Diaries Archives - Page 236 of 628

Obama Replies to Osmel’s Open Letter

Here is my version of how President Obama might respond to an open letter by Osmel Ramirez published recently in Havana Times.

The Beginning of My New Year in Cuba

I was hoping something would change this year, but nothing has. Instead, as Julio Iglesias’ song goes, “life is still the same” and we continue to hear the same, boring rhetoric everywhere.

To Beg or Work with Love

I am convinced that mediocrity does not actually exist. That is to say, I do not believe mediocrity stems from something we lack. It is, at most, a choice. We all have a unique gift, which could be as simple as having a pleasant personality, the ability to give others hope.

Cuba: Flies, Flies and More Flies

On the dirty doorjamb of a tenement building in Havana, right across from a produce and meat market, after the rain stops, two flies – Trash and Spit – have a chat. A heat wave rises from the asphalt.

Medicine Shortage in Venezuela

The situation of healthcare in Venezuela has worsened considerably over these past months. Social networks have become the best means of finding medications. But, most of the time, these searches are fruitless.

Internet for Everyone in Cuba: Myth and Reality

It looks as though definitive steps will finally be taken to make Internet services widely accessible in Cuba. Much pressure has built up around this issue, so we can imagine a heated dispute between different power groups on the island behind the scenes.

People with Disabilities and Sports: Same Old Mistakes

Held at the close of last year, Cuba’s second National Badminton Festival aimed to broaden the participation of people with disabilities in the sport. The competitors showed better training and a greater number of people from other provinces took part in the event.

My Father’s Death in Cuba

After spending eleven days at the hospital, my father’s body is now locked up in a box, inside a horrible coffin. It’s strange and hard to accept, but real. Perhaps death is but another moment in existence. I believe in this possibility, I cling to it.

Endless Partying in Alamar, Cuba

In the beginning, Alamar was a quiet neighborhood with horrible, densely-clustered buildings and plenty of vegetation. Far from the city center, it lacked an efficient public transportation network. The problem was overcome with a terminal with a number of bus stops that shortened distances some.

Cancer in Cuba: Population Aging vs. Carcinogens

In 2012, cancer took the lead as Cuba’s first cause of death. Today, it continues to get ahead of other conditions and is claiming lives with unchecked voracity. Our country has “risen” to third place among Latin American countries most severely affected by the condition.