Diaries

What Was Ahmadinejad Doing in Cuba?

Ahmadinejad arrived in Cuba making the “V” for victory gesture and smiling. Maybe he was pleased about having so many political prisoners, or condemning to hanging or stoning of so many homosexuals, converts to Christianity, and thousands of women for even been accused of infidelity.

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My First Interview in Cuba

Last week I was interviewed, in Cuba, for the first time by United States based media. Granted, my interviewers were students from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, but they came equipped like professionals: reporter pads, audio recorders, and a video camera.

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Hey Man, How’s Things!”

I did a little search on the Internet before heading off to bed. It was then, suddenly, that I came across the discomforting news: Julio Garcia Luis, the dean of the College of Journalism, an honest Cuban Communist and a good person, had left us.

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Cuba’s Kids and the Importance of Toys

Among the many traditions that were eliminated by the revolutionary government was that of “Three Kings Day,” on January 6, when in many parts of the world, children — whether Christian or not — are brought gifts by these supposed kings.

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Simple Dreams or Simply Dreaming

I have a friend who lives on the other side of the world, which isn’t really a novelty – anyone can have a friend who asks questions and who lives on the other side of the world. The worst is when this friend asks me about my dreams.

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Memories of Student Rural Labor in Cuba (II)

Reading the comments to my previous post on the subject of student rural labor, I was reminded that sending students to work in the countryside wasn’t exactly a Cuban invention. That practice also existed in the former USSR. In fact, I believe that all countries calling themselves “socialist” did something similar.

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Sick of Gratefulness

Once I read a story about a debate between a boy and an adult crocodile. The boy had helped to save Mr. Crocodile’s life. Later, though, the crocodile was hungry and insisted on eating the boy.

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On the Pope’s Trip to Cuba: Churches and Me

The Catholic Church, like the party, is an institution of people — though not necessarily humane — with pragmatic goals and where rhetoric and actions don’t always go hand in hand. Its history is full of dark chapters as well as contributions to the liberation struggles of our peoples.

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Tough Guys and Wimps in Cuba

Some time ago, a man died in Alamar who was the last member of one of the most famous families around here, at least of those that I’ve known since the late ‘70s.

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