The Ordering Task* and the Law of Gravity

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 12 December 2022 — In February 1970, while doing my work as a journalist (still a student) to cover the sugar harvest in the municipality of Florida, I attended an important meeting chaired by Armando Hart Dávalos, the member of the Political Bureau assigned to guarantee the goal corresponding to the … Continue reading “The Ordering Task* and the Law of Gravity”

Marino Murillo Disrupts Tabacuba’s ‘Ordering Tasks’* and Leaves Cigarette Production at 47 Percent

14ymedio, Madrid, 2 August 2022 — When Marino Murillo was appointed president of Tabacuba in November 2021, many Cubans reacted with irony. “I hope he won’t ‘Re-order’ Tabacuba, or we’ll run out of cigarettes,” one reader wrote, joking in reference to the so-called ‘Ordering Task’* which is affecting broad elements of the Cuban economy. The … Continue reading “Marino Murillo Disrupts Tabacuba’s ‘Ordering Tasks’* and Leaves Cigarette Production at 47 Percent”

Cuban Soft Drink Can Factories, Another Victim of the ‘Ordering Task’

14ymedio, Havana, June 9, 2022 — Since the beginning of January, the official press has reported the lack of cans and containers for soft drinks in Los Portales, the main company on the island, associated with Nestlé. The factory, which renovated its machinery in 2018 after a Swiss investment, went from 278 million units that … Continue reading “Cuban Soft Drink Can Factories, Another Victim of the ‘Ordering Task’”

Cuba’s ‘Ordering Task’ Triples the Price of Milk and Cheese in Sancti Spiritus

14ymedio, Havana, 19 January 2022 — The price of fresh cheese, or frescal, as they call it in Sancti Spíritus, has increased three or four times since November, and that of ice cream has doubled. People are very upset, according to an article in the Escambray newspaper on Tuesday, asking those responsible for the industry what has … Continue reading “Cuba’s ‘Ordering Task’ Triples the Price of Milk and Cheese in Sancti Spiritus”

Cuba: Marino Murillo, the Man who Sowed Chaos With the ‘Ordering Task’

14ymedio, Havana, 30 December 2021 — Marino Murillo has caused many annoyances, both to ordinary Cubans and to his own home, the Communist Party. In charge of designing the major economic changes that came into force this year — for which the foreign press saddled him with the nickname of reform czar — and architect … Continue reading “Cuba: Marino Murillo, the Man who Sowed Chaos With the ‘Ordering Task’”

Faced With the Failure of its ‘Ordering Task’, the Cuban Government Talks About ‘Rectification’

14ymedio, Havana, 13 December 2021 — There will be changes to correct the deficiencies of the failed Tarea Ordenamiento (Ordering Task), which was planned for more than ten years and whose execution even the Cuban authorities themselves consider catastrophic. In his 2021 accountability report, presented this weekend, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero admits that “the objective of this … Continue reading “Faced With the Failure of its ‘Ordering Task’, the Cuban Government Talks About ‘Rectification’”

‘Cubadebate’ Removes the Ordering Task Survey From its Website

14ymedio, Havana, 4 March 2021 — Cubans interested in the survey carried out by the State website Cubadebate, which garnered much success among readers, should consult the independent media to find out what the people of the island really think about the “Ordering Task*” (Tarea ordenamiento) and the dramatic economic situation in the country. The survey, activated this Monday … Continue reading “‘Cubadebate’ Removes the Ordering Task Survey From its Website”

The Sister of the Former Cuban Minister of Economy Denies That He Is Detained: ‘He Is Incommunicado’

14ymedio, Yaiza Santos, Madrid, 20 March 2024 — María Victoria Gil Fernández spoke publicly again about her brother, the former Minister of Economy. In a statement this Monday to Canary Islands television in Spain, where she resides, she said that Alejandro Gil has not been arrested: “My brother is incommunicado.” She also blamed Raúl Castro … Continue reading “The Sister of the Former Cuban Minister of Economy Denies That He Is Detained: ‘He Is Incommunicado’”

Alejandro Gil’s Sister Confirms That the Former Cuban Minister and His Wife Are in Detention

14ymedio, Havana, 14 March 2024 — “My brother has been detained along with his wife. They have no cell phones; there is no way to communicate with them.” The former television presenter María Victoria Gil thus summarized the situation of her sister-in-law, Gina María González, and her brother Alejandro Gil Fernández, former Minister of Economy … Continue reading “Alejandro Gil’s Sister Confirms That the Former Cuban Minister and His Wife Are in Detention”

Former Cuban Minister of Economy Alejandro Gil is Being Investigated for Corruption

14ymedio, Havana, 8 March 2024 — The Cuban Government announced a criminal case for corruption against Alejandro Gil Fernández, who until last February 2 was Cuba’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Planning. According to a brief note published by the official press, on Thursday night, and signed by Miguel Díaz-Canel, Gil is … Continue reading “Former Cuban Minister of Economy Alejandro Gil is Being Investigated for Corruption”

Cuba Buys 500 Tons of Powdered Milk From the United States

14ymedio, Madrid, 1 March 2024 — It has been two days since the Spanish agency EFE released the news that Cuba had asked, for the first time in history, for help from the United Nations World Food Program in the face of the milk shortage, but the Government still does not say a single word. … Continue reading “Cuba Buys 500 Tons of Powdered Milk From the United States”

Cuba: The Dollar Breaks a New Record on the Black Market at 275 Pesos

EFE (via 14ymedio) Havana,15 January 2024 — The US dollar set a new record in Cuba on Monday by trading at 275 pesos on the informal foreign exchange market, which deepens the strong depreciation of the local currency since the economic reform of 2021. This new maximum – recorded by the independent media El Toque … Continue reading “Cuba: The Dollar Breaks a New Record on the Black Market at 275 Pesos”

To Reduce Its Expenses, the Cuban Government Will Lower the Highest Pensions

14ymedio, Havana, 7 January 2024 — The collapse of the finances of the Cuban State, the accelerated aging of the population, the increase in life expectancy and the loss of tax income due to the massive emigration of workers, have led the Council of Ministers to modify the method for calculating pensions for retirement and … Continue reading “To Reduce Its Expenses, the Cuban Government Will Lower the Highest Pensions”

The Minister of Economy Who Never Told the Truth (I)

14ymedio, Elias Amor Bravo, Economist, December 28, 2023 — The facts speak for themselves. There is more than enough evidence that Alejandro Gil, Cuba’s Minister of Economy, knew since December 2020 and then from the first quarter of 2021, that the Ordering Task* could not go well, and that it would end up being a disaster … Continue reading “The Minister of Economy Who Never Told the Truth (I)”

The Minister of Economy Who Never Told the Truth (II)

14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 29 December 2023 — A good part of the State TV Round Table program was dedicated by Alejandro Gil, the Minister of Economy, to the SMEs [small- and medium-sized enterprises], of which he said that there is no stopping of the process or reprisals. Another lie. Because although it is true … Continue reading “The Minister of Economy Who Never Told the Truth (II)”