Cuba and Venezuela

How are the two openly communist states in the Americas doing?

Cuba, not so good.

www.reuters.com...

Vital imports including fuel and grains have seen prices soar between 25% and 40% this year, putting new pressure on a government chronically short of dollars, said the businessmen, who include three foreigners with years of working in joint ventures as well as the head of a Cuban factory.

"The Cuban government is feeling the pain, as is the general population and the nascent sector of private Cuban entrepreneurs. Things are looking very difficult for Cuba in the short and medium term," said Canadian lawyer Gregory Biniowsky, who has been a consultant on business and investment in Cuba for decades.

I wondered how Cuba would do post-Fidel. I think there's potential for revolution, but Fidel and friends beat down anyone with any sense of independence these last few decades.

Venezuela? struggling. negotiating with US to sell oil?
www.bnamericas.com...

Washington could lift a ban on US oilfield service firms from operating in Venezuela amid growing pressure to ease supply fears caused by an embargo on Russian energy imports.

Company executives are lobbying Washington to allow the resumption of operations with Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA and joint-venture partner Chevron, according to Reuters, which cited eight sources with knowledge of the talks.

USA needs oil and Venezuela needs cash so the pragmatists might put aside their mutual loathing. I guess.

Spam

a reply to: ElGoobero

Embargoes and sanctions actually hurt nations? Who would have thought!?

If Venezuela breaks a deal will their nationalized oil actually take majority of the profits or will some multi national oil corporation barge in there and just basically steal it all only making only a few people rich in Venezuela?

Happy happy happy. Everyone is happy.

originally posted by: strongfp
a reply to: ElGoobero

Embargoes and sanctions actually hurt nations? Who would have thought!?

If Venezuela breaks a deal will their nationalized oil actually take majority of the profits or will some multi national oil corporation barge in there and just basically steal it all only making only a few people rich in Venezuela?

I'm guessing Maduro &co will get their share
we know how it works, the working poor will get little or nothing.

Venezuela produces oil. Oil is a necessity.

Cuba specializes in sugar and tourism. Luxuries.

as things get worse, Venezuela might benefit some, but Cuba has little hope for the future.

a reply to: ElGoobero

I guess rum and Cuban cigars will go up in price along with Russian Vodka. Somehow I don't think gasoline will get any cheaper though.

Poor Potato Harvest in Cuba

havanatimes.org...

The long lines to buy potatoes will continue to be the scene in Cuban neighborhoods, after the Ministry of Agriculture recognized this Thursday that the national production of the tuber will not cover the internal demand in 2022 and, in the best of cases, it will be at last year’s levels.
The information is becoming known at an adverse moment for the Cuban countryside, after negative data on its main crops, such as sugar, tobacco and coffee, which became known in recent months.

The country, which imports between 60% and 70% of the food it needs, is also going through a serious economic crisis, due to the pandemic, US economic sanctions and errors in national macroeconomic management.

apparently the sugar harvest is also poor.
sad. The Cuban people deserve better lives. and a better government.