As the U.S. band Kool and the Gang played in Havana this weekend, Raúl Castro made his annual address to the Cuban Councils of State and Ministers. Many had looked forward to the former event as the most recent of several cultural exchanges between the United States and Cuba that indicate improving ties between the […]
Every year at about this time gadflies of the region indulge in the publication of the Latinobarómetro poll. The survey chronicles opinion on a spate of questions among 18 Latin American nations. This year (the survey focus changes a bit every year) views on democracy and the free market formed the basis of pollster’s questions. […]
Even as many foreign partners have seen their funds in Cuba frozen and had great trouble this year transferring profits and funds abroad, they seem to be sticking around. In July 2008, the government said there were 246 foreign investment projects in the country; now state media reports 258 joint venture and other investment projects […]
Above, see the full Great Decisions Television episode on Cuba from this fall. Overview Cuba has had a difficult year as its economy suffered from (1) the lingering effects of three hurricanes in 2008 and (2) the strain that continuing global economic downturn has had on state coffers as exports and foreign investment declined. The […]
U.S. President Barack Obama has been the inspiration for a number of Fidel Castro’s “Reflections,” which run in Cuba’s state-run press regularly. Castro has praised Obama for his efforts to reform healthcare, questioned his commitment to improving relations with Cuba, and recently, called his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize “a cynical act.” For decades, […]
The U.S. State Department announced that a government contractor working in Cuba distributing free cell phones and laptops has been arrested by Cuban authorities. The detainee was employed by a subcontractor of Development Alternatives Inc., which in 2008 won a government contract to “help the U.S. government implement activities in support of the rule of law […]
Below, follow-up footage from CBS on Cuba’s Bastion 2009, the nation-wide military preparedness exercises this month. Watch CBS News Videos Online
Two major themes in 2009 captured the headlines of Latin America over the last year. The first major issue was the debate between the leftists and the more centre-right wing governments within the region. The flare up came amongst the conflict that overtook the government of Honduras in 2009 and the approach different larger powers […]
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948: annually on this date, countries around the globe honor it, the first global iteration of human rights. In Havana today, two small peaceful marches of Cubans commemorated the date, only to have their ranks broken up by an angry […]
The jailing of the so-called “Cuban Five” is considered by Cuba to be one of the most egregious offenses committed by the United States against their nation. The five men accused by the United States of being Cuban spies (and then sentenced and jailed) are heroes in Cuba, where supporters demand their release, saying that […]
CNN reports on the issue of racism in Cuba and the written exchange last week between African-American leaders and Cuban intellectuals, with words from Cubans en la calle.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, on his tour of Asia this week, stopped in Laos, Vietnam, and Japan. In the latter country he appealed to Tokyo for support in Cuba’s relations with the United States. Rodriguez told his Japanese counterpart, Kastuya Okada, that many things had changed with Obama’s rise to the U.S. presidency, and […]
A second round of migration talks, slated to take place in Havana this month, has been pushed back to February, drawing out what has already been a slow process of re-engagement between the United States and Cuba. The U.S. State Department claims that the delay was “at the Cuban government’s request.” Meanwhile, a senior Cuban […]
Andres Oppenheimer of the Miami Herald wrote an intriguing piece recently on the splash effect of the coup, or crisis, or whatever term least offends someone of Honduras’ new leadership and recent election, and how the major powers in Latin America have tried unsuccessfully to remedy the situation. Oppenheimer argues that the US, Brazil and the […]
Long thought to be a volatile, potentially destructive force in liberalizing economies, capital flows are curtailed through a variety of taxes, limits or deposit requirements. Such capital controls serve as a kink, allowing policymakers a freer hand to manage their economies. Brazil recently initiated one such measure, a 2% tax on the purchase of Brazilian […]