Vol. 21, No. 7 July 2013

In the News China behind Raúl’s economic reforms,

Reforms announced says expert in Chinese-Cuban relations Deregulation of state firms to begin; GDP BY VITO ECHEVARRÍA another 1,000 buses in 2008 — replacing the infamous hump-shaped buses univer- growth forecast downgraded ...... Page 4 verage Cubans can now sell houses and “camello” apartments to each other, budding entre- sally hated by habaneros. There was also a 2006 deal in which Chinese Apreneurs may offer goods and services Political briefs manufacturer Haier supplied Cuba with 300,000 directly to consumers — without going through new energy-efficient refrigerators, as part of the GOP tries to restrict travel to Cuba; revived the state — and the island’s new immigration Castro regime’s plan to finally rid the island of interest in Cuba certified claims ...Page 5 law permits foreign real-estate owners and long- antiquated, mostly American-made fridges. term renters to obtain renewable visas. “These kinds of trade interactions have been Australian academic Adrian Hearn says all accompanied by some pretty intensive dialogue Corruption on trial these people can thank the Chinese for pushing with China about how the [Cuban] economy can Canadian expert Gregory Biniowsky says President Raúl Castro to reform the economy. develop,” Hearn said. Raúl’s anti-corruption campaign is good for Speaking May 22 at New York’s CUNY “This has been happening since 1995 when Graduate School, Hearn explained how China Fidel Castro visited Beijing and met Prime foreign investors in long run ...... Page 6 — along with Venezuela — has become a vital Minister Li Pong, who advised him in no uncer- economic lifeline for Cuba. tain terms the best path for Cuba would be to Dissidents in D.C. Noting the jump in bilateral trade from $314 open up the economy.” million in 2000 to $2 billion in 2011, he cited Hearn said that while Fidel didn’t act upon Li Well-known Cuban government opponents Havana’s crumbling transport system as a con- Pong’s advice, things gradually changed after Guillermo Fariñas, Elizardo Sánchez visit spicuous example. In 2005, the Cuban govern- Raúl took power in 2008. Washington for first time ...... Page 8 ment purchased 400 Chinese-made buses, and See China, page 2

Jobs website Entrepreneur starts a website for talented ASCE Miami meeting Aug. 1-3 to feature Cubans looking to emigrate ...... Page 9 record number of Cuba-based scholars BY DOREEN HEMLOCK Armando Nova of the University of Havana’s Provinces Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy; Santiago de Cuba, home to Cuba’s second- ver since the USSR collapsed two decades ago, a group of scholars has been meeting Karina Galvez of Convivencia magazine, and largest city, is among the most important Eevery summer in Miami to discuss the José Luís Leyva Cruz, a computer science pro- reality in Cuba and what the Castro government fessor at the University of Camagüey. of island’s 15 provinces ...... Page 10 Also expected from the island are Lenier Gon- might do to revive its troubled economy. zález and Roberto Viega, co-editors of the This year’s conference promises to be the Catholic publication independ- License to travel liveliest yet. Migration reform means Cubans no Espacio Laical; Treasury’s OFAC revokes some TSP Cuba ent lawyers Laritza Diversent and René Gómez longer need permission from their own govern- Manzano, as well as physicist and political acti- licenses, authorizes others ...... Page 13 ment to travel abroad, so more Cuba-based vist Antonio Rodiles, coordinator of the Estado experts than ever will attend the event, organ- de SATS forum, among others. ized by the Washington-based Association for Some 100 people will be at ASCE’s 23rd annu- Bookshelf the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE). al meeting, whose theme is “Reforming Cuba?” ‘Cuban Revelations,’ ‘Cuba: Palace of Salt’ “This is going to inject a different dynamic Participants will discuss such topics as gov- and ‘Father of Cuban Ballet’ ...... Page 14 into the ASCE meeting — different in ages, ernment policy changes, cooperatives, bloggers races, genders and disciplines. It will also be and the Internet, self-employment, tourism and more diverse in terms of the ideological Cuban-Venezuelan relations since the death of CubaNews (ISSN 1073-7715) is published monthly by CUBANEWS LLC. © 2013. All rights reserved. approach of participants,” said Ted Henken, a Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Annual subscription: $398. Nonprofit organizations: sociologist who took over the helm at ASCE last Keynote speaker is George J. Borjas, profes- $198. Printed edition is $100 extra. For editorial in- year and continues to broaden its reach. sor of economic and social policy at Harvard quires, please call (305) 393-8760, fax your request At least half a dozen Cuban residents are ex- University’s Kennedy School and a specialist in to (305) 670-2229 or email [email protected]. pected at ASCE’s Aug. 1-3 meeting, including See ASCE, page 3 2 CubaNews v July 2013 tions at the University of Sydney’s China but could become so.” China — FROM PAGE 1 Studies Center, Hearn is also chair of the The other area is Cuba creating wholesale Latin American Studies Association (LASA) supply markets for self-employed vendors, “I think an important moment was in section for Asia and the Americas. which has already begun happening. Hearn November 2010, when Ricardo Alarcón visit- In addition, he managed a project for the said China could become a top source for at ed Beijing, and explicitly said, ‘I think the Australian Agency for International Develop- least some supplies these vendors will need. Chinese model has great relevance for what ment on Australia-Cuba cooperation in Asia- “Investments from Brazil, China and the we’re trying to do in Cuba,’” he recalled. Pacific health systems. port of Mariel are important in this regard,” “He’s not the first person to say that. Raúl In 2008, Florida International University he said. “It signals a greater integration — the Castro, in his visits awarded him the Díaz-Ayala prize for his possibility of bringing in intermediate goods [to China] in 1997, study of Chinese-Cuban historical ties. from overseas.” 2005 and 2012, was Hearn, who spent three years in Cuba (he’s thinking along the CHINESE RESTAURANTS OFFER A LESSON also lived in China, Mexico and Senegal), exa- same lines, and for As Hearn pointed out, Cuba under Raúl has mined how Havana’s Chinatown — especially that reason focused restaurants — helped open up the economy. his visits on reform- gradually followed China’s economic advice — partly because of Beijing’s growing role in “I interviewed nine restaurant owners ing the labor market between 2011 and 2013, and most of them and creating hybrid the island’s economy. “If you look at the investment numbers, reported that they made between $3,000 and structures and state- $5,000 a day,” he said. “This is significant owned enterprises there is $5 billion of Chinese investment in Cuba, and $4.5 billion of that is in oil. We’re money — more than the public sector. that are able to incor- “Consider that there are two kinds of porate to a greater ex- really looking at the refinery in Cienfuegos, Havana’s Chinatown and probably exploration activities [off Cuban restaurants: the ones at Callejón Chino, set up tent private activity.” originally by the Grupo Promotor de Barrio The “Chinese model“ Alarcón referred to waters],” he said, referring to the China National Petroleum Corp.’s 2011 deal to ex- Chino and which since then have come under consists of economic liberalization accompa- the control of the Office of the Historian” — nied by continued political hegemony over pand production at the Cienfuegos refinery Hearn foresees two areas where the which, he said, are “very meticulous” about the local population — political stability still collecting taxes. being a priority for Raúl and his brother. Chinese will play a direct role in Cuba’s eco- nomic reforms. Hearn apparently knows what he’s talking TWO PATTERNS OF DOING BUSINESS about. “China obviously could be an important A future fellow of the Australian Research source of the credits that Cuban entrepre- Then there are those restaurants which are Council and coordinator of international rela- neurs need,” he said. That’s not yet the case, linked to traditional Chinese associations. “These are not subject to the same taxes as those [restaurants] connected to the Office of the Historian. These are directly below the authority of the Ministry of Justice and they Cuba says 124 cooperatives in operation have to submit their profits to them. The dif- uba announced July 1 that the first state entities and businesses, set prices in ference between the two show how small Cnon-farm cooperatives since the 1959 cases where they are not fixed by the state, businesses are developing throughout Cuba. revolution are now up and running. operate on a democratic basis, divide profit “Those subject to the Office of the “Starting today, 124 cooperatives began as they see fit and receive better tax treat- Historian’s taxes are more transparent. They to function on an experimental basis in di- ment than individually owned businesses, are able to show their books more openly. verse sectors of the economy such as con- under a decree published in December. But the trouble is, taxes are so high, they are struction, transportation, garbage collec- The law allows for an unlimited number barely viable. They’re hardly able to function, tion and produce markets,” said Granma, of members and use of contracted employ- to hire. This has been a real disaster.” the Communist Party daily. ees on a three-month basis. On the other hand, said Hearn, those The Council of Ministers, in a statement The government says many more estab- Chinese eateries tied to the Ministry of quoted by Reuters, said it had approved an lishments will follow, beginning in 2014, as Justice have done rather well. additional 71 cooperatives in areas as an alternative to small and medium-sized “This is sort of paradoxical, because they diverse as bird raising, light manufacturing state businesses. have to submit all their profits to the Ministry and food services. According to the government, more than of Justice. The key to understanding this is The measure was welcomed by Cubans. 430,000 people now work in the non-state the words ‘have to’ — because most of them “Something had to be done, because as it sector which consists of private entrepre- don’t. They invest this money. They buy is, nothing works properly,” said Alberto neurs, their employees and individuals who stock, they upgrade their kitchens and run Prada, who sells clothing and other items own or lease taxis and the like. their businesses.” from his home in Havana. “Nor is there any The figure does not include 2,000 agri- Hearn said that as early as 2005, Cuban reason for concern. Cooperatives are abso- cultural co-ops and 400,000 small farmers. authorities permitted the existence of whole- lutely compatible with a socialist system.” “It’s no surprise that officials chose the sale warehouses in Havana’s Chinatown, Most of the first batch of cooperatives cooperative as the legal form. Cooperatives which reduced the need for these restaurants are former state-run produce markets with represent a middle ground between state- to source goods from the black market. few employees now being leased to them ownership and individualistic forms of In 2012, the Cuban government began as cooperative members. business organization,” said José Gabi- negotiations with Chinese suppliers to pro- “We are allowing cooperatives to admin- londo, associate professor of law at Florida vide commercial credit for wholesale ware- ister activities where the state has proved International University. houses throughout the island. If such negotia- inefficient,” Grisel Trista Arbesu, who is in “If given free rein, these reforms are tions succeed, then independent Cuban ven- charge of the Communist Party’s efforts to dors and paladares will have more reason to baby steps towards a hybrid economy with thank the Chinese than the local authorities reform state companies, told Granma. “It market pricing, widely distributed business for making this happen. also allows the state to free itself from mat- risk, and private initiative in targeted sec- q ters that are not transcendental to the tors,” he said. “The invisible hand it’s not, Vito Echevarria, a New York-based freelance development of the economy.” but at least the pinkie is being flexed.” journalist, has written for CubaNews since our The co-ops will function independently of – REUTERS NEWS SERVICE establishment in 1993 about business, music, cul- ture and sports, and more recently e-commerce. July 2013 v CubaNews 3 AGRICULTURE Sugar harvest finishes at 1.51 million tons, up 8% from ’12 uban raw sugar production weighed in Sandy also put a dent in the harvest before tion to produce sugar when it began adminis- at 1.51 million tons for 2012-13, official it began. The storm damaged mills and flat- tering one of the eight mills this year. Admin- Cmedia said, 8% above the previous har- tened cane in eastern Santiago de Cuba and istration agreements with the other seven vest but short of the 1.68 million tons forecast. Holguín provinces in late October. The two mills are now open for negotiations, accord- Cuban TV blamed “obsolete mills and provinces produced 70,000 tons less than ing to the Cuban Chamber of Commerce. machinery” among other factors such as Hur- forecast before Sandy hit (see special report on At least three other companies are negotiat- ricane Sandy and poor management for the Santiago de Cuba on page 10 of this issue). ing management agreements, according to disappointing performance, said Reuters. The harvest runs from December through two different company representatives. “Mills opened and closed, opened and April, but often stretches into May and June. “We hope this will push the Cubans to allow closed, opened and closed — even though Only eight of 56 mills in Cuba were built after more foreign participation in the industry,” managers said they were ready for the har- the 1959 revolution, the last in the 1980s. said one rep, asking that his name not be used. vest,” Cuban Vice President José Ramón Brazilian builder Odebrecht SA became the Theoretically, the state-run sugar sector Machado Ventura told the meeting. first foreign company since the 1959 revolu- has been open to direct investment since 1995, but in practice there’s been little inter- est on the regime’s part except in a few joint ventures making sugar derivatives such as al- cohol and parts used in sugar processing. The Sugar Ministry was closed two years ago and replaced by state-run holding compa- ny AZCUBA, which hopes to produce 2.4 mil- lion tons of sugar by 2015. q

CUBA EVENT IN PUERTO RICO The Puerto Rico Manufacturers Associa- tion is planning an educational forum for Aug. 2 on the timely topic “Cuba: Reality Today and Opportunities in the Future.” The event, to take place at the Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza, will feature Larry Luxner, editor of on a panel with by Cubans in the United States and exile visits CubaNews, — FROM PAGE 1 Mauricio Claver-Carone, director of the US- ASCE that prop up the island’s economy. “That’s Cuba Democracy PAC and Philip Peters of labor economics. The Cuba-born scholar is quite ironic and an unfortunate sign of the the Washington-based Cuba Research Cen- likely to provoke debate with his long-held lack of dynamism of the internal economy.” ter, discussing “Reform and Change in the positions advocating a reduction in immigra- Henken assumed the presidency of ASCE Cuban Economy.” tion rates to the United States. last summer from Rafael Romeu, a senior Also on the agenda: Gerardo González of The meeting comes amid growing ques- IMF economist who began efforts to broaden Inter-American University; Roberto Orro of tions over the pace and scope of market-ori- the group’s reach beyond mostly older Caribbean Analysis Unit and José Villamil ented reforms in Cuba. President Raúl Castro Cuban-American economists. Romeu now of Estudios Técnicos. Luncheon speaker is has been trying to slash government payrolls serves as ASCE’s vice-president. Johannes Werner, editor of Cuba Standard. and speed economic growth, but many won- The first non-Cuban and non-economist to The Cuba event’s afternoon session fea- der whether the changes are too slow, too run ASCE, Henken teaches at City University tures Jay Brickman of Crowley Maritime; small and too fragmented. of New York’s Baruch College and chairs its José Raúl Perales, executive director of the Henken said those reforms so far “are sig- Department of Black and Latino Studies. He American Association of Chambers of Com- nificantly different but not sufficiently differ- writes the blog “El Yuma.” merce of Latin America; Marco González of ent” from past economic policies. In March, Henken coordinated the New Duane Morris LLP and David Lewis, vice- For example, the government no longer re- York and Washington visits of Cuban blogger president of Manchester Trade. stricts private restaurants to only 12 chairs Yoani Sánchez on her first trip to the United “Puerto Rico is the closest U.S. jurisdic- and now lets them hire employees. Yet it still States, in what he calls “one of my proudest tion to Cuba, and we have what it takes to limits the self-employed to a select list of what collaborations as a public intellectual.” penetrate that market now, when the oppor- he calls “mostly unproductive” jobs, which In June, he also helped host four young tunities are greatest,” said PRMA President generally exclude professional services. Cuban bloggers in New York, after they took Waleska Rivera, speaking to the San Juan “Occupations should be limited only by part in meetings of the Latin American Stud- ies Association in Washington. That group in- weekly newspaper Caribbean Business. people’s imaginations, not by a list,” he said. The cost of attendance is $198, said the Two signs that reforms have not changed cluded black, Marxist and gender activist Yas- PRMA, which also plans a Sep. 22-29 trade the economy enough: Slow economic growth mín Portales, and University of Havana digital mission to Cuba for Puerto Rico-based com- — Cuba just cut back its projections for this journalism professor Elaine Diaz, who writes panies; 20 slots are still open for that trip. year from 3.6% to less than 3% — and contin- the blog “La Polemica Digital.” Details: Nelson Flores, PRMA, PO Box ued high emigration, contributing to a drop in Details: Rafael Romeu, Vice-President, Asso- 195477, San Juan, PR 00919. Tel: (787) 641- Cuba’s population estimated at 84,000 in 2012. ciation of the Study of the Cuban Economy, PO 4455 x4655. Email: [email protected]. “Cuba lives largely off Miami,” said Hen- Box 28267, Washington, DC 20038-8267. Email: ken, referring to hefty remittances sent back [email protected]. URL: www.asce.org. 4 CubaNews v July 2013 ECONOMY Cuba unveils new reforms as GDP growth forecast drops BY DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI Sandy and the economy’s own inefficiences.” expected to turn a profit or they will down- uba announced July 8 it’ll begin deregu- Sandy caused an estimated 7 billion pesos sized, merged with others or closed. lating its state-run companies in 2014, as in damage when it ripped through eastern “We can’t make a plan that includes compa- Cthe country expands its reform from Cuba last October, destroying buildings, infra- nies like these because the phenomena of retail stores and farming into more significant structure and crops. having to finance these losses will persist,” territory, said Communist Party top official Meanwhile, the current deficit came to 2.6 Murillo said. Marino Murillo. billion pesos, or 3.8% of GDP, with 70% of GDP In the past, Cuba financed its budget deficit Speaking to members of the National growth coming from domestic trade, trans- by printing money, which led to inflation and Assembly, he said the plan for 2014 “has to be portation and industries. other disruptions. From now on, 49% of it will be financed through bank credits, and the different” — adding that of the 136 directives While Cuba is projected to spend $168 mil- lion less on food imports than last year, hous- rest through issuance of paper money. issued for next year, “51 impact directly on The role of the banking sector continues to the transformation of the companies.” ing construction by the government remains at very low levels: 13,000 units. increase. Within the past year, 146,000 credits He explained that companies would keep have been granted, exceeding $900 million. 50% of profits for recapitalization, minor Regarding Cuba’s debt, the government said only that the country was “strictly meet- Indeed, statements made by both Murillo investments, raises in wages and other activi- and President Raúl Castro putting emphasis ties, instead of handing over all profits to the ing the commitments of the debt.” As usual, no figures or details were disclosed. on “social property” and state planning as the state and then waiting for permission to spend founding principles of the system were mostly the money for every item. ROLE OF CUBAN BANKING SECTOR INCREASING perceived as official rhetoric. “The plan approves for every sector that a The National Assembly did pass two proj- businessman does not have to ask permission The policy to increase autonomy and dereg- ects of significance: the Navigation Law on to make minor investments that if not under- ulate state-run companies is, in part, based on Seas, Rivers and Lakes, and the draft of a new taken could detain a productive process,” programs already implemented in the labor code; nationwide debate on these topics Murillo said. “It eliminates administrative bar- provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque. Com- is to take place over the next three months. riers to salary payments, which directors of panies, which in the past were assigned hard companies can decide on, always and when currency for imports, will now be able to use IS END TO DUAL-CURRENCY SYSTEM NEXT? they have sufficient profits to cover them.” the money to purchase local products. The new policy comes shortly after Cuba’s “If an institution has $200 million to import, Both Murillo and Raúl Castro urged an end and a local producer can produce what it plans to Cuba’s complex dual-currency system. admission that 2013 economic growth would They also praised “non-agricultural” coopera- be 2.5% to 3% this year — down from the gov- to import, this body can directly pay that local tives. But not a word was uttered on the high- ernment’s prior forecast of 3.6%. producer with the approved funds,” he said. ly anticipated Investment Law, which was sup- Economy Minister Adel Yzquierdo blamed At the same time state firms that have posed to have been passed by now. “foreign pressures, the impact of Hurricane reported losses for two years or more will be Raúl did say that structural changes aimed at greater autonomy for state companies and provincial and municipal governments will continue; these will free the state from non- An expert’s take on the Cuban economy essential productive activities and allow the he following is a summary of views by construction and a small growth in fixed national government to focu on Cuba’s long- well-known Havana economist Omar investments — and was not at all sufficient to term economic development. T The president also lamented the “decay of Everleny Pérez Villanueva: generate enough growth. Decision-makers have begun cooperating Cuba must double GDP growth to 6% just moral and civic values” and blasted ordinary more closely with academia, while fiscal poli- to keep development at sustainable levels. Cubans for defects ranging from stealing cat- cies and the general comptroller have helped Complicating the issue, investments are tle and selling goods under the table to the slash expenditures, stem corruption and focused on branches with very slow produc- use of obscenities, urinating in the street and improve the management of resources. tive recovery such as construction, hotels heavy drinking in public. Monetary policies, exchange rates and and public administration — not agriculture, “We have gone backwards in terms of cul- bank credit policies are also showing some manufacturing or the sugar industry. ture and civic responsibility,” he complained. positive results. Industrial investments are completely “Fighting back social indiscipline cannot be- Some state corporations have begun test- stagnant and even losing ground, followed by come an issue for a campaign, but will ing more realistic exchange rates (i.e., one considerable levels of decapitalization, some- demand a permanent movement.” convertible peso equivalent to 5-7 regular thing that should not be happening. Housing Raúl added: “We have the duty to correct pesos) as a stepping-stone to gradual unifica- construction continues to fall, despite the the mistakes made by us during these five tion of the existing two-currency system. fact that this is one of Cuba’s main sources of decades of socialism.” Nevertheless, the status quo — with all its social grievances and discontent. By mid-2014, the Cuban Communist Party shortcomings and disadvantages — remains Recent damage by hurricanes has only is expected to hold another National very much in place for all national accounts exacerbated this problem. Conference entirely dedicated to separating and most institutional transactions, while Agriculture continues to absorb 20% of the Party from the government, its institu- personal transactions remain at 1 CUC = 24 Cuba’s workforce, even though it accounts tions and its inner workings. pesos. This dual currency system continues for under 5% of GDP due to low productivity. “The Party must lead and control, but not to be the Achilles’ heel for Cuba’s economy. Despite the many transformations, incen- interfere in government activities at any Despite growing slightly since 2011, tives and new policies enacted since 2010, level,” said Raúl. This has been repeated for Cuba’s GDP remains one of the lowest in much remains to be done if Cuba’s potential 40 years but never really implemented. Latin America, at 18th place. Last year’s 3.1% in agriculture is to be unlocked. Finally, regarding relations with the United growth was essentially based on the rise of On the other hand, regardless of efforts States, Raúl said “we don’t see any will to rec- private consumption, net exports, increased See Everleny, page 13 tify the Cuba policy [in Washington], not even to eliminate its most irrational aspects.” q July 2013 v CubaNews 5 POLITICAL BRIEFS REPUBLICANS SEEK TO RESTRICT TRAVEL TO CUBA In their own words … Republicans on the House Appropriations Com- mittee are looking to limit travel to Cuba, reports “The first stage of the reforms has so far, fundamentally, been the elimination of prohibitions in society. During what remains of the year 2013 and in 2014 we the Washington newspaper Politico. A spending bill approved July 10 by a panel sub- will work on ... the most profound transformations.” committee contains a provision that seeks to tight- — Marino Murillo, speaking Jul. 9 in Havana, in only his second face-to-face en travel restrictions to Cuba, following the cele- encounter with foreign journalists since Murillo rose to prominence three years ago as brity couple’s headline-making trip early this year. the chief architect of Raúl Castro’s economic reforms. “This is the Jay-Z, Beyonce Bill,” Rep. José Ser- rano (D-NY), a member of the House Appropria- “We support the sovereign rights of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and tions Committee who opposes the provision, told all regional states to grant asylum to those who are being persecuted for their Politico. “Absolutely [it’s a response to the trip], ideals or their fight for democratic rights, in accordance with our traditions.” and it’s playing to the audience in Miami” — a — Cuban President Raúl Castro, speaking Jul. 8 in support of Venezuela’s decision to clear reference to opponents of relaxing economic offer political asylum to U.S. citizen and NSA intelligence leaker Edward Snowden. and diplomatic relations with Cuba. The provision is part of a larger $17 billion finan- “Other than Cuban citizens themselves, who are held back by the U.S. embar- cial services spending bill that funds the opera- go that makes it tough for them to even get Internet access, few people would tions of several agencies, including the Treasury benefit more from easing U.S.-Cuba tensions than the Cuban leadership. This is Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, probably not a moment when the Cuban leaders are trying to throw sand in which approved the trip that included Jay-Z and America’s face, for example by defying an earlier pledge not to harbor fugitives.” Beyonce. OFAC said it approves such trips based — on their itinerary and not the specific travelers. Washington Post columnist Max FIsher, writing Jun. 25 about whether Cuba would Panel Republicans said that’s too broad a policy ultimately offer asylum to Edward Snowden, who’s still holed up at Moscow’s airport. and in response the spending would restrict travel to Cuba to educational exchanges involving acade- “I want to say to the LGBT community of the United States, don’t let Mariela mic study related to a degree program. fool you as [she is now fooling] the LGBT community in Cuba.” — Wendy Iriepa, a transgender woman who used to work with Mariela Castro at REVIVED INTEREST IN CERTIFIED CLAIMS? CENESEX, the Cuban National Center for Sex Education. Iriepa and her gay husband As the Obama administration moves to improve Ignacio Estrada Cepero led a June 26 discussion on Cuba at Miami-Dade College. agriculture shipments, telecom service and direct mail with Cuba, others are lobbying for an equal “These talks are not a major breakthrough. But they are one more signal that improvement and consideration of longtime claims there is at least a modest thaw in the relationship, a new willingness to talk.” against Cuba, Roll Call reported Jun. 18. — Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America, comment- These certified claims against Cuba have been ing Jul. 4 on U.S.-Cuba migration talks and efforts to re-establish direct mail service. languishing while other interactions and financial activity has moved forward. Estimates of money “We’re thinking of reaching homes with ADSL technology. We’re trying to being transferred from those in the U.S. to those drop telephone access, since besides its poor quality, the phone network is not in Cuba are as high as $2 billion a year. Informal designed for this kind of access. We could be talking about [late] 2014.” trade and shipments of products from the U.S. to — Jorge Legre, director of strategic programs at Cuban government telecom monopoly Cuba may be even higher. ETECSA, on a plan to begin offering in-home Internet connections throughout Cuba. On Jun. 17, Poblete Tamargo LLP registered to lobby for Hon. John L. Loeb Jr. on claims against “We’re pretty creative here. With these new initiatives, we are enhancing the the government of Cuba. Loeb is a businessman, way people in Cuba can share information.” philanthropist and former U.S. envoy to Denmark. There are $1.7 billion in original certified claims — Carlos García-Pérez, director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, showing off USB against Cuba, and the amount jumps to $7 billion drives made of paper and a system for sending mobile text messages to large groups. when interest is included. “We were given the choice of working as a cooperative member or being laid LADIES IN WHITE: REGIME IS CREATING PROBLEMS off. I think we will be better off so I joined.” At least 18 members have quit Cuba’s dissident — Antonio Rivera, a worker turned co-op member, quoted in a Reuters story Jun. 30. Ladies in White in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. Top opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer “The United States supports safe, legal, and orderly migration, and encour- has been accused of treating a black supporter ages intending immigrants to consider the legal options that may be available to like a slave. And Ferrer has split from his wife of them instead of risking a dangerous and illegal trip via raft or other route.” 20 years, the Miami Herald reported July 7. — Statement issued by the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, following publication of a The two most aggressive opposition movements column in Granma accusing USINT employees of accepting bribes for American visas. in eastern Cuba appear to be going through a rough period in recent weeks, forced to deny seri- “The government realized that for an island like Cuba, long and thin, protect- ous allegations and even hanging up the phone on ing the coasts is a matter of national security.”“ usually friendly Miami news media. But dissidents say their troubles are the work of — Jorge Alvarez, director of Cuba’s state-run Center for Environmental Control and infiltrators from State Security apparatus tasked Inspection, in AP’s Jun. 12 story on the long-term impact of climate change on Cuba. with fueling the jealousies and rivalries that have long riven the opposition, and creating new ones. “The sea has been creeping ever closer. Thirty years ago it was 30 meters far- “It is very, very clear that all of this comes from ther out ... We’d all like to live next to the sea, but it’s very dangerous. people who have a job to do for the political When a hurricane comes, everyone here will just disappear.” police,” said Ferrer, who served eight years as a — 63-year-old Havana resident Felix Rodríguez, quoted in the same article. political prisoner, was freed in 2011 and is now one of the island’s most respected opposition activists. 6 CubaNews v July 2013 FOREIGN INVESTMENT Canadian expert: Corruption trials good for Cuba’s image BY VITO ECHEVARRÍA cos Islands — who is wanted in Great Britain explore potential ventures,” he said. “This ver time, President Raúl Castro’s anti- on corruption charges. would seem to show that many investors are corruption campaign will help Cuba “Cuba is not a country for fast money and impervious to this issue.” Omore than hurt it. That’s the assess- greased business,” he said. “It is a country for He may be right. Despite the bad press that ment from Gregory Biniowsky — a Canadian slow, long-term returns, and for playing by Raúl’s anti-corruption trials generated in Brit- lawyer and international development con- Cuba’s rules and timelines — as frustrating as ish, Canadian and U.S. media, Esencia Group sultant who has lived in Cuba for two decades. that may be to some impatient investors.” is plowing forward — and is already helping “In the long term, the Cuban government’s In fact, Binowsky noted that Cuba recently to pitch Cuba to potential future investors. equating high-level corruption as a threat to green-lighted the development of a golf ven- Its Varadero venture was prominently fea- ture near Varadero by the Esencia Group national security and tured in the Financial Times’ trendy “House something they will after years of waiting for approval. and Home” section covering the Cuban real- not tolerate and will He offers the following advice to other pro- estate market last month — not only making treat harshly, will set spective foreign business partners interested its cover page, but sharing print space with Cuba apart from in Cuba: “The Cuban government does not ads for luxury villas in Tuscany and Monaco. many other countries appreciate a foreign investment group which That article highlighted a photo of Esencia in Latin America, tries to pressure or push them and impose CEO Andrew Macdonald confidently puffing outside expectations and timetables. where corruption is a cigarette, with Havana’s Malecón in the openly tolerated and ESENCIA GROUP SEEMS TO BE THE EXCEPTION background. just a part of the Accompanying a rendering of the designer investment game,” “Successful business in Cuba is based on a luxury homes it plans on building near wise acceptance of Cuban nationalism and said Biniowsky, who’s Varadero were color photos of Havana show- pride, and throwing one’s weight around will set to speak Aug. 2 at ing a slice of the good life for those who the 23rd annual meet- Gregory Biniowsky not help expedite anything. As desperate as ing of the Association for the Study of the the Cubans are for outside capital and invest- bought condos at the Italian-built Edificio Cuban Economy in Miami. ment, their nationalism trumps everything. Atlantic building — including a butler on call. Biniowsky has worked for the Canadian Politics comes before economics in Cuba.” Macdonald didn’t hesitate to hawk his units International Development Agency (CIDA), And if a future legal controversy arises be- through that Financial Times feature. the United Nations Development Program tween foreign investors and their Cuban part- Prices for apartments at that complex will (UNDP), and various international philan- ners, a more transparent mechanism should start from $2,700 per sq meter, with units thropies that support projects in Cuba. be in place to resolve such issues — especial- ranging from 75 to 140 sq meters. Villas will In July, Canadian entrepreneur Sarkis ly when they devolve into criminal charges. cost $3,750 per sq meter and range in size Yacoubian was convicted and sentenced to Aside from that, Biniowsky expresses con- from 350 to 600 sq meters. nine years for corruption, with a relative sen- fidence about the overall foreign investment Macdonald already claims to have signed tenced to four years as a co-defendant. climate in Havana. up 600 investors. Those like him know that Afterwards, the same tribunal freed two “There still appears to be a significant this type of publicity is priceless, and will stir Britons who had been accused of similar stream of foreign investors coming to Cuba to the envy of any real-estate broker. q crimes. Those men ran a growth fund, Coral Capital Corp., and had plans to build a golf course in Cuba at the time of their arrest. Fellow Canadian businessman Cy Tokmak- jian, known for his happy-go-lucky approach Tourism arrivals down 3.9% so far this year toward trade with Cuba over the years, was ontinuing a slide that began early this of visitors from Canada and the U.K. showed also ensnared in that dragnet, and now awaits year, visitor numbers in April were slow growth, at 1% each, while German visi- his own trial. C3.9% below those of April 2012, mainly tors were up 10.4%. The number of visitors due to weakness in European source mar- from “other” countries dropped 5.6%, Spain CUBA SHOULD HAVE ACTED MORE QUICKLY kets, and a drop of visitors from the United 17.3%, Italy 13.1% and France 8.8%. Biniowsky said he wasn’t pleased with the States, Cuba Standard reported Jun. 16. Other tourism indicators are also down. way Cuban authorities handled the Coral Cap- Close to 274,000 visitors arrived at the According to a statistical report for the ital case or their investigation of Yacoubian’s island in April, down from 288,000 in 2012. first quarter, the number of overnight stays dealings, but in the end says they’re carefully The total for the year through Apr. 30 was for January-March was down 1.6%, while balancing the island’s commitment to attract 1.222 million, down 1.4%, said the Tampa- hotel occupancy for the quarter fell to 63.7% foreign investment against the need to snuff based newsletter, quoting figures issued by from 65.7% in the same period last year. Cuba’s Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas. out anything that smells of corruption. In a sign of higher spending and/or rising “I think they should have done things more Visitors from Canada, Cuba’s top tourism source market, rose 1.3% in April, and visi- prices, tourism revenues in Cuba during the quickly,” he told CubaNews. “I fear that the de- first quarter stagnated at $655 million. lay in these cases might scare some investors tors from the United Kingdom (+8.1%), Ger- off. Nevertheless, I believe that the Cuban many (+11.8%) and Chile (+38.6%) increased Meanwhile, reports the newsletter, tour- government is sincere in its effort to drastical- considerably. ism authorities are forging ahead with plans ly limit high-level corruption. If a clear signal However, the number of visitors from to diversify markets and moving upscale. is established, I believe that Cuba will be an “other” countries — the second-largest cate- The government is building a marina and attractive place for straight, above-board, gory which includes the United States — connected hotel at Varadero, and officials ‘white shoe’ companies to do business.” was down a hefty 13.4% in April. Arrivals just gave the green light for a golf course Biniowsky said top political figures in other from France (-6.8%), Spain (39.5%) and Italy community in the same beach resort, which Caribbean islands have come under scrutiny (-7.2%) continued to decline. may be followed by a dozen similar projects. for questionable practices, such as Michael For the period January-April, the number – CUBA STANDARD Misick — former premier of the Turks & Cai- July 2013 v CubaNews 7 FOREIGN INVESTMENT Raúl warns foreign investors: Play by the rules — or else BY DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI full of letters denouncing all sorts of irregular- certain type of wheeler-dealer hoping not to n June, two jailed British citizens — Amado ities and illegal activities. conduct serious business but to make fast and Fakhre and Stephen Purvis of Coral Capi- Over the last few years, dozens of top offi- easy money. Ital Group Ltd. — were found guilty by a cials in key sectors such as the nickel indus- These people correctly perceived Cuba in Cuban court of minor charges and released try, telecommunications, aviation, food pro- the 1990s as a paradise where anyone and for time already served. cessing and sugar have been hit with corrup- everyone could be bribed — and this was Meanwhile, a Canadian citizen of Armenian tion scandals. Ministers, vice-ministers and indeed the case for more than a decade. descent, Sarkis Yaccoubian, and his cousin even members of the Party’s Central Commit- CORRUPTION HARDLY LIMITED TO CUBA Krikor Bayassalian, a Lebanese citizen, were tee have been arrested, tried and sentenced found guilty of bribery and other charges. to long prison terms. It’s a pattern that you can find all around the Yacoubian was sentenced to nine years in Last December, Raúl promised to issue a globe, a malady deeply rooted throughout the Third World but also among emerging economies and the BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In these places, greed and corruption will continue to be part of the reality. Poverty and LARRY LUXNER LARRY shortages of basic goods tend to create a cer- tain “justifying” environment for such prac- tices, like diseases, to flourish. But it’s truly inconceivable that millionaires and tycoons in highly developed economies still resort to various corruption scams to increase or multiply their fortunes. Within the much-respected EU and its sophisticated body of regulations and institu- tions, there’s a lot of talk about corruption. In Spain alone, the last 13 years have seen more than 800 corruption scandals — in-clud- ing a major one involving the royal family, with 2,000 people arrested and trials lasting for years. Cy Tokmakjian, shown here 10 years ago during happier times in Havana, now faces a long prison term. In Cuba’s case, especially in view of the up- coming investment law, the message for jail and Bayassalian to four years. detailed report on all these cases by mid-July, potential foreign investors couldn’t be clearer: A third trial is pending, that of Cy Tokmak- something that has stirred considerable spec- n Do not indulge in such practices. jian, owner of the Toronto-based Tokmakjian ulation across the island. n Conducting business may involve some Group. He was arrested in September 2011 Why and how corruption became a major uncomfortable regulations, but try to under- and is likely to get a long prison term as well. threat in Cuba demands a thorough analysis. stand that they are necessary to Cuba’s spe- “The arrests of the foreign businessmen, To understand what’s going on, remember cial situation vis-á-vis the United States. part of broad government campaign to stamp that a total lack of accountability and control n Dishonest practices will be punished. out corruption, sent shockwaves through prevailed for almost 50 years, leading to a n These laws are not necessarily aimed at Cuba’s foreign business community where chaotic mishandling of the economy, includ- multinationals like Canadian mining conglom- the companies were among the most visible ing its external sector. erate Sherritt, Spanish hotel giant Meliá and players,” Reuters correspondent Marc Frank Cuba also lacked sound management or major oil companies with their good practices, subsequently reported. “Until then, expul- planning, financial controls, audits, reliable but at investment funds and other high-risk sions rather than imprisonment had been the statistics or transparency — which created investors seeking to maximize their earnings norm for those accused of corrupt practices.” the right set of circumstances for swindlers, by whatever means and dirty tricks they can A year ago, President Raúl Castro warned potential hoodlums and wise guys to grab lay their hands on. that corruption had become the leading their slice of the pie. Potential investors must realize that the old threat to the revolution he and his brother During the “Special Period” of the early Cuba is being left behind, and that as part of Fidel helped bring about 50 years earlier. 1990s, corruption became the rule rather the many changes taking place, there is now a In fact, Cuban academics have repeatedly than the exception. general comptroller as well as audits, laws, complained about corruption; almost every Consequently, the Cuban leadership shares regulations and controls. week, the “letters to the editor” section in an enormous responsibility for creating and This isn’t meant to antagonize foreign Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, is allowing these patterns to become predomi- investors and their projects, but to create a more favorable, stable and transparent envi- nant in the Cuban economy. ronment in which to conduct their business. TO OUR READERS: From time to time, There was also a total lack of concern about Local Cubans have already gotten the mes- CubaNews receives requests for back issues incentives for Cuban experts, technicians, sage and are now paying their share of the buyers and others who were handling multi- of our newsletter. In our office, we keep consequences. q print copies going back to September 1993. million-dollar contracts but not being reward- If you would like an old issue, please email ed in the form of salaries, bonuses or commis- Former Cuban intelligence officer Domingo a request to or send a note sions — a usual practice common everywhere Amuchastegui has lived in Miami since 1994. He [email protected] else in the world to prevent or curtail tempta- to Larry Luxner, Editor, CubaNews, PO Box writes regularly for CubaNews on the Communist 1345, Silver Spring, MD 20915-1345 — USA. tions. Party, Cuba’s internal politics, economic reform That type of environment tends to attract a and South Florida’s large Cuban exile community. 8 CubaNews v July 2013

POLITICS Guillermo Fariñas, Elizardo Sánchez call on Washington BY PATRICIA GUADALUPE “The fact that some dissidents have been “There government is really the only boss,” uban dissidents Guillermo Fariñas and able to travel away from the island is an he said. “We in the opposition have no way of Elizardo Sánchez — two men who prob- attempt by the government to give a false guaranteeing people a minimum way of sur- Cably never imagined they’d someday be sense of change on the island and delude the vival as an alternative to the economic suffo- criticizing the Castro regime at a public forum international community.” cation that happens when you lose your job.” in Washington, D.C. — did just that June 27. Tomás Bilbao, executive director of the On July 17, U.S. and Cuban officials will Washington-based Cuba Study Group, moder- And both plan to return to the island as meet in Washington to resume talks on immi- ated the CSIS forum. soon as their U.S. speaking tour is over. gration issues that stalled two years ago. “The key word here is ‘change’ and The negotiations will focus on the amount Appearing at a Spanish-language seminar because of that, we have the responsibility to of travel visas the United States offers to sponsored by the Center for Strategic & Inter- better interpret what happens on the island Cubans; officials will also discuss resuming national Studies, the dissidents agreed that the Castro government will soon collapse. “The issue for us isn’t whether the govern- ment will end. It will,” said Sánchez, founder of the Havana-based Cuban Human Rights and National Reconciliation Commission. “Our biggest worry is that we’re going to have to reconstruct our country and build it GUADALUPE PATRICIA back up from extreme poverty, because 54 years of totalitarianism has ruined us econo- my,” he said. “We are going to need a lot of help and concrete projects.” Sánchez, 70, was interviewed in Havana 10 years ago by this publication (see CubaNews, July 2003, page 8). In his CSIS talk, he conced- ed that “we don’t speak for everybody in the dissident movement” — but insisted that they do speak for the majority. “The perception is that the opposition is not sufficiently prepared to assume the work in an economic transition, and neither are our friends in the Americas and Europe, or the rest of the world,” he said. Cuban dissidents Guillermo Fariñas and Elizardo Sánchez speak June 27 at a CSIS event in Washington. FARIÑAS: ‘REGIME IS GETTING WEAKER’ for those of us not there on the ground who direct mail services between the two coun- Fariñas, a 51-year-old independent journal- don’t have a way to see with our own eyes tries which were suspended 50 years ago. ist, has gone on 23 hunger strikes over the what’s going on there,” Bilbao said. “Many Fariñas and Sánchez said they welcomed years — the most recent one in 2010 — to pro- people — including those who haven’t been the talks, but they warned the White House to test the Castro regime’s human rights abuses. on the island in 50 years — call themselves proceed with caution. “Those of us who are in Cuba fighting for experts, and it’s really important to hear the “Washington hasn’t wanted to look like an democracy have noticed a change. The exile perspective of people who are on the island enemy. They’re looking for a civilized co-habi- community has matured and understands fighting for a better Cuba.” tation, and it’s the Cuban government that that the transition has to be done by the peo- Fariñas said the focus of his Washington sabotages those efforts to normalize bilateral ple in Cuba. This is essential for the democra- trip is to help ordinary Cubans back home. relations because they need that pretext to tization of Cuba,” he said. keep sabotaging everything,” said Sánchez. “The fact that Elizardo and I are here, and SÁNCHEZ SAYS HE SUPPORTS ‘LIMITED’ EFFORTS He declared his support for these “limited” that others are also traveling outside the is- “The opposition is growing but there’s been diplomatic efforts, but predicted that the land, means that the Castro regime is getting a tendency for the opposition to take shelter regime “will try anything to make it look like weaker and weaker. Its collapse is imminent, outside the country. If the opposition had time they are taking steps towards democracy.” but we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves or fall to actually work on opposing the regime, and Fariñas said Congress must know that “a back. We have to take the right steps so that not having to do odd jobs to get by and eat, transition with the same regime is a fraud — the transition will be a democratic one.” that would make a difference,” he said. but that Cubans should be allowed to visit rel- Despite the distinct sense of change within “We have to find, as much as we can, mate- atives back home without restrictions. Cuba, said Sánchez, Raúl Castro is intent on rial help for the opposition and also help all of “The exile community which travels to keeping power — so it’s important for the civil society, including the church, independ- Cuba is the image of prosperity that democra- Obama administration, Congress and the rest ent musicians and associations. It’s important cy brings,” he said. “We support artistic and of Washington not to lose sight of that fact. that people on the island don’t have hanging academic and other types of exchanges, but “There have indeed been changes in Cuba, over them the need to depend on government it’s important that the people of Cuba and the but they have been small, limited and shal- control for their livelihood.” opposition internally and the exile community low,” said the veteran human rights advocate. Sánchez stressed that while the dissent not be overlooked at this very crucial moment “People tell me, ‘but wait, you’re here’ — movement has been gradually gaining in the island’s history.” q and I tell them this is a test of what the regime strength over time, the government still exer- Washington-based freelance journalist Patricia has been able to get away with, all these viola- cises great control over Cuba’s 11.2 million Guadalupe writes regularly for Latino Magazine tions of fundamental human rights, including people, stifling opposition by hitting citizens and Hispanic Link News Service. She’s also a for- the right of free movement,” he said. in their wallets and pocketbooks. mer reporter for Washington’s WTOP News Radio. July 2013 v CubaNews 9

FINANCE NEWS IN BRIEF AUTISM GROUP HONORS FIDEL FOR SCHOOL A new concept in Cuba: Paying taxes The World Association of Special Education (IASE) has awarded former Cuban President BY VITO ECHEVARRÍA “There are penalties for those who pay late,” she explained. “These never exceed 30% Fidel Castro its Blue Heart Prize for having pr. 15 is a busy day in the United States established the Escuela Dora Alonso — the as people from all walks of life race to of the amount owed. Up until now, there has A never been a case of anyone going to jail over first center in Cuba dedicated to treating autis- finish their annual tax returns to both tic spectrum disorders. federal and state tax agencies. overdue taxes. [For such workers] they sim- ply take away the license for that person to Education Minister Ena Elsa Velásquez re- In Cuba, though, the very idea of filing a tax ceived the award on Fidel’s behalf during the return was non-existent until Raúl Castro’s re- engage in self-employment.” Interestingly, the Cuban tax code does per- First International Encounter on Autism & In- forms opened the door for self-employment. clusion, held at Havana’s Convention Center. With small businesses booming through- mit deductions, although nowhere near as itemized as the U.S. tax system. The World Council of University Academics out the island, the government introduced a “For small businesses, they are not permit- also awarded Alberto Docampo and Mercedes new tax code on Jan. 1 to claim its share of the ted to make itemized deductions for specific Carracedo, parents of Michel — a boy with new economy — the first of its kind since the costs,” she said. “Instead they are permitted a autistic spectrum — who works at the school. 1959 revolution. standard deduction depending on their pro- Orlando Terré Camacho, president of the Cuban academic Saira Pons Pérez of Hav- fession. For example, restaurant owners can group, announced that Cuba will host the 12th ana’s Centro de Estudios de la Economía deduct 50% of their gross income, artisans International Encounter on Special Education Cubana conceded that it’ll take time for a cul- [producers or vendors of footwear, religious and the Attention to Diversity in June 2014. ture of paying taxes to take hold among the articles, etc.) 30% of their gross income, apart- Details: Orlando Terré Camacho. Tel: +51 19 self-employed and small businesses. ment renters 20%, and PC programmers 10% 9701-8836. Email: [email protected]. “Under-declaring taxes is a very common — the rate goes from 50% to 10%.” fact,” said Pons, speaking last month at New In fact, she said, Cuba’s new tax regime has AP PROMOTES HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF York’s CUNY Graduate School. “Not only be- spawned a cottage industry: tax preparers. The Associated Press has appointed Havana cause of the little taxpaying culture that Since small businesses in particular may not bureau chief Paul Haven, 42, as its Mexico exists, but also for the [Cuban government’s] want to be bothered with handling such City-based deputy editor for Latin America. little-developed mechanisms for control.” paperwork, an army of document preparers A 19-year AP veteran, Haven will help man- A progressive tax system is now in effect, has surfaced to help. age English-language enterprise investigative ranging from 15% of earnings for those mak- Known as “tenedores de libros,” these spe- and daily news coverage in the region that ing 10,000 pesos ($400) annually, to 50% for cialists now exceed 200 in Havana alone. q stretches from the U.S. border in the north to those making more than 50,000 pesos Tierra del Fuego, plus the Caribbean. ($2,000). Pons admits that this penalizes busi- Cuba will send temporary medical per- “Haven brings a richness of experience, hav- ness growth. sonnel to work in Saudi Arabia under a deal ing led major bureaus in Pakistan, Spain and The tax form, known as the declaración reached Jun. 25 and signed by Havana’s en- Cuba, and worked as correspondent earlier in jurada, must be filed to the Oficina Nacional voy in Riyadh, Enrique Enriquez. Colombia and Venezuela,” said John Danis- de Administración Tributaria (ONAT) — “The first group of Cuban doctors will zewski, AP’s senior managing editor for inter- Cuba’s equivalent of the IRS — by Apr. 30 of work at King Saud Medical City and Prince national news. “His knowledge of the region the following year. Salman Hospital, two of the most prestigi- and of fast-breaking news and his ability to Along with the income tax, small business- ous Saudi medical institutions,” the Foreign provide context to events make him an excel- es must also now pay a tax to hire workers as lent choice to build on our already award-win- Ministry said in a statement from Havana. well as a contribution toward social security. ning Americas coverage.” Website finds jobs for talented Cubans looking to emigrate VITO ECHEVARRÍA have branched out to offer Cuban candidates they have questions.” uba’s relaxed immigration law, which in such as finance, hospitality and agriculture, Jelliff’s support staff in Havana helps these went into effect last January, and the although we are very aware that there are still professionals secure needed visas from Spain Celimination exit visas for its nationals to restrictions for certain professions [such as or whatever their destination country may be travel overseas may very well trigger a grad- doctors and scientists],” he told CubaNews. — before leaving Cuba, and when necessary, work with Cuban government ministries to ual exodus of surplus labor from the island. Cuba Professionals Inc. also lands overseas assignments for an unlikely category of smooth over the immigration process. British-educated entrepreneur Frederick Though Jelliff knows the Cuban labor pool Jelliff wants to exploit that possibility. skilled Cuban labor: chefs. Jelliff notes that with the tourism-driven Cuban hospitality sec- he works with will continue to diversify, he He’s the brainchild behind Cuba Professio- says he will always have performing artists to nals Inc., a Panamanian-registered firm based tor taking off in recent years, a number of Cuban chefs — all of whom are trained to pre- place overseas. in Málaga, Spain. This agency helps prospec- “Needless to say, I vet the clients as much tive European and other employers find pare various types of cuisines for high-end resorts — are seeking more lucrative oppor- as I do the Cuban candidates,” he said. “My skilled Cubans of various backgrounds and job is to assure that both sides will be satisfied professionas for their ventures and projects. tunities in Europe and elsewhere. His firm collects an undisclosed fee from with the contract. I have found many artists The focus of Jelliff’s firm — which has an work abroad — from the Caribbean to South office in Havana — is the performing arts. He employers hiring such skilled workers. “We do not have fixed rates, and this is dis- America, Europe and Asia. My mission is to helps everyone from jazz musicians to profes- work with candidates who are not yet famous sional dancers and even circus performers. cussed during negotiations,” said Jelliff. “Our in Cuba. They still have so much to give.” Jelliff has been finding jobs for such profes- job is to negotiate contractual terms that work q sionals since 2009, but relaunched his service for both the candidate and the potential em- Details: Frederick Jelliff, Cuba Professio- this past February thanks to the more lenient ployer. We offer support to Cubans who are nals Inc., Málaga, Spain. Tel: +34 693-235- immigration laws now in place. on contract, in terms of helping their families 833. Email: [email protected]. “We still specialize in entertainers, but we back in Cuba, and available to them should 10 CubaNews v July 2013 PROVINCES Santiago de Cuba: One of island’s most crucial provinces BY ARMANDO H. PORTELA Two-thirds of the province’s land area is mountainous, including most he province of Santiago de Cuba was created in 1976, when of the southern slope and a large portion of the Sierra Maestra — Cuba’s the government redrew all of Cuba’s internal boundaries, divi- largest and tallest mountain range. Tding the former province of Oriente into five new jurisdictions. This is sparsely populated terrain cut by deep valleys with coffee plan- Located on the island’s southeastern end, Santiago de Cuba cov- tations shaded by tropical forests. Most of the province’s inhabitants live ers 6,227.8 sq km (2,404 sq miles), or nearly 5.7% of Cuba’s territory. in the cultivated upper Río Cauto basin, the Central Valley and the land- But its cultural, historic, demographic and economic influence over locked depression of Santiago de Cuba. the rest of the island is much greater than those numbers would Santiago de Cuba is located in one of the Caribbean’s most active seis- suggest. mic zones. In 1932, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake severely damaged the city. The province has also endured considerable environmental damage; This is the 11th installment in a series of monthly articles on Cuba’s deforestation, river damming, overgrazing in mountains and improper provinces by Cuban-born cartographer Armando H. Portela, who has waste disposal have all taken their toll on Santiago de Cuba. a Ph.D. in geography from the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Portela, a Since the 1960s, three freshwater reservoirs have been built in the resident of Miami, has written for CubaNews since its birth in 1993. upper Cauto River basin to suit the needs of a growing population, control catastrophic floods and serve agriculture. Combined, they can hold over 510 million sq meters (135 billion gallons) of water. Damming the Río Cauto ultimately caused extensive environmental damage to the basin and croplands, including fading runoff, saline intru- sions and aridity of soils downstream. All of this has, in turn, reduced agricultural yields. Farming has replaced most of the province’s once-vast natural forests. Today, woodlands cover only 25% of its territory, a low ratio given the size of its mountains.

POPULATION With 169 people per sq km, Santiago de Cuba is the most densely pop- ulated province after the City of Havana. In 2012, the province had 1,053,837 inhabitants, representing 9.4% of all Cubans. However, popula- tion growth has virtually stagnated at 0.1% annually between 2007 and 2012 — a situation likely related to rapidly decreasing living standards. In contrast, the population grew by 1.4% annually during the 1970s, and by 1.0% in the 1980s. One out of every 150 santiagueros leaves the province every year. From 2006 to 2011, the net migration balance cost the province 38,000 people, or 3.6% of the total. The capital city, also called Santiago de Cuba, had a population of 425,851 in 2012, making it the second-largest city after Havana. The city See Santiago de Cuba, page 11 July 2013 v CubaNews 11

producer, accounting for 35% of Cuba’s total HURRICANE SANDY Santiago de Cuba — FROM PAGE 10 coffee crop. Yet decades of orchard neglect On Oct. 25, 2012, Santiago de Cuba received and the continued exodus of farmers from the a direct and devastating blow from Hurricane is home to 40.4% of the province’s inhabitants, mountains to the cities has depleted the qual- up from 38% in 1981 and 35% in 1970. Sandy. The government has not disclosed Founded in 1514 by Diego Velázquez, Santi- ity and volume of Cuba’s coffee crop. many details, but it’s known that more than ago de Cuba is one of the earliest settlements At present, only 23,000 ha are devoted to 100,000 houses were severely damaged or in the Americas — serving as Cuba’s capital coffee, down from 30,400 ha in 2006. Output, wiped out — and that the hurricane’s impact in the first half of the 16th century. It was also the scene of the most decisive battle of the 1898 Spanish-American War. Other important cities are Palma Soriano

(76,179 as of 2002, the last available year), LUXNER LARRY Contramaestre (44,752), San Luís (33,717), La Maya (21,278), Dos Caminos (11,907), Baire (11,659), Mella (11,195), El Cobre (10,477), Mayarí Arriba (10,264), El Cristo (9,354), Alto Songo (7,338), Baraguá (5,889) and Palmarito del Cauto (5,446). The three largest cities account for just half of all residents of the province.

AGRICULTURE Santiago de Cuba was the province least hurt by the 2002 downsizing of Cuba’s sugar industry. Thanks to its higher sugarcane yields, only one sugar mill was dismantled — Raf-ael Reyes (formerly Unión) — while the Los Reynaldos (Baltony) mill was converted to produce only molasses. The América Libre (América) and Paquito Rosales (Borgita) mills have been among the best-performing mills on the island. Sugarcane is currently grown on some Clockwise from upper left: Girls celebrate their quinceañera at Santiago de Cuba’s Parque Céspedes; 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres). In its heyday Bright yellow Chevy parked along a Santiago de Cuba side street; panoramic view from the Meliá San- in the late 1980s, Santiago de Cuba’s eight tiago de Cuba, and the Moncada barracks from where Fidel launched his revolution on July 26, 1953. sugar mills produced more than 350,000 tons of sugar. Each harvest was worth in excess of meanwhile, has dwindled to less than 2,000 on the already weakened sugar industry was $190 million at the preferential prices paid by tons a year, compared to more than 15,000 largely responsible for Santiago de Cuba’s the Soviets. tons in the early 1960s. dramatically reduced sugar harvest. But by 2002, the sugar harvest had fallen to Coffee industry waste is a major cause of The powerul storm also caused large but 220,000 tons worth $33.4 million, and only the widespread contamination of runoff unspecified losses in coffee plantations, and 84,600 tons by 2011. Refined sugar, alcohols waters, though the recent introduction of knocked down the 220-kV, 110-kV and 33-kV and torula yeast are also produced as well. cleaner Colombian technologies has reduced transmission lines in several places. Santiago de Cuba is the island’s top coffee the amount and toxicity of such wastes. INDUSTRY Santiago de Cuba boasts the island’s largest industrial hub outside of Havana, but the eco- Priest says aid for Sandy victims was diverted nomic crisis has slowed down or even para- utspoken Cuban priest José Conrado the intentions of the donors,” he said. lyzed many facilities. With few exceptions, ORodríguez alleged that foreign aid “We have watched with astonishment as most factories are concentrated around the sent to his native Santiago de Cuba government or armed forces installations city and port of Santiago de Cuba. province after Hurricane Sandy has been were repaired in record time, while the peo- One-third of Santiago de Cuba’s industrial diverted to government, military and tour- ple remain without roofs,” he wrote Jun. 16. production comes from electric power gener- ism facilities but denied to private homes, Warning of possible civil unrest, he added ation and petroleum refining. Miami’s El Nuevo Herald reported Jun. 25. that “we are witnesses to the people’s frus- The Renté and Antonio Maceo thermoelec- “The situation in Santiago is very grave” trations, to their desperation and impo- tric plants, with 300 and 500 MW of capacity because many of the more than 100,000 tence, to a threatening silence that makes respectively, rank among the most important homes damaged by the storm have not us think that it could explode at any time in Cuba, together generating 25% of the been repaired, Rodríguez told the newspa- with justified and uncontrollable fury.” island’s electricity. per. “The aid has not reached the people.” Rodríguez said that foreign diplomats The Hermanos Díaz petroleum refinery is Rodríguez made the allegations in a pub- who visited him after Sandy noted “a very capable of processing 74,000 barrels of crude lic letter to the provincial head of the Com- high degree of exasperation” in Santiago de oil daily, though it remained idle for years af- munist Party, Lázaro Expósito, urging him Cuba, which will host July 26 celebrations ter the onset of the Special Period of the ‘90s. to crack down on the diversion of the aid marking the start of the Castro revolution. A classic example of unrealistic industrial and “the corruption that surrounds you.” Sandy pummeled eastern Cuba in Octo- investments of the Soviet era was the Celia “We have watched with astonishment the ber, killing 11 people and causing $2 billion Sánchez textile factory, designed to produce theft of the assistance that so many coun- in damages. Many of the 100,000 homes are 95 million sq yards of textiles and 2,000 tons tries sent to our people, how that aid was without roofs, with families jammed into of thread per year. It was completed in the sold at inflated prices in flagrant violation of the one or two rooms that have roofs. See Santiago de Cuba,page 12 12 CubaNews v July 2013

Santiago de Cuba — FROM PAGE 11 1980s but never came close to full capacity. Santiago de Cuba’s cement plant, opened in 1955, accounts for 11% of Cuba’s total cement production. In the 1980s, it produced 500,000 to 600,000 tons a year, reaching 616,000 tons in 1989. But by 1993, output had declined to 280,000 tons. This plant is now idle. Other industries include a brewery, six rum distilleries, one of Cuba’s largest wheat mills, a dairy plant and a large prefab plant.

TOURISM Santiago de Cuba lags well behind other provinces when it comes to tourism. At pres- ent, the province has only 1,834 rooms in 21 properties, accounting for 3.1% of the island’s lodging capacity. In 2011, tourism yielded $24.7 million in rev- enues, or only 1.1% of Cuba’s total — making tourism worth less than even the province’s deplorable sugar harvest that year. And hotel occupancy averages only 21%. It seems unlikely that the province will see the development of large hubs in the style of Cayo Coco or Cayo Largo, but the scenic southern shore of the Sierra Maestra could be the ground for a number of less ambitious hotel and resort development projects. The city of Santiago de Cuba itself — with its charming colonial zone set against green mountains at the edge of the Caribbean Sea — has the potential to attract thousands of vis- itors from abroad. But the lack of basic serv- ices, combined with lingering damage from Hurricane Sandy, make this likelihood seem like an impossible dream for now.

INFRASTRUCTURE Santiago de Cuba’s provincial highway sys- tem reaches all key economic centers and set- tlements, but roads are narrow, twisting and reportedly in very poor condition while rail- road service is deplorable. The two-lane old Central Highway and the Central Railroad are Santiago de Cuba’s main links with the rest of the country. Construction on the National Highway was stopped more than 20 years ago, a few miles from the city of Santiago de Cuba. The port of Santiago de Cuba is the island’s second-largest, with 13 docks and 2,025 meters of berthing space. Its versatile facili- ties allow the handling of 10.5 million metric tons of dry cargo per year, including 450,000 tons of sugar annually in the 1980s, and six million tons of liquids. Its warehouse capacity exceeds 60,000 sq meters (645,000 sq feet). Antonio Maceo International Airport, south of Santiago de Cuba, gave up most of its sig- nificance to other Cuban facilities as tourism became a leading economic activity. The international airports serving Vara- dero, Cayo Coco and Cayo Largo have all grown to become major hubs, while Santiago de Cuba’s airport — which handles mostly domestic traffic — has stagnated. Its nominal capacity of 600 passengers per hour is well above the airport’s current traffic volumes. q July 2013 v CubaNews 13 POLITICS OFAC revokes some TSP Cuba licenses, authorizes others BY VITO ECHEVARRÍA end of restrictions at the Cuban end for Cu- country until all claims associated with an as American travel to Cuba reached its bans to leave the country — and the increase accident are settled.” peak? In recent years, the Cuba travel in the number of visas issued by the U.S. to It also said that Cuban authorities may pre- Hbusiness has been booming, thanks to reflect this new demand.” vent drivers of rental cars involved in a car the Obama administration green-lighting peo- accident from returning to their home coun- ple-to-people (P2P) trips by U.S. citizens, USINT: IF YOU FLY TO CUBA, DON’T DRIVE! try — even if they’re hospitalized — until all even as more Cuban-Americans visit their rel- Guild suggested that it’s certainly less ex- claims connected to that accident are settled. atives on the island. pensive to bring a relative up from Cuba to In 2010, Canadian teenager Cody LeCom- At one point, some travel agencies special- visit the United States than it is for the whole pte crashed into another vehicle while driving izing in P2P packages, such as Insight Cuba, family to go to Cuba. “But we have also been his rental care in the town of Santa Lucia. went as far as setting up eye-catching displays told that there has been an increase in the first Even though no one died in the accident, at the New York Times Travel Show to edu- six months of this year compared to last in the LeCompte was forced to remain in Cuba while cate Americans on legalized travel to Cuba. numbers of non-Cuban American visitors from authorities sorted out the details. Yet U.S. travel bookings to Cuba may have the U.S.,” he added. LeCompte ended up stuck in Cuba for three reached their limit, given the latest summary months, including thousands of dollars in of changes affecting Travel Service Providers hotel costs, before diplomatic pressure from (TSPs) issued by the U.S. Treasury Depart- the Canadian government and the threat of a ment between Mar. 22 and Jun. 28, 2013. Canadian travel boycott forced local officials to release him. During that period, Treasury’s Office of LUXNER LARRY Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) granted five According to Canada’s Department of For- additional TSPs licenses to book Cuba trips eign Affairs, about 10% of the 108 Canadians for licensed U.S. travelers, while five other arrested or detained in Cuba between 2005 to TSPs lost their licenses. Some expected the 2010 had been involved in car accidents. number of new TSPs to be much higher. Ya’lla Tours USA, an Oregon agency that Those companies now out of the Cuba trav- books Cuba travel, agrees with the advisory. el game are Cuba Linda Services Corp., J.C. “For the last six years, we’ve stopped any Mar Services Corp., JJ World Travel Corp., Sign warns of highway’s history of fatal accidents. kind of car rental for self-driving in Cuba due Marbella Travel LLC and Quo Vadis Inc. to the hard conditions of driving, poor signs Even that still leaves 334 licensed Cuba Meanwhile, for U.S. licensed travelers alrea- on the road, no illumination at night and poor TSPs as well as carrier service providers ope- dy made in Cuba, the U.S. Interests Section in road conditions,” said Ronen Paldi, the com- rating in the United States, some observers Havana issued an advisory on its website. pany’s CEO. “I personally experienced what it wonder whether even more TSPs will disap- The warning — dated Jun. 27 — advises means driving from Havana to Santiago de pear down the road, and why these five lost U.S. citizens not to drive while visiting Cuba. Cuba and vouched never to do it again and not their licenses to begin with. This stems from the Castro regime’s practice to let any of our travelers to do it, as it is sim- “We add new providers as they apply and in of jailing foreigners, including Americans, for ply not safe.” some cases revoke the authorizations for rea- getting involved in car accidents that involve Paldi told CubaNews that a close friend of sons such as not following the proper guide- serious injury or death his — a foreigner working on the island — lines,” said OFAC spokesman John Sullivan, The advisory notes that, with car crashes was involved in a car accident and sentenced in explaining the recent changes. becoming the leading cause of accidental to five years in prison. death in Cuba, “drivers involved in accidents “He was released after 20 months and de- OFAC: NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, FOR NOW resulting in serious injury or death are subject ported from Cuba. This reiterated my deci- Despite concerns about U.S. travel book- to prison terms of up to 10 years, and Cuban sion not to drive in Cuba and not to let any ings to Cuba in the near future, Sullivan authorities may prohibit drivers of rental cars Ya'lla travelers do so. We didn’t wait for the insists that there’s nothing to worry about. who are involved in accidents from leaving the advisory; we took that step long time ago.” q “The program remains robust and we keep adding new licensees for the people-to- peo- tant one is related, essentially, to what he ple licenses,” he stressed. Everleny — FROM PAGE 4 defines as “tiempo político” [political timing] At least one TSP agrees that U.S. travel to since 2009 to slash Cuba’s food import bill of the current changes taking place in Cuba, Cuba is still going strong. especially in regards to the implementation and boost import substitution levels, the rise “I believe about 250 people-to-people licens- of the Party’s Lineamientos [guidelines]. es have been issued but this includes the in world prices has made this impossible. Considering the social impact of the last 23 renewal licenses for groups which already As a result, the cost of food imports re- years of virtual economic survival, full of had the one-year license,” said Bob Guild, VP mains at 2008 levels, though Cuba’s current shortages and discontent, no growth whatso- of Marazul Charters in North Bergen, NJ. trade surplus is thanks strictly to the export ever and its current limitations on growth “It can certainly take several months to get of professional services. despite the reforms already put in place, the a license [there is only one long line for all While tourism remains a crucial source of key issue of that “political timing” is clearly license requests] but they are being issued.” hard currency, it’s been declining since 2008 to move faster. Guild made an interesting point about the as tourists are spending less. It has been said, again and again, that im- Cuba travel business these days: the potential Cuba needs other activities besides sun plementing the Lineamientos should follow impact that changes in that country’s immi- and beach to lure tourists; in addition, private the pattern of “without pause, but without gration law may have on future travel book- bed-and-breakfast inns and other domestic haste.” It’s not about rushing things —but ings from Cuban-Americans. competitors are on the rise. moving faster must become an important “To the best of my knowledge there has In the final reflections of Omar Everleny requirement at this critical stage. been a decrease in the numbers of Cuban- Pérez Villanueva, perhaps the most impor- – DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI Americans visiting their relatives since the 14 CubaNews v July 2013 BOOKSHELF ‘Cuban Revelations, ‘Palace of Salt’ and ‘Father of Cuban Ballet’ eriodically, presents reviews of CubaNews happening in Cuba over the past 10 years.” FERNANDO ALONSO: FATHER OF CUBAN BALLET books we think will interest our readers. Antoni Kapcia, co-editor of PHere are three to consider “Cuban Reve- “The Changing Tony Award-winner Ben Vereen calls this says: “With a lations,” “Cuba, A Palace of Salt: Lives and Ad- Dynamic of Cuban Civil Society,” 240-page book “a riveting look into the life and sharp eye for human detail and a clear under- times of a great dance artist. From a small is- ventures of a Vanished World” and, lastly, “Fer- standing of what makes Cuba tick, Frank’s nando Alonso: The Father of Cuban Ballet.” land shrouded in mystery, Fernando Alonso narrative bears eloquent, balanced and al- changed the face of ballet for the world. A ways sensitive witness to the troubled trajec- standing ovation for a great read about a fan- CUBAN REVELATIONS tory of Cuba. It genuinely gets ‘inside’ the oth- n tastic life.” “Cuban Revelations: Behind the Scenes in erwise confusing system and society.” W i d e l y Havana,” veteran journalist Marc Frank Frank’s book (ISBN 978-0-8130-4465-1, Ioffers a first-hand account of daily life in known for his price $29.95), which contains three maps by Cuba at the turn of the 21st century, the start visionary role our own cartographer, Armando Portela, will as principal of a new and dramatic epoch for islanders and be available in October. the Cuban diaspora. founder and Details: Teal Amthor-Shaffer, Marketing Man- mentor of A U.S.-born correspondent for Reuters and ager, University Press of Florida, 15 NW 15th the who has called Havana Cuba’s Natio- Financial Times St., Gainesville, FL 32603. Tel: (352) 392-1351. nal Ballet, home for almost a quarter-century, Frank is Fax: (352) 392-0590. Email: [email protected]. also a consultant for ABC News, has con- Alonso has tributed to and Argentina’s lived a life as The Economist CUBA, A PALACE OF SALT far-reaching Clarín, and is The lost world of old, pre-revolutionary the author of and dynamic Cuba is illuminated against the backdrop of as it is daring- “Cuba Looks to political and social change in Liana Fernández ly political. the Year 2000.” de Castro Phibbs’ His work has “Cuba, A Palace of Salt: It was Alon- Lives and Adventures of a Vanished World.” so’s passion- also appeared In (ISBN 1456-4544-04), the frequently in “Palace of Salt” ate advocacy author encounters a giant hammerhead shark, for ballet that the pages of marches in protest against Gen. Fulgencio this newsletter, won the sup- Batista and leads her classmates to safety port of the Cuban revolution, changing ballet CubaNews. through the aftermath of a bomb explosion. from an exclusive preserve of the aristocracy A m o n g One of her most terrifying memories takes other things, to an art accessible to ordinary Cubans. readers three feet away from a man who “Fernando Alonso: The Father of Cuban Ba- Frank has attempted to kill Fidel Castro as he entered observed in llet” (ISBN 978-0-8130-4402-6, price $24.95) is Havana in 1959. based on key material: pre-blockade tapes person the best The memoir introduces readers to charac- days of the rev- from Lincoln Center, Spanish-language sour- ters ranging from fascinating to downright ces from Havana’s Museum of Dance, and in- olution, the fall hysterical: Elena, a Galician woman who of the Soviet bloc, the great depression of the terviews with the ballet master himself by the returns evil for book’s author, Tobas Singer — who also inter- 1990s, the stepping aside of Fidel Castro — good, suffers and the reforms now being devised by his viewed his ex-wife Alicia, an internationally from the very recognized ballet star. brother Raúl. revolution she Examining the effects of U.S. policy toward Details: Teal Amthor-Shaffer, Marketing Man- envisioned, ager, University Press of Florida, 15 NW 15th St., Cuba, Frank analyzes why Cuba has entered while the psy- an extraordinary, irreversible period of Gainesville, FL 32603. Tel: (352) 392-1351. Fax: chopathic Ber- (352) 392-0590. Email: [email protected]. change and considers what its future holds. ta — daughter The enormous social engineering project of a police offi- taking place today under Raúl’s leadership is WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT CUBA cial — offers a part-owner Antonio Zamora has fraught with many dangers, and “Cuban Reve- slice of humor CubaNews lations” follows the new leader’s efforts to recently published his memoirs in the form of throughout the a 140-page book, overcome bureaucratic resistance and the traumatic era. “What I Learned About Cuba fears of a populace that stand in his way. By Going to Cuba.” Readers also To read more about Zamora’s book (ISBN In addition, Frank offers a colorful chroni- meet a skipper cle of his travels across the island’s many and 978-1484-82373-6, price $15.00), please see the who coaxes his June 2013 issue of , page 15. varied provinces, sharing candid interviews boat through a CubaNews with people from all walks of life. hurricane and a repairman whose manual Details: Antonio Zamora, Cuba Libre Publica- He takes the reader outside the capital to skills come in handy during the revolution. tions LLC, 1408 Brickell Bay Drive, Suite #1211, reveal how ordinary Cubans live and what “I wanted to recreate the lost world of pre- Miami, FL 33131. Email: [email protected]. they are thinking and feeling as 50-year-old Castro Cuba and illuminate some aspects of social and economic taboos are broken. “Bookshelf” is an occasional feature of the revolution,” Phibbs says. “This is the only in which we summarize works He shares his honest and unbiased obser- available history of these individuals and what CubaNews vations on extraordinary positive develop- we think will interest our diverse audience. happened to them.” If you would like your book, report, novel ments in social matters, like health-care and Phibbs grew up in Havana where her grand- education, as well as on inefficiencies in the or scholarly publication to be featured in an father founded Cuba’s first lithograph plant. upcoming issue, please email a request to Cuban economy. After 1959, she fled to the United States. Wayne Smith, fellow at the Center for Inter- [email protected] or send a review copy national Policy and former chief of the U.S. In- Details: Liana Fernández de Castro Phibbs, to Larry Luxner, Editor, CubaNews, PO Box terests Section in Havana, calls this 336-page Tucson, Arizona. Tel: (520) 577-7593. Email: v- 1345, Silver Spring, MD 20915-1345 — USA. tome “a must-read book to grasp what’s been [email protected]. URL: www.amazon.com. July 2013 v CubaNews 15

BOOKSHELF Detention and Denial: The Case for Candor After Guantánamo n “Detention and Denial: The Case for Can- Writes Anne Applebaum of the Washington homeland security, says the book offers “a bal- dor After Guantánamo,” Benjamin Wittes Post: “As always, Benjamin Wittes brings prag- anced, tough-minded appraisal of what needs Iillustrates how U.S. detention policy is a tan- matism and a refreshing honesty to a subject to be done to transform our ad hoc detention gle of obfuscation rather than a serious set of which is usually wrapped in layers of ideology, policy into a sustainable architecture that moral and legal decisions.” obfuscation and accommodates security imperatives and the Far from sharpening focus and defining deceit.” rule of law. This should be on top of the read- clear parameters for action, it sends mixed sig- Sen. Lindsey ing list for all three branches of government.” nals, muddies the legal and military waters, Graham (R-SC), Finally, the Law and Politics Book Review says and produces perverse incentives. calls the book “a Wittes writes “with clarity and brevity.” Its random operation makes a mockery of clear account of Wittes is a senior fellow in governance stud- the human rights concerns that prompted the what’s wrong with ies at Washington’s Brookings Institution. He limited amount of legal scrutiny that detention American deten- co-founded and is editor-in-chief of the Law- has received to date. tion policy ... fare blog, and belongs to the Hoover Institu- Wittes issues a persuasive call for greater Wittes offers a tion’s Task Force on National Security & Law. coherence, clarity and public candor from the compelling argu- He is co-editor, with Jeffrey Rosen, of “Const- American government regarding its detention ment about what itution 3.0: Freedom and Technological Change” policy and practices, and greater citizen aware- our failure to act (2011), and editor of “Campaign 2012: Twelve ness of the same. means for our own Independent Ideas for Improving American Public The 160-page paperback (ISBN #978-0-8157- nation’s security. Policy” (2012), both published by Brookings. 2545-9, price $18.95) will be available in Aug- Those want to Details: Brookings Institution Press, c/o HFS, ust. Praise for Wittes’ treatise is already pour- learn more about Guantánamo and the law of PO Box 50370, Baltimore, MD 21211-4370. Tel: ing in, according to its publishers, Baltimore- counterterrorism should read this book.” (800) 537-5487 or (410) 516-6956. Fax: (410) based Brookings Institution Press. Michael Chertoff, former U.S. secretary of 516-6998. Email: [email protected].

Memorias Dominicanas: D.R. from Cuban perspective Tim Wendel: ‘Habana Libre’ ubaNews is pleased to announce the Deñó led the Dominican military and mostly release of “Memorias Dominicanas,” an unarmed people against the U.S. Marines who Cuba and the United States may be sepa- Cinsightful Spanish-language book by rated by only 90 miles of open water, but were occupying the country. veteran Cuban journalist Elsy Fors Garzón, After a tactical retreat, Caamaño returned to they remain worlds apart as a beautiful who spent several years in Santo Domingo as the Dominican Republic in the 1970s with a showgirl and a boy with a boat attempt to correspondent in the Dominican Republic for guerrilla force which failed to overthrow then- cross the treacherous Straits of Florida. Prensa Latina president Joa- Set against and occasionally quín Balaguer; the backdrop of contributes to he was killed on actual games this newsletter. the president’s played between Her book is a own orders. Cuba’s national testimonial cov- Fors actually team and the ering 2010 to interviewed wit- Baltimore Ori- 2012, when Fors nesses of those oles, “Habana wrote about all long-ago events Libre” (CityLit aspects of D.R. — which adds Press) is the life — history, credibility and story of people politics, econo- serves as a con- caught between my, art, nature, necting thread home and hope. society, sports, of her story that In this novel- culture and Do- links all sectors la, Tim Wendel minican rela- of Dominican returns to a top- tions with Cuba. life — from the exuberant nature of its people ic he loves: Cuba. His first novel, “Castro’s Readers will find in its pages scarcely to the country’s growing but unequal econo- Curveball,” was set in postwar Havana. known episodes in the life of Cuban-Domini- my, to its mixed culinary traditions, lively Says author Michael Kimball: “Habana can independence heroes like the famous music and colorful carnival. Libre combines two of my favorite things — 19th-century revolutionary Máximo Gómez. No contemporary book about the Domini- baseball and fiction — and Wendel writes She also writes about the relationship can Republic would be complete without a dis- about baseball like nobody else.” between the Caribbean countries’ two one- cussion of sports, and Since the mid-1990s, Wendel has made time dictators, Gen. Fulgencio Batista and “Memorias Dominica- three trips to Cuba. A writer in residence at nas” is no exception. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo — as well as the The author’s chapter on sports reveals the Johns Hopkins University, he’s written 10 Cayo Confites expedition to overthrow presence of Cuban trainers who very quietly books. His previous work, “Summer of ‘68,” Trujillo in the late 1940s and how Batista paid have helped the Dominican Republic win gold was a Publisher’s Weekly Top 10 sports title, dearly for his stay in the Dominican Republic medals in regional and global events such as while his “High Heat” was selected as an after escaping Cuba. the World Baseball Classic — even defeating Editor’s Choice by the New York Times. As historians will recall, Cuban commander their Cuban rivals at their own game. Details: Jennifer Richards, Over the River Delio Gómez and Dominican guerrilleros Public Relations, PO Box 408, Leonia, NJ trained in Cuba fought in the D.R. against Details: Pedro González Munné, Editorial Letra Viva, PO Box 14-0253, Coral Gables, FL 07605. Tel: (201) 242-9637. Email: info@otr- Trujillo in June 1959. pr.com. URL: www.overtheriverpr.com. Six years later, Francisco Alberto Caamaño 33114. Emamil: [email protected]. URL: www.amazon.com/dp/80004VCW2G. 16 CubaNews v July 2013

CALENDAR OF EVENTS CARIBBEAN UPDATE If your organization is sponsoring an upcoming event, please let our readers know! You already know what’s going in Cuba, Fax details to CubaNews at (301) 949-0065 or send e-mail to [email protected]. thanks to CubaNews. Now find out what’s happening in the rest of this diverse and Jul. 10-20: “The Shortest Distance/La Distancia Más Corta,” WDNA 88.9 FM Jazz Gallery, fast-growing region. Miami. Exhibit features exiled Cuban artists living in Spain: Andrés Lacau and Pablo Leonar- Subscribe to Caribbean UPDATE, a do Martínez, and is part of the “Sweet Home: Museo Cubano” project. Free. Details: WDNA monthly newsletter founded in 1985. Cor- porate and government executives, as well 88.9 FM Jazz Gallery, 2921 Coral Way, Miami, FL 33145. Tel: (305) 573-9530. URL: www.wdna.org. as scholars and journalists, depend on this Jul. 20: “The Art of Looting,” Newman Alumni Center, Coral Gables, FL. One-day seminar publication for its insightful, timely cover- featuring Christopher Marinello, executive director of the Art Loss Register; Willi Korte, co- age of the 30-plus nations and territories of the Caribbean and Central America. founder of the Holocaust Art Restitution Project, and Chris Roach of Adams & Reese. “We’ll When you receive your first issue, you discuss prospects for the recovery of Cuban collections as well as groundbreaking efforts to have two options: (a) pay the accompany- deter the sale and purchase of pre-Revolution items.” Cost: $130. Details: Mastrapa Consultants ing invoice and your subscription will be Inc., PO Box 248334, Coral Gables, FL 33124-8334. Tel: Email: [email protected]. processed; (b) if you’re not satisfied, just write “cancel” on the invoice and return it. Aug. 1-3: Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy, 23rd Annual Meeting, Hilton There is no further obligation on your part. Miami Downtown Hotel. This year’s theme: “Reforming Cuba?” ASCE officials say they are The cost of a subscription to Caribbean “working toward bringing Cuba-based economists and scholars to the conference.” Invited UPDATE is $281 per year. A special rate of speakers include Armando Nova (Centro de Estudios de la Economía Cubana); Karina Gálvez $142 is available to academics, non-profit organizations and additional subscriptions (Revista Convivencia); computer science professor José Luís Leyva Cruz (University of Cama- mailed to the same address. güey); Lenier González and Roberto Viega (co-editors of Espacio Laical); independent lawyer To order, contact Caribbean UPDATE at Laritza Diversent (Jurisconsulto de Cuba) and mathematician and Estado de Sats coordinator 116 Myrtle Ave., Millburn, NJ 07041, call us Antonio Rodiles. Keynote speaker: Harvard economist George Borjas. Cost: $75 for members, at (973) 376-2314, visit our new website at $175 for non-members (rising to $100 and $200 after July 15). Details: Ted Henken, ASCE, PO www.caribbeanupdate.org or send an email to [email protected]. We accept Box 28267, Washington, DC 20038-8267. Email: [email protected]. URL: www.ascecuba.org. Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Aug. 2: “Cuba: Reality Today and Opportunities in the Future,” Conrad Condado Plaza Hotel, San Juan. Hosted by the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association, this one-day conference will feature CubaNews editor Larry Luxner; Mauricio Claver-Carone, director, US-Cuba Democra- cy PAC; Marco González of Duane Morris LLP; Gerardo González, president, SCIRE Econo- mic Consulting Unit; Roberto Orro, Caribbean Analysis Unit; Jay Brickman of Crowley Marit- ime; AACCLA Executive Director José Raúl Perales; Phil Peters of Antilles Resources, David Lewis, VP of Manchester Trade. Luncheon speaker: Johannes Werner, editor, Cuba Standard. Forum moderator: Rodrigo Masses. Cost: $198. Details: Nelson Flores, PRMA, PO Box 195477, Editor San Juan, PR 00919. Tel: (787) 641-4455 x4655. Email: [email protected]. URL: www.prma.com. n LARRY LUXNER n Sep. 22-29: Puerto Rico trade mission to Cuba, organized by the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Washington correspondent n ANA RADELAT n Association. Only 20 spaces left. Trip to be profiled at Aug. 2 conference (see above). Details: PRMA, PO Box 195477, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00919. Tel: (787) 641-4455. URL: www.prma.com. Political analyst n DOMINGO AMUCHASTEGUI n Nov. 3-9: Havana International Fair, FIHAV 2013, ExpoCuba, Havana. Annual trade fair, now in its 31st year, to boast more than 20,000 sq meters of net exhibition area, and about 4,500 Feature writers n VITO ECHEVARRÍA n Cuban and foreign exhibitors from 60 countries. Details: FIHAV Organizing Committee, Havana, n DOREEN HEMLOCK n Cuba. Tel: +53 7 204-5577, x1441. Email: [email protected]. URL: www.feria-havana.com. Cartographer n ARMANDO H. PORTELA n

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