Author: Isbel Diaz

After reading a brief article in the national press, I became suspicious about Cuban policy regarding forestry. What some Cuban journalists have managed to achieve is making it seem like it’s possible to promote reforestation and deforestation at the same time.

The chainsaws of Cuba’s Ministry of Agriculture have killed another ceiba in Havana. This time though, along with my friend Jimmy, I had the opportunity to talk with the person responsible for this latest murder.

The overwhelming majority of us Cubans, who are poor, know that poor quality products are what are provided to us. This even applies to chicken eggs – a major source of protein for the lower class. Most of the time they come to us still spotted with droppings and feathers, in addition to being very small.

“Are you guys ‘underground’?” a young woman asked us recently, as Jimmy and I were going to visit a friend in the hospital who was about to have a baby. Of course the question didn’t end there.

The robust ceiba tree that was growing in front of the university steps in the Cuban capital has been drastically pruned. This is another example of sloppy and disrespectful work of those involved in the green areas in this battered city.

Horrendous! With the stroke of a pen they have managed to give a homophobic skew to the instructions of the Cuba 2012 census takers! One of the paragraphs that defined who would be considered partners was crudely struck out.

The testimonies that I viewed in the documentary Take the Flame confirm that it’s not necessary to respond to the imposed models of femininity or masculinity to be fast, agile, strong, perceptive or to play as a team.

A good friend of mine lent me an interesting documentary about the “Gay Games,” so I wanted to share a few comments about it, especially since so many people on the planet are now concentrating on the 2012 London Olympics.

After having asphalted several major Havana thoroughfares on the eve of the Pope’s visit, crews of government workers are now repairing side streets in poor neighborhoods of the capital.

Do you remember the grove of casuarina evergreen trees that was completely cut down a year ago in the coastal town of Santa Fe? Between the allegations raised by Havana Times, those of the Guardabosques environmentalist organization and pressure from locals, we have succeeded in getting the military out of there.