In Cuba, entrepreneurs see a steep decline in business with Trump policies

[DonViejo]

“When the U.S. Treasury Department announces new measures, we get cancellations the next day,” an entrepreneur in Havana said.

July 6, 2019, 4:24 AM EDT
By Carmen Sesin

HAVANA — Every morning, Alejandro Martín-Ramos, 24, parks his 1953 pink Bel Air in front of Havana’s Central Park, one of the most touristy neighborhoods in Cuba’s capital, and waits for tourists to hop in for a whirl around the city.

He and his father purchased the classic American car before his father passed away a year ago. They spent $22,000 because the family needed a higher income than the average monthly state salary of $30 a month. Six family members, including Martin’s girlfriend who is five months pregnant, depend on him financially.

But with the Trump administration’s tightening sanctions on Cuba and especially since U.S. cruise ships were banned from docking on the island, Martin has to work 14-hour days just to keep his head above water, paying taxes, other fees, and all the maintenance a 1950s car requires.

“When my baby is born, I will hardly be able to spend time with her,” Martin said on a recent morning, dressed in a traditional, long-sleeved shirt known as a guayabera and straw hat to protect himself from the harsh summer sun.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/cuba-entrepreneurs-see-steep-decline-business-trump-policies-n1026026?cid=public-rss_20190706

[MichMan]

1. An average monthly salary of $30 ???

That is ridiculous. I bet that the state leaders live pretty well.