In October 2013, the Cuban government announced the beginning of a monetary unification process aimed at redressing one of the greatest distortions in the island’s economy. This unification process was to take place in phases and build towards its final stage, the “Día Zero” (“Day Zero”), the day when the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) would […]
El turismo cubano: ¿Cuántos norteamericanos puede Cuba recibir?
El trabajo que presentamos forma parte de un estudio mayor que tenía como objetivos primarios las estimaciones de los turistas norteamericanos que Cuba podría recibir y el análisis de los impactos adversos que le podría causar al Caribe la eliminación de las restricciones de los viajes estadounidenses a Cuba. En esta ponencia solamente trataremos el […]
Petrolism in Cuba and Implications of U.S. Investment in the Cuban Oil Sector
Petrolism means the use of oil revenues by a government to retain strong political control. Through a variety of mechanisms, governments in oil-rich states manage to avoid democratic reforms, engage in non transparent and corrupt practices, and rule out any economic diversification that can jeopardize their political grip. Researchers have devoted a great deal of […]
The Cuban Dual Monetary System and Challenges Ahead
In 2004, the Cuban Government announced the prohibition of the use of the U.S. dollar as a means of exchange in retail as well as in other commercial operations. From then on, all transactions have been conducted using Cuban convertible pesos (CUC), the Cuban peso backed in U.S. dollars. Cuban authorities proclaimed that the proscription […]
Education and Labor Skills in Socialist Cuba
The level of education and health services in Cuba has been for years a reason of pride for its government. Even prestigious personalities not precisely friends of the Cuban regime have widely praised the island’s achievements in these fields. The allegedly first world level of Cuba in education and health is one of the cornerstones […]