Entries by Havana Live

Red Bull Cliff Diving 2014 : Blake Aldridge vainqueur à La Havane

HAVANA, 12 May   Blake Aldridge a remporté la première étape du Red Bull Cliff Diving, à La Havane. Le Mexicain Jonathan Paredes et l’Anglais Gary Hunt complètent le podium. Samedi dernier, devant plus de 60.000 spectateurs, le Britannique Blake Aldridge a gagné la première étape du Red Bull Cliff Diving 2014, à Morro Castle, et […]

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Cuban Blogger Denounced By Italian Translator

HAVANA – MIAMI 12 May (CBSMiami) – Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez was blasted by an Italian-language translator who worked with her for the past six years. According to Progeso Weekly, Gordiano Lupi, 54, published an article on Friday, May 9th saying Sanchez is arrogant, mercenary and greedy. The article titled “Yoani Sánchez: Her new journal […]

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Havana bars: The next wave of private innovation

Casa Miglis HAVANA 10 May ( By Richard Feinberg Cubastandart) Among investors focused on Cuban markets, private bars and clubs are the new big thing. Within the last 18 months, enterprising Cuban investors have spiced up an already vibrating Havana night life by opening a variety of chic watering holes.By all accounts, many investors are […]

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Studio 7 y 60: An Independent Art Space Opens in Miramar

HAVANA 9 May    The changing role of private enterprise and the increase in cultural tourism to Cuba have encouraged the growth of alternative art and performance organizations in Havana. Artists in all spheres are experimenting with different ways of interacting with the public—including American tourists traveling to Cuba on people-to-people programs—and with making a […]

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France and Havana, heart of the International Tourism Fair

HAVANA,   7 May   Opened by Cuban tourism minister Manuel Marrero and general secretary of the World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifa, the aim is to highlight a new foreign investment law which offers tax breaks and more flexible labor practices. Citing the longstanding US embargo, Rifa said tourism should not be influenced by politics and […]

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Havana and Paris Strengthen Relations in Air Connection Routes

HAVANA,  May 7    The Cubana de Aviacion and Air France airlines signed on Tuesday in this capita a memorandum of understanding for commercial cooperation, which will strengthen the current routes of connection between the two countries. The document was signed by Ana Margarita Godoy, deputy director of Cubana de Aviacion, and Zoran Jelkic, vice-president of […]

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Hemingway movie a rare Hollywood moment in Havana

HAVANA  7  May  (By PETER ORSI Associated Press Photo Yesica Fish) An international film crew in recent weeks has been re-enacting this and other historic scenes in the streets of Havana for “Papa,” a biopic about the budding friendship between Hemingway and the reporter in the turbulent Cuba of the 1950s. Years in the making, […]

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Cuba, France Sign Accord to Increase Trade

HAVANA  6 May    Cuba and France on Monday signed an agreement to increase bilateral trade with a short-term line of credit, Cuban official media said. The accord was inked by Cuba’s foreign trade and investment minister, Rodrigo Malmierca, and the French secretary of state for foreign trade and tourism, Fleur Pellerin, who traveled to Havana […]

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Company denies laundering money sent to Cuba

HAVANA  5 May   Caribbean Transfers says it only handled family remittances to the island. A company whose owner stands accused of laundering and sending to Cuba $30 million on behalf of Medicare fraudsters in South Florida says it did nothing wrong and blames a remittance company in Miami and a check cashing store in […]

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Cuba Returns Catholic Church Properties

HAVANA May 3 The return of property from the churches seized by the Cuban government after the triumph of the Revolution in 1959 is more and more a fact. The old College of the Jesuit Fathers. “At this time, the correct word is ‘process,’ because it is an initiative begun some years ago that has […]

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Blind American quits Cuba-US kayak crossing amid high winds

HAVANA  1 May    A 56-year-old blind American who was trying to cross the treacherous Florida Straits in a kayak had to abandon the attempt because of strong winds, he told AFP Wednesday. Peter Crowley said he hopes to try again, perhaps next year, to traverse the 90-mile (150-kilometer) stretch of shark-infested waters that separate Cuba […]

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New airline flying from Grand Cayman to Havana

HAVANA  1 May   (James Whittaker) A new airline company in Grand Cayman will make its first flight between George Town and Havana next month. The company, Cubano Airtours, has leased a plane from Aero Caribbean – one of Cuba’s state-owned airlines – and will begin twice-weekly service between Havana and George Town on May […]

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Havana moves ahead with $2.7 billion LNG, Ammonia Project

HAVANA  29 Abril     Cuba continues moving forward with development of a $1.4 billion natural gas regasification project and a $1.2 billion urea and ammonia plant under a Venezuelan initiative to provide cheap fuel to regional allies. The regasification project will have the capacity to process 2.06 million metric tons per year and consist of building […]

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Cuba’s market reforms spread to largest companies

HAVANA  29 Abril   Cuba loosened regulation of its largest state-run companies on Monday, shifting the ongoing reform of the Soviet-style economy from retail services and farming into some of the country’s most important businesses, including minerals, tourism and telecommunications.The reforms will affect hundreds of big state enterprises, from nickel producer Cubaniquel and oil company […]

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Young Mexican Ballerina Awarded Grand Prix in Havana

HAVANA  28 April   Young Mexican Paulina Guraieb was awarded the Grand Prix of the 12th International Contest for Ballet Academies, held in Cuba from April 21st to 26th. Guraieb was given an ovation in the three rounds of the competition for her well-defined technique, musicality, brave attitude on stage and amazing turns. The jury was […]

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Havana growing private sector low on materials

Carpenter Antonio Gutiérrez organizes a load of mahogany, precious wood seized by the authorities in the Ciénagade Zapata wetlands.HAVANA   April 26 (IPS By Ivet González) The lack of markets to supply raw materials for Cuba’s new private sector, along with the poverty in isolated rural communities, is fuelling the poaching of endangered species of flora […]

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Cuba’s new foreign investment law, part 2: Property rights

HAVANA 26 Abril (By José Manuel Pallí, Esq). Perhaps the most important question raised by Cuba’s new approach to foreign investment in real estate is the one related to the nature of the rights a foreign investor who develops real estate in Cuba — and those who purchase the residential units from the developer — […]

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Turkey May Be Building Cuba’s First Mosque in Havana

HAVANA   26 Abril   Cuba’s Muslims enjoy good relations with the ruling Party. But getting approval to build a mosque is no easy task on the island, where bureaucracy and ideology reign For years, Cuba’s Muslims estimated at just a few thousand—have been a bit, well, unorthodox. Most have favored a flexible version of Islam that’s […]

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Athlete Tries to Kayak from Havana to Key West

HAVANA   25 Abril    Peter Crowley believes there’s no excuse for not trying. Born with optic atrophy and legally blind, that has not stopped him from climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, skiing dozens of Adirondack trails, paddling from Albany to New York City and crossing the English Channel in a solo red kayak. The accomplished athlete brought […]

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Cuba”s National Ballet Holds Dances with Premieres

LA HABANA April 25   Two world premieres by the Cuban National Ballet (BNC) opened celebrations in the island on occasion of the International Dance Day, to show off the technical spectrum of this renowned company. The most recent piece by its director, Alicia Alonso, combined musicality, technical ingenuity, and an interesting use of lights to […]

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China And Cuba: Skip the Ideology, Let’s Talk About Money

HAVANA 25 Abril  (By Patricia Rey Mallén)  China’s foreign minister arrived in Cuba on April 22, on an official visit to an island where Beijing is increasing its investment, including in oil exploration.  The Chinese community in Cuba, in fact, dates back 150 years, and played a fundamental role in the success of Castro’s revolution […]

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Mariel workers to keep most of what employers pay

HAVANA  24 April  (CUBA STANDARD)  Although foreign investors at the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM) will still have to hire employees through a state agency, they will be able to negotiate salaries, contract self-employed Cubans, and hire as many foreign workers as they want, and workers will pocket most of what their employers pay the […]

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Cubans to Celebrate International Jazz Day

HAVANA  April 23 (PL)  A great jazz jam session will be in charge of Cuban musicians at the National Hotel to celebrate the International Jazz Day, as told by Alicia Bon Cruz, main organizer of the event Tuesday. This way, Cuba is joined to other activities in the whole world for the International Jazz Day, […]

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Cuba Travel Services Announces New Flight Service from Miami to Holguin

CYPRESS, Calif April 22  (PRNewswire)  Cuba Travel Services, the leading authorized carrier service provider with offices in California and Florida, is now offering direct flights from Miami to Holguin ,starting June 5 . Cuba Travel Services arranges flights operated by American Airlines and Sun Country Airlines to popular destinations including Havana, Cienfuegos, Camaguey, Santa Clara […]

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Cuba: List of Custom Packing Enterprises Updated

HAVANA  April 22  (Prensa Latina) The Cuban National Custom Office updated its list of authorized entities to make dispatches at house delivery in different countries, said an official communique Tuesday. The communique pointed out Tuesday that the National Custom Office appropriately detected cases in which messaging agencies and packing enterprises in different countries, have offered […]

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Cuban Havana Club Takes the Cap Off of 150 year Old Rum

HAVANA  April 21 (PL)   A Cuban 150 year old new rum was tasted at the meeting of gastronomic and tourist experts, called Bayamanaco or Balcon del Habano (Balcony of Habanos), organizers of the Havanan workshop said today. The meeting has been held since 2007 at Presidente Hotel in this capital, to taste beverages and analyze […]

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HAVANA home woes endure despite real-estate reform

HAVANA April 20  (AP BY ANDREA RODRIGUEZ)  The residents of 308 Oquendo Street were jolted awake in the middle of the night by violent shaking and a noise that they likened to a freight train, or an exploding bomb. Part of their building’s seventh floor had collapsed into the interior patio, heavily damaging apartments on […]

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