Far is already that day in November 1492 when Spaniard Rodrigo de Xerez and converted Jew Luis de Torres saw Cuban aboriginals smoking "dry leaves which gave off a peculiar fragrance."

2012年对已古巴来说，一系列大量的改革性措施作为“经济模式革新”的一部分，由卡斯特罗推动的，寻找国家社会政治系统效率，稳定和繁荣。 回想起来，12月期间留下的变化和平衡的波动并不会放宽，因为尚未完成，壮观的跳跃和所有他们期望的有形的结果，但很少有人相信，是创造的基础有着颠覆性。 其他人更喜欢看到“杯子有一半是空的”，并要求更快的速度在一些沉重的问题上，然而没有得到解决，这之间面临的挑战是高价格，低工资和2种货币循环。 去年一月开始了第一次明显的迹象表明，政治言论与实践同步，扩展了私人业主租用公家地方的可能性，实验表明是中的小理发店和美发沙龙。 政府决定延长私营的授权，私营业者表示，全国的25个办事处，到目前为止，只有提供国家中心。 这些变化并没有实现，直到在7月，议会批准了2013年1月实施新税法，修订税制为了适应国家的现状，此外就是一个系统，包括税收收入，销售，服务，人才招聘和强制性供款的社会保障。

For Cuba, 2012 brought the massive implementation of a package of revolutionary measures that are part of what is known as the “updating of the economic model,” promoted by President Raúl Castro in pursuit of efficiency, sustainability and prosperity for the country’s social and political system.

The industry that once led Cuba’s economy, sugar, is back with a goal: to recover its position at the top. For centuries sugar has been the power horse of Cuban economy and a key element in the Cuban identity. However, this year the harvest, which began on the Matanzas Jesus Rabbi mill, has different shades that bring hope of a potential recovery of that industry. First, the Cuban sugar industry has just opened to foreign investment for the first time in over half a century, with the arrival of the Brazilian Works and Infrastructure Company (IOC).