An interesting and significant transformation process, identified as updating of the economic model, has started in all sectors of the Cuban economy, with significant implications for social and political aspects of the nation. These changes have been reflected in the Guidelines on the Economic and Social Policy of the Party and the Revolution, adopted at the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, in April 2011, and ratified by the PCC Conference, held in February 2012. Some analysts have argued that the guidelines reflect what, but you need to know how to implement them. At the same time, they have indicated that they do not specify, at least explicitly, the economic model which they aim to, this is due, essentially, that we can’t see a well-defined strategy, existing perhaps, but not made public. After the speech delivered by President Raul Castro on July 26, 2007, in Camagüey, the Cuban Communist Party convened to reflect on what he raised there. This resulted in 215 687 study meetings and reflections, described as necessary and useful, in which more than five million Cubans participated. Such a process, sometimes identified as a kind of plebiscite for its massiveness, resulted in more than 1.3...

This (gift) was given to me by the nature, I have not studied anything.

"Since 2008, the Cuban economy is stagnant. In 2011 GDP growth was 2.7%, below the average for Latin America and the Caribbean (4.3%). Official growth forecast for 2012-2015 was revised downwards from 5.1% to 4.4%. The main objective of the Cuban reform doesn’t seem to maximize economic growth through an accelerated opening, but doing it in a gradual and cautions way and with the objective of institutionalizing and bringing "order” to the country are also priorities. Therefore, foreign direct investment (FDI) must be inserted into an economy that doesn’t offer great incentives from aggregated demand, in an institutional changing setting but only gradually that keeps a selective policy toward foreign capital. However, the unavoidable need for external funds to encourage investment and further liberalization of the economy in small-scale enterprises could provide future opportunities for FDI. An element in favor of attracting FDI is the success of the adjustment policy implemented since 2008. Cuba has managed to reduce the fiscal deficit, imports and control the growth of external debt. One of the biggest achievements so far is the Cuban reform progress in the recovery of financial and macroeconomic balances. The risk country for FDI has improved with these results compared...

After months of legal package was passed on forming non-agricultural cooperatives in Cuba, the Council of Ministers is responsible for approving now a first group of 126 of these economic organizations that constitute the spearhead of what authorities called an "experiment". According to a Granma newspaper report, Marino Murillo Jorge, head of the Permanent Commission for the Implementation of the Guidelines reported that these first 126 cooperatives be formed from 111 farmers markets, another five will be dedicated to public transportion, six to ancillary services to transportation, two for the recycling of waste and raw material procurement, and 12 linked to the construction sector. The press release does not provide details on the geographic location of these cooperatives, or the amount of labor that they will absorb. These advances are somewhat below the expectations the government created  last December when it was reported that early experiences would cover about 230 of these associations in almost all municipalities. Ruben Toledo Diaz, head of Group Management Model of the Commission for the Implementation of the Guidelines, then declared that the activities approved for this type of collective management "in its infancy" would be 47. Although the press never addressed the complete list,...

Cuban singer Inti Santana will offer a concert named The Spiral, which is scheduled for next Saturday, April 6th , that will be used as a way to begin sharing the project of a Cultural Cooperative, a space for trova and alternative culture in its diversity. Several young people with common cultural interests and passions have come together to create this space that promises to be "a different place in our Havana where food, music and art are mixed in a Cafe Concert managed by ourselves," explained the organizers of the concert, who are also involved in the project of the cooperative . Although it has not been fully materialized due to lack of physical space, among other reasons, the first steps in what will be the first Cuban Cultural Cooperative have been already undertaken. Several members of the cooperative will share their ideas about this project with the audience attending Inti´s concert next Saturday, April 6th, at 7:00 pm, in the Cuban Art Building of the National Museum of Fine Arts, where the bands Obsesion (Hip Hop), the Q- Soho Band (Arabic music and dance) and the troubadours Roly Berrio, Yaíma Orozco and Oscar Sanchez will also perform.  

Reinaldo Miravalles, a 90-year-young Cuban who says he is one thing only: an actor; Miglis, a Swede who found in Cuba his place in the world; Freddy “La Gorda,” a woman who sang with her heart; Arneldy, who brings each and every one of his puppets to life; Tomás Sánchez, an all-around artist who illuminates the Cuban visual arts; these are some of the stories that we bring to you for April. Also in this issue, you will find an article on the Ernest Hemingway International Billfish Tournament, which will be held in May; another on the unique architecture of the famous Cabaret Tropicana, and an analysis of expectations around the Cuban economy sparked by recent changes in government.                  

"Our essence is still a smile," Carlos Diaz said.

In this special issue, we present you with several articles about baseball, our national passion; one is by well-known writer and baseball fan Leonardo Padura; another is a look at the relationship between two of our greatest Cuban pitchers, Pedro Luis Lazo and Jose Ariel Contreras, one of whom lives in Cuba and the other in the United States.

It can’t be a coincidence that the Habanos S.A. corporation chooses February, the month of love, to hold its Habanos Festival every year. You can learn more about this important event in this month’s edition, through our exclusive interview with Jorge Luis Fernández, the company’s commercial vice president.

In this issue, you also can read about a range of diverse and interesting topics, including the challenges faced by Cuban baseball; an unbiased look at Abakuá culture; the history of the Albear Aqueduct , a masterpiece of civil engineering; the eventful life of the first woman to practice medicine in Cuba, and—something that will be a new discovery for many—Manaca-Iznaga, a place where centuries-old traditions live on. You will also find an expert analysis of the new tax law.

OnCuba presents you with this issue as a year’s-end gift. Some of our topics: the way that we Cubans celebrate these holidays; a look at contemporary art in Cuba; statements by the organizers of the Art Basel fair in Miami Beach; a special devoted to the famous quartet Los Zafiros; and the new economic horizons that are opening up as a result of Cuba’s new migration policy. We also have details on the international festivals of New Latin American Cinema, Jazz, and Arts and Crafts.

E very one of us has a specific Havana that we love, long for, need and enjoy in our own way. We hope that you will recognize your city in this special edition of OnCuba, which we have dedicated to the former Villa San Cristóbal de la Habana, which will turn 493 years old on November 16. An interview with City Historian Eusebio Leal; the story of the House of the Green Tiles, and; the new policy for renting locales in Habana Vieja.

The art of dancing is the theme of this edition of OnCuba. We take a look at different dance companies, beginning with our emblematic school of ballet. You can learn about how a perfect equilibrium between the mind and body movement made Deborah Andollo one of the people who has dove deepest into the sea. We also offer a glimpse at those who have made their cars — the diminutive and unique “Polskis,” which I believe survive only in Cuba — into a lifestyle.

This issue of OnCuba is dedicated to beginnings. Breaking the inertia is the subject of our conversation with Dr. Manuel Calviño, and we tell you about a special way of starting out in life: with La Colmenita. A new beginning for Fanny, former karate champion and now leader of a rock band, and a new project involving Havana’s Mariel Port are some of the other topics that we bring you this month.

It is hard to find a Cuban who can go very long without seeing the ocean and not miss it. In my case, the need to be close to the sea was an early revelation. I remember that walking along the Malecón was the first thing I did when my parents allowed me to go out alone. It was also where I received my first romantic kiss, and many an evening ended on the Malecón amid guitar music and friends. It was also there, with the waters of the Caribbean as a backdrop, that I first met the person who would be the love of my life.

Without question, July is a month of magic, and you have to know how to experience it... and cool it off. We have dedicated this issue to that special warmth of July, the summer heat, and also its human warmth. Nature, music, fine arts, economy, tips for summer and even a haunted house are some of the topics we bring to you in this issue. We are also introducing two new sections: Lifestyle and Architecture are now part of our magazine.

June marks 165 years since the first Chinese arrived at our island. In this issue of OnCuba, we would like to offer you one perspective on this subject. The well-known Cuban author Leonardo Padura – who, I suspect, is also part Chinese, part Congolese and part Carabali — comments on truth and myths about the Chinese presence in Cuba; and with Ciro Bianchi, our esteemed chronicler, we will take a trip through Havana’s Chinatown.

In this issue of OnCuba we discuss these events and present our readers with a special supplement about the 11th Havana Biennial, the most important visual arts showcase in Cuba, when the city turns into a celebration of the senses and the imagination, with renowned artists from all over the world.

In this issue of OnCuba we offer you an April of images. Through persons and places that have much to do with the cinema, we can come closer to the current events on the Island. In addition to our regular sections, this second issue OnCuba offers a premier: “Economy & Business” is the section where our readers will be informed of economic changes, experiences and opportunities that Cuba offers in this area.

Cuba is a mystery. What is its allure that makes it impossible to come in contact with her and remain indifferent? Our publication aims precisely to answer that question.