Since the onset of the XXI century Cuba has received billions of dollar in payments for its exports of professional workers—mainly doctors and medical personnel, but also teachers, soldiers and security experts. These professionals were shipped to Venezuela and to some of its satellites, at Venezuela’s expense. I estimate the payments at just over $7 […]

Los resultados socioeconómicos de las “actualizaciones” raulistas para mejorar el desempeño socioeconómico de Cuba muestran, en el mejor de los casos, débiles resultados.  Como señaló recientemente Pavel Vidal las reformas no dan frutos a pesar de la sostenida y significativa ayuda venezolana durante el siglo XXI, se está lejos del socialismo próspero y sostenible.[1]  O en las palabras de […]

Cuba’s fiscal deficit surged in 2008 reflecting climatic disturbances, the world recession, and a burst of government expenditure (see table below). Since then the deficit has been substantially reduced owing partly to a shift toward domestic expenditure restraint under Raúl Castro’s administration, and in spite of a drop in external financing. Those are the good […]