Brazil is set to institute wide-ranging tariffs against the United States in 28 days. Dry milk products, cars, corn, wheat, boats, patents—over 100 goods in all—will be included. Last year Brazil argued before the WTO that US cotton subsidies to the tune of $3 billion were “archaic” and constituted unfair protection; the WTO agreed, authorizing […]
Cuba offers payback plan for frozen bank accounts (Reuters) After freezing hundreds of millions of foreign businesses’ dollars in Cuban banks over the last 1-2 years, Havana is now offering a 2 percent interest rate and a five-year plan to pay these funds out to the companies that are owed. One loophole-sounding proviso: the payments […]
How can we interpret the new government measure Havana disclosed on Saturday, which requires visitors to the island to buy health insurance? The measure states: FIRST: For entry into the country, all travelers, foreigners and Cuban overseas residents are required to possess a travel insurance policy, covering medical expenses, issued by an insurance entity recognized […]
One of the most interesting historical agreements in the last few years among most Latin American states was signed last month, albeit without the signatures of the Americas partners of the US and Canada, and with a strong point being made by Latin America towards Falklands oil and the UK. Recently Latin American leaders, especially […]
Chile has weathered the earthquake well by most accounts, but little credit has gone to outgoing president Michelle Bachelet. The most pointed critiques center on her hesitation to deploy the military to Concepcion, which fell prey to rampant looting shortly after the quake. Instead the tragedy has renewed debate on Chile’s past. In an op-ed […]
The newest issue of the Economist falls into the more and more common “honeymoon” rhetoric trap in its discussion of current developments in US-Cuba relations: an article dated today is entitled, “Honeymoon cancelled: A familiar mistrust descends.“ The analysis is lacking two distinctions: one, the distinction between public perception and government intent/activity; and two (again), between […]
Fascinating. But apparently quite true. In 1959 or so, Fidel as new Commander-in-Chief in Cuba had all golf courses on the island razed but one 9-hole course in Havana and an 18-hole course in Varadero. Following in his socialist footsteps much more recently, Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez announced that he would shut down luxury golf courses in that […]
Inflammatory phrases like “Havana’s human rights hell” and “11 million Cubans enslaved for the last 50 years” are just that—inflammatory. They do nothing to encourage any sort of international understanding or change on the part of the Cuban regime. Nor do they advance the cause of detente between the United States and Cuba, or indeed, Cuba and […]
The death last week of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, the hunger-striking Cuban prisoner, has proven to be a international issue of grand proportions, and Havana is stubbornly pushing back against the waves of pressure from friends and foes abroad. On Wednesday, authorities arrested or detained at least 30 recognized dissidents in order to prevent them from […]
Early this morning at 3.35AM near one of Chile’s major cities of Conception, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country. The effect of the quake destroyed many of Chile’s historic buildings and other structures in the capital Santiago de Chile. The main highway linking the north and south of the country has reportedly been greatly […]
This was a week of international attention for Cuba. On Tuesday, Orlando Zapata Tamayo—a 42-year-old plumber imprisoned in 2003 who was serving a 36-year sentence for disobedience of the government, among other charges—died in prison after an 85-day hunger strike in protest of inhumane prison conditions. His death drew condemnation from the United States, Canada, Spain […]
Meeting in Cancun (which has oddly become quite the host of international meetings despite its gringo-kitsch aesthetics), 32 Latin American nations have decided to form a new organization to advance the interests of the Americas—including Cuba, excluding the United States and Canada. President Calderón was quick to herald the move, stating, “We will strengthen our […]
According to a press release from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, Chairman Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota introduced the bill H.R. 4645 to the House today with bipartisan co-sponsorship from 30 other members of Congress. The bill, which is also known as the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, would not […]
High-level U.S.-Cuba talks on migration did occur on Friday, and the five-hour talks were open and frank. State Department officials called for the release of detained U.S. contractor Alan Gross. The Cuban side listened, though without indicating how they would proceed. Cuban officials brought up their own demand for the release of the Cuban Five. […]
Tensions are rising between Argentina and Great Britain over the Falklands Islands, located 300 miles off Argentina’s coast. The row has to do with the imminent arrival of a drilling rig, the Ocean Garden, in the service of British firms, to explore for oil and gas in the waters around the islands. The frigid south […]