Irina Echarry’s Diary

Post-Tornado Life in Havana

Alfredo couldn’t believe he’s drunk so little water over these past few days. He normally drinks over two liters per day, but he’s had to get by with just a few glasses. After the tornado of January 27th, everything is in shortage except for misfortune…

A Tornado within the Family in Regla, Cuba

I tried to secure a window and I saw a strange light. I immediately wanted to know how my brother was so I called his house, but nobody answered. I called his cellphone, he didn’t have any signal. I was overcome by anxiety: the blackout, the howling wind, the announcement of a possible storm, everything I needed to insist on making that call.

This Is the Company You Were Hoping For

She used to spend her days at a dump. She blended right in with the earth because of her brown skin and people would throw garbage on top of her; she’d run away afraid and then come back. With her long legs and her slim body, she would walk slowly as if her existence in this world weighed her down.

It’s Going to Be a Tough Year in Cuba

When 2018 drew to an end there wasn’t any rejoicing on our streets, in fact you could pick on people’s agony of having to keep up a tradition at all costs. Cubans have always grumbled about problems, but now they aren’t just complaining, they are also mentioning a solution almost like they used to in the ‘90s…

Zoosadism in Cuba and No Law to Punish it

As you’ve probably heard, a zoosadism case has gone viral on social media. I found out from a post published in the Cuba against Animal Abuse group, which was created to report degrading acts that humans carry out on animals. I recommend you sign up to this group to keep up-to-date with what is going on in our country in this respect.

Unsafe Neighborhoods

Last Tuesday, I was on my way home at a time when the country becomes paralyzed: the sacred telenovela hour. Once again, it was dark. As taxis don’t adapt their routes to their customers, rather you have to follow the routes they impose, I had to get off at Avenida de los Cocos and walk to my house along the street with the Lazaro Pena primary school.

They Want to Turn Artists into Shit

They didn’t all arrive together: they each had a time and a function: to make sure everything was calm, smear themselves in excrement and document the event. It was going to be a very simple action: once covered in excrement, they would hang up a sign: “Free Art. No to Decree-Law 349”, on Capitolio building’s steps.