HAVANA DEFENDS THE REVOLUTION

March 3, 2011

By 1997, the migration that I’ve discussed in the previous two posts was reaching crisis proportions in Havana. For the first time in Cuba’s history, unregistered migrants from the eastern part of the country were ordered to leave the capital. In a speech delivered in April 1997, Castro criticized growing ‘social indiscipline’ in Havana. He [...]

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OLD HAVANA: JUST WHO ARE THESE MIGRANTS?

March 2, 2011

During the 1990s, the time of the Special Period, migration to Old Havana was increasing.  Moreover, the composition of the migrants differed from the past in terms of place of origin, age, and sex. For example, from 1989-1991, there were 85.7 male migrants for every 100 females. In 1992, the number of male migrants had [...]

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OLD HAVANA: RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION AND THE TOURIST SECTOR

March 2, 2011

The impact of rural-urban migration on Old Havana — the very heart of Cuba’s tourist sector — has been particularly significant. In the early 1990s, Old Havana had approximately 70,000 residents. Despite Havana’s slow growth policy, by the mid 1990s, planners estimated that about 80,000 people lived in the oldest section of the capital. Over [...]

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HAVANA CUBA: MIGRATION DURING THE SPECIAL PERIOD

March 1, 2011

After 1990, and coinciding with the Special Period, investment in Cuba’s hinterlands became more limited. This spurred increased migration to the capital city of Havana. As one migrant stated: Since the start of the special period things have gotten really rough back east . . . There are shortages of food and medicine and gasoline [...]

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FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN HAVANA: MIRAMAR REAL ESTATE

March 1, 2011

  By 1991, direct foreign investment in Cuba approximated $400-500 million. By mid-1992 the Cuban government had active agreements with more than 200 foreign companies to create joint ventures. By late 1994 Cuba was in negotiation with Mexican firms concerning the Cuban telecommunications system, and the country had signed a deal with Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, [...]

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HAVANA: CUBA’S BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

February 18, 2011

Cuba’s effort to promote its expertise in biotechnology is also expanding, and it is evident that the government is intent on commercializing  its potential in the area of scientific and technical services and technologically intensive products. Havana boasts that its scientific programs began shortly after the literacy campaign of the early 1960s, and a representative [...]

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HAVANA CUBA: TOURISM IN THE SPECIAL PERIOD

February 15, 2011

In the special period, the Cuban government counted on the tourist industry to generate short term, freely convertible hard currency. And while there has been substantial debate over the social costs and benefits of developing tourism, there was little choice but to do so. Multiplier effects were especially important. For example, associated sales of tobacco [...]

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HAVANA CUBA: FOREIGN EXCHANGE IN THE SPECIAL PERIOD

February 3, 2011

In 1990 — as in 1960 — dependence on sugar precluded economic diversification. And — although there was a willingness to expand sugar exports (along with nickel and citrus products) if possible, declines in production and in the world price for sugar made the commodity and undependable generator of revenue. In this context, pragmatism dominated [...]

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CUBAN TRAVEL: 2011

February 1, 2011

A couple of weeks ago, President Obama announced liberalized travel regulations to Cuba. I promised to let you know when they became official. Well, they were published in the Federal Register on January 28, 2011. Check them out. I’m not a lawyer so I won’t even think about discussing them. But the summary OFAC put [...]

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CUBAN ART: SPOTLIGHT ON PHOTOGRAPHER ENRIQUE DE LA UZ

January 21, 2011

This week Havana Project is highlighting the work of Cuban street photographer Enrique de la Uz. You can see a gallery of his images on the Cuban Art World site. ENRIQUE DE LA UZ The Havana-based photographer Enrique de la Uz became interested in photography in the 1960s during a two year stay in Moscow.  [...]

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