CubaPLUS Magazine

Under the evocative name of Baracocoa S.A., a new joint venture has been established between the Cuban company Alimentos S.A. (Alimcor S.A.) and Proxperia a.s. of Slovakia. The venture will focus on processing, producing, and marketing chocolates across a full range of assortments, as well as cacao derivatives, mixtures, pastes, and related fats.

The signing of the agreement, which took place in the emblematic Salón 1930 of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, was carried out by Dariel Lamadrid, President of Alimcor, and Pavol Kožík, CEO of Proxenta, representing Proxperia. Both emphasized the importance of the new entity, which will enhance the production of quality chocolate and its derivatives – a product in high demand internationally.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lamadrid highlighted the significance of the agreement, which reflects how foreign investment can be achieved based on mutual respect and collaboration.

Kožík expressed his satisfaction with the establishment of the new joint venture after three years of negotiations, while also thanking Cuba for the opportunity provided. This is the second joint venture created with investment from Proxenta; the first is Proxcor S.A., dedicated to the production of confectionery and cereals under the Toco and Guani brands, respectively.

Closing the ceremony, the Vice Minister of the Food Industry of Cuba, Javier Francisco Aguiar, considered the new agreement a strategic alliance "that shows the potential offered by the Cuban food sector and the unique opportunity to combine our strengths," and that it is also an important link between the cultures of both countries.

Also present at the ceremony were authorities from the Ministries of the Food Industry and Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of the host country, as well as executives from Proxcor S.A. and Zdenek Rozhold, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Republic to Cuba.

The new investment will, in the short term, boost production at the Rubén David Suárez Abella Chocolate Factory in Baracoa, Guantánamo province, founded in 1963. It will also benefit the farmers who are engaged in harvesting this precious bean.

The name Baracocoa honors the city where the chocolate factory subject to the investment is located. Baracoa is historically considered one of the first places where indigenous people cultivated cacao in the Americas, around five centuries ago.