Odds and ends

·         AP’s Andrea Rodriguez takes a good look at Cuba’s demographic crunch and the urgency it gives to the economic reforms.  At the end, an interesting speculation that a future Cuba could be a destination country for immigrants, which would help the worker-to-dependent ratio.

·         At Havana Times, Samuel Farber writes a critical review (in English and Spanish) of my Viewer’s Guide to Cuba’s Economic Reform (pdf), followed by some reader comments. 

·         In Commonweal, Tom Quigley looks back at Pope Benedict’s visit to Cuba.

·         EFE: Venezuelan opposition candidate Henrique Capriles criticizes Venezuela’s “gift” of oil to Cuba and other countries, differentiating the aid from the payment for medical and other services rendered.

·         Granma covers Vietnam’s decision to reduce its state sector to a set of essential functions, to have about half the economy in enterprises with majority state ownership and significant foreign ownership, and the rest in a private sector providing goods and services.