CubaNews articles from February 2004

CubaNews archives from February 2004

Bush intensifies anti-Cuba campaign, but exiles say White House falls short.(George W. Bush)
February 1, 2004... George W. Bush is tougher on Cuba than any president since Ronald Reagan, and U.S.-Cuba relations are at their lowest point since Fidel Castro's 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes. Yet while the White House campaign may...

Cuba plans extensive marina network in bid to lure U.S. recreational boaters.
February 1, 2004... Havana's famous Marina Hemingway can host up to 400 pleasure boats, but it's rare to see more than 100 vessels tied up to the marina's docks at any given time. With strict new U.S. travel restrictions in place and being vigorously...

Castro boosts military expenditures.
February 1, 2004... Cuba is significantly increasing defense spending after cutting military expenditures by 50% in the 1990s. This year's 20 billion-peso budget includes more than 1.4 billion pesos for the armed forces, an 8.9% jump. The government reports...

In memoriam: Mort Luxner.(Obituary)
February 1, 2004... Morton B. Luxner, an advertising salesman who in retirement taught creative writing classes and penned columns for The Broward News and other South Florida newspapers, died Jan. 10 at the age of 86. The father of CubaNews editor and...

Cuba delays crackdown against illegal access to Internet.
February 1, 2004... The Cuban government has postponed a measure that would prohibit the use of peso phone lines to connect to the Internet, while allowing its use for dollars. The original restrictions were to have taken effect Jan. 24, though Empresa de...

GlobalNet wants piece of Cuban cellular market.
February 1, 2004... Illinois-based GlobalNet Corp. has won an exclusive contract for worldwide termination of voice and data mobile satellite telecommunications traffic originating in Cuba. The contract, announced Jan. 7, was granted to GlobalNet by Global...

Reality check: not all U.S. companies want to sell to Cuba.
February 1, 2004... In 2003, the United States became Cuba's seventh-largest trading partner, surpassing even long-time buddies Canada, Mexico and France. Raul de la Nuez, Cuba's foreign trade minister, told the official business weekly Opciones that Cuba...

Alimport hires savage to handle Tampa service.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Alimport has selected A.R. Savage & Son Inc. as its shipping agent for goods sent from Tampa Bay, reports the St. Petersburg Times. CEO Arthur Savage said his company has already handled eight shipments of dicalcium phosphate (an animal...

Blau Hotels to manage hotel in Cayo Coco.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Spain's Blau has taken over management of the Hotel Colonial Cayo Coco in Jardines del Rey. The four-star property has 342 rooms and was inaugurated 10 years ago, when there were no other hotels on Cayo Coco. Two years ago, Blau signed...

Government hopes to lure scuba to Cuba.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... With an average of 100,000 dives by 25,000 divers from around the world, Cuba is rapidly becoming a top destination for scuba divers. Miguel Alejandro Figueras, a diving specialist with the Ministry of Tourism, said Cuba now has 37...

Barcelo plans mega-hotel for Santa Maria.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Spain's Barcelo hotel chain plans to build an enormous 5-star hotel at Cayo Santa Maria, as part of its 2004-05 expansion plan. According to a Cuban government report, the hotel will be inaugurated in December 2006 with a reported 2,361...

Chinese tour group is only the beginning.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Twenty Chinese tourists arrived in Havana on Jan. 21, representing the first-ever organized group of Chinese visitors to the Caribbean island. "This event undoubtedly will strengthen economic, commercial and cultural cooperation between...

"In their own words ...
February 1, 2004... "Spielberg went down there and said, 'The best seven hours I ever spent was with Fidel Castro.' What I want to ask him, and I know he's going to get pissed off, is, 'Would you consider building a little annex on the Holocaust museum or at least...

MINVEC: joint ventures dropped from 403 to 342 in 2003.(Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation)
February 1, 2004... Cuba had 342 active joint ventures at the end of 2003, down from 403 when the year began, says the Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation. That's a 15% drop and the first decline since such ventures were legalized more...

New marina eases access to western tip of Cuba.
February 1, 2004... Yachts traveling from the U.S. to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula now have a convenient port for a landfall at Cabo San Antonio, the westernmost tip of Cuba. Owned by state-run Gaviota S.A., an arm of the Cuban military, the new marina at Los...

James Cason: Washington's lonely diplomat in Havana.
February 1, 2004... He doesn't get around much lately, but James A. Cason, chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, certainly enjoys a sweeping, panoramic view of Havana. From his spacious 5th-floor office overlooking the Malecon, Washington's top...

U.S. calls off migration talks as Castro fumes over transition committee.
February 1, 2004... On Jan. 7, U.S. officials suspended bilateral migration talks with Cuba--just one more sign that relations between Washington and Havana are getting worse. Jim Cason, chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, said the talks were...

PTO upholds Havana Club trademark, in defeat for Bacardi.(Patent and Trademark Office)
February 1, 2004... A division of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington has rejected motions to cancel the U.S. registration of the Havana Club trademark. The Jan. 29 ruling by the PTO's Trademark Trial and Appeal Board upheld the validity of the...

Strictly by the numbers.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... 11,177,243--Cuba's official population as of September 2002 11.87--number of births per 1,000 inhabitants, according to the same census 424,799--number of Cuban students who received free accommodations in 2003 26--number of Cuban...

Correspondents wait for Fidel's finale.
February 1, 2004... Every six months or so, Vanessa Bauza, one of the few American correspondents in Havana, gets a call from her editors. A rumor is again sweeping through the Miami community of Cuban expatriates: Fidel Castro is dead. Bauza, a reporter for South...

Democrats take on the Cuba question.
February 1, 2004... On Jan. 30, the Associated Press asked all seven Democratic presidential candidates this question: What conditions, if any, would Cuba have to meet for you to favor dropping the embargo? Here are responses from the six candidates that remain in...

Guatemalan leader seeks better Cuba ties.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Guatemala's new president, Oscar Berger, has vowed to boost his country's diplomatic and trade relations with Cuba. Eduardo Stein, the Guatemalan vice-president, and Jorge Briz, the new foreign minister, expressed their views at a meeting...

Cypriot lawmakers visit Cuba.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... A delegation of lawmakers from Cyprus visited Cuba in January, only four months before the divided Mediterranean island of 800,000 inhabitants is scheduled to gain admission into the European Union. The delegation, headed by Demetris...

Gabon signs collaboration pact with Cuba.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cuba and the African nation of Gabon have signed a bilateral collaboration agreement covering health care, education, sports, tourism and culture. The Jan. 23 accord was signed by Ernesto Senti, Cuba's acting minister for foreign...

Iceland ambassador presents credentials.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Hjalmar W. Hannesson, Iceland's new ambassador in Havana, presented his credentials Jan. 15 to Cuban Vice President Juan Almeida and Deputy Foreign Minister Angel Dalmau. After the ceremony, Hannesson placed a wreath at the monument to...

Oil production up; Repsol plans test well.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cuba's oil production will increase in 2004 for the 10th year in a row, says Fidel Rivero Prieto, director of the state entity Cupet. He told the business weekly Opciones that oil extraction reached 4.3 million tons last year, up 3.7% from...

UNESCO plans cultural heritage database.(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... UNESCO wants to increase the responsibilities of its regional cultural office in Havana, reports the Spanish news agency EFE. Among other things, the international agency hopes to establish a database of cultural heritage, said Mounier...

Infant mortality lowest in Latin America.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cuba reported an infant mortality rate of 6.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2003, the lowest in Latin America, according to official figures. The rate, lower than those reported in 2003 by Chile (10), Uruguay (14), Brazil (30) or...

U.S. mission revises Cuban visa procedures.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Beginning Feb. 2, the U.S. Interests Section in Havana will implement a telephone appointment system for nonimmigrant visas. Appointments granted through this system will be the only appointments honored after Feb. 9. Cuban applicants who...

Texas companies taking Cuba seriously.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Texas firms are stepping up their volume of food sales to Cuba's Alimport, says a Jan. 10 report in the San Antonio Express-News. "After hanging back, Lone Star State companies have taken the plunge, with Dallas-based Dean Foods signing a...

Biocen produces hepatitis vaccine.(Cuba's National Biopreparations Center (Biocen) produced a record 17 million doses of anti-hepatitis B vaccine )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cuba's National Biopreparations Center (Biocen) produced a record 17 million doses of anti-hepatitis B vaccine for the domestic and export market, reports Granma. Biocen's director, Carlos Lastra, told the newspaper that in 2003, Biocen...

New Minrex website encourages 'debate'.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has inaugurated an online discussion forum "where we discuss everything pertaining to political, economic and socio-cultural issues." On Friday, Feb. 13, the website will host a debate on the subject of...

Boutique inns open in Trinidad, Cienfuegos.(Grand Slam Ltd)
February 1, 2004... On Jan. 6, Grand Slam Ltd., a hotel venture established by British growth fund Ceiba Finance Ltd., signed an agreement with state-run Rumbos S.A. to open a chain of boutique properties aimed at "the discerning traveler." Initial...

Labiofam promotes rat poison overseas.(Labiofam S.A. )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cuba's rodenticide Biorat is now being sold in Latin America, China, Vietnam and Angola, according to state agency Labiofam S.A. Deisy Lorenzo, a company representative in the central province of Matanzas, told Prensa Latina that Biorat,...

Finlay Institute explores longevity issues.(Carlos J. Finlay Institute)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Dr. Concepcion Campa, director of Havana's Carlos J. Finlay Institute, which produces 100 million doses of diverse vaccines annually, thinks men and women should be able to live to 120 years or more. According to Dr. Omelio Borroto, deputy...

Helms-Burton waiver extended--again.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... President Bush on Jan. 16 extended for another six months a measure barring lawsuits by Americans whose property in Cuba was confiscated by the Castro regime. Bush announced the move in a letter to key lawmakers, saying his action "is...

Mississippi ports seek more Cuba trade.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Mississippi port officials say they got what they expected out of a recent fact-finding trip to Cuba. Don Allee, director of the Mississippi State Port at Gulfport, came back with a guarantee that Cuba will use Gulfport as much this year as...

Santeria priests: 2004 to be dramatic year.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... This year will be filled with aviation and shipping disasters, climate upheaval and worldwide political strife, say Cuba's Yoruba high priests--warning that sacrifices would be needed to ward off evil omens. Reuters reported Jan. 7 that...

Cigar prices recover in Europe; 'mini' production up.(Internacional Cubana de Tabacos)
February 1, 2004... The Cuban-Spanish joint venture Internacional Cubana de Tabacos Ltda. (ICT) produced over 46 million minicigars worth $8 million in 2003. That's up from 36 million minis in 2001, said Miguel Angel Casas, president of ICT. The small cigar...

Mapeasy sells colorful, useful tourist map of Cuba.(MapEasy Inc. has introduced a waterproof and tear-resistant map of Cuba)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... MapEasy Inc. has introduced a waterproof and tear-resistant map of Cuba that should accompany anyone planning a trip to the island. On one side of the fold-out, $6.95 map is a detailed street-by-street guide of Old Havana, pinpointing the...

A comprehensive look at Cuba's farm machinery sector.
February 1, 2004... Since 1960, Cuba has focused on crop mechanization, but development remains hindered by the country's lack of credit and fuel. The primary focus of farm machinery is the production of combines and cane-cutting machines, harrows, cultivators,...

Cuba develops solar energy techniques.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cuba's electronic industry, which is showing signs of recovery, has begun producing photovoltaic modules for foreign clients. The equipment, which brings electricity to rural areas, is manufactured at the Electronic Components Complex in...

Outlook brightens for 2004 sugar crop.
February 1, 2004... Cuba says its current sugar harvest is doing much better than the 2002-03 zafra. Most of the mills started operation on schedule, cane estimates are not inflated and the use of industrial capacities, while low, is higher than last year. ...

Citrus crop reaches pre-Michelle levels.(Empresa Citricos Victoria de Giron)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Production levels at Cuban citrus enterprise Victoria de Giron are expected to reach over 420,000 tons of fruit in the 2003-04 harvest. Roger Delgado, director of the state-run company, told Prensa Latina that this year's harvest will...

Cuban honey production sets records.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cuba produced over 7,000 tons of bee honey in 2003, the highest output in the past 12 years, according to National Apiculture Director Israel Lozada. The official noted that yield per beehive had increased to 54 kilograms. Cuba's central...

Magazine kills cigar story.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... California magazine CigarWise pulled its cover story out of security concerns for the author, Ron Wagner, and following threatening letters and phone calls. The expose, titled "The Internet vs. the Cuban Embargo," apparently upset readers...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
February 1, 2004... If your organization is sponsoring an upcoming event, please let our readers know! Fax details to CubaNews at (301) 365-1829 or send an e-mail to larry@luxner.com. Feb. 11: "Havana the Beautiful: Past, Present & Future" Presentation by...

Caribbean update.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... You already know what's going in Cuba, thanks to CubaNews. Now find out what's happening in the rest of this diverse and fast-growing region. Subscribe to Caribbean UPDATE, a monthly newsletter founded in 1985. Corporate and government...