FIU Law students may attend free of charge. All others must register in advance here.
The program below is subject to change.
2022 ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION THE STUDY OF THE CUBAN ECONOMY(ASCE) Jointly with the Florida International University College of Law
September 15-17, 2022
Thursday, September 15
9:00 am-10:00
Coffee and Registration
10:00-10:15 AM — Large Courtroom
Opening Remarks
- Antony Page, Dean, FIU College of Law
- Gary Maybarduk, ASCE President
- Jorge Esquirol, Professor, FIU College of Law
10:15 am-11:45 am — Large Courtroom
Session 1. Current Economic, Political and Social Situation
- Chair: Gary Maybarduk, ASCE President
- Carmelo Mesa-Lago, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh, “La economía cubana en 2020-2022”
- Jorge I. Dominguez, Harvard University (retired), “Whatever It Takes: The Cuban Leadership’s Regime Stabilizing Strategies, 2020-2022”
- Enrique Pumar, Fay Boyle University Professor, Santa Clara University, “The Persistent Social Dilemmas of the Revolution”
12:00 noon – 1 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Session 2. Tarea Ordenamiento — Large Courtroom
- Chair: Luis Locay, University of Miami
- José Gabilondo, FIU College of Law, “Causation and Culpability in the Cuban Economy: The Tarea Ordenamiento Under the U.S. Blockade”
- Gabriel Di Bella, Nemanja Jovanovich and Rafael Romeu, “Cuba’s Exchange Rate Unification: From Theory to Practice”
- Rodolfo Méndez, BBVA Research, José Pineda, DevTech Systems, Inc, and Rafael Romeu, DevTech Systems, Inc, “Cuba’s Macroeconomic Vulnerabilities to Venezuelan Shocks: Evidence from the Reordenamiento Period 2021-2022” Discussants: Lorenzo Pérez, IMF (retired); Luis Luis
Session 3. La situación actual de Cuba, el cuidado de una población envejecida y propuestas a futuro—Small Courtroom Sesión basada en el XIII Informe de Estudio del Centro de Estudios Convivencia (en Cuba) en colaboración con el proyecto CUIDO60 (en el exterior) sobre envejecimiento, cuidados y derechos.
Panelistas:
- Elaine Acosta, Directora de CUIDO60 y FIU Cuban Research Institute
- Carmelo Mesa-Lago, Miembro del Consejo de Asesores de CUIDO60 y Profesor Emérito, Universidad de Pittsburgh
- Dagoberto Valdés, Director del Centro de Estudios Convivencia
- Yoandy Izquierdo, Miembro del Consejo, Centro de Estudios Convivencia
- Sergio Angel, Director Fundación 4Metrica, investigador de Cuido60 y Food Monitor Program, Colombia
2:30 pm-2:45 pm — COFFEE BREAK
3:00 pm – 4:15 pm — Large Courtroom
Session 4. Cuban Environmental Law
- Chair: Jorge Esquirol, FIU College of Law
- Berta Hernández-Truyol, University of Florida Law School, “The Human Environment”
- Daimar Cánovas González, University of Havana Law School, “Presente y futuro del derecho ambiental en Cuba”
- Discussant: Sergio Díaz-Briquets, María Dolores Espino
4:15 pm-4:30 pm — COFFEE BREAK
4:30 pm-5:45 pm — Large Courtroom
Session 5. Carlos Díaz-Alejandro Lecture
- Chair: Gary Maybarduk, ASCE President
- Lecturer: Scott Rozelle, Stanford University, “Agricultural Reform in Former Socialist Countries”
5:45 pm-7:00 pm
Welcoming Reception
7:00 pm-8:00 pm
Cultural Event — Movie “Lázaro and the Shark”
Screening and discussion of the new (as yet unreleased) documentary film, “Lázaro and The Shark.” The film was made by Havana native William Sabourin O’Reilly and is set in Santiago during its famous Carnival Conga competitions.
Friday, September 16
9:00 am-10:30 am — Large Courtroom
Session 6. Natural and Labor Resources
- Chair: René Costales, IDB (retired)
- Colin Crawford, Golden Gate Law School, “Cuba’s Energy Future: Options Based on Renewable Energy and Not Carbon-Dependent Sources”
- Sergio Díaz-Briquets and Jorge Pérez-López, “Water, Development and Environment in Cuba: A Second Look”
- Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos Espiñeira, Universidad de la Habana, “¿Son escasos los recursos laborales en Cuba?”
- Discussants: Helena Solo-Gabriele, University of Miami; Jorge Piñón, University of Texas
10:30 am-10:45 am — COFFEE BREAK
10:45 am-12:15 pm
Session 7. Political Dimensions — Large Courtroom
- Chair: Silvia Pedraza, University of Michigan
- Larry Catá Backer, Penn State University School of Law, “From the 8th Cuban Communist Party Congress through the July/November 2021 Popular Protests: Ideology, Mass Movements and Sustainability as Discourse, Trigger and Goal in Cuba”
- Enrique S. Pumar, Santa Clara University, “The Politics of Resilience: Authoritarian Bargaining and Regime Capacity”
- Julio César Guanche, Investigador Independiente, “Política y sociedad civil en Cuba”
- Oniel Diaz, Managing Partner, AUGE SRL, “MSMEs in Cuba: The First Year in the Life of the Youngest Cuban Economic Actor”
- Discussants: Jorge Domínguez, Harvard University (retired); Ted Henken, Baruch College, City University of New York
Session 8. The Cuban Economy: Internal and External Issues — Small Courtroom
- Chair: Carlos Seiglie, Rutgers University
- Luis Locay, University of Miami, “The Use of Socioeconomic Indicators to Estimate PPP Adjusted Income: An Application to Cuba Circa 1957”
- Paolo Spadoni, Augusta University, “The External Sector of Cuba’s Economy: Performance and Challenges”
- Luis Luis, “Foreign Investment in Cuba: Risk, Uncertainty and Sanctions”
- Natalia Delgado, Columbia Law School, “Cuba’s Proposed Law on Expropriation: Implications for Foreign Investment”
- Discussants: Armando Linde, IMF (retired); Lorenzo Pérez, IMF (retired)
12:15 pm- 2:00 pm
Session 9. ASCE LUNCHEON Ernesto Betancourt Lecture Mayra Espina, Consejo Editorial de la Revista Temas y profesora invitada de FLACSO, “Cuba: crisis, desigualdades y prácticas de vida cotidiana”
2:00 pm-3:30 pm
Session 10. Domestic and Transnational Issues—Large Courtroom
- Chair: Natalia Delgado, Columbia Law School
- Silvia Pedraza and Carlos A. Romero, “Contemporary Crises in Cuba: Economic, Political, and Social”
- Libby Adler, Northeastern University School of Law, “On the why of same-sex marriage in Cuba”
- Kenneth Lipner, FIU, “White Prosperity, Black Pain: The Opportunity Costs of the U.S. Embargo in Miami and Cuba”
- Soren Triff, “From ‘Guillermo Tell’ to ‘Lambo en Varadero’: Resetting Relations with a new generation of Cubans, realigning the demands for freedom and justice, and decoupling the failed European economic policy of ‘Wandel durch Handel’”
- Discussant: Rodolfo Stusser; others TBA
Session 11. Agriculture — Small Courtroom Chair: Juan Tomás Sánchez Armando Nova González, University of Havana, “Intercooperación, alimentación y desarrollo local” William Messina, University of Florida, “What is Happening in Cuba’s Agricultural and Food Systems?” Mario A. González-Corzo, Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY), “Economic Reforms and Cattle Beef Production in Cuba” Tomas Depestre, Mario A. González-Corzo, and Olimpia Gómez Consuegra, “Problemática de la Producción de Tomate en Cuba” Discussants: Juan Tomás Sánchez; Pedro Acosta, Cuban independent journalist; Scott Rozelle, Stanford University; Gary Maybarduk, ASCE President
3:30 pm-3:45 pm — COFFEE BREAK
3:45 pm-5:00 pm
Session 12. Cuba and the Global Economy—Large Courtroom
- Chair: Joaquín Pujol, IMF (retired)
- Jorge Piñón, Latin America and Caribbean Energy and Environmental Program, Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy, the University of Texas at Austin, “The Current Situation of the Cuban Energy Sector”
- Vadim Grishin, George Washington University, “Cuba’s Troubled Times: Old Issues in a New Geopolitical Context”
- Maria Werlau, Cuba Archive, “Cuba’s biotechnology diplomacy: pandemic as opportunity”
- Discussant: Larry Catá Backer, Penn State University Law School (to be confirmed); René Costales, IDB (retired)
Session 13. Panel: Dinámicas de transformación en Cuba–entre la reforma y las prácticas de los nuevos actores económicos—Small Courtroom
- Chair: Omar Everleny Pérez Villanueva, Centro Cristiano de Reflexión y Dialogo, Matanzas
- Panelists:
- Ricardo Torres Pérez, American University, “Distorsiones estructurales y reforma económica en Cuba”
- Omar Everleny Pérez Villanueva, Centro Cristiano de Reflexión y Dialogo, Matanzas, ¿Las Mpymes se aprobaron y ahora cuál es su desempeño?
- David J. Pajon Espina, Universidad de la Habana, “Cryptocurrencies in Cuba: Opportunities for the Private Sector”
- Denisse Delgado, University of Massachusetts, Boston, “Remesas hacia Cuba: El rol de las remesas para emigrantes cubanos”
5:00 pm-6:00 pm
ASCE BUSINESS MEETING
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
9:00 am-10:30 am—Large Courtroom
Session 14. New Rules for the Cuban Private Sector from the Ground Up–Small Courtroom Chair: Ted Henken, Baruch College, City University of New York Panelists:
- Diana Figueroa (Jíbaro’s Restaurant)
- Erich García (QvaPay)
- Yunior González (BB’s y Habanece Vacations)
- Camilo Condis (Lucendi SLR)
10:30 am-10:45 am — COFFEE BREAK
10:45 am-12 noon — Large Courtroom
Session 15. Diez años del proyecto CubaEmprende. Una iniciativa de dos orillas, que ha marcado el desarrollo de los emprendimientos privados en Cuba
- Omar Everleny Pérez Villanueva, Centro Cristiano de Reflexión y Diálogo, Matanzas, Cuba. “Introducción al contexto económico, político y social 2012-2022 para el desarrollo de los negocios, elementos que propiciaron la creación y evolución de CubaEmprende”
- Perla de la Caridad Baltar Rodríguez, Directora del Proyecto CubaEmprende, “Capacitación y acompañamiento a emprendedores, resultados del proyecto CubaEmprende en el desarrollo de los emprendimientos privados”
- Rolando G. Suárez Cobian, Presidente del Consejo de Dirección del Proyecto CubaEmprende, “CubaEmprende, concepción de un proyecto para construir una Cuba prospera, desde la participación de todos” William Bello Sánchez, Coordinador del Programa OASIS de RSE del Proyecto Cuba Emprende, “Responsabilidad Social Empresarial desde el proyecto CubaEmprende: OASIS, un programa para elevar el impacto social y ambiental de los emprendedores cubanos”
IN-PERSON BOOK PRESENTATION
All are invited to join former ASCE president Ted A. Henken as he presents the Spanish and English editions of his new co-edited book, Cuba’s Digital Revolution: Citizen Innovation and State Policy, at 6:00 p.m., Saturday, September 17 at Books and Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables.