CubaNews articles from October 2004

CubaNews archives from October 2004

Cuba's elusive underground economy provides important goods and services.
October 1, 2004... From watch repairmen in Holguin and ice-cream vendors in Sancti Spiritus to locksmiths in Matanzas and prostitutes selling themselves along Havana's Malecon, Cuba's so-called "underground economy" is evident nearly anywhere you look. Yet...

Power blackouts threaten GDP growth as factories are shut to save electricity.
October 1, 2004... Cubans--plunged into darkness for five hours a day or more--have one main topic of conversation lately: blackouts. Earlier this year, the power situation had improved considerably, but by late May, authorities began cutting electricity...

Vermont to ship $7m in milk, apples and cows to Cuba.
October 1, 2004... Vermont, the nation's 2nd-smallest state in population, has forged an agreement to sell farm products to Cuba that local officials hope will pave the way for more exports, and possibly imports, in the future. In early September,...

Publishers, authors blast OFAC regulations as 'censorship'.(Office of Foreign Assets Control)
October 1, 2004... A coalition of leading publishers and authors' associations is suing the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, calling OFAC's "continued attempts to exert control" over publishing activities involving literature from Cuba and...

Why does U.S. welcome Cuban dancers, but not scholars?
October 1, 2004... The following guest editorial was written by Nelson Valdes, a sociology professor and Latin American specialist at the University of New Mexico who also runs a Cuba news service. The views expressed in this article are those of Valdes and...

CCD bestows award on Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo.(Cuban Committee for Democracy )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Cuban Committee for Democracy (CCD) has selected Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo to receive its annual Juan Gualberto Gomez Award. Each year, the CCD chooses an individual who has been consistent in his/her commitment to national reconciliation...

Mexico: Cuba meddling led to bilateral crisis.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Mexican government says Cuba's needling in Mexico's internal affairs led to the May 2 expulsion of the Cuban ambassador and the subsequent withdrawal of Mexico's ambassador in Havana, according to El Universal. The Mexico City...

In their own words ...
October 1, 2004... "I was only disappointed by one thing about the debate tonight: there was not one question on Cuba. Let me tell you my question: Cuba libre! Quatro mas anos! I've got a plan to spread freedom, not only in the greater Middle East, but in our own...

Veteran Chilean leftist cashes in on his Cuban connection.(Max Marambio)
October 1, 2004... Shoppers at Cuba's dollar stores are likely to have come across a diverse line of orange, mango, apple and other fruit juice under the brand name "Tropical Island." That ubiquitous label--Cuba's answer to Tropicana-brand Florida orange...

Jamaica's Grace Foods sells indirectly to Alimport.(Empresa Cubana Importadora de Alimentos)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Before the United States loosened the trade embargo in 2000 to allow U.S. food companies to sell directly to Cuba on a cash-only basis, the island's food purchasing agency, Alimport, shopped the world over to stock the shelves of its...

All in all, 2004 shaping up to be a tough year for Cuba.(Economic conditions)
October 1, 2004... Economically speaking, the 21st century--at least so far--has not been very kind to Cuba. Hurricanes, low prices for its chief export commodities, the deterioration of its trade terms and the tightening of U.S. restrictions against Cuba...

New diplomatic thrust pays off, from Brasilia to Beijing.
October 1, 2004... Last month witnessed what could be characterized as a major Cuban diplomatic offensive dans tous les azimut. Major world powers such as China and Russia, along with Latin American nations like Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela, were among...

Jailed activist on hunger strike to protest conditions.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Oswaldo Paya, coordinator of the Christian Liberation Movement, issued the following statement Sep. 26 on behalf of Luis Enrique Ferrer Garcia, who is serving a 28-year jail sentence for promoting the Varela Project in the province of Las...

Cuba's ports inadequate to handle growing cargo traffic.
October 1, 2004... Substantial investment is needed to upgrade cranes and other equipment at Cuba's aging port facilities, and also to dredge the island's harbors so that they can accommodate larger vessels. In addition, Cuban officials concede they'll have...

Ohio school establishes Center for Cuban Business Studies.
October 1, 2004... Ohio Northern University has established a Center for Cuban Business Studies "to serve the needs of businesses, government agencies, researchers, faculty, students and others interested in the current and future state of Cuban commercial...

ASCE seeks scholarly papers for privatization competition.(Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy)
October 1, 2004... The Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy is soliciting original, previously unpublished scholarly papers on the topic of "Privatization of State-Owned Enterprises in Cuba." The best papers will be judged in ASCE's Padial-Ramirez...

Cuba says embargo has cost $79.3 billion.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The U.S. embargo against Cuba has caused $79.3 billion in damage, according to Cuba's foreign minister, Felipe Perez Roque. That's up from $72 billion when the diplomat made a similar speech last year. Perez Roque made his charges Sep. 30...

Drought causes huge losses in Holguin.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The harsh drought in eastern Cuba has translated into the loss of over 30,000 tons of food worth $30 million in the eastern province of Holguin. Rafael Vivar, a local official of the Ministry of Agriculture, told Prensa Latina that dairy...

Relations with Spain finally improving.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Spain says its relations with Cuba are on the way to normalization, following a long period of estrangement under Spain's former conservative prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar. The new foreign minister, Angel Moratinos, told a press...

Court indicts Bacardi for illegal payment.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Bacardi rum empire has been indicted by a Texas grand jury on charges of making an illegal $20,000 payment to a Republican political group whose founder lobbied against rival Cuban rum brand Havana Club. On Sep. 21, Miami-based Bacardi...

Che Guevara's image rakes in millions.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... This fall season, iconic revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara is conquering the bastion of capitalism: the mall. Thirty-seven years after his death in the jungles of Bolivia, reports the Washington Times, it's hard to miss the classic image...

Israeli-run citrus operation expects bumper crop.
October 1, 2004... Cuba's largest citrus processing plant expects a banner year despite the two hurricanes that ravaged the island in August and September. "The Victoria de Giron citrus plant began production for export, with the facility due to process more...

Global Alzheimer's study includes Cuba.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Cuba is being included in a project sponsored by the World Alzheimer's Association aimed at researching on the risks that may cause the disease. Some 1,000 people over 65 years of age in western Matanzas province will participate in the...

Exotic debt traders wait for Fidel to die.(Fidel Castro)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Cuban sovereign paper is known as "hyper exotic" in default, and owed by a country with a politically isolated regime. The Financial Times reports that, like distressed corporate debt, such hyper-exotics can offer spectacular returns, with...

India, Cuba sign renewable energy accord.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... India and Cuba have agreed to cooperate in the field of renewable energy, following the signing of a protocol by America Santos, Cuba's vice-minister for science, technology and environment, and by B. Balakrishnan, India's ambassador in Havana....

State: U.S. issued 23,075 visas in FY 2004.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The United States issued 23,075 immigrant visas to Cuban nationals in the fiscal year ending Sep. 30, an increase of around 2,000 compared to the previous 12-month period. Under the Migration Accords with Cuba, the State Department is...

Transport fair nets $100 million in deals.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Cuba's 7th International Transport Fair (ITF 2004) generated 200 business transactions worth a combined $100 million, reports the daily Communist newspaper Granma. Viewed as the most important industry event of its kind in Cuba, ITF 2004...

Cuba names envoys to Egypt, North Korea.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Castro government has appointed Angel Dalmau Fernandez as ambassador to Egypt, and Ruben Perez Valdes as ambassador to North Korea. Dalmau was previously deputy minister at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Cuba and Egypt established...

Anglo-Caribbean gets new director.(Anglo-Caribbean Insurance Agents Ltd.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Daniel Hung has been appointed director of Anglo-Caribbean Insurance Agents Ltd. in London. As such, he will be the point of contact for Esicuba, following that company's merger with Reaseguradora de la Habana S.A. "In accordance with a...

Cubans 'resolve' to make ends meet by cheating the state.
October 1, 2004... Hiding rocks in frozen chickens may seem like a silly pastime. But for some folks, it's serious business--a way to tip government weight scales and purloin poultry for dinner. Welcome to Cuba, where ripping off the socialist regime is a...

Havana lifestyle magazine debuts Dec. 8.
October 1, 2004... After more than a year of planning, The H--a glossy bilingual English-language magazine printed in Spain--will finally make its debut on Dec. 8 at an inaugural party in the Cuban capital. Billing itself as "Havana's essential lifestyle...

Melia to invest $12 million in Cuban hotels.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Spain's Grupo Sol Melia will invest $12 million to renovate and enlarge its hotels throughout the island, according to Gabriel Garcia, director of sales and marketing for Melia's Cuba division. "This will permit us to maintain in top...

Cubanacan, Gran Caribe make top 100 index.(Gran Caribe S.A.)(Gaviota S.A)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Cuba's state-owned Grupo Cubanacan S.A. ranks 65th in this year's survery of the world's top 100 hotel chains by Hotels magazine--moving up from 69th place in 2002. Another Cuban government entity, Gran Caribe S.A., moved up one notch,...

WRI: most Caribbean coral reefs in danger.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... About two-thirds of coral reefs in the Caribbean "are directly threatened by human activities," says a new report issued by the Washington-based World Resources Institute. The WRI--saying the reefs need urgent protection--based its...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
October 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. Oct. 4-5: "Cuba Today," City University of New York. Symposium "gathers...