This is an historic day. I’ll allow the New York Times to report: After two days of intense negotiations, the Organization of American States agreed Wednesday to lift a cold war provision that suspended Cuba from the group but also accepted a list of conditions, backed by Washington, that Havana would have to meet before […]
El Salvador’s new president, Mauricio Funes, was inaugurated yesterday in front of an audience of several prominent heads of state (including Brazilian President Lula da Silva) and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Today, Cuba and El Salvador signed an agreement to fully normalize relations—a significant and symbolic act for Funes on his first day […]
Today marked the beginning of the new economic measures meant to cut energy costs on the island. Local media and food industry sources reported the following developments: All provincial governments and most state-run offices and factories (which encompass 90 percent of Cuba’s economic activity) were ordered to reduce energy consumption by a minimum of 12 […]
The Cuban government indicated yesterday—through Cuban Interests Section head Jorge Bolaños—that it was willing to open high level talks on migration, as proposed last week by the Obama administration. Bolaños formally accepted the U.S. offer and also expressed interest in (eventually) resuming direct U.S. mail service to the island and initiating additional bilateral dialogue on […]
Canadians are often surprised when Canada makes news on the international stage. Many were shocked to see that one of the world’s most influential publications, The Economist took to criticizing Canada’s jewel and Olympic city, Vancouver, comparing drug violence in Canada’s west coast hub to violence which has scarred Colombia for more than three generations. […]
Walter Lippmann has provided me with the full Cuban perspective on the Sri Lanka report presented to the UN Human Rights Council. This is very useful; the text is in his comment here. Perhaps the most important points highlighted in the speech are: (1) the new Human Rights Council must embrace operational transparency and cooperative […]
Mexico in 2009 has become the recipient of at least half of the most famous biblical plagues starting in 2008. This past week brought yet another earthquake to Mexico, the second this month that received some media coverage outside the country. In addition to a full scale drug war, H1N1 flu, an economic crisis, political […]
As expected, Cuba’s seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council has already become an obstacle to the process of investigation and recognition of gross human rights offenses. Yesterday Cuba succeeded in blocking debate on abuses in Sri Lanka, which many countries have pushed for after the extreme violence that rocked the country earlier this […]
Despite the bit of hemispheric hubbub surrounding Cuba at the moment, Havana is dealing first with the immediate internal challenges facing the country—namely, financial problems and the slowdown of important sectors of its economy. Ariel Terrero, the country’s top economic commentator, announced on national television yesterday that depressed nickel prices and reduced tourism revenue could […]
Cuba is currently the only Western Hemisphere nation excluded from the Organization of American States (OAS), and while Latin American leaders push for its re-inclusion, Venezuela, the United States and Cuba are each adding complications to the plot. Venezuela—Hugo Chávez announced yesterday that Venezuela might withdraw from the OAS and seek Cuba’s help in creating […]
The U.S. trade embargo has not been lifted and does not look like it will be soon, but investors are apparently already taking a greater interest in the thawing relationship between the United States and Cuba. Mutual funds like the Caribbean Basin Fund fluctuate in direct response to news concerning Cuba and developments in bilateral […]
Yesterday the Obama administration proposed reinstating high level meetings between Cuban and U.S. officials to discuss migration between the countries—a channel of communication that was closed in 2004 by George W. Bush. The last such talks were in mid-2003 and had happened fairly regularly before then. Bush called off further talks when the Cuban government […]
A few U.S. readers have requested a note on travel, beyond stories of the recent policy developments that essentially affect only Cuban Americans. I’ve been asked: can I go? Will I get in trouble? In response: I’m not here to give advice on circumventing U.S. laws, but I can give you the facts. As the […]
The Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy predicted this week that Cuba’s economy would grow only slightly or shrink in 2009. Center economists predict 1% growth, but accept a possible range of -0.5 to 2.5%—much more realistic expectations, given current circumstances, than the 6% growth projected by the government. In fact, in the […]
Cubans are worried this week about the prospect of extended power outages (again) on the island. Granma ran a special piece on Monday calling on the populace to stop “wasteful” use of energy, which between January and April apparently cost the federal government $12-15 million dollars over what it had predicted to spend during that period. […]