DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Outspoken Cuban Priest Cries Foul as Country Marks Good Friday
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Nelson Acosta and Marc FrankHAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban Roman Catholics held public processions across the Communist-run country on Friday to mark Good Friday, but there was at least one exception in Havana where 150 of the faithful were relegated to the church parking lot. “It is not possible today to introduce Jesus Christ without introducing to him a people who are having a hard time,” he said. The Cuban government largely blames U.S. sanctions for the crisis and U.S. subversion for the unrest, charges that Washington denies. “What I have heard from the government is that there are 111 authorized processions throughout the country,” he said. Christmas and then Good Friday were recognized as holidays and religious processions are now common.

Persons: Nelson Acosta, Marc Frank HAVANA, Lester Zayas Diaz, Parish, Christ, ”, Jesus Christ, ” Zayas, Washington, Ariel Suarez, Cuba's, Zayas, Pope John Paul, Marc Frank, David Gregorio Organizations: Communist, Reuters, Facebook, U.S, Cuban, Cuba's Bishop's Locations: Cuban, Havana, Vedado, Cuba

☆ Cuban President Sacks Economy Minister as Controversy Grows Over Price Hikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel sacked economy minister Alejandro Gil on Friday, state media reported, as controversy continued to grow over the delay of recently announced measures to hike the price of fuel and transportation fares in the communist-run country. The Council of State, under Diaz-Canel`s direction, has appointed Central Bank president Joaquín Alonso, 60, to replace Gil. The upheaval comes just two days after the government put off an unpopular five-fold hike in gasoline prices planned for Feb. 1, saying a cyberattack from outside Cuba had thwarted implementation. Former economy minister Gil had advocated for the unpopular plan to raise prices for many government subsidized services, and has long been criticized for his management of the country`s near-bankrupt economy. Gil's planned price hikes, initially announced in December and early January, rocked Cuba, where residents have long depended on a vast program of state subsidized food, fuel and medicine.

Persons: Miguel Díaz, Canel, Alejandro Gil, Diaz, Joaquín Alonso, Gil, Elba Rosa Perez, Eduardo Martinez, Alberto Lopez, Manuel Santiago Sobrino, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: of State, Central Bank, Technology, Food Industry Ministry Locations: HAVANA, Cuban, Cuba, Santa Clara

☆ Cuban family business produces flour from coconut and yucca amid shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Alien Fernandez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Entrepreneur Gabriel Perez, 38, poses for a photo as he checks slices of banana put to dry in his farmland in the rural outskirts of Havana, Cuba, November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini Acquire Licensing RightsHAVANA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - On a small farm outside Havana, a Cuban family-run business produces gluten-free flour from banana, coconut and yucca, preferring locally-sourced ingredients to pricey imports as Cubans seek innovative solutions to a growing food crisis. His business, Bacoretto, dries and mills yucca, rice, banana and coconut into organic flour preferred by gluten-intolerant consumers, who have only recently been able to find food products tailored to their dietary needs in Cuba. Byproducts of their processes are used to make coconut oil, coconut-fiber rope, vinegar and fermented products and sweets, Perez told Reuters. It produces 6 to 8 kilograms (13.2 to 17.6 pounds) of flour a week, Perez said, in small batches, in addition to byproducts, with a staff of eight people.

Persons: Gabriel Perez, Alexandre Meneghini, Perez, Fidel Castro's, Alien Fernandez, Nelson Acosta, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Rights HAVANA, Caribbean

☆ Cuba stages pro-Palestine march past US embassy in Havana
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] People shout slogans during a march in support of Palestinians, calling for a ceasefire and for charging Israel with committing “genocide” in Gaza, in Havana, Cuba, November 23, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini Acquire Licensing RightsHAVANA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Cubans on Thursday marched in front of the U.S. embassy in Havana charging Israel was committing “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. Communist-run Cuba has been a strong backer of the Palestinian cause for decades and has trained more than 200 Palestinian doctors. "We are here and it is no coincidence that we have marched in front of the United States embassy," Anet Rodríguez, a university professor, said. Since then, some 14,800 Gazans have been killed by Israeli bombardment, around 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Persons: Alexandre Meneghini, Israel, Miguel Diaz, Fidel Castro, Marc Frank, Anet Rios, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, United, State, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Havana, Cuba, Rights HAVANA, Cuban, Palestine, Israel, Communist, United States

☆ Cuba blames US sanctions for fomenting irregular migration amid exodus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The United States - the top destination for Cuban migrants -in 2022 renewed talks with Cuba and has since increased legal pathways to migration for Cubans, including visa access in Havana, family reunification and humanitarian parole programs aimed at stemming illegal migration. But the problem won't go away, said Cuban vice foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, until the United States eases sanctions on the island, which Cuba blames for devastating its already-ailing state-run economy. "For the United States, the priority of destabilizing Cuba continues to take precedence over its interest in protecting its borders in terms of migration," de Cossio told reporters following the talks. The U.S. says the sanctions are necessary to promote human rights and fundamental liberties in Cuba and that it makes exceptions for humanitarian purposes. Reporting by Nelson Acosta; editing by Dave Sherwood and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yireht, Yanara, Adrees Latif, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, de Cossio, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Cuban, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Cuba, Rio, United States, Mexico, Eagle Pass , Texas, U.S, Rights HAVANA, Havana, Cuban, Caribbean

☆ Cuban clock maker keeps on ticking despite economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Cuban watchmaker Ernesto Barrios saw an opportunity to make up for lost time two years ago after authorities lifted a ban on private companies that had been in place since shortly after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. "We don't have to import any of our materials," he said. "Years ago there was a great diversity of Russian watches in Cuba and today that watch market is empty," he said. His "Made in Cuba" watches, he said, are on display in various hotels in Havana, as well as in some stores in the Cuban capital. Reporting by Nelson Acosta, editing by Dave Sherwood and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ernesto Barrios, Fidel Castro's, Luz, Barrios, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuban, Cuba, wristwatches, Havana, Soviet Union

☆ As crisis deepens, Cubans scramble to migrate by any means
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The crowded terminal, a launch point for Cubans making their way by air to Nicaragua then overland to the United States, is one barometer of the frenzy to migrate from the communist-run island nation. For many, like Echavarria and his wife, it has also become a last resort as Cuba's economic crisis deepens with no end in sight. 'I GOT LUCKY'Artist Ernesto Perez, 51, told Reuters he had waited since 2015 for his turn to enter the United states legally under a family reunification program. Cuba blames the long-running U.S. trade embargo and Trump-era sanctions for fueling the economic crisis and the exodus of more than 400,000 Cubans leaving for the United States in the last two years. For many Cubans, however, Nicaragua remains the only viable option for getting off the island, said Yoany Bilbao, a 28-year old auto mechanic.

Persons: Alexandre Meneghini, Echavarria, Olga, Joe Biden, Alain Ferguson, Ferguson, Ernesto Perez, Perez, Brian Nichols, Yoany, Dave Sherwood, Ted Hesson, Ismael Lopez, Alien Fernandez, Mario Fuentes, Nelson Acosta, Mica Rosenberg, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, U.S, Central America, West, CBP, United, Trump, Senior U.S . Department of State, Thomson Locations: Panama, Havana, Cuba, Rights HAVANA, Havana's, Nicaragua, United States, Central, U.S, Florida, Mexico, Washington, San Jose

☆ Cuba seeks foreign investment, thumbing nose at US sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Cuba hosted a business fair with over 800 companies from more than 60 countries on Monday as it lobbied for new investments, thumbing its nose at U.S. sanctions that have long spooked foreign companies from engaging with the communist-run island. "Today we work ...to minimize the negative impact of the economic, financial and commercial blockade," said Cuba foreign trade minister Ricardo Cabrisas at the forum's opening event. Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel told attendees "massive" participation at the fair this year was proof of business confidence in Cuba. The trade fair includes promotional stands from countries ranging from Spain to Russia, Iran and China. Foreign companies also complain that local regulations, bureaucracy and problems with the peso currency and payments also bog down business in Cuba.

Persons: Ricardo Cabrisas, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Diaz, Jay Brickman, Biden, Hugo Cancio, Cancio, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Miami, U.S, DeCancio, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, U.S, Cuban, Spain, Russia, Iran, China

☆ Cuba warns of worsening blackouts as fuel crisis bites
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Marc Frank | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HAVANA, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Power blackouts in Cuba are expected to increase significantly due to a lack of fuel, officials warned in a nationwide TV broadcast, worsening the country's plight as it deals with food and medicine shortages. The Communist-run island has been mired in crisis and plagued by blackouts and shortages of food, medicine and fuel since the pandemic. Cuba says U.S. sanctions are largely to blame for the crisis, depriving the country of foreign exchange to import most of its fuel, food and other supplies. Cuba has also seen regular crude and fuel imports from Russia and Mexico, according to shipping data. "Cuba has bought more crude and fuel this year, compared with last year.

Persons: Vicente de la O Levy, Jorge Pinon, Pinon, Fidel Castro’s, Marc Frank, Nelson Acosta, Marianna Parraga, Rami Ayyub Organizations: Energy, Mining, Communist, Gross, Communist Party, University of Texas, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Havana, Washington, Venezuela, Russia, Mexico, Austin ., United States

☆ Developing Countries Double Down on Technology at Havana Summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Marc, Frank and Nelson AcostaHAVANA (Reuters) - Developing nations on Saturday declared Sept. 16 the annual "Day of Science, Technology and Innovation in the South" as they prepared to wrap up a two-day summit on the subject. "We note with deep concern the existing disparities between developed and developing countries in terms of conditions, possibilities and capacities to produce new scientific and technological knowledge," the final declaration of the G77 group of developing nations and China said. China maintains that it is not a G77 member, despite being listed as one by the bloc, but Beijing says it has supported the group's legitimate claims and maintained cooperative relations. At the same time, it calls for more cooperation between member nations in science, technology and innovation as strategies for their development. While more than 100 member delegations participated in the summit, only Brazil and a few dozen others were led by heads of state.

Persons: Marc, Frank, Nelson Acosta HAVANA, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Marc Frank, Nelson Acosta, David Gregorio Organizations: Science, Technology, Innovation, United Nations System, International, Cuban, United Nations Locations: China, Beijing, United, Brazil

HAVANA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday praised efforts to support the Global South in the international arena as he opened a summit of the G77 group of developing nations and China with host Cuba. The focus is the scientific and technological divide between rich and poor countries and its impact on development. Guterres said greater international equality was essential to building the consensus needed to tackle climate change and inequality. "The world is failing developing nations" he said, expressing the hope that the meeting would strengthen participants' clout on a wide range of issues. While more than 90 delegations are participating in the summit, which ends on Saturday, only a few dozen are led by heads of state.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Diaz, Marc Frank, Nelson Acosta, Aurora Ellis Organizations: United Nations, Global, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, China, Cuba, United States, Cuban, Beijing

☆ Cuba arrests 17 for trafficking young men to fight for Russia in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Cuban authorities said they had arrested 17 people on charges related to a ring of human traffickers that allegedly lured young Cuban men to serve in the Russian military amid the Ukraine conflict. Cuba earlier this week revealed authorities were working to "neutralize and dismantle" the network, which it said operated both on Cuban soil and in Russia. Russia, which has strong political ties with communist-run Cuba, has long been an important destination for Cuban migrants seeking to escape economic stagnation at home. Cuba says it has no part in the war in Ukraine, and that it rejects the use of its citizens as mercenaries. Reporting by Nelson Acosta; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cesar Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Jose Luis Reyes, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Acosta, Kim Coghill Organizations: Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Ukraine, Cuba, Russia

HAVANA, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Representatives of 14 western creditor nations, grouped in the Paris Club, were in Cuba this week to salvage a debt agreement with the import dependent country which is expected to default on payments for a fourth consecutive year. William Roos, co-chairman of the Paris Club, had said on Wednesday that he proposed a plan which apparently was rejected. The 2015 Paris Club agreement forgave $8.5 billion of the $11.1 billion in sovereign debt Cuba defaulted on in 1986. Cuba, which last reported foreign debt of $19.7 billion for 2020, has restructured debt with Russia, China and some other creditors since then. The Cuba group of the 22-member Paris Club, which manages old sovereign debt, comprises Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Persons: ”, William Roos, Ricardo Cabrisas, Cabrisas, Marc Frank, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Paris Club, Investment, Cooperation, Communist, Gross, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Paris, Russia, China, Caribbean, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

STEINHATCHEE, Florida, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Florida's Gulf Coast braced on Wednesday for fierce winds, torrential rain and surging seawater from Idalia, forecast to become "an extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane, as it swirled toward a direct hit on the state's Big Bend region. Most of Florida's 21 million residents, and many in the adjacent states of Georgia and South Carolina, were under hurricane warnings and other storm-related advisories. Any storm reaching Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane. 1 killer in all of these storms is water," Deanne Criswell, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's administrator, said on CNN. Idalia-related disruptions extended to Florida's Atlantic coast at Cape Canaveral, where the Tuesday launch of a rocket carrying a U.S. Space Force intelligence satellite was delayed indefinitely.

Persons: Kevin Guthrie, Rene Hoffman, Idalia, Steve Pizzano, Adrees Latif, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Irma, Michael, Ian, DeSantis, Milton Bontrager, Maria Alejandra Cardona, Marco Bello, Joey Roulette, Rich McKay, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Brad Brooks, Brendan O'Brien, Nandita Bose, Steve Gorman, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters Graphics Reuters, National Hurricane Center, NHC, REUTERS, Federal Emergency Management, CNN, White, Florida, Republican, U.S . Space Force, Tampa International Airport, National Guard, Thomson Locations: STEINHATCHEE, Florida, Idalia, Bend, Gulf of Mexico, Georgia, South Carolina, Steinhatchee , Florida, Miami, Cedar Key , Florida, Gulf Coast, North, Sarasota, Apalachicola Bay ., Clearwater Beach , Florida, U.S, Gulf, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Tampa, St, Petersburg, Cape Canaveral, Cuba, Tampa , Florida, Atlanta, Havana, Guanimar, Longmont , Colorado, Chicago, Washington

"We understand there is a crisis, and the need for banking, but this is our money," Hernandez said. Her business had already adopted electronic banking but she often needs quick access to cash to pay for emergencies on job sites, she added. Rodriguez said he and many other entrepreneurs began using electronic banking long before the new measures were announced to comply with tax laws that have evolved with the growing private sector. But for many smaller businesses and mom-and-pop stores in Cuba, the formalities of doing business, like paying taxes, remain novel concepts, he said. Cuban officials have said the new banking measures are necessary for transparency, to assure transactions are recorded and taxes are paid.

Persons: Alberto Quinones, Yulieta Hernandez, Hernandez, Fidel Castro, Leonardo Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Ronald Venero, Nelson Acosta, Anett Rios, Carlos Carrillo, Dave Sherwood, Marc Frank, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Cuban, Havana, Santiago de Cuba

☆ Cuba bans company access to ATMs, limits cash transactions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The Cuban Central Bank issued rules this week banning state and private businesses from using ATMs and limiting cash transactions between them, as it seeks to tame runaway inflation and off-the-books business amid a grave economic crisis. They limit cash transactions to 5000 pesos and will be implemented gradually over six months, official media said. The government pegs the dollar at 24 pesos and for select companies, tourists and residents at 120 pesos, though it has few to exchange. The dollar currently fetches 230 pesos on the informal market. The crisis has led to a lack of confidence in the state-run banking system, resulting in a lack of cash at some ATMs as businesses use them, leaving residents in the lurch.

Persons: Alejandro Gil, Nelson Acosta, Marc Frank, Deepa Babington Organizations: Cuban Central Bank, Economy, Thomson Locations: HAVANA

☆ Eco-friendly bamboo bicycles hit the streets in Cuba
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Mario Fuentes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Nayvis Dias, founder of Velo Cuba, shows eco-friendly bamboo bicycles at her office in Havana, Cuba, July 21, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Among the classic cars, mopeds and rickshaws Cubans use to get around the capital city Havana, a new kind of ride is hitting the streets - bamboo bicycles made by a local workshop. Velo Cuba, a bike shop and tour company, produces the lightweight, eco-friendly options as part of a program funded by the Netherlands' embassy in the country. "There are 28 species of bamboo in Cuba," said Velo Cuba founder Nayvis Diaz. Transportation and steady employment are both chronic issues in Cuba, where the economy was hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Persons: Nayvis Dias, Alexandre Meneghini HAVANA, Nayvis Diaz, Yaquelin Gonzalez, Diaz, Mario Fuentes, Nelson Acosta, Kylie Madry, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Velo Cuba, REUTERS, Transportation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Velo Cuba, Netherlands, United States, China

Summary Peso's informal value hits all-time low vs dollarAnnual inflation surges to 45%Plunge in peso value 'something horrible', says teacherHAVANA, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The Cuban peso was trading on the informal market at an all-time low of 230 to the dollar on Wednesday, slumping to half its value a year ago as consumers struggle with surging inflation and scarce goods, a widely watched tracker showed. The state considers the informal exchange rate, widely tracked via the independent news outlet El Toque, as illegal, but it has been unable to shut it down. The state officially pegs the local currency at 120 pesos to the dollar, but it has few to exchange. The weakening informal rate was similar to a fall in the government’s electronic equivalent, which residents must use to purchase goods at state stores that are relatively well-stocked compared with peso outlets. Prices grew 39% last year, a figure many economists say underestimates the rate as it does not adequately account for a growing informal market.

Persons: HAVANA, Bert Hoffman, Alejandro Gil, May, Sonia Nunez, Gil, Mario Fuentes, Christian Plumb, Conor Humphries Organizations: Cuban, German Institute of Global, Communist, Economy, Thomson Locations: America, Hamburg, Cuban, Havana

☆ Cuban high jump king Sotomayor holds onto crown after 30 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Cuba's high jump king and international idol Javier Sotomayor reacts during an interview beside a sculpture of himself leaping over the bar at his Restaurant & Bar in Havana, Cuba, June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, July 25 (Reuters) - Records are made to broken, world high jump king and international idol Javier Sotomayor said, smiling behind dark glasses as the fierce Caribbean sun beat down on Havana's Pan-American Stadium. At 55 years old, however, the lanky, unassuming Cuban athlete is now celebrating the third decade that his record-breaking 2.45-metres leap over the outdoor high jump bar in Salamanca, Spain, in 1993, remains unmatched. Including his prior 2.43m indoor world record in Budapest five years earlier, Sotomayor counts 35 years as world record holder, though the weather-sensitive outdoor title carries more weight internationally. Sotomayor first hurled himself to the world's top high jump spot in 1988, before beating this with a 2.44m spring in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the following year.

Persons: Javier Sotomayor, Alexandre Meneghini HAVANA, Sotomayor, Sweden's Patrik Sjoberg, Igor Paklin, Charles Austin, Ukraine's Bogdan Bondarenko, Jaxier, Jose Godoy, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Ken Ferris Organizations: Bar, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Cuban, Salamanca, Spain, Budapest, San Juan , Puerto Rico, Brussels, New York

☆ Cuban economy minister says no quick fix to devastating crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking before the country's parliament, Gil said the primary sector, which includes agriculture, mining and other basic production, was down 34.9% compared with 2019, while manufacturing was off 20%. A third sector that includes services such as tourism, communications and education was down 4.9%. Gil said the crisis, which has left residents reeling, protesting and leaving the island nation, was "complicated," but he added that the government was working on solutions. "The gradual recovery of the Cuban economy has not yet reached the necessary pace," he said. Additional reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alejandro Gil, Gil, Esteban Lazo Hernandez, Marc Frank, Paul Simao Organizations: Economy, Communist, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba

☆ Cuba condemns EU Parliament resolution calling for sanctions against president
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, July 12 (Reuters) - Cuba's National Assembly said on Wednesday it "strongly condemns" a resolution by the European Parliament, which criticized the country's human rights record and called for EU sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other top officials. "The European Parliament lacks the moral, political and legal authority to judge Cuba," Cuba's parliament said in a statement. The European Parliament resolution proposes "autocratic regimes should not participate in such summits" and strongly condemns Cuba's human rights record, saying this could jeopardize a 2016 cooperation deal between Cuba and the EU, its top trade partner. The European Parliament resolution said it "deeply deplores" this comment. In May, Borrell said the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, will visit the island in November to evaluate the consequences of the 2021 protests.

Persons: Miguel Diaz, Fidel Castro's, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Eamon Gilmore, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: National, Cuban, EU, of, Caribbean, Communist, Cuba's National Assembly, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, America, Caribbean, Brussels, Caribbean States, United States

☆ Cuba calls US nuclear submarine in Guantanamo Bay 'provocative escalation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HAVANA, July 11 (Reuters) - Cuban authorities on Tuesday said the U.S. recently had a nuclear-powered submarine at its military base at Guantanamo Bay and called the action a "provocative escalation" of tensions weeks after Washington alleged that there was a Chinese spy base on the island. Washington did not confirm that there was a submarine at the naval base. It said Cuba was looking to distract from the two-year anniversary of largest street protests seen in Cuba since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Critics have said the Guantanamo Bay prison has been used for arbitrary detention and torture of people suspected of terrorism. In June, Havana and Beijing rejected reports citing U.S. officials alleging that China was using Cuba as a spy base.

Persons: Washington, Fidel Castro's, William LeoGrande, Critics, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Matt Spetalnick, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Washington, U.S . State Department, State Department, House, U.S . Department of Defense, Washington's American University, Reuters, United, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, U.S, Guantanamo, Chinese, Cuba, Cuban, China, Washington, Havana, Beijing, United States, Caribbean

☆ Cuba says US responsible for 2021 protests, biggest in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] People clash with plain clothes police during protests against and in support of the government, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba July 11, 2021. "The United States has a direct responsibility for the disturbances of July 11 and 12, 2021," the Communist Party-run Granma newspaper said in a front-page editorial ahead of the anniversary of the protests. The U.S. State Department said it was not behind the 2021 protests and reiterated calls for the immediate release of some 700 Cuban political prisoners. "More than anything, this editorial reflects the state of relations between the United States and Cuba," said Arturo Lopez-Levy, a foreign relations expert at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Two years after the protests, some Cuban emigres have called for events to commemorate the date.

Persons: Alexandre Meneghini, Fidel Castro's, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Arturo Lopez, Levy, Lopez, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Matt Spetalnick, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Communist Party, White, Cuba, U.S . State Department, Cuban, European Union, Autonomous University of Madrid, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, HAVANA, United States, Washington, U.S, Cuban

☆ Cuba seeks stronger EU-CELAC relations, condemns EU's 'manipulative behavior'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

However, Rodriguez added the EU's "lack of transparency and manipulative behavior in preparing for the summit puts its success in serious risk." The diplomat said the EU had tried to impose restrictive, divisive ways of holding talks that made "direct, transparent talks impossible." "Those who try to impose a biased and Europeanist vision of the bi-regional relationship will have no chance of success in Brussels," Rodriguez said. Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, visited Havana last May where he criticized Washington's over six-decade-old trade embargo against Cuba. "Cuba will go to the Brussels summit with a constructive spirit," Rodriguez added, saying the country would contribute as much as possible to strengthen EU-CELAC relations "on the basis of equality and mutual respect."

Persons: Bruno Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Josep Borrell, Washington's, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Union, EU, of, Caribbean, Cuban Foreign, Havana, Cuba, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, American, Caribbean, Caribbean States, Brussels, Haiti, Russian, Havana, EU

☆ Extreme weather in Latin America unlocks vicious cycle that further fuels climate dangers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, July 5 (Reuters) - Extreme weather is wreaking havoc across Latin America, racking up billions worth of damage and unleashing a vicious cycle that leads to higher demand for fossil fuels and more climate change, the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday. Temperatures have warmed an average 0.2 degree Celsius per decade over the past 30 years – the highest rate on record, according to the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2022 report. As temperatures rise, extreme weather events become more common, with often unexpected consequences that stoke climate change, the report said. “Many of the extreme events were influenced by the long-running La Nina but also bore the hallmark of human-induced climate change," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. "We are facing increasingly strong impacts from climate change, but the decisions adopted in climate negotiations for the implementation of the Paris Agreement do not advance at the same rate," she said.

Persons: Petteri Taalas, Daniel Becerril, Elba Rosa Perez, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Marguerita Choy Organizations: World Meteorological Organization, stoke, Nina, REUTERS, El Nino, for Research, Meteorological Institute, Environment, Development, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, America, Latin America, Caribbean, South America, Monterrey, Mexico, El, Havana, China, Cuba, Paris

Search resuls for: "Nelson Acosta"

25 mentions found