From Phil Peters’ The Havana Note, this might be the most concise and apt summary I’ve seen of the inconsistencies in U.S. policy toward Cuban immigrants. It is a strong argument for revision of those policies, as it directly responds to the opposition’s claims, as well: “If you believe in the embargo as an instrument of pressure, […]
In September, the Associated Press reported that Cuba had adopted a policy that would allow access to the Internet through computer facilities at post offices. Previously, Cubans could access e-mail through the island intranet at such hubs, but had little general web access. The announcement signaled a policy change (the resolution that changed the policy […]
Please excuse the downtime over the last several days on this site. FPA is working hard on resolving several issues, and we should be back up and running on all cylinders soon. Thanks to all, Melissa
Jokes between U.S. and Cuban officials? Very unusual. Humor does not usually enter the US-Cuban relationship, but this is funny: At a New America Foundation reception today, Jorge Bolaños—the Cuban representative in Washington in lieu of a formal ambassador—related a story in which the State Department recently denied a visa to Ricardo Alarcón, the president of […]
Yoani Sanchez, the famous “Generation Y” blogger from Cuba, comments in today’s Huffington Post on the gap between Cuba’s projection of above-average health to the international community and the actual situation on the ground, which goes unmentioned by state-run media. The country’s practical troubles may explain why Cuba changed its tune in the course of […]
Actor Alec Baldwin ran a piece on Cuba in the Huffington Post today as a response to the recent announcement that the New York Philharmonic would no longer perform in Havana at the end of this month. The Orchestra’s decision came after the U.S. Treasury Department denied the necessary permission for travel to Cuba to […]
This upcoming week and month will bring attention from the FPA towards Latin America. In addition, Fareed Zakaria interviewed Alvaro Uribe, President of Colombia last week and the interview was aired this past Sunday. Brazil and Rio de Janeiro has also won their bid to host the first Olympics for Brazil and South America as […]
Around 200,000 private farmers and their families grow and cure tobacco for cigars under contract with the Cuban state, and tens of thousands more roll the leaves into puros for export. Cuba’s cigar brands, which include Cohiba, Montecristo, Trinidad and Partagas, dominate the global premium market: their sales comprise 70% of the world total (even while they […]
Raúl’s promise of a new socialist model continues to evolve in practice: The Cuban state began a trial program yesterday that closed state-run lunchrooms in four government ministries and instead provided workers with a small stipend for lunch, equivalent to about 60-70 cents. The idea is to see how well it works and whether the lunchroom […]
In the video below, Ann Louise Bardach (author of the new book Without Fidel and the previous Cuba Confidential) and Steve Clemons (of the Havana Note and New America) discuss current Cuba topics: the recent Juanes concert, Fidel, Raúl, the March cabinet shuffle, Cuba’s relations with Venezuela and China, and the case of Luis Posada Carriles.
As we discussed a few weeks ago, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Bisa Williams traveled to Cuba for the September 17 talks on reestablishing mail service between the two countries. Only today, however, did State Department officials tell the press that Williams remained in Cuba for five days following those […]
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez took the floor today at the United Nations and, to no one’s great surprise, devoted half of his speech time to a discussion of Cuba’s relationship with the United States. Through Rodriguez, Cuba again called for normalization of US-Cuba relations. The Foreign Minister affirmed the hope that Barack Obama’s election […]
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