Tag Archives: Raul Castro

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May 3, 2013

New York Times: Amid Fealty to Socialism, a Nod to Capitalism

Victoria Burnett, New York Times - In many ways, it was a typical May Day: Hundreds of thousands of Cuban workers — doctors, sailors, dancers, bank clerks — marched Wednesday toward this city’s vast Revolution Plaza, waving flags, holding aloft banners that proclaimed fidelity to socialism and tooting plastic horns. But… read more »

April 4, 2013

Cuba Allows State Firms to Implement Performance-Based Pay

EFE - Cuban state-owned firms may use up to 50 percent of post-tax profits for R&D and employee incentives, Communist Party daily Granma said Thursday, reporting on a recent meeting of the Council of Ministers. “Companies, once they’ve fulfilled their commitments to the state and the established requirements, may use after-tax… read more »

April 3, 2013

Cuba gears up for first free trade industry zone

AFP – Cuba on Tuesday unveiled rules for its first free trade manufacturing zone, a vast $900 million project being paid for mostly by Brazil in the port of Mariel near Havana. The Mariel Special Development Zone, a major trial balloon being floated by President Raul Castro’s communist government, is slated to… read more »

March 20, 2013

Cubans on the move as new real estate market grows

Jeff Franks, Reuters - At an informal housing market on Havana’s historic Paseo del Prado, Renaldo Belen puts the hard sell on a prospective buyer under a tree hung with hand-lettered signs advertising homes for sale. A house near Boyeros, the avenue to the city’s airport, is being offered for the… read more »

March 20, 2013

Goat Farming, a Growing Alternative in Cuba’s Reform Process

Inter Press Service – Goat farming is becoming popular among farmers given land to use as part of the economic reforms implemented in Cuba since 2008. The increase in goat rearing, in provinces like Cienfuegos on the southern coast, could help expand the limited range of basic food products available… read more »

March 16, 2013

New York Times: A Transgender Elected Official Reflects an Evolving Cuba

Victoria Burnett, New York Times - JOSÉ AGUSTÍN HERNÁNDEZ may not be precisely the kind of New Man whom Che Guevara pictured shaping Cuban socialism. Ms. Hernández, 48, who identifies as a woman and goes by Adela, would sooner cut a lazy bureaucrat to size with her sharp tongue than chop sugar cane… read more »

March 13, 2013

Sarah Stephens for The Advocate: Cuba Finds Its Footing on LGBT Rights

When our organization embarked on a study of women and gender equality in Cuba, we interviewed dozens of women across the island.  After speaking to them, we became convinced that Cuba’s evolution on issues relating to equality for LGBT people had to be a part of the story. Before coming… read more »

March 7, 2013

Cuba to open state-run wholesaler for private companies

Marc Frank, Reuters – Cuba established on Thursday a state-run wholesale company to sell food products, industrial and other consumer goods to private companies and the state sector, a step aimed at meeting a key demand of local entrepreneurs. The new company was just the latest indication that President Raul Castro… read more »

March 7, 2013

Associated Press: Report: Cuba Gender Equality Good, But Threatened

Peter Orsi, Associated Press – Cuba has made great strides in gender equality, but still has work to do in eradicating macho attitudes and supporting opportunities for women in business and leadership, according to a new report from a U.S. study group published to coincide with International Women’s Day on… read more »

March 5, 2013

Sarah Stephens for Americas Quarterly: Gender Equality in Cuba

This week is an important moment to focus on the economic, political and social achievements of women as we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. While countries have a long way to go in promoting gender equality, a report by the Center for Democracy in the Americas (CDA)  looks at where… read more »

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