Chronicle on Cuba - February 2010

Economy

Febrero 1: El gobierno de Cuba planea eliminar el subsidio estatal a los trabajadores que quedan cesantes y reubicará a miles en trabajos que eleven la producción, como parte de un proceso de racionalización laboral que impulsa el gobierno de Raúl Castro, según autoridades sindicales. "Nadie va a quedar desamparado, pero no podemos continuar haciendo las cosas como hasta ahora, habrá a quien no le guste la nueva propuesta de empleo, pero el Estado no puede continuar subsidiando a trabajadores que queden disponibles (cesantes)", dijo Salvador Valdés, secretario general de la Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC, única). El dirigente sindical, citado por el semanario Trabajadores -órgano de la CTC-, explicó que los trabajadores que queden disponibles deberán ser reorientados "hacia labores productivas de mayor necesidad", como la construcción o la agricultura. "Las decisiones (sobre la reubicación) se tomarán con orden, de forma atinada, porque puede haber afectaciones salariales, si no se reorganiza la fuerza laboral", añadió Valdés. El gobierno cubano impulsa un programa de racionalización laboral en las empresas, con el objetivo de aumentar la productividad del trabajo -que decreció 1,1% en 2009-, lo cual Valdés consideró "la tarea más importante en la transformación de la economía" cubana (AFP, 1/2/10).

February 1: Cuban Tourism Minister, Manuel Marrero, presented the latest developments of the leisure industry of the island in Beijing before representatives of travel agencies, tour operators and journalists. Marrero said that in 2009, there was a drop in tourism in many countries, however, the number of visitors received in Cuba grew by 3.5 percent with up to 2.4 million of incoming travelers, Prensa Latina reported. The Cuban tourism official said Cuba is connected with 39 important cities in various continents, while 76 airlines fly to the 10 international airports that operate that destination. In reference to the Chinese market, he said that the flow of Chinese vacationers traveling to Cuba has significantly increased from 670, in 1994 to more than 12,000 last year, which shows the growing strengthening of relations between the two countries. During the visit of the Cuban ministry to China, the Gran Meliá Shanghai hotel will be inaugurated as a Cuban-Chinese led project that seeks to further promote the Cuban culture in the Asian country (ACN, 1/2/10).

February 2: Retail outlets selling everything in Cuban pesos are popping up across the country in what may be the government's first steps toward phasing out its unpopular two-currency system.
The establishments opened the past year in a reversal of two decades of national policy that priced most goods and services in a dollar-linked convertible peso widely known by its acronym, the CUC. They have opened restaurants, pizzerias, cafeterias and pastry shops and set up areas across the city where they sell sandwiches, snacks and soda," said retiree Pedro de la Fuente from Guantanamo, the capital city of Cuba's easternmost province. "The population has welcomed this because before these things were available only in convertible pesos," he said. The change appears to be part of President Raul Castro's plan to make more goods and services available in pesos in a gradual transition away from the two-currency system, which he has pledged to eliminate (Reuters, 2/2/10).

February 2: Cubans participated as supervisors in the building of the newly inaugurated Thu Thiem mega bridge over Vietnam’s Saigon River. The 1,25 km-long bridge with six tracks and a four-way tunnel opened the traffic this week to Ho Chi Minh city. In addition to relieving the traffic jam in the city, the height of this impressive piece of engineering allows the passing of cargo ships along the river. Top political and state authorities participated in the inauguration of the bridge and recognized the contribution of Cuban engineers who oversaw the construction of the works (ACN, 2/2/10).

Febrero 2: El gobierno realizará "significativas inversiones" en el transporte ferroviario en 2010 con la adquisición de nuevos equipos, de los cuales ya llegaron a la isla 52 locomotoras, informaron medios oficiales. El director adjunto de la Unión de Ferrocarriles de Cuba, Miguel Acuña, indicó que se han comprado 112 locomotoras nuevas para trenes de carga y de pasajeros, de las cuales 52 ya arribaron a la isla. Además, para este año está prevista la adquisición de coches de pasajeros, vagones de carga, silos de cemento y un sistema de telecomunicaciones para el sector ferroviario, cuya situación ha sido calificada por medios oficiales de "paupérrima" (EFE, 2/2/10).

February 3: Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero inaugurated in Beijing the Grand Melia Shanghai Hotel, which he described as a symbol of friendship between Cuba and China. Marrero stressed the importance of the project for the development of bilateral cooperation, and expressed that the materialization of this dream, in spite of obstacles, is due to the efforts of the two parties and governments, Prensa Latina news agency reported. He pointed out that the inauguration of the hotel, the product of a joint venture, contributes to the strengthening of work bonds between the SUNTIME and Cubanacan companies, the owners of the facility, which are already concentrating in their next objective: to begin the construction of another one with similar characteristics in Havana (ACN, 3/2/10).

Febrero 3: La Habana pagó a Caracas 108,000 sucres por 360 toneladas de arroz, lo que constituye la primera operación comercial que se realiza a través del Sistema Unitario de Compensación Regional de Pagos (Sucre), indicó el Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV). El sucre es una moneda virtual creada por los países miembros de la Alianza Bolivariana para las Américas (ALBA) que, según el grupo, servirá de "instrumento de soberanía monetaria y financiera y para eliminar la dependencia del dólar". Esta primera operación comercial estuvo a cargo de la firma exportadora venezolana Empresa Mixta Socialista Arroz del ALBA S.A. y la importadora estatal cubana Alimport (EFE, 3/2/10).

Febrero 4: Rusia donará este año a Cuba 100,000 toneladas de trigo, según informaron fuentes del ministerio ruso de Asuntos Exteriores. La primera partida de esa ayuda que será entregada al gobierno de La Habana consistirá de 25,000 toneladas, según dijo un diplomático ruso (RIA-Nóvosti, 4/2/10).

Febrero 5: Cuba tiene firmados contratos con 56 firmas mercantes extranjeras a las cuales provee unos 1,500 tripulantes, pese al embargo de EEUU a la isla. "Las principales navieras del mundo surcan el Caribe (…) y el bloqueo no permite introducir tripulantes de Cuba'', lamentó el capitán Ramón Castillo, director de Selecmar, la empleadora que gestiona los contratos. Los ciudadanos cubanos no pueden acordar particularmente convenios con las firmas foráneas por lo que Selecmar se encarga de proveer esa fuerza de trabajo. Según las normas, los marinos obtienen los sueldos de los armadores y remesan hasta un 50 por ciento a Cuba. Además les otorga algunos beneficios como la adquisición de automóviles a su regreso al país. Actualmente la empresa, subordinada al Ministerio de Transporte --existe otra pequeña de contratación de marinos dependiente de la industria alimentaria-- cuenta con 450 oficiales y 3,100 marinos subalternos dedicados a la mercante, más unos 700 que trabajan como yatistas y un número extra como cruceristas, un mercado que podría también crecer si se levantan las sanciones a la isla (AP, 5/2/10).

February 5: Rogelio Acevedo, President of the Institute of Civil Aeronautics of Cuba (IACC), visited Russia to check on the development of several joint projects which will increase the cooperation between the two countries. Acevedo met with representatives of the Ministry of Transport and members of the Aviation Corporation in charge of aircraft manufacturing, and together they analized the performance of Russian planes in Cuba, which has in its fleet three IL-96 and four Tu-204. The parties discussed as well the prospects of development of such equipment, maintenance and spare parts, Acevedo told Prensa Latina news agency. The Cuban official said they were examining other types of aircraft that the Russians have developed, which may, in the future, with the advancement of tourism in the Caribbean nation and for domestic flights, eventually become necessary (ACN, 5/2/10).

Febrero 5: Cuba lanzó una "alerta" para evitar los incendios forestales que han destruido unas 100 hectáreas de bosques en lo que va de año, debido a las escasas lluvias y negligencias, dijo la televisión estatal. Autoridades del Cuerpo de Guardabosques de la isla dijeron a la televisión local que este año han ocurrido unos 20 incendios forestales. No fue inmediatamente revelado el monto de las pérdidas económicas. "El peligro de incendios forestales se incrementa a partir de este mes, debido a los bajos volúmenes de lluvia que se registran desde el último trimestre del pasado año, según alertó la jefatura nacional del Cuerpo de Guardabosques", dijo el reporte televisivo. La televisión estatal mostró imágenes de bosques incendiados y columnas de humo sin precisar fecha ni lugar. Las elevadas temperaturas, las escasas lluvias, los vientos y las negligencias humanas son las principales causas de los nocivos siniestros. "En lo que va de año se han registrado unos 20 incendios forestales con un total de 102 hectáreas afectadas", dijo. Según el Cuerpo de Guardabosques, la isla perdió unos 440,000 dólares en el 2009 por incendios (Reuters, 5/2/10).

February 6: Cuba is participating in the 19th Holiday World Trade Fair that began in Prague, the Czech Republic, with the presence of almost 50 countries. According to Prensa Latina news agency, the island is exhibiting its products and services in a stand covering 15 square meters and, almost two days before the end of the event, all the promotional material – brochures, cigars, typical drinks, and videos - is exhausted. The island’s tourist offers have received ample coverage by local radio stations and reports by Czech television. Representatives of the Czech tourist sector have paid special attention to the offers of the Cuban company Havanatur, which promotes products and services linked to the island’s nature, beaches, history and culture (ACN, 7/2/10).

February 7: Canada and Cuba have reached a deal to allow more airlines to operate flights between the two countries. Transport Minister John Baird announced that two additional Canadian airlines, WestJet (TSX:WJA) and Sunwing, will be allowed to offer flights to Cuba. Baird also announced that WestJet is being allowed to run a service between Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. The government says since 2006, it has negotiated open, new or expanded air service agreements with nearly 50 countries (The Canadian Press, 7/2/10).

February 7: Cuba has launched an ambitious project to ring urban areas with thousands of small farms in a bid to reverse the country's long agricultural decline and ease its chronic economic woes. The five-year plan calls for growing fruits and vegetables and raising livestock in 4-mile-wide (6.5 kilometer) rings around 150 of Cuba's cities and towns, with the exception of the capital Havana. The island's Communist authorities hope suburban farming will make food cheaper and more abundant, cut transportation costs, be less reliant on machinery and encourage urban dwellers to leave bureaucratic jobs for more productive labor. But the government will continue to hold a monopoly on most aspects of food production and distribution, including its control of most of the land in the Communist-run nation. The pilot program for the project is being conducted in the central city of Camaguey, which the Cuban agriculture ministry has said eventually will have 1,400 small farms covering 52,000 hectares (128,490 acres), just minutes outside the town (Reuters, 7/2/10).

Febrero 8: El gobierno estudia una propuesta de la Asociación Nacional de Agricultores Pequeños (ANAP) para condicionar la entrega de combustible subsidiado al volumen de producción vendido al Estado, informó la agencia oficial Prensa Latina. La propuesta podría ser aprobada este año, dijo Orlando Lugo Fonte, presidente de la ANAP. Su objetivo —explicó— es equilibrar la relación entre la distribución de carburante y las ventas al Estado de leche, carne, legumbres, arroz y otros productos. De acuerdo con la estatal Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas, el año pasado el sector privado aportó el 21% de las 519 mil toneladas de productos agrícolas vendidos en Cuba y la octava parte de los cárnicos llevados al mercado. En una visita a Las Tunas, Lugo Fonte dijo que la producción de alimentos se verá reforzada por la progresiva entrada en producción de cerca de un millón de hectáreas ociosas que en los últimos meses se entregaron a más de 100,000 personas. Cerca de 40,000 de esos usufructuarios se dedicarán a la actividad ganadera, y los restantes, a cultivos varios, indicó el funcionario, reportó la Agencia de Información Nacional (Diario de Cuba, 8/2/10).

February 8: The willingness of Cuban farmers to produce more food, is the main approach of more than thousand 400 meetings held to date, as part of the process prior to the Tenth Congress of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP). These meetings are characterized by the enthusiasm of the cooperative and agricultural sector in their aspirations to substantially increase food production, said Rene Martin Perez, a member of the National Bureau of the organization that gathers Cuban farmers. However, said the leader, the participation of state agencies and entrepreneurs in these meetings has been discreet, in which the partners discussed the trends slow their contribution to society and whose solution does not depend on them. He added that in these exchanges the ideas of the leaders of the revolution around the themes selected for the main report to Congress were discussed, including the role of ANAP as a mass organization of the Cuban farmers, and also the ways to improve recruitment and marketing. The need to incorporate the cooperative movement to the beneficiaries by Decree Law 259 (On the supply of idle land in usufruct) also had prevailed in those meetings, with an attendance of about 90 percent of the members, Martin Perez said (ACN, 8/2/10).

Febrero 8: El gobierno está exportando a Europa carbón vegetal fabricado con madera de marabú, informó el periódico oficial Trabajadores, órgano de la Central de Trabajadores de Cuba, único sindicato legal en la isla y controlado por el gobierno. Según la publicación, desde Cienfuegos se embarcaron en 2009 más de 160 toneladas de carbón de marabú, que generaron ingresos por unos 30,000 dólares. Para este año, la Empresa Forestal Integral de la provincia tiene previsto exportar 200 toneladas. Especialistas citados por Trabajadores dijeron que el carbón vegetal cubano tiene "mercado seguro en Europa". La "dureza" y otras características del marabú y árboles y arbustos cubanos le aportan "características peculiares", afirmaron (Diario de Cuba, 9/2/10).

February 8: Cuba will buy 400,000 tonnes of rice this year from Vietnam through its regular purchases with deferred payment, a drop of 11 percent from 2009, a Vietnamese state-run newspaper reported. Vietnam Northern Food Corp, or Vinafood 1, will sell the grain with payment deferred for one-and-a half years, Deputy Chairman Pham Van Bay of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) was quoted as saying by The Saigon Online newspaper. Last year Cuba imported 449,950 tonnes of Vietnamese rice, worth $191 million. That was 7.6 percent of Vietnam's total rice exports last year, the food association's data showed, without giving comparative figures for 2008. Hanoi-based Vinafood 1, the country's second-largest rice exporter after Vinafood 2, has been assigned by the government to supply rice to Cuba under annual deals. Vietnam accounts for most of Cuba's annual rice imports. Vietnam pledged to help Cuba boost rice production in a cooperation deal signed by the two Communist allies during a visit last September by Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet (Alibaba.com, 9/2/10).

Febrero 9: Un grupo de agricultores pequeños de Banao, provincia de Sancti Spiritus, protestó ante las autoridades por la pérdida de sus cosechas, debido al mal trabajo de la empresa de acopio, que no recogió los productos alegando falta de transporte. Entre los cultivos que se perdieron se encontraban tomates, plátanos, cebolla, ajo y viandas, de alta demanda popular. Las cosechas de los agricultores, por disposición del gobierno, sólo pueden ser vendidas al Estado. En  caso de venderlas directamente a la población, corren el riesgo de ser multados, y hasta de perder la tierra (Cubanet, 9/2/10).

February 9: The use of idle land in rice production, a main part of Cuban’s diet, is a reality in the province of Santiago de Cuba, as part of the necessary boost in the food sector. Eduardo Carrazana, usufructuary from the El Caney village, told ACN news agency that he had planted about some acres of the M-10 variety, resistant to pests and diseases, and an equal amount of acres are ready to grow. This variety has reported acceptable production yields.   This alternative is tested in the municipalities of Palma Soriano, Contramaestre and San Luis, as well as in towns around the province’s main city. Carrazana said that in this territory the rice crops can be developed further, given the hot conditions in their soils, ideal for planting, although its few flat land and water shortages prevent them from better performance and quality. This M-10 variety has the peculiarity that can be regularly harvested in short cycles, medium and long, depending on the time of year because spring shortens its production period (ACN, 9/2/10).

February 9: Farmers in eastern Las Tunas province will benefit this year with the beginning of four international aid projects, worth about a million dollars meant for food production. Funded by the European Union, the Basque Government and the NGOs Oxfam Canada and Oxfam Intermón, the contribution will enable the farmer’s cooperatives to acquire different resources to boost agricultural and livestock production in their entities. Together, the four projects include the recovery of 56 milking areas damaged by the 2008 hurricanes and the construction of eight bull feedlot, Henry Ortiz, head of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP )
in Las Tunas told ACN news agency. They will also contribute in the rehabilitation of 24 tractors, seven trucks, the acquisition of 14 plows and 13 tractors, and the installation of about 20 windmills and the construction of a center for breeding sheep. One of the beneficiaries of this collaboration is the “Alianza Obrero-Campesina”, Cooperative, located in the southern municipality of Amancio, which has 50 partners and an area larger than 850 hectares. Jorge Carmenate, president of the productive entity, expressed satisfaction because “the strengthening of the machinery and livestock areas, along with the installation of some windmills, will improve the care for the animals and thereby increase the production of milk and meat” (ACN, 9/2/10).

February 9: Farmers and traders in Serres, Greece, met with executives of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in that territory, to show their interest in exchanging products, technology and information with their Cuban counterparts. One of the topics discussed was the possibility of acquiring technology and inputs for the cultivation of black tobacco, given the quality of the blond cigarette grown in that Greek province. Joseph Cala, first secretary at the Cuban embassy in Greece, said that a good opportunity to learn about tobacco production on the island could be the XII International Cigar Festival, which will be held in Havana city from February 22 through the 26 (ACN, 9/2/10).

Febrero 11: El gobierno de Raúl Castro exigió a Venezuela el pago del primer tramo de un contrato de $170 millones para la construcción de una planta de energía termoeléctrica en la provincia de Holguín, de acuerdo con un documento de la Unión Eléctrica de Cuba (UNE) al que tuvo acceso El Nuevo Herald. El financiamiento de la construcción de la planta en Cuba se produce en momentos en que Venezuela atraviesa por la peor crisis eléctrica de su historia, y generó críticas entre líderes opositores venezolanos. En la carta fechada el 27 de enero, Vicente de la O Levy, director general de la UNE, exigió a Caracas el pago del primer tramo de la deuda con la empresa alemana Man Diesel S.E., de 9.99 millones de euros (unos $13.4 millones), de acuerdo con un contrato firmado en el 2007 entre Venezuela y Cuba. La comunicación fue dirigida al tesorero nacional Alejandro Andrade, presidente del Banco de Desarrollo Económico y Social de Venezuela (Bandes), considerado el funcionario financiero más importante del presidente Hugo Chávez. El pago corresponde al anticipo de 10 por ciento exigido por la firma alemana para iniciar los trabajos de la planta de fuel oil en Holguín, con una capacidad de 175 megavatios (MW). El contrato estipula que Venezuela deberá realizar cinco pagos entre marzo y noviembre de este año, equivalentes a $26.07 millones cada uno; y otros pagos hasta mayo del 2011, para completar la cifra de $169.96 millones, según el documento (El Nuevo Herald, 12/2/10).

February 12: Last month's nationwide shortage of bread was the topic of a full-page article in the official daily Granma, which attributed it to discrepancies between the two organizations that control Cuba's bakeries. In a wordy and convoluted explanation, Granma said that bread manufacture is handled both by the Cuban Bread Network, an arm of the Ministry of Food Industries, and the Provincial Enterprises of the Food Industry, which are dependent on the Ministry of the Economy and Planning. "Unquestionably, here we have a  contradictory effect that in January may have provoked a phenomenon difficult to explain and understand," the article said. Still, the newspaper tries. One official view is that the target for flour production in 2009 was unmet "due to insufficiencies in the industry, a deterioration in output, and technological difficulties." That situation "provoked serious problems with the availability of flour," so the MAP cut the allotments of that product to its bakeries in half. However, the Bread Network was unaffected and produced a surplus of bread, Granma said. So, "paradoxically, even though the customers noticed an increased shortage of [bread], officials of the Bread Network said that production increased during that period." Whatever the explanation, the industry should "more efficiently implement some formulas to overcome the crisis and the production problems, because customers should not have to wait more than 45 minutes, the time needed to bake hard-crust bread," the paper said. "Interminable lines" form outside the bakeries in Havana, according to Granma. "It is now routine [...] to hear the suggestion, 'Come back in two or three hours, because we ran out of bread.'" Granma also alluded to pilferage and other "illegalities" as an explanation for the shortages (The Miami Herald, 12/2/10).

Febrero 15: Más de cien trabajadores portuarios quedaron desempleados en el mes de enero debido a la disminución del número de buques que entran al país. Según trabajadores del Puerto de La Habana, en el mes de diciembre se realizó una reunión con todos los trabajadores para anunciar los despidos, teniendo en cuenta la “idoneidad” del empleado, como principal requisito para mantener el empleo. Más de cien estibadores y toneleros de diferentes zonas del puerto fueron enviados para sus casas, cobrando el 100% de su salario durante seis meses. Después de ese periodo, supuestamente, les ofrecerán otros empleos y, de no aceptarlos, quedarían sin amparo salarial. “Lo único que he hecho en mi vida es trabajar en el puerto, a pesar del tiempo que llevo aquí me enviaron para mi casa como trabajador cesante. En mi casa solo ganaré el salario en moneda nacional pero el “estímulo” en divisa, que me resuelve mis problemas no me lo pagarán”, manifestó preocupado un estibador con más de 20 años de labor. La marcada disminución del número de barcos que entran al Puerto de La Habana se ha hecho notable en los últimos meses, y se rumora entre los trabajadores que en el mes de marzo podría haber nuevos despidos (Cubanet, 15/2/10).

February 16: The role of women in the production and commercialization of cigars, will be among the topics of the XII International Habano Festival, which will be held from February 22 through the 26 at the Conventions Palace in Havana. Among the planned activities is the presentation of the documentaries “Con el toque de la chaveta” (At the touch of the switchblade) and “Mujeres, Cohíba y Habanos" (Women, Cohiba and Habanos), by women directors Pamela Sport and Niurka Pérez, respectively. For this new edition,the organizers will pay tribute to renowned brands Cohiba and Romeo and Juliet, Jose Antonio Candia, public relations specialist Habanos SA,, told the press. Candia said that the program comprises among its activities the visits to tobacco plantations and rolled cigar factories, workshops, tastings and pairings, the contest Habanosommelier and master classes on cigar rolling. The Trade Fair of the Habano Festival will take place simultaneously, which will present products related to tobacco farming, machinery, handicrafts, paintings, items for smokers and Gourmet products. There will also be a keynote speech by Simon Chase, a specialist and a member of the Hunter and Frankau Company, on how to identify the age of the boxes of Habanos (ACN, 16/2/10).

February 16: An increase in the promotion of markets was among the issues analyzed by Vasily V. Romanov, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Belarus, and Alfredo Nieves, Cuban ambassador to that nation.  The top officials, who met in Minsk, acknowledged the increase of bilateral cooperation over the last few years, while Romanov called to make a joint effort for the development of new projects and stronger economic and commercial relations. The need of increasing the organization of business missions contributing to the development bilateral commercial bonds was assessed during the meeting. Nieves highlighted that the island is willing to increase exports to Belarus, not only in terms of  areas of traditional sectors but also in others now developing, like biotechnology, the medical and pharmaceutical industries, and information technologies (ACN, 16/2/10).

February 16: Cuba occupies position number nine as tourist destination in the Americas, underlined Miguel Alejandro Figueras, consultant with the island’s Tourism Ministry, on the occasion of the International Underwater Photography Contest. During the inauguration of the event, underway at the Colony Hotel of the Isle of Youth special municipality, Figueras made reference to the development of tourism in Cuba, which in 1990 was 23rd among places preferred by travellers for their vacation. He pointed out that the country could place itself in the fourth or fifth position on that list, if the US government allowed its citizens to travel to Cuba freely. While addressing some 70 photographers, models and journalists from over 10 nations, the expert also highlighted the inclusion of Cuba among the 27 most important tourist destinations in the world for diving, according to the World Tourism Organization (ACN, 16/2/10).

Febrero 18: Las autoridades advirtieron que podrían tener que importar el azúcar si la industria estatal no logra revertir su rendimiento por debajo de lo previsto. El gobierno esperaba producir alrededor de 1,3 millones de toneladas de azúcar cruda esta zafra, similar a la pasada. Sin embargo, el Ministerio del Azúcar ha dicho que hay menos caña disponible que la zafra anterior y el plan contemplaba que los ingenios operarían a un 80% de su capacidad. "En este momento, por diferentes razones, el plan de azúcar no se está cumpliendo, está por debajo de lo previsto y es el momento cumbre de la zafra", dijo Juan Varela, principal experto de azúcar de los medios estatales, en un programa de radio. "Es una lástima que con los rendimientos en el azúcar sobre el 11%, en el país tengamos una molienda que no llega siquiera al 70%", añadió. El portavoz del Ministerio, Tirso Sáenz, advirtió durante el programa de radio de Varela sobre el impacto de importar azúcar en momentos en que los precios en el mercado internacional son altos. "Si en este momento tenemos necesidad de importar azúcar, ese dinero hay que quitárselo a otras importaciones que pueden ser de alimentos", dijo. En el pasado, Cuba fue uno de los mayores exportadores de azúcar del mundo (Reuters, 18/2/10).

February 18: The Cuban government said it is facing a major mule deficit and has commissioned a census of the beasts of burden to determine how bad the problem is. How many mules are in Cuba is unknown - hence the need for the census. But authorities tell the government news agency AIN that the island may be facing a deficit of 8,000 in highlands areas alone. The agency praised the animals as "very important for the transportation of food in mountainous areas." Officials will carry out the census between March 1 and 10 (AP, 18/2/10).

February 18: Cuba’s ambassador to Suriname, Andres Gonzalez, met in Paramaribo with Robert Ameerali, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the main office of that institution. During the meeting, the two parties expressed their interest in developing commercial exchanges between Suriname and Cuba, as well as in strengthening relations between their respective chambers of commerce, the Cuban Foreign Ministry’s web site reports. They also reviewed the cooperation accord signed in February 2009 between the two institutions, with the purpose of expanding economic and commercial relations, developing scientific, and technical exchanges, as well as exchanges on computerization in trade. Ameerali expressed his willingness of working with entrepreneurs from Suriname in the promotion of imports of Cuban products (ACN, 19/2/10).

February 22: With anti-smoking laws and the global recession causing sales to fall, Cuba wants to develop a largely untapped market for its famous cigars -- women. Habanos S.A. executives said sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 percent of customers for Habanos, the worldwide distributor of Cuban cigars, marketing director Ana Lopez told a news conference kicking off the annual Habanos cigar festival. The Julieta is an attempt to overcome perceptions among women that Cuban cigars are made up of "only strong tobacco for men," she said. The search for new markets is needed because even though Cuban cigars are considered the world's finest, sales are slipping with the rise of anti-smoking laws around the world, said Habanos vice president Manuel Garcia. The 8 percent sales drop in 2009 was preceded by a 3 percent fall, to $390 million, in 2008 (Reuters, 22/2/10).

February 22: Cuban plans to produce ferronickel with Venezuela at a partially completed plant in eastern Holguin province are on track with preliminary work well under way, official media said. "Civil and technological projects have progressed, as have surveys of the mines and contracting of the labor force and specialized equipment," said a report on the nickel industry during the morning television newscast. "Plans for the project, one of he most important in the country, are being met," the report said, without providing further details. Experts have estimated it would take around two years for operations to begin at the plant once preliminary work is finished. Cuba and Venezuela formed Ferroniquel S.A. in 2007 to complete the Camarioca nickel works left unfinished with the collapse of the Soviet Bloc. The two countries have also formed a joint venture in Venezuela to produce stainless steel using Cuban ferronickel. Plans call for $500 million to be invested in the Cuban part of the project and $600 million in the steel plant (Reuters, 22/2/10).

February 24: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva and his Cuban host, President Raul Castro visited the Mariel Port, where development works are underway with the support of Brazil. The comprehensive development project of the Port of in the southern coast of Havana province include infrastructure works put out to contract with the Brazilian company of the Odebrecht enterprise which operates jointly with the Cuban Ministry of Construction, according to a report by the Cuban Television news program. After the establishments of collaboration agreements between the two countries, Brazil allocated financial resources for the development of infrastructure works in Cuba which will be used in the Mariel Port project. The source added that after the works are completed, this port will be ready to receive vessels of enormous sizes, taking into account the depth of the draft. It will also include an international terminal of containers. The Brazilian infrastructure works company is already engaged in the building and renovation of roads, railways and the dredging of the channel into the future terminal that
according to plans will have a movement capacity of one million containers per year. The development project of the Mariel Port is scheduled to be completed within some 10 years. Because of its location, this bay is expected to become Cuba’s ultimate gate for foreign trade (ACN, 25/2/10).

February 24: Cuban President Raul Castro and his Brazilian counterpart Luis Inacio Lula da Silva presided over the signing ceremony of 10 juridical instruments for collaboration between both nations, in Havana. The Revolution Palace was the scenario for signing of a memorandum of understanding for collaboration in the sectors of computer sciences and communications and of a protocol of complementation in the health field. Complementary agreements for scientific, technical and technological cooperation were also signed to boost soy production in Cuba, to strengthen institutional and laboratory sanitary control in both countries. The two countries agreed to jointly work in the transfer of methodologies for the genetic control of different diseases that affect tomato and pepper crops and in the development of techniques for the biologic control of pests. Likewise, the agreement for the second meeting of the Cuba-Brazil working group on economic and commercial aspects was signed. The documents were penned on the Cuban part by First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Marcelino Medina and the head of the Ministry for Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Rodrigo Malmierca; while on the Brazilian part, they were signed by Secretary General of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota and Minister for Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Miguel Joao Jorge Filho. During the same ceremony, a contract of international economic association was set between Quality Cuba S.A. and Brazil’s Building Works and Infrastructure Company for the development of construction works in the Mariel Port, in Havana (ACN, 25/2/10).

February 24: Cuba and Venezuela strengthened in Havana, the bonds of cooperation on rational use of energy as part of the bilateral agreements signed in 2006. Juan Manuel Presa, Cuban Vice Minister of the Basic Industry, speaking at the opening of the Second Forum-Workshop on that activity, said that saving is critical, when humanity is subjected to a severe financial, energy and environmental crisis. The official noted that national programs should combine the use of renewable energy sources and alternatives to ensure uninterrupted power service 24 hours a day (ACN, 24/2/10).

February 25: Cuban and Angolan enterprises will work together to create the first bilateral joint-venture to benefit sheep, pigs and cattle-raising in the island. The company is scheduled to start operating on the second half of this year with actions focused on Camaguey province. On the Cuban side will be the Enterprise for Fauna and Flora Protection which will undertake production works that will be led in the province of Camaguey, according to Carlos Tornes, deputy economic director of the entity. The main purpose of the association is to prevent Cuba from importing top-quality meat for the domestic market. Tornes said that the Angolan party will be in charge of the commercial area and it will provide funds for the development of cattle-raising infrastructure that should be completed within one year (ACN, 25/2/10).

February 26: Hundreds of wealthy merchants and cigar aficionados from all parts of the world gathered in Havana to bid high stakes for humidors full of premium cigars. Cuba's annual Habanos festival ended with an auction of ornate humidors of cedar and mahogany stacked with hand-rolled stogies that raised 800,000 euros ($1.09 million dollars). Habanos S.A. executives said cigar sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 percent of customers for Habanos. But even with the creation of the Julieta, Garcia said Habanos has only modest hopes for 2010 sales, due largely to a weak economy in Spain, the biggest market for Cuban cigars. Leida Alvarez, director of Cuba's tobacco leaf harvesting company, said the tobacco industry expected higher earnings this year (GEO World, 28/2/10).