Latest news with #Marrero
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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Cuba announces new rules for investing in hotels and a hike in state pensions
Facing worsening economic prospects, the Cuban government will allow joint ventures between state enterprises and local private companies, as well as what it calls 'selective swap' operations with foreign companies, involving hotels and real estate, the country's prime minister said in a speech before the National Assembly on Wednesday. The measures, he said, are part of a government plan to boost hard currency revenue and foreign investments, and increase production in the country, though their real impact cannot be measured until related regulations are published. Prime Minister Mario Marrero did not elaborate on the swap operations, but in the past, several Latin American countries have implemented so-called debt-for-equity swaps to reduce their foreign debt. In these transactions, a country reduces its foreign debt by giving a company an equity stake in a local company or property. Marrero said those transactions 'will be approved without ceding sovereignty. We already approved the first leased hotel by a foreign company, and there are several under analysis to switch them to this very beneficial model for our country.' The minister also mentioned forthcoming regulations that would eliminate the requirement for foreign hotel chains to enter into a joint venture or a similar contract with a Cuban government entity in order to lease a hotel. Several international hotel chains have signed contracts with Cuban tourism companies, including some owned by the island's military, to lease and manage hotels on the island. Some of those properties — or the land on which they were built —have been the subject of lawsuits under the U.S. law known as the Helms-Burton Act because they were expropriated from U.S. citizens by the Cuban government without compensation shortly after it took power 1959. Many urban hotels owned by a Cuban military conglomerate known as GAESA are included in a list of sanctioned entities kept by the U.S State Department. Private sector imports over $1 billion Marrero's tone regarding private enterprises was notably softer than a previous address to the National Assembly last year, when he announced several new restrictions on micro, small, and medium enterprises as well as the self-employed. He provided figures revealing the extent of a crackdown on the private enterprises, including 2 billion pesos in fines for not following price control restrictions on certain food items, as well as the closure of over 8,000 points of sale for the same reason. Still, he at times explicitly referred to these enterprises as 'private companies,' and said the government is seeking partnerships beyond the current leasing of empty facilities, and would allow joint ventures. He said that already there are 2,741 partnerships between government entities and private enterprises to produce food. Notably, the government has so far rejected expanding the privatization to agriculture, and he mentioned only 55 such partnerships in that sector. Figures shared earlier this week by the country's economy minister, Joaquín Alonso, show that the private sector, including the self-employed and non-agricultural cooperatives, has imported over a billion dollars in goods and raw materials in the first six months this year. Without providing details, Marrero also announced several new measures to be implemented before the end of the year, including reducing red tape and simplifying the approval process for foreign investment, changes to the official currency exchange system, steps to promote remittances from abroad, and additional controls on electronic commerce. He also said the government is seeking partnerships with foreign companies to address the ongoing trash collection problem in the country's largest cities. But nothing in Marrero's speech signaled undertaking significant changes at the speed required by the country's colossal economic problems. His speech was followed by an address from the economy minister, Alonso, who described the collapse of the island's economy, which has contracted by 11% since 2019. Alonso said that while there have been some improvements in the repair of electrical plants and the production of certain crops, he acknowledged that the country still lacks the resources to purchase the oil needed to meet the country's electricity needs and feed the population. He said that continuing to import food to distribute to the public via the decades-old ration-card system is 'economically unsustainable.' Last week, the minister of energy and mines, Vicente de la O Levy, implied that Cuba no longer relies on oil shipments from Venezuela, which had been its principal provider. 'We don't have a stable fuel supply like we used to,' he said. 'We're turning to the international market to buy fuel, and the country's oil bill is over $4 billion.' Money for health and pensions Many of the measures Marrero announced Wednesday have been under discussion for several years, and some entail small changes that economists have been advocating for a long time. For example, he said 29 state entities have been approved to use the hard currency they earn to boost their own production, rather than passing the dollars to the central government. He mentioned the Ministry of Health is among those that would be allowed to 'retain 100% of what they earn in foreign currency for the services they export.' That statement implies that the money collected by the government as payment for its medical missions abroad was not spent mostly on maintaining the public health system. Health Minister José Ángel Portal told members of the National Assembly on Monday that the 'self-financing scheme' had been in place since last December, and the additional funds had been used to pay debts, purchase antibiotics and medical supplies. 'We had practically hit rock bottom, but these resources have been vital in prioritizing the most urgent needs,' he said. Still, Portal said, currently, only '30% of the basic medications list' is available in the country. The prime minister also announced a modest increase in state pensions, which will double the amount earned by those receiving the minimum (1,528 pesos monthly). However, the boost will barely add the equivalent of $4 a month. Those receiving more than 4,000 pesos a month will see no increase. The measure, he said, will benefit 1.3 million Cubans.
Qatar Tribune
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Mbappe bags brace as Real Madrid see off Sociedad in La Liga finale
PA Media/dpa Madrid Kylian Mbappe took his La Liga goals tally to 31 this season by scoring a brace as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 2-0 in their final game of the season. Mbappe, who joined Real from Paris St Germain last summer, scored on the rebound after his first-half penalty was saved and added a late second to also ensure departing head coach Carlo Ancelotti bowed out on a high. The 65-year-old Italian, who has won 15 major trophies in two spells as Real boss - including the domestic title and Champions League last season - will take charge of Brazil later this month. Real were already assured of the runners-up spot in La Liga after arch-rivals Barcelona sealed their 28th domestic title earlier this month with two games remaining. Mbappe's double against Sociedad means he closed the season with 10 goals in his last six appearances for Real in all competitions and he leads the race for the Golden Boot. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah would need to score a hat-trick in his side's final Premier League game against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Mbappe spurned two early chances for Real before Sociedad's Sergio Gomez was denied by home goalkeeper Andrii Lunin. Real carved further chances before Sociedad midfielder Pablo Marin was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. Home fans at the Bernabeu Stadium chanted for Luka Modric to take the resulting penalty in his final match for the club, but Mbappe stepped up and although his initial effort was saved by Unai Marrero, the France forward fired home the rebound. Jon Olasagasti headed wide for Sociedad early in the second half before Marrero saved well from Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler. Mbappe forced Marrero into another superb save in the bottom corner, but made no mistake from six yards in the 83rd minute after being set up by Vinicius Junior.
Boston Globe
23-05-2025
- Boston Globe
R.I. drug dealer who flaunted his guns online and on the streets, sentenced to 15 years in prison
Marrero pleaded guilty in December to charges of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, court records show. Advertisement 'Jose Marrero is a violent, machine gun-trafficking, kilogram-level drug dealer whose history of criminal conduct and vicious behavior threatens us all,' Assistant US Attorney Christine D. Lowell wrote in a Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up According to prosecutors, videos and messages from Marrero's cell phone show 'just how active, eager, and dangerous of a trafficker he is.' In December 2022, Marrero discussed with a drug supplier how he began organizing people to move 2 kilograms of cocaine in a week and how he could be trusted with 2 to 3 kilograms at a time, the sentencing memorandum states. Marrero said he could charge $21,000 per kilogram to lower-level distributors, according to the filing. 'In some of his messages, Marrero discusses having drug runners, complaining about their behavior and demanding higher productivity from them, directing them to locations to provide certain quantities of drugs to customers, and discussing debts owed to him,' prosecutors said in a statement. Advertisement Marrero also made it well known that he possessed a 'significant collection' of firearms, Lowell wrote. He also trafficked and obtained machine gun conversion devices and affixed them to semi-automatic pistols so they could be converted to fire automatically, court filings state. 'He arrogantly displayed himself and others in possession of the weapons in his apartment, while watching TV, playing video games, drinking alcohol, smoking, and driving around the streets of Rhode Island,' Lowell wrote in the memorandum. 'He also made social media posts demonstrating himself and others actively firing the fully automatic weapons outside.' Because of his two prior drug trafficking convictions on state charges when he was 19 and 25 years old, Marrero could not purchase his own weapons. But he enlisted the help of acquaintances and his girlfriend to do so for him, Lowell wrote. Marrero also accepted firearms as payment for drug sales. Marrero was 'drawn to drug and gun trafficking and the violence that that life entails,' Lowell wrote. 'As text messages with one of his runners demonstrates, the defendant – feeling somehow 'disrespected' at his daughter's birthday party – 'just snapped' and admitted to 'shooting at' the runner,' Lowell wrote. 'Such an incident demonstrates the defendant's chilling penchant for violence that must be curbed by the sentence he receives today.' Lowell requested a sentence of 17 years and a term of supervised release of at least four years. 'Despite his numerous arrests and experience in the criminal justice system, Defendant Jose Marrero's criminal history screams of a 36-year-old man [unfazed] by the violence he is prepared to inflict on others,' Lowell wrote. 'The defendant is a danger to society and to his own family as both as a drug dealer and a violent criminal.' Advertisement Court filings show Marrero, through his attorney, Joanne M. Daley, requested a 14-year sentence – the minimum allowed under the plea agreement he signed – and a three-year term of supervised release. In a letter to the judge, Marrero wrote that he knew he would be going to prison for a long time and said he feels 'so guilty for everything I've done,' especially because of how his actions have impacted his children. 'On paper I am the kind of person I wouldn't want around my own kids,' Marrero wrote. 'But I don't want to be that kind of person anymore.' Marrero told the judge what he did was 'so childish' as he treated guns 'like my favorite video game, 'Call of Duty,'' and selling drugs was 'all about making money, like the video game, 'Grand Theft Auto.'' 'I had a lousy childhood in many ways ," he wrote. 'I have to deal with that with treatment, but I have to grow up too.' Marrero added he is 'too old for pretending that life is like a video game.' Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man who showed off illegal guns on Snapchat sentenced to prison
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Woonsocket man described as a 'violent machine-gun trafficker' who often flaunted his firearms collection on social media will spend more than 15 years in federal prison, acting U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced Thursday. Jose Marrero, 36, was sentenced after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Court documents refer to Marrero as an 'organized, experienced, and demanding drug trafficker' with 'palpable, inherent violence.' Prosecutors said Marrero made it clear to his drug-trafficking counterparts—and the world—that he had access to numerous firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, AR-15s, and guns modified with machine gun conversion devices. Marrero frequently posted incriminating photos and videos to social media, showing himself handling weapons while drinking, playing video games, watching TV, and driving. Some videos even depicted him and others firing the guns. Content from Marrero's Snapchat account, 'bangbanggomez69,' was cited as a key piece of evidence in the case. Disappearing messages, photos and videos are a major appeal for users of the platform. For that reason, ATF Special Agent Eric Mercer said Snapchat is particularly attractive to criminals. He explained that the platform's features make it ideal for keeping illegal activity under the radar. MORE: Snapchat posts put Woonsocket man in legal jeopardy Marrero wasn't just showing off—he had two prior drug-trafficking convictions in Rhode Island and had already served two years in prison. Because he was prohibited from owning firearms, prosecutors said he tasked his girlfriend and friends with purchasing them on his behalf. In early 2023, Marrero also began accepting firearms as payment for drugs, according to court documents. Federal investigators searched his Woonsocket apartment that November and seized several of the weapons he had displayed online. However, they noted that many of the guns in his collection still haven't been recovered. Court documents also show that Marrero conducted more than 200 internet searches for the word 'Glock.' Text messages described in the case depict his 'cavalier attitude' toward owning automatic weapons, a 'complete disregard' for the law, and an 'undeniable eagerness' to use the guns to support his drug business. After completing his 181-month prison sentence, Marrero will be on federal supervised release for five years. NEXT: Coventry man indicted on federal drug charges Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Waukegan parade organizer accuses alderman of intimidation; ‘This behavior is … inappropriate and very unethical'
Organizers of Waukegan's annual parade celebrating the independence of several Latin American countries and Hispanic Heritage Month are expressing disapproval with Ald. Victor Felix, 4th Ward, for trying to pry them away from the event. Elizabeth Marrero, a director of not-for-profit organization Juntos — the organizer of the Viva la Independencia parade in September — said Felix asked the group to withdraw its special-use permit granted by the city on Jan. 14. The group began working on it in December. 'Felix stated that the parade had been promised to other individuals and warned us that if we do not withdraw, they will find loopholes to revoke the permit,' Marrero said. 'No public official should use their position to intimidate or manipulate (a) community group.' Marrero made Felix's remarks to her and a colleague public during audience time at the Waukegan City Council meeting Monday at City Hall, asking for an investigation into the alderman's behavior. After she finished her remarks, Marrero walked to the center of the dais and handed a copy of her speech to Mayor Sam Cunningham. When the meeting was over, Cunningham gave the paper to Corporation Counsel Joseph Miller, III. 'I'm giving it to our corporation counsel,' Cunningham said. 'We're making it an official document. Our goal is to have a successful parade.' Near the end of the meeting, during a time reserved for council members to speak, Felix said he is committed to the city's event process and following the related rules and procedures. He did not specifically deny any of Marrero's allegations. 'If my actions were perceived as anything other than supportive, I sincerely apologize,' Felix said. 'I'm here to work alongside our community partners, not against them. I stand with those trying to bring positive and inclusive events to our city. I'm willing to support any parade that brings our city together in the right way.' When asked specifically after the meeting if he had asked Juntos to withdraw its parade application, he said, 'No comment.' He gave the same answer when asked if any of Marrero's statements were inaccurate. During her conversation with Felix, Marrero said at the meeting that she felt he was trying to intimidate her and her colleague. He told them that if they appealed the withdrawal of the permit, the council would vote against her. 'Felix stated that by Juntos withdrawing from coordinating the parade will be the best possible scenario for the city of Waukegan to avoid any drama,' Marrero said. 'We also learned this alderman has been questioning city staff about ways to find loopholes to revoke the permit.' After the meeting, Marrero said she received a text from Felix on April 25 asking to meet in person. He insisted it happen quickly. She and her colleague met with Felix on April 27. Already working to organize the parade since December, Juntos was not about to leave the scene. He added pressure. 'This behavior is intimidating, inappropriate and very unethical,' Marrero said. David Motley, the city's communications director, said the city received only one application for the annual parade, and it was already approved. Jesus Uribe, another Juntos member, said through an interpreter during the meeting that the organization donates any excess money generated from the parade back into the community. It is already seeking donations and sponsorships. 'With the money we raised in (last year's) parade, we will be giving three (college) scholarships,' Uribe said. 'Whatever is raised from the next parade will be given to people who have cancer.'
