Research Products
Hugo Chavez was elected President of Venezuela in 1998 and has proceeded to lead and symbolize a new variant of the Latin American political left. His Bolivarian Revolution and his push toward socialism. . . Read more
Cuban President Raul Castro has been at the head of Cuba’s government for nearly three years, as acting President since July 2006 and as President since February 2008.
His time in office has been marked. . . Read more
For nearly fifty years, the United States has been expecting and, in diverse ways, actively planning for the collapse of Fidel Castro’s government in Cuba. Numerous efforts – from the botched Bay of Pigs. . . Read more
School’s out in Havana, and Ricardo, a mechanic who quit his government job, gets busy in his driveway making milkshakes and money. Students in uniform line up as he spoons mango slices, powdered milk,. . . Read more
The May 2002 announcement that Cuba would dramatically downsize its sugar industry made definitive a change that had been coming for years, and was forced by international
market conditions. With sugar. . . Read more
International engagement with Cuba is limited by many factors: the relatively narrow scope of projects of interest to Cuban authorities, the lack of independent Cuban organizations that can enter international. . . Read more
Cuba’s budding tourism industry, built during the 1990’s, has replaced sugar as the island’s top foreign exchange earner. In contrast to sugar, tourism is based on sound competitive advantages, and it. . . Read more
One decade ago, the demise of the Soviet Union and its socialist economic bloc plunged Cuba into an economic crisis that many observers believed it would not survive.
The Soviet subsidy to Cuba’s economy,. . . Read more
On the spectrum of telecommunications and information technology development, Cuba is found at both extremes. In terms of the reach of its basic residential telephone network, Cuba ranks near the bottom. . . Read more
State enterprises, the backbone of Cuba’s socialist economy, are being overhauled.
Perfeccionamiento empresarial, the policy of state enterprise reform, has no exact analogy in capitalist economies. . . Read more
A clash of two sounds greets visitors to La Habana Vieja, Havana’s historic center. One is that of ubiquitous bands in parks, cafes and restaurants, with singers’ voices and percussionists’ rhythms blending. . . Read more
Farmers markets stand out as an exception to the economic rules that govern socialist Cuba. They rely on production incentives, market-based pricing, and a large measure of independent economic activity. . . Read more
"Transition" is a loaded word in Cuba because of its political overtones. Officials, the party, and even Havana billboards assert that "there will be no transition government" in Cuba.
The economy,. . . Read more