http://nigelhunt.com/blog/ Cuba from a UK perspective en-us Nucleus CMS v3.31 � Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://nigelhunt.com/blog//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://nigelhunt.com/blog/ http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=30 ---
The cultural and economic value of the old Ex-American cars to Cuba, is in my opinion, astronomical. Their loss would be a "total tourism catastrophe". But the process of their demise may just be round the corner. Cuban's, given a choice want modern more reliable (boring?) cars. And they may have that choice very soon. Now mostly the old cars are operated as private taxis for the Cuban people. Tourist taxis are modern cars. My idea to save the old cars is reverse this condition, or at least start the process of incentivising old car owners to give rides to tourists and so have more money to keep their cars in even better shape, and even revitalise dormant stock. All old car drivers are given a digital camera to take location photos of their clients/tourists with the car. The memory card's photos are submitted (for which drivers/owners get a small fixed fee) every week to a car owners club/office and an international amateur panel (always changing) of judges (eg tourists at Hotel Nacional) gives significant cash prizes for the best photos. The photos are then uploaded to websites for tourism promotion etc.

Also there should be an annual Classic Car Owners Weekend on the Havana Malecon with prizes for best maintained cars in several categories. All car exhibitors are paid expenses.

etc etc]]> A Nigel Idea http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=30 Thu, 15 May 2008 19:18:44 +0100 http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=27
The plant is the first of five to be built to increase the quality and production of asphalt. In addition, Cuba is in the process of acquiring more than 1,000 pieces of machinery for paving, building, and repairing roads. The initial priority will be on the eastern provinces whose roads were hit hard last year by tropical storm Noel.

Lage also spoke about the importance of reinstalling work discipline to ensure that projects are completed on time and meet the required standards. He added that water pipes in need of repair must be fixed before asphalting and that work will be planned to cause the least interruptions and inconveniences to the public.

“We have a great challenge ahead of us to make efficient use of all the investment the country is making to offset the accumulated road deterioration of several years”, concluded Lage.]]> General http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=27 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:36:58 +0000 http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=25 ---
Attention to such practical matters is why many Cubans find themselves reassessing the younger Castro, once considered little more than a ruthless enforcer for his brother. "Raul has shown he is different," said Rafael Diaz, a state taxi driver. "He calls things the way they are and wants to make them better." Even so, Castro says he needs time to come up with the right policies. "A mistake brought about by improvisation, superficiality or haste could have substantial negative consequences," he said in his speech, a seeming reference to the political and economic chaos in the former Soviet Union a decade ago. Cuban officials continue to reject the Chinese or Vietnam model of broad economic liberalization under one-party rule. "Its socialism will undoubtedly alter - but not in the manner of a China or Vietnam. Cuba will continue to go its own way," according to Ignacio Ramonet, co-author of Fidel Castro's recent official biography, My Life. "The new regime will initiate changes at the economic level, but there will be no Cuban perestroika - no opening up of politics, no multi party elections."

The eastern Cuban province of Granma has greatly improved the quality of tourist services, as a result of large investments in the sector. According to local tourism authorities, the hotels' rooms, restaurants and kitchens were improved, and establishments were painted and equipped with new air-conditioning systems and power generators. Works benefited the hotels Marea del Portillo and Villa Punta Piedra, in Pilón, and the hotels Sierra Maestra, in Bayamo, and Guacanayabo, in Manzanillo. Remodeling works also included Villa Balcón de la Sierra, in the municipality of Bartolomé Masó, and 55 percent of extrahotel centers run by Grupo Palmares. In addition, several trails devoted to nature tourism have been improved at the national parks Desembarco del Granma and Turquino, among other actions.

Cuba's iron and steel industry is working to increase exports of finished products. In 2007, exports totaled 140 million dollars, accounting for a 19-percent growth compared to the previous year. The iron and steel sector, which has 187 companies, reported a production of 2.52 billion pesos. As in previous years, the main income in hard currency came from the iron and steel, recycling and mechanic sectors. The main markets for Cuba's iron and steel products are the Caribbean and Europe, including Holland, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Venezuela, Honduras, Canada and Jamaica.

This Saturday, in the 10th Terry Fox Run for cancer research, 2.5 million Cubans are espected to walk, run, ride, rollerblade – do whatever they can – remembering a young Canadian who has become a hero in their own country. Camacho, who heads Cuba's National Oncology Group, says Terry's message echoes the objectives of the island nation's national health program: "If you don't accept cancer as a common disease you will not fight against it." He's watched as participants swelled from about 800 in 1998 to 2.3 million in 2007, becoming the world's largest outside of Canada. The Terry Fox Run was introduced to Cuba in the 1980s by staff at the Canadian embassy in Havana but it took a few years to capture the public's imagination.

Cuba's food industry reported a 15-percent increase in production in 2007, as a result of authorities' efforts to develop the sector. According to statistics, the industry grew at an annual average of 8 percent from 2003 to 2007. Last year, international economic associations grew 26 percent in contrast to 2006. Over the past five years, 11 products have reported the largest increase in production, including pork, cheese, pastas, canned fruit, wines, soft drinks and beer. The official strategy is aimed at reducing imports and increase sales to the tourism sector and hard-currency shops, which rose 15 percent last year. Exports of Havana Club rum grew considerably, accounting for 97 percent of net revenues.

Perez Roque said Bush's view that nothing had changed in Cuba was acknowledgment of the failure of his Cuba policy, which has tightened sanctions to financially undermine the one-party state. "President Bush's words show that he is just a furious and impotent spectator," the minister said, in the first official Cuban comment on Bush's statement. "I enjoyed listening to the frustration in his words." Perez Roque said Bush's lament that more of the world's major democracies had not joined the United States in isolating Havana was also recognition that Washington's policy on Cuba had itself become isolated. He spoke at a news conference with the European Union's top development aid official, Louis Michel, who was in Havana to try to relaunch EU ties with Cuba. Washington had opposed the visit.

The lawsuit filed by Vermonters against Washington seeking to allow more frequent family visits to Cuba illustrates just one opportunity represented by the change in leadership in the last Cold War standout in our hemisphere. The opportunity lies with the United States. With Fidel Castro stepping aside after five decades as the country's leader, and brother Raul taking over, this country has the opportunity to make gestures that signal a possibility of change. The first steps can include easing some of the more nonsensical tightening of restrictions in recent years such as limiting family visits.

The Vermont plaintiffs want to visit Cuba so that grandparents can attend a wedding ceremony, or to visit an aging aunt. This is playing politics -- outdated geopolitics, at that -- with families as pawns. Allowing these kinds of visits are neither appeasement nor a threat to U.S. security. Easing restriction on family visits is also the kind of move that can be easily reversed if the policy causes an unforeseen problem. Cuba and the United States seem to be locked into decades-old roles based on hard-line ideologies. At least on the U.S. side, the strident stand against a tiny Communist dictatorship hardly reflects the overall policies of this nation, given our relations with Communist China.

At this point, the U.S.-Cuban situation seems more like a schoolyard row that has festered too long than a relationship between neighboring countries. And given the difference between the two countries, it is too easy to cast the United States -- bigger, richer and more powerful by far -- as a bully. The Bush administration tightened restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba in 2004 saying the move was meant to push Cuba toward democracy. But that goes against the policy of constructive engagement, the idea that we would have more influence for good from within, which drove this country's continued relations with apartheid South Africa. Even in the darkest days of the Cold War, we engaged the Soviet Union and China. Yet we continue to shun Cuba. >From a humanitarian, political or security standpoint, or even for encouraging democracy, keeping families apart makes no sense.

The historic heart of the city of Camagüey, the capital of the eastern Cuban province of the same name, will benefit from the inauguration of new cultural facilities. One of the new institutions is the gallery-workshop of painter Orestes Larios, which is housed in an 18th-century building in a city sector proposed to be declared Humankind's Heritage. The new cultural center is on a pedestrian street, less than a block from the commercial Maceo Street, and two blocks from the former Arms Square. Experts noted that the Orestes Larios gallery-workshop would exhibit artworks and promote creation, teaching and plastic arts in general. The building, which was restored recently, will contribute to highlighting the importance of that part of the city of Camagüey. Precisely, that area of Camagüey has more than 2,500 buildings and covers 16 percent of the historic heart of the city.

Is Google blocking Cuba? – Posting by Cuban Internet User - The greatest and the most used internet explorer has closed some of its services without a clear explanation which are inaccessible from Cuba. When requesting the Google bar, a brief sign in English says “We are sorry, but this service is not available for your country”. The same answer appears when requesting known services like Google Earth, Google Desktop Search, Google Code or Google Toolbar. The site which is famous throughout the world for providing a simple and fast way to find out information in more than 8168 millions of web sites is consulted more than 200 millions of times a day. In addition, it offers to users other opportunities like searching free codes font, see maps and aerial pictures, locate online publicity or find what it’s lost in our computers. These options however are not available for Cuban people.

Although its apparently liberal philosophy, Google is placed in United States, therefore, not only follows the law but increases the denunciations of collaborations with its policies that include espionage to supposed terrorist people. A simple request to access specific Google services from a Cuban server results in a polite but sharply denial in some of them.

Representatives from 23 different Dutch firms are heading to Cuba this week in the hope of doing business on the island, the NRC Handelsblad reports. 'It is the biggest Dutch economic delegation ever to visit Havana,' Gerard Vaandrager, director the trade promotion group NCH told the paper. The mission comes just one month after Fidel Castro said he is handing over the leadership of the communist country to his brother Raúl. 'There are enough signs that a more liberal wind is going to blow on Cuba,' Vaandrager told the NRC. 'Our visit comes at an extremely strategic moment.' At present foreign companies which do business with Cuba run the risk of ending up on a US blacklist. America has operated a trade embargo on the island since 1961.

Banking concern ING stopped its lucrative activities on the Caribbean island last year under US pressure, the NRC points out. The names of the companies taking part in the mission is being kept secret, the NRC said. But Rabobank did admit it is on the list. 'We are curious about the new economic possibilities,' spokesman Raymond Salet said, adding that the bank was not afraid of US sanctions. Three Rotterdam shipping companies are also among the delegates, the NRC says. Agriculture is another important sector where Dutch firms can play a role in reforming the Cuban economy, Vaandrager told the paper.

In 1999, OFAC (The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C.) confirmed that it had previously issued an opinion in 1994 which stated that a U.S. company or individual could make a secondary market investment in a "third-country company" that had commercial dealings with the Republic of Cuba as long as that investment in the "third-country company" was not a controlling interest. (Therefore, under that criteria, U.S. citizens and companies can invest in a private or public Canadian company doing business with Cuba)]]> General http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=25 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:49:43 +0000 http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=18
The comparative attractiveness of America's business environment is set to decline over the next five years as a result of mounting financial and macroeconomic risks, increased protectionism, security concerns and strained international relations. The Economist Intelligence Unit's business environment rankings for 2008-12 show America falling to ninth position, the lowest the country has placed since the launch of the business environment rankings in 1997.

US and Cuba Business Environment Rankings

If you are a US American I strongly recommend you read the full Economist analysis and start seriously lobbying your government to rethink its policy on Cuba. The later country is the exact same size as England but a hell of a lot closer. They are crying out for your products. What better time than now for the US to have a whole new market to sell too. Most other countries would conclude "what lucky buggers" to have Cuba right on the doorstep.---
I am not suggesting the US swamp Cuba, this beautiful unspoilt country, with unnecessary rubbish they don't need but there are basic stuff they have been deprived of (at world competitive prices) for such a long time. For example the US embargo has always deprived Cuba of an undersea internet cable. All Cuba's international internet access has to come via satellite, which is extremely expensive, which is the prime reason that bandwidth has to be strictly rationed even to foreign tourists and businesses.

AND just in case nobody told you, the Cuban Revolution of 1959 was a popular uprising to get rid of the brutal dictator, Batista. To this day the vast majority of Cubans love Fidel Castro with all their heart, and if Cuba wasn't in a state of war with the US (not of their choosing) and Fidel Castro stood for re-election in true and free elections, he would win hands down.

If the US wants to get richer, to influence Cuba's future and want the best for its people, the smartest and kindest way is to trade with them and normalise relations.]]> General http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=18 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:35:30 +0000 http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=12 I guess it might be because, according to the FT, Barclays and Lloyds TSB are being investigated by US authorities for potential violations of sanctions against Iran, Libya, Cuba and Sudan.

The US justification for defying 16 UN resolutions requiring it to end its embargo of Cuba is that "the decision to trade with other countries is a bilateral issue not appropriate for discussion by the UN General Assembly" (see a previous post).

How is it "bilateral" that US Treasury regulations means that now British people can not use British banks to send British pounds to wherever they want?

Cuba Trade & Investment News on banks forced by US to drop Cuba in 2006 (PDF)

Last weekend, and very much prompted by the above breach of UK sovereignty and our freedoms, I joined up to be an active member of the Liberal Democrats. I guess this disgraceful case of US bullying was the final straw that broke my back of relative passiveness, submissiveness and tolerance; but I hope not my liberalness.

]]> General http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=12 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:48:57 +0000 http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=9
Steve Marshall is an English travel agent. He lives in Spain, and he sells trips to Europeans who want to go to sunny places, including Cuba. In October, about 80 of his Web sites stopped working, thanks to the United States government.---
The sites, in English, French and Spanish, had been online since 1998. Some, like www.cuba-hemingway.com, were literary. Others, like www.cuba-havanacity.com, discussed Cuban history and culture. Still others — www.ciaocuba.com and www.bonjourcuba.com — were purely commercial sites aimed at Italian and French tourists.

Mr. Marshall’s Web sites had been put on a Treasury Department blacklist and, as a consequence, his American domain name registrar, eNom Inc., had disabled them. Mr. Marshall said eNom told him it did so after a call from the US Treasury Department.

But Mr. Marshall’s case does not appear to be one of mistaken identity. The government quite specifically intended to interfere with his business.

New York Times' full story

The US stated on 30th October 2007 to the UN General Assembly its embargo of Cuba "is a bilateral issue and, as such, should not come before the UN General Assembly" (see previous post). Is this statement really true if the US Treasury is stopping a British person publishing information about Cuba, and also preventing him from doing business with British holidaymakers, and without any explanation?

Last March, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights issued a disturbing report on the OFAC list. Its subtitle: How a Treasury Department Terrorist Watch List Ensnares Everyday Consumers.

The disgraceful US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control overview of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations

Today I joined Amnesty International. I think we will need them more and more the way things are going.


]]> General http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=9 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:11:00 +0000 http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=23 ---
"Amnesty International urges Cuba to accept the full range of obligations under these covenants, because human rights norms are the legal expression of the essential rights that every person is entitled to as a human being."

The covenants were signed just days after 76-year-old Raul Castro was unanimously selected to succeed his brother Fidel as leader by Cuba’s National Assembly.

Cuba has recently released four political prisoners arrested during a crackdown on the opposition in 17 & 18 March 2003. Reporters Jose Ramon and Alejandro Gonzalez, dissident Omar Pernet and trade unionist Pedro Alvarez were among 75 prominent figures convicted of being mercenaries in the pay of the US government. Amnesty International also welcomed their release considering it "a very positive step".

Amnesty International has also urged the international community, and in particular the US, to abolish policies and practices, such as the US embargo, which impinge on the human rights of Cubans.

Center for Democracy in the Americas believe that the moment to reform and renew U.S. policy toward the Americas has come.]]> General http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=23 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:57:00 +0000 http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=7 For the 16th year in a row, the Assembly adopted a resolution – with an overwhelming 184 votes in favour – reiterating its call to all States to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures not conforming with their obligations to reaffirm freedom of trade and navigation.

Four States – Israel, Marshall Islands, Palau, US – voted against the resolution, while the Federated States of Micronesia abstained.

“Anyone can understand the level of socio-economic development that Cuba would have attained had it not been subjected to this unrelenting and obsessive economic war,” Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque told delegates.

The US has not only ignored, “with both arrogance and political blindness,” the 15 resolutions adopted by the Assembly calling for the lifting of the blockade, but has over the last year adopted new measures, further tightening the sanctions, he added.

DRAFT RESOLUTION: A/62/L.1

Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and
financial embargo imposed by the United States of
America against Cuba

A recorded vote was taken.

In favour:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua
and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria,
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic,
Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo,
Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea,
Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,
Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,
Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic
of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait,
Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic,
Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia,
Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar,
Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,
Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian
Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi
Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra
Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon
Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden,
Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan,
Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad
and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan,
Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates,
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela (Bolivarian
Republic of), Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia,
Zimbabwe.

Against:
Israel, Marshall Islands, Palau, United States of
America.

Abstaining:
Micronesia (Federated States of).

Draft resolution A/62/L.1 was adopted by
184 votes to 4, with 1 abstention (resolution
62/3).]]> General http://nigelhunt.com/blog/index.php?itemid=7 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:53:00 +0000