English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, August 21, 2023 – The government claims its new banking reform measure, referred to as bancarización,* will be a boon for the tax system. Really? Or is it the other way around? For days now, the state-run press has been on a demagogic propaganda campaign to promote the measure, which … Continue reading “Banking and the Tax System under Cuban Communism: One More Twisted Path”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 22 August 2023 — The Castro state press has paid unusual attention to the sugar agro-industry that is currently starting the works for the repair and preparation necessary to face the next campaign, and among which are included, the pool of equipment that will guarantee the cutting, hauling and pressing … Continue reading “Cuban Sugar: No Present and No Future”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 19 August 2023 — Every other day the regime seems to spare no effort to try to convince Cubans that bankification — banking reform — is something good for them. An article in the oficial newspaper Granma entitled “Technology and bankification” is a historical review of facts intended to justify an … Continue reading “Cuba’s Twisted Path to ‘Bankification’, Propaganda and Demagoguery Open the Way”
Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 16 August 2023 — The Cuban communist regime is committed to advancing banking reform — the so-called “bankification” — and now they have gotten into advertising, promoting a campaign in which state banks offer a bonus of up to 6% to customers who pay for goods and services with cards or … Continue reading “Advertising To Attract Consumers to Online Shopping: Another Failure in Sight”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, August 12, 2023 — In these dog days of August, when the communist press typically goes into overdrive to burnish the image of Fidel Castro, one piece of news passed almost unnoticed. Its headline read, “Cuban Parliament demands systemic change to strengthen food production.” Yes, you read that right. This … Continue reading “Cuba’s National Assembly Makes a Penalty Call on Agriculture Ministry”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, August 10, 2023 — Not surprisingly, recently announced government banking regulations have aroused a myriad of fears among the business community and Cuban society at large. And the regime, which has been sensitive to any sign of social unrest since the mass protest of July 11, 2021 has not come … Continue reading “Cuba’s Banking Reform Put on Hold and Another Experiment Bites the Dust”
14ymedio, Havana, 31 July 2023 — The directors of the joint venture Suchel Camacho will once again put products on the Cuban market in national currency, after almost four years of selling in freely convertible currency (MLC) and through virtual stores. At least the company promised this in an interview published this Monday by Cubadebate, … Continue reading “Suchel Promises Products in Pesos and Demands More Funding From the Cuban Government”
Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, August 4, 2023 — Who benefits from the ’bankification’ of the Cuban economy? This question has been going around since the Regime, using an entity at its service, the Central Bank of Cuba, has announced measures that aim to reduce the circulation of cash and get economic actors to use electronic … Continue reading “‘Bankification’ is Economic Repression in Cuba”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 1 August 2023 — Cuba’s state press reports that last Monday a meeting of the executive committee of the council of ministers of the regime was held, an organ that between meetings of the council of ministers is responsible for the decisions that are attributed to it. With the presence … Continue reading “‘Bankification’ of the Economy and the Circulation of Counterfeit Banknotes: Another Blow to Credibility”
14ymedio, Elias Amor Bravo, Economist, 6 August 2023 — A kind reader of the blog asks me why the Cuban economy is having so much difficulty getting ahead and improving the living conditions of the population. And my first warning is the mention of the embargo/blockade of the United States as a limiting factor to … Continue reading “The Economic Competition of the Territories, the Tip of the Dying Cuban Economy”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, August 3, 2023 — The Central Bank of Cuba announces Resolution 111/2023 of August 2, which establishes a maximum limit of 5,000 Cuban pesos (23 dollars at the current informal exchange rate) per operation for collections and cash payments arising from a contractual relationship between the subjects included in the … Continue reading “The Central Bank of Cuba as a Repressive Instrument of the Regime”
According to a study, Cuban women have an average of 1.14 children, the lowest rate in the region. (14ymedio)14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 12 July 2023 — In order to study the demographic and social problems, countries conduct research through surveys of the main variables that affect the population. Therefore, the fact that the Cuban … Continue reading “The Population of Cuba in 2023: Low Fertility, Aging and Depopulation. And Then What?”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 11 July 2023 — Friends of the Cuban communist regime are everywhere, even in the most incredible places. Yesterday we had an opportunity to verify that when it comes to helping the Island’s political system, friends do not skimp on resources or prestige. I am referring to the press conference … Continue reading “Foreign Investment in Cuba: Data from the Regime’s ‘Friends’”
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”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 22 June 2023 — In Cuba, food is lacking. It’s been six decades of pernicious scarcity that demand a response to one of the most serious day-to-day problems for Cubans. A recent edition of the State TV program Mesa Redonda [Roundtable] was dedicated to this issue, with the title What … Continue reading “Cuba Lacks Food. . . and Will Continue to Lack Food”
