CubaNews articles from January 2007

CubaNews archives from January 2007

Despite the obstacles, Cuba's Alimport is spending more than ever on U.S. food.(Alimport contract on agricultural commodities)
January 1, 2007... Relations between the United States and Cuba have never been worse--but that's hardly dampened the island's ravenous appetite for American food products. In 2006, state-run purchasing agency Alimport says it contracted for just over 1.4...

Regional cellular operators can't wait to crack Cuba's pent-up mobile market.(Cuba mobile telephone )
January 1, 2007... Cuba--a country known around the globe for its advances in education, medicine and biotechnology--is light-years behind its neighbors when it comes to telecom. According to a 2006 study by the UN Conference on Trade and Economic...

U.S. rice producers expect Cuba market to keep growing.
January 1, 2007... In 2000, when the Clinton administration gave U.S. agribusiness companies a loophole that would allow them to export food to Cuba despite the embargo, it was a no-brainer that U.S. rice sales would take off. Indeed, rice exports jumped...

Raul to National Assembly: 'we're tired of justifications'.(Raul Castro )
January 1, 2007... Sharp criticism prevailed. The need for rigorous analysis--free of inaccuracies and justifications--was the straightforward message coming from Raul Castro on Dec. the final day of a two-day session by Cuba's National Assembly. "In this...

Coast Guard: fewer Cuban 'rafters' in 2006.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The number of undocumented Cuban migrants stopped at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard, which had been rising steadily year by year, fell noticeably in 2006, the Miami Herald reported Jan. 3. While Cuban interdictions are down, the number of...

Venezuelans like Fidel, Costa Ricans don't.
January 1, 2007... Some 60% of Venezuelans have a positive view of Fidel Castro, according to the 18 Latinobarometro, released in December by The Economist. Less than half of all respondents in the other 17 countries surveyed have positive feelings about...

Fewer political prisoners behind bars in 2006.
January 1, 2007... The number of political prisoners held in Cuba fell in the second half of 2006, but harassment of dissidents continues, said veteran Cuban human-rights activist Elizardo Sanchez. AP quoted Sanchez as saying that his group counted 283...

In their own words ...(Quotation)
January 1, 2007... "Fidel is irreplaceable, and I don't intend to imitate him. Those who imitate fail." --Raul Castro, speaking Dec. 20 at a conference of Cuba's Federation of University Students in Havana. "Sometimes people fear the word 'disagree,' but...

Cuba's new alcohol/ethanol policy.
January 1, 2007... When it comes to the ethanol industry, no one denies that Cuba lost some important opportunities in the 1980s by refusing to follow Brazil's example. Unlike Colombia and Costa Rica, the Cuban government neglected to expand existing...

Ron Sparks: Cuba is key market for Alabama farmers.
January 1, 2007... If he were running for governor of neighboring Florida, Ron Sparks wouldn't make it past the primaries. But Sparks is from the Heart of Dixie State, not the Sunshine State--and in Alabama, publicly calling for an end to the embargo against...

Is Raul Castro ready to deal?
January 1, 2007... The visit to Cuba of a U.S. congressional delegation led by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) in December yielded little results. There seems to be an eagerness among some members of Congress to begin a process of...

Bailey named U.S. 'mission manager' for Cuba.(appointment of Norman A. Bailey )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Norman A. Bailey has been appointed to head a one-stop shop for the intelligence community on Cuba and Venezuela. As "mission manager" for the two countries, Bailey will oversee 3-5 staffers who will pore over information from 16 U.S....

Time to open a dialogue with Cuba, at last.
January 1, 2007... Last month, a bipartisan delegation of 10 members of Congress traveled to Cuba to meet with Cubans and assess the situation on the island. In addition to the usual talks regarding the promising U.S. food and agricultural sales to Cuba (now...

High prices make up for drop in Cuban nickel production.
January 1, 2007... Nickel retained its first place among Cuban exports in 2006, its earnings boosted by unprecedented high prices on the international market, although output was lower than the government had hoped. Over the past year, the price of nickel ore...

Cuba reaches 50% oil self-sufficiency.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Cuba's 2006 oil output was 57,000 barrels per day and its natural gas output 920 million cubic meters, similar to 2005, the official weekly Opciones reported in early January. The magazine quoted Vice President Carlos Lage, during a tour of...

Coffee harvest up 30% this season.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Cuba's coffee harvest will be up by 30% this year, with output of between 180,000 and 225,000 60-kg bags, Reuters reported Jan. 5, basing its estimate on local media reports. Reuters estimated the 2005-06 crop at around 140,000 bags--one of...

Russia lends Cuba money to buy aircraft.
January 1, 2007... A syndicate of Russian banks and Cuba's Aviaimport S.A. have signed a $203.4 million credit agreement, Russia's state-controlled foreign trade bank Vneshtorgbank said Dec. 22. The credit is for 12 years and will be used buy Russian...

Cuba's IT revolution could help Canadian firms.
January 1, 2007... The IT revolution taking place in Cuba is positioning the country as an attractive outsourcing option for Canadian companies, and a gateway to the Latin American market, according to website OffshoringTimes.com. Cuba has proved masterful...

Cuba races to complete housing quota.
January 1, 2007... Cuba was expected to conclude construction and renovation of 110,000 homes by the end of 2006, reported Prensa Latina. The National Assembly session, presided over by Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage, heard a detailed report on the issue...

Cupet owes Canadian firms big bucks.(Pebercan Inc)(Cubapetroleo)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Cuba's state-run oil company is behind in $69 million of payments to its Canadian partners in a heavy-oil-producing block on the north side of the island, the Toronto Star reported Dec. 27. Pebercan Inc. said Cubapetroleo SA, known as...

Palm Beach County plans mission to Cuba.(World Trade Center-Palm Beach )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The World Trade Center-Palm Beach plans a humanitarian, educational and information exchange mission to Cuba in June. "We hope to exchange information about several key resources found in Palm Beach County: agriculture, ranching and food...

Charter airline begins JFK-Havana flights.
January 1, 2007... C&T Charters Inc. has begun offering direct flights between New York's JFK International Airport and Havana. "We're very happy to provide this service 80 passengers can fly directly," said Rick Reposa, of C&T Charters. "They don't have to...

Norway protests hotel's anti-Cuba policy.
January 1, 2007... An Oslo hotel owned by U.S.-based Hilton Hotel Corp. faced protests, a boycott and a police complaint after refusing to book rooms for a Cuban delegation because of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, AP reported Jan. 5. The Cuban delegation,...

Lage inaurugates Havana pipe factory.
January 1, 2007... Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage officially opened Cuba's second high-density hydraulic pipe factory on Jan. 4, reported the Communist Party daily Granma. Lage explained that the facility, known as Hidroplast, will contribute to the...

Tobacco company launches Minuto cigar.
January 1, 2007... Cuba's tobacco industry has launched a new version of its famous cigars, called Minuto--designed for smokers "with limited time." The new Cuban cigar is 194 millimeters long and weighs 7.1 grams. It's sold in packs of three and boxes of...

Ciego de Avila hopes tourism will replace sugar economy.
January 1, 2007... The province of Ciego de Avila was born in 1976, when the government replaced Cuba's original six provinces with 14 new administrative divisions. Ciego de Avila covers 6,910 sq kms (2,668 sq miles), including 589 sq kms (227 sq miles) of...