English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
The fruit now costs four times more than it did in June 2021 14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 16 June 2024 — “This year is going to be tough,” warned Mauricio when he saw his mango bush covered in flowers a few months ago. Despite living in Havana for more than half a century, this … Continue reading “Despite an Abundant Harvest, the Price of Mango Has Skyrocketed to 80 Pesos a Pound”
A report published by the organization points to the military-run conglomerate as the main cause of inflation, blaming it for putting its interests before those of the nation. 14ymedio, Madrid, 20 May 2024 — War has been declared on the Cuban economy but it is not being waged from a department within the CIA. Instead, … Continue reading “Cuba’s Military Officials Running GAESA Have Destroyed the Economy, Claims Cuba Siglo 21”
14ymedio, Yunior García Aguilera, Madrid, 21 May 2024 — Some Cubans have dubbed Ignacio Ramonet the “French Randy Alonso,” a reference to the host of the Cuban TV interview show “Roundtable” and his sagging face. The truth is that Ramonet was born in Spain, raised in Morocco and educated in France, where he has lived … Continue reading “Díaz Canel’s Ten Lies”
14ymedio, Pedro Espinosa, Havana, 13 December 2023 — A few years ago a line of taxis and old convertibles regularly filled the esplanade in front of the Plaza of the Revolution’s tower. But the decline in tourism has also led to a decline in visitors to what was once the nerve center of political power … Continue reading “Devoid of Tourists and Locals, Only the Turkey Vultures Remain in the Plaza of the Revolution”
14ymedio, Havana, 1 October 2023 — With a frankness unusual for an official Cuban media outlet, the magazine Bohemia touched the sore spot of the island’s labor situation. In an article entitled “¿Colgar el título?” (“Should You Put Away Your Degree?”), it recounts the personal experiences of several individuals — identifying them by name — … Continue reading “The Official Magazine Bohemia Finds the Cuban State is to Blame for the Disaster”
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 6 October 2023 — A scoop of ice cream is a good indicator of the rate of inflation in Cuba. After being closed for more than a year, the former BimBom — previously one of Havana’s most popular meeting spots — had a sort of dress rehearsal on Friday in … Continue reading “Bimbom Reopens under Private Management with the Most Expensive Ice Cream in Cuba”
The monopoly’s revenues have plummeted from $807 million in 2020 to $128 million in 2022 14ymedio, Havana, 24 August 2023 — The poor quality of international telecommunication connections in Cuba is an ongoing source of customer frustration. What no one suspected until recently is that this is a deliberate strategy by the state telephone monopoly … Continue reading “Cuba’s State Telecommunications Monopoly Etecsa Sabotages Internet to Force Customers to Pay for Long-Distance Calls”
14ymedio, Havana, 14 August 2023 — Two weeks ago, Maritza, a retiree living in Central Havana, took her flat-screen TV to a neighbor who repairs household appliances “on the side.” The young man told her that he would have to replace a part and the cost would be 4,000 Cuban pesos, or twenty dollars, based … Continue reading “With the Peso Dying, Cubans Are Living in Rhythm with the Dollar”
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, Madrid, 7 August 2023 — “Expanding the role of banking is essential for our economy but Resolution 111, which that the Central Bank has just announced, is suicidal,” states economist Oscar Fernandez in a reference to measures taken by the Cuban government last week. He is joined by a growing chorus of monetary experts … Continue reading “Cuba’s Central Bank’s New Regulations Are Suicidal Claim Economists”
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, April 12, 2023 — None of the many people waiting in line outside a bank in Central Havana on Wednesday were there to deposit dollars, something they had been able to do since Tuesday thanks to a decree by the Central Bank of Cuba. On the contrary, they were suspicious … Continue reading “‘It Would Never Occur to Me to Put My Dollars in a Cuban Bank’”
14ymedio, Madrid, 11 April 2023 — There has been another sudden change of course in economic policy. As of Tuesday, Cuban banks will once again be accepting dollars in the form of cash. News of the Central Bank’s decision was published in the Official Gazette a few hours earlier. Independent experts worry that the new … Continue reading “Cuba’s Central Bank Reverses Course and Accepts Dollar Deposits in Cash Once Again”
14ymedio, Havana, 20 March 2023 — “Obviously, someone gave an order to go after the talent agencies,” says Ofelia, a Havana singer for whom the pandemic was a turning point in her career. It happened the moment she went onstage, she tells 14ymedio. It was the first time one of her appearances had not been … Continue reading “Cuban Musicians Are Victims of Corrupt State Talent Agencies”
14ymedio, Havana, 24 February 2023 — Guantanamo’s Asdrubal Lopez Processing Company is on the verge of collapse. Though often cited by the local press for being “one of the most efficient and profitable in the province,” on Friday the company reported losses of nearly 300 million pesos. The cause: selling its coffee on the domestic … Continue reading “Government Price Manipulations Bring Profitable Cuban Business to the Brink of Collapse”
14ymedio, Havana, 20 October 2022 — Cubans’ concerns over the island’s food shortage have grown over the last year according to a recent report from the Madrid-based Cuban Human Rights Observatory (OCDH). The organization’s 2021 report found 60% of Cuban citizens believed food insecurity was a major problem. That figure has grown to 64% this … Continue reading “72 Percent of Cubans Are Living below the Poverty Line”
