Cuba’s former mining town of Minas de Matahambre, in the communist country’s westernmost Pinar del Rio province, is hosting the revival of the Castellanos lead/zinc operation, which has been dormant for a decade. Enmicar, a public–private joint venture between the State-run Geominera de Cuba and the international Trafigura consortium, is investing $270-million in the mine and modern mineral processing plant in this picture, which is expected to produce at a rate of 50 000 t of lead concentrate and 100 000 t of zinc concentrate a year. The project is part of the Cuban government's plans to strengthen and diversify the country's economy through domestic reforms and foreign investment.