English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Miami/Havana, 1 February 2024 — “At the moment, deliveries to Cuba are not available until further notice,” is the response of an employee of a Western Union office in Miami this Thursday, confirming to 14ymedio the impossibility of sending remittances in this way, after trying both in the application and in three physical branches. … Continue reading “The Fall of Fincimex Paralyzes U.S. Remittances to Cuba”
14ymedio, Havana, 27 October 2020 — Fincimex, one of the companies in Cuba’s military conglomerate GAESA, reported in an ambiguous statement that they will close the 407 Western Union offices in Cuba, after the new provisions announced by the United States last Friday which prohibit the sending of remittances through companies linked to the military. In a call from this … Continue reading “Western Union Employee Says Fincimex Lies: "They Have Not Ordered Us to Close"”
14ymedio, Madrid, April 8, 2024 — ‘Bancarización’* — banking reform — is stagnating in Cuba despite the many hours spent promoting it in the official media. Last year, 30% of banking operations were carried out in cash, despite the fact that only 77% of the 800 ATMs on the Island dispense it, according to data … Continue reading “‘Bancarizacion’ – Banking Reform – Has Not Reached the Level Desired by the Cuban Regime”
14ymedio, Havana, 28 March 2024 — The Cuban regime took another step this Wednesday in its attempt to capture a greater amount of foreign exchange. The Clásica card, issued by Fincimex, the financial wing of the Gaesa military conglomerate, can now receive remittances from any country through the Tocopay application, based in Bilbao, Spain. Fincimex … Continue reading “Cuban Military Tries To Regain Control of Remittances”
14ymedio, Havana, February 10, 2024 — The dollar reached the barrier of 300 Cuban pesos this Saturday and was on par with the euro in the informal currency market, according to the independent media El Toque. The accelerated degradation of the national currency is due to the increase in uncertainty created by the swings of the paquetazo [a … Continue reading “The Dollar Reaches 300 Pesos in the Cuban Informal Market and Ties With the Euro”
14ymedio, Madrid, 9 February 2024 — Western Union, which has not been able to make transfers to Cuba for more than ten days, has clarified that “although the services are temporarily suspended, we are working to resume operations as soon as possible.” In a message sent by email to 14ymedio this Friday, the company states … Continue reading “Western Union Helps Its Counterpart in Cuba To Resume Remittances ‘As Soon as Possible’”
EFE/14ymedio, Managua | 8 February 2024 — Nicaragua received a new record $4.66 billion in family remittances in 2023 – representing 29.7% of its gross domestic product (GDP) – of which $3.841 billion came from the United States, the Nicaraguan Central Bank reported Wednesday in Managua. Nicaraguans received $1.4352 billion more than they did in … Continue reading “Nicaragua Receives a Record $4.66 Billion in Remittances, More Than Double What Cuba Receives”
14ymedio, Madrid, 7 February 2024 — A Cuban resident of Tampa, Florida, was accused on Tuesday by the United States Federal District Prosecutor’s Office of illegally transferring $100,000 from the Island to the United States. According to an official statement, Mirtza Ocaña, 38, faces a sentence of up to five years in prison if she … Continue reading “A ‘Mule’ Who Made 45 Trips to Cuba in Less Than a Year Is Arrested in Tampa With $100,000”
14ymedio, Havana/Miami, 6 February 2024 — Western Union plans to resume the remittance service to Cuba on April 1. That is the date they gave to 14ymedio in calls to two offices in the United States. The employees did not know how to answer why it will take so many months to restore the transfers. … Continue reading “‘We Will Have To Wait Until April 1 for the Resumption of Remittance Services to Cuba’”
14ymedio, Havana, 6 February 2024 — The regime’s concern about the current crisis has led the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba to once again publish the Economy section, which will appear in Granma on a weekly basis. Its first article, signed by Joel Ernesto Marill Domenech, author of several texts with proposals … Continue reading “While the Euro Reaches 300 Cuban Pesos, the Government Keeps Going in the Same Direction”
14ymedio, Madrid, 2 February 2024 — “The prices of any of the transportation services are not modified, all will maintain their current price,” the Cuban Ministry of Transportation announced this Thursday. This decision comes a few hours after the postponement of the drastic increase in fuel rates, following an alleged cyber attack against Cimex, the … Continue reading “The Cuban Government Backs off and Cancels the Increase in Passenger Transport Fares”
14ymedio, Havana, 31 January 2024 [translation updated with added text 1 February 2024] — In national currency and also in USD – a great novelty of the reform announced in January – the new fuel prices appeared this Wednesday on the pumps at the gas station at Rancho Boyeros and Ayestarán, in Havana. However, drivers … Continue reading “The Cuban Government Postpones New Fuel Prices Due to a ‘Hack’ From ‘Abroad’”
14ymedio, Madrid, 6 December 2023 — The Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) made official this Tuesday the use of the Russian payment system Mir, a version similar to Visa or Mastercard launched by the Kremlin in 2016 to avoid economic sanctions. The island’s ATMs had already accepted Russian cards as of last March and, in … Continue reading “The Central Bank of Cuba Takes Another Step with Russian Mir Bank Cards”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, November 25, 2023 — Bancarización* (banking reform) in Cuba is becoming a one-act comedy for those who are bored with the low quality of the script and the cast that participates. Almost half a year after the approval of Resolution 111 of the Central Bank of Cuba, the conclusion that … Continue reading “Steps Towards the Disaster of Cuba’s ‘Bancarizacion’ [Banking Reform]”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 3 September 2023 — With the Cuban economy suffering the acute effects of stagflation (economic stagnation and inflation), from which the authorities are unable to extract themselves, the demand to give continuity to the banking reform being referred to as bancarización* and the elimination of cash in payments for different … Continue reading “Cuba: If Gas Stations Eliminate Payment in Cash, What Will Happen Next?”
