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CUBA: "It’s Time to Talk" Say US Lawmakers |
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By Patricia Grogg
HAVANA, Apr 7 (IPS) - Seven Democratic congresspersons from the U.S. concluded that it is possible to talk about any issue with Cuba and that "it is time" to do so, at the end of a five-day visit during which they met with both Raúl and Fidel Castro.
"Our basic message back to our country would be, it's time to talk to Cuba. The time is now," said Rep. Barbara Lee of California, who led the congressional Black Caucus delegation that arrived in Havana on Friday, Apr 3 to "learn and talk" and explore the possibilities of a thaw in relations between the two countries.
The visiting lawmakers met for over four hours on Monday with President Raúl Castro. "It was a very good meeting. It was very open and we discussed a wide range of issues," Lee told reporters.
"All of us are convinced that President Castro would like normal relations and would see normalisation, ending the embargo, as beneficial to both countries," said the congresswoman, who is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Castro, she added, "said everything was on the table."
A statement by the Cuban government published Tuesday said that a number of issues were addressed in the meeting, "with an emphasis on the possible future evolution of bilateral relations and economic ties after the arrival to power of a new U.S. administration" – a reference to the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Barack Obama.
In a news briefing with several of her fellow legislators, Lee added that they did not touch on "specifics" in their meetings with Castro and other officials, but said "We talked about all the issues necessary to normalise relations between our two countries."
On the basis of respect for sovereignty, all questions can be discussed, said Rep. Laura Richardson, also of California, who mentioned the fight against drug and human trafficking as areas in which better cooperation was possible.
Besides Lee and Richardson, the delegation was made up of Reps. Mel Watt of North Carolina, Bobby Rush of Illinois, Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, Marcia Fudge of Ohio and Mike Honda of California.
All of the members of the delegation sit on committees that carry some weight in the lower house of Congress, where they belong to the 42-member Black Caucus, which has votes and influence, as Lee pointed out.
Former Cuban president Fidel Castro said he admires Lee, who leads the Black Caucus, for her "fighting spirit."
"In general, (the visiting lawmakers) believe that 68 percent of U.S. public opinion is in favour of a change in policy towards Cuba," Fidel Castro wrote in a column on the "touchy issue" of bilateral relations and the visit by the Democratic legislators.
Lee, Richardson and Rush also met with the former president, who stepped aside in July 2006 when he underwent intestinal surgery and has retired from public life.
Richardson said Castro talked, like Obama, about "turning the page" in U.S.-Cuba relations.
She added that "He looked right into my eyes and he said, 'How can we help? How can we help President Obama?'"
The delegation plans to present Obama and the State Department with a report on their impressions and recommendations, ahead of the Fifth Summit of the Americas to be held Apr. 17-19 in Trinidad and Tobago.
The group of lawmakers also met with the head of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcón, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, and Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca, as well as the families of the five Cubans who have spent over 10 years in prison in the United States on charges of espionage and conspiracy, known as "the Cuban five".
They also visited the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), which educates young people from countries all around the world. Several young people from the United States have graduated from the Cuban medical school, and more could do so if bilateral ties were normalised, commented the legislators, who also toured the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Centre, a leader in Cuba’s scientific R&D.
In his column, Fidel Castro praised a proposal by Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, who urged Obama to send a special envoy to start direct conversations with Cuba on certain issues.
"There is no need to emphasise what Cuba has always said: We do not fear dialogue with the United States, nor do we thrive on confrontation, as some foolish people think," Castro wrote in the column, which was published Monday.
Dialogue "is the only way to secure friendship and peace among peoples," wrote the elder Castro, who is still the head of Cuba’s Communist Party.
But there are sceptics in Cuba with regard to the apparent consensus in the Cuban government that it is possible to negotiate with the Obama administration, and the growing movement in the U.S. in favour of the normalisation of ties between the two countries.
"I’ve seen similar episodes in the past that did not come to fruition. I prefer not to err on the side of over-enthusiasm," said an analyst who preferred not to be identified.
An academic who spoke to IPS said Obama might be awaiting the outcome of the debate in Congress on measures to ease the nearly five-decade embargo against Cuba – like a loosening of travel restrictions - before engaging in eventual negotiations.
"For now, the economy is the highest priority," he added.
The source said the start of bilateral dialogue was possible even without the prior lifting of the embargo or a solution to the case of "the Cuban five". "The most logical approach, and what everyone expects, would be to start with the least sensitive issues of shared interest, in which cooperation is most likely: migration, drug trafficking interdiction, or better conditions for trade in food and medicine, for example, while leaving the most complex issues for later," he said. (END/2009) |
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After 50 years, Cuba has little to show |
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By ANDRES OPPENHEIMER Cuba's state of hopelessness may be one of the factors leading to the island's high suicide rate of 24.8 per 100,000 people. Cuba had Latin America's highest suicide rate earlier this decade, and this year ranked fourth in the region, behind Guyana, Uruguay and Trinidad and Tobago, according to World Health Organization figures. CURRENT SENTIMENT Cuban officials admit that many Cubans complain about shortages and a lack of opportunities, but they claim that most Cubans support the revolution. I doubt that. What leads me to conclude that most Cubans would like a political opening and to enjoy basic freedoms? First, because I heard many of them say so -- many of them with fear of being overheard -- when I was a frequent traveler to the island in the late '80s and early '90s. Second, because a surreptitious poll conducted in Cuba earlier this year by the International Republican Institute shows that nearly 70 percent of people aged 19 to 49 said they would like a democratic system with multiparty elections, freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Third, and most importantly, because the Cuban government has a well-oiled polling machinery. If the Castro regime thought it could win a free election, and that Cubans were so proud of the revolution's achievements, it would have allowed a free election long ago. If it hasn't done so, it's because it knows it would lose it. So was it worth it to marginally improve some social indicators at the cost of lowering the island's overall standard of living? Definitely not. Other countries, such as Chile and Costa Rica, have reduced poverty to a minimum with much less social trauma. In Cuba, nearly 1.5 million people were forced into exile, hundreds of thousands of children have been separated from their parents, thousands -- tens of thousands, by some accounts -- have died at sea while trying to leave the island, and millions in Cuba have been forced to do ''voluntary work'' cutting sugar cane in the fields or doing other chores as part of their revolutionary duties. And that's without taking into account victims of political violence. A total of 2,077 Cubans died in Cuba's ''internationalist'' wars in Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia and other African countries, according to official figures cited by author Norberto Fuentes in his Autobiography of Fidel Castro. In addition, the New Jersey-based Cuban Archive says it has documented 8,273 executions, extra-judicial killings and disappearances on the island since 1959. ''We have the names and sources for all these killings, and they are available on the Web,'' said Maria Werlau, the Archive's director. The cost Cubans are paying in lost freedoms is enormous. There are more than 200 political prisoners, including 29 journalists arrested in 2003, according to human rights groups. Adolfo Fernández Sainz, one of the 29 journalists, is serving 15 years in prison for ''subverting the nation's internal order.'' At his trial, the government presented ''evidence'' of his crime confiscated at his apartment: an electric typewriter and prohibited books, including George Orwell's 1984. My conclusion: The Cuban dictatorship has improved some social indicators, but other Latin American countries have done better in others without sacrificing basic freedoms, and with much less suffering. For Cubans, the revolution may have been justified, but it wasn't worth it. |
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Real Estate in Cuba: Hot with Speculation |
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Written by: Yemisrach Kifle While Cuba still remains off-limits to Americans, there is a heated debate on whether or not Obama's administration should scrap the half-century old embargo on the island nation. After all, Fidel Castro no longer holds the reigns of power and his brother Raul seems to be ready to relax the Communist Party's grip on the economy. That said, save another revolution, change in Cuba is likely to come very slowly. However, this has not stopped many investors from keeping a close eye on Cuba.
That the island has attracted real estate speculators shouldn't be a surprise. After all, Cuba is a beautiful country whose natural and cultural landscape has not yet been lost to over-development. It has had a fascinating history. Its people are mostly educated and have a strong sense of self. Cuba has received consistently high marks on the United Nations' Human Development Report.
Of course, the country also faces huge challenges. Its economy is in tatters. Its infrastructure is substandard. Worse of all, it faces an embargo from its biggest potential market, the United States. "Time pretty well came to a standstill following the Revolution in 1959," said Christopher P. Baker who authored, among five other books, The National Geographic Traveler: Cuba. Not much visible development has taken place since then.
Cuba at a glance
Located in the northern Caribbean, Cuba is the biggest island in the Greater Antilles. Its main island is 766 miles long. Approximately 11 million people live in Cuba. The island's culture is a medley of aboriginal, Spanish, and African.
The 2008 UN Human Development Report puts Cuba at 51st out of 177 countries. This places the island in the top third of the development spectrum. The country indeed has archived a lot in terms of health and education. The average life expectancy on the island is 77.7 years, virtually tied with the United States' 77.9. Its literacy rate is among the world's highest. Its GDP per capita, however, ranks 94 which is close to the bottom of the middle tier countries.
The Human Development Report has been compiled since 1990 and seeks to look further than just plain economic indicators to rank countries based on their ability to advance the well-being to their citizens. The report doesn't take into consideration human right issues such as political and intellectual freedom. If it had, Cuba would definitely have done badly in these areas. Its citizens have no say in who rules them. Press freedom is curtailed by the government and there are very limited property ownership rights.
The number of foreign corporations entering the Cuban market is rising. "Currently doing business in Cuba are Canadians, Spanish, Mexicans, British, German and Jamaican entities. China is boosting its investments in the mining industry, where Canada's Sherritt Corporation has been the biggest presence in the past decade," said Baker, who has traveled to the island more 30 times.
Real Estate in Cuba
"Most Cubans own their own homes, and some, such as tobacco farmers, own land, but sale is not permitted," said Baker. "Home-owners are permitted to exchange homes with government approval on a like basis, that is properties must be similar." Still, this doesn't mean property transactions involving money don't take place.
The underground property market is thriving in Havana, the nation's capital, according to the International Herald Tribune. Prices are on the rise with as much as $50,000 changing hands. Speculators want to get a hold of historic homes with the expectation that private property will once again be the norm in the country. Some of the home exchanges taking place are legal and deal with similar properties. Most, however, involve swapping for a bigger or smaller property, with the party getting the bigger place paying the party wishing to trade down.
Cuba is known for its beautiful architecture. "[The country] is a time capsule, with fabulous colonial structures, as well as a huge core of Beaux Arts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Modernist buildings," said Baker. "But the infrastructure is badly corroded and a large percentage of homes are virtual slums that would be condemned in most developed Western nations." Despite the Cuban government's successful renovation of the country's prominent colonial centers, much more needs to be done, both aesthetically and structurally. Full restoration will require billions of dollars that the country doesn't possess.
Cuba has much that will attract investors should it open up to the international community. "Dozens of beaches offer huge potential for residential development, and this will be the focus of future real estate development aimed at foreigners," said Baker.
Buying real estate in Cuba
"[As a general rule] foreigners are not permitted to purchase property. A single exception was made about 10 years ago, when condominiums in Havana were built for sale," said Baker who is considered a regional expert on Cuba. That said, there are about a dozen projects in the works that are planned with international buyers in mind. "These [projects] are golf course and marina developments financed through sale of residential units to foreigners."
It looks like the first of these new real estate projects to get government approval will be The Carbonera Club, according to Havana Journal. U.K.'s Esencia Hotels and Resorts Ltd recently announced they are taking applications for pre-launch property ownership opportunity at the club. The Carbonera will consist of 720 properties, among which will be various sized villas and apartments. The development will also include, among other things, a hotel, a spa, sports clubs and a golf course. Because of the embargo, property purchasing at The Carbonera Club is not open to American citizens.
"Another project [is] at Bahia Honda, about one hour west of Havana, [and] has received preliminary approval from the Cuban government, but approval at the Council of Ministers' level is pending," said Baker. The Bahia Honda project will include three golf courses and a 500-slip marina.
How fast things will move depends partly on the Cuban government and partly on factors that are out of the island's hands. The country hasn't recovered from the effects of the three hurricanes it suffered in 2008 and the world is heading fast towards a recession. These two factors alone could delay the above projects for the foreseeable future.
Looking ahead
"I envision tentative experimentation with coastal residential golf-course developments accompanied by marinas aimed at foreign buyers," said Baker who can also be found at www.cubatravelexpert.com. Projects targeting foreigners in urban districts will be very limited until there is a government change, according to him. He also believes it is inevitable that large parts of the urban areas will need to be demolished and rebuilt. "I fear that the Cubans themselves may be pushed aside or given little consideration in any future urban renewal projects funded from abroad," He said.
Hopefully, having a 99.9 literacy rate means Cubans will be wise enough to tightly manage the economy as it opens to the restof the world so that vast numbers of its citizens benefit instead of losing their shirt to a handful of wealthy. |
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US lawmakers introduce bill to ease Cuba travel |
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WASHINGTON (AFP) — Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have introduced a bill to permit US citizens unrestricted travel to Cuba, according to the Library of Congress website. The "Freedom To Travel to Cuba Act," which would overturn the 46-year-old US policy strictly limiting travel to the Caribbean island, will be subject to debate after being referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill, introduced by Massachusetts Democrat Bill Delahunt and backed by eight other lawmakers, states that "the President may not regulate or prohibit, directly or indirectly, travel to or from Cuba by United States citizens or legal residents." Currently US nationals are supposed to request Treasury Department permission to visit Cuba. They are not routinely allowed to spend money in Cuba -- the Americas' only one-party communist state -- creating an effective travel ban. US President Barack Obama has said he would speak with all foreign leaders in sharp contrast to successive US administrations which have sought to isolate Havana. But he has offered few details on how far he might be willing to go in reaching out to Cuba. During his campaign for the presidency, Obama said the Cuba embargo had not helped bring democracy to the island, led by President Raul Castro, 77. But so far he has said only that he would end some sanctions on Cuban-Americans traveling to the island, and eliminate limits on their remittances to relatives in Cuba. The neighboring countries do not have full diplomatic relations, and the United States has an economic embargo on Cuba. |
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