Cubacan't

11 May 2004. Inspired by .

AP reports:

Sales of goods at dollar stores "are suspended until further notice," announcers on [Cuban] state television announced, reading an 'official notice'. Crucially, food and personal hygiene products were exempted.

Cuba blamed the measure on "the brutal and cruel" measures adopted last week by President Bush to strengthen the embargo of Cuba and to hasten the end of the communist government here.


This is big news for the Cubans. The dollar shops are a vital source of scarce resources for everyone who can get their hands on greenbacks (by any means necessary).

It seems unlikely that the Bush measures forced them into this; more likely countering in almost the only way they can, while forcing people to go back to the original Cuban peso (rather than the Cuban dollar peso, called peso convertible). But such posturing isn't good for anyone.

I wrote an article for the Big Issue about the proliferation of dollar shops I witnessed when in Cuba six months ago, which is online here.

More information on the currencies themselves here. As a side point, Cuba is the only country I've ever been to that has both a note and a coin (both featuring Che) in a denomination of 3.