Author: Rosa Martínez

The Start of the School Year in Cuba

Every country – every culture – has its own customs and traditions, its important and memorable dates. Without a doubt, September 1st is one of Cuba’s most significant dates. It matters little that people speak of the declining quality of education…

The Drought and an Unexpected Reply

The water was running across the sidewalk unchecked. Several people worriedly looked at the fatal spill, wondering, perhaps, where in our draught-stricken city it could be coming from. The sight was just one more worry we Cubans deal with every day.

Sometimes No One Is To Blame

The widespread tendency to blame the government for all the bad things that happen to us may be owed to having lived – for many years – in a social system filled with obstacles where some leaders take advantage of their positions to live comfortably.

Nothing Else Means Nothing Else

“Cuba is one, endless summer.” This old saying, though a bit hackneyed, happens to be true, particularly towards the country’s eastern end, where low temperatures are more and more rare.

Summer Without Bitterness

My neighbor has told me about a man who died here right at the outset of summer. He drowned at a beach on the south coast of Guantanamo province. It happened when summer had barely begun.

Lonliness and a False Alarm

Who hasn’t felt lonely at one point? Who hasn’t cried over the distance of a loved one, who hasn’t personally experienced the suffering caused by the loss of someone we hold dear?

On Women and Water

Surprising as it may be, more women die worldwide as a result of diseases that spread through dirty water and poor sanitary facilities than because of AIDS, diabetes or cancer.