American Express Plans to Enter Cuba
Álvaro Fernández (Progreso Weekly)
HAVANA TIMES — Last week MasterCard announced that it would allow its customers to use their credit cards in Cuba. The decision came after President Obama’s announcement on December 17 to establish diplomatic relations with the island after more than 50 years of animosity.
The latest economic giant planning to enter the Cuban market is American Express which said it would begin operations in Cuba. No specifics as to dates, etc. were offered.
Marina Norville, American Express spokeswoman, confirmed in an email to El Economista that the company also plans to begin commercial activities in Cuba but gave no further details.
The website also wrote that Visa Inc. has not yet revealed its plans for Cuba.
As a child living in post revolutionary Cuba I saw the ugly truth behind the propaganda. …no BS required!!
Stealing a girl friend could be forgiven. What can’t be forgiven is the destruction of Cuban cultural and civic society. What can’t be forgiven is the taking of property and forced work camps. As a child I saw these things, things you know nothing about
In fact, I first learned about the Castros & Che from Leftist propaganda & BS. They seemed like great heroes. It was only after reading dozens of other books and articles that a true picture of these men developed: that of murderous tyrants who betrayed the Cuban people. As a Canadian with no personal connection to Cuba, I can view them with a dispassionate mind, but I came to understand why so many Cubans hate them.
Check your reading comprehension. I criticize the Castros because I believe in democracy and freedom and they represent the opposite. If that sounds like “no apparent reason” to you then so be it. I lived in Cuba. I developed my opinions first-hand. What’s your excuse for supporting a dictatorship?
Why not admit it Patterson, you simply hate the Castro’s for no apparent reason other than the BS and propaganda that you have been fed and feast upon.
Some things are priceless: freedom of speech, association, migration and religion. For everything else in Cuba, there’s MasterCard.
You are getting to the party late Ana. I absolutely have a grudge against a dictator who has tortured and murdered hundreds, if not thousands of people, and held an entire nation hostage for 56 years. Don’t you? By the way, if you don’t know the economic difference between a small business owner in the US and a small paladar in Cuba, you don’t belong in this conversation. WTF, does the price of anything in the US have to do with this thread anyway?
“The terminals and the connections that these credit card companies use can cost many hundreds of dollars to install a” And they don’t cost lots of money to small businesses in the US? Oy vey. Just admit you have a grudge against the Castros in particular. What did he do? Steal your girlfriend?
While permitting the use of US credit cards may be a plus for my household (or maybe not), it will not help small private Cuban businesses very much. The terminals and the connections that these credit card companies use can cost many hundreds of dollars to install and a high-speed telephone line is required to operate. Many privately-owned restaurants, especially in the interior, do not have telephones and certainly don’t have the funds to pay for the initial set-up. At least initially, this means that only those establishments which currently accept non-US credit cards will benefit. This list includes Castro-owned hotels, restaurants and tourist shops. This will only serve to fatten Castro wallets to the extent there is any increase in spending and do nothing to improve the lives of average Cubans.