Cuba: Fortuna de Fidel Castro supera la de algunas realezas

El Observador

By Laguna Larga 

El presidente cubano, Fidel Castro, es el séptimo mandatario más adinerado del mundo, según lo reporta el más reciente ‘ranking’ realizado por la revista Forbes, que busca destacar a los 10 gobernantes más ricos del planeta. Con una fortuna evaluada en U$ 900 millones, éste se ubica por encima las Reinas, Isabel de Inglaterra y Beatriz de Holanda.

Sin embargo, no supera a la riqueza del Rey de Arabia Saudita, Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz, quien se ubica en el primer lugar de la tabla con U$ 21 mil millones, seguido por el Sultán de Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, con U$ 20 mil millones;  la del Presidente de Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Jalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan con U$ 19 mil millones; el Emir de Dubai, Mohamad bin Rachid con U$ 14 mil millones, la del Príncipe de Liechtenstein,  Hans-Adam, con U$ 4 mil millones, ni la del  Príncipe de Mónaco, Alberto II con mil millones de dólares.

A pesar de eso, lo asombroso del estudio es que Castro reune más dinero que el Presidente africano de Guinea Ecuatorial, Teodoro Obiang, quien alcanza los U$ 600 millones; la Reina Isabel II de Inglaterra, con U$ 500 millones y finalmente la Reina Beatriz de Holanda, con U$ 270 millones.

¿Cómo se explica la riqueza de Castro?

Para los creadores del ‘ranking’, la fortuna de Fidel Castro ha crecido enormemente en los últimos años, dado que en 2003  tan sólo se le calculaba una riqueza de U$ 110 millones. Dos años después, llegó a tener U$ 550 millones (una suma cinco veces superior).

Según Forbes, desde el año pasado, el patrimonio del presidente cubano casi se duplicó hasta llegar a los 900 millones de dólares. “Suponemos que él tiene el control económico sobre una red de compañías estatales que incluye el Palacio de Convenciones,  Cimex, tiendas al por menor y Medicuba, que vende vacunas y otros productos farmacéuticos producidos en Cuba”; pues según expertos, esta sería la única forma en la que el mandatario reuna dicha cifra.

La inclusión del nombre de Castro en la lista del año pasado tuvo una dura respuesta por parte del Gobierno cubano, al afirmar que tomaría acciones legales contra lo que consideraba una “infamia”.

Prince of Asturias Visits Cuba's Stand at Madrid Tourist Fair

Prensa Latina

www.cadenagramonte.cu

Madrid, Jan 22.- Prince of Asturias Felipe de Borbon visited today Cuba's stand during a tour through the pavilions on occasion of the opening of the Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid. Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero and the island's ambassador to Spain, Eugenio Martinez, received Prince Felipe, heir to the Spanish, throne in the stand, in which the main Cuban products are represented. It also provides a rapprochement to its origin.

Marrero talked to the Prince some aspects of the exhibition, among them the presence of Jose Castelar (Cueto), a cigar maker who holds the Guinness record for the longest Havana cigar, the largest of them measured 80.81 meters long.

In statements to Prensa Latina, ambassador Martinez said the visit is a recognition to the country and the Cuban tourist product.

Spain is one of the most important tourist markets to Cuba, although its volume has suffered a contradiction in the last few years, as a result of the economic crisis in the European country.

Almost 9,000 representatives of companies from 165 countries are participating in the 34th edition of FITUR, and it is expected to receive about 200,000 visitors until Jan. 26.

Fallen Italian nobles turn castles into Bed & Breakfasts

Silvia Marchetti , NBC News contributor

Courtesy Miari Fulcis Family

Italian princes and countesses, struggling under the European economic crisis, are converting their dream-like castles into bed and breakfasts and luxury vacation rentals. The wealth of the aristocracy has shrunk across centuries and heirs, unable to live-off what remains of family fortunes and assets, have become entrepreneurs.

While noble titles haven't held legal value since Italy's monarchy was abolished in 1946, a loophole in the Republic's 1947 constitution allowed them to be retained as part of a family name. The titles still carry cachet, however, when it comes to attracting tourists to rent out the spare tower.

Courtesy Castel Venezze

“Americans who love to meet, talk and dine with a count or prince”, Countess Maria Giustiniani, landlord of Castel Venezze, a 1400’s rural domain near Venice she turned into a resort, told NBC News. Renovations cost several million dollars and required taking out a since-repaid mortgage. Monthly maintenance on the 80 acre property runs several thousand dollars per month. The countess declined to specify revenue, except to say she was satisfied with it.

Not everyone is happy with their numbers, though. "Our business is currently in deficit”, said Count Francesco Miari Fulcis. He manages the 740-acre Fattoria di Maiano for his mother, Countess Lucrezia Miari Fulcis of the Corsini Princes. European royalty, including Queen Victoria, used to stay over at the invitation of its former English owner, Sir John Temple Leader.

Courtesy Countess Stefania Von Holstein

The Castle of Scipione boasts two suites, one of which is in the watch tower, 

rented out for $170 a day.

“Revenues have dropped 25-30 percent compared to 2007, sustaining agriculture is expensive, while sky-high property taxes and hell-like bureaucracy are straining us. You can’t live on asset value anymore,” said the Count. Overall maintenance for both tourist and agriculture activities, including the costs of running the on-site olive oil farm and production facility, average to a million dollars per year, he said.

Prince Gabriele Alliata di Villafranca restyled his 1600’s country estate in Sicily, "Le Case del Principe," into a set of luxury villas which he rents out for tourists, business meetings, weddings, and other events.

"You don’t get a single penny from agricultural farms like mine in southern Italy, and if you hope to live on the production of oil, oranges and wine... campa cavallo che l'erba cresce," said the Prince [translation: while the grass grows, the steed starves].

But finding new uses for the historic villas keeps aloft more than just the balance sheet.

Remembering when as a boy he used to ride on his bicycle out to the estate that was his family summer's home, Prince Gabriele said, "I didn't want this place to become a ruin."

To keep the estate from crumbling into the ground, Countess Maria Giustiniani's father renovated the estate after it was abandoned for several decades after major floods hit in the 1950's. "I’ll never be able to recover all the capital I spent here, but my five sons will," she said. "The estate now works marvelously: it’s an oasis in the desert."

Countess Stefania Von Holstein runs with her husband the medieval Castle of Scipione of the Marquises Pallavicino, among Italy’s oldest families. The economic crisis has hit them too. Unlike the other estates, they only opened it up to tourism after the beginning of the downturn in 2008.

"A castle is a common good to be shared with others, as in the Middle Ages when travelers took refuge here," said the Countess.

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WHAT??? Nurse at Duchess Kate’s hospital who was hoaxed by DJs found dead

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By Ian Johnston, NBC News

Updated at 1:18 p.m. ET: A nurse duped by a prank call made to the hospital where Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, was treated for an extreme form of morning sickness was found dead Friday morning, the hospital said in a statement.

Two Australian DJs, Mel Greig and Michael Christian of Sydney station 2Day FM, called the hospital earlier this week and pretended to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles asking to be put through to the ward. They were then given an update on Kate’s health by a nurse.

It wasn't clear what role the nurse found dead Friday played in the incident.

The woman’s body was found at an address in Weymouth Street, London, which is around the corner from King Edward VII Hospital on Beaumont Street. Police described the circumstance of her death as "unexplained."

“It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha,” said the statement, which was released by the hospital's public relations firm.

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