Chronicle on Cuba - November 2009

Economy

November 1: The Cuban peso and the convertible peso (CUC), "Cuba's main units of currency, will soon be fused for the purpose of simplifying the economic operations conducted by the population and the visitors," a Cuban diplomat told the Mexican electronic newspaper Strictly speaking, the statement is not official and comes from a relatively low-ranking diplomat – Alcides de la Rosa, Cuban consul in Veracruz – but it's an indication that the changeover is being planned and will come "en breve" – in a short while. The convertible peso was introduced in 1994 and formalized in 2004, when the US dollar ceased to be accepted in hard-currency stores. One CUC is the equivalent of US$1.08; an exchange tax raises its cost to US$1.18. The "national peso," also known as CUP, is a fraction of the CUC. Twenty-four CUPs equal one CUC. The CUP is used to pay wages and buy domestic products (The Miami Herald, 1/11/09).

November 1: The Canadian WestJet airline started operations in Cuba, when the first flight of tour operator WestJet Vacations landed at the Juan Gualberto Gomez International Airport in Varadero. The Boing 737, with a 136 passenger capacity, was met at the airport terminal by officials of the Cuban Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR).
Gregg Saretsky, Executive Vice-President of WestJet, thanked the officials for the welcome and said that with the experience they have on flights to the Caribbean, the trips to Cuba will be successful and will contribute to strengthen the commercial and cultural bonds between Cuba and Canada (ACN, 1/11/09).

Noviembre 1: Cuba se unirá en 2011 a un cable óptico venezolano que también llegará a Jamaica y "no pasará por Estados Unidos", dijo una fuente de La Habana vinculada al proyecto. El cable submarino será "un paso hacia la independencia tecnológica de América Latina", afirmó Waldo Reboredo, vicepresidente de la empresa mixta Telecomunicaciones Gran Caribe S.A., con sede en La Habana. El funcionario subrayó que actualmente "todas las conexiones de América Latina hacia Europa y otros países pasan por Estados Unidos". El cable venezolano estará "operativo" en el primer trimestre de 2011, explicó. El cable venezolano costará 70 millones de dólares, unirá la localidad de La Guaira, en Venezuela, con Santiago de Cuba, a unos 900 kilómetros de La Habana, y "multiplicará de dos mil a tres mil veces las velocidades actuales en Cuba de transmisión de datos, imágenes y voz", dijo Reboredo. La distancia entre ambos puntos es de 1.552 kilómetros. Más tarde, otro segmento del cable enlazará Cuba y Jamaica (ANSA, 1/11/09).

November 2: Cuba opened its annual international trade fair with the news its foreign trade was down 36 percent this year as the communist-ruled island battles the effects of the global economic recession. Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca told diplomats and business people at the ExpoCuba exhibition center in suburban Havana that most of the decline was due to decreased imports, reflecting Cuba's attempts to tighten its financial belt. "Statistics show that at the close of the third quarter of 2009, the trade of goods was down 36 percent in relation to the same period the year before," he said. Total trade for the first nine months was "around $10 billion," Malmierca said. Cuba's trade deficit soared to $11.4 billion in 2008 as rising import costs and lower prices for Cuban exports depleted cash reserves. In response, Cuba took several measures, including stopping payments to many foreign suppliers. Malmierca said Cuba planned to pay up eventually. "I can assure you that we have the greatest willingness for dialogue with our economic partners and that Cuba will continue to be a reliable partner," he said. The Cuban government said 54 countries were participating in the fair, with large, prominent pavilions filled by allies such as Venezuela, China and Brazil (Reuters, 2/11/09).

November 3: During the inauguration of Havana’s annual trade fair, the Cuban government acknowledged publicly, but tacitly, that it froze the bank accounts of hundreds of foreign companies, the Mexican newspaper La Jornada pointed out. However, the government abstained from indicating when it will release those funds, which commercial sources place at about$1 billion, the paper said. The newspaper based its assessment on a statement by Foreign Trade Minister Rodrigo Malmierca during the inauguration of the annual Havana Trade Fair. "Although the complexity of the current situation has forced us to adopt various restrictive measures, including delays in the payments to suppliers, these [measures] are of a temporary nature," Malmierca said. "I can assure you that we are most willing to dialogue with our economic partners, and that Cuba will continue to be a trustworthy market that abides by its commitments." The freeze began late last year. Trade sources told La Jornada that some firms have received notices that their accounts will be reopened gradually if they continue to bring their products to the island. Most of the foreign suppliers affected by the freeze halted their deliveries, La Jornada said. Some insisted on collecting their money and succeeded, but they lost their operating licenses in Cuba (The Miami Herald, 3/11/09).

Noviembre 2: El comisario europeo de Desarrollo, Karel De Gucht, abogó por "fortalecer" el comercio y las relaciones económicas de la Unión Europea (UE) con Cuba, al inaugurar el primer pabellón del bloque en la Feria Internacional de La Habana (FIHAV-2009) tras ocho años de ausencia. "Es nuestro interés trabajar de conjunto y fortalecer nuestra cooperación en varios temas, y de forma global intensificar el ya existente, significativo y fructífero comercio, y las relaciones económicas", dijo De Gucht, al inaugurar la feria junto al ministro de Comercio Exterior e Inversiones Extranjeras, Rodrigo Malmierca. "La participación de la UE en esta Feria es un paso muy positivo en esa dirección y espero que continúe en los próximos años", añadió De Gucht, tras destacar que en la bolsa participan "más de 400 firmas" europeas. Esa cifra "confirma las fortalezas y el potencial de las relaciones de comercio y económicas" con la isla, precisó. El comisario europeo subrayó que la UE es "el primer inversionista" y uno de los "principales socios comerciales" de Cuba, cuyo mercado "continúa siendo considerablemente atractivo" para el bloque. Cuba tiene un comercio de 10,000 millones de dólares, del cual el 29% se realiza con Europa, precisó Malmierca. El intercambio comercial con esa región fue de 3,982 millones de dólares en 2008, en su gran mayoría importaciones (AFP, 3/11/09).

Noviembre 2: El gobierno desmintió el cierre de los mercados de libre oferta y demanda (MOD), pero anunció que los vendedores deberán presentar una declaración jurada sobre el origen de los productos. El viceministro de Comercio Interior, Frank Silva, indicó lo anterior en un extenso reportaje que publicó el diario oficial Granma sobre la situación en los MOD, con precios más altos que los Mercados Agropecuarios Estatales (MAE) pero más surtidos y con productos de mayor calidad. El funcionario salió al paso de los rumores que circulan a raíz de un confuso incidente en un concurrido mercado del municipio Playa, de La Habana, donde se realizó un operativo de inspectores y policías que originó la suspensión de ventas durante una jornada. Silva dijo que las autoridades libran una "ardua e impostergable batalla" para que la red de los 308 establecimientos estatales tenga los 24 productos jerarquizados, con un oferta "más completa, accesible y atractiva" que la de los MOD. Sobre el tema de la declaración jurada, que ha generado inquietud entre vendedores y clientes, aseguró que era "algo imprescindible" para cerrar el paso "a desvíos de mercancías e irregularidades en el tránsito de la producción al consumo" (Notimex, 3/11/09).

November 3: At the 27th Havana International Trade Fair (FIHAV), Cuba and Canada ratified their interest in strengthening and diversifying their economic and commercial links. During the inauguration of the Canadian pavilion, Antonio Luis Carricarte, Cuba’s Foreign Trade and Investment Deputy Minister, recalled that Canada is the largest tourist emitting market to the Caribbean nation, its third partner in foreign investments and fourth in import-export activities. Carricarte explained that there has been a decrease in the bilateral commerce, a temporary problem caused by the world economic crisis, therefore, he said, this trade fair can contribute to finding alternatives from which both countries can profit. Marc Whittnghaen, president of the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), reiterated that despite the economic crisis, Canada will continue working on the strengthening its links with Cuba. He announced that in the near future an office, to promote and facilitate the work of entrepreneurs from both nations, will be opened in Havana (ACN, 3/11/09).

November 3: Russian state oil company Zarubezhneft signed contracts with Cuba to search for oil along Cuba's northern coast and said it was looking at procuring more areas for exploration in a step forward for the island's oil hopes. Zarubezhneft signed up with state-owned Cuba Petroleos for four almost contiguous blocks, two onshore and two offshore in the Gulf of Mexico just east of Cuba's most prolific oil field in Varadero. Cuba has signed offshore exploration deals with eight other companies, but waters it says may hold 20 billion barrels of oil remain untapped, with only one test well drilled.
Big oil finds in the gulf could turn the communist island, which is deep in financial crisis, into an oil exporter. Russia and Cuba have signed accords in recent months for a series of business deals and Russia has said it will refurbish the Cuban military, which is still using Soviet-era equipment. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Cuban President Raul Castro have paid reciprocal visits in the past year. Cuba senior oil advisor Manuel Marrero Faz said it would take a while for the Russians to begin seismic testing in the offshore blocks, where the deepest water is about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) (Reuters, 3/11/09).

Noviembre 3: El gobierno de Ecuador adquirirá en Cuba equipos para la instalación de unidades termoeléctricas de generación de luz, con una capacidad de 150 megavatios de potencia, informó la Presidencia. "La adquisición se estos equipos se la realizará a Cuba y estará sujeta al 'régimen especial' del Sistema Nacional de Compras Públicas", apuntó la Presidencia en su página web, que agrega que el presidente, Rafael Correa, dispuso esta adquisición mediante un decreto (EFE, 3/11/09).

November 4: Cuba and Brazil signed an agreement to produce salbutamol during the third day of the 27th Havana’s International Fair (FIHAV 2009). The document provides that Cuba will supply 300,000 units of salbutamol to the South American nation and it also establishes the creation of a joint venture to produce 20 million units of this medical product. According to the accord, Cuba will also supply other medicines, including biotechnological products, and it will receive medicines from Brazil. The Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca, pointed out that Cuba’s sales to Brazil increased by 44% compared to 2008 (ACN, 5/11/09).

November 4: The first blocks of Grey Siboney marble for export, produced in the Cuban Isle of Youth, have been sent to China, reported Jesus Perez Bermudez, director of the Cuban Marble Company. Perez mentioned the company’s intentions to sell their products in Uruguay as well. In 2004, this entity started producing baseboards, tiles for floors and walls, multi-purpose tables, benches and bathroom dividers among other items that have been used in healthcare and education facilities as well as in housing (ACN, 4/11/09).

November 4: The Iranian minister of Industries and Mines left Tehran for Havana to take part in the 14th joint committee meeting for economic cooperation between the two countries. A delegation made up of representatives of major public and private firms will accompany Ali-Akbar Mehrabian on this trip. The Iranian minister plans to hold separate meetings with the Cuban president, foreign minister, base industries minister and heavy industries minister as well as a group of managers of Cuban firms. The 14th joint committee meeting will be jointly led by the Iranian minister, and the Cuban transport minister, from November 5 to 7 (Tehran Times, 5/11/09).

Noviembre 5: Compañías brasileñas comenzaron el traslado de las maquinarias pesadas con las cuales se construirá un puerto de contenedores en Cuba financiado por la nación sudamericana en un 50%. "Empresas brasileñas ya están participando de este proyecto", de la instalación en el puerto de Mariel --una localidad ubicada a 50 kilómetros de la capital-- comentó durante una conferencia de prensa el ministro de Desarrollo, Industria y Comercio Exterior de Brasil, Miguel Jorge. Jorge visitó por segunda ocasión en tres meses Cuba y esta vez participó de la XXVII Feria Internacional de La Habana, en la cual Brasil tiene un pabellón. El puerto del Mariel requerirá de unos 600 millones de dólares y la nación sudamericana aportará la mitad de ese dinero, mientras Cuba contratará a firmas de esa nación para su construcción. Inicialmente Brasil financiará unos 110 millones de dólares que se ocuparía para los accesos a carreteras, poner en punto un ferrocarril y hasta el dragado, entre otros. Se espera la transferencia de otros 190 millones de dólares posteriores. La obra propiamente dicha comenzará a inicios del próximo año, dijeron los funcionarios que acompañaban a Jorge, quien reconoció que esta será el negocio más importante que tenga Brasil con la isla (AP, EFE, 5/11/09).

Noviembre 5: Setenta lotes con piezas de artistas cubanos y arte decorativo mundial, con un valor estimado de más de un millón de dólares, saldrá a subasta en La Habana. Las obras de creadores por isleños tienen firmas tan reconocidas como las de Mariano Rodríguez o René Portocarrero, así como Roberto Fabelo, Manuel Mendive o Lolo Soldevilla.  "Este año destacaría la diversidad de la obra (ofertada) de Servando Cabrera'', comentó Luis Miret, representante del Comité Organizador de "Subastahabana 2009'', el único foro de su tipo en Cuba en el que compradores de todo el mundo pueden acceder a trabajos valiosos de pintores locales. "Este evento que comenzó en 2002 ha logrado mantenerse, estabilizarse'', indicó Miret, al señalar que el año pasado, cuando se registró el peor récord, se vendió el 38 por ciento de los lotes que en un apartado de puja privada se elevó al 60 por ciento. Como novedad del año se incorporaron 25 piezas de arte decorativo universal, manifestó por su parte María Millán, también del Comité Organizador como representante del Fondo Cubano de Bienes Culturales (El Nuevo Herald, 5/11/09).

November 5: Spain’s prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, sent a message of congratulations to Spanish businessmen “committed to Cuba’s economic growth and the increase of its social well-being.” The message was read during the annual dinner of the Spanish Businessmen’s Association in Cuba, attended by the island’s trade and investment minister, Rodrigo Malmierca, along with other authorities. “The figures are eloquent,” said Zapatero’s letter. “Spain is the country leading in investments on the island with more than $1.5 billion.” He added that “this investment by companies that mean to stay is a guarantee of the future economic development of the country.” “We can feel proud of the work our companies are doing on the island and for which they can depend on the appreciation and backing of the Spanish government,” the message said. Zapatero assured the businessmen that “your work is a bridge between the two countries,” adding that “Spain feels very strong ties to Cuba.” Spain was the country with the biggest presence at the 27th International Trade Fair in Havana, with representatives of more than 80 companies and official delegations from several regions (LATH, 7/11/09).

November 6: Companies from Cuba and Spain penned, within the framework of Havana’s 27th International Trade Fair, a letter of intent to improve the quality of the sanitation products made at the Plant of Iron Fittings in Havana. The accord was signed by José Tomas Vázquez García, director of the island’s Industrial Ironwork Enterprise and Teodoro Bastida, president of the Miesa Enterprise. Vazquez told the press that the agreement will guarantee the necessary capital for the construction of a modern line for the superficial nickel-chrome treatment of products. The accord also includes the building of a plant for sewage disposal, which will contribute to environmental protection.  Investment is estimated at 1.4 million dollars and its execution has been scheduled for the first semester of 2010 (ACN, 6/11/09).

November 6: Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago ratified their commercial cooperation
bonds during the fourth day of Havana’s 27th International Fair. Trinidadian ambassador Lester Efebo Wilkinson thanked Cuba for its cooperation in programs linked to medicine, agriculture and sports. Wilkinson pointed out that over the last few years there has been a 35 to 45 million dollar increase in trade and up to now this year the figure is around 50 million, which shows the interest of businessmen to increase products and offers to trade.  Antonio Luis Carricarte, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade and Investment, pointed out that there are possibilities of diversifying Trinidadian exports to Cuba which are concentrated mainly on ammonia (ACN, 6/11/09).

Noviembre 6: Cuba e Irán firmaron seis acuerdos para la exportación e importación de varios productos en los sectores de transporte y la industria ligera, en una medida para impulsar los lazos comerciales entre ambos aliados, dijo la prensa local, sin precisar el monto de los convenios. El intercambio comercial entre ambas naciones se ha reanimado en los últimos dos años, pasando de 22,9 millones en el 2007 a 46,4 millones en el 2008, según datos de la estatal Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas. Según Granma, el diario del gobernante Partido Comunista, Cuba e Irán rubricaron convenios para la comercialización de materias primas, producción de detergentes, resinas sintéticas y un acuerdo entre la empresa cubana importadora de transporte y la iraní "Wagon Pars", dedicado al negocio ferroviario. También firmaron un acuerdo el Banco para el Desarrollo de las Exportaciones del país asiático y el Banco Exterior de la isla, dijo el periódico. "Con estos entendimientos podemos pronosticar que en el futuro el volumen comercial entre ambos países va a incrementarse", dijo Ali Akbar Mehrabian, ministro de Industrias y Minas de Irán tras una reunión en La Habana para impulsar la cooperación (Reuters, 7/11/09).

Noviembre 6: El gobierno está tratando de desalentar su excesiva dependencia del petróleo venezolano, pagando más de lo que debe por él, dijo un funcionario de la isla. El viceministro de Relaciones Exteriores, Rogelio Sierra Díaz, dijo que para evitar la conformidad, el régimen escogió conseguir crudo más caro bajo el "Acuerdo de Caracas", en lugar de recibir los beneficios de la alianza Petrocaribe, impulsado por Venezuela. "Hemos decidido permanecer con el Acuerdo de Caracas que no nos hace tan dependientes", dijo Sierra. Petrocaribe, una alianza energética promovida por Hugo Chávez en la que participan 18 naciones, entre ellos Cuba, permite la compra de crudo a precios preferenciales. Venezuela ofrece a los afiliados financiamientos de hasta el 50% de las compras, con una tasa de interés del 2% a 25 años. Por su parte, el ministro de Comercio Exterior de la isla, Rodrigo Malmierca, citado por medios oficiales, dijo  que los programas de cooperación de Venezuela con Cuba sumaron casi 1,500 millones de dólares en 2009. El funcionario indicó que 31 organismos e instituciones cubanas intervienen en 107 proyectos bilaterales, incluidos los servicios y el personal médico enviados por Cuba a Venezuela. La relación de Cuba con su principal aliado político y su mayor socio comercial "está hoy en uno de los mejores momentos de la historia", afirmó Malmierca (Reuters, EFE, 6/11/09).

November 7: Iran has agreed to grant a 300-million-euro ($445 million) line of credit to Cuba to finance quick-return projects, the Iranian news agency Press-TV and The Tehran Times reported. The deal will increase the Iranian credit line to Havana from the current 200 million euros to 500 million ($297 million to $742 million.). The agreement was signed between officials of the two countries – Iran's Minister of Industries Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Cuba's Minister of Transportation Jorge Luis Sierra – at the end of a joint economic cooperation committee meeting in Havana (The Miami Herald, 8/11/09).

November 9: Some 90 percent of Cuba’s 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) of railways are deteriorated and that is the cause of frequent train accidents and delays, a situation that will require a large investment to address, the official daily Granma reported. Between January 2008 and September 2009, there have been 19 serious accidents and 320 minor ones due to the “critical” state of many points along the country’s railways and the poor condition of 286 of the system’s 1,839 bridges, the Cuban Communist Party’s official newspaper said. Granma denounced “lack of discipline” and “negligence” among the train crews and station operators, as well as the lack of supervision and control by some managers who are not demanding compliance with existing regulations. The main cause for the increase in accidents is, without doubt, the “accumulated deterioration” of the railways over recent decades, the head of the rail sector for the Transportation Ministry, Ricardo Aguiar, told Granma. A machinist and an operator quoted by the daily confirmed that there is “big” deterioration of the railways and added that there are also deficiencies in the signal system (LAHT, 9/11/09).

Noviembre 9: Aunque a primera vista podría suponerse que se trata de un relato de ficción, la reciente apertura de la escuela de negocios y management, ADEN Alta Dirección en La Habana es una realidad. Esta institución educativa, fundada en Mendoza, Argentina, hace 16 años, que tiene como misión formar líderes empresariales y que se sustenta en una comunidad de ejecutivos, es la primera y única de la isla socialista.
Según dijo el presidente de ADEN, Ricardo Greco Guiñazú, el ingreso e instalación en este país "nos llevó mucho tiempo, más de un año, por el entramado burocrático. Por esta razón, tuvimos que hacer alianzas con asociaciones intermedias para superar los filtros burocráticos ministeriales". Por esta razón, firmaron un importante convenio de colaboración con la Cámara de Comercio del país caribeño y, de esta forma, tuvieron el aval del Estado para poder funcionar. Conscientes de que las Escuelas de Negocio representan al verdadero paradigma del régimen capitalista y liberal, desde esta institución educativa dijeron que "vendimos la idea de cómo hacer más eficientes las distintas organizaciones (públicas, privadas y mixtas) y no tanto el tema del negocio", de acuerdo a lo explicado por Guiñazú (Los Andes, 9/11/09).

Noviembre 10: La crisis económica que atraviesa Cuba está golpeando fuertemente la vida cotidiana de la población con apagones cada vez más frecuentes, una paulatina eliminación de los productos subsidiados y la amenaza de nuevas restricciones que los medios oficiales comienzan a agitar como un fantasma de fin de año. Las exhortaciones a la austeridad y la eficiencia se repiten por estos días en la prensa oficial en medio de la recesión económica que atenaza al país, agobiado por la falta de liquidez financiera, la caída de las importaciones de bienes de consumo en un 36 por ciento y el descenso en un 7.7 porciento de la producción agrícola --un renglón clave para paliar las carencias alimentarias de la población. "La situación es desesperante y no se ve la luz al final del túnel'', comentó desde La Habana el economista disidente Oscar Espinosa Chepe. “La crisis apenas ha mostrado la punta del iceberg'', dijo Chepe, y el gobierno alista actualmente un paquete de medidas que comprende el cierre de industrias afectadas por la carencia de materias primas y el cese del vínculo laboral para miles de empleados, que serán enviados a sus casas en calidad de "interruptos''. Se estima que el plan gubernamental afectará a entre el 10 y el 15 por ciento de la población laboral activa del país, y entrará en vigor durante el mes de diciembre. El asunto podría discutirse durante las sesiones de la Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular (parlamento), que a fines de año debe trazar la estrategia económica del país para el año entrante. (El Nuevo Herald, 10/11/09).

November 10: One of the major ills of Cuba’s state-run agricultural enterprises is “the excess of nonproductive personnel,” Communist Party daily Granma said. The newspaper estimated the number of redundant employees in the state farming sector at 89,000, or 26 percent of the total. “The urgency to increase production of food and reduce imports has accelerated the solution of this old program, which engenders bureaucracy, raises costs, hampers productivity, creates disorder and prevents the worker from improving his income,” Granma said. Among the measures adopted by the Agriculture Ministry is setting the goal of eliminating at least 10 percent of the superfluous jobs and halving the number of managers, the daily said. Since 2007, the government has closed 83 state agricultural enterprises and re-organized 473 work units (LAHT, 11/11/09).

Noviembre 11: Cuba has ordered all state enterprises to adopt "extreme measures" to cut energy usage through the end of the year in hopes of avoiding the dreaded blackouts that plagued the country following the 1991 collapse of its then-top ally, the Soviet Union. Government officials have been warned that the island is facing a "critical" energy shortage that requires the closing of non-essential factories and workshops and the shutting down of air conditioners and refrigerators not needed to preserve food and medicine. "The energy situation we face is critical and if we do not adopt extreme measures we will have to revert to planned blackouts affecting the population," said a recently circulated message from the Council of Ministers. "Company directors will analyze the activities that will be stopped and others reduced, leaving only those that guarantee exports, substitution of imports and basic services for the population," according to another distributed by the light industry sector. The directives follow government warnings in the summer that too much energy was being used and blackouts would follow if consumption was not reduced (Reuters, 11/11/09).

November 12: The cooperation relations between Cuba and China will strengthen with the setting up of a joint venture in 2010 between the Haier Corporation and the Electronics Group (GE) of the Cuban Ministry of Informatics and Communications. Elio Pacheco, director of GE pointed out that this project will allow Cuba to reduce imports while boosting the capacity and quality of the local industry in technology and building processes. Pacheco said they aspire to manufacture products that satisfy local demand and could eventually be exported. He added that this new company will build electrical appliances, desktop computers, laptops and their spare parts and others like washing machines, air conditioners and lightning (ACN, 12/11/09).

Noviembre 16: Una delegación de empresarios de la provincia china de Shandong firmó en La Habana varios acuerdos comerciales con el gobierno cubano en sectores como la industria básica, el transporte y la informática, informó la prensa oficial. Los acuerdos incluyen la compraventa de camiones, el montaje de un taller en el sector del níquel, la rehabilitación de refinerías y la reparación de tanques de combustible, así como la donación de equipos para el Ministerio de Educación y el polo científico de la isla. La delegación del país asiático viajó a La Habana encabezada por el miembro del Comité Central y secretario del Partido Comunista en Shandong, Jiang Yikang, quien se entrevistó con Ricardo Cabrisas, uno de los vicepresidentes del Consejo de Ministros de Cuba (EFE, 16/11/09).

Noviembre 17: El 70% de la superficie cultivada de Cuba está "maltratada" por algún factor erosivo, mientras que otro porcentaje similar tiene poca productividad, informaron expertos del ministerio de la Agricultura. El director del Instituto de Suelo, Dagoberto Rodríguez, señaló en una rueda de prensa en La Habana que 6,6 de los 10,7 millones de hectáreas que tiene la isla son áreas agrícolas, pero solo la mitad está cultivada. Según Rodríguez, la superficie cultivada de Cuba se ve afectada por problemas como erosión, salinidad y acidez de los suelos, lo que contribuye al bajo índice de fertilidad. El gobierno impulsa desde 2001 un programa para la conservación de los suelos, asunto prioritario en la isla desde que el presidente Raúl Castro decidiera dar prioridad a la reanimación de la agricultura y el incremento de la producción de alimentos (EFE, 17/11/09).

November 19: Foreign governments are under increasing pressure to intercede for businesses with hundreds of millions of dollars frozen in Cuba's state-run banks, as the cash-strapped island's year-long financial crisis drags on. But diplomats and commercial officers, deluged with complaints and cries for assistance from their countrymen, said they are having little success in getting answers from the Cuban government about when the money might finally be released. Visiting officials are placing the problem high on their agenda, the sources said. Cuban banks first informed some depositors last November they had no foreign exchange to transfer out of the country. They said devastation from hurricanes, wild price swings for imports and the country's main export, nickel, as well as the international financial crisis had created a cash crunch that would require a "temporary" hold on their accounts. By February, hundreds of suppliers and joint ventures had an estimated $1 billion frozen in the Communist-run country's banks. "They must be on the verge of collapse or have no idea what they are doing," a European commercial attache said. A Spanish businessman, asking that his name and that of his company not be used, said, "We are one of the country's most successful joint ventures and we can't import what we need because funds are blocked" (Reuters, 19/11/09).

November 20: Despite the world crisis, the Cuban tourist industry exhibits a 4 per cent growth up to date, compared with 2008, and it forecasts to close the year with good results.  At the closing of the 15th Americas Business Tourism and Incentive Trips Fair (MITM), Maria Elena Lopez, Cuba’s Tourism deputy Minister, said the growth is the result of a good commercial and promotional work, of the constant improvement of the tourist offer and of the contribution of colleagues from around the world (ACN, 21/11/09).

November 20: Representatives from Cuba and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed an agreement for a joint project to rehabilitate the aqueduct in the eastern city of Holguin. The Kuwaiti financing is of 15.2 million dollars to be used in the setting up of main and secondary water lines and pumping stations; to repair three waterworks plants and to build a new one; and to purchase water tanks for this eastern city. Ghanem Sulaiman Al-Ghenaiman, KFAED deputy director-general signed the agreement along René Mesa Villafaña and Jacobo Peison Weiner, president of the Cuban National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH) and of the Banco Exterior de Cuba, respectively (ACN, 21/11/09).

Noviembre 22: Un barco y una patana colisionaron en aguas cubanas el 18 de noviembre sin que se produjeran daños humanos, aunque sí la pérdida de 800 toneladas de azúcar, informaron las autoridades. El buque Marianao Ice, con pabellón de Malta, que navegaba desde La Habana hasta Santiago de Cuba, con un cargamento de 1.276 toneladas de pollo congelado, "impactó a una patana" perteneciente a la Empresa de Navegación Caribe (local), dijo un comunicado del Ministerio del Transporte publicado cuatro días después en el diario oficial Juventud Rebelde. La colisión se produjo al norte de Cayo Fragoso, en las inmediaciones de Isabela de Sagua, cerca de la medianoche del 18 de noviembre. La patana se dirigía a La Habana desde el puerto de Nuevitas, con un cargamento de 800 toneladas de azúcar que se perdió "completamente" al hundirse la embarcación. Las autoridades anunciaron la creación de una comisión ministerial para "determinar las causas y cuantificar las pérdidas económicas" (Cubaencuentro, 22/11/09).

November 24: Cuba will add 600,000 hectares a to its cultivable lands in order to increase food production, through the sub-urban agriculture program, highlighted Adolfo Rodríguez Nodal, head of the national group in this sector. In a meeting with producers and directives in eastern Holguin province, Rodriguez stressed that this initiative is about bringing closer the production to the people, thus saving resources while increasing the availability of products. The official underscored the pilot projects in 17 Cuban municipalities, to collect experiences that will be later spread throughout the country. He especially praised the central Cuban province of Camaguey, where this project was implemented seven months ago. The new procedure, he said, is based on the creation of farms close to urban areas and it is based on diversifying as many agriculture productions as possible, like milk, cattle meat, vegetables, fruits and others (ACN, 24/11/09).

November 25: Former United Kingdom energy minister Brian Wilson flew out to Havana with representatives of more than 20 British energy companies interested in doing business in Cuba. Firms, including some from Scotland, will participate in a two-day seminar to be opened by Yadira Garcia, the Cuban minister for basic industries, and chaired by Mr Wilson, who has long standing connections with Cuba. The companies represent both the renewable and hydrocarbon sectors of the energy industry. They have been brought together by the Cuba Initiative, an organisation supporting trade with the country with backing from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Cuba's ministry for basic industries. Mr Wilson said: "Cuba is an interesting market which will undoubtedly develop in the future. It is in the interest of British companies to get to know it now and to build partnerships with Cuban counterparts" (Aberdeen Press and Journal, 25/11/09).