The Cuban revolution of 1959 has ended in a prolonged period of stagnation. A new revolution has started, although it is still unclear whether it will come from the top or the bottom of the political system. Its destination remains unknown. If Cuba’s future is still undetermined, it is not for lack of prediction or […]

Notes1 Over the past decade, scholars, policy makers and Cubans in general, both on the island and in exile, have researched and debated extensively the answer to the question on everyone’s mind: after Fidel Castro, who? Some governments, like the United States’, envisioned a transition to democracy. Some governments, like that of the United States, […]

On February 3, 2013, the people of Cuba traversed to their local polling stations to vote in the country’s parliamentary election.1 A total of 7,877,906 voters, or 91.27%, of Cuba’s eligible 8,631,836 voters took to the polls.2 The Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (National Assembly of the People’s Power, hereinafter “National Assembly”), comprised of 612 […]

On July 1, 2013, the official organ of the Cuban Communist Party announced the approval of 124 cooperatives to operate in the non-agricultural sector.1 Grisel Tristá Arbesú, head of the Grupo de Perfeccionamiento Empresarial de la Comisión Permanente para la Implementación y Desarrollo was quoted as explaining that this push to open a small area […]

Notes1 Despite the three years of negative growth that the Cuban tourism sector experienced at the start of the new century, it has seen positive growth (at an average of over 5.7% per annum) in the last five years. This recent performance has been accompanied by a drastic shift in the composition of tourist market […]