The announcement this week in Cuba to suspend self-employment licenses in 30 different fields, including some of the most popular such as cafes, private restaurants or renting out rooms, didn’t exactly provoke optimism.
Read MoreThe intense drought that the island and its people are suffering isn’t news. But, maybe the real dimensions of the problem haven’t been publicly explained to raise people’s awareness about the gravity of the situation. The poorest, the most deprived, already know this.
Read MoreFor a half century the Cuban media boasts of successes in food production while the population faces endless shortages. Everyone is aware of the contradiction. Facing a growing financial crisis, the country continues to import over a billion dollars in food products each year.
Read MoreFor almost two decades, public participation shows on Cuban TV had practically disappeared. Or they weren’t visually attractive enough or they didn’t capture the viewing audience’s attention because of their reductionist content. Now they are back.
Read MoreRosa, a government worker at the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute (INSS), waits for a signal from her boss; Graciela dances “thankful” for the Comandante; thousands celebrate Ortega and Murillo, Nicaragua’s new “patron saints”.
Read MoreAt these “now-or-never” times for Cuba, it’s crucial that organized and efficient foreign investment is given priority, as it would be no exaggeration to say that the future of Cuba, just as we have dreamed it, depends on this.
Read MoreSome US officials are now voicing the possibility of prohibiting Venezuelan crude oil exports to the United States as one of several sanctions on President Trump’s table. We look at the possible consequences.
Read MoreOn Monday July 17th, “Down with Castro” graffiti ushered in the new day on Campanario Street between Carmen and Rayo in Central Havana. The hasty arrival of painters with rollers erased this act of daring soon enough, even though the metallic green paint of the accusing letters could still be seen under the grout of the door that used to belong to the Municipal Impoundment center for seized goods.
Read MoreThe existence of two currencies as legal tender means that converting one for the other is a necessity, depending on the things you need to buy, while trying to save one’s meager salary at the same time. The current reality of the situation is that the much-needed conversion of these currencies has become a real challenge for the Cuban people.
Read MoreIn spite of some efforts to increase laborers’ and professional’s wages, the controversial issue with salaries based on the state budget still continues to be an unbearable headache for Cuban authorities.
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