Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Cubans turn backs on self employment…Raul ups remittance requests to 1000´s

  After a frenzied government hyped rush to become self employed the interest is waning and many Cubans have returned the coveted licenses which cost between 10 and 30 CUC (10-30$) per month to maintain.   Recent visitors to Havana claim that things have reverted back to normal in the dusty streets of the city […]

Cuba Travel Restrictions | where have you gone?

  In January the Obama administration made sweeping changes to the Cuba Travel Restrictions along with a drastic change in the remittance allowances and who can send them to Cuba. These changes are now being to filtered down into the general population and Cuba is seeing bumper numbers of Americans visiting Cuba this year, some […]

Cuba travel for Americans | Again?

HAVANA – The forbidden fruit of American travel is once again within reach. New rules issued by the Obama administration will allow Americans wide access to communist-led Cuba, already a mecca for tourists from other nations. Within months or even weeks, thousands of people from Seattle to Sarasota could be shaking their hips in tropical […]

What´s next for bankrupt Cuba? More Freedoms…..?

You don´t need much imagination to establish that Cuba´s recent “easing” of regulations is a desperate attempt to appease an increasingly frustrated populace. The cold reality however is, the country entered bankruptcy in early 2010 and all measures being taken are to bring in more cash to prop up the communist government and those few […]

A visitor’s review – Festival del Habano 2011

As owner of Singapore’s largest private collection of Cuban cigars at one time it has been my dream to attend one of the annual Habano festivals in Cuba.   I finally made it! I attended the XIII (13th) Festival del Habano from February 21 to 25 but it was no dream, it was more like […]

Alan Gross Trial in Cuba – The side show with an unlikely outcome

This case has received a great amount of press over the past year, reaching fever pitch this week. With the trial now over, there are certain points worth taking note of that will probably decide the outcome for Mr. Gross.   Both Governor Bill Richardson and Hillary Rodham Clinton have stated that they would consider […]

Fidel Castro plays it safe talking about education

  Cuban television aired on Thursday the third and final part of the meeting which took place on Tuesday and in which Cuban and foreign personalities shared with Fidel their concerns on the need to improve the education and training of the new generations.  Argentinean writer Estela Calloni said that it is essential to consolidate […]

Cuba legitimatize black market via taxes

A decision by Cuban authorities to open up the island’s state-controlled economy to some private enterprise has seen many line up for a new business license.   The fiscal overhaul was announced in September last year by president Raul Castro as a way to reinvigorate the economy, but is only now starting to show signs […]

Throwing out the soap with the bathwater

As Cuba moves away from its 5 decade old ration book, many are still asking questions. Is this all just a cost cutting measure propped up by propaganda of greater freedoms? What is the average Cuban getting “new” these days? Well he can request to start a business in a pathetic array of vocations for […]

Car Rental in Cuba – Online Comparison winter 2010

As the Christmas season approaches many of you are looking for Car Rental in Cuba. We´ve compiled this from recommendations at Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet, Trivago, Amadeus. Car Rental in Cuba from USA Here is a short comparison of some of the Cuba Car Rental Companies who offer online reservations. Transtur Rent A Car – […]

The precursor of Cuba’s online Travel business goes global

From humble beginnings in France during the early nineties on the Minitel programming format, followed by several printed magazines in Europe in the late 90´s, the web development firm Digital Panorama S.A. created Cuba´s first online Gift Store along with Cuba´s first travel booking website GoCubaPlus. After later developing a whole host of websites for […]

The US has a way to shut down Wikileaks, the infamous SDN list

  Could the SDN list be the best censorship tool for websites?   You may not know what the SDN list (Specially Designated Nationals) is but we´ll explain. It’s the US version of Iran and Chinas state censorship machine. Initially created with good intent to inform the world (and US entities, persons) of Terrorists, Rogue […]

Autentica Cuba – Cuba´s tourism ministry launches its new campaign

  Officially putting the “Viva Cuba” campaign to rest, the Cuba Tourist Board unveiled their new global marketing campaign ” Auténtica Cuba ” In addition to the launch, attendees welcomed visiting Cuban vice-minister, Maria Elena Lopez, as well as introduced Cuba’s new director, Ruben Jimenez.   Jimenez, who will be based out of the tourist board’s […]

Cuba Travel: The big squeeze

This year has seen the biggest exodus of Cuba dedicated travel agencies since the government allowed representation offices on the Caribbean island of foreign agencies in the early 90´s. The idea back then was to allow foreign travel companies and wholesalers to have on the ground staff to better manage inbound visitors and thus increase […]

Cuba releases dissident just before he dies in jail

Close to death and probably to obvert further international outrage of jailed regime opposition, Cuba released Ariel Sigler Amaya, 46, who had been in prison for more than six years. “He is already home, they brought him by ambulance and carried him in on a stretcher because his health has greatly deteriorated,” his brother Juan […]

Cuba raises stakes on car rentals for Cuban Americans

  Local operators are suffering from a distinct lack of automatics cars. Better said, they are nonexistent. Why one would ask? Well, as of January 2010 a new rule was quietly introduced where automatic cars are only bookable through approved agencies such as Havanautos or Cuba Car To combat this change and loss of business, […]

Russia, the worlds largest oil producer back to Cuba for oil

Although most polls show that the American public is in favor of offshore oil drilling, the Obama administration is ready to ban it.   Meanwhile while Obama is against the U.S. doing offshore drilling, it helped Brazil underwrite it in the Tupi oil field near Rio de Janeiro. It also give Russian political power because […]

Cuba back in the fray for real estate investments after 9 year hiatus

Cuba allowed the building of 16 developments between 1998 and 2001 which were sold as condos to foreigners. Buildings were built under a clause in the 1995 law 77 for foreign investment. It is rumored that the clause was designed to allow the building of hotels and when the then president, Fidel Castro, learned that […]

Cash-strapped Cuba will require visitors to buy health insurance

Cash-strapped Cuba will require visitors to buy health insurance if they want to enter the country, according to a new government measure disclosed on Saturday. Under the measure, which takes effect in May, the insurance will be sold by foreign companies approved by the Cuban government or by Cuban firms at ports of entry to […]

Cuba explains vanishing trick of frozen bank accounts

HAVANA – Cuba is offering foreign businesses percent annual interest over five years as part of a plan to repay hundreds of millions of dollars in bank accounts frozen by the cash-strapped government, diplomatic and business sources said this week.   The government is hoping the interest payments will encourage companies to keep doing business […]

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