Complaints in Sancti Spiritus About the Water Bills From the Time of the Pandemic

14ymedio, Mercedes García, Sancti Spíritus, 29 March 2024 — Luisa López was stunned this Wednesday when, under her door, in the city of Sancti Spíritus, someone left a water bill. On the piece of paper was the amount of 1,200 pesos, a fee that had accumulated since 2020, when the Cuban authorities decreed the suspension … Continue reading “Complaints in Sancti Spiritus About the Water Bills From the Time of the Pandemic”

Diaz-Canel Inaugurates a Cuban-style ‘Hello President’ Program

14ymedio, Madrid, 22 March 2024 — “A big movement is beginning, like the one that was made in the Energy Revolution,” Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy announced in the first edition of the program Desde la Presidencia, a kind of Cuban “Hello President,” with Miguel Díaz-Canel as host and … Continue reading “Diaz-Canel Inaugurates a Cuban-style ‘Hello President’ Program”

Alejandro Gil’s Sister Confirms That the Former Cuban Minister and His Wife Are in Detention

14ymedio, Havana, 14 March 2024 — “My brother has been detained along with his wife. They have no cell phones; there is no way to communicate with them.” The former television presenter María Victoria Gil thus summarized the situation of her sister-in-law, Gina María González, and her brother Alejandro Gil Fernández, former Minister of Economy … Continue reading “Alejandro Gil’s Sister Confirms That the Former Cuban Minister and His Wife Are in Detention”

Economist Pedro Monreal Points Out a ‘Statistical Blackout’ in Official Cuban Data

14ymedio, Havana, 14 March 2024 — The balance sheet for Internal Trade in Cuba for 2023, published by the Government this Wednesday, provided only one statistic for the sector: 70% of the construction materials delivery plan was met. The rest of the meeting consisted of an accumulation of “enigmatic formulations, abundant exhortations, a drought of … Continue reading “Economist Pedro Monreal Points Out a ‘Statistical Blackout’ in Official Cuban Data”

Cuban Women Live at the Margins of a Regime Led by Men

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez and Olea Gallardo, Havana, 8 March 2024 — The eleventh congress of theFederation of Cuban Women (FMC) was formally closed this Friday by the six men who govern the destiny of the country. The female quota in the presidium made up of Raúl Castro, Miguel Díaz-Canel, Esteban Lazo, Manuel Marrero, Roberto Morales de Ojeda and … Continue reading “Cuban Women Live at the Margins of a Regime Led by Men”

Former Cuban Minister of Economy Alejandro Gil is Being Investigated for Corruption

14ymedio, Havana, 8 March 2024 — The Cuban Government announced a criminal case for corruption against Alejandro Gil Fernández, who until last February 2 was Cuba’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Planning. According to a brief note published by the official press, on Thursday night, and signed by Miguel Díaz-Canel, Gil is … Continue reading “Former Cuban Minister of Economy Alejandro Gil is Being Investigated for Corruption”

The Dollar and the Euro Are on the Way to Reaching 340 Cuban Pesos in March

14ymedio, Havana, 6 March 2024 — Among the Government’s pending and urgent tasks, said Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero on Monday, is “the restructuring of the foreign exchange market,” set for February. Now in March, and without measures on the horizon, it is impossible to contain. In the midst of government inaction, the escalation in the … Continue reading “The Dollar and the Euro Are on the Way to Reaching 340 Cuban Pesos in March”

‘The Problem Is Not the Ministers, It Is a Failed Model’ Summarizes a Cuban Economist

14ymedio, Havana, 3 February 2024 — The discreet headline about the dismissal of three Cuban ministers that remained on the front page of Granma since yesterday has been overshadowed, this Saturday, by a triumphant photo of Prime Minister Manuel Marrero and the announcement of a “complex meteorological situation for Sunday and Monday.” But while the official … Continue reading “‘The Problem Is Not the Ministers, It Is a Failed Model’ Summarizes a Cuban Economist”

Despite the Massive Arrival of Canadians and Russians, Tourism Has Not Picked Up in Cuba

14ymedio, Madrid, January 17, 2024 — Cuba closed the year 2023 certifying its inability to recover the tourism it had before the COVID-19 pandemic. With a final figure of 2,436,980 international visitors, the Island achieves 151% more than in 2022, but 42.8% less than in 2019. In addition, if compared to its aspirations, 3.5 million … Continue reading “Despite the Massive Arrival of Canadians and Russians, Tourism Has Not Picked Up in Cuba”

Cuba: The Dollar Breaks a New Record on the Black Market at 275 Pesos

EFE (via 14ymedio) Havana,15 January 2024 — The US dollar set a new record in Cuba on Monday by trading at 275 pesos on the informal foreign exchange market, which deepens the strong depreciation of the local currency since the economic reform of 2021. This new maximum – recorded by the independent media El Toque … Continue reading “Cuba: The Dollar Breaks a New Record on the Black Market at 275 Pesos”

In Cuba, Even the Ration Books Are Scarce Due to Lack of Paper

14ymedio, Havana, 8 January 2024 — For the third consecutive year, the distribution of the ration books in Cuba is delayed. The reason is the same again: the lack of paper to make them. In some neighborhoods of Havana, the distribution has been intermittent. In Luyanó, in the municipality of Diez de Octubre, they have … Continue reading “In Cuba, Even the Ration Books Are Scarce Due to Lack of Paper”

Cuban Gasoline Set to Rise to 200 Pesos a Liter, 250 for Diesel, while Service Stations Await the Go-Ahead

14ymedio, Pedro Espinosa and Juan Matos, Camajuaní/Manzanillo | 2 January 2024 — The impacts of the new macro-economic readjustment measures that the government announced at the end of the year have yet to be felt at Cuban filling stations. During visits to several of the island’s gas stations, reporters from 14ymedio found that employees of … Continue reading “Cuban Gasoline Set to Rise to 200 Pesos a Liter, 250 for Diesel, while Service Stations Await the Go-Ahead”

Cubans to Pay More for Gasoline in 2024 While Tourists Will Pay in Dollars

EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, 2 January 2024 — One of Cuba’s biggest economic reform measures in decades will take effect in 2024, raising prices for energy, water, natural gas and petroleum and ending the universal food subsidy. While stressing that its plan will not affect the poorest segments of the population, the government has highlighted … Continue reading “Cubans to Pay More for Gasoline in 2024 While Tourists Will Pay in Dollars”

Cuban Parliament Rends Its Garments over State Corruption and the Financial Crisis

14ymedio, Havana, 20 December 2023 — Corruption in grocery stores and soup kitchens, corruption in sports and educational institutions, corruption in the state sector and in small businesses. The numbers do not add up and Cuban officials were unable to avoid the word (it had been taboo among government leaders for decades) during presentations to … Continue reading “Cuban Parliament Rends Its Garments over State Corruption and the Financial Crisis”

The Anguish of Cubans in the Face of the Government’s Economic ‘Paquetazo’

14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Generation Y, Havana, 29 December 2023 –Few garlands, scarce Christmas trees and less popular enthusiasm are marking the last days of 2023 in Cuba. Apart from the occasional isolated celebration, the spirit of this December seems more marked by uncertainty than by celebration. Added to the long economic crisis and the mass exodus … Continue reading “The Anguish of Cubans in the Face of the Government’s Economic ‘Paquetazo’”