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Miami entrepreneur smokes cigars in Havana


Cuban American businessman Hugo Cancio smokes a cigar in Havana.
Cuban American businessman Hugo Cancio smokes a cigar in Havana.

“More than 1,200 people from nearly 80 countries got together to share the mystic enchantment of the world of cigar,” wrote the weekly Opciones.

This year, the 16th annual Cigar Festival, which took place at the Palacio de Convenciones in Havana from February 24 to 28, was very different from previous events.

The program that works as a commercial framework for Cuban cigars included tours around lowlands and cigar factories, tastings, and food pairings between the best of food and drinks. There was a Master Class on cigar twisting, an international Habano Sommelier competition, a commercial fair, and the first contest to measure the longest ash from a cigar.

“More than 1,200 people from nearly 80 countries got together to share the mystic enchant of the world of cigar. Among them were entrepreneurs, businessmen, collectors, sommeliers, cigar tasters, directors, artists, producers, functionaries, and diplomats,” said the Cuban weekly, Opciones on its website.

Some of the personalities that came to the event this year were Tom Jones.
“He came to the party of the Cuban cigar… however, very few people knew about his presence in the Cigar Festival, an event that brings many celebrities every year, who come and go incognito,” said a report on the website of OnCuba magazine.

Hugo Cancio, president from the American monthly publication OnCuba and an entrepreneur from Miami, came to the Cigar Festival on a low profile. OnCuba is edited by Fuego Media Group, a Cuba Business Development Group, Inc. company (CBDG), property of Cancio.

During the festival it was known that Corporación Habanos S.A,, exclusive distributor of Cuban cigar brands, increased its sales by 8 percent last year with profits of $447 million.

Corporación Habanos S.A is an equally mixed company from state-owned Cubatabaco and Altadis, a Spanish entity owned by English group Imperial Tobacco Group PLC.
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    Pablo Alfonso

    In 1971, Pablo was sentenced to 20 years in prison for participating in an opposition movement against Fidel Castro's regime. Pardoned in 1979, he traveled to Miami, where he still resides. He is the author of the blog The Timbeke (in Spanish). Follow him on Twitter: @palfoco.
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