Chronicle on Cuba - May 2010

Economy

Mayo 1: En la Cuba socialista uno puede comer en una cafetería de 10 mesas atendida por 20 empleados, hay empresas con tantos inspectores y vigilantes como obreros y la plantilla nacional de dirigentes supera las 380,000 personas, casi un 9% de los trabajadores estatales. Raúl Castro lo admitió hace tiempo: los salarios no alcanzan. Obviamente, ganar el equivalente a 15 euros al mes no estimula la productividad, pero el problema de las “plantillas infladas” no es menos grave. El 4 de abril, el presidente cubano reconoció que en el sector estatal sobran un millón de puestos de trabajo. Esto representa uno de cada cuatro cubanos que trabaja para el Estado. Si durante medio siglo el “pleno empleo” ficticio fue un emblema de la revolución, como la educación y la salud, hoy lastra la economía y entrampa la salida de la crisis. Con 11,2 millones de habitantes y una fuerza laboral de 4,9 millones de personas -de las que más de cuatro millones trabajan en el sector estatal-, Cuba se encuentra en una encrucijada. Un millón de trabajadores sobrantes es un grave problema político, pero hacer esta reconversión es de necesidad imperiosa, advierten los economistas. El gobierno ha adelantado que las soluciones del pasado no son una opción. Antes, a los trabajadores cesantes se les enviaba a casa con una prolongada garantía salarial o se les ofrecía la posibilidad de estudiar, cobrando el sueldo completo. Eso se acabó. Salvador Mesa, el secretario general de la Central de Trabajadores de Cuba, el sindicato único, afirmó que la “reubicación" se hará “con orden" y que “nadie quedará abandonado”. El país, dijo, “no dispondrá de fórmulas mágicas, los puestos de trabajo tenemos que crearlos en los municipios, como en la agricultura y la construcción”. “Mucha gente no quiere reconvertirse de oficinista en campesino o albañil. ¿Qué van a hacer?”, expone un sociólogo. “Si se quiere desinflar esas plantillas en las que casi todo el aire lo ha puesto la política paternalista del Estado, habrá que permitir que los que pierdan sus improductivos puestos laborales puedan hacer cualquier actividad que no sea delictiva”, opinó recientemente el escritor Guillermo Rodríguez Rivera. “Hacerlos abandonar sus empleos para echarles encima el mar de prohibiciones que existen para realizar cualquier trabajo, mandaría directamente a esa masa a delinquir”, afirmó, en un artículo publicado en la página web de la Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (El País, 1/5/10).

May 2: The Electric Company of Las Tunas closed the Workers´ Health and Safety Day, which was held during the month of April in the different structures of this entity nationwide. According to Resolution 39 of 2007, Health and Safety is defined as the activity aimed at promoting training, culture and creating appropriate conditions for the worker to develop their work efficiently.  And, also, to avoid incidents that may affect their health and integrity, the assets of the entity and the environment. Learning activities, simulated damage, rescue practices, lectures and seminars were developed during the day; which permitted the creation of
more reliable working conditions and enhanced safety by identifying and assessing potential risks of accidents, in one of the sectors with greatest threat to life (Periódico 26, 2/5/10).

March 3: An import program that brought flashy new cars to Havana streets dominated by old US and Russian vehicles has been cancelled, the Cuban government said in a resolution published last week. In the online edition of the Official Gazette, the communist government said “irregularities have been observed" in the program without explaining what they were. Since April, Cubans with cars had been allowed to import vehicles to replace pre-1990 models, with the goal of cutting fuel consumption and pollution on the Caribbean island. The old models were turned over to the government, which regulates the purchase of cars and restricts who can get them. It was not known how many vehicles had come in under the program. But shiny new cars and SUVs, some luxury makes such as BMW and Mercedes, began popping up among the 1950s American cars that still rumble through Cuba and the Ladas that came during the island's 30-year alliance with the Soviet Union. Artists, athletes and doctors posted abroad are among those allowed to have cars and some of the few Cubans who can afford them (Ottawa Citizen, 3/5/10).

May 3: All tourists who travel to Cuba, from today, will require health insurance. Spanish tourists travelling to Cuba as of today must have travel insurance to enter the island, according to new standards set by the authorities in Havana. The Foreign Ministry noted in its website, the entry of this measure, which was adopted by the Cuban government last February. The requirement of having a travel insurance policy with medical coverage also affects Cubans living abroad and foreigners with temporary residence in Cuba. The insurance must be issued by local or foreign insurance companies approved by the authorities of the island. Diplomatic personnel and members of international organizations accredited in Cuba are exempt from this rule (Barcelona Reporter, 3/5/10).

May 3: The 30th International Tourism Fair FITCUBA 2010 opened with the launching of a new campaign promoting the Cuba Destination at its traditional venue, the Morro-Cabaña Fortress in Havana. Cuban Vice-President Esteban Lazo officially opened the Fair. Tourism Vice-Minister María Elena López praised on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of this Fair the work of those committed to develop this industry both domestically and abroad. The ceremony was attended by Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero accompanied by the Regional representative for the Americas of the World Tourism Organization and the Russian Tourism Federal Agency Alexander Radkov. On the opening day, visitors made a tour of the exhibiting area where travel agencies, hotel chains, airlines, tour operators and other companies linked to the tourism industry are promoting the assets of the host country. With more than 500 exhibitors and visitors from different nations, this year’s fair centers on Events and Incentives, Eastern Cuba, and
Russia as the guest of honor country. According to the Cuban Tourism Ministry, the program of the event includes lectures about the development of the sector in the island, negotiation rounds and presentations by the group Marina Marlins and local travel agencies Cubatur, Cubanacan, Havanatur, Gaviota Tours, Paradiso and Ecotur (ACN, 3/5/10; 4/5/10).

May 3: The number of Russians who visited Cuba in the first quarter of 2010 has grown by over 20% on the same period last year, the Cuban statistics department said. According to the department, in January-March 2010 more than 13,200 Russians visited the island. A total of 810,100 foreigners visited Cuba in the first quarter this year — almost the same as in the first three months of 2009. Canada accounted for the bulk of foreign tourists in Cuba, with 387,000 Canadians visiting the island in January-March 2010. It is followed by Britain with 38,500, Italy with 38,100, Germany with 28,900, France (28,500) and Spain (28,300). Cuban authorities consider Russia as a promising tourist market. According to the organizers of an international tourist exhibition, Fit Cuba 2010, that opens in Havana, the number of Russian tourists visiting Cuba has been constantly rising in recent years (Ria Novosti, 3/5/10).

May 3: Canadians and other foreigners travelling to Cuba are now required to hold travel insurance approved by island authorities. Those without coverage will have to buy a Cuban policy that can cost up to $3 a day. The new law took effect on May 1st and mandates that travellers who can't show they have authorized insurance buy a policy from state-run Cubatur before being allowed into the country. The measure was made law in February, but there had been no mention of how it would be implemented. A record 2.4 million foreigners came to Cuba last year, with Canada the largest source, followed by Britain, Spain, Italy and France. Like Cuba, all of these countries have state-funded health care and often reimburse citizens for health costs incurred during overseas travel. The Department of Foreign Affairs recommends Canadians visiting Cuba purchase supplemental health insurance. The department's travel advisory says that “your provincial plan may cover only part of the costs and will not pay the bill upfront, as required.” A Cubatur kiosk at Havana airport sold 113 policies on the first day, Ricardo Lopez, a Cubatur office manager, said. Mr. Lopez provided a government document explaining that kiosks selling health insurance had been established in international airports across Cuba. Mr. Lopez said he had not seen a list of what kinds of insurance was approved and from which countries, but said he had been told Cuba will accept state or private insurance from any country except the United States, given Washington's 48-year trade embargo. Interviews with five passengers getting off a flight from Toronto found that none had been asked to show insurance. A passenger who arrived earlier from Buenos Aires and one who came from Mexico City on Saturday also said no one asked them to show proof of insurance (The Globe and Mail, 3/5/10).

May 3: The agriculture ministers of Japan and Cuba, Hirotaka Akamatsu and Ulises Rosales del Toro, respectively, advocated in Havana the strengthening of the bonds of friendship existing between the two nations. Rosales del Toro, who is also the vice-president of the Council of Ministers, expressed his satisfaction for the presence on the island of the Japanese minister –a special occasion for being this the first visit of a minister from that country to Cuba. Likewise, he highlighted the potentialities of the Asian nation and reiterated the island’s willingness to intensify bilateral cooperation. He pointed out that Cuba’s Agriculture Ministry is now on a stage of changes, and that his visit takes place at a very opportune moment to identify points of contact that make it possible to consolidate mutual friendship and cooperation (ACN, 3/5/10).

Mayo 4: Indonesia, Cuba, China e India eran, por este orden, los mayores deudores al Club de París al terminar el pasado año, según los datos detallados que publica este grupo de países ricos que reúne a los principales acreedores públicos. El monto total de las deudas al Club de París el 31 de diciembre pasado era de 326,336 millones de dólares, de los cuales 189,100 millones correspondían a créditos a cuenta de la ayuda pública al desarrollo, precisó la organización en la tabla puesta en línea. Indonesia era el principal deudor en términos absolutos con 37,305 millones de dólares, seguido por Cuba con 30,410 millones, China con 29,858 millones, India con 21,361 millones, Egipto con 14,570 millones, Filipinas con 13,265 millones, Pakistán con 12,022 millones y Vietnam con 10,712 millones (EFE, 4/5/10).

May 4: Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said 1,053 million tourists had arrived in the island up to the end of April 2010, a record figure for this period of time. Speaking in the 30th International Tourism Fair FITCUBA 2010, Marrero said that in spite of the fall on inbound vacationers in the first two months of the year, the island saw a rebound in March and April as a
result of actions taken by MINTUR. Marrero named Canada as the island’s top tourist provider sending around 1 million travelers a year and he mentioned that more and more tourists are arriving from Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Peru. The minister highlighted the importance of the domestic market and the increasing flow of Cubans living abroad, especially from the United States, traveling to the island (ACN, 4/5/10).

May 4: Cuba has announced plans to allow foreigners to develop golf courses, marinas and related land projects to boost the nation's tourism industry. Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said Havana was in advanced talks with “several potential foreign partners”. The Communist government is reportedly considering granting foreigners medium- to long-term leases of real estate, as Cuba prohibits foreign ownership. Havana hopes the measures will attract more affluent tourists to the island. Last year, some 2.4 million tourists visited Cuba, but many of them came for short stays and spent less money. “A policy was approved that permits real estate development associated with tourism, fundamentally golf courses, marinas and other complementary tourist investments,” Mr Marrero said at Cuba's annual International Tourism Fair. He said the move aimed at “developing regions that today are virgin”. Currently there is only one 18-hole golf course in the whole of Cuba. However, there are plans for 10 new courses, several of which are in an advanced stage of planning. A number of European and Canadian investment firms have proposed building golf courses coupled with luxury sea front apartments and villas. But in a country with no real estate market, where Cubans are not allowed to buy or sell their homes, the government has long been wary of allowing foreigners to own property, our correspondent says. So under the new deal medium- to long-term leases may be allowed if linked to golf courses (BBC, 4/5/10).

May 5: Cuba and Venezuela inaugurated the SUCRE system of payments, with the sale by Venezuela to Cuba of 360 tons of rice. The SUCRE system was created in 2009 by the member countries of ALBA, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, to obviate the use of the US dollar. The Spanish acronym SUCRE stands for the Unit System for the Regional Compensation of Payments; the word also represents the unit of currency used in trading. One sucre is equivalent to 1.25 dollars. The 360 tons of rice cost 108,000 sucres, or US$135,000. The sucre is a virtual, not a paper, currency. The currency is named after 19th-Century Venezuelan hero General Antonio José de Sucre, who was a top aide to Simón Bolívar. The transaction was conducted by the Venezuelan exporter Socialist Joint Venture Rice From ALBA and the Cuban importer Alimport, according to a press release from the Venezuelan Central Bank (The Miami Herald, 5/5/10).

May 5: The current sugar harvest is Cuba’s worst since 1905, Communist Party daily Granma said, two days after President Raul Castro fired the minister responsible for the industry. The sugar ministry has failed to implement the changes needed to address chronic problems, the newspaper said. Sugar Minister Luis Manuel Avila Gonzalez was dismissed after roughly 16 months in the job. The official account said he asked to be relieved after acknowledging “deficiencies” in his job performance. Avila was replaced by Deputy Minister Orlando Celso Garcia Ramirez. Granma said the sugar ministry “suffered a lack of objectivity” in its planning and projections for the current season and that the officials’ mistakes could no longer be “masked” by blaming the weather or other external variables. Last year’s harvest was more than 850,000 tons short of the official forecast, the daily said, following a downward trend that set in after the sector enjoyed an “encouraging upturn” in 2005-2008. “It is not by chance that the harvest is closely followed, that its unfavorable results are noted and painful. Putting it back where it should be is indispensable,” Granma said, calling sugar part of Cuba’s heritage (EFE, 5/5/10).

May 5: Spanish oil giant Repsol YPF has contracted with a unit of Italian oil company Eni SpA (ENI.MI) for a drilling rig that some sources said was bound for operation in Cuba's still untapped offshore fields. A spokeswoman for Saipem, Eni's offshore drilling unit, told Reuters Repsol has signed a one-year contract for the rig, which is under construction in China and expected to be finished by year's end. She would not confirm that it will be operated in Cuba, but advertisements on the Internet were seeking workers for a semi-submersible rig being built in China for work in Cuban waters. A source involved in the project, who asked not to be named, said the jobs were posted for Milan-based Saipem (SPMI.MI). Cuban state oil company Cupet declined to comment. Repsol, which also refused to comment so far, drilled the only exploration well in Cuba's part of the Gulf of Mexico in 2004 and said it found hydrocarbons. Norway's Statoil (STL.OL) (STO.N) and a unit of India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp later joined the partnership. A second well has been awaited ever since, and, if successful, likely will open the door to full-scale exploitation of Cuba's offshore (Reuters, 5/5/10).

Mayo 5: El 50 por ciento de las tierras ociosas de Cuba está aún sin entregar a nuevos productores, según dijo el presidente de la Asociación Nacional de Agricultores Pequeños (ANAP), Orlando Lugo Fonte, citado por medios oficiales. Lugo Fonte recalcó que hay que insistir con los jóvenes “para despertar el interés hacia la agricultura, hasta incorporar toda la superficie cultivable del país a la producción”, indicó la estatal Agencia de Información Nacional (AIN). Destacó que unos 60,000 cubanos se incorporaron al trabajo agrícola durante el pasado año y han hecho producir un millón de hectáreas que antes estaban ociosas y que están incidiendo en el incremento de las cosechas de viandas, hortalizas y granos. El dirigente agrario reconoció que el trabajo para convertir en productivas esas tierras ha sido “fuerte" porque en las áreas repartidas hay una alta presencia de arbustos como el aroma o marabú y otros obstáculos. El dirigente agrario recordó que el gobierno cubano aprobó hace año y medio una ley para la entrega de las tierras estatales ociosas para su explotación en usufructo. Cuba ha estado importando más del 80 por ciento de los víveres que consumen sus 11,2 millones de habitantes, y para impulsar la producción de alimentos ha entregado a los campesinos, en usufructo, terrenos hábiles que el Estado mantuvo sin cultivar por décadas (EFE, 5/5/10).

May 6: Cuba has given Brazil's state-owned oil company Petrobras a six-month extension on its May deadline to decide whether it will drill a well in Cuban waters, a Petrobras spokesman said. Petrobras, which has rights to one of 59 exploration blocks in Cuba's part of the Gulf of Mexico, was supposed to notify state-owned oil company Cubapetroleo (Cupet) this month of its intentions but needed more time, said spokeswoman Paula Almada. “Given the geological complexity of the block area, it was negotiated with Cupet a six-month extension (...) to finish the work of geology and geophysics,” she said. She was responding to questions sent to Joao Figueira, head of the Brazilian oil giant's Cuba operations. Petrobras signed up for its Cuba block in October 2008 in a Havana ceremony attended by Cuba's President Raul Castro and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The company got what was considered a prime block, hugging Cuba's northern coast next to the island's most prolific onshore oil field at Varadero, east of Havana. Figueira said last July that Petrobras had completed its seismic work in the block and was studying the results. The area showed good prospects, he said, but it remained to be seen if it had sufficient accumulations of oil to make wells profitable. “The challenge and uncertainty are related to reserve distribution, size and production per well,” Figueira said (Reuters, 6/5/10).

May 7: Facing a shortage of rice and anxious to reduce the cost of importing it, Cuba is calling on citizens not to hoard the grain — no mean feat in a country that is the seventh largest consumer of rice per capita worldwide. “We are demanding discipline and order in purchases,” state-run Radio Rebelde said during its newscast. “Don't allow, under any circumstances, people to hoard rice so they can later sell it at a higher price.” The communist government subsidizes rice and sells it in government farmer's markets for 3.50 pesos per pound, about $0.17. But rice has become so scarce in recent weeks that “certain unscrupulous people are hoarding,” reported the station, which broadcasts across Cuba and is among the most listened to nationwide. Cuban officials have repeatedly said they hope to increase rice production and cut imports because of rising prices for the crop, most of which cash-short Cuba has imported from Vietnam in recent years. The director of the government food import agency, Igor Montero, told the Communist Party-linked workers newspaper Trabajadores in January that this year Cuba could be facing rice prices that had nearly doubled what it paid until recently (AP, 8/5/10).

May 7: Seven watering systems in cooperative units in the province of Ciego de Avila were upgraded so they can operate on electric power as part of a joint ALBA project between Cuban and Venezuela. The initiative, named Proyecto Endogeno, started in 2009 in the south of Ciego de Avila, a province in central Cuba. It included the installation of an irrigation mechanism in another cooperative unit with which 160 acres can be watered in one day. The president of the National Association of Small Farmers in the province, Pablo Gonzalez, said the investment amounted to $831,000, with which the cooperative facilities were also remodeled to improve the farmers’ working conditions. He mentioned among construction actions the building of a repair shop, units for pig raising, while tools and repair parts for trucks and tractors were distributed. The fund was also used to repair 10 tractors and buy other five and also in social works for the production of roof and floor tiles (ACN, 7/5/10).

May 10: Cuba is considering foreign -- possibly Brazilian -- buyout of its troubled sugarcane industry after the worst harvest in more than a century cost a minister his job and led to recrimination and government threats to punish other officials suspected of poor performance. The upheaval over the sugar harvest began as statistics of the sector's poor yields reached President Raul Castro's ear. News of the sugarcane industry's woes had circulated for some time but failed to make it to the state-controlled media. Then Granma, the Communist Party daily newspaper, broke the news that the yield was the worst since 1905, but only after the senior official responsible, Luis Manuel Avila Gonzalez, was dismissed from his post as sugar minister. Brazil's dramatic success with its sugarcane crop and diversification into producing biofuels has drawn Cuba to the possibility of involving Brazil in some form or other, including investment and management of parts of the industry (UPI, 10/5/10).

Mayo 10: Cuba y Venezuela comenzaron la fase de movimiento de tierra para la puesta en marcha, mediante una empresa mixta, de una planta de ferroníquel en la oriental provincia de Holguín, según un reporte de la televisión local. La televisión de Holguín, a unos 730 kilómetros al este de La Habana, mostró equipos pesados en plena faena del movimiento de tierra. “Ya se trabaja en el movimiento de tierra de lo que será la planta de ferroníquel de Moa”, dijo la televisión local de esa provincia. “Esta planta es una empresa mixta con Venezuela y producirá 68,000 toneladas anuales del producto. La obra se concluirá en el año 2013”, de acuerdo con el reporte. Cuba y Venezuela crearon Ferroníquel SA en el 2007 para completar los trabajos que habían quedado inconclusos en la planta de níquel de Camarioca, obra detenida tras el colapso del comunismo en el bloque soviético de Europa del este en la década de 1990. Los dos países han formado una empresa mixta, con sede en Venezuela, para producir acero inoxidable utilizando el ferroníquel cubano. La inversión incluye hasta 700 millones de dólares del proyecto que serán invertidos en la parte cubana y otros 600 millones en la planta de acero. El proyecto Camarioca es el segundo más importante entre los dos países, considerados fuertes aliados socialistas, después de la refinería de petróleo de Cienfuegos, en el centro-sur de la isla, que incluye un complejo petroquímico en construcción (Reuters, 10/5/10).

May 11: Cuban experts warned about the need to increase savings and to control energy spending on daily basis to counteract the electricity demand generated by the high temperatures forecasted for this summer. Juan Alberto Piedra, Demand regulation head coach of the Electricity Enterprise in Matanzas province, told ACN that in recent weeks there has been an increase in the expenditure of electricity due to higher use of appliances. He urged all, from executives to families to implement saving to avoid exceeding reasonable limits to prevent the occurrence of blackouts. The expert noted that is forecasted that during this summer there will be even higher temperatures and recommended actions that can help save electricity and reduce monthly bills. Piedra said that inspectors will visit houses to monitor the operation of meters fight fraudulent practices, and advised consumers to daily read the spending to keep it within the desired parameters (ACN, 11/5/10).

May 11: Sailors from Cuba and Venezuela, the countries making up the Pescalba joint venture, will crew the new ship put in operation by this entity, which will be devoted to catch tuna, horse mackerel and other species. The modern ship, capable of storing over 2,000 tons of cargo –equipped with everything necessary to fish on the high seas-, will increase to seven the number of vessels of that fishing fleet, pertaining to the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA). The Pescalba grand-national emerged to contribute to the food security of the two nations and could include other ALBA members in the future (Ecuador, Nicaragua, Dominica, Antigua and
Barbuda, Bolivia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), the Prensa Latina news agency reports from Caracas. One of the managers of Pescalba, Pastor Vicent, also explained that the ship, built with German technology, is 120 meters long and 20 meters wide (ACN, 11/5/10).

May 11: Cuba and Argentina ratified the good state of bilateral relations during the Fourth Inter-Foreign Ministries Meeting that took place in Buenos Aires, the Argentinean capital, on
May 10-11. Speaking to Prensa Latina news agency, Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra said the meeting took place in a fraternal environment. The Cuban and Argentinean sides —the latter headed by Argentinean Foreign Secretary Victorio Taccetti— discussed topics of common and regional interest and checked the implementation of 11 agreements signed during the visit to Cuba of Argentinean president Cristina Fernandez in 2009. They also analyzed the development of commercial and economic ties between Cuba and Argentina (ACN, 12/5/10).

May 12: Cuban First Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura met in Havana with the Prime Minister from Guinea-Bissau, Carlos Gomes, who is on an official visit to the island.   During the fraternal meeting, both leaders spoke of topics of national and international interest. They expressed their satisfaction with the excellent state of bilateral relations, which they described as deep and historic, and showed interest in further strengthening cooperation ties.   Gomes thanked Cuba for its assistance in the health and education sectors and particularly praised the work of Cuban health professionals in Guinea Bissau and the training of young students from his country in Cuban higher education centers. Machado Ventura thanked the visitor for Guinea Bissau’s traditional support of the Cuban people’s struggle against the almost 50-year-old US economic blockade. Also present were Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla and Deputy FM Marcos Rodriguez Costa (ACN, 12/5/10). 

Mayo 12: Investigadores canadienses destacaron la cooperación entre el Instituto Finlay de Cuba y la empresa brasileña Bio-Mangunhos como un modelo de colaboración entre firmas biotecnológicas de países en desarrollo que están mejorando el acceso de medicamentos en las áreas más pobres del mundo. Investigadores de cinco países en desarrollo en colaboración con el Centro McLaughlin-Rotman de Sanidad Global de Canadá (MRC) publican en la revista médica Nature Biotechnology el primer estudio a gran escala de colaboración “ Sur-Sur'' en el campo de la biotecnología relacionado con sanidad. Los investigadores dijeron que las empresas biotecnológicas en los países en desarrollo dependen cada vez menos de firmas de países más industrializados del mundo y que las relaciones futuras entre instituciones del Sur y del Norte serán cada vez más equilibradas. Halla Thorsteinsdóttir, la directora del estudio e integrante del Centro McLaughlin-Rotman, señaló que la relación surgida entre el Instituto Finlay y Bio-Mangunhos para responder a un brote de meningitis en Africa en el 2007 es un modelo de esas colaboraciones. “ En el 2007 se produjo un brote de meningitis en el `cinturón de meningitis', una franja de países subsaharianos de Africa que cubre de Senegal a Etiopía. La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMC) empezó a buscar una compañía que pudiese producir una vacuna adecuada para la epidemia”,  declaró Thorsteinsdóttir (EFE, 12/5/10).

May 12: The Cuban government plans to repair 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles) of the island’s railway network and acquire new equipment for the sector, Communist Party daily Granma said.
The paper quoted Vice President Antonio Enrique Lusson as saying that “the country’s decision exists” to recover the railroad system, although doing so will require “an enormous effort.” One sign of the “determination to rescue” the railroad infrastructure is the decision to reduce from five to three years the time within which to rehabilitate the island’s central railroad line, said Lusson. Another of the objectives of the government of General Raul Castro in this area is to re-establish four technological centers to train young railway workers, facilities that will begin functioning sometime next year. Lusson made his remarks at the re-inauguration of a railroad bridge in the southeastern province of Guantanamo, a ceremony also attended by Transportation Minister Cesar Ignacio Arocha. Lusson and Arocha – both senior military officers – were named in early May in the latest shakeup of General Castro’s Cabinet, a reshuffling that affected the Transportation and Sugar Ministries, two economic sectors that are in critical shape (EFE, 12/5/10).

May 14: Cuban scientists are keeping a close eye on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico after the collapse of the oil rig Deepwater Horizon on April 20, the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA) said. “The expansion of the oil spill poses no immediate threat to Cuba, but its movement proves unstoppable so far, therefore we should keep an eye on it,” Orlando Rey Santos, an expert from the CITMA said in Havana. Santos said that the movement of the oil spill depends on many complex and unpredictable factors, especially ocean currents, winds and climate events, which could push the oil to Cuban shores. He stressed that the Gulf of Mexico is one of the areas with rich marine biodiversity. The wetlands and countless birds moving along the coasts of the United States and Mexico are endangered by the damages caused by the disaster. The Cuban expert estimated that 13 million gallons (49.21 liters) of oil have been spilled since April 20 (Global Times, 14/5/10).

May 14: As the Farmers Congress got under way, Cuba's National Office of Statistics issued its report on farm and livestock production for the first quarter of 2010. The news was not good.
Farm products (not including sugar cane) dropped by 13 percent; livestock for slaughter by 3.1 percent. Some highlights of the report:  Tubers and roots are down 9 percent overall, with decreases in potato (34.3 percent) and malanga (28.6). There are increases in sweet potato (2.4), yucca (53.2) and other tubers (16.5). Plantains are up (75.1). Garden vegetables are down 25.1 percent, with tomatoes and cabbage accounting for most of the drop. Only onions are up (1.5). Beans are down 30.5 percent. Corn is up (4.9) and so is rice (45.5). Citrus fruits are down 21.7 percent, except for grapefruit, which is up a whopping 340 percent. Non-citrus fruits, including mango and papaya, are up 16.1 percent, though guava, pineapple and coconut are down. Drops were recorded in the production of beef (3.2 percent), pork (3.3), goat meat (6.3) and horse meat (3.5). Milk and eggs were down 6 and 1.1 percent, respectively (The Miami Herald, 14/5/10).

Mayo 16: Una legión de 4,000 auditores y policías económicos investigan en estos momentos las tripas de 750 empresas cubanas, aproximadamente el 20% de las que funcionan en la isla. Se trata de una descomunal ofensiva anticorrupción que no tiene precedentes en el país, pero sí justificación: en los últimos años, en la Cuba de Fidel y Raúl Castro se han multiplicado los delitos económicos y los casos de corruptelas, tráfico de influencias y malversación, y cada vez los protagonistas pican más alto. Entre las firmas investigadas hoy está International Network Group (ING), conglomerado de empresas creado y dirigido por Max Marambio, un hombre de negocios chileno que perteneció a los servicios de inteligencia cubanos y fue jefe de la escolta personal del presidente Salvador Allende. En una época Marambio fue una persona muy vinculada a Fidel Castro. Hasta el año pasado, sus empresas movían anualmente decenas de millones de dólares en negocios relacionados con Cuba, aunque hoy es el último protagonista de una larga y opaca lista de escándalos económicos que llega a altas esferas. Hace pocas semanas, un prestigioso académico cubano vinculado a un centro de estudios oficial daba la voz de alarma: “Hay gentes en posiciones de gobierno que se están apalancando financieramente para cuando la revolución se caiga, y otros que pueden tener casi todo preparado para producir el traspaso de los bienes a manos privadas, como tuvo lugar en la antigua URSS”. El investigador, Esteban Morales, director honorario del Centro de Estudios sobre Estados Unidos de la Universidad de La Habana, una institución que habitualmente hace análisis de inteligencia para las autoridades, se refirió abiertamente al caso de la reciente destitución del director del Instituto de Aeronaútica Civil de Cuba (IACC), el general de división Rogelio Acevedo, un histórico que durante la lucha de Sierra Maestra combatió a las órdenes del Che Guevara. “Somos conscientes de que el asunto es ante todo político y que la revolución se puede ir por ese agujero negro”, afirma un funcionario de nivel intermedio. Pone como ejemplo de esta “preocupación" la macroauditoría ordenada por la recién creada Contraloría de la República. Para apoyar la cruzada anticorrupción, el pasado 16 de abril el presidente cubano asistió a la toma de posesión del nuevo fiscal general, Darío Delgado, un militar de alto rango. Raúl Castro insistió en la necesidad de fortalecer “la legalidad" y la “institucionalidad" como “tareas de vital importancia”, y días después se anunció que, durante un mes, un cuerpo de 3,895 auditores, técnicos y estudiantes de economía fiscalizarían las cuentas de una de cada cinco empresas cubanas. Es todo un récord. Estamos hablando de 750 empresas a la vez, incluido el holding de Marambio, fábricas estatales de tamaño mediano y pequeños centros laborales en los que probablemente los trabajadores harán negocio con los clavos o con la merienda para subsistir (El País, 16/5/10).

Mayo 16: Los campesinos cubanos pidieron al gobierno de Raúl Castro más recursos y menos trabas burocráticas para elevar la producción de alimentos, declarada por el presidente “ asunto de seguridad nacional''. Durante la clausura del X Congreso de la Asociación Nacional de Agricultores Pequeños (ANAP), que encabeza Raúl Castro, el presidente de esa agrupación, Orlando Lugo, dijo que los campesinos se quejan de mecanismos burocráticos que impiden un buen funcionamiento del sector, según un informe de la televisión local. Lugo también destacó problemas como la “ poca diversificación de las producciones”,  dificultades con “ la explotación de la tierra y los recursos'' disponibles, la falta de incorporación de los jóvenes a la agricultura, y la “ atención a las cooperativas agrícolas'' por el Estado. En intervenciones transmitidas por la televisión cubana, los campesinos señalaron la falta de transporte, insumos y otros asuntos burocráticos en la venta de sus producciones al Estado, que impiden más rendimientos. Un informe del diario Juventud Rebelde, que afirmó que el socialismo cubano está pidiendo una “ nueva mirada'' a la agricultura, precisó “ incongruencias'' en los pagos que reciben los campesinos del Estado, “ el poco margen de autonomía de las cooperativas”,  la desatención de empresas que suministran insumos básicos y “ dificultades con los créditosbancarios''.
Cuba importa alimentos por valor de entre $1,500 y $2,000 millones, un 80 por ciento de lo que consume el país (AFP, 16/5/10).

May 16: Cuba's private farmers will purchase supplies directly in future instead of having them allocated by the state, the government said, in the latest concession to their demands for more autonomy. Economy Minister Marino Murillo made the announcement at the close of a congress of Cuba's 350,000 family farmers and members of private cooperatives, the largest private sector in the communist country where the state controls most economic activity. The farmers, who account for 70 percent of the food produced in Cuba using just 41 percent of the land, had pushed for more freedom to sell their produce and obtain supplies during meetings across the country before the congress. At issue are regulations guaranteeing the state's near monopoly of the agricultural system through a long-standing practice of contracting for 75 percent of farmers' production in return for fuel, pesticides, fertilizer and other supplies. The government had approved plans to modernize the economy and “create in the majority of municipalities supply markets where farmers can acquire directly the necessary resources to produce, substituting the current system of assigning resources centrally,” Murillo said. He said there were no plans to eliminate the state's monopoly on food sales. But, various farmers and cooperatives spoke during the congress about how they were selling more of their products directly to consumers and institutions such as schools and hospitals with positive results. Government statistics indicate that sugar, coffee and citrus production are at all-time lows, and non-sugar agriculture was down 13 percent through March (Palabras de Murillo; Reuters, 16/5/10).

Mayo 16: El gobierno considera aplicar impuestos a los campesinos, anunció el ministro de Economía, Marino Murillo, durante el cierre del Congreso de la Asociación Nacional de Agricultores Pequeños (ANAP), al que asistió Raúl Castro. Según el ministro, esto “contribuirá a una redistribución de los ingresos, que aseguren los presupuestos de los servicios básicos que se prestan de forma gratuita por el Estado”. El funcionario dijo que en 1994, cuando se aprobó en la isla la Ley Tributaria, a los campesinos se les excluyó del pago de impuestos. Pero ahora “las circunstancias han cambiado”, añadió. La medida está “en estudio, en el marco de la actualización del modelo económico cubano”, que deberá aprobar el próximo VI congreso del Partido Comunista (PCC, único), pospuesto indefinidamente (Palabras de Murillo; Diario de Cuba, 17/5/10).

May 17: The Cuban government has begun renting its smaller city buses in Havana to the bus drivers in another minor move under President Raul Castro to ease the state's hand in Cuba's socialist economy. The program, launched several months ago and still not announced by the government, appears to be part of Castro's drive to improve the communist island's troubled economy by giving more incentive for Cubans to work harder. “They rented us the guaguas (buses). The (state) guarantees gasoline, we pay daily taxes and what is left is for us,” said a driver this week while passengers filled the 16 seats of his Chinese-made Yutong bus in a Havana plaza. The smaller buses are used in Havana to connect the city center with the suburbs. The government has fixed ticket prices at five Cuban pesos, equal to 22 cents US And it provides fuel and the bus in exchange for a daily payment from the drivers of 824 pesos, or the equivalent of $37 US. The drivers keep anything they make above that amount, and so far they say they are earning more than the average Cuban salary of about $20 a month. “You have to work hard to make money, but it gives results,” said another driver. The new system appears to be benefiting passengers, who say buses are coming much more frequently and on a timely basis than in the past (Reuters, 17/5/10).

May 17: Cuba and China corroborated in Beijing the advances of bilateral cooperation in biotechnology, during a tour of Shao Mingli, Commissioner of the State Administration for Food and Medicaments representing the Biotech Pharmaceutical joint venture. Shao, along with Cuban ambassador to Beijing, Carlos Miguel Pereira, and other top officials from his entity, were given a comprehensive report on the most successful project of cooperation between the two countries.  During their tour of production, quality control and research areas, the visitors learned more about the work Cuban and Chinese specialists are carrying out in that entity created in August, 2000, the Prensa Latina news agency reported. The Chinese official pointed out that this visit marked the beginning of his next visit to the Caribbean island, when the two nations will explore ways to increase bonds in this sector (ACN, 17/5/10).

May 17: The Cuba and Madrid Chambers of Commerce are meeting in Havana to boost economic and commercial relations among the two countries. The Head of Cuban Chamber of Commerce Pedro Alvarez Borrego praised the progress made in the commercial exchange between Cuba and Spain, especially with Madrid. Spain is the third largest business partner (preceded by China and Venezuela in that order) while Cuba is important for the Spanish economy, said Alvarez in the meeting held at the Hotel Nacional. Alvarez said that Spain is the second destination for Cuban cigars, shrimps, coffee, and honey among other products. President of Madrid’s Official Chamber of Commerce and Industry Salvador Santos Campano reported that his city’s trade with Cuba stood for 20 percent of all Spanish exports to Cuba (some 450 million euros). It is a figure larger than everything Spain exported to any other country or all the Central America and the Caribbean region, said Santos Campano (ACN, 17/5/10).

Mayo 17: Sólo tres de las 13 provincias productoras de azúcar en Cuba han cumplido sus planes. La zafra azucarera de Cuba entró en sus últimos días con una producción que aún está por debajo de 1,100,000 toneladas, según estimados basados en medios y fuentes locales. Con un total de 15 a 20 ingenios aún moliendo, el país podría producir de 20,000 a 30,000 toneladas de azúcar sin refinar necesarios para elevar la producción arriba de 1,1 millones de toneladas, en una zafra considerada como la peor en la isla desde 1905, según dijo Granma, el diario del gobernante Partido Comunista. “A escala nacional la actual zafra ha mostrado severas deficiencias y arrastra atrasos de más de 230.000 toneladas con respecto al plan”, dijo la estatal Agencia de Información Nacional. El Ministerio del Azúcar dijo al iniciarse la zafra de 2010 que la cosecha sería similar a la de 2009 o alrededor de 1,3 millones de toneladas. El ministro del Azúcar, Luis Manuel Ávila, renunció a su cargo este mes y fue reemplazado por Celso García Ramírez, según una nota del Gobierno. García Ramírez podría ser el último ministro en el cargo en la historia del país debido a que fuentes de negocios sostienen que el Ministerio del ramo cerrará en breve y será creada una compañía estatal especializada. Sólo tres de las 13 provincias productoras de azúcar en Cuba han cumplido sus planes y menos del 50 por ciento de los 46 molinos que abrieron la temporada este año han cumplido su plan (Cubaencuentro, 17/5/10).

May 18: Five tornados hit in the space of two hours Santa Teresa Town, nine kilometers west of Camaguey city, and preliminary reports mention two injured people and damages to 78 houses. The 214-inhabitant town, mostly ranchers and farmers, was severely battered by the gusts of wind that knocked down trees, electricity and phone poles, among other damages, according to
statements made to ACN by the head of the San Blas Municipality Civil Defense Roberto Cruz Carmenate (ACN, 18/5/10).

Mayo 18: La Cámara de Comercio de Madrid ha pedido en Cuba “seguridad jurídica" para las empresas madrileña que operan en la isla, dijo el presidente de la entidad, Salvador Santos. El titular de la Cámara de Comercio madrileña encabeza una delegación empresarial que se encuentra de visita en la isla para consolidar las relaciones comerciales con Cuba y para “ayudar a los empresarios que están aquí y a otros que tenían intenciones de establecerse”, según explicó. En las reuniones que entre el 17 y el 18 de mayo han mantenido con responsables de varios ministerios cubanos y con la Cámara de Comercio de este país, los responsables de la institución cameral han pedido “seguridad jurídica" y el cumplimiento de los contratos con las firmas madrileñas en la isla. En sus reuniones con las autoridades de la isla, el presidente de la Cámara madrileña también ha conversado sobre el retraso de pagos y las retenciones de fondos de cuentas bancarias de empresas extranjeras a partir del 2009 debido a la crisis económica de la isla y la falta de liquidez que padece. Según la impresión de Santos, “parece que se va arreglando y solucionando" esa situación (EFE, 18/5/10).

May 21: A severe drought that has struck Cuba for the past eighteen months is affecting the water supplies of more than half a million people. Many in Havana spend much time carrying water in buckets from government trucks because their taps have dried up. The Cuban authorities have called on people to save every drop they can. Reservoir levels are low and farming has been badly hit. Cuba was once the world's biggest sugar ex-porter but the sector's long been in decline since the collapse of the main market, the Soviet Union. The drought is making things worse. Sugar cane quality control officer Guillermo Rodriguez said it had hardly rained all year. “There is some humidity in the soil because of two showers that we had recently that will keep the cane going a little. But if it doesn't rain, the sprouting of the cane will be at risk.” Climate experts have warned that droughts in Cuba have become more frequent and intense in recent decades. A major state project is aimed at using mountain rainfall to supply water to farms and the population (EuroNews, 21/5/10).

May 21: Cuban Construction Minister Fidel Figueroa affirmed in Havana that the sector is moving towards goals related to the building of large industrial works, starting from the 2011-2015 four-year period. In the presence of the over 300 delegates attending the 10th Construction Congress, he announced that, during this period, the expansion of hotel capacities at the main tourist areas of the island will continue, while at the same time the construction of houses will also increase, to reach the figure of 60,000 by 2014. He explained that this challenge entails an increase in the demand of skilled labor force, given the technological characteristics of these works, so it’s necessary to work on the training of the staff. The minister called to increase efficiency, productivity and saving, and to make a better use of technological capacities. Figueroa highlighted the advances obtained in the investment process of the hydraulic network on the eastern side of the island, particularly in Santiago de Cuba province (ACN, 21/5/10).

May 21: Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdes, Vice President of the councils of State and Ministers, urged Cuban construction workers to immediately solve all the problems that damage the production of goods and services in this sector. Valdes was speaking to the 300 delegates participating in the Tenth Congress of the National Union of Construction Workers that is underway at the Lazaro Peña Theater of the Confederation of Cuban Workers (CTC) in Havana. The leader highlighted the importance of creating spaces to discuss topics such as productivity, discipline and the implementation of double shifts wherever possible, among others.   He added that efforts to fight crime and corruption in the sector are insufficient and noted that the administrative staff and trade unions have to fight together against this kind of behavior. Valdes stated that it is vital to rigorously comply with all legal requirements related to the investment process and pointed out that workers have to understand that no work can begin before the necessary funding for its execution is approved (ACN, 21/5/10).

May 21: Cuba plans to open underwater excursions to view six sunken vessels wrecked in 1898 off the island's shores during the Spanish-American War, the state-run Cubatur tourism firm said. From October 1, visitors will be able to dive around the wrecks of five Spanish warships that were trapped in Santiago bay in southeastern Cuba and sunk by US warships in a running naval battle on July 3, 1898. The five Spanish ships were the cruisers “Cristobal Colon,” “Almirante Oquendo,” and the “Vizcaya,” and the destroyers “Furor,” and “Pluton.” The sixth sunken vessel was the US steamer “Merrimac,” which the Americans scuttled at the mouth of the bay to block the escape of the Spanish fleet. Tourism is Cuba's main earner, ahead of medical services in other countries. The island receives 2.4 million tourists annually, who bring in some two billion dollars in revenue (AFP, 21/5/10).

May 23: Oil-rich Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez derided the US over last month's drilling rig accident in the US Gulf of Mexico, and said he sent oil experts to help its ally Cuba as the spill moves toward the island's northern coast. “This is very, very bad,” Chavez said, regarding the oil spill and its environmental implications. “It's now threatening the coast of Cuba, so yesterday I sent a team to Cuba.” Speaking during his weekly “Hello, President" television show, Chavez said Eulogio Del Pino, the head of production and exploration at state-run Petroleos de Venezuela, is leading a team of Venezuelan oil experts that will advise Cuba on how to handle the oil spill. The Venezuelan crew is already on the ground with the Cubans “doing some drills, because the Cubans don't have experience in this,” Chavez said (The Wall Street Journal, 23/5/10).

Mayo 24: Bielorrusia negocia con La Habana la creación de un parque de tecnologías punteras y un centro para el desarrollo de programas informáticos, proyecto que requerirá de una inversión de entre 100 y 200 millones de dólares en los próximos cincos o seis años, dijo a la prensa Valeri Tsepkalo, director del Parque bielorruso de alta tecnología. “Se trata de ofrecer a nuestras empresas un centro (…) que aproveche los conocimientos, hábitos y tradiciones de la educación técnica cubana”, afirmó Tsepkalo. Opinó que esta educación, formada en el período de la cooperación entre Cuba y la Unión Soviética, “es la mejor de la región”. Añadió que el futuro parque tecnológico podría generar soluciones para los más diversos ramos, desde la refinación del crudo al sector bancario, así como desarrollar programas informáticos para turismo, telecomunicaciones, enseñanza y salud pública. Señaló que Minsk ve en Cuba “una puerta de acceso a los proyectos que se promueven en Latinoamérica”, en particular, Venezuela, donde ya se desarrollan importantes obras de cooperación con Bielorrusia. “Tenemos muy pocos técnicos que hablan español. Podremos implicar a los cubanos a través de empresas conjuntas”, dijo (RIA Novosti, 24/5/10).

May 24: Representing the island, Oscar Perez, Cuba’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade and Investment, participated in the 11th edition of the Trade and Investment Fair, underway in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. The Fair, organized by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is attended by entities from over 40 nations, the Cuban Foreign Ministry’s Web site reported. Perez was received by Mariano Browne, Minister of Trade and Industry, who expressed his country’s willingness to strengthen commercial relations with Cuba. The Cuban diplomat met with Patrick Manning, Prime Minister from Trinidad and Tobago, who, during his opening speech, acknowledged Cuba’s participation in the Fair. During his stay, Perez met with the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association, executives from the South Trinidad Chamber, the Association of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce, and the Export-Import Bank, among others (ACN, 24/5/10).

May 24: About 20,000 workers will be relocated in eastern Cuban province of Holguin, said a provincial official. The transfer of the workers will depend on their professional skills and the real needs of the development of the province's industry and agriculture, said Miguel Cisneros, Director of Labor of the province. Cuba is planning to relocate 1 million workers as part of a strategy promoted by Cuban leader Raul Castro to make better use of the country's resources, including human resources. One million workers stand for almost 10 percent of Cuban population. According to officials, the relocation program has been initiated urgently in many economic sectors of the country, as labor forces are excessive in some sectors but insufficient in the others (Xinhua, 24/5/10).

Mayo 25: La aguda sequía que afecta a Cuba desde hace más de un año obligó a aplicar una redistribución del suministro de agua potable en algunas zonas de La Habana, según informó la televisión estatal. La medida consiste en la reorganización del horario de distribución del agua en las zonas que reciben un buen servicio para compartirlo con territorios en extrema sequía. Su aplicación comenzó en barrios de los municipios Habana Vieja, Centro Habana, Plaza de la Revolución, 10 de octubre y otros territorios de la capital cubana que sufren la escasez del agua debido a que las principales fuentes que integran el sistema de abastecimiento continúan secas o deprimidas por la falta de lluvias. Un especialista indicó que se han ido tomando medidas por etapas como reducir los horarios de bombeo en fuentes de abasto, trasvases de agua, y los sistemas hidráulicos y sus pozos son regulados para que no se depriman pues los niveles de agua descienden por la ausencia de lluvias. La sequía, que comenzó a finales de 2008, está repercutiendo también en la agricultura de varias zonas de Cuba y en el abastecimiento de agua a las provincias orientales de Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba y Holguín, en la central Sancti Spíritus y en la ciudad de La Habana, de acuerdo a informes oficiales. Autoridades del sector hidráulico y de la Defensa Civil han llamado a los cubanos a ahorrar agua debido a la prolongada temporada seca que marcó al año 2009 entre los cuatro de menos lluvias en los últimos 109 años (EFE, 25/5/10).

Mayo 25: La estatal Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) informó que inició el proceso para la creación de una empresa mixta con las petroleras Cupet S.A., de Cuba, y Sanangol, de Angola, para explotar unos 20 mil barriles diarios de crudo en el oriente venezolano. Las tres empresas firmaron “un Memorando de Entendimiento que da inicio al proceso de constitución de una empresa mixta”, en la que PDVSA contará con el 60% accionarial y Cupet y Sanangol con el 20% cada una. La empresa mixta desarrollará “actividades primarias en los campos Migas y Melones Oeste, ubicados en el estado Anzoátegui”, en el oriente venezolano, indicó el comunicado de la estatal petrolera (EFE, 25/5/10).

Mayo 26: The fishing fleet from the central Cuban province of Cienfuegos closed this shrimp campaign with capture levels over the million pounds (480 tons), while achieving high efficiency in the process. Fishermen from this fleet witnessed one of the highest concentrations of the crustacean in the past years in the waters around the Jardines de la Reina archipelago. The year’s plan of 691 000 pounds was fulfilled by the end of February, and since the weather stood appropriate for the activity, the fleet readied for a large campaign. Union leader Cecilio Padilla said than from January 13, when the close season ended to the end of campaign, they worked 128 uninterrupted days, even when the weather changed and the supplies ships couldn’t reach them (ACN, 26/5/10).

May 26: The works for the laying of the submarine cable between Venezuela and Cuba are underway, with the arrival in the harbor of this city of the explorer ship RV Ridley Thomas. This specialized vessel is responsible for the sounding to determine the exact course the cable will have, said Anthony Pyne, director of the company of geological projects designated for this task. The marine sounding began on May 5 in the vicinity of Maiquetía airport in Caracas, Venezuela, and continues for the over 5 340 kilometers to Siboney beach, Santiago de Cuba, reported the CMKC station's digital site. The second stage, which runs from Jamaica to Aguadores, will have another 200 kilometers of length. The submarine cable is one of the ALBA (Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America) projects, and will benefit Cuba and Venezuela, and will also provide communication options to other nations in the Caribbean (ACN, 26/5/10).

May 28: Cuba and Belarus signed a cooperation agreement to produce drugs against low-molecular-weight tumors after a research study carried out by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Cuban Center for Molecular Immunology Research in Havana.  The document was signed during a recent visit of a delegation from the European country to Cuba, according to the website of the Cuban Foreign Ministry. Both sides agreed to join efforts to expand markets to sell cytostatic agents produced by the Cuban Center for Molecular Immunology Research in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and in Latin America. The vice president of Belarus, Victor Burya, said last May 23, in Minsk, that his government is willing to continue developing bilateral commercial, scientific and technical cooperation with Cuba (ACN, 28/5/10).

May 28: The Spanish hotel chain Barceló Hotels Resorts will expand its offer in Cuba next July with the opening of Arenas Blancas, a four-star hotel with 358 rooms, at the Varadero resort in
central Matanzas province. Arenas Blancas and the Solymar hotel will combine to form the Barceló Solymar-Arenas Blancas all-inclusive complex with 883 rooms. With this new facility, Barceló has six hotels and over 3,000 rooms in Cuba, which makes the island the third most important destination of this Spanish group in Latin America only behind Mexico and the Dominican Republic. This Spanish company from Majorca also manages two five-star facilities in Varadero: the Barceló Marina Palace and Cayo Libertad, with 548 and 85 rooms, respectively (ACN, 28/5/10).

May 28: Cuban Vice President of the councils of State and Ministers Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdes urged workers in central Cienfuegos province to stabilize the production of cement. During a visit to the Karl Marx cement plant, which belongs to the Cienfuegos S.A. Cement Company, Valdes highlighted the need to comply with a strategy and schedule to guarantee the stability of the national housing program. The Cuban leader asked for details about the modernization of the production process and the high level of automation in the plant, which has significantly contributed to higher efficiency and energy saving, Granma newspaper reported. Ramiro Valdes was also interested in the prospects to manufacture PVC houses after the completion of a process of technological improvement that will allow the plant to produce around 2,300 of these houses per year (ACN, 28/5/10).

May 28: Red flags went up on beaches in western Cuba, closing them briefly to swimmers amid rumours that the BP oil spill in the US part of the Gulf of Mexico was forcing sharks into Cuban waters. The government, through state-run press, quickly denounced the rumours as false and the beaches were reopened, but the incident reflected fears that the massive spill will reach Cuba and wreak havoc on an island still relatively untouched by modernity's environmental ills. “Cuba, like all the countries in this area, is worried about the situation in the Gulf,” said Osmani Borrego Fernandez, a director at the Guanahacabibes National Park at Cuba's western tip. So far, he said, there has been no evidence of the oil, but “we are alert.” A trip along Cuba's coastline is like a trip back in time where vast stretches of palm-fringed beaches sit undeveloped and sea life abounds in the crystalline waters. While rampant development and overfishing have damaged coastlines and depleted seas around the world, communist-led Cuba has been largely preserved by its slow economic pace. Cuba's northwest coast is considered most in danger from the oil. It is there that coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves provide major breeding grounds for many fish and sea creatures, including endangered migratory species like sea turtles, sharks and manatees. All that is at stake if the BP oil finds its way to Cuba. It could also damage Cuba's tourism industry, which is centered on beaches and to a lesser degree eco-tourism. Tourism brought in more than $2 billion to Cuba last year, or about 20 percent of Cuban's foreign exchange income. The good news for Cuba is that the spill is still centered about 300 miles (483 km) northwest of the island and BP may finally be gaining control over the massive leak (Reuters, 28/5/10).

Mayo 28: El gobierno invirtió 600 millones de dólares en los últimos cinco años para rehabilitar el deteriorado sistema de ferrocarril de la isla, sin lograr los resultados esperados, informó el diario oficial Granma. “El país asume hoy un problema contradictorio: no se ha trabajado adecuadamente en la solución de las dificultades que presentan las líneas férreas" pese a que “en los últimos cinco años cerca de 600 millones de dólares han sido destinados" a “la compra de tecnologías y equipos modernos”, indicó el reporte. El plan de inversiones, realizado a partir de créditos otorgados por países como Irán y China, busca “revertir el grave deterioro del ferrocarril, muy golpeado por las limitaciones económicas y la falta de mantenimiento”, señaló el diario. Mencionó entre los problemas que frenan el programa la falta de capacitación laboral, “fiscalización del trabajo" y los bajos salarios. El director de Negocios de la Unión de Ferrocarriles de Cuba, Pedro Peñón, dijo que las inversiones se realizan en dos líneas fundamentales: la compra de locomotoras y vagones, y de maquinarias y herramientas para mejorar vías (Diario de Cuba, 30/5/10).

Mayo 29: El científico cubano Humberto Ríos, ganador del Premio Goldman 2010 para el medioambiente, recomendó al gobierno de Raúl Castro un modelo agrícola “menos centralizado" y con “el mínimo de burocracia" para elevar la producción de alimentos. “Urge echar a andar un modelo menos centralizado, en el cual las decisiones que se tomen, tengan en cuenta el escenario local y éste sea más participativo" y “con el mínimo de burocracia”, declaró Ríos, investigador del Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas de La Habana, en una entrevista divulgada por el diario oficial Juventud Rebelde. Ríos destacó que la producción de alimentos, declarada por Raúl Castro asunto de “seguridad nacional”, depende de la capacitad de “virar (cambiar) el modelo que ahora tenemos" de “agricultura industrial”, que es “insostenible”. El experto consideró necesario fomentar “la agricultura orgánica" como “un modelo sustentable para el desarrollo”. Así “producimos más con menos”, apuntó. El Premio Ambiental Goldman, considerado el “Nobel Verde”, fue creado en 1990 por los líderes cívicos y filántropos Richard N. Golman y su esposa, Rhoda H. Goldman (AFP, 30/5/10).