The trade fair in Havana will attract investors. While Germany opened a trade office strengthened, particularly in Russia its presence in Cuba. From Havana Andreas Knobloch.
It were as pleasing as surprising news, the made since the end of September the round. Cuba and the United States is a Joint-Venture in the field of biotechnology: Innovative Inmmunotherapy Aliance S. A. mixed companies to develop cancer drugs and therapies. The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, who had engineered the Deal significantly, celebrated the Alliance to the press as a “historic step”.
A ray of light in times when the relations between the two countries became frosty. Watch this Trend can also be illustrated in the on Monday (29.10.) beginning annual trade fair FIHAV in Havana.
Had confessed to the fair three years ago, still in the sign of the rapprochement between the USA and Cuba – with a record participation of U.S. companies – is gone then the euphoria now. At this year’s edition, only a few exhibitors from the USA will take part. Similar steps as in the previous year, said Cuba’s foreign trade Minister Rodrigo Malmierca told the press in Havana. 2017 had occupied 16 of the US company of around 250 square meters of exhibition space.
Trump leaves Cuba to Russia to look
Almost four years after Barack Obama’s pivot in the Cuba policy of the US, the disenchantment. Under Trump, the USA returned to Cold war rhetoric. Obama’s adopted travel and trade facilitation between the United States and Cuba have been withdrawn. The continuing Blockade against Cuba is to be set in some areas more stringent. Transactions with the Cuban military controlled companies were banned.
The German economy is a regular guest at the recent trade fair in Havana (here is a picture from the year 2014)
The fair, Cuba’s showcase for potential investors on the island, and at the same time level of economic development. And the stagnant. Just a few days ago the economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) had lowered its growth forecast for the Cuban economy for 2018 to 1.1 percent.
Cuba’s closest ally Venezuela produces less Oil, tourism is on the decline, hurricanes, and Floods have caused serious damage – the country urgently needs foreign investment. The of the since April President Miguel Díaz-Canel repeated at every opportunity.
In the framework of FIHAV-Cuba will introduce a new investment catalog. In the past year, these 456 projects included with a total investment of 10.7 billion US dollars. His goal, every year 2.5 billion U.S. dollars of foreign capital to attract, the country currently but still far.
German economy opens trade office
In total, exhibitors from more than 60 countries have confirmed their participation in FIHAV. The show, Malmierca, “that the world holds to Cuba, despite the worsening of the economic, commercial and financial blockade by the United States”. Among the most important exhibitors, according to tradition, Spain, Venezuela, China and Russia. Also, German companies will be back with a private gazebo represented. In addition, will be opened in the coming week, the “German office for the promotion of trade and investment in Cuba,” in the presence of the Deputy chief Executive of the DIHK, Achim Dercks, as well as several state secretaries of various government ministries solemnly.
But especially a former Partner, the relationship will again close: Russia. So a forum of Entrepreneurs “Russia – Latin America and the Caribbean will take place in the framework of the fair”. The perspectives to be explored “for the cooperation in the fields of trade, economy and investments between Russia and the countries of the Region,” as it was called in the announcement. Russia as the successor state of the Soviet Union had given Cuba 2014, around 90 per cent of his old debts. The remaining approximately 3.5 billion US dollars should be compensated with preferential conditions for Russian investments on the island.
The Russian Oil company Rosneft Cuba to modernize the largest refinery in Cienfuegos, which runs because of reduced oil Supplies from Venezuela only at half strength. In September 2017, both countries signed also a package of agreements, including in the energy sector, railway transport and for the delivery of elevators. Other agreements relate to the manufacture of food products and the textile industry. In addition, Russia, Trucks, buses, and locomotives. This fits in with that of Cuba, President Díaz-Canel will leave next week for his first state visit to Russia. Cuba is oriented back towards the East.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothersIn 1959, The Revolution triumphed
The rebel Fidel Castro come to Power after dictator Fulgencio Batista fled in January. The United States recognize the new government, interfere with, but on the “revolutionary” land reform. President Dwight D. Eisenhower approves a Plan of the CIA to the overthrow of Castro within one year and to replace it with a US-friendly Junta.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers1960 – nationalization and approach to the Soviet Union
Eisenhower prohibits all exports to Cuba (except food and medical goods) and the importation of sugar. Cuba nationalized then American property and wants to be close to the Soviet Union. Here you can see Fidel Castro (left) and his comrades-in-arms at the funeral for the victims of the Explosion of the freighter “La Coubre”, the Cuba, the CIA was responsible.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers1961 – Bay of pigs Invasion
The tensions between the US and Cuba to take. Washington breaks on 3. In January 1961 diplomatic relations with Havana. In April, a CIA-supported Expedition by exile lands Bay-Cubans in the Pig, in order to overthrow the Regime of Fidel Castro. The Invasion fails within a period of three days.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers1962 – One of the highlights of the cold war: Cuban missile crisis
In 1960 the then head of government of the Soviet Union, Khrushchev said: “I don’t know if Fidel is a Communist, but I’m a Fidelist.” The Soviet Union has increased the support and decided on the stationing of medium-range missiles in Cuba. This led to the so-called “Cuban missile crisis”. The crisis ended after 13 days, with a secret compromise between Moscow and Washington.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers1971 – Fidel Castro in Chile
The Episode in the Bay of pigs and the Cuban missile crisis reinforced the Marxist-Leninist character of the Cuban Revolution. Cuba has been isolated in Latin America are increasingly developed but at the same time to the model of the left revolutionary movements throughout the continent. In 1971, Castro was received by the socialist President of Chile Salvador Allende (right).
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers1989 – The hour of Perestroika
The coming to power of Mikhail Gorbachev as General Secretary of the CPSU was the beginning of Glasnost and Perestroika. The Iron curtain began to disintegrate and the Soviet Empire broke apart. Cuba lost its most important Partner, and plunged into a deep crisis. Thousands of Cubans tried to flee in rickety boats to Miami. Many predicted the end of the Castro regime.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers1998 – The first papal visit to
A decree of Pope Pius XII had forbidden in 1941 all Roman Catholics to support the Communist Regime. Because of Fidel Castro in 1962, was excommunicated. But the decades passed, and after the end of the Cold war, the Moment of approach of came. 1996 visited Castro, Pope John Paul II Two years later returned the visit. A gesture that was seen as historically.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers2002 – Fidel Castro and Jimmy Carter play Baseball
Since then, the U.S. had imposed in 1962, their trade embargo, there were only a few moments of relaxation between Washington and Havana. One of these moments, the visit of the U.S. President Jimmy Carter was in the year 2002. The attempt, however, was in the sand.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers2006 – Fidel and Hugo
Starting in the 1990s, Cuba lost its charisma as an exporter of revolutions. With the collapse of the Eastern bloc, the socialist ideology seemed to be in Latin America at the end. But then an admirer of Fidel Castro came to Power in Venezuela in. Hugo Chavez advocated for a “Bolivarian Revolution” and gave Cuba a valuable economic support.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers2006 – The Handover
The age forced Fidel Castro to hand over Power. In 2006, he handed them over to his brother Raúl. A clear Signal that there would be no radical changes in Cuba. Despite all the progress made in the areas of education and health, paid with the country at a high price: human rights violations, lack of freedom of expression and Repression.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers2014 – Temporary Thaw
Raúl Castro and Barack Obama surprised the world on 17. December 2014: announce at the same time the establishment of diplomatic relations between their countries and the exchange of prisoners. In addition, Obama loosens embargo, the economy. The thaw, however, is only of short duration. With President Trump, the relations will deteriorate again rapidly.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers2016 – Fidel Castro dies
So many times announced and then denied, Many do not want to believe the death news of Fidel Castro in the beginning. However, at the 25. November 2016, closed the Bars and cafes, as the news spread in the streets of Havana. Over the years, Fidel Castro had been declared dead, only to then again in appearance. But not this Time.
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The Cuba of the Castro brothers2018 – The successor to the Castros
After 10 years, Raúl, the younger of the two Castro brothers is now retiring from the government. The Cuban Parliament will elect the 19. April the successor to the bears for the first time in almost 60 years, the name Castro. The most promising candidate of the former Vice-President Miguel Díaz Canel (right). The political course of Cuba will change, but likely so soon to nothing.