English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Elías Amor Bravo, economist, June 18, 2019 — Central planning is the basic tool used by the Castro regime to control the Cuban economy. More specifically, it replaces the market as a tool for allocating resources while at the same time taking private initiative out of the economic decision-making process. Since the establishment of the … Continue reading “Are Changes to Central Planning Enough to Fix the Cuban Economy?”
Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, June 13, 2019 — It seems the Castro regime has appointed an economics minister, Alejandro Gil Fernandez, who is actually funny. I don’t know if it was done with good intentions or in an effort to further confuse the situation, but during during a conference at the Eighth Congress of the National … Continue reading “Economic Minister Gil on Accommodating Cuba’s Import Mentality”
Ivan Garcia, 3 January 2018 — There is no better country in which to find a surrealist atmosphere than Cuba. In October of 2017, when the hurricane winds of Irma ruined whatever was in their way, a photo that went around the world explained the political nonsense and citizens’ indifference. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean jumped … Continue reading “Cuba 2018: Neo-Castroism and an Economy in Hibernation / Ivan Garcia”
14ymedio, Madrid | December 18, 2018 — The Cuban economic machine has made no progress in 30 years but it does not “totally crash,” according to expert Pavel Vidal, in an analysis published this week on the Web page of Cuba Posible titled “The Cuban Economy in 2018: Another Year without Crashing and with no Progress” … Continue reading “The Cuban Economy Does Not Grow or Crash”
14ymedio, Havana, February 10, 2024 — The dollar reached the barrier of 300 Cuban pesos this Saturday and was on par with the euro in the informal currency market, according to the independent media El Toque. The accelerated degradation of the national currency is due to the increase in uncertainty created by the swings of the paquetazo [a … Continue reading “The Dollar Reaches 300 Pesos in the Cuban Informal Market and Ties With the Euro”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 28 May 2023 — If the current scenario is maintained, the forecast for the coming months is that the blackouts will continue and this when now the hottest months of the year arrive, in which consumption becomes more necessary to face the high temperatures. The situation of the national electricity … Continue reading “The Electricity Crisis in Cuba From Bad to Worse: Towards a Long and Warm Summer”
14ymedio, Havana, 19 May 2023 — Family man and owner of a cafeteria in Camajuaní (Villa Clara), Alexis González exploded this Tuesday in a direct Facebook broadcast that reached thousands of people. Faced with the shortage, bureaucratic obstacles and harassment by inspectors, he asked the authorities for an answer: “Someone explain to me how long … Continue reading “A Self-Employed Worker Denounces the Government’s Preferential Treatment of ‘MSMEs’ in Cuba”
14ymedio, Havana, 3 August 2022 — In the midst of the deepest economic crisis in two decades, the Cuban government announced the purchase of dollars in cash at 120 pesos starting on Thursday. “We are going to start with the purchase of foreign currency, of all currencies including the dollar, in cash, at a higher … Continue reading “Against the Ropes, the Cuban Government Announces the Purchase of Dollars in Cash at 120 pesos”
14ymedio, Havana, 28 July 2022 — The new provisions of the General Customs of Cuba on imports from individuals on a non-commercial basis have been announced this Thursday. The Official Gazette specifies that Cubans will be able to import up to five cell phones — versus the two that were allowed — two electric generators, … Continue reading “Cubans Will be Able to Import Five Cell Phones, Three Computers and Two Motorcyles”
14ymedio, Elias Amor Bravo, Economist, 31 July 2022 — Cuba’s State newspaper Granma wants to leave behind this month of July, of accumulation of anomalies for the regime, with some news that aims to mean a return to normality. Not so much to justify that 10.9% GDP growth that Economy Minister Alejandro Gil Fernandez said … Continue reading “Cuba, Summer 2022: Clay for Children or a Vaccine Against COVID-19?”
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 10 May 2021 — From the outside it still looks the same, but inside the Plaza de Carlos III a silent battle is taking place. On the one hand, the best-stocked stores that accept payment only in foreign currency, and on the other, a few stores that still sell in … Continue reading “A Cuban Enters a ‘Dollar Store’ For the First Time and is Frightened”
EFE, via 14ymedio, Havana, 6 February 2021 — The Cuban government eliminated the constrained list of activities allowed in the private sector, leaving a list of just 124 occupations which can be engaged in only by government entities, a long-awaited reform that opens the doors to the expansion of self-employment in the midst of a serious … Continue reading “Cuba Eliminates the Limited List of Jobs Allowed in the Private Sector”
14ymedio, Havana, 9 July 2019 — Concerned about the risk of inflation after the salary increase decreed by the Government two weeks ago, on Monday the Ministry of Finance and Prices published a list of prices, in convertible pesos (CUC) and in national currency (CUP), for products that are sold in the network of state … Continue reading “Cuban Government Creates a Prices Observatory to Stop Inflation”
14ymedio, Havana, 10 June 2019 — The official press has again hidden the data of the just concluded sugar harvest. Instead of absolute numbers, a spokesperson for the Azcuba business group said that the sugar harvest was 13% of the proposed plan. This was reported to Prensa Latina by the spokesman of the sugar group, Liobel … Continue reading “Cuba Again Records One of the Worst Sugar Harvests in its History”
They accuse “enemy platforms of sowing hatred” on social networks 14ymedio, Madrid, 28 June 2024 — State TV’s Round Table program convened a group of Cuba’s senior officials on Thursday to talk about violence and insecurity, two of the concerns that have emerged most strongly among citizens in recent years. The cast of guests included … Continue reading “Cuba Is No Longer Safe, Senior Government Officials Admit”
