Caribbean Islands, We call Latin America the whole of the South American continent, with the exception of Central America and Mexico. The history that people generally share in this vast region is the bitter experience of foreign invasions and colonial rule from the fifteenth century onwards. They also share the history of the struggle once morest dictatorships. But today, Latin America continues to be one of the most economically unequal regions in the world. Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama are geographically part of Central and North America. Major South American countries include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. And Cuba and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. In the post-Kovid world, various countries are facing severe economic crises. Sri Lanka collapsed under the weight of the debt trap. Developed countries are also plagued by problems, including rising fuel prices. The economic situation in Latin American countries is also very poor. Inflation, inflation and organized crime have increased. Government corruption, unemployment, poverty, illiteracy and oppression of women continue unabated. Latin America has the highest bank interest rate in the world, according to a study. It is in this context that the people support the political movement that promises social justice and free education.
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The US authorized for the first time in 60 years investment of a private business in Cuba | International
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
For the first time in six decades, the United States authorized an investment in a private business in Cuba, undertaken by John Kavulich, who told Efe today that he has been in contact with “officials of the Joe Biden Administration” for almost a year. congressmen and senators who have allegedly helped bring this operation to fruition.
Kavulich, president of the United States-Cuba Economic and Trade Council, does not give many details regarding the investment “of up to $25,000,” nor does he give the name of the Cuban business, preferring to wait for Cuba to give the go-ahead.
He only announced that this business is not related to the Government of Miguel Díaz-Canel, who has been in the service sector for more than 5 years and shows continuous growth.
The businessman does not want to give names of who his interlocutors have been in the Biden administration: “(They were) officials from the Biden-Harris administration, including the State Department, the Treasury Department, the Commerce Department, the Defense Department, the Justice Department across the board, as well as with both houses of the Congress”, Kavulich says.
Until now, the United States embargo on Cuba, in force since 1960, prevented this type of investment and, according to Kavulich, it is the first time that this type of license has been approved since the boycott came into force.
Until now, no Biden Administration official has spoken on this issue or on the eventual lifting of the embargo on investments in Cuba.
The investor submitted the license request to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on June 10, 2021 and this agency gave the green light on May 10, 2022.
Kavulich points out that his efforts with the White House and Congress date back long before the Biden administration, time in which he has been figuring out if his investment efforts can be successful.
After formally presenting his request last June, the businessman felt optimistic, but as the months passed he lost hope.
“They gave me contradictory statements and communications in the past two months that broke all my optimism,” he recalled, stressing that the final news of the approval of the investment took him completely by surprise.
For Kavulich to be able to invest in this company – which he discovered thanks to a Facebook group – he still needs Cuba’s approval, but the businessman says he is “90% sure” that he will get it.
“My 90% certainty is not because the Cuban government is enthusiastic, but because it is necessary,” he stressed, explaining that this need has become more evident with the great blow that the island’s economy received with the pandemic.
Likewise, Kavulich notes that his objective in this investment is not to seek “a quick dollar”, but to ease the way for future investors.
“My role as president of the council and the work that the council has done since 1994 is that if there is a problem, we try to figure it out and then let everyone know what we did. And that is precisely what we are doing here, ”she adds.
For Kavulich, the fact that an investment by a US businessman is allowed on the island might represent a great “potential” for the Cuban private sector.
Yesterday, Biden took another step in the opening towards Cuba by announcing a relaxation of the limitations on remittances and flights, among other things, reversing part of the last round of sanctions applied by the previous US president, donald trump
“It’s hard not to see a connection – between the two things. We applied for the license on June 10, 2021. They issued the license on May 10, 2022, and six days later, they announced all these other changes. If one plus one equals two, in this case it is definitely not a coincidence,” he concluded.
Boston City Council asks to end the blockade against Cuba
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
City hall of Boston. Photo: Wikipedia
During this week’s Boston City Council meeting, the entity adopted a resolution calling for the end of the US embargo (blockade) once morest Cuba and the opening of new travel and collaborative cultural, medical and academic opportunities between the two countries.
The resolution states that “the full restoration of trade and travel between the two countries would be of great benefit to both, particularly in the areas of economic opportunity, education, health care, tourism, arts, music, and sports, along with health care.” . and biotechnological research, especially in relation to COVID-19.”
The Massachusetts State Council and Legislature strongly urge Massachusetts Representatives and Senators in the United States Congress to enact and pass legislation that will finally end the failed and damaging 59-year economic, financial, and trade embargo, as well as to the travel blockade restrictions on US citizens and residents of Cuba, and Cuban citizens in the United States.
(With information from boston city hall)
United States: Joe Biden restores flights to Cuba and removes limits on remittances | Cuba considered it “positive but very limited”
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, announced this Monday that he will restore commercial flights to Cubawhich only reached the city of Havana, and that will suspend the limit of 1,000 dollars per quarter on remittancesreversing some of the harshest measures of the Donald Trump administration. The Cuban government considered that the measures announced by the United States are “positive” but of “very limited scope.”
The news was communicated by the Department of State and the spokesman for the portfolio, Ned Price. “With these actions we intend to support the aspirations of freedom and greater economic opportunities of Cubans so that they can lead a successful life at home. We continue to call on the Cuban government to immediately release political prisoners, to respect the fundamental freedoms of the people, and to allow them to determine their own future,” Price said in an official statement.
Thus, it was specified that both commercial flights and charter flights will be restored and that it will allow some for certain purposes, such as those for educational purposes or related to professional purposes, that former President Trump had restricted
Travel by groups of Americans destined to make contact with the Cuban people, known in English as “people to people travel“, but individual visits of this kind will continue to be prohibited.
Until now, US airlines might only fly to Havana, leaving Cuban-Americans with few options to visit relatives in other parts of the island.
Likewise, the department commanded by Anthony Blinken announced that will increase its support to Cuban entrepreneurs with authorizations to access electronic commerce platformsamong other actions.
The policy change comes following an internal review within the Biden Administration, following the July 11 anti-government demonstrations on the island.
After these frictions, representatives of the US and Cuba met in Washington in April to discuss migration issues, in the first high-level dialogue between the two countries since Biden’s arrival at the White House.
The Cuban response
The Cuban government I consider that the announced measures they are “positive” but “very limited in scope”. This was expressed by the Foreign Ministry in a statement detailing that the measures will include issues related to visas, regular migration, flights to provinces, remittances and adjustments to regulations for transactions with the “non-state” sector.
“It is possible to identify some of the promises of President Biden during the 2020 election campaign to alleviate inhuman decisions made by the administration of President (Donald) Trump, which tightened the blockade to unprecedented levels and the policy of ‘maximum pressure’ applied once morest our country since then, “the statement said.
Cuba considers that the announcements of the US Executive “they do not modify the lock at all” towards their country, nor do they eliminate the main economic measures taken by Trump.
“It does not reverse the arbitrary and fraudulent inclusion of Cuba on the State Department’s list of countries that are allegedly sponsors of terrorism, one of the main causes of the difficulties that Cuba encounters for its commercial and financial transactions in many parts of the world. ”, says the text.
For the government led by Miguel Díaz-Canel, this is “a limited step in the right direction” which responds “to the denunciation of the Cuban people and government.”
“This has been a demand from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and almost all the member states of the United Nations, expressed in the overwhelming vote once morest the blockade. They are fair demands that have been ignored by the United States government at a very high cost for our population, ”he notes.
In addition, the Cuban government assures that it has “provision” to “initiate a respectful and equal dialogue” with the United States.