Author: Rosa Martínez

Several days ago Irina Echarry wrote a post related to gender violence, specifically about the denunciation made by Dianelis Alfonso -known as La Diosa de Cuba-, and the way in which that case had impacted on Cuban society, which, as Irina rightly says, is a country accustomed to defending and justifying the abuser and offending the victim.

It’s said that solitude doesn’t make good company, but I don’t agree with this saying as I manage to write the few articles I do here on Havana Times in those moments of solitude, and it’s also when I get ideas for other projects, for a dessert, sewing…

The first Sunday of the summer rolled around in Cuban households last weekend. Nearly every student in the country is already on their school holidays, and nearly half of public sector employees too, the other half will have their break in August.

In Cuba, women are normally courageous. And, it’s not a matter of them being more courageous than other women in the world or anything like that; but the thing is, here they have no other choice but to be brave, because if they aren’t, they won’t be able to give their children a decent life.

A few days ago, my younger daughter (my loyal companion) and I wanted to visit some very dear friends of ours. Vain as she is, she decided to put on one of her best outfits; but she had quite a surprise…

A friend called me from Canada asking how things were here, especially in my Guantanamo. In love with Cuba, and its people, he is up-to-date on our beloved Island’s current situation and knows about the food shortages that have increased in recent months and the uncertainty that takes over many families’ lives.

I have written about my experiences as a mother on more than one occasion and I’ve received both criticism and praise in response. I’m not looking for either, I’m just another mother, another Cuban mother, with all of her ups and downs.

I can’t be the first, or the last, person a foreigner has asked in Cuba: how much money does a family of 4-5 people approximately need to live a decent life in this country.

Almost all of our HT readers must have heard about the infamous “Special Period”, which did as much damage to Cuban’s financial situation as it did to their souls.

Maria Magdalena is a woman over 60, and she lives in my neighborhood, a few blocks away from my house. Our friendship began in a long line at the butcher’s, when she was heatedly arguing with the butcher about the weight of the piece of chicken she was buying…