Cuban Threat?

bilijou

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Jun 13, 2006
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Fidel’s medical condition and the rumors of an end to the regime have got me thinking. How would the end of the dictatorship in Cuba and transition into capitalism affect DR?

If you ask any American, they would know about Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and even Haiti. Most, however, are unaware of the country which shares the island with Haiti. Yes, baseball has put us on the map, but it is not even close to the rest of the Caribbean. I assume Europe would be the same.

In terms of capital, the fall of Cuba would definitely prompt US assistance as they have already stated their intentions to prevent a mass migration. Cubans are very powerful in Florida, and I am sure they would inject money into their economy.

Cuban cigars, despite not being any better than Dominican cigars, will kill the Dominican industry. The sugar industry would also be under threat. The images of Havana in the 50’s are still vivid in the minds of Americans, unlike the homogeneous experience we offer with the beach resorts. The tourism industry would boom (as it has dramatically increased in recent years), taking a big share of the market. Investors will flock. After all, Havana is the largest city in the Caribbean.

Cuban doctors being among the best in the World, would it mean cheap health care for Americans?

Worst of all, experts have been urging DR to offer something other than the low-wage uneducated workers to attract investments, since it would be impossible to compete with China. Cuba’s high education level would result in a much higher value added in production. With the education system in DR, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to compete.

OR maybe Cubans won’t be able to adapt as easily to the Capitalist system and it wouldn’t be a threat to progress in DR.

What do you all think? Is it really a threat?
Are our leaders aware of this possibility?
How much would it affect DR?
 
Cuba?

The tourism industry would boom

Where have you been, tourism in Cuba has been booming for years, many European companies have many first class resort in cuba and many, many Canadians travel there annually for cheap vacations.

Cuban will adapt to capitalism, as it thrives there, they workers at resorts love those US greenbacks, some much so that Fidel has outlawed the US Greenback and replaced their currency with a convertible peso....you exchange your foreign currency for Cuban convertible peso's and nothing else is supposed to be used or taken in exchange for any goods or services, it is now the government that gets the foreign currency.

It is no more of a threat than it has been in the past 20 years, ever since I have been going to the DR, I have also been on many cheap junkets to Cuba and foresee no additional threat to the DR. No more than say Jamaica or the Bahama's.
 

drtampa

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Oct 1, 2004
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Tampa Expectations

The Tampa community expects to go in as soon as possible. Tampa was "the port" for Cuba. The attitude seems to be nothing else in the Caribbean matters if Cuba becomes free.
 

bilijou

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Jun 13, 2006
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Hllywud,

The tourism industry might be booming now, but what will happen when the industry is opened to private investors? It will blow up.

Havana, for example, is very marketable. It is a different product from ours. They have history and culture in a worldknown city, we just sell nice beaches (like everybody else in the Caribbean). Investments would far exceed DR's.
 

Steve Costa Azul

I love Rocky's Ribs!
Jul 15, 2006
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He will be dead within 6 months, maybe sooner, however, his brother will take over and it will be communist business as usuall. Gotta' remember, although I haven't been, going to cuba in January and February can still be a bit colder than the perfect climate of the DR. I've been told by friends that they had long pants and a jacket at night. That extra bit south helps the DR temps!
Steve
 

Andy B

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Jan 1, 2002
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If you will do a search in the DR1 archives of some years ago you will find that the Cuba threat was well hashed and rehashed. The bottom line for tourism: Cuba is the 800lb gorilla that will make serious inroads into DR tourism. Many Americans are just waiting for the day to be able to return to Havana and will promptly forget the DR and it's half-baked approach to tourism. Before Batista fell, half of Miami used to spend the weekends in Havana. That will happen again.
 

elchino

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Jul 7, 2006
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Dominican Republic Tourism market share will diminish

:chinese: It is important that the Dominican's leadership start thinking about the potential damage impact that a free, capitalist Cuba will have on the tourism industry, as we all know, there are a lots of Cubans visiting Dominican Republic from Florida and buying condos in Punta Cana, and all that may drastically change, thus detrimentally impacting the overall economy:chinese:
 

skyblue

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Mar 20, 2006
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:chinese: It is important that the Dominican's leadership start thinking about the potential damage impact that a free, capitalist Cuba will have on the tourism industry, as we all know, there are a lots of Cubans visiting Dominican Republic from Florida and buying condos in Punta Cana, and all that may drastically change, thus detrimentally impacting the overall economy:chinese:

yes chino you are correct in that many cubans are visiting DR and spending tons of dollars there. Punta Cana tourism is spending millions of dollars to promote, trips, condos, time shares, all inclusive deals, ect.... when you open the newspapers in south florida all you see is non stop advertisement for punta cana this and punta cana that. it is huge business. just about everyone i know or come in contact with including my gardener has visited dominican republic and/or is planning on visiting. my gardener just bought a condo there (yes he is cuban). the travel dollars that cubans cannot spend going to cuba are now being spent going to DR (b/c it resembles cuba). it is no secret that cubans are in love with DR and have elected it as a favorite travel destination. when the they are able to travel freely to cuba (way down the line, but none the less a reality) the dominican republic will feel the pinch.
 

Ricardo900

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Jul 12, 2004
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I agree with you guys that the DR needs to start implementing a plan that will not only increase tourism, but also make the DR more appealing to outside investors in other areas like, telemarketing, manufactoring, and Information Technology. I believe they should start heavily focusing on education, maybe mandatory english classes in the school curriculum. A open and free capitalist Cuba will definitely hurt tourism in the DR, when it reflects American travel.
 

Conchman

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Jul 3, 2002
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yes chino you are correct in that many cubans are visiting DR and spending tons of dollars there. Punta Cana tourism is spending millions of dollars to promote, trips, condos, time shares, all inclusive deals, ect.... when you open the newspapers in south florida all you see is non stop advertisement for punta cana this and punta cana that. it is huge business. just about everyone i know or come in contact with including my gardener has visited dominican republic and/or is planning on visiting. my gardener just bought a condo there (yes he is cuban). the travel dollars that cubans cannot spend going to cuba are now being spent going to DR (b/c it resembles cuba). it is no secret that cubans are in love with DR and have elected it as a favorite travel destination. when the they are able to travel freely to cuba (way down the line, but none the less a reality) the dominican republic will feel the pinch.


How much do you pay your gardener?
 

skyblue

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Mar 20, 2006
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How much do you pay your gardener?


lolololololol I don't pay him enough to cover his mortgage, but he's obviously doing something right! i'm sure he makes enough in volume. Seriously speaking, you would be surprised how much money cubans in miami have. by nature, they have great work ethic and are big savers. my gardener is old enough to retire and collect a good pension, but instead he is out doing his rounds b/c the mentality is that if you don't work you die. he has been doing my yard and some of my neighbors for 5 years. he never forgets, never dissapears, never calls in sick, never comes to work hung over, never gives me excuses as to why he can't do something, he JUST DOES IT!!! he's never asked me for a raise, even though i have given him a couple and i always give him extra cash on x-mas (the dominican december way).

my point is that cubans have been saving money for almost 50 years and have plenty of cash to make a difference. their votes matter and their dollars matter so whoever wants those cuban discretionary dollars needs to plan for the future and target them. there are sure to be the new baby boom of carribean travel "the cuban travel boom"
 

bilijou

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Jun 13, 2006
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The funny thing is, when I have spoken about history with a Cuban who sympathizes with the Castro regime, they always mention how the American owned Tourism industry of the 50’s (and its ties to Batista) was what partly led to the revolution. I have always wondered how Cubans would feel about re-implementing a Tourism industry backed by foreign investment (likely to be American as before the revolution).

But Tourism is not the biggest of my problems. Running a country is a game, you HAVE to be aware of all the players in the field (for those economics enthusiasts, look up Game theory). Leonel knows we cannot compete with China’s huge low-wage uneducated workforce. I have personally seen him acknowledge this in the last speech I went to see of his. He is aiming (or at least he says he is) for a lower-wage educated work force (he prefers technologically savvy) as the means for economic progress (i.e., his vision of a technologically advanced Caribbean nation).
Many countries around the world are also aiming precisely for this, after seeing how much outsourcing is going to places like India (who have college educated professionals willing to work for less than a US uneducated/unskilled worker). Leonel also knows this fact, but he has a gimmick: proximity to the US. With the high electricity prices, Leonel has been stressing “location, location, location!” to all investors as the DR’s advantage over other countries. Our leader’s ONLY long term plan for modernization/progress does not take into account the fact that Cuba is CLOSER to the US and has a workforce that is far more EDUCATED, the two factors that were supposed to propel us. If the Castro regime falls, what’s the back up plan?
 

Tuan

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Aug 28, 2004
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The re-industrialization of Cuba has begun. It may take as long as its destruction took, or until an employable generation arises from socialism's ashes, however long that might be. The de-industrialization of DR, 2nd largest trading partner of southeast U.S., after Brazil, will follow that process.

85% of the Dominican export goes through the State of Florida. In a grid-lock of greed, fat and crooked Dominican officials and politicians didn't sign DR-CAFTA with the U.S. as planned 8 months ago. Eight months of no contracts and expired contracts while waiting for the signing. Fidel's condition gives prospective investors good reason to cavil.

The industrial part of the DR economy will start inevitable and unstoppable erosion with the slow advance of Cuba's, with or without Leonel's fine efforts.

The DR had 40 years of the opportunity of Cuba's former favored status in which it could shuck the yoke of poverty and corruption Spain left clamped all over Latin America. Forty years wasted. Perhaps Guiana will trade with the DR in the future?
 

helpmann

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May 18, 2004
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The Baby Boomers!

American baby boomers could really feed that economy if Cuba can make a peaceful transition to democracy. Boomers grew-up with news of Castro and Kennedy in the 60's and the country has been forbidden (by the US govt.) ever since.

-Helpmann :)
 

elchino

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Jul 7, 2006
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?ooo!

How much do you pay your gardener?

: With all due respect, but this question is kind of out of order: The point expressed by the PO was indicative that many, many Cubans, from Florida are visiting and purchasing Condos in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. A gardener in Florida do business with many home owners, not just one, thus he can generate more income than the person asking the stupid, un-relevant question, above. Plus the Cuban community is very attracted to Punta cana due to the intense promo and ads campaign, with "Willy Chirino" among the promoters.:

I don't understand why some of these "classified DR1's Gold members" tend to, somehow, be so ludicrously sarcastic, idiots, narrow minded, peons? :chinese::
 
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Fuel

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Jun 29, 2006
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:With all due respect, but this question is kind of out of order: The point expressed by the PO was indicative that many, many Cubans, from Florida are visiting and purchasing Condos in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. A gardener in Florida do business with many home owners, not just one, thus he can generate more income than the person asking the stupid, un-relevant question, above. Plus the Cuban community is very attracted to Punta cana due to the intense promo and ads campaign, with "Willy Chirino" among the promoters.:

I don't understand why some of these "classified DR1's Gold members" tend to, somehow, be so ludicrously sarcastic, idiots, narrow minded, peons? :chinese::QUOTE]

i think it was Rhetorical question. Or they know each other and were joking around. Dont take it so seriously!!
 
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Conchman

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:
With all due respect, but this question is kind of out of order: The point expressed by the PO was indicative that many, many Cubans, from Florida are visiting and purchasing Condos in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. A gardener in Florida do business with many home owners, not just one, thus he can generate more income than the person asking the stupid, un-relevant question, above. Plus the Cuban community is very attracted to Punta cana due to the intense promo and ads campaign, with "Willy Chirino" among the promoters.:

I don't understand why some of these "classified DR1's Gold members" tend to, somehow, be so ludicrously sarcastic, idiots, narrow minded, peons? :chinese::QUOTE]

I was joking around, even the person I was addressing got it.

As to your personal attack, I will quote Confucius: "Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men."
 
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A.Hidalgo

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Apr 28, 2006
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I was joking around, even the person I was addressing got it.

As to your personal attack, I will quote Confucius: "Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men."

Btw the smilies that elchino uses have nothing to do with Confucius. lol;)
 

Don Polo.

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May 9, 2006
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I don't think americans will ever feel welcome enough to go back to Cuba like nothing ever happened.

Liberal Democracy and Free Market Capitalism can be washed over Cuba tommorow and half the people will still be anti-american.

It will take decades before US citizens feel safe down there.
 
G

gary short

Guest
Americans could care less or more probably wouldn't have a clue whether they're welcome or not.
As long as there's a few Hooters and Arbeys scattered around the countryside......a waterslide park here and there and a Disneyworld Cuba..they'll come in droves.
HEY AMIGO DOS CERVESOS POR FAVOR.......COMPRENDE?????