GIC Board Member, David Kotok, Chairman and CIO of Cumberland Advisors, wrote about his observations and impressions from GIC’s 2023 delegation to Havana, Cuba, originally published as a Cumberland Advisors Commentary.

“How was Cuba?” is the question I’ve been asked several times since I returned from the Global Interdependence Center (GIC) delegation’s trip to Cuba January 8–12, 2023.

My personal experience with Cuba started before Cumberland Advisors was created in 1973. We had family conversations about I Love Lucy and the role of Desi Arnaz. I watched Fidel Castro’s rise to power. I vividly recall the Cuban missile crisis and the confrontation between the United States and Russia. And of course, there is the Bay of Pigs invasion attempt. They are all part of my personal memory. In the 1960s, I had a fraternity brother at Penn who had fled Cuba with his parents. He would share stories from firsthand experience. Readers who are history buffs may want to find a copy of Bay of Pigs, The Untold Story, a 1979 publication by Simon and Schuster, written by Peter H. Wyden.

So, a visit to Cuba with a GIC fact-finding delegation was not without some experience-induced biases and expectations. The actual results from my contacts and personal experiences in Havana have triggered introspection and reconsideration of my previous biases.

This was my third trip to Cuba.

Click here to read the full writeup.

Speaker / Author

David Kotok

Chief Investment Officer of Cumberland Advisors

David Kotok co-founded Cumberland Advisors in 1973 and has been its Chief Investment Officer since inception. David’s articles and financial market commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and other publications. During his career, he has been a frequent contributor to Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg Radio, Yahoo Finance TV, and other media. He has authored or co-authored four books, including the second edition of "From Bear to Bull with ETFs" and "Adventures in Muniland". He holds a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in organizational dynamics from ... Read More