The recently-promised computers have now gone on sale in Havana — and surprisingly, many people are purchasing them. They still cannot access the internet, and need special permission to get an e-mail account, but it seems that President Raul Castro is opening the country to the modern world, step by step. Hopefully, the average monthly wage (currently about $19.50 U.S.) will increase so that more Cubans can afford an $800 (U.S.) computer and some of the other amenities and products that have been placed on sale to the population. Right now, the key word is “available” — the goods are there but are still beyond the reach of the vast majority of citizens.
See photos and read more about the first day of computer sales on the Associated Press web site:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gG4bvAubvtUQd99TVnEOPW_CdpuQD90E1DQO0
He recibido una copia de la lista oficial de precios de aparatos electronicos en Cuba. Parece que esta lista ha sido distribuida a los centros de abastecimiento, pero alguien la ha lanzado al público. Es larga, pero puede verse al hacer click en Electrónicos en Cuba. Si no puede ver un pdf, puede bajar la version en Adobe http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/. Tenga presente que aunque los precios parecen ser razonables para nosotros, el costo es 10 veces mayor para un cubano. CUC (Moneda convertible) solo se puede obtener al cambiar dólares o cualquier otra moneda extranjera, lo cual es imposible para muchos cubanos. Los que tienen moneda extranjera deben pagar cargos mas allá del propio cambio. Aquà hay un enlace para entender el CUC — Cubacurrency.com .
También tengo una lista de tarifas de hotel para el público, o sea, los cargos para cubanos en hoteles para turistas. La lista esta en pdf: Tarifario Publico Hoteles, asi como una tabla de tarifas de servicios adicionales.
Por ultimo pueden ver un documento que explica como los cubanos pueden ahora comprar teléfonos celulares — a 60 centavos el minuto.
No creo que muchos puedan costearse este lujo.
I received a copy of the official list of prices for electronics in Cuba. It appears that the list is being distributed internally in the country, and some of the lists have leaked out. It’s lengthy, so click on this link: Electronics in Cuba. If you can’t view a “.pdf” file, you can download a free version from Adobe at: http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/ . When reading the list, be aware that although the prices may seem reasonable to us in other countries, the cost of every item is about 10 times more than the average Cuban can make in a month, and to add to the difficulty, CUC (Cuban Universal Currency) can only be obtained by exchanging foreign currency, which many Cubans do not have — and if they do have foreign currency, the government tags a surcharge onto their exchange, which it doesn’t do for tourists. Here’s a link to understanding CUCs: http://www.cubacurrency.com/cuban_convertible_pesos_cuc.html
On a similar note, I’ve come in to possession of the “public” hotel rates — “Public” meaning rates for Cubans at what had been tourist-only hotels. Here’s the list, again in .pdf format: Cuban Hotel Rates and a chart for additional hotel service fees.
Last but not least, is a document explaining how Cubans can now purchase and use cell phones: Cuban Cell Phones — at 60 cents a minute, I suspect that there won’t be many people who can afford these permissible toys.
¿Qué está pasando en Cuba? Esto aparenta ser una muestra de cambios, al menos en el ambiente…. Pero desgraciadamente sabemos por experiencia que a veces cuando el regimen aparenta soltar, es para apretar mas. Esperemos que estos cambios sean duraderos.
Los intelectuales cubanos alertan del deterioro de la educación
Escritores y artistas reclaman mayor acceso a Internet
Los cubanos manifiestan su deseo de aferrarse a algo. Expresan su fe hasta el punto en que provocan a “
la ley.” Frente a la cara del Che, una misa toma lugar, y la Plaza de los Trabajadores (antigua Plaza de la Merced) se llena. Por las calles donde reina la vigilancia, una manifestación de esperanza..
Mas fotos:
http://www.teresabevin.com/easter_2008_camaguey.htm
Cubans manifest their desire to hang on to something greater than themselves. They express their faith as far as they can without becoming a target. In front of a mural of Che, prayers are given, and the Worker’s Plaza of Camaguey (old Plaza de la Merced) is voluntarily filled with worshippers. Through the streets where vigilance reigns, the people marched in hope.
Is this real or Memorex (TM)?