Brazil

Key political risks to watch

January 4, 2012

Reuters‘ near term alert to key politcal risks to monitor in Cuba: Resolution of outstanding short-term debt. Signs of increased interest in foreign investment. U.S. inspection of drilling rig. Results of Repsol’s exploratory well. U.S. pressure to stop the drilling. Furthermore, on international relations: A planned Papal visit in March and improved ties with Brazil are bright [...]

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Castro v Castro

November 28, 2010

From the Americas editor of The Economist: As always in Cuba, only the Castro brothers know the answer. Raúl Castro, the president, and the economists around him, might want to move swiftly to a kind of state capitalism along the lines of China and Vietnam. Fidel, frail but back in action after his abdominal surgery, [...]

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Brazil helps in small business creation

September 19, 2010

Brazil’s foreign minister, Celso Amorim, met yesterday with Cuba’s de facto president Raúl Castro. Castro and Amorim discussed current international and regional issues, and characterized bilateral relations as excellent. Brazil has invested $1B in various projects in Cuba including the reconstruction of the Port of Mariel. And, Brazil has also extended lines of credit to the island as an [...]

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Diplomatic corner

August 13, 2010

The United States is creating conditions to change its foreign policy toward Cuba. [La Jornada] A newly published book delves into the possibility that Fidel Castro ordered the murder of Chile’s Salvador Allende at the hands of a Cuban diplomat/agent whom Allende’s daughter married. [El Ciudadano] The Spanish government has gotten into a diplomatic imbroglio [...]

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Cuba politics: Freedom calls

July 14, 2010

From the Economist Intelligence Unit: No democratisation If the prisoners — who include journalists, community organisers and opposition figures — are indeed set free, this would be a major concession on the part of the Castro government. It appears to be designed for external consumption, however. It could lead to improvements in Cuba’s foreign relations, [...]

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China’s significant & growing int’l importance

September 6, 2009

The RAND Corporation examines China’s role as a global actor in the int’l system in its latest monograph titled: “China’s International Behavior: Activism, Opportunism, and Diversification.” RAND describes Chinese global activism as “continually changing and has so many dimensions that it immediately raises questions about its current and future intentions and the implications for global [...]

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