The Cuba Interviews: Conversations on Foreign Investment and Economic Development

This book is a collection of meticulously gathered interviews with government officials, ambassadors, and executives involved in foreign investment and economic development in Cuba. The interviews, many for the first time with a foreign journalist, are valuable from a historical perspective and as a story of development. It offers an “open window” on Cuba into a crucial segment of the country’s economy, erroneously perceived by some as “shuttered” to the outside world.

This work is structured by the contextual history of Obama’s opening with Cuba, the bleak days of Trump, the Havana Syndrome, the onset of the pandemic, the election of Biden, and his “unmet promises”, through to economic recovery of the island under the post-pandemic normal. It highlights the work of the ones who lead and invest, create opportunities for themselves and others, initiate change, trigger sustainable development, build infrastructure, improve lives, strengthen the economy, lessen suffering, and create hope. They stimulate forward progress. These are the visionaries with plans seeking to realize the full potential of Cuba, driving a new era of sustainable development and growth. By filling those gaps, this work is an important supplement for any future analysis seeking to examine the country’s potential.

The book is divided into parts: government, economy, foreign investment, industrial zones, banking, law, and business, followed by interviews with top executives from Cuba’s primary sectors. This “open window” on Cuba is a compelling fresh take that shows that Cuba is open for serious business.

Since 1985, T.K. Hernández has spent extended periods in Cuba as a journalist, a tourist, and with family. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Western University and studied economic development at Oxford University. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES International Alliance of Editors, and the Canadian Network on Cuba. She is the author of two published books.