Alberto,

KUDOS! You've deconstructed this whole cellphone story and illustrated why its a total SHAM. It bothers me so much how the mainstream media once again drops the ball on this farce--gives Castro, Inc. a free pass-- and simply limits itself to repeating with BOMBOS AND PLATILLOS this latest "reform," [read this as propaganda] from Cuba. Today, when I got up and put on the TV, even ABC mentioned this garbage on their morning show! Give me a break, this is such a non-story! Aaggh!

By the way, El Nuevo Herald printed an interview yesterday [3/28] with Mariela Castro Espin [Raulita's daughter] and she went on and on about reforms [to the word, Mariela is a big reformer]. But she says [and this is the operative word] when conditions are right. Of course, we know that conditions are never going to be right and we know that the MSM is never going to call Castro, Inc. on that.

$260 looks about right= $300 from Miami Mafia cousin-20% raul tax= $240 left for combatant people cousin+ 20 chavitos in cousin's account=$260. Cousin has phone but no air time. so air time from black market and the racket goes on.

Alberto, I'll take your word for it that the 260 is in Dollars. Funny thing is that the phone shown is one that a major US Carrier couldn't GIVE AWAY nowadays. It looks much like my company phone, circa 2004. The one whose buttons fell off. Looks par for the course for Castro, Inc. -S-

Alberto,
Good post! BTW if you sell yours I have a couple I'd like to get rid of as well.

Dude, I could tell this was you before I scrolled to your name. AWESOME POST.

--Havana Claudia

WOW! Perfect piece!

Don't knock Manzana Inc's latest model, the iCoño!

Don't knock Manzana Inc's latest model, the iConno! (Spanglish version)

Alberto, what does Mariela Castro's Husband have to do with Cubacel , do you know ?
I heard he was partial owner ?
IS there any articles about that ? PM me if you have any info.
peterperez1976@yahoo.com

Thanks

Speaking of Mariela Castro Espin, her husband is an Italian who is---I hear---a mafioso. No surprise there, as they say in Spanish---EL AGUA SIEMPRE BUSCA SU NIVEL.

Peter:

All I have read is that Cubacel is a joint venture with an Italian telecommunications company. I have no idea whether mariela castro's husband has anything to do with it. However, since mariela is the king's daughter, that would make her a princess, which in turn would make her an heir to the throne--a position that would almost certainly guarantee a comfy and very lucrative position bequethed to her spouse by the king.

Dr. Shalit,

Those cell phones along with the other technology items that Cuba sells at monopoly prices to its people are priced in CUC, not Cuban pesos or Chavitos. The CUC is pegged to the dollar but because of the commissions on exchanging currency each CUC costs more than a dollar. So that phone costs more than $260 USD.