Author: Erasmo Calzadilla

My First Express Detention (Part II)

One night I went out with my friends to just hang out. Everything went fine and we didn’t run into any problems. But when it came time to go back home, there weren’t any buses around, so we decided to sit on a curb talking crap until something showed up.

My First Express Detention

Express Detentions are one of the instruments of repression that the government currently uses against the most active political opponents. They’ll lock you up, put you in jail for a few days, and then let you go without any explanation or document to reflect the time you’ve spent behind bars.

Faith Put to the Test by Dengue

My dear father is a true revolutionary soldier, one who describes himself as an “unconditional supporter.” He’ll put his shoulder to any Olympian task and attempt to execute it without question…though later he might grumble.

Controversy around the Word ‘Terror’

The subject that succeeded in catching the focus of the group was a debate around the use of the words “state of terror” in describing Cuba. The question was whether it’s appropriate to use the “terror” in referring to people’s emotional state here and to explain their behavior.

The Dog That Has My Humanity in Check

“Blackie” is a dog that has made its home in the basement of the building where I live, in Alamar. The homeless dog found some tough guys to take care of her who have passed on to her their ways of violence and territorialism. So now Blackie has wound up being their guard mutt.

Rivers and Streams in Alamar

Havana’s Alamar neighborhood, like Babylon, lies between two rivers: the Cojimar and the Bacuranao. The fishermen of Cojimar, dairies whose cattle graze along the banks and various farms are all near the river, with each involved with products that end up on our plates. (15 photos)

Fallacious Argument for Getting a Haircut

Kabir is a young friend who is about to get kicked out of high school. He decided not to get his hair cut any more, but his school administrators won’t allow him to attend classes with long hair, a right only granted to female students.

Political Che

This post is preceded by one which addressed educational ideas expressed by Ernesto “Che” Guevara in his letter: “The New Man and Socialism in Cuba.” Here I discuss how Che understood the political relations between the leaders and those led in “socialist” Cuba; that same letter will serve as my guide.

Che Guevara and the Making of the New Man

At some point in my life, Che started becoming an increasingly unpleasant figure to me. I took the initiative to read some of his works, and when I did I realized that my dislike for him was no mere side-effect of our media bombardment.