The Cuban government sent to Haiti the first contingent of doctors from the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade that specializes in assisting after natural disasters and serious epidemics. The brigade was first established to offer help to the United States when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, an offer rejected by ex-President Bush.
Read MoreJanuary arrived in style– at least in terms of jazz. This past Sunday at the Amadeo Roldan Theater-Auditorium, Havanans enjoyed a jam session backed by strings, woodwinds and percussive instruments. Renowned Cuban jazz pianist Ernan Lopez-Nussa, along with Gaston Joya (bass) and Enrique Pla (drums), joined forces with the National Symphonic Orchestra to give us the first symphonic jazz concert to ever take place on the island.
Read MoreCuban families back home were relieved to learn that all the 152 Cuban medical and education personnel working in the Haitian capital were reported to be in good health. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Wednesday helping Haiti was a priority for Cuba “following a devastating earthquake that caused huge human and material loss in that country.”
Read MoreThe major earthquake that struck Haiti Tuesday, causing death and destruction in the capital of Port-au-Prince, may also turn out to be a veritable disaster for the United Nations, which has over 9,000 personnel, including peacekeepers, international staffers and local civilians, scattered throughout the country.
Read MoreA group of Haitian American leaders, state and local officials met late Tuesday night to map out humanitarian relief efforts as the extent of the damage from a devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti became clearer.
Read MoreI awoke before dawn and hurried to the bridge to witness the historic landmark, Bariay. I stood beside Sigi at the helm as the sun dawned and we could see where Columbus first disembarked in Cuba. Throughout most of the day I gazed at the beautiful shoreline. It was a sunny day and I was enraptured at the lush foliage along the shore. At mid-day we passed slowly before Yunque de Baracoa.(16) This 530-meter high, odd-shaped mountain standing alone was sighted by Columbus on November 27, 1492.
Read MoreThe Cuban authorities evacuated around 30,000 persons in the eastern region of Baracoa, Guantanamo in the face of the threat of a tsunami after yesterday’s strong earthquake in Haiti, the island’s state-run press reported today. Up to now there have been no reports of a rise in sea level in that area of the country and an alert established by the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was cancelled.
Read MorePedro also asked who exactly had made the decision about distributing the scant resources for apartment building repairs – but he didn’t receive an answer; the delegate talked the whole time using the impersonal “they,” without directly identifying anyone.
Read MoreThe current artic cold front appears to have peaked early Tuesday, with low temperatures dropping to as low as 3.7 Celsius (39 F) at Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport south of the capital. Nonetheless, the warming on Wednesday is only expected to be slight.
Read MoreThe Cuban National Ballet —beginning the year at its best— this past weekend presented The Nutcracker(in its complete version). One-hundred children from the Youth Ballet of Hamilton (Canada) performed as special guests. In addition were dancers from the Alejo Carpentier Elementary School of Ballet and the Vocational Workshop of the Dance Department of the Cuban National Ballet.
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