Circles Robinson, Author at Havana Times

Cuba LGBT Community Consulted on UN Vote Today

The Cuban Foreign Ministry summoned representatives of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) community and specialists from the National Centre for Sex Education (CENESEX) to consult them on the vote this Tuesday at the U.N. on an amendment proposed by the United States that would reincorporate an explicit mention of discrimination for sexual orientation in the resolution condemning extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, announced Francisco Rodríguez, author of the Paquito el de Cuba blog.

Cuba Medical Personnel Reaches 1,200 in Haiti

Cuba increased its personnel deployed in the medical brigade in Haiti, where 501 MDs and 404 nursing specialists are currently working, in addition to the technical and support force, said Lorenzo Somarriba López, Cuban deputy minister of health and coordinator of that contingent, which is especially working in the struggle against the cholera epidemic

Tourism Doesn’t Meet Revenue Expectations

Despite the four per cent growth in tourist arrivals to Cuba until last November, the tourist sector’s income did not meet the forecast of the island’s authorities, the National Office of Statistics (ONE) reported. In 2011, the Caribbean country hopes to increase by 29.5 per cent the amount of money that enters the nation through that means, as a result of a 10.3 per cent increase in the number of visitors.

San Salvador, nuevo frente entre comercio informal y autoridades

Juan Antonio Gallegos vende tortillas mexicanas en el Parque Cuscatlán de la capital de El Salvador y como otros comerciantes informales del área estos días solo piensa en una cosa: como resistir el desalojo impuesto por un plan de ordenamiento urbano.

Jamaica: Priceless Native Plants Vanishing in the Wind

The recent successes of local medicinal researchers have turned the spotlight on local laws that fail to protect Jamaica’s rich biological diversity.

San Lazaro Draws Masses at El Rincon Sanctuary

December 16 is the eve of Babalu Aye (“the father of the world” in the Yoruba language) or, as he’s better known under his syncretized name, San Lazaro. Starting days before — and even weeks or months prior — all those who have made promises to this saint of illnesses and misery begin to walk toward El Rincon. (8 photos)

Night of a Thousand and One Texts

The legendary Scheherazade has exchanged her enthralling tales of “One Thousand and One Nights” for a compact disc with 1,001 academic articles, essays and books, giving Cubans access to materials that would otherwise be very difficult to obtain.

Cuba Gov. Seeks Taxes, Less Subsidies

Cubans are delving deeper into economic change, which means new taxes and an end to the state subsidies that for decades were a symbol of the equality so highly extolled under the Cuban Revolution.

Cuba Hopes to Increase Cruiser Tourism

The Cuban tourism authorities expect to increase the arrival of cruise ships to the island in 2011, with the operations of ships from Russia, Canada and the UK, José Manuel Bisbé, marketing director of the Ministry of Tourism, announced. Moreover, the Caribbean nation will increase air links with Canada, its principal tourist market with almost one million visitors a year, with the start of flights by the Air Transat and Sunwing airlines.

Cuba Puts Salvadoran on Trail for Terrorism

The People’s Provincial Court of the Cuban capital began the trial against Salvadoran Francisco Chávez Abarca, accused of terrorism. Abarca, circulated by Cuba for the capture by Interpol, was detained on June 1 in Venezuela.