Those who will benefit are households that “lack sufficient funds, live in vulnerable housing conditions, lack housing; or need to build, expand, repair or maintain their property, as long as the work is realized by their own efforts.”
Read MoreHundreds of thousands of Cubans will begin filling out tax returns, a new activity for citizens who have lived half a century without paying taxes in a country where even today the majority of the population is exempt.
Read MoreReferring to the expected changes in immigration policy, a Cuban-American colleague wrote: “Not only is it absurd, but it is totally irresponsible to think that Cuba must open the doors to its borders wide open.”
Read MoreA statement from Amnesty International reminds us that the Guantanamo prison is marking a birthday in January 2012. It was exactly a decade ago that the first prisoners of the “war on terror” were sent there.
Read MoreThe sources that originate these rumors are close enough to Fidel Castro to give them credibility but sufficiently diffuse to never allow verification. These come from “high-ranking military leaders,” “family members of Cuban leaders” and “members of their medical staffs.”
Read MoreCuban babalaos (Santeria priests) announced their “Letter of the Year,” containing predictions for 2012 “for Cuba and the world.” Once again came an “osorbo” (a message of bad luck) portending difficulties and the work necessary to counteract their effects.
Read MoreUpon hearing the news of the pardon of 2,900 prisoners, a friend who’s a “revolutionary” warned me that “the streets are going to turn bad”; while a dissident complained to me that “the Cuban government’s decision was too limited.” The controversy sparked my interest, so I went looking for some of those who were released.
Read MoreThe Raul Castro government ends the year with kept promises and outstanding debts. The “opening” of the housing and automotive markets was well received by Cubans, but many continue to await immigration reform and modifications to the Family Code.
Read MoreJust 24 hours after the announcement by Raul Castro — in the middle of the Christmas season — the government began releasing over 2,900 prisoners, many of whom are now in their homes. We managed to talk with several of them during these hectic last 48 hours.Finding a few of them wasn’t difficult. In almost every neighborhood there are freed prisoners.
Read MoreAt 500 bank branches throughout Cuba, on-going credit commissions are being set up to begin making loans for business start-ups and expansion. These commissions will be charged with conducting a risk analysis of each application received.
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