22nd Annual Meeting held: “Where is Cuba Going?”
Resources
Details
ASCE’s flagship event, the annual conference, was held at the Miami Hilton Downtown on August 2–4, 2012, under the theme “Where is Cuba Going?” The conference was a success by every measure, including the presentation of over fifty highly informative, original pieces of research on developments in the Cuban economy and society. Attendance at the conference was strong and included some first-time participants and visitors from abroad. Attendees hailed from Cuba, Venezuela, Norway, and Spain, among other countries. In addition, there was broad media coverage, with nearly a dozen press representatives covering the conference.
Professor Jorge Domínguez delivered the Ernesto Betancourt Keynote Address at the 22nd Annual Meetings. Domínguez argued, that while Fidel Castro may have had many cockeyed economic ideas that led to periodic unrealistic all-or-nothing mobilizations that often ended in disaster, when that “Comandante-en-jefe” gave an order, it was followed. Under Raul, economic policies are much more pragmatic, realistic, and potentially beneficial, but due to what Dominguez called a pernicious “bureaucratic insurgency” there is an epidemic of foot-dragging with Raul’s economic “updating” policies. That is, under Raul Cuba’s “bureaucratocracy” fails or refuses to implement his policies, thus significantly weakening the state.
Highlights
Annual Meeting Opening Presentation
A brief overview of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) and its activities and outreach in 2011-2012. The video was prepared by the outgoing president Rafael Romeu. It gives a good overview of ASCE’s main activities during the meeting and of the participants.
“Where is Cuba Going?” ASCE’s Twenty-Second Annual Meeting Photo Montage
The video was prepared by the outgoing president Rafael Romeu. It gives an overview of ASCE, its members, and its main activities during ASCE’s 22 years. It was very well received.
Professor Jorge Dominguez Keynote Address
Un panorama actual por Estado de Sats
Estado de Sats in Cuba prepared an interesting video for the ASCE annual meeting with the participation of six professionals from different fields who gave their frank perspectives on the limited progress of the socio-economic reforms in Cuba: José Daniel Ferrer, Karina Gálvez, Alfredo Fernández, Wilfredo Vallín, Oscar Espinosa Chepe, and Antonio Rodiles. ASCE really appreciates the video and urges those interested in the Cuban socio-economic reforms to watch it.