English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Havana, 27 October 2023 — “We can’t even open the balcony door because the house is full of flies,” laments Clara, a resident of 30th Street at the corner of 37th, in the municipality of Playa, in Havana. A few meters from her home, a huge garbage dump has been growing for weeks without the … Continue reading “Cuban Authorities Ask for the Support of ‘MSMEs’ to Collect the Garbage in Havana”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 1 October 2023 — Not many days ago, Cuba’s Minister of Energy, Vicente de la O Levy, announced the great success of drilling a third gas well that would allow the joint venture Energas to increase electricity generation. The state press welcomed the information as if it were the solution … Continue reading “Electricity and Gas Services Go From Bad to Worse”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 5 October 2023 — In a recent discussion on the Cuban State TV Roundtable program, the issue of the relationship of the ’regulated family basket’ [the monthly allotment of rationed goods] to banking was addressed by the Minister of Internal Trade (MINCIN), Betsy Díaz. She spoke about the increase in … Continue reading “The Disaster of the Communist Business Model in Cuba”
14ymedio, Madrid, September 27, 2023 — Mexico gave Cuba more than one million barrels of crude oil worth 77 million dollars in June and July, according to Bloomberg, reporting on Tuesday. The donation, however, seems to have its days numbered, since the Government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador needs to reduce its fiscal deficit and … Continue reading “Mexico Is Looking for a Formula To Charge for the Oil It Gives to Cuba”
EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, 30 September 2023 — Mexico has sent about 200 million dollars worth of oil to Cuba this year, according to calculations by the Energy Institute of the University of Texas (USA), to which EFE had access. This year Mexico, through its state-owned Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), has become one of the largest … Continue reading “Mexico Has Sent 200 Million Dollars Worth of Oil to Cuba This Year, According to Experts”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, September 29, 2023 — In the latest edition of the State TV’s Roundtable program, Cuba’s Minister of Economy Gil reaffirmed the “socialist” model to get the Cuban economy out of the rut, a combination of rejection of the market and a determined commitment to planning that are, in short, the … Continue reading “The Cuban Economy is Close to Collapse”
14ymedio, Havana, 12 September 2023 — Hundreds of thousands of Cubans watched this Monday, in the middle of the darkness, the Electric Union (UNE) page on Facebook to stay informed about the prolonged blackout they endured when, suddenly, the electricity company itself shared a post and a promotional video that infuriated users. “Tonight, after the … Continue reading “Cubans Return to a Hellish Night of Prolonged Blackouts Throughout the Country”
14ymedio, Havana, 23 August 2023 — China will donate 9,259 solar panels to BioCubaFarma for the installation of a plant at the National Center for Scientific Research of Cuba, in Havana. The official newspaper Granma reported that the facility will have a generation capacity of five megawatts (MW), and an energy storage station will also … Continue reading “China Gives Solar Panels to BioCubaFarma and Will Donate Electric Vehicles”
EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, August 25, 2023 — Sales of goods and services by Cuba’s micro, small and medium-sized private businesses (MSMEs) tripled in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year according to a report issued by Cuba’s National Statistics and Information Office (ONEI) on Friday. However, the total sales … Continue reading “Sales by Cuba’s Private Businesses Tripled in the First Half of the Year”
14ymedio, Madrid, 11 August 2023 — The visit to Cuba of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s number two, Diosdado Cabello, ended as it began: with a political-ideological allegation, this time by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. Gone are the cryptic agreements signed with Ricardo Cabrisas, head of foreign trade on the Island – including the construction of … Continue reading “Ideological Slogans Dominate Diosdado Cabello’s Visit to Cuba”
14ymedio, Havana, August 1, 2023 — The 124 state buses leased by individuals in Holguín have managed to transport five million passengers in two years. However, the drivers, who have had to repair and condition the vehicles with their own money, lament the rigidity of the authorities, who do not allow them to make trips … Continue reading “Drivers of Buses Leased from the Cuban State Ask for More Freedom to Decide Their Own Routes”
14ymedio, Havana, 25 July 2023 — The energy crisis that turns Cubans upside down has also forced state industries to look for alternatives to keep their boilers operating. This is the case of the Cienfuegos Cement factory, which uses oil sludge residue obtained from the oil refinery in this province, the largest in Cuba. The … Continue reading “In Order To Keep Functioning, Cuban Factories Are Using Oil Residue”
EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, 8 July 2023 — A Cuban military court sentenced eight people to up to nine years in prison for a protest against the blackouts in July 2022, which ended in the looting of a state hard currency store in the town of Covadonga. According to sentence number 13 of 2023, of … Continue reading “Sentences of Up to Nine Years in Prison for Eight Cubans Who Looted a Dollar Store”
Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 6 July 2023 — The steps that Cuban communist leaders say they are taking to “strengthen local food systems in all municipalities of the country” can give much worse results. This blog has previously warned that transferring production, which should be attended to at the national level, to the territories is … Continue reading “In Cuba People Go Hungry but Communist Experiments Continue”
EFE/14ymedio, Havana, 13 June 2023 — The Cuban Minister of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gil, acknowledged that the diversion of diesel from industry to electricity generation has negatively affected the country’s productive activity. Gil made these statements in his inaugural speech at the “Three Days of Productive Economics of Cuba,” a meeting of state and … Continue reading “The Cuban Government Acknowledges Having Used Diesel From the State Industry To Generate Electricity”