Cuba seeking more construction projects in Angola
Cuba is offering Angola design and management of larger infrastructure
projects, official news agency Angop reported.
Cuban workers, technicians and engineers are working on a road repair
program and reconstruction of highway bridges. Cuban brigades are
rehabilitating roads in Bengo and Kwanza Norte provinces and repairing
11 bridges in the South of the country; the road repair program is 47
percent complete, with total completion expected for the end of the
year, and 10 of the 11 bridges have been fixed, according to Pires.
During an eight-day visit to Luanda, Cuban Vice President Ricardo
Cabrisas, who is in charge of economic relations with Cuba's most
strategic partners, met with various cabinet ministers and President
Eduardo dos Santos. Among others, Cabrisas held talks with Construction
Minister Waldemar Pires Alexandre about new projects, including more
road repairs.
"Concerning the construction sector, Cuba is ready to continue to
participate with its human capital in the drafting and implementation of
large projects in the area," Cabrisas told reporters after meeting with
the construction minister, according to Angop.
Construction aside, Cuba has cooperated with Angola on oil. CubaPetróleo
is a junior partner of Argentina's PlusPetrol in drilling in the
southern part of Angola's Cabinda exclave. Angolan state company
Sonangol helped Cupet acquire a 5-percent stake in an onshore block in
2009; the Castanha-1 well there has been producing oil since 2010, and
Pluspetrol said last year the Cabinda South block had a "highly prolific
inventory of prospects that will be drilled." Sonangol also contracted
two offshore blocks in a joint venture with Cupet in Cuban waters of the
Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.cubastandard.com/2013/05/21/cuba-seeking-more-construction-projects-in-angola/
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Detienen destrucción de viviendas "palestinas" en La Habana
Detienen destrucción de viviendas "palestinas" en La Habana
Yosvani Anzardo Hernández
20 de mayo de 2013
San Germán, Cuba – www.PayoLibre.com – Las autoridades han detenido, por
el momento, la destrucción de viviendas ubicadas en barrios marginales
de La Habana habitados fundamentalmente por personas provenientes del
oriente de la isla y conocidas popularmente como "palestinos".
Según vecinos del barrio nombrado "Mil glorias", en el municipio
Guanabacoa, la amenaza persiste y las deportaciones continúan.
Hasta el momento no hay dialogo con los funcionarios que alegan intentar
cumplir con la ley por estar el barrio asentado en tierras militares.
Este tipo de barrios ilegales existen en los alrededores de todas las
ciudades cubanas como resultado del insuficiente fondo habitacional.
Esto ocurre a pesar del casi nulo crecimiento poblacional de los más
recientes años.
Según estimados hay unas tres millones de personas viviendo en estos
lugares carentes por lo general de un servicio eléctrico adecuado así
como de sistemas de evacuación de desechos sólidos y de agua potable.
http://payolibre.com/noticias/noticias2.php?id=9567
Yosvani Anzardo Hernández
20 de mayo de 2013
San Germán, Cuba – www.PayoLibre.com – Las autoridades han detenido, por
el momento, la destrucción de viviendas ubicadas en barrios marginales
de La Habana habitados fundamentalmente por personas provenientes del
oriente de la isla y conocidas popularmente como "palestinos".
Según vecinos del barrio nombrado "Mil glorias", en el municipio
Guanabacoa, la amenaza persiste y las deportaciones continúan.
Hasta el momento no hay dialogo con los funcionarios que alegan intentar
cumplir con la ley por estar el barrio asentado en tierras militares.
Este tipo de barrios ilegales existen en los alrededores de todas las
ciudades cubanas como resultado del insuficiente fondo habitacional.
Esto ocurre a pesar del casi nulo crecimiento poblacional de los más
recientes años.
Según estimados hay unas tres millones de personas viviendo en estos
lugares carentes por lo general de un servicio eléctrico adecuado así
como de sistemas de evacuación de desechos sólidos y de agua potable.
http://payolibre.com/noticias/noticias2.php?id=9567
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Cuba's New Real Estate Market, Betting on the Future, Wary of the Past
Yoani Sanchez - Award-winning Cuban blogger
Cuba's New Real Estate Market, Betting on the Future, Wary of the Past
Posted: 05/18/2013 5:19 pm
Placing zeros to the right seems to be the preferred sport of those who
put a price on the homes they sell in Cuba today. A captive market at
the end of the day, the buyer could find a lot of surprises in the wide
range of classified ads. From owners who ask astronomical sums for their
houses, sums that have nothing to do with the reality of demand, to real
bargains that make you feel sorry for the naiveté of the negotiator.
Many are pressured to sell, some by those with the smarts to realize
that this is the time to buy a house on the Island. It is a bet on the
future, if it goes wrong they lose almost everything, but if it goes
well they position themselves -- in advance -- for tomorrow. The slow
hurry up and the fast run at the speed of light. These are times to make
haste, the end of an era could be close... say the smartest.
It's surprising to see, with barely any notion of real estate, how
Cubans launch themselves into the marketing of square meters. They talk
about their space, usually with an over abundance of adjectives that
make you laugh or scare you. So when you read "one bedroom apartment in
central Havana with mezzanine bedroom," you should understand "room in a
Central Havana apartment with wooden platform." If they talk about a
garden, it's best to imagine a bed with soil and plants at the entrance;
and even five-bedroom residences, after a visit, are reduced to two
bedrooms partitioned with cardboard. The same mistrust with which people
view the photos on the social networks where young people look for
partners, should be applied to housing ads here. However, you can also
find real pearls in the midst of the exaggeration.
Right now there are at least three parameters that determine the final
cost of a home: location, physical state of construction, and pedigree.
The neighborhood has a great influence on the final value of the
property. In Havana, the most prized areas are Vedado, Miramar, Central
Havana, Víbora and Cerro, for their central character. The least wanted
are Alamar, Reparto Eléctrico, San Miguel del Padrón and La Lisa. The
poor state of public transport significantly influences people's
preference for houses that are near major commercial centers with
abundant spaces for entertainment. If there is a farmers market in the
vicinity, the asking price goes up; if it is near the Malecon it also
goes up. People shy away from the periphery, although among the "new
rich," those who have accumulated a little more capital whether by legal
or illegal means, the trend of looking for homes in the outskirts has
begun. It is still too early, however, to speak about a trend to locate
in greener and less polluted areas. For now, the main premise can be
summarized as the more central the better.
The physical state is one of the other elements that defines what a home
will cost. If the ceiling is beam and slab, the numbers fall; meanwhile
constructions from the 1940s and '50s enjoy a very good reputation and
appeal. The lowest values are for the so-called "microbrigade works"
with their ugly concrete buildings and their little Eastern European
style apartments. If the roofing is light -- tiles, zinc, wood, ceiling
paper -- the seller will get less. The state of the bathroom and kitchen
are another point that directly influences the marketability of the
property. The quality of the floors, if the windows are barred and the
door is new -- of glass and metal -- these are points in its favor. If
there are no neighbors overhead, then the seller can rest easy. Also
very valuable are houses with two entrances, designed for a large family
seeking to split up and live independently. Everything counts, anything
goes.
So far it resembles a real estate market like any other anywhere in the
world. However, there is a situation that defines, in a very particular
way, the value of homes for sale. This is their pedigree. This refers to
whether the house has belonged to the family for forever, or if it was
confiscated in one of the waves of expropriations in Cuba. If the
previous owner left during the Rafter Crisis of 1994 and the State
handed the property over to someone new, the price is lower. The same
thing happens if it was taken during the Mariel Boatlift in 1980, a time
when property was awarded to others after the emigration of those who
had lived there up until that time. But where the prices hit rock bottom
is with those homes confiscated between 1959 and 1963, when great
numbers left for exile. Few want to take on the problem of acquiring a
site that later may go into litigation. Although there are some who are
taking advantage of this situation to buy real mansions in the most
central neighborhoods at bargain prices.
In order to check the location, the state of construction, as well as
the legal past of the house, potential buyers are aided by their own
experience, a good architect and even a lawyer to dig through the
details of the property. Each element adds or removes a cipher, one zero
or one hundred to the total price people are willing to pay. In a
captive market anything is possible; it's as if knowledge of real estate
has only been sleeping, lethargic, and now returns with amazing force.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yoani-sanchez/cubas-new-real-estate-mar_b_3299636.html
Cuba's New Real Estate Market, Betting on the Future, Wary of the Past
Posted: 05/18/2013 5:19 pm
Placing zeros to the right seems to be the preferred sport of those who
put a price on the homes they sell in Cuba today. A captive market at
the end of the day, the buyer could find a lot of surprises in the wide
range of classified ads. From owners who ask astronomical sums for their
houses, sums that have nothing to do with the reality of demand, to real
bargains that make you feel sorry for the naiveté of the negotiator.
Many are pressured to sell, some by those with the smarts to realize
that this is the time to buy a house on the Island. It is a bet on the
future, if it goes wrong they lose almost everything, but if it goes
well they position themselves -- in advance -- for tomorrow. The slow
hurry up and the fast run at the speed of light. These are times to make
haste, the end of an era could be close... say the smartest.
It's surprising to see, with barely any notion of real estate, how
Cubans launch themselves into the marketing of square meters. They talk
about their space, usually with an over abundance of adjectives that
make you laugh or scare you. So when you read "one bedroom apartment in
central Havana with mezzanine bedroom," you should understand "room in a
Central Havana apartment with wooden platform." If they talk about a
garden, it's best to imagine a bed with soil and plants at the entrance;
and even five-bedroom residences, after a visit, are reduced to two
bedrooms partitioned with cardboard. The same mistrust with which people
view the photos on the social networks where young people look for
partners, should be applied to housing ads here. However, you can also
find real pearls in the midst of the exaggeration.
Right now there are at least three parameters that determine the final
cost of a home: location, physical state of construction, and pedigree.
The neighborhood has a great influence on the final value of the
property. In Havana, the most prized areas are Vedado, Miramar, Central
Havana, Víbora and Cerro, for their central character. The least wanted
are Alamar, Reparto Eléctrico, San Miguel del Padrón and La Lisa. The
poor state of public transport significantly influences people's
preference for houses that are near major commercial centers with
abundant spaces for entertainment. If there is a farmers market in the
vicinity, the asking price goes up; if it is near the Malecon it also
goes up. People shy away from the periphery, although among the "new
rich," those who have accumulated a little more capital whether by legal
or illegal means, the trend of looking for homes in the outskirts has
begun. It is still too early, however, to speak about a trend to locate
in greener and less polluted areas. For now, the main premise can be
summarized as the more central the better.
The physical state is one of the other elements that defines what a home
will cost. If the ceiling is beam and slab, the numbers fall; meanwhile
constructions from the 1940s and '50s enjoy a very good reputation and
appeal. The lowest values are for the so-called "microbrigade works"
with their ugly concrete buildings and their little Eastern European
style apartments. If the roofing is light -- tiles, zinc, wood, ceiling
paper -- the seller will get less. The state of the bathroom and kitchen
are another point that directly influences the marketability of the
property. The quality of the floors, if the windows are barred and the
door is new -- of glass and metal -- these are points in its favor. If
there are no neighbors overhead, then the seller can rest easy. Also
very valuable are houses with two entrances, designed for a large family
seeking to split up and live independently. Everything counts, anything
goes.
So far it resembles a real estate market like any other anywhere in the
world. However, there is a situation that defines, in a very particular
way, the value of homes for sale. This is their pedigree. This refers to
whether the house has belonged to the family for forever, or if it was
confiscated in one of the waves of expropriations in Cuba. If the
previous owner left during the Rafter Crisis of 1994 and the State
handed the property over to someone new, the price is lower. The same
thing happens if it was taken during the Mariel Boatlift in 1980, a time
when property was awarded to others after the emigration of those who
had lived there up until that time. But where the prices hit rock bottom
is with those homes confiscated between 1959 and 1963, when great
numbers left for exile. Few want to take on the problem of acquiring a
site that later may go into litigation. Although there are some who are
taking advantage of this situation to buy real mansions in the most
central neighborhoods at bargain prices.
In order to check the location, the state of construction, as well as
the legal past of the house, potential buyers are aided by their own
experience, a good architect and even a lawyer to dig through the
details of the property. Each element adds or removes a cipher, one zero
or one hundred to the total price people are willing to pay. In a
captive market anything is possible; it's as if knowledge of real estate
has only been sleeping, lethargic, and now returns with amazing force.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yoani-sanchez/cubas-new-real-estate-mar_b_3299636.html
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Three Parameters, One House
Three Parameters, One House / Yoani Sanchez
Posted on May 18, 2013
Placing zeros to the right seems to be the preferred sport of those who
put a price on the homes they sell in Cuba today. A captive market at
the end of the day, the buyer could find a lot of surprises in the wide
range of classified ads. From owners who ask astronomical sums for their
houses, sums that have nothing to do with the reality of demand, to real
bargains that make you feel sorry for the naiveté of the negotiator.
Many are pressured to sell, some by those with the smarts to realize
that this is the time to buy a house on the Island. It is a bet on the
future, if it goes wrong they lose almost everything, but if it goes
well they position themselves — in advance — for tomorrow. The slow
hurry up and the fast run at the speed of light. These are times to make
haste, the end of an era could be close… say the smartest.
It's surprising to see, with barely any notion of real estate, how
Cubans launch themselves into the marketing of square meters. They talk
about their space, usually with an over abundance of adjectives that
make you laugh or scare you. So when you read "one bedroom apartment in
central Havana with mezzanine bedroom," you should understand "room in a
Central Havana apartment with wooden platform." If they talk about a
garden, it's best to imagine a bed with soil and plants at the entrance;
and even five-bedroom residences, after a visit, are reduced to two
bedrooms partitioned with cardboard. The same mistrust with which people
view the photos on the social networks where young people look for
partners, should be applied to housing ads here. However, you can also
find real pearls in the midst of the exaggeration.
Right now there are at least three parameters that determine the final
cost of a home: location, physical state of construction, and pedigree.
The neighborhood has a great influence on the final value of the
property. In Havana, the most prized areas are Vedado, Miramar, Central
Havana, Víbora and Cerro, for their central character. The least wanted
are Alamar, Reparto Eléctrico, San Miguel del Padrón and La Lisa. The
poor state of public transport significantly influences people's
preference for houses that are near major commercial centers with
abundant spaces for entertainment. If there is a farmers market in the
vicinity, the asking price goes up; if it is near the Malecon it also
goes up. People shy away from the periphery, although among the "new
rich," those who have accumulated a little more capital whether by legal
or illegal means, the trend of looking for homes in the outskirts has
begun. It is still too early, however, to speak about a trend to locate
in greener and less polluted areas. For now, the main premise can be
summarized as the more central the better.
The physical state is one of the other elements that defines what a home
will cost. If the ceiling is beam and slab, the numbers fall; meanwhile
constructions from the 1940s and '50s enjoy a very good reputation and
appeal. The lowest values are for the so-called "microbrigade works"
with their ugly concrete buildings and their little Eastern European
style apartments. If the roofing is light — tiles, zinc, wood, ceiling
paper — the seller will get less. The state of the bathroom and kitchen
are another point that directly influences the marketability of the
property. The quality of the floors, if the windows are barred and the
door is new — of glass and metal — these are points in its favor. If
there are no neighbors overhead, then the seller can rest easy. Also
very valuable are houses with two entrances, designed for a large family
seeking to split up and live independently. Everything counts, anything
goes.
So far it resembles a real estate market like any other anywhere in the
world. However, there is a situation that defines, in a very particular
way, the value of homes for sale. This is their pedigree. This refers to
whether the house has belonged to the family for forever, or if it was
confiscated in one of the waves of expropriations in Cuba. If the
previous owner left during the Rafter Crisis of 1994 and the State
handed the property over to someone new, the price is lower. The same
thing happens if it was taken during the Mariel Boatlift in 1980, a time
when property was awarded to others after the emigration of those who
had lived there up until that time. But where the prices hit rock bottom
is with those homes confiscated between 1959 and 1963, when great
numbers left for exile. Few want to take on the problem of acquiring a
site that later may go into litigation. Although there are some who are
taking advantage of this situation to buy real mansions in the most
central neighborhoods at bargain prices.
In order to check the location, the state of construction, as well as
the legal past of the house, potential buyers are aided by their own
experience, a good architect and even a lawyer to dig through the
details of the property. Each element adds or removes a cipher, one zero
or one hundred to the total price people are willing to pay. In a
captive market anything is possible; it's as if knowledge of real estate
has only been sleeping, lethargic, and now returns with amazing force.
18 May 2013
http://translatingcuba.com/three-parameters-one-house-yoani-sanchez/
Posted on May 18, 2013
Placing zeros to the right seems to be the preferred sport of those who
put a price on the homes they sell in Cuba today. A captive market at
the end of the day, the buyer could find a lot of surprises in the wide
range of classified ads. From owners who ask astronomical sums for their
houses, sums that have nothing to do with the reality of demand, to real
bargains that make you feel sorry for the naiveté of the negotiator.
Many are pressured to sell, some by those with the smarts to realize
that this is the time to buy a house on the Island. It is a bet on the
future, if it goes wrong they lose almost everything, but if it goes
well they position themselves — in advance — for tomorrow. The slow
hurry up and the fast run at the speed of light. These are times to make
haste, the end of an era could be close… say the smartest.
It's surprising to see, with barely any notion of real estate, how
Cubans launch themselves into the marketing of square meters. They talk
about their space, usually with an over abundance of adjectives that
make you laugh or scare you. So when you read "one bedroom apartment in
central Havana with mezzanine bedroom," you should understand "room in a
Central Havana apartment with wooden platform." If they talk about a
garden, it's best to imagine a bed with soil and plants at the entrance;
and even five-bedroom residences, after a visit, are reduced to two
bedrooms partitioned with cardboard. The same mistrust with which people
view the photos on the social networks where young people look for
partners, should be applied to housing ads here. However, you can also
find real pearls in the midst of the exaggeration.
Right now there are at least three parameters that determine the final
cost of a home: location, physical state of construction, and pedigree.
The neighborhood has a great influence on the final value of the
property. In Havana, the most prized areas are Vedado, Miramar, Central
Havana, Víbora and Cerro, for their central character. The least wanted
are Alamar, Reparto Eléctrico, San Miguel del Padrón and La Lisa. The
poor state of public transport significantly influences people's
preference for houses that are near major commercial centers with
abundant spaces for entertainment. If there is a farmers market in the
vicinity, the asking price goes up; if it is near the Malecon it also
goes up. People shy away from the periphery, although among the "new
rich," those who have accumulated a little more capital whether by legal
or illegal means, the trend of looking for homes in the outskirts has
begun. It is still too early, however, to speak about a trend to locate
in greener and less polluted areas. For now, the main premise can be
summarized as the more central the better.
The physical state is one of the other elements that defines what a home
will cost. If the ceiling is beam and slab, the numbers fall; meanwhile
constructions from the 1940s and '50s enjoy a very good reputation and
appeal. The lowest values are for the so-called "microbrigade works"
with their ugly concrete buildings and their little Eastern European
style apartments. If the roofing is light — tiles, zinc, wood, ceiling
paper — the seller will get less. The state of the bathroom and kitchen
are another point that directly influences the marketability of the
property. The quality of the floors, if the windows are barred and the
door is new — of glass and metal — these are points in its favor. If
there are no neighbors overhead, then the seller can rest easy. Also
very valuable are houses with two entrances, designed for a large family
seeking to split up and live independently. Everything counts, anything
goes.
So far it resembles a real estate market like any other anywhere in the
world. However, there is a situation that defines, in a very particular
way, the value of homes for sale. This is their pedigree. This refers to
whether the house has belonged to the family for forever, or if it was
confiscated in one of the waves of expropriations in Cuba. If the
previous owner left during the Rafter Crisis of 1994 and the State
handed the property over to someone new, the price is lower. The same
thing happens if it was taken during the Mariel Boatlift in 1980, a time
when property was awarded to others after the emigration of those who
had lived there up until that time. But where the prices hit rock bottom
is with those homes confiscated between 1959 and 1963, when great
numbers left for exile. Few want to take on the problem of acquiring a
site that later may go into litigation. Although there are some who are
taking advantage of this situation to buy real mansions in the most
central neighborhoods at bargain prices.
In order to check the location, the state of construction, as well as
the legal past of the house, potential buyers are aided by their own
experience, a good architect and even a lawyer to dig through the
details of the property. Each element adds or removes a cipher, one zero
or one hundred to the total price people are willing to pay. In a
captive market anything is possible; it's as if knowledge of real estate
has only been sleeping, lethargic, and now returns with amazing force.
18 May 2013
http://translatingcuba.com/three-parameters-one-house-yoani-sanchez/
No invierta donde no haya un estado de derecho
Publicado el sábado, 05.18.13
No invierta donde no haya un estado de derecho
José A. "Tony" Ruano
Bienes Raíces
"Eso no se le ocurre ni al que asó la manteca." Acostumbraba a decir mi
padre de quien dijese o hiciese algo irracional o sin sentido; y lo
mismo repito yo ante quienes aseguran que en lo adelante, basado en los
últimos cambios ocurridos en la isla, el gobierno cubano va a respetar
el derecho sobre la propiedad privada.
Resulta que el abuelo paterno de mi buen amigo Dr. Raúl Pino, fue Fidel
Pino Santos, alto ejecutivo en la provincia de Oriente de la United
Fruit Company. Por su posición y posibilidades para otorgar contratos
para el cultivo de la caña de azúcar, Fidel Pino Santos estableció una
profunda amistad con un colono llamado Angel Castro, quien tuvo varios
hijos con la señora Lina Ruz. Al segundo hijo varón de la pareja le
nombraron Fidel, en honor al Sr. Pino Santos, quien además se convirtió
en padrino del mismo. Con el paso del tiempo Fidel Castro Ruz fue a la
Universidad de la Habana y tras de él fueron los cheques de su padrino,
para ayudarle a costear sus estudios universitarios (he visto copias de
cheques cancelados).
Luego sucedió lo que sucedió y Ramón "Mongo" Castro, el mayor de los
hermanos varones de la familia, se quedó al frente de la finca de Birán.
Su abogado y hombre de confianza de la familia por ese entonces, lo era
el Dr. Raúl Pino Martínez, hijo de Fidel Pino Santos y padre de mi amigo
Raúl.
Ramón Castro siempre fue un campechano. Un campesino simple y
conversador el cual disfrutaba reunirse con el padre de mi amigo Raúl,
los sábados en la tarde, para tomarse unas cervezas y charlar.
Luego del establecimiento de la Ley de Reforma Urbana al padre de mi
amigo Raúl solamente le dejaron, tal cual establecía la ley, la casa
principal de vivienda, en Santiago de Cuba y una casa de veraneo,
ubicada ésta en la playa Siboney, a diecisiete kilómetros de Santiago;
en la cual vivía la familia la mayor parte del tiempo, por su relativa
cercanía a la ciudad y por la mayor facilidad para obtener frutos
menores, hortalizas, pescado y otros alimentos que ya comenzaban a
escasear para ese entonces.
Cuenta mi amigo Raúl que una tarde en 1963, su padre leía en el portal
de la casa, disfrutando la brisa marina, cuando un soldado, con grados
de general de ejército, vino hacia este y le dijo: "Conocemos que usted
es dueño de esta casa y además nos han informado que es propietario de
otra en Santiago de Cuba. A mi hermano, también coronel, van a
trasladarlo para esta zona y yo deseo que él viva en esta propiedad; así
que le estoy dando aviso para que evacúe esta vivienda cuanto antes le
sea posible. ¡La revolución necesita esta casa!"
El padre de mi amigo Raúl, sin inmutarse, le pidió que regresara el
sábado en la tarde y le planteara el pedido a "Mongo" Castro, que
seguramente le estaría visitando, como era su costumbre. Al percatarse
el coronel de que "Mongo" Castro era el hermano mayor de Fidel Castro,
pidió disculpas y jamás regresó.
¿Es necesario agregar algo más?
http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2013/05/18/1478795/jose-a-tony-ruano-no-invierta.html
No invierta donde no haya un estado de derecho
José A. "Tony" Ruano
Bienes Raíces
"Eso no se le ocurre ni al que asó la manteca." Acostumbraba a decir mi
padre de quien dijese o hiciese algo irracional o sin sentido; y lo
mismo repito yo ante quienes aseguran que en lo adelante, basado en los
últimos cambios ocurridos en la isla, el gobierno cubano va a respetar
el derecho sobre la propiedad privada.
Resulta que el abuelo paterno de mi buen amigo Dr. Raúl Pino, fue Fidel
Pino Santos, alto ejecutivo en la provincia de Oriente de la United
Fruit Company. Por su posición y posibilidades para otorgar contratos
para el cultivo de la caña de azúcar, Fidel Pino Santos estableció una
profunda amistad con un colono llamado Angel Castro, quien tuvo varios
hijos con la señora Lina Ruz. Al segundo hijo varón de la pareja le
nombraron Fidel, en honor al Sr. Pino Santos, quien además se convirtió
en padrino del mismo. Con el paso del tiempo Fidel Castro Ruz fue a la
Universidad de la Habana y tras de él fueron los cheques de su padrino,
para ayudarle a costear sus estudios universitarios (he visto copias de
cheques cancelados).
Luego sucedió lo que sucedió y Ramón "Mongo" Castro, el mayor de los
hermanos varones de la familia, se quedó al frente de la finca de Birán.
Su abogado y hombre de confianza de la familia por ese entonces, lo era
el Dr. Raúl Pino Martínez, hijo de Fidel Pino Santos y padre de mi amigo
Raúl.
Ramón Castro siempre fue un campechano. Un campesino simple y
conversador el cual disfrutaba reunirse con el padre de mi amigo Raúl,
los sábados en la tarde, para tomarse unas cervezas y charlar.
Luego del establecimiento de la Ley de Reforma Urbana al padre de mi
amigo Raúl solamente le dejaron, tal cual establecía la ley, la casa
principal de vivienda, en Santiago de Cuba y una casa de veraneo,
ubicada ésta en la playa Siboney, a diecisiete kilómetros de Santiago;
en la cual vivía la familia la mayor parte del tiempo, por su relativa
cercanía a la ciudad y por la mayor facilidad para obtener frutos
menores, hortalizas, pescado y otros alimentos que ya comenzaban a
escasear para ese entonces.
Cuenta mi amigo Raúl que una tarde en 1963, su padre leía en el portal
de la casa, disfrutando la brisa marina, cuando un soldado, con grados
de general de ejército, vino hacia este y le dijo: "Conocemos que usted
es dueño de esta casa y además nos han informado que es propietario de
otra en Santiago de Cuba. A mi hermano, también coronel, van a
trasladarlo para esta zona y yo deseo que él viva en esta propiedad; así
que le estoy dando aviso para que evacúe esta vivienda cuanto antes le
sea posible. ¡La revolución necesita esta casa!"
El padre de mi amigo Raúl, sin inmutarse, le pidió que regresara el
sábado en la tarde y le planteara el pedido a "Mongo" Castro, que
seguramente le estaría visitando, como era su costumbre. Al percatarse
el coronel de que "Mongo" Castro era el hermano mayor de Fidel Castro,
pidió disculpas y jamás regresó.
¿Es necesario agregar algo más?
http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2013/05/18/1478795/jose-a-tony-ruano-no-invierta.html
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