Warning: You may feel some things are surrealistic, improbable, or absurd but all is true. Remember, Cuba is under the control of a totalitarian state with the only objective of keeping the power at any cost. This report will show you the actual situation in Cuba, that one that the state propaganda tries to deny.
Created by me
The main economic indicators of Cuba at the end of the first semester are very discreet.
Some macroeconomic data could make you believe that the recovery is a fact, but they are misleading and disproportionate due to inflation. For example, in the indicators of net sales, they show an overcompliance in their value, as well as what was planned in the retail mercantile circulation. However, the productive and production indices fall. Putting these figures in context, it is observed that less is produced and sold at a higher price.
The following article shows the specificities of one of the Cuban provinces:
http://www.invasor.cu/es/secciones/economia/control-y-eficiencia-claves-para-la-recuperacion-economica-en-ciego-de-avila
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The value of 1 dollar is 220 Cuban pesos. Now the Cuba minimum pension is around 6.86 USD, the minimum wage is 9.54 USD and the average salary is 19.09 dollars; all amounts are on a monthly basis.
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The Government of Havana creates a company to seek alliances with foreign companies. Officials say that the new company has among its objectives to "manage" basic services in Havana.
VelaHabana S.A, is financed with 100% Cuban capital and is the first of its kind in the Government of the capital. Its "shareholders" are four other companies in the name of Cuban officials: Yanelis Lazara Fresneda Bueno (Havana Provincial Lodging Company), Abdelin González Mesa (Provincial Food Industry Company), Blanca Nieves Toymil Figueredo (Optical Services Company) and Yusimy Maceo Yero (Provincial Company of Local Industries).
Lack of medicines, high cost of food, and political repression are the constant in Cuba.
I alerted in the number 3 Report, in the Social subtitle, the case of 2 young men that was victims of a deception where they apparently were hired to work in construction sites but in reality sign a contract with the Russian army. It is suspicious that the totalitarian regime was not aware of such a recruitment operation where young people left the island with a signed contract and when the public complaints were made for months. A Ryazan Gazette reported that Cubans living in Russia had joined Russian combat forces in exchange to receive monthly payments and citizenship.
Source under CC BY-SA 2.0 License
The good news is that the state seems to have reacted (let's wait to see if there is a concrete action) when in a foreign ministry statement they anounce that:
"The Ministry of the Interior detected and is working on the neutralization and dismantling of a human trafficking network that operates from Russia to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some from Cuba, into the military forces participating in war operations in Ukraine."
In other part of the declaration say:
"It will act energetically against whoever, from the national territory, participates in any form of human trafficking for the purpose of recruitment or mercenarism so that Cuban citizens use arms against any country."
In Cuba there is a law against mercenarism, so Cubans who have voluntarily joined the Russian army should be criminally prosecuted if they return to Cuba. It remains to be seen in the future if this law is applied or reinterpreted to avoid a political conflict with an allied country.
The truth is there is no way to prevent Cubans from traveling to Russia since that country is visa-free for nationals of the island. And according to The Moscow Times, entire ethnic battalions of mercenaries operate in the conflict zone, and the Russian Defense Ministry is ready to conclude a contract even with illegal immigrants.
This same medium report that a Russian soldier with the rank of superior officer, on condition of anonymity, affirmed that when he was already in charge of the battalion there were only Cubans and Serbs and they all had a contract with the Ministry of Defense.
Apparently there are many young people who go directly from Cuba for money.
"These are not local Cubans, they do not stop in Moscow, they immediately sign a contract and go to fight" -explains a translator from the Russian army- "And then they disappear, their relatives look for them through the Cuban diaspora, through the networks social, and we have nothing to do with it. The person is most likely already dead."
Of course, human traffickers who are arrested in Cuba will receive an exemplary sanction, but majority of them operate legally in Russia.
This is all for today Cuba: Inside View, thanks for reading, and remember that you can check the other reports here:
