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20th Anniversary of International Yacht Club of Cuba

On May 21st, 2012, the Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba (HIYC of Cuba) will be arriving to its 20th Anniversary. On this occasion, you and the international sailing community are invited by Commodore Escrich to participate in the activities to be held before and after the above mentioned date. Read more

We warmly welcome you to Issue 19 of Cubaplus magazine and we're sure you'll be pleased with what we have in store for you.

This issue offers a Special on international business interests in the Cuban market. With a focus on sustainability and developing a more open economy, Cuba's foreign trade has been undergoing important changes, with Canada being among its top five trading partners for goods. The 29th International Fair of Havana, scheduled for November, plays a key role in Cuba's business negotiation and exchange.

In these pages you will also find the first of a four-part series about the Mafia in Cuba, with this chapter focusing on the birth of the Cosa Nostra in America, Meyer Lansky's arrival in Havana in the early 1930s and the start of the "Mafia Era in Cuba" and their involvement in hotels, casinos, cabarets, speakeasies, horse racing and drug trafficking. As a murkier part of Cuba's history, it's a better read than the Hollywood movies! As is traditional for Cubaplus, each issue has articles on literature, art, music and cinema. And what better way to celebrate the magazine's 5th anniversary than with an art exhibition of the artists who have appeared in its pages over the past five years at Cuba's colourful and famous Hotel Nacional.

In Date with a Legend, you can read about the recently celebrated 13th International Colloquium on the life and work of Ernest Hemingway. Dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the writer's death and with presentations by experts from Brazil, Britain, Japan, the United States and Cuba, this year's Colloquium saw the world premiere of the play In Deadly Ernest, written, directed and performed by Canadian actor Brian Gordon Sinclair. And on behalf of Cubaplus, I had the honour of addressing the Colloquium about previous issues containing articles about Hemingway.

This issue also talks about the 61st Hemingway International Marlin Tournament – Canada being one of 13 countries that participated – as well as giving an overview of other nautical locations in Cuba. And be sure to read about the recent collaboration agreement between Cuba's Hemingway International Yacht Club and the U.S.-based International SeaKeepers Society to safeguard the sea – an excellent initiative between associations of the two countries.

For music lovers, there is an interview with Pancho Amat, known as the King of Tres (three double-string guitar). A veritable virtuoso of Cuba's most traditional music, the son, Pancho says he plays for pleasure and the love of music. The son is also the genre to which this year's 15th edition of Cubadisco – Cuba's international music industry fair – was dedicated. In this issue you can read about this fair and who received awards in the different categories.

You'll also find an exciting overview of the upcoming 33rd International New Latin American Cinema Festival, scheduled for December.

Rounding out this issue are articles on health, with a focus on Cuba's multi-faceted addiction rehabilitation program (drugs and alcohol) which is part of its Turismo y Salud S.A. (SERVIMED) program available for international clients, as well as on the 500th anniversary of Cuba's First City, Baracoa. And you'll find our customary articles on sports, fashion and dining out with style.

Coming soon!
New Version of CubaPLUS in French.