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☆ In pioneering workshops, U.S. trains Cuban entrepreneurs to do business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Cuban entrepreneurs Maria Puga and Ana Torres pose for a photo at their atelier in Havana, Cuba, April 3, 2023. "Cuba's state-run economy has traditionally not delivered, and recently has delivered even less," Ziff said in an interview. The United States, which says it operates "transparently" in Cuba, is not alone in seeking to promote Cuba's fledgling private sector. Diplomat Ziff said the United States was seeking ways to ease the burden of U.S. sanctions on private business but in a way that would not inadvertently benefit the Cuban government. "The biggest impediment to doing business in Cuba is the Cuban government," Ziff said.

[1/3] State worker Yuri Yon (L), talks to a colleague during their third day waiting in line for the arrival of a fuel tank truck in Havana, Cuba, April 5, 2023. "I've been three days waiting in this line for gasoline and we still don´t know if the (fuel) truck will arrive today," said private taxi driver Alexander Pérez, 43. "The situation across the country is critical and the lines endless, and they don´t give any explanation." Venezuela has ramped up oil supply to Cuba since early 2023, according to documents from state company PDVSA and shipping data. But Venezuela's supply in recent months has barely included clean refined products, especially gasoline and diesel, according to the documents and data.

☆ Cuba wins ruling in UK court battle with creditors over unpaid loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - The Cuban government won a ruling on Tuesday that London's High Court has no jurisdiction to hear a lawsuit brought by a creditor over unpaid loans, though the case can continue against Cuba's former central bank. Havana argued at a hearing in January that the High Court had no jurisdiction to hear the case brought by CRF, a Cayman Island-registered company. Judge Sara Cockerill ruled on Tuesday that the High Court had no jurisdiction to hear the case against Cuba, but did in relation to the case against BNC. The case will be keenly watched by other creditors who have struggled to recoup around $7 billion of sovereign debt from Cuba. Charters added: "BNC was the central bank of Cuba and remains responsible for managing these unpaid Cuban debts.

BRASILIA, March 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who never conceded defeat in last year's election, returns from self-imposed exile in Florida on Thursday to lead the opposition to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro left for the United States two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Lula on Jan. 1. His return to Brazil is eagerly awaited by the party's leader Valdemar Costa Neto, who wants Bolsonaro to become the leader of the opposition to the Lula administration and lead the PL into municipal elections next year. "Bolsonaro will lead the opposition and travel around Brazil preaching the party's liberal values and helping the PL grow," he told Reuters, outlining a plan for a right-wing comeback in the 2026 presidential elections. Barreto said her ambitions may provide an outlet for the ex-president's supporters if legal probes lead electoral authorities bar him from seeking office.

☆ Cubans head to the polls, all eyes on voter turnout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cuba´s government, saddled by shortages, inflation and growing social unrest, has encouraged unity in Sunday´s vote, calling on citizens to vote together in a broad show of support for the communist leadership. Ana Lydia Velazquez, a 78-year old retired Havana resident, told Reuters that message resonated with her. "I believe all Cubans should go to vote, to help our country improve, and advance," she said. Anti-government forces, primarily off-island in a country that restricts dissident political speech, have encouraged the opposite, calling on Cubans to abstain and labeling the election a "farce." The winning 470 candidates, who serve for five years, will choose the next president of Cuba from among their ranks, further raising the stakes of Sunday's vote.

☆ As Cuba election day nears, some voters ask, 'why bother?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HAVANA, March 22 (Reuters) - Like a growing number of Cubans, 77-year-old Havana resident Humberto Avila says he will likely sit out Sunday's legislative elections. The retired university professor says he's done the math - 470 candidates, 470 open seats - and sees no point in voting. Abstention has spiked in recent elections, rising to a four-decade high of 31% of eligible voters in municipal elections in November. "This vote is for the Revolution ... and to continue to defend our socialist system," Diaz-Canel told textile workers in Santa Clara. Rey Lazaro Blanco, a 19-year old geography student at the University of Havana, told Reuters he will vote on Sunday.

☆ The US military has been testing pulsed energy on animals trying to recreate the mysterious 'Havana Syndrome' symptoms: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US military has been carrying out and funding testing on various animals. The testing is aimed at seeing if radio frequency waves cause the mysterious sickness known as "Havana Syndrome." US intelligence determined last week that the ailment is likely not caused by a foreign adversary or weapon. A defense official told Insider that the Department of Defense, in accordance with congressional requirements, "continues to address the challenges posed by" anomalous health incidents, "including the causation, attribution, mitigation, identification, and treatment for such incidents. The official did not comment on the reported testing on primates but said that the testing at Wayne State University is aimed at alleviating "the deficits associated with traumatic brain injury."

☆ Southwest Airlines plane makes emergency landing in Havana after cabin fills with smoke
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, March 5 (Reuters) - A Southwest Airlines plane bound for Fort Lauderdale from Havana was forced to return to Cuba's Jose Marti Airport Sunday after an engine reportedly caught fire following a bird strike, according to passenger cell phone video and media reports. NBC 6 News in Florida reported a Southwest Airlines spokesperson had confirmed the incident. Cell phone footage showed smoke filling the cabin as panicked parents appeared to explain to their children how to fit oxygen masks. Emergency lighting inside the plane was lit and footage showed customers evacuating the jet via emergency slides on the runway at Cuba's largest airport as firemen and trucks looked on. The news report said there had been no serious injuries and that all passengers were safely on the ground in Havana.

☆ A Southwest passenger says they felt their lungs 'burning' after the cabin filled with smoke mid-flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Florida-bound Southwest flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Cuba on Sunday. The plane's cabin filled with smoke after the Boeing 737 was hit by birds. A passenger told NBC's "Early Today" show they felt their lungs "burning" in the smoke. Marco Antonio, a passenger on the flight, told NBC's "Early Today" show that people on board the Boeing 737 jet were "screaming," adding: "Nobody could breathe. A spokesperson for Southwest told Insider the plane's engine and nose were struck by birds, which prompted an emergency landing.

☆ Cuba's president meets CEO of Russia's Rosneft amid fuel shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, March 5 (Reuters) - Russian oil firm Rosneft's CEO Igor Sechin met with Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel late on Saturday, the island's leader said, amid an acute fuel shortage that has service stations temporarily shuttered and hours-long gasoline queues. Several tweets on Cuba's Presidency account emphasized the good relations between the two countries, but did not specify the reason for the visit by the state-run oil firm's boss. Cuba's former leader Raul Castro has also flown to Caracas for the occasion, Cuban state-run media said. Russia, hit by Western sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine, is looking to strengthen political and economic ties with other countries opposed to what it calls U.S. hegemony. Cuba has been under a U.S. economic embargo since 1962 after a Communist revolution led by former leader Fidel Castro.

☆ Cuba blasts U.S. for years of disregarding evidence on 'Havana Syndrome'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

read more"This conclusion ... confirms what we already knew," Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told Reuters in an interview in Havana late on Thursday. "The unfortunate thing is, the U.S. government leveraged (Havana Syndrome) to derail bilateral relations ... and discredit Cuba." Cuba has for years labeled as "science fiction" the idea that ´Havana Syndrome´ resulted from an attack by a foreign agent, and its top scientists in 2021 found no evidence of such allegations. De Cossio told Reuters there had been no shortage of evidence and that the revelation this week cast fresh doubt on the credibility of other U.S. policies towards Cuba. ´Havana Syndrome,´ referred to by the U.S. government as "anomalous health incidents," first came to light in 2016 after dozens of diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Havana complained of intense headaches, nausea, memory lapses and dizziness.

☆ Havana Syndrome Unlikely Caused by Foreign Adversary or Weapon, U.S. Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Warren P. Strobel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. Embassy in Havana. WASHINGTON—The illness known as Havana Syndrome reported by hundreds of U.S. intelligence and other officials overseas was unlikely to have been the work of a foreign adversary targeting American personnel, according to a new U.S. intelligence report. In the report released Wednesday, U.S. intelligence agencies also found “no credible evidence” that any foreign adversary possesses a weapon or intelligence collection device that is causing the injuries.

☆ 'Havana syndrome' not caused by foreign adversary, U.S. intel finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The mysterious syndrome, first reported by U.S. officials in the Cuban capital Havana in 2016, has afflicted U.S. diplomats, intelligence officers and other U.S. personnel worldwide. The investigation also did not find common medical explanations for all of the different symptoms reported or common circumstances, according to intelligence officials. The declassified assessment said the seven U.S intelligence agencies that conducted the investigation had varying levels of confidence in the judgments. "We cannot tie a foreign adversary to any incident," said one of two U.S. intelligence officials who briefed reporters on the investigation. U.S intelligence agencies found confusion among foreign foes over the issue, according to the briefing.

☆ Cuba blasts US govt for granting asylum to pilot of stolen plane
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, March 1 (Reuters) - Cuban authorities have accused the U.S. government of being "complicit in piracy" for granting political asylum to a pilot who fled to Florida on a small "kidnapped" plane last October. In a statement late Tuesday, Cuba's foreign ministry said it had summoned Washington's charge d'affaires in Havana to communicate Cuba's "protest" to the asylum granted to the Cuban pilot, arguing he violated regulations. The Cuban ministry said it had made four requests to the U.S. to "return" the 29-year-old pilot and the aircraft, a Russian-made Antonov An-2 single-engine used for fumigating crops, owned by the national air service company. The Caribbean nation's authorities warned that the U.S. decision could encourage similar unlawful acts with negative repercussions for the national security of both countries. Reporting by Nelson Acosta; Writing by Valentine Hilaire Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/5] Maylin Amador, 42, poses for a photo with Gucci, her bichon habanero, the national dog of Cuba, in Havana, Cuba, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, March 1 (Reuters) - Maylin Amador breeds and styles one of Cuba's most attractive dogs - the Havanese bichon, a small but lively lapdog with abundant waves of tobacco-colored hair, and the Caribbean island's only native breed. "It is difficult to raise this animal because it bathes every four days," she said, as she prepares her dog Gucci for a national competition. The dog - considered the island's national breed - was popular among Cuban aristocrats before the Fidel Castro-led 1959 revolution. Evelio Fernandez, president of the Cuban "Bichon Havanese" club, told Reuters the association currently counts over 1,400 Havanese, and that the dog was officially recognized as Cuban in 2016.

☆ Cuba's top cigar maker puffs out more sales, led by European buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Sales at Cuban cigar maker Habanos rose 2% last year compared with the previous year, the company announced on Monday, as it recovers business following the COVID-19 pandemic and the havoc caused by a major hurricane. Habanos reported sales of $545 million last year, the company said during the inauguration of a festival in the Cuban capital of Havana. The cigar company said it has 40% of the global premium tobacco market while controlling up to 80% of sales for hand-rolled cigars. In Europe, sales have grown mainly in Spain, France and Germany. In Asia, China has also become an important market for Cuba's signature export and "the driving force" for sales in its region.

☆ Massive forest fires rage on in eastern Cuba
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Forest fires raged on in Cuba's eastern region on Monday, inching toward more populated ground more than a week after sparking near a national park. More than 2,000 hectares of forest, including plantations and coffee crops, have been devoured by the flames, authorities said, as firefighters, park employees and soldiers battled the blaze. The fires have moved away from the Mensura-Piloto National Park and toward the province of Santiago de Cuba, home of the populous city of the same name, according to officials. The latest fires add to the dozens in January, which authorities said was a higher-than-average figure. Pinar del Rio and Artemisa, in western Cuba, and Camaguey and Holguin, in the central-eastern region, were the areas most affected.

☆ Cuba suffers third major blackout in a week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Cuba on Tuesday suffered its third major blackout in little more than a week, leaving a vast swath of the center and east of the island without power, energy officials said on state-run TV. The blackout Tuesday spanned 430 miles (700 km) from Cienfuegos province in south-central Cuba to Guantanamo, on the far southeastern tip, leaving more than half of the country´s population of 11 million without power. On Saturday, another blackout cut power for millions of people from Matanzas, east of Havana, to Guantanamo, an outage power officials attributed to a "human operation error." The Minister of Energy and Mines said last week that rolling blackouts would resume and last until May while the country overhauls decades-old oil-fired power plants ahead of the summer season. Cold War-era embargo on Cuba, which complicates financing and purchase of parts, fuel and capital investment.

☆ They Wanted to Live in Greece Full Time. But What Would They Find for $300,000?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Ronda Kaysen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But by early 2022, they wanted something big enough to live in full time. There’s a lot of young people, a lot of energy,” said Mr. Hados, an architect. The hilly neighborhood also offered streets with fantastic city views, and Mr. Hados wanted an apartment with a view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. Instead, they scoured various real estate listing sites. With the money in hand and their options narrowed to a few finalists they found online, Mr. Hados flew to Greece in February in search of their ideal home.

HAVANA, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Cubans suffering long lines for food, fuel and medicine now have a new problem: painfully slow internet. "The internet keeps getting worse and worse and we're reaching the point where getting online is becoming impossible for the average Cuban," he said. But getting online can still be a touchy subject. Global internet watchdogs have also said Cuba has restricted internet access during recent protests to suppress coverage of the demonstrations and limit their spread. Cuba's government has since announced another cable project, called Arimao, which aims to connect Cuba to the Caribbean island of Martinique by April.

☆ Cubans signed with MLB teams will for first time play on national team at World Classic
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA — Cubans signed with Major League Baseball organizations and other foreign clubs will for the first time join domestic stars on the national team that will play in the World Baseball Classic, officials announced Wednesday evening. The Cuban Baseball Federation long defended the idea of amateurism and punished those who left the island to seek their fortunes in professional baseball. But that changed when a program on state television announced the roster of 30 players for Cuba’s national team that will play in the international tournament that begins March 8 in Taiwan. To arrange participation of the MLB players, Cuba had to get special permission from the United States because Washington maintains sanctions on Cuba. Under the agreement, those players are barred from coming to Cuba to work with the team.

Nash - one of the United States´ best-known contemporary jazz performers, will lead a project called Jazz X. He and several Cuban musicians will compose new works inspired by visual art in Cuba´s National Museum of Fine Arts, then present them together to the public in several sessions. Well-known Cuban musicians Alejandro Falcón, Arnulfo Guerra y Ruy López Nussa will perform alongside Nash. The project, Nash said, brings together musicians from the two countries, and art of different forms, in a fusion of creativity across cultures and mediums. The U.S. economic embargo on Cuba has for decades restricted most travel and official collaboration between the two countries.

☆ Cuba begins London court battle over unpaid Castro-era debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Students hold images of the late Cuban President Fidel Castro during an event commemorating the five year anniversary of his death, in Havana, Cuba, November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini/File PhotoLONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Cuba began a high-stakes legal battle in London's High Court on Monday over unpaid Fidel Castro-era government debt now held by one of the communist-run country's creditors. CRF originally launched the claim almost three years ago after Havana refused a debt relief offer made by CRF and some other bond holders back in 2018. But having not dealt with its commercial creditors in the so-called London Club the country remains shut out of international capital markets. ($1 = 0.9210 euros)Reporting by Marc Jones and Sam Tobin; Editing by Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here's what you need to know about a blockbuster court fight over Cuba's debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The legal battle is over a portion of Cuba's unpaid commercial debt dating back to the 1980s. If they don't reach a deal, Cuba could then face yet another court fight over whether it finally has to pay. Because of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, American investors are prohibited from owning and trading Cuban debt, which frustrates some frontier-market hedge fund managers in the U.S. They argue that holding Cuban debt would better serve U.S. foreign policy interests because it would give Americans a seat at some future negotiating table. CRF, meanwhile, says in court filings that it first reached out to Cuba 10 years ago to settle the debt but were ignored.

☆ Cuba says vulture fund seeking 72 mln euros never a creditor as UK court begins proceedings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Such firms, described as "vulture funds" by the Cuban Central Bank, typically purchase distressed or defaulted debt then sue in international courts to get paid in full. Cuba's Central Bank (BNC) said in a statement on Friday it does not recognize CRF as a creditor. "CRF is not a creditor of the BNC or of Cuba and never has been," the Central Bank superintendent said. The firm claims Cuba owes it 72 million euros in debt in proceedings currently under way in the London court, according to the Central Bank statement. The case will be closely watched by Cuba's creditors, some of whom have struggled to recoup loans as the country wrestles with a dire economic crisis made worse by the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions put in place by former U.S. president President Donald Trump.

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