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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 24 august 2022
Cuban government starts selling dollars -- with limits

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ order to travel abroad —
Associated Press sometimes buying goods
HAVANA (AP) — Cubans to sell at a profit when they
lined up by the dozens at return home.
exchange houses on Tues- Officials said Monday that
day for the chance to buy under the new policy, sales
dollars and other hard cur- of hard currency will be lim-
rency from the government ited not only by the $100
for the first time in two years. cap but also by how much
The new policy announced the local exchange house
Monday night comes al- had purchased from the
most three weeks after the public the day before.
communist government At the branch visited by The
began buying hard curren- Associated Press, regional
cy from the public at 110.40 CADECA director Kenia Ka-
pesos per dollar a rate tiuska Mesa told gathered
similar to that of the black customers that 190 people
market and more than four would be allowed to pur-
times the rate used for offi- chase there on Tuesday.
cial transactions. Economist Mauricio de Mi-
Under the new policy, A worker shows a wad of Cuban pesos in Havana, Cuba, Dec. 11, 2020. randa said on his Facebook
meant to help combat the Associated Press page that the new mea-
illegal market in hard cur- sures are “insufficient and
rency, individuals can buy ucts hard to find at subsi- But prices rose much faster ing dollars and other hard partial and instead of lead-
up to $100 in cash a day at dized state stores. than the new higher wages currency sent or brought ing to a solution of the eco-
a rate of 123.60 to the dol- But 32-year-old camera adopted under the reform, in from abroad more valu- nomic problems, widen the
lar in 37 designated state operator Juan Pérez was which coincided with an able. That led to long lines grave crisis which has now
CADECA exchange shops. dissatisfied with the new economic crisis caused by and growing public frustra- lasted more than three de-
The official rate used by measure, arguing the limits the COVID-19 pandemic tion. cades.”
government industries and on sales would just increase and reduced support from The low, fixed official rate A Cuba specialist at the
agencies that dominate the price of dollars on the Cuba’s ally Venezuela, meant people avoided ex- Javeriana University in
the economy remains 24 black market. which was also struggling, changing money through Cali, Colombia, he said
pesos to the dollar. At the start of 2021, Cuba as well as continuing U.S. the government, starving it that without “a program
“I want (euros) to be able eliminated a longstand- sanctions that had limited even further of hard curren- of structural reforms, inte-
to buy snacks for my grand- ing dual currency system, money sent to Cubans by cy and its ability to import gral and systematic, they
children,” said Maricela dropping a special type relatives in the U.S. needed products. will not manage to over-
Prado, a 62-year-old state of convertible peso sup- Growing shortages led to Cubans can use special come the current intenal
worker who was among the posedly aimed largely at increasing prices for goods hard currency debit cards obstacles that impede the
first in line at an exchange tourism and foreigners and bought from private sellers to buy goods at special- economic development of
house in central Havana. changing all operations and to a street-level de- ized state stores and many Cuba.”q
Jam is one of myriad prod- into local currency. valuation of the peso, mak- also seek dollars or euros in

Dutch government under fire in debate over emissions cuts

By MIKE CORDER confidence in each other have sparked angry pro- tiations. Rutte conceded of-living crisis that is hitting
Associated Press to keep working together tests by farmers. that Hoekstra’s interview the Netherlands and many
THE HAGUE, Netherlands as lawmakers broke into The debate was called af- “caused friction with” the other European nations
(AP) — Dutch Prime Min- their summer vacations to ter Foreign Minister Wopke government’s plans, but amid soaring energy costs
ister Mark Rutte said Tues- debate the government’s Hoekstra said in a newspa- he added: “My convic- and inflation.
day that members of his contentious plans to slash per interview that the goal tion is that all members of “This Cabinet is totally
Cabinet have enough nitrogen emissions that of reducing emissions by the Cabinet have enough detached from reality,”
50% by 2030 wasn’t set in confidence in one another Wilders said as the debate
stone. Hoekstra’s Christian to continue working to- began. He said he would
Democrats party, which gether.” file a motion of no confi-
traditionally wins votes He said the government dence in the government
among farmers and in rural was awaiting the outcome later in the debate, which
communities, has been los- of a series of discussions be- was expected to last into
ing support in polls since the tween a mediator and min- the evening.
government published its isters, representatives of the The leader of the centrist
nitrogen targets. Hoekstra’s agriculture industry and en- D66 party, Sigrid Kaag, did
comments caused tensions vironmentalists that are in- not attend the debate be-
among members of Prime tended to ease tensions in cause she was ill.
Minister Mark Rutte’s four- the heated public debate. Her party has pushed hard
party ruling Cabinet and Lawmaker Geert Wilders, for the emission reduction
led to lawmakers backing whose Party for Freedom targets and Dutch media
a call for a debate that will is the largest opposition reported that she said dur-
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte talks with the press after an be the first major test of uni- group in parliament and ing a Cabinet meeting that
extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, energy ty since the coalition took who called for the debate, she had lost confidence in
and food security at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, office in January after the also used it to criticize the Hoekstra after his interview.
May 30, 2022. country’s longest-ever gov- government for not doing Rutte declined to com-
Associated Press ernment formation nego- enough to tackle a cost- ment on the reports. q