十月25日,上周因摔倒导致膝盖和手臂骨裂的78岁的古巴领袖卡斯特罗在电视上露面,宣布将停止USD在古巴境内流通。他谴责了美国政府针对古巴的一些举措,包含加大经济制裁、管制USD汇款、限制在美家眷回乡等。他说:美帝国决意给国内制造更多困难。新华社报道如下:As a drastic measure in response to tightened1 US sanctions, Cuba said Monday that it will ban transactions in US dollars in the country starting Nov. 8.
Under the Central Bank decree read on national television, Cubans will still be allowed to possess US dollars, but all commercial transactions in US dollars will be banned.
Instead, a convertible2 peso with equal value to the dollar will be used. A 10-percent commission is to be charged when the dollar is converted into the new currency.
Drastic measure 表示果断手段,激烈方法,drastic表示激烈的;极端的;急剧的,比如:Drastic measures to cure inflation(制止通货膨胀的激烈手段);the drastic measure of amputating the entire leg(截除整条腿的极端手段);a drastic remedy(烈性药物);a drastic debate(激烈的辩论);make drastic change(做彻底的改变)
据了解,1993年,苏联瓦解后古巴经济大衰退,卡斯特罗被迫宣布USD在古巴境内可以合法用。依据古巴中央银行的一项指令,从11月8日开始,古巴境内的商店将不再同意USD,但可以同意其他外币。届时古巴民众和外国人都需要把USD兑换成古巴货币,收费为兑换金额的10%。