The powerful 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday afternoon led to a Tsunami warning on the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti itself to be posted by The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center; but later in the evening the alert was canceled. The Cuban Civil Defense System is closely following the after events of the quake whose center was located at only 22 kilometers west of Port au Prince, Haiti.
Read MoreOne of Monday’s wire service stories reporting on the Cincinnati Reds signing of Cuban phenom pitcher Aroldis Chapman has questioned my own doubting of Chapman’s prospects, especially in the light of the $30 million windfall now being thrown at the 22-year-old former Holguín fast-baller. I do not claim to have a crystal ball. I do not have the trained eye of the big league scouting director. But I do know something about the recent past history of Cuban League baseball and its many talented performers.
Read MoreA total of 44 sugar factories should start operating in January as part of the 2009-2010 sugar harvest, which the authorities have previewed as modest since it is expected to produce 1.5 million tons.
Read MoreThe lack of liquidity in hard currency is the principal economic problem in Cuba, affirmed the island’s Economy Minister Marino Murillo. According to the official, the government’s strategy involves the substitution of imports and giving priority to sectors such as tourism, telecommunications and civil aeronautics.
Read MoreSome 5,000 persons were taught to read and write in Uruguay between 2007 and 2009 thanks to the Cuban literacy program, reported Ulma Carneiro, an official from the Ministry of Social Development. It is estimated that 179,000 persons still don’t know how to read and write in that South American country.
Read MoreThese mechanisms take the form of Report-back Assemblies (Asambleas de Rendición de Cuentas), biannual meetings in which local delegates (previously elected by community residents) meet with their constituencies. These neighborhood delegates report on policies implemented by the Municipal Assembly (city council) and steps being taken to resolve problems identified by the community. Alternately, residents can present new concerns to these representatives.
Read MoreSince Cuba’s television networks cut back on the production of telenovelas a good while back, the past few months they’ve been showing reruns of the popular police series “Día y Noche” (Day and Night.) In this series is a character known as “Tavo” (short for Octavio), who is a police agent with the mission of infiltrating the ranks of the murky Cuban underworld of the 1990s.
Read MoreCuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman is reportedly hours away from signing a $30 million dollar contract with the Cincinnati Reds in the US Major Leagues. In a report just published by Sports Illustrated online the lefthander is set to sign a five-year deal.
Read MoreOn hands and knees, we banged and scraped old paint and oxides. We brushed specks with a hard wire brush and then swept the deck clean. We would now rub in oil to prevent dirt from collecting on the deck. Then we would apply the anti-corrosive paint, then two coats of thick paint. When we were about to apply the first coat, seaman Luis took the pail of rust and cast it overboard.
Read MoreWith the new year here, returning to the wooden street of the Plaza de Armas will be the open air performances of the Banda Nacional de Conciertos, directed by maestro Rafael Diaz Carter, on Fridays at four in the afternoon.
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