Entries by Havana Live

Cuba,China seek economic and defense cooperation

HAVANA,  June 27  Two high-ranking Chinese officials made separate visits to Cuba this month. After attending the Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington, D.C., Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang arrived at his second stop – Cuba. This September marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Havana, and China wants to […]

Russia to assist Cuba in construction of power units, steel plant

According to the ambassador, the projects will take between three and four years to complete. HAVANA , June 26 – Russia and Cuba are in the final stage of coordinating new energy and steel projects, Russian Ambassador to Cuba Mikhail Kamynin said. “In the coming days, the process of coordinating two major projects that will be implemented in Cuba will […]

Cuba needs more babies

HAVANA, June 26  Cuba’s government  is looking to promote a higher birth rate and providing funding for fertility treatments, as Cuba tries to rescue itself from an aging population. A phenomenon that once had been restricted to academic and scientific circles has in recent years entered the public discourse and the agenda of the Council […]

Cuba’s popularity concerns Caribbean tourism officials

HAVANA,  25 June  (AP)  Caribbean tourism officials are pushing for a partnership with the U.S. government because of concerns that warming relations between the U.S. and Cuba will result in a significant loss of visitors to the rest of the region. Cuba has seen such a surge in visitors that the fragile budgets of many […]

Cuba: Immediate threat to 20% of Bahamas’ visitors

HAVANA,  June 24    Cuba’s opening will immediately threaten more than 20 per cent of the Bahamas’ stopover visitor market, it has been revealed, amid calls for a ‘tourism trade agreement’ with the US to mitigate the impact of its ‘diplomatic reset’ with Havana. The implications for the Bahamas’ number one industry, and other Caribbean […]

A sea of Chinese tourists is about to flood Cuba

HAVANA, June 24   The lure of beaches, luxury resorts, and golf courses may bring Chinese visitors to its longtime socialist ally, Cuba. In September, a Chinese airline will begin offering direct flights between China and Cuba, a precursor to what officials hope will be a “sea of Chinese tourists” descending on the Caribbean island […]

Manatee ‘Eckerd’ is swimming of the coast of Cuba

HAVANA,  June 23   A manatee named Eckerd is swimming off the coast of Cuba, a satellite track’s every move. The manatee tracking effort was one of several research projects by 10 Eckerdmarine science students and Professor William A. Szelistowski during a two-week trip to Cuba this month. Working with scientists and students from the […]

Horses are Cuba’s new claim to fame

HAVANA, 23  June   (AP)   Already renowned for fine rum and fancy cigars, Cuba is carving out a new luxury niche that is attracting Latin American elites to the  island: elite jumping horses. By importing colts and fillies from the Netherlands, Cuban trainers are creating prized competitors capable of fetching more than $40,000 from […]

Cuba’s GDP growth of 4 percent in first-half

HAVANA,  June 22  (Reuters) The Cuban economy will grow 4 percent in the first half of 2015, in line with official forecasts on the strength of increases in sugar production, manufacturing, construction and trade, Economy Minister Marino Murrillo said. Murrillo delivered an update on the economy to the cabinet on Friday that was covered in […]

Cuba makes Havana Club plea to US

HAVANA, June 22  The Cuban government has called on the United States to allow the Franco-Cuban Havana Club Holding to sell its product into America, claiming that the import ban continues to breach World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. Speaking at a meeting of the WTO’s disputes settlement body, Cuban diplomat ambassador Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, Cuba […]

Jeannette Ryder remembered in Havana

HAVANA, June 21   People describe her as a slender, short-statured woman who walked the streets of Havana feeding stray dogs and cats. Some called her crazy – the label often applied to those who selflessly aid the needy. However, Jeannette Ryder gradually won over people to her cause, people who began to admire her […]

U.S.-Cuban project restoring Ernest Hemingway’s Finca Figia

HAVANA   June  21 (CNN)Ernest Hemingway’s home near Havana is expected to soon receive an infusion of badly needed building supplies from the United States. An American foundation restoring the legendary writer’s home in Cuba on Saturday signed an agreement with the Cuban government to — for the first time — import construction materials directly […]

Buena Fe opens summer season in Havana

HAVANA, June 20 (Prensa Latina) The popular band Buena Fe will open the summer cultural program in Cuba with a big concert in the Karl Marx Theater to promote his new compilation album ”Soy”, which targets the international market. The band will perform on June 26, 27 and 28 with a repertoire including several of […]

What Cuba can teach America about organic farming

HAVANA, June 20   Many people in America are proponents of the organic food movement, and worried about the potentially harmful effects of pesticides on their health or the environment. In Cuba, farmers have gone organic for a very different reason – they had to. In this final instalment of our series “The Cuban Evoltion” […]

The Cuba factor in the Caribbean equation

HAVANA,  June 19  What does Cuba mean to the destination and tourism market as it comes off a five-decade U.S. visitor embargo? What other destinations are at risk? Which tourists will go? What will drive its growth in travel and tourism? Cuba was, for many years, the jewel of the Caribbean, the destination of choice […]

Art sales paint a rosy picture of Cuba’s future

HAVANA, June 19   Since late May, art ­collectors and dealers from all over the globe have been flocking to Havana for the month-long exhibition called the Biennial. Virtually every inch of outdoor space in Havana has been converted into a gigantic gallery where artists from about 40 countries are exhibiting. Since it’s the first […]

Diver’s dream: Maria La Gorda’s coral reefs

HAVANA,  June 19  (AP) — The coral reefs and gin-clear waters off the coast of Cuba offer some of the best diving in the Caribbean and some of the best-preserved reefs on earth. And if travel restrictions on U.S. tourism to Cuba are ever lifted, the remote Peninsula of Guanahacabibes could well become a popular […]

Cuba to create first Wi-Fi signals for the public

HAVANA, June 18 (Reuters) – Cuba plans to beam Wi-Fi signals at 35 public spaces in the first such offering for the population at large, whose Web access has been mostly limited to desktop rentals in state-owned Internet parlors. Cuba will also cut the price for surfing the net from $4.50 to $2 per hour, […]

The Fixer’s Tour Guide to Havana

HAVANA,  June 18 Behind every good reporting trip is a good fixer — the women and men who live and work in the country you’re visiting, speak the language, and know how to work the system to get you the people and footage you need. “It’s not gonna be a problem!” We must have heard […]

Cuba second tourist destination in the Caribbean

Havana, Jun 19 (Prensa Latina) Cuba was selected by the Caribbean Tourism Organization as the 2nd most relevant tourist destination in the start of 2015, behind the Dominican Republic, press media reported here Wednesday. A report by Cuban nwespaper Granma said that the difference between Cuba and the Dominican Republic is getting shorter, since Cuba […]

Twitter wants a way into Cuba

The company has talked with the Cuban government about letting its citizens tweet through cheap and easy text messaging. HAVANA, June 17   Twitter says it’s talked with the Cuban government about expanding access to its service, the latest sign of U.S. tech companies exploring digital possibilities on the island after President Barack Obama’s announcement […]

How to cruise around Cuba without breaking the bank

HAVANA,  June 17  You did it — you bought your ticket to Cuba! Hello sunshine, fancy cigars, and Cuba Libre cocktails. Booking the trip is off the To-Do list, but what about getting around town? We’ve put together a list of Cuba’s most popular and affordable transportation options, so all you have to do is […]

In Havana with Pamela Ruiz

HAVANA,  June 17   For one couple, realizing their dream house as a cultural salon in Havana has been more than a labor of love. It’s been a lesson in patience, perseverance and wild invention. About once a month, the Havana villa that Pamela Ruiz and Damian Aquiles brought back to life amid obstacles that […]

Spanish player Sergio Ramos excites fans on Cuba visit

HAVANA, June 17   Spanish international and Real Madrid stalwart Sergio Ramos is in Cuba as a Unicef goodwill ambassador, a presence that excited soccer fans on the island this Tuesday. Ramos visited the Vo Thi Thang school Tuesday morning in Havana, where the kids welcomed him with dancing and music, while dozens of fans, […]

Havana to Host Intl. Colloquium on Ernest Hemingway

HAVANA, Jun 15 (acn)  Researchers and experts on the work of Ernest Hemingway will participate in the 15th edition of the International Colloquium dedicated to the Nobel Literature Prize winner, scheduled for June 18-21. The program includes the 3rd meeting of organizations devoted to study and safeguard Hemingway’s legacy to the world, in addition to […]

Cuba likely to end dual currency system

HAVANA, June 16  Cuba is likely to eliminate its dual currency system by the end of this year in a first step to simplifying a multiple exchange system that investors view as a serious obstacle to business. Cuba currently operates two currencies: the peso (CUP), which largely circulates in the domestic economy, and the so-called […]