Newly authorized Cuba trips sell out fast, run into controversy

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY. As the walls between Cuba and the USA started to crumble, starting with the Obama administration loosening restrictions on Cuban-Americans visiting home and sending money, a controversy has arisen. Established and respected U.S. tour companies such as upscale Abercrombie &amp; Kent recently began selling cultural tours to bring American vacationers to the Communist island, still off limits to the average tourist. A&amp;K's trips -- due to start late this summer -- and those of Vantage Deluxe World Travel, just to name two, sold out fast and more departures were added. Read More

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Andean Summit for New Boost to Integration

<p style="text-align: justify;">By: Dayami Interián García.29 de julio de 2011, 12:41Lima, Jul 29 (Prensa Latina) The Andean Community of Nations (CAN) is headed toward a process of becoming stronger, the Andean Presidential Council agreed during a brief summit in the Peruvian capital after the inauguration of President Ollanta Humala. The 18th meeting of that Council was attended by Humala and the presidents of Bolivia, Evo Morales; Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos; and Ecuador, Rafael Correa. Read More

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Packed House Acclaims Cuban Film Habanastation in the USA

<p style="text-align: justify;">By: Indira Santana. 29 de julio de 2011, 17:30.Havana, Jul 29 (Prensa Latina) Cuban film Habanastation by novice filmmaker Ian Padron, had its USA premiere in a packed house at the International Transverse Film Festival. The audience acclaimed the movie with a standing ovation. In statements to Prensa Latina via Internet, Padron said there was laughter and tears in the Hockstand Lars Auditorium, where U.S. movie maker Michael Moore, who is the Festival's president, presented the film. Read More

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Daily poll: Should the American embargo of Cuba be rescinded?

<p style="text-align: justify;">Saturday, July 30, 2011, 5:27 AM. The Jersey Journal.There is a move afoot by Republican lawmakers -- mostly in South Florida -- to again tighten restrictions on travel to Cuba, the tiny Communist nation 90 miles south of Florida. They claim that when President Obama eased travel restrictions that had been imposed by President George Bush, Cuba reaped a financial windfall. Under Bush, family members could only visit once every three years and as it has been since the embargo began, people without family there were not allowed to travel there. Read More

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Cuba jails airline, pharma execs for corruption

<p style="text-align: justify;">Cuba sentences airline, pharmaceutical executives to 3- to 13-year prison terms for corruption.On Friday July 29, 2011, 9:52 pm EDT. HAVANA (AP) -- Cuban courts have convicted airline and pharmaceutical executives of corruption and sentenced them to three to 13 years in prison. The stiffest sentence is 13 years for Cubana de Aviacion director Jose Heriberto Prieto. An announcement on state television Friday night also mentions sentences for various officials from pharmaceutical company Herbiotec SA. Read More

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Cuba Considering Civil Unions for Gays, Lesbians

<p style="text-align: justify;">Is Cuba on the verge of considering civil unions? The announcement was made by Mariela Castro, daughter of Raul Castro and the director of Cuba's national sex education center, during an interview with Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser earlier this month. Castro, the island's leading gay rights advocate, said Cuban authorities are already studying the proposal in preparation for the upcoming Community Party conference on Jan. 28. Read More

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Cuba approves flights from 9 more American cities

<p style="text-align: justify;">Reuters. By Marc Frank. HAVANA (Reuters) - Air travel between the United States and Cuba will become easier with the opening of charter flights to the forbidden island from an additional nine U.S. cities announced by Cuba authorities on Friday. Cuban travel agency Havanatur Celimar said it added the cities of Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Houston and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the list from where charter flights would be accepted.Cuba is preparing for an increase in visitors from its long-time ideological foe under a recent loosening of travel restrictions by the Obama administration. Read More

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Second Miami charter company says it is approved for Cuba flights

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Steve Huettel, Times Staff Writer.Friday, July 29, 2011. A Miami air charter company hopes to start selling tickets from Tampa International Airport to Havana next week. But ABC Charters can expect competition soon. Xael Charters, also based in Miami, announced Thursday that it also received authorization from the Cuban government this week to fly the Tampa-Havana route. Like ABC, Xael already operates charter flights, mostly for Cuban-Americans, from Miami to Havana and Holguin in eastern Cuba. Read More

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Cuban Gov. Earmarks Nearly One Billion to Get Enterprises Into Shape

<p style="text-align: justify;">HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 29 (acn) The Cuban government recently allocated approximately $998 million Cuban Pesos (CUP) for the revitalization of a number of enterprises involved in the production of goods and services, to compensate the loss they have accumulated over the years and face their lack of liquidity. In presenting an update of the State budget before the Commission on Economic Affairs of the Cuban Parliament, for the first half of 2011, Minister of Finances and Prices Lina Pedraza said the ministries on the priority list are those of agriculture; food, light, basic and iron and steel industries; domestic commerce and construction. Read More

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Head of Chinese Information Office in Cuba for Working Visit

<p style="text-align: justify;">HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 29 (acn) Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Marcelino Medina Gonzalez met Thursday with the Director of the Information Office of China, Wang Chen, who is visiting Cuba.During the meeting at the ministry's headquarters, both parties acknowledged the excellent state of bilateral relations and the Acting Minister said the Cuban government and people were open to further strengthen the ties between both countries, says a report by the Cuban Foreign Ministry. Read More

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