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WORLD NEWS Friday 15 January 2021

Cuba tweaks socialist model to encourage work amid crisis

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ ism in Cuba ends, but this
Associated Press is definitely not how it is
HAVANA (AP) — For more achieved.”
than 60 years, Cuba sup- But he said that encourag-
plied at least some rice, ing people to work rather
milk, beans, sugar, chick- than discouraging it “will
en, electrical power and make the difference be-
even cigarettes to its peo- tween success and failure
ple nearly free of cost re- for years to come.”
gardless of whether they About 7 million of the is-
worked, allowing many to land’s 11 million inhabit-
survive without a job or de- ants are of working age,
pend solely on remittances. with some 2.7 million unem-
But this year, the govern- ployed or not looking for
ment is implementing a a job. As a result, it hasn’t
deep financial reform that been unusual to see young
reduces subsidies, elimi- people playing dominoes
nates a dual currency that on street corners, idly talk-
was key to the old system ing with friends for hours or
and raises salaries. It hopes leaving work early.
to boost productivity to al- Authorities haven’t imme-
leviate an economic crisis diately said where the idle
and reconfigure a social- will find productive jobs.
ist system that will still grant In this Dec. 23, 2020 file photo, people wearing ill-fitting masks used against the spread of the new They have promised a law
universal benefits such as coronavirus sit on a sidewalk next to a wall with political slogans in Havana, Cuba. by year’s end that could
free health care and edu- Associated Press encourage more private
cation. pandemic, an 11% drop coffee, eggs and soap. lead to problems. businesses, but haven’t giv-
“It’s a major shift in focus in gross domestic product Now that will cost them $7, “It increases inequality with- en details of what it might
for a society that has lived and the loss of what the according to Betsy Díaz Ve- out there being a concrete entail.
and functioned one way government estimates is lázquez, minister of internal plan to reduce it,” said The most visible immediate
for 62 years,” said Cuban nearly $5.6 billion as a re- trade. Harold Cárdenas, a politi- change may be elimination
economist Ricardo Torres. sult of economic sanctions Education and health ser- cal analyst living in the U.S. of the “convertible peso,”
“This sends a message: If imposed by outgoing U.S. vices remain free, and the who is part of a group that a dollar-linked currency
you want to be in a fairly President Donald Trump. government will still subsi- advocates a more demo- aimed at drawing money
comfortable situation, then Until Dec. 31, Cubans would dize milk for children up to cratic socialist Cuba.. from abroad that was nec-
you have to get a job.” pay 75 cents for a monthly age 7 and provide food to “It would be an exag- essary to buy many goods,
The changes come as basket filled with 19 basic vulnerable groups, though geration to say this is how often even essentials, hard
Cuba struggles with the products including meat, some worry the reforms will the aspiration to social- to find in regular pesos. q

Honduran migrants trek north toward Guatemalan border

By MARÍA VERZA to stop the migrants from borders. For weeks, a call
Associated Press violating a pandemic-re- for a new caravan depart-
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras lated curfew, check their ing Jan. 15 has circulated
(AP) — About 200 Hondu- documents and make on social networks. In pre-
ran migrants resumed walk- sure they weren’t travel- vious caravans, smaller
ing up a highway toward ing with children that were groups have often left ear-
the border with Guatemala not their own. The migrants lier than the main cara-
early Thursday, a day be- stopped about 2 kilometers van. More migrants were
fore a migrant caravan short of the waiting police expected to converge on
was scheduled to depart and bedded down for the San Pedro Sula on Thurs-
the city of San Pedro Sula. night under and around a day.
The group set out on highway overpass. They re- Ariel Villega, 35, from the
Wednesday but paused at sumed their walk after the town of Ocotepeque, was
night before reaching some curfew expired at 5 a.m. walking with his wife and
75 police officers, dressed in But the migrants faced the 10-year-old son. He said Carrying a Honduran flag, migrants hoping to reach the distant
riot gear, who waited along additional challenge of they planned to get to the U.S. border walk along a highway on the outskirts of San Pedro
the highway on the outskirts governments that agreed Corinto border crossing Sula, Honduras, shortly after setting off, Wednesday, Jan. 13,
of San Pedro Sula. One of- earlier this week to enforce and wait there for the rest 2021.
ficer said the intention was immigration laws at their of the caravan to arrive. q Associated Press