Rethinking Cuba: New opportunities for development
Past Event
Rethinking Cuba: New opportunities for development - Part 1 (English)
Panel 1: Trends in the Cuban economy in light of the new U.S.-Cuba context
Panel 2: Financing Cuba’s growth, development, and trade
Panel 3: Next steps for Cuba’s emerging private Sector–Cuentapropistas and cooperatives
Panel 4: A New stage in foreign direct investment
On December 17, 2014, President Barack Obama and President Raúl Castro announced that the United States and Cuba would seek to reestablish diplomatic relations. Since then, the two countries have engaged in bilateral negotiations in Havana and Washington, the United States has made several unilateral policy changes to facilitate greater trade and travel between the two countries, and bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Congress to lift the travel ban. Meanwhile, conversations are ongoing about ending the 50-plus-year embargo and Cuba has continued the process of updating its economic system, including establishing new rules for foreign investment and the emerging private sector.
In light of the significant shifts underway in the U.S.-Cuba relationship, new questions arise about Cuba’s development model, and its economic relations with the region and the world. On Tuesday, June 2, the Latin America Initiative at Brookings hosted a series of panel discussions with various experts including economists, lawyers, academics, and practitioners to examine opportunities and challenges facing Cuba in this new context. Panels examined macroeconomic changes underway in Cuba, how to finance Cuba’s growth, the emerging private sector, and themes related to much-needed foreign investment.
Agenda
Panel 1: Trends in the Cuban economy in light of the new U.S.-Cuba context
Ted Piccone
Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Latin America Initiative, Project on International Order and Strategy
Charles W. Robinson Chair
Stefan Selig
Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade - U.S. Department of Commerce
Juan Triana Cordoví
Professor of Economics - University of Havana
Archibald Ritter
Distinguished Research Professor - Carleton University
Panel 2: Financing Cuba’s growth, development, and trade
Barbara Kotschwar
Research Fellow - Peterson Institute for International Economics
Yaima Doimeadios
Professor - University of Havana
Richard E. Feinberg
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Latin America Initiative
Saira Pons
Professor, Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy - University of Havana
Germán Ríos
Director, Strategic Affairs - CAF Development Bank
Panel 3: Next steps for Cuba’s emerging private Sector–Cuentapropistas and cooperatives
Richard E. Feinberg
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Latin America Initiative
Rafael Betancourt
Consultant - Havánada Consulting
Ted Henken
Professor - Baruch College
John McIntire
Chairman - Cuba Emprende Foundation
Panel 4: A New stage in foreign direct investment
Harold Trinkunas
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Latin America Initiative
Deputy Director, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University
Mark Entwistle
Founding Partner - Acasta Capital
Omar Everleny
Professor, Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy - University of Havana
José María Vinals Camallonga
Partner and Director of International Operations - Lupicinio International Law Firm
Augusto Maxwell
Partner - Akerman, LLP
Closing remarks
Ted Piccone
Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Latin America Initiative, Project on International Order and Strategy
Charles W. Robinson Chair
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