Business & Economy

Users of Cuba’s two main internet providers Nauta and Enet, both belonging to the State monopoly telecommunications company ETECSA, woke up today without service, something which also happened for several days at the end of November.

Germany’s deputy Foreign Minister and Economy Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, arrived in Cuba on Wednesday to back the economic opening of the island’s economy and advocate for bilateral trade.

Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe began on Sunday an official visit to Cuba. He is the fourth leader of a US state to do so since Washington and Havana announced their diplomatic approach just over a year ago.

Cuban President Raul Castro called today for respect for the national sovereignty of the country in order to move forward with the full restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States.

The Cuban gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by two percent in 2016, a figure that is half the increase the government claimed for this year, said the Minister of Economy and Planning Marino Murillo, at the beginning of the plenary session of the People’s Power National Assembly. “Growing at all amid the current global crisis is positive…”

The governments of Cuba and the United States agreed to restore direct commercial flights between the two countries after more than half a century. American Airlines could be one of the first to take advantage of the new opportunity.

Cuba will close 2015 with magnificent news for its ailing finances: this Saturday, Raul Castro’s government and the Paris Club reached an agreement on the island’s debt that will secure a US $ 4 billion relief in interests due and reduce Havana’s outstanding debt to US $ 2.6 billion, payable in the generous term of 18 years.