From our Bureau of Extremely Porous Blockades with some assistance from our Bureau of Socialist Monopolies
Castro, Inc.’s thinly disguised business conglomerate GAESA — a monstrous monopoly — has been quite successful at cornering the imported vehicle market that was opened by the Biden administration two years ago, when it suddenly allowed the exporting of vehicles to Castrogonia by firms based in the U.S.
As is the case with every enterprise in Cuba, Castro, Inc. is claiming the lion’s share of this market, and it is doing so by camouflaging GAESA’s involvement in the importing cars from Panama rather than the US by a “private” firm called Carros W.
On one of its multiple websites, Carros W says its imports are ready for delivery to “legal entities, that is, MIPYMES, branches of foreign companies, non-government agencies, churches, consulates, and embassies.”
Yikes, Mildred, get a load of that used Porsche 911 selling at “discount” for $604,087 (before import fees and taxes). It’s only got 3,000 miles on the odometer! See, Mildred, socialism isn’t as bad as far-right wingnuts claim . . . Let’s move to Cuba!
This new business venture proves, once again, that there is no such thing as a “blockade” or “private” enterprise, but Castro, Inc. doesn’t care about the optics. It knows no one will pay attention to its hypocrisy, its greed, and its monopolistic instincts.
Loosely translated from Diario de Cuba
In April 2024, the US-Cuba Economic and Commercial Council, a private entity that promotes the end of the embargo and increased business between Washington and Havana, reported that at least 22 US-based companies had licenses to export various types of vehicles to Cuba.
This business, which has continued to grow since the Biden Administration gave it the green light in May 2022, has resulted in over $30 million in acquisitions in the past 15 months alone. It seems to flourish thanks to the constant flow of goods between both countries, despite the embargo that the Cuban regime incessantly complains about.
However, there is a vehicle sales business in Cuba that rivals US exporters, not run by a regime-friendly entrepreneur like Hugo Cancio, and that does not acquire its vehicles through purchases from the northern neighbor. It is a car market managed by none other than the Cuban military’s business conglomerate, GAESA, which obtains most of its vehicles from Panama.
Conveniently camouflaged within the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM), Carrosw, presenting itself as “Imported Vehicles,” offers individuals and legal entities in Cuba an enviable assortment of new and certified used cars, guaranteeing delivery within 15 days of the selected model, brought to the island from Panama. Interested parties can purchase as many cars as they want.
Carrosw’s catalog includes buses and trucks, light and heavy equipment, motorcycles and their parts, as well as SUVs, gasoline and hybrid, with a range of brands such as Chevrolet, Toyota, Kia, Nissan, Hyundai, Suzuki, Ford, Lexus, BMW, Cadillac, Lincoln, Peugeot, Renault, Volvo, Audi, totaling 42.
Out of pure curiosity, I reviewed the range of Porsche cars, the most expensive in the catalog, and found 13 models available. Among them, a new 2024 Taycan Turbo S stands out at $251,747, and a 2020 911 Carrera S with 10,000 kilometers at $173,351.
Regarding Chevrolets, there are 38 models for sale, all new. Highlights include 2024 Suburban models for seven passengers (gasoline) at $96,282; an N400 minibus at $23,900; a Silverado ZR2 pickup at $82,608; and even three Corvette models ranging from $187,956 to $207,959.
Interested parties can filter the vehicle of their choice on the business’s website by brand, year, mileage, and fuel type, among other characteristics, and reserve it with a $1,000 online deposit, which will then be deducted from the total price.
Additionally, there is the importer’s commercial margin and the vehicle taxes, which depend on the type of customer (individual or legal entity) and are paid directly to the entity that conducted the transaction. These amounts are not included in the final price of the car and vary in each case.
The aforementioned examples, which point to astronomical prices, have more affordable counterparts, such as Suzuki Swift models costing between $19,800 and $23,680, or a wide variety of Toyota vehicles (276 available) at various prices. This, of course, takes into account the high prices of used cars in Cuba and the lack of a competitive market outside state control for acquiring vehicles.
Continue reading HERE in Spanish