Circles Robinson, Author at Havana Times

Weddings at the Capitol Building

Until a some years ago, getting a picture taken in front of the Capitol Building in Havana was something Cuban campesinos did. Later it was also common to see foreigners doing the same.(6 photos)

HT Cuba Photo Contest Winners

In unison, the jury for the Second HT Photo Contest expressed its desire to congratulate the participants for their excellent submissions. The job of selecting was so painstaking that one of the 20 jury members said she’d prefer not to be a judge in the future to avoid the agony.

Light for our City

Cuba Caravan to Tour 130 Cities

The 21st United States-Cuba Friendship Caravan will tour 130 cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico starting next July 3 to 22. The initiative of collecting humanitarian aid, coordinated by the Pastors for Peace religious organization, challenges the both the economic blockade on Cuba and the ban on travel that prohibits ordinary US citizens from visiting the Caribbean country without special US Treasury Dept. permission.

Drought Has Cuba on Alert

The Cuban authorities made a call to strengthen water saving faced by the ongoing drought since November 2008, reported IPS. The month of May closed with barely 49 per cent of the historic average rainfall, which has led to the country’s reservoirs only containing 41 per cent of their capacity.

El Salvador Pres. Funes to Visit Cuba

The president of El Salvador, Mauricio Funes, announced to the Central American nation’s parliament that he will travel to Cuba this year, although the date has still not been set. Funes expressed his interest in taking advantage of the island’s progress in areas such as science, technology, medicine and sports. This would be the first visit by a Salvadoran president in the last 50 years, reported IPS.

Cuba Hits Education Landmark

This year Cuba’s universities will reach the graduation of a million persons, of which more than 31,000 students are from 129 countries, said Gustavo Cobreiro Suárez, rector of the University of Havana, the island’s oldest. The island’s total population is 11.2 million.

Cuba Begins World Volleyball League Play

HAVANA TIMES, June 4 — Cuba plays at home tonight against Argentina as this year’s Men’s World Volleyball League kicks off. The match is at 8:40 at the Ciudad Deportiva Sports City arena in the capital.

Sixteen teams begin play this weekend in eight cities around the world. Cuba competes in Group D with Germany, Poland and Argentina. Group A is comprised by Brazil, Bulgaria, South Korea and Holland; Group B includes Serbia, China, Italy and France; and Group C has Russia, USA, Finland and Egypt.

Is Cuba Moving Towards a National Debate?

If in dialogue with the leaders of a religion, that’s not even the professed by the majority of people in Cuba, it was possible to touch upon and make advances around such difficult issues, what won’t be possible to achieve if discussion is generated with the participation of all Cubans.

Catalan Caravan Supports the Cuban Five

Freedom for the Cuban Five was the motive behind a car caravan conducted this past Sunday by members and supporters of the Spanish organization “Defensem Cuba” (Let’s defend Cuba). (21 photos)