A number of programs on Cuban radio and television aim to introduce the new generations, and remind the old ones, of the most notable figures of Cuban music of all time. However totally or partially excluded are Cubans who decided to live outside the country, leaving generations oblivious to their work.
Read MoreWhen I first came to Venezuela in 2010, I heard of a Jesuit who had gone on a hunger strike to demand the release of Chieftain Romero and Alexander Fernandez, both members of the Yukpa tribe who were later murdered. At the time, the two men were serving prison terms on false charges (as one might expect).
Read MoreWithin 24 hours of arriving to Cuba almost three years ago I made the following conclusions about the society at large: smoking is allowed anywhere, yelling long distances is an accepted form of social interaction; and it is never acceptable to snitch on someone stealing something from their workplace..
Read MoreStrategies used to censor information at official Cuban government web-sites are not only varied, they are also employed at the complete discretion of their webmasters. In this post, I will focus on how user comments are censored on these webpages.
Read MoreWith time, it seems that I’ve become something of a homebody, that is to say, I don’t ever want to leave the house these days – not even to go to the movies, which is my favorite kind of outing.
Read MoreI don’t doubt a visit the family planning clinic can restore a couple’s hopeful outlook on life, but, once they step out of this clinic, this couple is going to need much more than hope to build a future for their child.
Read MoreTo say that the eleven million Cubans who make up the island’s population are baseball managers is a playful way of stating that all of us know enough about the sport to take a crack at managing any team.
Read MoreOne of my high school buddies came to see me a week ago. He brought me up to date on what’s been going on in my former classroom. Of the things he told me – mostly unimportant details about school life, like the fact some people we knew are no longer in the classroom – two things surprised me some.
Read MoreOne of the most significant socio-cultural events Cuba is witnessing today is something we could call the “Revolt of the Rabble”. This issue is cause for concern, particularly for those who feel most affected by it: the older generations, people who have other values and are unwilling to renounce them, intellectuals and those interested in social matters.
Read MoreThe congresses organized by the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) are like Persian bazaars, places where you can come across all sorts of people: wisemen and charlatans, guards and buffoons, jewels and cheap trinkets. This is what I had the opportunity to confirm during my participation, as a speaker, in the last gathering held in Washington, D.C. at the close of May.
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