Reprint from CNN | Patrick Oppmann| Feb. 9, 2021
Cuba took a long-awaited and likely irreversible step towards massively expanding the island’s private sector over the weekend.
On Saturday, Cuba’s communist-run government announced that Cubans will soon be able to seek employment or start businesses in most fields of work.
Previously, Cubans were restricted to working in just 127 officially approved private sector job descriptions. Some of those legalized activities over the years included working as a barber, tire repairer, palm tree trimmer or “dandy,” as the government referred to Cubans who dressed up to pose with tourists for photos.
But many Cubans chafed that the government’s list did not include opportunities created by recently increased access to the internet and Cubans’ own seemingly limitless ability to innovate and invent.
Now they will have the ability to work in over 2,000 different fields.