Circles Robinson, Author at Havana Times

Cuba’s Economic Reforms Called Neoliberal

Representatives of the Cuban opposition described as neoliberal the economic reforms announced by the island’s government, which include the laying off of half a million state workers. “The combination of massive layoffs with the way in which self-employment is being reintroduced and with a new foreign capital project, hidden from Cuban citizens, is the opening to the late, harsh and primary neoliberalism,” states the document presented in this capital by Manuel Cuesta Morúa, of the Arco Progresista social democratic coalition.

Havana Club Rum Expects Growth

The Havana Club Company expects a recovery in its exports this year to reach the 3.6 million boxes of rum sold on the international market, after a three per cent decline in 2009 due to the economic crisis, said Marc Beuve-Mery, director of the association between Cuba Ron S.A. and the French group Pernod Ricard.

EU to Maintain Cold Cuba Policy

The European Union (EU) will not make radical changes to its policy toward Cuba when the foreign affairs representatives of the 27 meet next Monday, although a proposal could be drawn up to explore new options, diplomatic sources in Brussels predicted. Spain’s intention of eliminating the so-called Common Position and establish a new framework of bilateral relations is facing the opposition of countries such as Germany and the Czech Republic.

Self-Employment & Private Capitalism: Not the Same Thing

The expression “self-employed workers who hire workers” is a negation in itself. “Self-employed” doesn’t begin with the word “self” by mere chance; it is work carried out by oneself, for the sustenance of oneself and one’s family. It does not involve the exploitation of other people’s wage labor, as a norm, and nor does it entail working for someone else.

Wikileaks and Freedom of the Press

One of the principal acts evidenced by the leaks made public by the NGO —whose most visible member is the organization’s Australian director, Julian Assange— is the policy of the American occupation troops and their allies in systematically covering up the deaths of innocent civilians.

Havana Livestock Fair 2010

The 14th International Livestock Fair took place in Rancho Boyeros, Havana earlier this month. Representatives of firms from Germany, Argentina, Spain, South Korea, Panama, Switzerland and host Cuba were on hand to see the eight days of exhibits and competitions. The fairgrounds are the oldest in Cuba founded in 1933. Here’s a look at what took place. (26 photos)

Cuba Tourism Hits Two Millionth

Cuba surpassed for the seventh consecutive year the figure of two million tourists, on this occasion 12 days before as compared to 2009, according to a Ministry of Tourism communiqué. This figure represents a three per cent growth in this sector, considered last decade as the locomotive of the Cuban economy.

Cuba Prepares for Climate Change in Farming

The Cuban scientific community is seeking new varieties of agricultural products resistant to extreme conditions such as intense droughts and hurricanes, which could become more frequent due to climate change, Sergio Rodríguez, director of the National Institute of Research on Tropical Tubers, affirmed. According to the specialist, that institution has a world-renowned germ plasm bank

Cuba Cuts Spending on Top-Level Sports

The Cuban government decided to cut spending on high-performance sports and concentrate on the mass practice of physical activity, as part of the reduction of expenditures in the state budget, José Ramón Fernández, president of the Cuban Olympic Committee, announced. Fernández recognized that for the island, an underdeveloped country blockaded by the United States, it is difficult to maintain the economic allotments required for high-level competitions.

Cuba-US Confer over Alan Gross

While the US State Department claims it is a top priority to achieve the release of Gross, the Castro government appears in no hurry to please Washington, which maintains a half century economic blockade on Cuba, stiffling its development.