14ymedio, Madrid, 22 January 2018 — Germán M. González, author of The Current Situation Of The Farmer In Cuba, Usufruct And The Social Security Of The Small Farmer, is the winner of the First Economic Rights Contest in Cuba convened by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights.
In the article, González details the failed agrarian policy carried out on the island since 1959 and proposes a list of urgent measures aimed at reversing the bad situation in the sector. Among these measures are freedom of association, the elimination of the state’s monopoly on purchase of farm products, rationalization of procedures to access land leases under the structure known usufruct, and several measures aimed at improving access to credit and social security for workers.
The contest jury, made up of Marlene Azor Hernández, a PhD in Social Sciences and Humanities, and the outstanding economists Énix Berrio Sardá and Elías Amor Bravo, commented on the quality and the critical proactive thinking of most of the 21 articles submitted.
Four additional articles obtained a special mention: Are There Real Agricultural Cooperatives In Cuba?, by Osmel Ramírez Álvarez; The Legal-Labor Insecurity Of Workers In The Non-State Sector In Cuba, by Rainer Pérez Castillo; Actions To Reactivate The Cuban Economy, by José Raúl Batista Rodríguez; and Legal And Fiscal Framework Of Self-Employment In The New Context Of Cuba, also by Germán M. González.
Germán M. González has a degree in Accounting and Finance and has worked as an economist, especially in the agricultural sector. He was the senior manager in large Cuban state companies and International Associations and he taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Havana. He has also written and published articles in media such as Palabra Nueva y Vitral; Blondín; the Somos+ blog; Cubaencuentro; laislaperdida.wordpress (’The Forgotten Island’); and other digital publications.
____________________________
The 14ymedio team is committed to serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for joining us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time by becoming a member of 14ymedio. Together we can continue to transform journalism in Cuba.