Around six months ago, when Cuban writer Angel Santiesteban was imprisoned for the “crime” of openly expressing himself against the island’s government – on domestic abuse charges – the State’s repressive apparatus, bold as brass, organized a smear campaign against the author.
Read MoreManuel was an educated member of the working class, a mechanic employed by a preserves factory, a vanguard worker, the grandfather of one my best childhood friends, someone who had had the privilege of seeing Lenin’s embalmed body in person. He had the habit of starting most of his phrases with “if the Soviet Union still existed…”
Read MoreNow, after a live performance by Cuban musician Roberto Carcasses, where the artist dared accompany the call for the release of four Cubans currently imprisoned in the United States and the lifting of the embargo with demands for change on the island, the allergic reactions of some enthusiastic government supporters are mind-boggling, to say the least.
Read MoreCuba’s totalitarian apparatus seeks to perpetuate itself, following in the footsteps of the Chinese elite. The least any suicidal individual who chooses to strike this apparatus kamikaze style deserves is our support. Let’s hope that Carasses’ daring gesture was a seed that will tomorrow bear a lush tree.
Read MoreShortly after arriving from Russia (yes, I was in Russia for a couple weeks, visiting relatives), I noticed that Cuban television has introduced an innovative new program – added a new section to the news, to be more exact – with the suggestive name of “Cuba Says.”
Read MoreI heard Cuba’s band Buena Fe for the first time when I was still in high school. The teacher assigned to our classroom, one of the best intensively-trained, multi-subject high school teachers I have ever know was fascinated with their songs. As I recall we were the first students he ever taught.
Read MoreIn the Sierra Maestra building (CIMEX) of Miramar, is a Metropolitan Bank, a Banco International Financiero, an ATM … and a recently opened chain of stores, and a modern cafe.
Read MoreLaughter is considered one of the best therapies. It makes you relax and distracts you. But for Cubans, laughter is almost a way of life. What for people in other countries would be something of concern or regret, or perceived so circumspect, for us it is taken as a joke .
Read MoreIn the course of these past few years, the Cuban journal Espacio Laical (“Secular Space”) has demonstrated that the much-needed space for a gathering of Cubans and a debate among them can be created in every imaginable sphere, provided the guiding tenet is transparency.
Read MoreUS President Barack Obama’s intentions of launching a “limited strike” on Syria – a measure for which he has sought authorization from Congress – have prompted innumerable negative reactions around the world and no few statements from respected civilian and military personalities who do not wish these threats to be carried out.
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