MAY 8, 2015
5
FAST FACTS: CUBA
Population: 11 million
Capital: Havana (Population, 2.1
million)
Ethnic groups: White, 64.1%; mestizo,
26.6%; black, 9.3%
Median age: 39.9 years
Land mass: 42,800 square miles
GDP: $1'21 billion
Exports: $6.3 billion
Imports: $13.6 billion
Main import partners: Venezuela,
38.3 percent; China, 10.8 percent;
Spain, 8.9 percent; Brazil, 5.2 percent;
U.S., 4.3 percent
Agricultural products: Sugar, ., .
tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes,
beans
Industries: Petroleum, nickel, cobalt,
pharmaceuticals, steel, cement,
machi.nery
Average salary: $471 pesos (about
$20 a month)
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SOURC ES: GIA WORLD FACTBOOK, CUBA'S
NATI ONAL STATISTICS & INFORMATION OFFICE
WHAT'S NEXT
FOR CUBA-U.S.
RELATIONS?
and even criminal charges.
"The U.S. government is concerned
about companies doing business or investing with the Cuban government. For example, the sales of medical products and
devices, construction materials and other
goods can be sold to Cuba, but one of the
restrictions is knowing the buyer of those
goods. Some of these exceptions allow
business with only independent Cuban
companies not owned or partly-owned by
the government," said Vescovacci.
What makes that a problem is that the
number of wholly-private companies in
Cuba is small. "So it's the U.S. regulations
that are making the problem for U.S. companies. How can a company find out if
their Cuban buyers are part of the government or not? The only way to find out is
to go there and inquire, because you can't
look them up using services like SunBiz.
You have to go down to the local registration office there, and still they may or may
not tell you," Vescovacci added.
Then there's the looming perception
President Barack Obama has said he
hopes his administration can open a
U.S. embassy in Cuba.
Obama recommended in April
that Cuba be removed from the
U.S. government's list of state
sponsors of terrorism, which
is expected to help improve
relations, as well as potentially
result in Cuba having its own
embassy in Washington, D.C.
Obama has said he hopes he'll be
able to announce more progress on
U.S. -Cuba relations as negotiations
continue.
The president aims to normalize
relations with Cuba by easing
trade and financial restrictions,
and addressing human rights
and foreign policy issues with the
island.
However, U.S. lawmakers aren't
making it easy, as some members
of the U.S. House of Representatives
have introduced legislation that
would bar the use of funds to
facilitate flights that would land or
pass through property confiscated
by the Cuban government, said a
Reuters report.
There's also a separate group of
federal leaders looking to keep all
travel restrictions to Cuba.
The review of the country as a
state sponsor of terrorism is still
underway, as are discussions on
human rights, travel and trade
restrictions.
A worker hand- rolls cigars in Cuba.
problems businesses would face if trying to invest in Cuba. A poll by Florida
International University showed 48 percent of Cuban-Americans in Miami-Dade
- which has the largest concentration of
Cubans outside of the island - favor continuing the U.S. embargo against Cuba,
compared to 64 percent of Americans
who support establishing diplomatic ties
and ending travel and trade bans.
Groups are split, but the perception is
stronger on doing away with the embar_:_
go, and that's a good sign, said Vescovacci. "I think you will see a lot of movement within the next five years. Most of
the population here in the U.S. wants the
embargo gone, and any politician who is
looking at that will know they will have
to deal with the reality that most of the
U.S. is for getting rid of it, and .they may
not want to go against that."
But this is not the time to rush in like
it's the next California gold rush, said
Bolivar.
"People can't be naive that they are
doing business with a capitalist society.
This is still a communist country. Clearly, the needs are there, but that doesn't
always quantify into a healthy business-making environment. Be very careful and know you still are doing business
with the Castro regime," she said. "However, I think it is a reality that is here to
stay and flourish one way or another."
2002
2008
2009
2014
The first Afghan prisoners arrive
at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay
Naval Station in Cuba.
Castro retires and hands over
the presidency to his brother,
Raul Castro.
President Barack Obama eases
restrictions on Cuba, allowing
more travel and allowing
Cuban -Americans to send
unlimited amounts of money to
Cubans.
Obama says his administration
will begin talks to normalize
trade relations with Cuba.
If
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