Archive for July, 2009

Has the US turned off the Havana news ticker or is it just being reprogrammed?

For those Cuban´s who use bicycles as their only means of transport the absence of the Ticker at the US interest section in Havana, erected in 2006, is a disaster. Used as a distance calculator during blackouts it emitted crimson light along the Malicon on the dangerous corner at Tangana. Its conspicuousness also touted the brazenness […]

Miami Herald Distorts President Obama’s Position

A story came across the McClatchey wire on Friday night that felt like a punch in the gut. It read like the President had joined the conditionality caucus (see my previous post). However, either the reporter misunderstood or her Miami Herald editor had an agenda. Thanks to Phil Peters on the Cuban Triangle blog we […]

Give me all inclusive Varadero. Forget Chinese Panda TV´s, Rice cookers and Electric Fans

  Nelson from Miami sums it all up “they used to need money for Chinese Panda TV´s, Rice cookers and Electric Fans, now it’s all inclusive stays in Cayo Santa Maria”   For those receiving remittances, this year’s trend in Cuba is weekends in all inclusive hotels and stays at mid level resorts across the […]

Cuba´s economy under immense strain due to the US embargo and solutions by thinking outside the box

The signs are evident and, despite Cuba needing to change from within and allow free enterprise it is unmistakable that the US embargo must end.   The basics of the embargo are now weighting down Cuba´s people as much as its economy in the most grotesque way. Limitations attached the embargo impeding everything from money […]

1000´s of Spanish exporters to Cuba fall prey to an ingenious method to default on payments

Shocking News from Valencia Spain reveals today that 90% of companies who have exported goods to Cuba have not been paid in over 12 months.   This situation, which has also occurred in other areas of Spain, appears to be the knock on effect of Cuba stripping its banks of money from foreign company´s accounts. […]

Banco Financiero Internacional (BFI) and Banco Metropolitano block withdrawals on accounts of foreign firms

On this hot summer day the tensions are palpable at Banco Financieros 5th avenue branch, foreigners outside chat between themselves using words like “incredible”, “diabolical” and even “bank fraud”. Their chagrin being something that few are willing to talk about in open through fear of reprisals on their accounts or total loss of their deposits. […]

Cuban officials take action to counter dangerously low workforce and migration exodus

More Cubans than ever are bidding farewell to their nation through mass migration to countries such as the US, Canada, Spain and other nations so now the government has introduced another decree, this time allowing Cuban´s to maintain more than one government job at a time, essentially attempting to fill positions of those professionals who […]

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