Cuba Ends Half-Century Embargo On Foreign Cars

Raul Castro makes another move to accelerate capitalist-style market reform in Cuba:

Cuba has announced that it will ease restrictions on car imports for the first time in half a century, marking the end of an era that made icons of the island’s vintage automobiles.

The official newspaper Granma said the decision to allow cars to be imported for sale at market prices on the island was taken Wednesday by Cuba’s council of ministers.

It said the decision will gradually free up retail sales of all manner of vehicles- automobiles, vans, trucks and motorcycles- and end the practice of granting some Cubans special permission to bring in vehicles as a privilege.

By: dave-dr-gonzo

David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.

* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.