Airbnb’s rapid growth in Cuba comes with a few problems (h/t Silvio Canto). In a country where “property rights” are at the government’s whim,
The Cuban government collects 10 percent of what hosts take in. Depending on the type of rental and neighborhood, officials also charge Airbnb hosts a monthly fee. For Acevedo, it’s about $70 a month.
. . .
Clavero doesn’t have a problem with the extra fees, she said, but the amount is not insignificant considering the average monthly salary in Cuba is around $20.
The most interesting line of the entire article? (emphasis added)
The photo spread included glamorous shots of a young teenager, Acevedo’s mother, who had been named queen of the 1962 Havana carnival following the revolution. In one picture, Acevdeo’s mom is dressed in a fancy ball gown watching the parade. Sitting next to her, in uniform, is Cuban icon “Commandante Fidel Castro.”
“Look here. Look here,” Acevedo said giggling, as she discovered the old photo. “There she is next to Fidel.”
In other Cuba news, Fidel Castro makes rare public appearance after Obama visit
State television broadcast images of the gray-bearded Castro sitting at a desk and conversing with students and teachers at the school, named after Vilma Espin, who was his sister-in-law and died in 2007 at age 77.
And a question, Why Did Google Succumb to Cuba’s Censorship?
Bonus:
AWFUL! Carnival Cruise Lines Can’t/Won’t Take Cuban-Americans To Cuba
