Archive for July, 2009
Poor Cuban Economy Forces Changes
Raul Castro today announced today that the Cuban Government would be looking at “adjustment to expenditures” as the worldwide economy continues to sputter. According to Reuters:
Raul Castro said Cuban ministers will meet on Tuesday to consider revising spending plans for the rest of the year because “of the effects of the world economic crisis on our economy.” In particular, he said there has been a “significant reduction in export income and additional restrictions to access external financing sources.”
A recent government report said imports are expected to plummet 22.2 percent, or some $3.4 billion in 2009, while exports will decline by $500 million. In response, the cash-short government has taken belt-tightening measures such as scheduled blackouts to save energy, selected factory shutdowns, public transport reductions, spending cuts and the freezing of foreign business bank accounts.
Considering Cuba has some of the most fertile agricultural land in the world and it still imports 60% of its food, Raul has made at least one-step in the right direction:
But his only major reform so far has been in agriculture, where he launched a program to let private farmers cultivate unused state land.
He said that of 110,000 applications for land, 82,000 have been granted. More needs to be done to advance the land plan so Cuba can increase food production and cut import costs, he said.
Now is the time for the Cuban government to grant human rights to its people, open the political process and bring their country into the modern era.
Travel to Cuba Sparks Lawsuit Against State Department
A New York Man has filed a lawsuit against the State Department claiming Fifth Amendment protects him from giving details of his Cuba trip because it would lead to self-incrimination. According to the Wall Street Journal:
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, alleges Zachary Sanders was fined after he failed to respond to a March 2000 request by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for information on an alleged June 1998 trip to Cuba and travel while he was there.
The complaint, filed on behalf of Sanders by the nonprofit Center for Constitutional Rights, is seeking a declaration that OFAC’s policy is unlawful, enjoining OFAC from issuing such penalties and setting aside the fine to Sanders.
Non-Stop Flights to Cuba from LAX
Non-stop flights from Los Angles International Airport (LAX) are being offered by Cuba Travel Services for Cuban-Americans and their families. According to their press release:
“We are excited to resume the non-stop flights out of LAX to Havana that were in such high demand prior to the Bush Administration’s restrictions imposed on Cuban Americans that limited their ability to visit with their families in Cuba,” said Michael Zuccato, General Manager of Cuba Travel Services, Inc.
For more visit their website at www.cubatravelservices.com.