English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Valencia, 30 December 2021 — Well, we have come to the end of a very difficult and complicated year for all Cuban compatriots. The deadline is looming for people who still have convertible pesos, CUC, in cash, to exchange them for Cuban pesos (CUP) in compliance with the central measure of … Continue reading “The Deadline to Change CUC to Cuban Pesos Expires This Thursday”
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 20 December 2021 — “Without surprises and without coffee, we’re doing fine!” a man complained sarcastically on Monday morning, having come to the Sorpresas (Surprises) store in Carlos III Plaza in Central Havana, in search of a packet of coffee to take home. The establishment, specializing in selling Cubita brand … Continue reading “‘Surprises’, a Havana Store Selling in Dollars With Nothing to Sell”
14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 14 December 2021 — It is not enough to wait for hours at the bus stop, make the trip packed in like a can of sardines, but the passengers on Havana’s buses must also take maximum care of their purses, pockets and especially their mobile phones, which have become one … Continue reading “Buses, Cuba’s Cellphone Thieves Favorite Places”
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 9 December 2021 — Two days before the end of the month of November, Pedro went to buy coffee at the bodega [ration store], but was very upset when they told him there was none. “No, there is no coffee now, you have to wait for it to come back … Continue reading “Coffee in Cuba? Not Even in the Dollar Stores”
14ymedio, Havana, 3 December 2021 — The Minister of Economy, Alejandro Gil Fernández, announced in the Council of Ministers this week that there will be a “lifting of all entities that sell in MLC (freely convertible currency) without authorization.” “It is not a decision of a company, from today to tomorrow, to put its sales … Continue reading “Cuban Governments Finds Several Stores Are Selling in Dollars Without Authorization”
14ymedio, Havana, 2 December 2021 — Pork legs from the United States, Spanish milk and Mexican beans. At the tables of Cuban families, imported products outnumber the number and quality of the few foods that come out of the nation’s fields and industries. Simply writing “imported” next to an offer to makes customers feel more … Continue reading “At Christmas, the Pork on Cuban Tables Will Come From the United States, and the Beans from Mexico”
14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 26 November 2021 — Almost a hundred people lined up this afternoon in front of an improvised platform that workers from a meat company set up outside the main headquarters of the Construction Engineering and Design Business Group (Gedic) in the Cerro municipality, in Havana. At first they offered their products … Continue reading “Desperate, Cubans Crowd to Buy Mincemeat and Beef Belly”
14ymedio, Havana, November 9, 2021 — The Cuban government’s top priority is controlling inflation. That is what economics minister Alejandro Gil claimed during an interview on Radio Reloj over the weekend. Gil said the solution lay in increasing the amount of goods and services available at businesses that accept payment in Cuban currency. In a … Continue reading “Former Government Minister Proposes Floating Exchange Rate to Curb Inflation”
14ymedio, Elias Amor Bravo, economist, November 1, 2021 — If there is one sector of the Cuban economy with no reason to be grateful for the changes the revolution brought about, it is agriculture. It employs almost one fifth of the nation’s workforce but contributes only 5% to GDP. Productivity is 80% below the economic average. … Continue reading “Hard-Currency Debit Cards: Much More than a Waiting List”
14ymedio, Havana, November 9, 2021 — Facing harassment by State Security and the local government, Archipiélago in Santa Clara announced this Tuesday “replacing the initial proposal” of a march on November 15th (15N). The new strategy proposed taking to the streets in “a decentralized manner from any point in the city.” The convening will still take place … Continue reading “In Santa Clara, Cuba, Archipielago Proposes Taking to the Streets in a Decentralized Manner on 15 November”
14ymedio, Havana, 2 November 2021 — Fresh cow’s milk has a new price in Cuba after dozens of farmers complained about the low cost and denounced the incompetence in the collection of the product in various parts of the country. As reported by the Ministries of Food Industry and Agriculture, from this Monday it will have a maximum … Continue reading “Government Raises Payments to Cuban Dairy Farmers to Attempt to Increase Production”
14ymedio, Mercedes García, Havana, 28 October 2021 — The sale of 12 Samsung brand automatic washing machines for $388 raised quite a stir this Wednesday in the vicinity of the La Habana store in the city of Sancti Spíritus. Everything ended with the arrest of two women and a blackout, which forced the suspension of transactions at … Continue reading “A Fight to Buy Washing Machines Leads to the Arrests of Two Customers in Sancti Spiritus”
14ymedio, Havana, 28 October 2021 — A new chapter in the struggle between supporters and adversaries of the Civic March for Change scheduled for the 15N (15 November) in several Cuban provinces. This time, money has been at the center of criticism and the artist Yunior García Aguilera, tired of the mercenary accusations that the regime … Continue reading “The Cuban Regime is the ‘Only One Interested in Yankee Money’”
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 18 October 2021 — The long line to enter the central La Época store was barely moving this Saturday at noon on Calle San Nicolás y Concordia, in Centro Habana. Since nine in the morning, only 30 people had entered, because of the lack of a connection with the banks … Continue reading “Dollar Stores Suffer Problems Connecting with Banks in Cuba”
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 19 October 2021 – The curious and potential buyers arrived this week at the store that only takes payment in freely convertible currency (MLC) on Infanta Street, in Centro Habana, to see the new electric bicycle marketed by the State. Gone are the days of the hated Chinese bicycles of … Continue reading “Electric Bicycles Compete With ‘Motorinas’ On Cuban Streets”
