allow another industry or two to qualify for legal export, as food companies like Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE: ADM) have done since 2003. Anything else is too politically difficult.

Raúl Castro may be something of a pragmatist, but he will never steer Cuba toward democratic capitalism. He may bring back a few tiny reforms that Fidel introduced in the mid-1990s, then killed: permitting small family businesses like restaurants and basic trades and allowing the use of the dollar in special circumstances. No one knows whether Cuba will eventually back into capitalism while retaining tight political control, as China and Vietnam have done, or suddenly collapse into frightening chaos. Today Cuba is a tough place to do business. The regime keeps 51% equity stakes in joint ventures with foreign companies, and the lion's share of profits. Hiring an employee is an exercise in nightmarish bureaucracy and outright thievery: You might have to pay $1,000 or so a month for a sales rep who sees only half that sum. The average annual per capita income for Cubans is $4,500.

Some Cuba watchers believe that even postembargo the best bet for American companies is to avoid investment altogether. "A much lower risk strategy will be to recruit in Cuba and relocate the personnel to the U.S. or elsewhere," says José Azel, senior research associate at the Institute for Cuban & Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami. Open the gate a crack--and watch a flood of Cubans head north.

Havana – DTC - The Encanto San Basilio Hotel, run by the group Cubanacán, was inaugurated in Santiago de Cuba, the capital of the eastern province of the same name. The hotel will meet the growing demand for cultural tourism, considering the city's cultural, natural and historic values. The eight-room establishment has a restaurant-bar that recreates the eclectic architecture of the period in which the building was constructed. Cornices and parapets decorate the building, which is located on San Basilio Street, a few meters from Céspedes Park and several cultural institutions, in an area that is rich in historic and patrimonial values. Cuban tourism authorities pointed out that this is the second Encanto establishment in the country, after the Palacio Azul Hotel in Cienfuegos. The Encanto hotels are small- and medium-size establishments near historic and cultural sites.

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In 1999, OFAC (The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C.) confirmed that it had previously issued an opinion in 1994 which stated that a U.S. company or individual could make a secondary market investment in a "third-country company" that had commercial dealings with the Republic of Cuba as long as that investment in the "third-country company" was not a controlling interest and the "third-country company" did not derive a majority of it's revenues from operations in Cuba. (Therefore, under that criteria, U.S. citizens and companies can invest in a private or public Canadian company doing business with Cuba)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James
Cuban Weekly News Digest

http://www.cubaninvestments.com

Banks in Wikileaks Case Back Down, Seek to Dismiss Case

As if the order by Judge White vacating the injunctions in the Wikileaks case weren't enough, the Banks that brought the case have now filed a notice of dismissal seeking to voluntarily dismiss the entire case

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Cuban Weekly News Digest - March 2, 2008

 

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Cuban Weekly News Digest  -  "A compilation of news articles about Cuba, distributed since 1992 in order to encourage a balanced understanding of the Cuban situation and to promote investments in the Republic of Cuba"

Havana – DTC - The Meliá Varadero Hotel, in the beach resort of the same name, has opened new facilities to develop the tourism industry in the territory. According to experts, modernization works in the hotel included the front desk, which was decorated with the original mural painting, created by Cuban artists Nelson Domínguez and Alberto Lescay. The furniture in the lobby and the bar was replaced, and several rooms were renovated. In addition, new equipment was installed at the cafeteria. Facilities to practice tai chi and yoga, and a massage parlor were built by the swimming pool. Renovation works in 2008 will also include the main area of the gardens, internet facilities at a cybercafé and new furniture. Renovations will also affect the design of suites to meet guests' demand.

Business Week - Mexican Bureau - For 45 years, Fidel Castro had a convenient scapegoat for many of the island's problems: a U.S. trade embargo that since 1962 has barred American companies and individuals from investing in or trading with Cuba. Ask Cubans why their lives are so difficult and why store shelves are so bare, and they'll respond without hesitation what has been drummed into them by schoolteachers, local news commentators, and Fidel's speeches over the years: "It's because of the U.S. blockade." The Cuban government has always referred to the embargo as a "blockade," a word that has a more sinister tone than "embargo" and makes it sound as if the U.S. Navy has encircled the island to keep ships packed with goods from reaching Cuba's 11.4 million people. In fact, it's the harsh penalties for individuals and companies that do business with Cuba without special permission from the U.S. Treasury that have made the embargo effective for four decades.

Washington imposed the embargo in retaliation for Cuba's expropriation of U.S. business interests. Over the years the embargo grew in scope as American politicians and the anti-Castro Cuban American community in Miami grew frustrated by Havana's ability to withstand the economic sanctions. In 1992 the U.S. Congress approved the Cuban Democracy Act, restricting Americans from visiting the island, banning family remittances, and prohibiting foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies from doing business with Cuba. And in 1996, Congress approved the Helms-Burton Act, which allows Washington to ban entry into the U.S. of executives and major shareholders of foreign companies that do business in Cuba.

But will a new U.S. President lift the trade embargo with Cuba? When Raúl Castro was chosen as Cuba's new President on Feb. 24, Washington dismissed him as "Fidel Lite" and said he did not represent change. U.S. law stipulates that Washington may not recognize a transitional government in Cuba if it includes Fidel or Raúl Castro in the leadership ranks. So, even if the new occupant of the White House were to favor lifting the embargo, it could not be done without changing the law. Of the three leading Presidential candidates, only Democratic contender Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has said he would be willing to sit down and talk with Raúl Castro's government, as long as human rights are on the agenda. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) has said she wouldn't do so until Havana starts implementing economic and political reforms, while Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has said talks are off until Cuba begins a "transition to a free and open society" and releases all political prisoners.

For years, American politicians have been wary of crossing the powerful Cuban American lobby, especially in Florida, a key state for any national election. But polls show that sentiment among Cuban émigrés has moderated over the years, as the aging ranks of people who fled Castro's Communist rule in the early 1960s have thinned. More recent arrivals, who fled in the 1980s and 1990s because of economic hardship, favor greater people-to-people contacts and believe it makes sense to engage the Cuban leadership in talks aimed at improving life for relatives left behind. A Gallup survey released on Feb. 27 showed that while 83% of Americans view Fidel Castro negatively, 61% favor establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Representative Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee, on Jan. 24 introduced a measure that would end the ban on travel by Americans to Cuba. Until 2004, Cuban Americans were allowed to travel only once a year to visit family in Cuba. That year, the Bush Administration cut back such visits to once every three years. New restrictions were also placed on money remittances and academic and scientific exchanges. Democrats in Congress have vowed to eliminate the restrictions imposed in 2004, in the belief that greater people-to-people contact will hasten the move toward democracy in Cuba.

U.S. business also is lobbying for a lifting of the embargo, saying American companies could easily sell $1 billion in goods to Cuba a year, from the outset. Last year, U.S. firms sold $438 million worth of chicken, rice, wheat, corn, and other agricultural goods, as well as some forestry products—such as newsprint and thousands of wooden utility poles—to Cuba under special permits first granted in 2000 for humanitarian reasons. Even though Cuba must pay cash up front for such transactions because financing the Cuban government is not allowed under the embargo, U.S. sales of such products to Cuba have tallied $2 billion, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade & Economic Council.

Cubans have been closely following the U.S. Presidential elections. They eagerly approach the few Americans who visit the island—under journalist visas, academic exchanges, or as tourists defying the embargo—to ask whether they think the winner will lift the decades-old blockade. William, 28, a waiter who earns around $25 a month at a government-owned hotel, says he would like to see his father and three brothers in the U.S. more than once every three years. Like many Cubans, he didn't want to reveal his last name for fear of losing his job. "What's the point in keeping the blockade in place?" he asks. "It hurts the average Cuban more than it hurts the government. We just want access to consumer goods that everyone else in the world can buy. And it's inhumane to keep us from seeing our families."

Raúl Castro has said on three occasions over the past 18 months that he would like to talk with the next U.S. Administration to discuss ways of improving relations. "Cuba is ready and willing to sit down at any table with the U.S. government to discuss every difference we have, without preconditions," says Josefina Vidal, the Cuban Foreign Ministry's director of North American affairs. Havana used to insist that it would not talk until the embargo was lifted or until the Americans gave up their military base at Guantánamo Bay.

In recent years, Vidal says, Havana has noted an evolution of public opinion in the U.S. "We have to wait and see if the next Administration will be willing to try a different policy toward Cuba," she says. "Unprecedented sanctions have been applied to collapse the Cuban government for decades now, with no results." Washington has managed to do business with other Communist regimes: The U.S. normalized relations with China in 1979 and lifted the trade embargo on Vietnam in 1992. While relaxation of the 2004 travel and remittance restrictions on Cuba may well be possible under a new Administration, mending relations with the world's smallest Communist country may continue to be a much tougher proposition.

Havana - (Prensa Latina) - The meteorological phenomenon "La Nina" is to have an influence this year in Cuba, where will cause a period drier than normal and could favor, if it maintains, a greater formation of tropical storms. In the last few days, this event has caused intensive rainfalls, with consequent damages in the South American region, "Juventud Rebelde" newspaper reported. Experts state that "La Nina" typical influence on the island is characterized by a decrease of rainfalls during the less wet stage, mainly between January and April, so such season trends to have less rain than normal. They also said that weather behavior is not only modulated by such an event, but also by other factors, like the East phase of the Quasi-biennial Oscillation, starting these days and could still make the current seasonal period in the country less wet. According to the World Meteorology organization forecasts, the phenomenon is now in development and will last at least until mid 2008. Its effects have already been felt in the Equatorial Pacific zones of India, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

The Wall Street Journal - In 1962, Castro lost a round of golf to Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, who had been a caddie in his Argentine home-town before he became a guerrilla icon. Castro's defeat may have had disastrous consequences for the sport. He had one Havana golf course turned into a military school, another into an art school. A journalist who wrote about the defeat of Castro, who was a notoriously bad loser, was fired the next day. Now, top officials on the island want to turn Castro's Communist paradise into a hotspot for this decidedly capitalist sport, to generate hard cash for its cash-strapped economy. Last year, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero announced plans to build as many as 10 golf courses to lure upscale tourists to Cuba. "The message from Cuba is: bring on golf projects," former Canadian ambassador to Cuba Mark Entwistle said.

Entwistle hopes to develop Cuba's first golf community on the island's eastern end, with hundreds of villas and apartments centred on a 36-hole course. Entwistle knows of at least 11 other projects involving Canadian, British and Spanish developers. The man driving Cuba's golf effort is Raul Castro, the long-serving defence minister who became acting president when his older brother Fidel took ill in July, 2006. Raul, who is more a fan of cockfighting than golf, was named president on Monday. Alarmed at the decline in the number of tourists to Cuba, Raul has urged senior officials to make golf happen. The government is setting up an inter-agency golf taskforce but officials involved say they are not authorised to comment on it.

To make golf tourism work, Cuba, which does not recognise the right to buy and sell property, will have to permit leases of as long as 75 years for foreigners, to entice them to invest. Some believe those leases are the tip of the spear that will, over time, reinstate full property rights. One problem is the lack of golf culture in Cuba. Castro built a state-sponsored sports machine that produced world-famous boxers, baseball players, killer volleyball spikers and fleet-footed runners. But Castro was never keen on golfers, whose sport reeked of Yankee imperialism. "These guys don't even think in Cuban," Castro said in a 1960 speech, mocking members of the Havana Biltmore Yacht & Country Club. He confiscated the manicured grounds and turned them into a workers' resort.

Golf had been played on the island since the 1920s. At the time of the 1959 revolution, Havana boasted two award-winning courses, at the Havana Country Club and the Biltmore, which hosted such greats as Sam Snead and the rookie Arnold Palmer. A third course, where Castro would lose to Che Guevara, had just opened. US tycoon Irenee du Pont had a private nine-hole course in Xanadu, his fabled Varadero beach estate. The famous game between Castro and Guevara took place shortly after the Cuban missile crisis, according to Jose Lorenzo-Fuentes, Castro's former personal scribe, who covered the game. Lorenzo-Fuentes said the match was supposed to send a friendly signal to president John Kennedy. "Castro told me that the headline of the story the next day would be 'President Castro challenges President Kennedy to a friendly game of golf'," he said.

But the game became a competitive affair between two men who did not like to lose, said Lorenzo-Fuentes, who recalled that Guevara "played with a lot of passion". Lorenzo-Fuentes wrote a newspaper story saying Fidel had lost. He lost his job the next day, eventually fell foul of the regime and now lives in Miami. Nowadays, there is only one nine-hole course left in the capital, the Havana Golf Club. Until he left Cuba in 2005, the former golf pro there, Jorge Duque, now 44, had the distinction of being Havana's only certified pro. Duque, who now teaches golf in Malaga, Spain, is pessimistic about its future in Cuba. "Golf opens up society because people learn a lot from foreigners," Duque said. "We need an economic opening - and an opening in thinking - before golf can develop in Cuba and the people realise the benefits that golf can bring."

The Havana Golf Club, a turquoise-and-white relic of 1940s and 1950s resort architecture, has a pool, a bar and a small bowling alley. Last week, in a small room serving as the caddie shack, employees swapped stories about golf in Cuba. Castro came to the course in the 1960s to meet a visiting dignitary, they recalled, and the two men putted and chatted on the fourth green. The club's fee of 20 Cuban convertible pesos, or about $19.50, per nine holes is too high for locals, so the course is used mostly by tourists and diplomats. Diego Maradona, the former Argentine football star and a Fidel admirer, plays there. "Some people don't let you teach them much, and he is one of those guys," one of the caddies said about the football great. "He got a few pointers, and then did the rest himself."  Duque has been replaced by an easy-going local who grew up across the street and played the course as a kid. The new pro dispenses golf tips that are decidedly Cuban. "Learning the balance of golf is like learning to dance," he said. "The rhythm of salsa is 1-2-3. A golf swing is 1-2-3.

Havana – DTC - The Cuban group Gran Caribe, one of the main hotel consortiums in Cuba, will celebrate the anniversary of seven of its hotels this year. The hotels are Sevilla, which will turn 100 in March and is run by the French company Accor, and the Mercure Cuatro Palmas and Coralia Club Playa de Oro. Other hotels that will celebrate their anniversaries this year are Victoria and Presidente, which will turn 80, and Tryp Habana Libre, Colony and Hotetur Deauville, which will turn 50. The company, which has more than 12,300 rooms in 50 hotels, has launched a promotional campaign to attract more guests and boost its popularity among tourists from all over the world. Gran Caribe has implemented an incentive program for guests, especially during the low season, consisting of discounts for the restaurants and cabarets.

Havana, Cuba – Circles Robinson Commentary - There is no greater example of Washington's failed Cuba policy than the well-executed changing of the guard that took place in Havana last Sunday. Political analysts at home and Cuba watchers abroad are still digesting the fact that Fidel Castro —who decided not to run for reelection— and the Communist Party of Cuba have pulled off a smooth transfer of power. The event has left Washington dumbfounded and the hard-core Miami lobby dejected. Nobody dreams of filling Fidel Castro's shoes as a statesman, but newly chosen President Raul Castro will certainly continue on the course that Cuba's historic leader and his close associates have carefully set out. This includes a promise of policy reforms and administrative streamlining.

In the days leading up to the National Assembly's vote to elect a new president, the mainstream US and European media rushed to paint a picture of Cuba as a fragile house of cards ready to fall apart with the first light breeze. Most now grudgingly admit that their dire predictions were wrong. Already adjusted to Raul's style of government after 19 months as interim president, most Cubans are now waiting —patiently or skeptically— for the promised changes to make the country's socialist system work better. The streets are calm and life goes on normally. In his acceptance speech on Sunday, February 24, as in his address to the final session of the outgoing parliament on December 28, 2007, Raul referred to progressive changes in several areas of the Cuban economic and social life. Issues on the table include reforming the nightmarish bureaucracy, eliminating stifling rules and regulations, improving an economy marked by low productivity and poor administration and raising peoples' low purchasing power. One of the greatest achievements of the Cuban revolution was surviving the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent crisis that peaked in the summer of 1994.

One of the most important questions for the future of the 50-year revolution is whether the promised reforms can inspire new energy among Cuba's youth. At present, a considerable segment of the younger generation have fallen into apathy and disaffection, claiming to see no future for themselves in their underdeveloped country and longing to immigrate to where the grass appears to be greener. When push comes to shove, many of those youth will admit that what they really want is the best of two worlds: the advantages of their country's admired social system combined with a modestly better material living standard. Due to the US blockade, the difficulties faced by the entire region and Cuba's own deficiencies, the latter has proven unobtainable on the island for nearly two decades.

The Cuban media and educational system puts great emphasis on the heroic deeds of Cuban students in the 1950s who fought the Batista dictatorship. While the history is an important part of the cultural and national identity, it is clearly not enough to motivate young people. Unlike survivors of the heroic revolutionary generation and the first generation after them, many of today's youth see the glass as half empty, while the older generation sees it as half full. Cuban analysts have meticulously studied the fall of the Soviet Union, East Germany and the rest of the Socialist Bloc. Much of the government's seemingly slow maneuvering comes from the desire to avoid abrupt changes. Such changes, they fear, could give their enemies in Washington a wedge to break the country's overwhelming unity on national sovereignty and self-determination.

The new first vice president, Raul's previous post, is Jose Ramon Machado Ventura. A doctor and former minister of public health, Machado has served for several years in the key post as organizational chief of the Communist Party Central Committee. "I met Machado more than 50 years ago in the Sierra Maestra Mountains; the two of us were in the same column as the Commander in Chief [Fidel]," said Raul. "In case of any accident, attack or whatever," Machado as first vice president is a guarantee that the revolution will continue "without interruption." The new defense minister is Julio Casas Regueiro, who was vice-minister under Raul Castro at the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Casas is widely known for his business expertise and for being thrifty and even a bit of a "tightwad" as Raul stated in an intervention at the National Assembly before he was re-elected. Castro noted that Casas brings with him a lot of experience and that one of his greatest virtues is his reputation among all the generals as a careful spender; "to such an extreme that he was the only person I gave the authority to veto my economic decisions [at the defense ministry]," said the president.

On the new Council of State, now headed by Raul and Machado, the other five vice presidents are: Juan Almeida Bosque, Juan Estaban Lazo Hernandez, Abelardo Colome Ibarra, Carlos Lage Davila and Julio Casas Regueiro (the only new VP). Julio Miguel Miyar Barruecos remains the secretary. Of the other 23 Council of State members, 12 are new including 7 of the 8 women elected (up from 6 in 2003). The new council now includes 11 black and mestizo members including two of which are vice-presidents, Lazo and Almeida. The transfer of power dealt yet another blow to the 50-year-old US government obsession with overturning the Cuban revolution. Neither punishing US citizens and Cuban-Americans by strict travel restrictions, nor limiting normal business transactions, nor blocking academic, scientific, sports and culture exchanges has produced the clearly-stated goal of the Bush administration to return the island to its former status as a pseudo-colony.

Any possibility of a thawing in the icy relations between the US and Cuba now depends on Washington. Cuba's offer still stands for unconditional talks to improve relations and work together on matters of mutual interest like drug trafficking, human smuggling and the fight against all types of terrorism. In this final year of the Bush presidency, any cooperation appears out of the question. However, a new US leader in January 2009 will have the chance to make history and break the hostile policy of ten successive administrations towards Cuba.

Business Week – In Depth - The Cuban Economy: After the Smoke Clears - For most Cubans, life remains a slog. But here's the surprise: There's plenty of potential for growth in everything from oil exploration to upscale tourism. Roger Johnson knew that Fidel Castro would step down eventually. But the Cuban leader's Feb. 19 retirement announcement, while Johnson was in Havana, added an unexpected bit of drama to an otherwise routine visit. As North Dakota's agricultural commissioner, he was on his seventh trip to Cuba in as many years, signing a contract to sell $7.5 million worth of peas and lentils.

Wait a minute. What was a North Dakotan doing peddling beans to a country that Americans aren't supposed to trade with? He was taking advantage of rules that, since 2000, have allowed U.S. companies to sell food and agricultural products to Cuba. And he's far from alone. The U.S. shipped $438 million in such goods there last year. "We have a lot of commodities that Cuba wants," Johnson says.

And somehow, Cuba scrapes together enough cash to pay for them. Despite the run-down buildings, potholed roads, and empty store shelves, the country's economy grew by 7.5% in 2007, the third straight year of rapid expansion. Record high prices for nickel exports, promising deepwater oil finds in the Gulf of Mexico, brisk sales of premium cigars, and white sand beaches that attract millions of foreigners all add up to a stronger economic base than you might imagine. The robust growth could keep the communist regime under Fidel's brother Raúl Castro afloat by allowing him to raise salaries and improve crumbling infrastructure. "Cuba's state economy is in the best shape it has been in since the Soviets left in 1991," says Jorge R. Piñon, a Cuba expert at the University of Miami. "They don't need the embargo to be lifted."

That's not to say Cuba is in glowing health. Far from it. When Raúl Castro took over as acting President in 2006, he publicly acknowledged that government services were inefficient, and he urged Cubans to air their grievances and suggest how to make things better. In a series of roundtable discussions across the country, people complained about lousy public transport, low salaries, shoddy housing, and excessive government regulation. Although some 53,000 new homes were built last year, a half-million more are needed. And while Havana splurged on hundreds of new Chinese-made buses to replace tractor-pulled contraptions called "camels" that once hauled commuters, most people still wait in long lines or hitchhike to get to work.

For anyone outside a small elite, just getting by is a struggle. Benito, a 48-year-old cobbler who declined to give his last name for fear of losing his job, earns just $11 a month repairing shoes at a government-run, open-air workshop in Havana. His wife earns $13 monthly as a seamstress in a state factory. They live with Benito's sister because they can't afford their own apartment. The family gets a monthly ration booklet that provides enough food for 10 days; the rest has to come from less regulated markets where prices are far higher than in stores with rationed goods. In January, as part of a program to cut electricity consumption, the government delivered a new Chinese refrigerator and carted away their 30-year-old Soviet model. They'll pay off the new appliance—they had no choice in the matter—through a payroll deduction of $2.50 a month over eight years. "Everyone is expecting big changes under Raúl," says Benito. "It's impossible to live like this forever."

Many Cubans are looking for more than better salaries and food: They want to be less isolated from the world. Cuba's television stations spew out mind-numbing fare such as lectures on dialectical materialism and platitudes about the revolution. Few young people have pocket money to go to a disco or buy a beer, so many hang out in a park along Havana's Avenida de los Presidentes. On a recent Friday evening, 20-year-old Miguel Alejandro, his hair in dreadlocks, and 18-year-old Reinier, sporting a Marilyn Manson T-shirt, chain-smoked cigarettes and spoke dreamily of the possibility of traveling. "Even if we had the money, the government wouldn't let us leave the country," Reinier said. Miguel Alejandro complains that he's been fined five times by the police for offenses such as failing to carry his national ID card or sitting on the back of a park bench with his feet on the seat. "I'm tired of being hassled," he says.

Despite the travails of the likes of Benito, Reinier, and Miguel Alejandro, the economy has some surprising bright spots that could mean a more prosperous future. Perhaps the most promising sector is oil. Before the 1959 revolution, prospectors from Texas surveyed Cuba and concluded that it had little in the way of energy resources. But today, Cuba produces as much as 52,000 barrels of crude a day—some 36% of its needs. It comes from onshore and shallow-water wells operated for the past 15 years by Canadian companies Sherritt International and Peberco, as well as Cupet, the Cuban oil monopoly. And that represents just a fraction of Cuba's onshore potential, says Rafael Tenreyro-Pérez, Cupet's exploration director, who studied in Moscow in the 1970s, then returned home to work alongside Russian advisers searching for crude.

Farther offshore, in a triangular section of the Gulf of Mexico that belongs to Cuba, things look even better. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that as much as 9.3 billion barrels of oil may lie in the 6,000-foot-deep waters. A half-dozen foreign outfits, including the state oil companies of China, Norway, and Venezuela, have snapped up exploration rights and are conducting seismic studies. Several expect to drill exploratory wells next year. Cuba has encouraged investment by offering standard international production-sharing deals, giving foreigners a percentage of output. "We have tried to make the contracts as fair and flexible as possible because we are interested in finding oil quickly," says Tenreyro-Pérez. Within a decade, he says, Cuba could be a net exporter of oil.

Major offshore discoveries would have important geopolitical ramifications: Cuba could reduce its dependence on the charity of the mercurial Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, who now sends 92,000 barrels a day of oil to the island at heavily subsidized prices. And it would provide the Cuban government with funds needed to improve living standards, which could buy it more years in power. "Even if Cuba simply becomes self-sufficient, that would be a very big change," says Jorge I. Dominguez, a Latin American studies professor at Harvard University. "And Cuba as an exporter of energy would make things even more interesting."  It's far from certain, though, that Cuba will ever get there. As long as the U.S. embargo remains, Havana would have nowhere to send the crude for processing, since nearby refineries are either operating at capacity or are U.S.-owned. And if Cuba's economy keeps growing as fast as it has, consumption will surely climb, too.

Tourism is similarly promising—and faces similar problems. Cuba has long attracted plenty of tourists, but not Americans, who are barred from visiting the island without special permission. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Raúl persuaded a reluctant Fidel that they should open the borders to foreign visitors so the country could earn needed hard currency. Cuba began pitching its white sands and turquoise waters to armies of budget vacationers from Canada and Europe. It went from receiving just 340,000 tourists in 1990 to more than 2 million by 1994 and 2.3 million in 2005. Today, package-tour visitors burn themselves to a crisp on the beaches of Varadero and Cayo Coco, while the more adventurous dodge 1950s Buicks and Chevys in the streets of Old Havana looking for the Floridita and other bars where Ernest Hemingway used to toss back daiquiris.

Now, Cuba wants to go upscale. Officials aim to attract richer tourists by constructing dozens of new four- and five-star resorts and restoring some 50 historic buildings as boutique hotels. The epicenter of this effort is the Tourism Ministry, a 1950s edifice overlooking the Malecón—Havana's seawall—whose breezy hallways are plastered with travel posters. To keep wealthier visitors busy, the ministry wants to offer those most capitalist of amusements, golf and yachting. Ten golf courses—to supplement the two Cuba has today—are on the drawing board. "To compete, we really need as many as 25 golf courses," ministry adviser Miguel Alejandro Figueras says, noting that the Dominican Republic has 35. And he figures that Cuba could receive 49,000 pleasure boats from the U.S. each year if the embargo were lifted, but the country has just 500 or so berths in its 10 marinas.

Tourism, though, has its share of troubles. For starters, business has fallen off slightly in recent years as tour prices have crept higher and resorts have aged. Arrivals fell to just over 2.1 million last year. Worse, it's tough to create a service culture in a country where the propaganda machine has long frowned on anything smacking of luxury. Hotel phones go unanswered, taxi drivers are notorious scammers, and you can queue for an hour simply to buy extra minutes for an overpriced mobile phone rented from the government monopoly.

Another potential moneymaker: tapping Cuba's huge corps of doctors to offer foreigners a tummy tuck or help in kicking a drug habit. Cosmetic surgery and other procedures in Cuba can cost less than half what they do in the U.S. Last year, 6,000 foreigners visited Cuban hospitals and clinics for treatment, bringing in a total of $22 million, and Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona has checked in twice to overcome a cocaine addiction. "By charging [foreigners] for these services, we help defray the cost of our universal health system," says Gelacio Aday, director of international services for Cubanacan, the health tourism agency.

American business, meanwhile, is eager to join the party. A growing number of U.S. farmers, manufacturers, and oilmen argue that they're missing a chance to get a foothold in post-Fidel Cuba. In their place are companies such as nickel and oil producer Sherritt and Spain's Sol Meliá, which runs two dozen hotels across the country. All told, Spanish companies have 73 joint ventures in Cuba, particularly in tourism. Canada has 38 and because of Sherritt is the country's single biggest investor. Relative newcomer China has 12, and even Iran has gotten into the game, selling freight cars to Cuba's state railway. Only a handful of Americans have managed to get a foothold, using the few licenses that the U.S. Treasury Dept. has issued to food exporters. One of them is John Parke Wright IV, a 58-year-old rancher from Florida whose family began trading with Cuba in the 1860s. At the time of the revolution, he notes, Cuba "was one of the richest cattle countries in the world," with 6 million head. Today, there are fewer than 2 million. "We've witnessed agricultural decline on a massive scale," he says. That drop, though, has created a big opportunity for Parke Wright, who has visited Cuba frequently over the past eight years to help restock the country's herds.

Don't expect Cuba to achieve the kind of hypergrowth seen by Asia's stars anytime soon. The U.S. embargo will continue to bite, forcing Havana to pay higher prices for everything from powdered milk to satellite telephone connections. But 7.5% growth isn't bad, and if Raúl Castro can ease in changes that his brother might not have tolerated, the regime isn't likely to collapse in the near future either. "Raúl needs legitimacy, and the only way he can get it is by delivering results through significant economic reforms," says Carlos Saladrigas, a Cuban-American businessman in Miami who heads a group drafting strategies to deal with post-Castro Cuba. "He doesn't really have much choice."

VOA News - The Cuban government signed two United Nations human rights pacts that former Cuban President Fidel Castro opposed for more than 30 years. Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. He said the Cuban government still had reservations about some provisions in the pacts. The right of workers to form and join trade unions is among Cuba's concerns about the pacts. Roque announced his government's intention to sign the pacts in December when Fidel Castro was still the Cuban president. Roque also announced in December that Cuba would open its doors in early 2009 to regular scrutiny by the U.N. Human Rights Council. Raul Castro formally replaced his brother as Cuba's president earlier this week. He had been running the country on a provisional basis since his brother became ill in July 2006.

Havana - (acn) - The China Central Television (CCTV) opened three channels in Cuba with the signal reaching hotels, education centers and diplomatic venues throughout the country. This marked the completion of a three-phase project that began in November 2004 when the television signal reached 12 points on the island and included 30,000 hotel rooms. Today it can be seen in nearly 45,500 hotel rooms and also in health and education centers, diplomatic headquarters and cable networks associated to the reception points. Ernesto Lopez Dominguez, president of the Cuban Radio and Television Institute (ICRT), said the success of the project is the result of the commitment of both the Chinese and Cuban governments. He recognized the work of specialists and technicians from the two nations that worked together in the project over the past five years.  Meanwhile, Cuba's Cubavision International is making headway in China with services already landing in 16 provinces, as part of the bilateral project.

This is very important because China is the first Asian nation to receive the Cuban broadcasts, Lopez noted. The ICRT president said that today each country's international channels can be seen in the other's territory, providing a great opportunity to show the world the reality, popular traditions, music, sports and ideas of these sister nations that are building their socialist systems. Heading the Asian delegation visiting Cuba is Mr. Tian Ji, vice minister of the Chinese Film, Radio and Television Office. He said that the project will inject new energy into the bilateral friendship and occupy an important page in the history of cultural exchanges between the two countries. Rolando Alfonso Borges, who heads the Ideological Department of the Cuban Communist Party's Central Committee, attended the ceremony to launch CCTV Channel 4, CCTV Channel 9 and CCTV-E.

Havana – DTC - Skilled workers are installing new generators on the north keys off eastern Ciego de Avila province. Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo will benefit from the installation of two 3.8-megawatt plants. The new equipment will function with fuel oil and will increase the power generation capacity in the tourist destination of Jardines del Rey (King's Gardens) to meet the growing demand for electricity, as a result of new investment. The modernization of the region's power system is aimed at providing better services and improving the quality of hotels. Jardines del Rey, off Ciego de Avila province, has 12 five- and four-star hotels totaling 3,800 room, in addition to recreational centers, restaurants, and other facilities.

(IANS) - Cuba has announced the release of seven political prisoners, four of whom are among a group of 75 arrested during a government crackdown in 2003, officials at the Spanish embassy in Havana have said. According to the officials, four of the freed dissidents, identified as Alejandro Gonzalez Raga, Omar Pernet, Jose Gabriel Ramon Castillo and Pedro Pablo Alvarez, will be given asylum along with their family members in Spain, EFE news agency reported. The officials, however, didn't provide the names of the other three prisoners set for release. The announcement of the releases comes after Spain and Cuba held their second round of talks on human rights in Madrid.

The dialogue between the two countries was launched last April during a visit to Havana by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. That visit was the first by a European Union foreign minister since the bloc imposed sanctions on the island in 2003 after the crackdown. Moratinos described the release announcement as 'good news' for both the countries. 'The release shows that progress could be made through dialogue and shared responsibility,' he told reporters in the Spanish city of Cordoba. The Cuban police had rounded up and arrested all the members of 'Group of 75' during a peaceful demonstration against the communist government of Fidel Castro in 2003. With the latest releases, 55 dissidents of the group will still remain behind bars. Earlier, the authorities had freed 16 dissidents on medical grounds.

Havana – DTC - The search for new formulas of the anti-anemic tonic Trofin is a priority for experts from the Centro Nacional de Biopreparados (BIOCEN). Specialists from that institution pointed out that the research program includes the combination of Trofin (a product of natural origin) with vitamin C, folic acid and iron salts to make it more effective. Excellent results have been reported in clinical trials when administered to pregnant women suffering from anemia, children, elderly, high-performance athletes, burned patients and other vulnerable groups. Researchers are also working on other ways to present the product, which comes in the form of syrup, tablets and flavored powder. The Trofin technology was transferred to a pharmaceutical center in the eastern province of Holguín, where it is produced for local consumption and export.

Counter Punch – Commentary by Nelson P Valdés, a Professor of Sociology at the University of New Mexico - Cuba After Fidel

"If there is food for the people, risks do not matter" Raúl Castro. 09/18/1994

"We will do what is best for each sector and place, and we will not unleash processes that could escape the control of the socialist State." Carlos Lage. 12/19/1994

"I strongly believe that the answers to the current problems facing Cuban society ... require more variables for each concrete problem than those contained in a chess game." Fidel Castro. 02/18/08

The "Cuba experts" pontificating in the U.S. press claim that Raúl Castro, who replaced his famous brother in the new government, has appointed a hard-line anti-reformer to be the next person in line to succeed him. Why was José Ramón Machado Ventura selected instead of Carlos Lage? Have the "hardliners" won? Are the "reformers" in retreat? Is Machado Ventura more important to Raúl than Carlos Lage? What evidence, in fact, is there that political and economic differences exist within the new Cuban government? These are the wrong questions. Instead, we ought to pay attention to the assembled political team, their personal comparative advantages, experiences and functions that they could perform. In the Cuban political context, political people cannot be separated from their overall political environment and institutional linkages.

However, since foreign journalists and some scholars have made an issue of the selection of Machado Ventura over Carlos Lage, it is useful to discuss the service history of each. Machado Ventura was born in 1930. 19 years older than Lage. Machado Ventura is one of the few educated people that fought with Raúl in the guerrillas. He was a founder of the Frank País Second Front guerrilla region. He served as the guerrillas' physician. By 1959 he had become comandante , the highest rank within the Cuban guerrilla forces. Lage was 8 years old when the guerrilleros seized power. Machado Ventura became minister of health at age 29 (1960-1967). He helped conceive, create and run the Cuban medical system that made the island famous. He excelled in organizational skills. Carlos Lage graduated as a physician but did not have a military background. Machado Ventura was a founder of the Communist Party (PCC ) in 1965; Lage at the time was 14 years old.

By 1968, because of his organizational skills, Machado Ventura was given the responsibility of cleaning up the serious problems that the Cuban Communist Party confronted in Matanzas province. (At the time a pro-Soviet faction, led by Aníbal Escalante, had engaged in political and intelligence activities that the Castro brothers considered dangerous and treacherous.) Also, in 1968 he had become a member of the Central Committee. From that point on, Machado Ventura's work concentrated on the one party organization. In 1971, he had the post of first party secretary of Matanzas Province. Then he had the responsibility of doing a similar work rebuilding the party system in Havana. In other words, he did NOT remain within the ministry of the Armed Forces but left it in order to be a civilian organizing the Communist Party ranks. He had the political credentials of having participated in the guerrilla war. Since 1974 he has been the person in charge of the organization department of the PCC.

He had a fundamental role in the institutionalization of the revolutionary process initiated by Raul Castro in 1976. Machado Ventura was the one responsible for implementing that process, first in Matanzas and then in the rest of the country. He was brought into the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the Communist Party owing to his work in the province of Matanzas. In 1976, Machado Ventura was elected to the new National Assembly [the legislature] and selected as a member of the Council of State.

Meanwhile, Carlos Lage was elected to the National Assembly and also became an alternate member of the Central Committee. At the time, Lage was a very successful and influential university student leader. The following year, he became a leading member of the Union of Young Communists. When in 1980 Lage was selected to be a deputy member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Machado Ventura had already been a full member of the PCC for 15 years. The following year, Lage became secretary general of the Union of Young Communists, the highest position anyone could attain within the junior parallel organization of the communists of Cuba.

In 1986, Lage was selected to be a full member of the Central Committee. He also joined the "Grupo de Coordinación y Apoyo del Comandante en Jefe." This was the inner circle staff. Lage became the key coordinator within the Group .That same year, Machado Ventura was promoted to one of the vice presidencies of the Council of State. When in 1990 Lage became a full member of the Political Bureau, Machado Ventura had already been one of its members for 15 years. Machado Ventura, at that time, took on the responsibility of organizational secretary of the Central Committee. Thus, while Lage was addressing matters of state policy and its implementation, Machado Ventura addressed personnel and cadre questions within the state, the government and the party.

As the economic crisis hit Cuba in 1991 after the disappearance of the Soviet bloc, Fidel Castro and the Grupo de Apoyo y Coordinación took on many economic and political responsibilities, and Carlos Lage was in the middle of it all. In 1992, he became secretary of the Council of Ministers and the following year he also assumed the responsibility of vice president of the Council of State. Lage is, without a doubt, brilliant, dedicated and disciplined. The Cuban people certainly know and respect him. Machado Ventura is not as well known by the Cuban people, despite his long record. But there is one sector of the society that knows "Machadito" very well…. ­ the PCC membership.

Machado Ventura and Carlos Lage shared a number of positions: both were members of the Political Bureau and of the Council of State. Machado Ventura has been closer to Raul Castro in his daily work while Carlos Lage's ascendancy had been associated with close working relationship with Fidel Castro. Lage had worked as a physician abroad. Nonetheless, both have worked together often enough. Raúl Castro has stated that there were numerous changes that had to take place. Some of those changes, he said, related to economic and political policies that will impact on the general population. These are the issues that have concerned Carlos Lage. However, for those changes to take place there is the profoundly important necessity of having the proper personnel to carry out such policies; that is a matter that the Communist Party will have to address and solve. Without the proper personnel and cadres, the economic and political policies will not be viable.

The reforms will be forthcoming, Raúl Castro said. Moreover, he specifically stated that the Cuban Communist Party had to become absolutely democratic in its internal work. He noted that there should be no fear of discrepancies and differences of opinion; that there should be no fear. If there were only one political party in the country, that party had to reflect the diversity of opinion. The party, he noted, had to be "more democratic". Questioning what is done and how it is done should become normal and natural. As far as Raúl Castro was concerned, Cuban society does not have "antagonistic contradictions." All that is necessary is that discussions should be handled in a mature manner and that the Communist Party be cohesive, objective and responsible. Last, but not least, any substantive economic or political reforms will be preceded by significant changes in state and government institutions.

Indeed, the new president of Cuba said that Cuba's state institutions had gone through three major periods: 1959 to 1976, when ad hoc changes were made on the basis of revolutionary necessity and without any real formalization of procedures; 1976-1991, when the revolutionary regime was formalized and institutionalized, although some of the state apparatus resembled Soviet experiences; and, finally, the period after the demise of the Soviet bloc.

He said, "Finally, in 1994, the most critical moment of the Special Period, considerable adjustments were made leading to the reduction and merging of institutions as well as to the redistribution of the tasks previously entrusted to some of them. However, these changes were undertaken with the rush imposed by the necessity to quickly adapt to a radically different, very hostile and extremely dangerous scenario." He went on to add, "In the fourteen years that have passed since then, the national and international scene has noticeably changed. Today, a more compact and operational structure is required, with a lower number of institutions under the central administration of the State and a better distribution of their functions. This will enable us to reduce the enormous amount of meetings, coordination, permissions, conciliations, provisions, rules and regulations, etc., etc. It will also allow us to bring together some decisive economic activities which are presently disseminated through various entities, and to make a better use of our cadres."

For such all-encompassing tasks the first vice president has much experience behind him, for he was a major player in an earlier effort in what was then named the "institutionalization of the revolutionary regime." José Ramón Machado Ventura, Carlos Lage and others will have a lot of work before them. All the talk about hardliners setting the tone of the new Raúl Castro administration is too simple and naive. In fact, the revolutionary regime confronts a variety of problems to address and as everyone in the leading positions acknowledges, it will be necessary to have diverse approaches depending on the difficulty to be solved and its complexity Raúl Castro has made clear, in numerous speeches, that his administration intends and will insist on airing differences and arriving at consensual decisions. That is neither the mentality nor approach of a phalanx of troglodytes. There is a collegial system in place. It will be further elaborated and institutionalized.

The question, in the final analysis, is not what role each person plays, but in what direction the Cuban revolutionary state moves. Such tasks will not depend on just a few individuals but in their interconnections and effectiveness. To search merely for the "leading personalities" that promote "openings" and "liberalization" is to ignore the real revolution in the revolution that has been announced.  

Havana – DTC - Alcoholes Finos de Caña S.A. (ALFICSA) has improved the quality of its products to move up its position on the international market. The Cuban-Spanish joint venture plans to produce nearly 10 million liters of alcohol for export, accounting for 5.5 million dollars in sales. The plan has been reactivated after being closed for years, due to a shortage of raw materials. Sugar factories in the central provinces of Cienfuegos and Villa Clara will supply 80 percent of 90,000 tons of sugarcane syrup, which is used as the main raw material to make alcohol. ALFICSA's main clients last year were the companies Havana Club and Suchel Camacho (which produces perfumes and toilet products), in western Cuba. A nearby sugar factory will supply steam, which is used in the distillation process, so energy consumption will decrease 16 percent.

The Kansas City Star - KEY WEST, Fla. - For decades tour guides have successfully hyped this town's close proximity and historic ties to Cuba, playing up the Cuban cigar factories that once thrived, author Ernest Hemingway's fascination with both islands and a shared history of fishing, rum-running and other tropical pursuits. But now Key West's much-ballyhooed connection with Cuba has some folks worried. With Cuban dictator Fidel Castro ailing and a U.S. presidential election looming, many speculate that change, perhaps dramatic, might soon surface in the half-century old standoff between the United States and communist Cuba.

"Americans are going to be so curious and are going to want to go to Cuba," said Harold Wheeler, head of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. "I don't see it as a threat, but you have to be prepared and have a plan available to offset any potential negative impacts." Should Cuba undergo radical, rapid change, Key West could see anything from a chaotic influx of Cuban-Americans hoping to make their way by boat to Cuba to a sudden drop in vital tourist bookings as Americans flock to the long-forbidden island, forgoing more familiar domestic destinations. A 2002 study by the University of Colorado projected that up to 1 million Americans would visit Cuba in the first year should the island open to the United States, with the numbers leaping to 3 million within five years. Another study found one in five Florida tourists surveyed would choose Cuba over Florida as a vacation destination. For now, though, those surveys are simply speculation.

A new American president would not guarantee any change in the nearly five-decade-old U.S. embargo against Cuba. Some people think a Democratic administration might relax the restrictions on travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens, although nothing is certain. During the Clinton administration, Americans were allowed to visit Cuba on cultural and educational exchange trips, and tens of thousands took advantage of the opportunity. But those exchanges have been severely curtailed by President Bush. Government officials have not been sitting on their hands waiting to see what happens. Federal, state and local agencies have drawn up elaborate plans to deal with a sudden Cuba opening. The U.S. Coast Guard would step up patrols across the Straits of Florida, while law enforcement officials on land would increase traffic controls and regulate access to marinas.

The Keys, meanwhile, would embark on a public relations campaign with the dual purpose of assuring American tourists that the island chain was still open and ready for their visits, while also proposing that Americans might want to use Key West as a jumping-off point for trips to Cuba, just 90 miles away. Wheeler said, "People could stay here and do excursions to Cuba." "I call it, 'Two nations, one vacation, the Keys plus Cuba,' Wheeler and other Keys officials visited Havana in 2005. They came away believing the communist island's poverty and dilapidated infrastructure might quickly turn off many Americans. "They have some nice hotels, but overall you're impressed by how poor the country is and how bad a shape the economy and infrastructure is in," he said. "I believe after the first Americans visited, word-of-mouth would spread that Cuba isn't ready for a large influx of Americans." For all the speculation, some longtime Key West residents say they fear little from a Cuba opening, noting that Key West has changed a great deal in recent years. "Key West is high-end now," said Jerry Morgan, 72, who has lived here for 30 years and runs Sam's Treasure Chest gift shop. "We have a shortage of hotel rooms, and a lot of wealthy people have moved here or have second homes here. Tourism is still important, but Cuba won't hurt us."

Havana – DTC - The company Finauto Internacional LTD has increased its presence on the Cuban market, where it has contributed to the recuperation of the transportation sector. The company supplied 50 Daewoo buses to Santiago de Cuba, a similar number to Ciego de Avila and 30 to Havana. Finauto Internacional LTD guarantees spare parts for Daewoo and KIA vehicles, which are kept in Transimport storehouses and are distributed through the company Recambios Caribe. In 2007, Finauto Internacional LTD supplied 500 Picanto, Río, Sportage, Sorentu, Opirus and Carníbal vehicles to the company Cubacar, which operates in the tourist sector. Executives noted that the company has expanded its presence on the Cuban market, where it commercializes light and cargo vehicles, as well as those for public transportation. The company will assemble Chinese-made vehicles and will provide technical assistance, so it will become a leading company in equipping workshops and garages in Cuba.

Financial News – Toronto - Pebercan Inc.'s (PBC) oil sales agreement signed in 2005 between its subsidiary Peberco Ltd. and Comercial Cupet S.A., an operational division of the Republic of Cuba National Petroleum Company (CUPET), has been renewed, pursuant to which Comercial Cupet purchases the oil produced by block 7. The agreement is renewed for a period of one year, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2008, and at a sales price equivalent to an average of approximately 73 per cent of the U.S. Golf Coast N6 Fuel Oil Price Index. The percentage of the sales price discount increased in relation to the previous three-year agreement which expired Dec. 31, 2007, but also reflects the considerable increase in the fuel oil price index during this period, which increased from an average of about $26.79 (U.S.) in January, 2005, to $68.13 (U.S.) in December, 2007.

Havana – DTC - The firm Durero Caribe S.A., a leading company in the graphic and printing sector, has improved quality by installing state-of-the-art technology. Company executives noted that the installation of sophisticated equipment last year contributed to increasing Durero Caribe's sales to nine million pesos. In that regard, the experts pointed out that the Swiss-made Stampadora Foilmaster 104 allows to process 7,000 pages per hour and performs several functions automatically. The Fuego 80 Folder makes small boxes, and the SPERIA 106 die cuts, engraves and prints paper and cardboard sheets. Durero Caribe S.A. has implemented quality and environmental control systems, according to international standards. The cigar and pharmaceutical industries, and the companies Cuba Ron and Suchel Regalo (the latter makes toilet products), are among Durero Caribe S.A.'s clients.

Znet – Commentary by Toni Solo - Cuba was ranked at 51 in the 2007 UN Human Development Index. One place above Mexico. You will never read that fact in corporate mainstream reporting on Cuba. Nor will you read that around 90% of those eligible voted in Cuba's recent elections. Nor will you read a thorough comparison between Cuba and similar countries like, say, Jamaica or the Dominican Republic. The Human Development Index is a comparative measure of standard of living among UN member countries. In last year's Human Development Index, Jamaica sits at 101 and Dominican Republic at 79. Among Caribbean countries only the Bahamas, at 49, and Barbados, at 31, do better than Cuba. Among Central American countries only Costa Rica, at 48, does better.

Reporting on Cuba in the corporate liberal press goes to incredible lengths to avoid any realistic account of Cuba. Writing of the calm around the vote ratifying Raul Castro as President, Rory Carroll of the Guardian wrote on February 25th, "The dearth of suspense underscored the authorities' tight control over the island and its 11 million people, many of whom hanker for relief from poverty harsher than that experienced in eastern Europe before the fall of the Berlin wall." The comparison is hopelessly irrelevant. Living standards for the majority of people in all Caribbean countries except the Bahamas and Barbados are much worse than in Cuba and the same is true of other countries in the region like Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador or Guatemala. Among South American countries only Uruguay, Argentina and Chile rank above Cuba in the UN index. That means that Cuban society, despite 45 years of vicious terrorist attacks and genocidal economic blockade by the United States, is more successful in terms of human development than almost all its Caribbean neighbours and the great majority of Latin American countries, including economic giants like Mexico and Brazil or "free trade" beacons like Panama.

That very clearly means Cuba's socialist system has proven better at meeting people's needs than the corporate consumer capitalist system applied in most other countries in the Americas. The Guardian and the Independent are supposed to be the flagship newspapers of liberal opinion in British society. In fact most of their journalism on a range of issues, from Palestine to Haiti to Iran and Afghanistan to Venezuela and Cuba parrots standard NATO government propaganda. Their editors might splutter in response and point to trend-bucking journalists like Robert Fisk or Patrick Cockburn. But those exceptions serve as journalistic loss leaders pulling in the punters while routine editorial policy differs little from the downmarket tabloids.

If one compares the treatment of recent events in Cuba with political coverage of the US or Europe, the double standards are blatant. David Usborne wrote in the Independent, also on February 25th, "...there was little suspense in Havana yesterday anyway, as most people doubted the newly elected body would dare do anything but salute the legacy of Fidel by selecting his 76-year-old brother to take over. The only real alternative for the 614-member Assembly was to embrace a generational shift, choosing one of two younger loyal lieutenants of the regime, either the Foreign Minister, Felipe Perez Roque, who is 42, or the 56-year-old Vice-President, Carlos Lage." So Usborne acknowledges that there was a real alternative but still manages to make it sound as though there was hardly any choice. Why does one never hear that logic applied to votes in the US Congress on Iraq or on support for Israel. For example "...there was hardly any tension in Congress around last night 's vote on the Middle East as most people knew the elected Senators would hardly dare challenge the pro-Israel lobby" or "almost no one expected any problems for the vote on military spending because few politicians would dare challenge the defence industry".

Usborne quotes a US State Department statement from Condoleezza Rice. ""We urge the Cuban government to begin a process of peaceful, democratic change by releasing all political prisoners, respecting human rights, and creating a clear pathway towards free and fair elections,"she said." But Usbourne might equally well have checked out the internet to find quotes from important regional politicians. Lula de Silva, President of Brazil, quoted in an Agence France Press wire of February 19th "The leader insisted that he was "happy that everything has been going on quite calmly....what we feared was that, in an adverse situation, a turbulent process might have ocurred and that the Cubans in Miami might have considered it the moment to return to Cuba and turn the island into a zone of conflict.""

The Mexican government stated its intention "to continue progress in a process of bilateral rapprochement begun some months ago" following a diplomatic row between Cuba and Mexico's former President, Vicente Fox. The Organization of American States Secretary General José Miguel Insulza remarked "whatever change may come about should come about from peaceful and democratic dialogue by Cubans and in no case be moved by external efforts." The Jamaican government information service wrote that the country's right-wing President Bruce Golding "hailed President Castro for his steadfastness, courage, strength of his leadership and his unswerving commitment to the cause of the Cuban people."

The point of noting these responses is that by quoting the by now almost irrelevant Rice, Usborne prioritizes a completely skewed Americanist view of Cuba. Most other governments in the Americas, unlike the United States government, tend to be more ready to recognize the vulnerability of their own contradictions. If one looks at the United States one can quickly note the grotesque litany of human rights abuses prevalent there, from its racist criminal justice system, to the Guantanamo base torture cells, to "war on terror" denial of due process, to mass violation of privacy, the no-fly lists,  CIA rendition-to-torture flights, denial of basic rights to tens of thousands of people from New Orleans, political prisoners like Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu Jamal... the list goes on and on.

The US authorities are notorious for having jailed 5 Cuban anti-terrorists who gave the FBI information about terrorists based in the US. The Cuban government reckons over 3000 Cubans have been killed by terror attacks originating from the United States. One wonders what would happen to US dissidents who were found to be taking money from a hostile foreign power responsible for terrorist attacks on the US people. In Cuba such individuals are tried and jailed. Cuba's internal security arrangements have always resembled those employed by the United States and European Union governments when faced with terrorist threats. Such arrangements carry similar likelihood of abuse and human rights violations. One has only to think of the long war in Ireland, or the Spanish government's security measures against ETA to find ready comparisons, let alone the current wholesale violation of basic rights experienced in the United States. In the UK, the DA notice self-censorship system polices media compliance with the official government line. Currently, the UK government is censoring ex-soldier Ben Griffin's attempts to denounce UK collusion in torture in Afghanistan.

By prioritizing US views and failing to note other perspectives on Cuba, Usborne and his editors deliberately imply that Rice's view is somehow more important than those of other government's in the region. In reality, US prestige in Latin America and the Caribbean has never been lower. Condoleezza Rice and her Bush regime colleagues have presided over that. Quoting Rice's remarks and no one else's is lazy and presumptuous - pretty much what one expects from Western Bloc corporate media, liberal or otherwise. Presumption and laziness similarly characterize Phil Davison's piece in the Independent by-lined February 24th. Davison writes, "a Democrat as US president, particularly if it is Barack Obama, might go a long way to hauling Cuba out of its time warp and turning it into what some predict could be the commercial and tourism hub of the Caribbean." How about, "a Democrat as US president, particularly if they were suddenly develop a moral conscience, might go a long way to hauling Colombia out of its time warp, promoting a peaceful settlement of its 50 year old war, funding compensation to 3.7 million people internally displaced by conflict and encouraging the government to sever ties with narcotics dealing paramilitary terrorists who claim to control 35% of the country's legislators."

But you will never read that in the Independent or the Guardian because no US President is ever likely to cut off support to their narco-terror paramilitary proxies in Colombia. The UK liberal Press are little more than megaphones for smug, self-serving Western Bloc propaganda. Here's another one from Davison, on what Raul Castro might do as President, "If elected, the chances are strong that he will ease the stranglehold. That could sharply increase Cuba's annual GDP per head of $3,000 (£1,500) and average wage of $10 a month." In fact, an information centre like Michigan State University's International Business Centre reckons that in 2006 GDP per head in Cuba was US$4000 while in Honduras and Nicaragua it was US$3100, in Jamaica US$4,600, in El Salvador US$4,900. Davison can point out that tourist-economy countries like Dominican Republic and Belize have far higher per capita GDPs. But how then does he explain their dreadful Human Development rankings compared to Cuba? Both Dominican Republic and Belize in 2006 had GDP per capita of US$8400. But in the HDI, Dominican Republic is ranked 79, 28 places below Cuba, while Belize is ranked 80.  These contradictory figures point to the Latin American and Caribbean region's fundamental economic problem: overwhelming poverty resulting from gross inequality in income distribution.

The basic anti-Cuban moves in Western Bloc consumer capitalist media propaganda outlets like the Guardian and the Independent are these:

-          shun comparing like with like - make out it's legitimate to measure Cuba's economy against first world standards

-          be careful to mention the embargo but only in passing and omit mention of its genocidal intent and effects

-          minimize Cuba's unprecedented international humanitarian contributions in health and education

-          try never to note Cuba's world-beating scientific, sporting and cultural achievements

-          avoid mentioning the US government's support for terrorism against Cuba, keep quiet about CIA terror bomber Luis Posada Carriles

-          quote Cuba's enemies, play down its worldwide support from governments of all ideologies

-          discount the Non-Aligned Movement and Cuba's prestigious place within it

-          write out of Americanist assumptions - the only government whose opinions are worth anything on Cuba is the United States

-          keep human rights issues out of context and omit comparison with other countries in Latin America, especially Colombia

-          never mention that Cuba sits above US NAFTA partner Mexico in the Human Development Index

-          play down and/or disparage Cuba's participatory democratic system

-          never compare Cuba's disaster prevention systems with the United States' and never mention Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans or its sequel

One doesn't have to write a praise piece about Fidel Castro or Cuban socialism to recognize Cuba's unprecedented achievements against the most vicious aggression possible short of outright military assault. One may have reservations, for example, about Cuban government willingness to promote its citrus sector with help from retired Israeli government gangsters or to welcome State visits by cruel, greedy dictators like President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea. Or one might wonder why Cuba's housing shortage seems to be as intractable as the one in Spain. But to find out what kind of well informed criticism may be legitimate to make of the Cuban government or Cuban society, among the last places one should go looking is in Western Bloc liberal corporate media like the Guardian and the Independent.

(Bloomberg) - Mexico agreed to refinance $400 million in defaulted Cuban debt as the countries take steps to increase trade. The accord, reached in Havana by diplomats, comes after six years of decreasing financial ties between the countries, the Mexican Trade and Export Bank said in a release. State-owned Banco Nacional de Cuba and the island nation's central bank will be responsible for the debt, according to the statement. Terms weren't disclosed. The money being refinanced will be used to fund Mexican exports to the Communist-ruled island. According to data from the Mexican bank, known as Bancomext, trade between the nations fell to about $200 million last year from an average $435 million a year during the 1990s.  

Under acting President Raul Castro, Cuba's government has been renegotiating terms of its defaulted debt to attract new investment and blunt the effect of a 46-year U.S.-led economic embargo. Since Raul Castro replaced his ailing brother Fidel in July 2006, Cuba has restructured $166 million in defaulted loans with Russia and stretched out payments with Venezuela for billions of dollars in annual oil purchases. Fidel Castro, who had ruled Cuba since ousting U.S.-backed President Fulgencio Batista in 1959, suspended payments on about $11 billion of debt during the late 1980s as financial aid from the Soviet Union began to phase out. In May 2006, Bancomext recovered $35 million of defaulted Cuban debt after an Italian court ordered payments should be made to Mexico from a Cuban escrow account in Italy. Banco Nacional de Cuba had stopped debt payments to Mexico on behalf of Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba in 2002.

International Herald Tribune – Miami - Bernardo Viera Trejo still remembers that sweltering summer day in 1955, when he and his then-friend Fidel Castro met up shortly after the would-be revolutionary's release from prison. Castro had attempted to overthrow the island's dictator, Fulgencio Batista, with an assault on the Moncada military barracks in southeastern Cuba. He had failed and spent the last two years behind bars. As the two chatted, Viera says Castro drew a map of the doomed attack and signed it for his friend with a flourish. Now, more than half a century later, Viera is selling the map through the Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries, the latest in Cuba-related historical documents placed on the auction block.

"I believed he was an important person and would become even more so," said Viera, a former journalist who has interviewed luminaries including Ernest Hemingway and Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges. "But Fidel, he couldn't understand why I wanted it." Viera, 75, believed at the time the attack was significant but had no idea Castro would become the island's leader, let alone rule the country for so long. Days after their meeting, Viera left for Europe as journalist Bohemia, Cuba's best known magazine. Castro fled to Mexico where he prepared another coup against Batista. When Castro returned to Cuba in 1959, Viera rushed to write about his revolutionary efforts.

He says he is auctioning the map because of its historic value and because he needs the money. The idea came to him after he read about a similar auction Heritage held for a lock of hair snipped from Ernesto "Che" Guevara before his burial in 1967. A Houston-area bookstore owner paid $100,000 for the lock in October. Jaime Suchlicki, head of the University of Miami's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, dismissed the notion that Castro's ailing health has triggered an upsurge in Cuban memorabilia sales. He questioned the map's authenticity, adding, "There's always people selling stuff. People are still selling things from Hitler." Sandra Palomino, of the Dallas-based Heritage Gallery, which plans to auction the map, said she is convinced Castro's signature is authentic because it matches other verified examples of his signature from that time and because it was first published in a book printed in Cuba not long after Castro took over. "Regardless of what your feelings are, his autograph is highly desired," Palomino said. "He's an important historical figure."

Havana – DTC - The National Standardization Office certified the company BRASCUBA Cigarrillos S.A. with the 2000 ISO 9001 quality standards, as an acknowledgement of the company's international prestige. Experts from Bureau Veritas pointed out that the company has greatly improved the quality of its products. BRASCUBA has implemented a strict quality control system, for which purpose it has installed cutting-edge computerized equipment to monitor the quality of cigarettes every 20 minutes. The equipment monitors the size, weight and girth of cigarettes, among other parameters, which producers must guarantee to meet consumers' demands. Other standards are measured at the laboratory of the quality control department. Since it was founded in 1996, BRASCUBA has produced, commercialized and distributed cigarettes in the domestic market in hard currency and abroad.

Paris - (PL) - With over two concert hours and a master class, the Cuban folk company Yoruba Andabo captivated the French public and critics during its Paris performance. The performance in the main hall at the capital's Cité de la Musique was considered a memorable night by the hosts, full of real popular art, said José Luis Lobato to Prensa Latina. Company manager Lobato said the recital lasted over two hours, with songs from the congo and yoruba cycles, as well as various rumba genres. Fusion was also included and the concert ended with a lively conga which made over half the audience get up and dance, he said. The artists from Yoruba Andabo gave a master class on Afrocaribbean culture that blended theoretical elements with company presentations before leaving to perform in Geneva, Switzerland.

Yoruba Andabo was part of the festival 'The New World, Caribbean Rituals', which depicted dances and myths of this area, with groups from Martinique, Guadeloupe and Honduras. Much of contemporary popular music is inspired by Caribbean harmonies and rhythms. Cuban son, West Indian zuk, Jamaican reggae and Haitian compas are all secular manifestations of profound spirituality, said Francois Bensignor from Cité de la Musique. 2001 Latin Grammy Winner for Best Folk Album, Yoruba Andabo, will perform this Wednesday in Geneva, where he will also give a cycle of master classes.

Havana – DTC - Sports fishing is gaining ground among Cuban women, who are developing their skills in a sport that had been exclusive for men. Experts in the central Cuban province of Villa Clara said more than 500 women are members of the Sports Fishing Federation, especially in coastal areas. Precisely, the qualifying competitions for the National Cup, scheduled for March 8 at the Minerva dam, in Villa Clara, will be held this month. In that kind of event, prizes are granted to the angler who captures the largest fish and the highest total weight, with either a cane or a fishing line, and using natural bait. In these events, small fish that has not developed fully is released. Competitors' most coveted freshwater species are trout and tilapia, among others.

The Edmonton Journal - From the postcard images of bright, round-fendered Chevies set against weathered colonial stonework, Cuba could seem caught in some long-past era. The reality, on the cobbled city streets and rutted country roads, is more complicated. In transportation, as in so much else, this island exists in any number of times -- even, at times, the present. Thus the opulent 1950s American sedans that may stand as Fidel Castro's least intended legacy share street space with Yutong buses new from China, with Peugeot 206s that could be at home on the Paris ring road, with riders on horseback and strange Russian cars that would never look at home in any place or time. Layers get added, but in a land that knows scarcity like Canadians know snow, layers are never taken away.

"In Cuba, we don't have mechanics," says one man, who waits a practiced beat and adds: "We have magicians." There is magic in seeing it, too. Magic in the wondrous sense of a country-wide car show with a surprise around each corner -- such as two Polish Fiats on the shoulder, their owners bent over an open engine lid. The reliance on animals for transportation endures in Cuba. In this sugar-producing region east of the capital, horse-drawn carts -- though riding on the comfort of rubber car tires -- are as common as tractors. Cars from the first half of the 20th century still putter along Cuban roads, but the 1950s is the champion era. Christopher P. Baker, author of Cuba Classics: A Celebration of Vintage American Automobiles, believes that as many as one-sixth of the island's estimated 450,000 registered vehicles date from this decade of rich design.

Most of Cuba was as poor then, as now, but Havana sizzled and -- until Fidel Castro's revolution triggered a U.S. trade embargo -- American cars washed into the capital like jellyfish on a windy day. Cadillac's Havana agency was said to be its busiest in the world. Great finned Caddies still populate the streets, like the Sedan de Ville spotted sagging along the divided coastal highway that is Cuba's pride, its turn signal blinking unattended in the manner of Cadillacs everywhere. The pontoon-fendered Chevrolet sedan of the early '50s must have been another favourite; every street seems to hold a '52 Styleline or '53 210 Sedan. But Buicks, Fords and Plymouths still roll here too, along with rarer sights like the 1960 Corvair that must have Nadered in just before the blockade. Some shine like new, some are dented and rusting to the point that should, but doesn't, place them beyond salvage. Most, though, fall into the category of "serviceable."

Keeping them running requires resourcefulness: if parts cannot be brought in from the U.S. by some roundabout route, they must be fabricated or adapted. Typical is the driver who obligingly raises the hood of the Chevy Bel Air sedan his grandfather bought in 1957 to reveal a Russian carburetor and modern, two-chamber master cylinder (linked to front disc brakes that must be a godsend after the original drums), but the original, indestructible Blue Flame Six engine. Like others, he's had offers from tourists who don't realize the state would never permit his Chevrolet's sale or export. Few Cubans themselves can get permission to buy private cars, although many circumvent the law by keeping the registration in the original owner's name. The tourism value of this huge stock of '50s-mobiles isn't lost on Cuba. Their pastel colours and flowing curves figure in the photographs, paintings and wooden trinkets sold to visitors. In Havana you can hire a restored Belvedere or Impala for sightseeing. "Even in the United States, they say you do not see cars like this," remarks Juan, a security guard who speaks five languages.

Yet residents still seem bemused by the enthusiasm for what to them remains more appliance than artform. Mention you want to see old cars, for example, and you're likely to be directed to the 1905 Cadillac and 1918 Model Ts in the Havana Deposito del Automovil collection. If there's irony in the likelihood of these chrome-laden remnants from one of the U.S.'s most indulgent automotive periods outlasting Castro, there's confusion in the Soviet vehicles that replaced them. One owner shows off a sedan that is a miniaturized knock-off of a 1958 Ford, or 1960s Cortina. At some point it has acquired a Peugeot dash and steering column. A young man wearing yellow Pumas has added custom metallic-green paint, tinted glass and alloy rims to his Lada variant that the West knew better as the Fiat 124.

The Lada is the tuner car of choice for young Cubans, as well as a staple of police and taxi fleets. Away from the city, square Russian farm trucks trail blue smoke as they pick their way along roads that haven't been patched since the fall of the Soviet Union. Families stuff into motorcycle-sidecar combinations from Czechoslovakia. Even with the loss of Soviet aid and the collapse of sugar prices, new vehicles trickle in. Tourists, now the largest source of income, ride in buses from Zhangzhou and manual-shift minivans from Korea. Cubans ride on Chinese bicycles or in double-humped "camel" buses pulled by transport tractors.

In Havana, little Daihatsus that Toyota wouldn't dare bring to North America dart around ancient Pontiacs. Gliding along the coastal freeway is an elaborate Mitsubishi sport-utility with military licence plates and dark tinted glass. Automotive researcher Martin Piszczalski has suggested that Cuba, a compact nation of 11 million with a low rate of car ownership and little infrastructure to protect, could be uniquely positioned to embrace new ways to move people. With fuel cells, or integrated train-bus systems, he says Cuba could leapfrog the U.S. to "create the first truly 21st-century transportation system." But the country that relies on burros and 50-year-old Bel Airs worries more about preserving the little it has now. "We know there will be change," says Juan, the security guard. "But we hope it will come slowly."

Havana – DTC - Tourist activities in Cuba are based on beach, cultural and historic options, in addition to facilities to practice nautical sports. Cuba's geographical situation places the Caribbean Island amid the main navigational routes in the continent, including the Yucatán Straits, the Old Bahamas Channel and the Straits of Florida. According to experts, marinas and nautical bases can be found throughout the Cuban archipelago, in ports, tourist complexes and beaches. The facilities offer a wide range of options like excursions on yachts or catamarans, including life on board on the keys, fishing trips and other activities. In addition, tourists who arrive on their own boats can dock at the marinas and have access to communications, catering, repair and maintenance services, fuel supplies, water and electricity.

Havana - (Prensa Latina) - Cuban President Raul Castro led a meeting of the Western Army Military Council, in which he highlighted the work carried out by the military in 2007. In the meeting held Friday, it was reiterated that the mobilization of Army reservists and militiamen, known as "Operacion Caguairan", will continue for the time being, with the aim of developing their military abilities. The importance of enlisting women in the defense of the country, especially through the female voluntary military service, was also stressed.

During the meeting, Raul Castro read a message from the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, who congratulated General Julio Casas Regueiro for his promotion to Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR). "I think the enemy has not managed to entangle us thanks to Raul Castro's wise and serene speech," Fidel Castro noted in that text. On behalf of the Military Council, Western Army chief Lieutenant General Leopoldo Cintra, praised Raul Castro´s work as FAR minister for almost five decades. "We know you are the right person to preside over the Council of State and Ministers, because like Fidel Castro, you have taught us the meaning of the Cuban Revolution," Cintras stated.

Havana - (Prensa Latina) - The meteorological phenomenon "La Nina" is to have an influence this year in Cuba, where will cause a period drier than normal and could favor, if it maintains, a greater formation of tropical storms. In the last few days, this event has caused intensive rainfalls, with consequent damages in the South American region, "Juventud Rebelde" newspaper reported Sunday. Experts state that "La Nina" typical influence on the island is characterized by a decrease of rainfalls during the less wet stage, mainly between January and April, so such season trends to have less rain than normal.

They also said that weather behavior is not only modulated by such event, but also by other factors, like the East phase of the Quasi-biennial Oscillation, starting these days and could still make the current seasonal period in the country less wet. According to the World Meteorology organization forecasts, the phenomenon is now in development and will last at least until mid 2008. Its effects have already been felt in the Equatorial Pacific zones of India, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Havana – DTC - Cuban moviegoers will enjoy new films at the 7th Festival of Young Moviemakers, to be held in Havana and central Cienfuegos province. According to sources from the organizing committee, 108 films will be exhibited in the main contest, including works by foreign students from the International Cinema School in San Antonio de los Baños and the Higher Art Institute (ISA). Parallel to the festival, 88 motion pictures produced by the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), including 21 films by Santiago Alvarez, and 144 from 15 countries, will be exhibited. The motion pictures will be shown at 18 movie theaters, including 23 y 12, Chaplin, Multicine Infanta, Titón, Charlot, the Cinematographic Cultural Center and universities. The festival will consist of theoretical debates, master lectures, seminars and exchanges with world-renowned filmmakers. It will also include the project Moviendo Ideas (Moving Ideas), an 80-hour workshop to debate the films exhibited during the event.

Havana - (Prensa Latina) - Cuban scientists from nine institutions met this week to analyze the possibilities to produce ethanol from sugarcane byproducts and other alternative sources without sacrificing food. The First National Workshop on Cellulosic Ethanol, held at the ICIDCA (Sugarcane Research Institute), was attended by 42 experts, who reviewed the current situation on the international market and technological processes that are not based on food.

The Cuban experts, who gave two master lectures and presented 16 papers at the event, insisted on the danger of using crops to produce ethanol and biodiesel. Participants in the meeting highlighted the international concern about using corn, wheat and soy, which are humankind's basic food, as raw materials to produce biofuels. As an example of that, the European Union has decided to replace by 2010 all vehicles running on fossil fuel by those working on biofuels. In addition, India is promoting an increase of up to 10 percent in gasoline-ethanol mixtures this year. At the same time, many transnational companies in the United States are investing in big factories to turn cereals and vegetal oil into fuel to replace oil, gasoline and diesel.

Starvation, water shortage, deforestation, intensive use of fertilizers and herbicides that are dangerous to human health, and the eviction of peasants would be among the many consequences of that new industry. Cuban scientists and institutions made it clear that the Caribbean Island will make the necessary efforts to contribute to debating and analyzing all possible variants to produce biofuels. The experts agreed on the deficiencies of the industrial process based on food and the problems caused by that technology for land and food production for human consumption. The costs of recollection, manipulation, storage and preparation, in addition to energy costs, show that extending that practice as a viable solution to high oil prices and the exhaustion of oil as a major energy source would be counterproductive.

However, insufficient economic information on total costs - not only in the industrial process -, and the attractive prices of hydrated ethanol in contrast to gasoline, are boosting the industry. Scientists agreed that promising technologies to produce ethanol from waste are being researched and developed at present. They noted the importance of carrying out economic studies about today's availability and potential of cellulosic wastes in Cuba. They also debated the used of genetically-modified organisms to obtain a second generation of biofuels that will not be obtained from food. The participation of Cuban researchers and institutions allowed attendees to exchange fundamental technological knowledge. They also got an update of the world's major ethanol-producing companies and their prospects.

Havana – DTC - Cuban economic authorities are boosting recycling to make better use of wastes and reduce imports. One of the recycling plants is being built in the beach resort of Varadero, in the western province of Matanzas. Special containers have been distributed in Varadero's hotels to collect recyclable materials. Cargo vehicles will take the waste collected from the hotels to a storage center between Varadero and Cárdenas. The center and the collection system in Varadero will contribute to saving 9.2 million pesos in raw materials in 2008.

The Reporter – Vacaville, CA - Thanks to the efforts of two Winters farmers, and a little help from the U.S. Government, folks in Cuba now can snack on Northern California's treats. As part of a agriculture trade mission last month, representatives from Sierra Orchards and Mariani Nut Co. went to Cuba to deliver goods and take notes on how the country maintains sustainable agriculture. Craig McNamara, who owns Sierra Orchards, said he was intrigued to see how the Cubans have regrouped since the early '90s when their relationship with the Soviet Union was severed. "One of my main interests is in sustainable agriculture. The Cubans are doing a tremendous amount of work with that," McNamara said. "Once the Soviet Union collapsed, they no longer had access to fertilizers and pesticides." He said the biggest surprise was to see gardens in the middle of urban areas that fed thousands of people. "These aren't just little backyard gardens; some are up to 22 acres," he said.

A.G. Kawamura, California's food and agriculture secretary, set up the trip with the help of U.S. Department of Treasury. He said it was painfully obvious that California agriculture was just a fraction of the goods being sent to Cuba. Around $600 million worth of goods were sent to Cuba last year, and only $735,000 of it came from the Golden State, he noted. "The many products they are importing are California-type products like dairy, wine and dried fruits," Kawamura said. "We were finally able to put together this mission. We wanted to go a lot earlier."  Kawamura said he, too, was surprised to see how the Cubans had rebounded since the fall of the Soviet Union. Some of the locals remembered California products from before a trade embargo was put in place, he said. "They have a very dynamic system evolving," he said. "It was pretty interesting to see how far they've come in that short time. They had to start all over again and build themselves into something different than they were."

The hopes are to create some communication in case the relationships with Cuba evolve and trading resumes, Kawamura said. "It's a very competitive market and we definitely have the quality," he said. "The hope would be that in the coming months and years that companies will help them facilitate trade." Also on the trip was Jack Mariani. He said the Cuban people are fond of American products, but not so much with the trading practices. "They love American people, but they aren't very happy with the administration," Mariani said. "We're doing next to nothing, but here we are one of the biggest agriculture areas in the country." Mariani said if Fidel Castro no longer is in charge, things may be different for Cubans in the future. "The quality of life is so-so. You make 30 bucks a month, whether you are a doctor or a street sweeper," he said. "It's tough to fathom. Changes are coming."

According to McNamara, the Cubans would welcome the variety of goods with open arms. "The Cubans are extremely generous, hospitable and curious and very much want a relationship with the U.S.," he said. "Cuba is a strong existing market that we can strengthen. The shelves are quite bare and the diversity of fruits and vegetables does not exist. We have such a wealth of offerings."

Havana – DTC - Proyecto Color Cubano (Cuban Color Project), aimed at dealing with issues related to ethnic diversity, will build monuments to Cuban personalities in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba. The initiative includes monuments to Dr. Guadalupe Castellanos, a physician and historian, and Prudencio Ramírez, also known as Negro Lencho, who was a bricklayer at the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery. Lencho kept the remains of Cuban pro-independence leader Carlos Manuel de Céspedes to prevent them from being desecrated. Another local personage to be honored by the project is revolutionary fighter Juan Taquechel, who defended the workers' rights, particularly those of port workers, in the 1940s. Experts recalled that Santiago de Cuba holds the first monument to the abolition of slavery, the Serrano Park, on Enramadas Street. The park was built in 1670 and was named Plaza de la Carnicería (Butcher's Square) at the time. Three decades later, it was renamed Plaza de la Picota (Pillory Square), because rebel slaves were executed there.

Ciego de Avila, Cuba - (Prensa Latina) - The man-made causeway connecting mainland Cuba with several keys north of the Ciego de Avila province is being repaired, as part of a project to improve the country's roads. Chief Investor Roberto Ramirez told Prensa Latina that the works, valued at 23 million pesos, would be completed in five years. He pointed out that the project includes repairing all 14 bridges, completing the promenades, building seven lookouts and pouring rocks on either side of the road. Other works include strengthening the foundations and structures of the causeway, which has been deteriorated by very aggressive natural agents.

Ciego de Avila province is 267 miles east of Havana. The 26,550-yard Cayo Coco-Turiguano causeway is the longest road in the province and the first of its kind ever built in Cuba 20 years ago. The only road to Jardines del Rey, one of Cuba's fastest-growing tourist destinations, has been severely damaged by salt residue and weather conditions. Twelve hotels and villas, totaling more than 3,600 rooms, operate on Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, in Jardines del Rey.

Granma Intl. – Havana - Specialists joyfully announced at the end of January 2008: the Bayamo River has registered 98.5% purity of its waters! This river - some 80 kilometers in length - was for many years during the colonial period a way for the people of Bayamo to trade with the outside and avoid the strict controls imposed by the governors of the era. It was also the principal source of water for the population of that small, but growing, city in eastern Cuba which today is the capital of Granma province. But gradually, the river was transformed into a place where sewage was dumped and it was used as an open-air garbage dump for tipping waste and refuse. Its banks were deforested by local potters searching for firewood to fire their bricks.

The Bayamo River died as a source of drinking water and as a place of recreation and relaxation. Bathing oneself in the water was to tempt contracting all kinds of diseases. The historic city of Bayamo had turned its back on its own river. In April 2003, the first Urban Consultation in Cuba took place in the city of Bayamo, aimed at carrying out an analysis of the environmental urban situation. This consultation was part of the Agenda 21 Bayamo project which was supported by UN-HABITAT, the United Nations Human Settlements Program. The consultation reviewed the urban challenges and prioritized the most sensitive issues for the city. Identified among these were the decontamination of the river, the handling of waste and urban mobility.

In order to resolve these problems, 11 demonstrative projects were designed and implemented with financing from UN-HABITAT, and additional resources were obtained from the Local Human Development Program (LHDP) at the UNDP and the Canadian Urban Institute for another 11 projects. They are working to find solutions for the river, to improve urban highway administration, protection for cyclists and pedestrians, refuse collection, street cleaning and better organization of public transport services. All the projects have adequate financing from the government of Bayamo city. And so then, for the river – and for the people of Bayamo – the hour of reckoning had arrived. Experts led by hydraulic engineer Luis Canut tackled the wide spectrum of the causes/consequences of the state of the river and decided to integrate all the actions into one unique plan.

Measures were taken to reduce the dumping of urban waste, to install a treatment plant, reforest the banks with indigenous species and to construct a resort for the population and a vast recreation park with restaurants and other services. The progress of these projects led to a Workshop for the Evaluation of the Results and Institutionalization held in Bayamo, with the presence of Cecilia Martínez Leal, regional director of UN-HABITAT for Latin American and the Caribbean; Dr. José Juan Ortiz, acting resident coordinator of the United Nations and UNICEF representative in Cuba; Lisa Cavichia from the Canadian Urban Institute; and officials from the UNDP and LHDP/Cuba.

Also taking part were parliamentarians from the National Assembly and national and provincial representatives of the ministries and organizations involved in these efforts, including the Institute of Physical Planning which acts as a main counterpart. There were also representatives from the Cuban cities of Santa Clara, Cienfuegos and Holguín, which are also developing Agenda 21 Local projects. The principal People's Power authorities in the province and in Bayamo expressed their gratitude to the UN institutions and others involved in the wonderful development of the efforts undertaken in this historic city in Granma which, in 2008, celebrates its 495th anniversary. Although work still remains to be done, the results are very encouraging in every aspect. But one of them particularly stands out and constitutes a tremendous ecological and human victory: Bayamo has now rescued its river! How many other cities can say the same?

Havana, Feb 27 (acn) Hoyo de Monterrey and H.Upmann Premium cigars are the main attractions at the 10th Havana Cigar Festival, attended by more than 1,000 delegates from 50 countries. The event that opened on Monday and will close on Friday at Havana's PABEXPO has brought together experts and cigar aficionados from all over the world. Among Hoyo de Monterrey's offers are the Epicure Especial, Magnum 50, and Magnum 46. Other new products that will be presented at Havana's Convention Center on Wednesday are Cohiba Siglo I in five-cigar boxes to complete the Los Siglos de Cohiba (I-VI)line, launched in 1992.

Partagas will launch Serie D No.4 in ten-cigar SBN boxes, and Serie P No.2, in addition to the Corona Senior. Bolivar will present the Royal Coronas and Punch will launch the Punch Punch, the most relevant vitola of that brand. The 2008 Limited Editions will be dedicated to Montecristo and Partagas, and will include Cuaba for the first time this year. The novelties will be Montecristo Sublimes, Partagas D No.5 and Cuaba Piramide. Romeo y Julieta will present its Humidor Antiguo containing 250 cigars and Coleccion Habano Cohiba with the Sublimes Extras cigar band.

In addition, 15 regular vitolas dedicated to Spain, Asia-Pacific, France, the United Arab Emirates, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Portugal, Switzerland, the Caribbean and the Adriatic, will be presented. A selection of small vitolas such as Montecristo Pettit Edmundo, Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill and Hoyo de Monterrey Short Churchill will also be presented for Duty Free and Travel Retail.

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In 1999, OFAC (The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C.) confirmed that it had previously issued an opinion in 1994 which stated that a U.S. company or individual could make a secondary market investment in a "third-country company" that had commercial dealings with the Republic of Cuba as long as that investment in the "third-country company" was not a controlling interest and the "third-country company" did not derive a majority of it's revenues from operations in Cuba. (Therefore, under that criteria, U.S. citizens and companies can invest in a private or public Canadian company doing business with Cuba)

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James
Cuban Weekly News Digest

http://www.cubaninvestments.com