Veronica Vega’s diary

The Right to Speak About God in Cuba

The question posed by Havana Times contributor Jose Iser concerning the tacit ban on playing of Christian music over the Cuban airwaves, started to “pick at one of my old scabs” (meaning it’s one of those sore points that never really heals because there’s no real cure or solution).

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Calling the Kettle Black

A few weeks ago, just by chance, I saw a report on “the real United States” by Tele Sur (the Venezuelan Television network) broadcast here on Cuban TV. Among other things, the material showed the tragedy of the homeless including many Iraq veterans.

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Cuba: To Be or Not to Be a Revolutionary

Certainly there are born revolutionaries, but they’re the exceptions. Now, being strictly honest, how many human beings have proven themselves to be “revolutionary” (re-evolutionary?). How many can be revolutionary in every single aspect that society needs?

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When the Curtain Falls

The months of thorny legal claims that resulting from my teenage son not being allowed to go to school because of his long hair are over. I felt relief that he decided to drop out of high school. He’ll look for other alternatives to studying and I gave up on appealing the case at more asphyxiating offices.

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Not Everyone in Cuba Has the Right to Study

This title isn’t merely a journalistic hook; it’s the conclusion drawn by the parents of two teenagers after fruitless dialogue with the current Director of Education in the Municipality of East Havana. This is because our children, Kabir and Sebastian, have been denied access to their own school day after day for almost a month.

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Rip-off and Scam Control, a New Work Option in Cuba

As Einstein once said, every crisis is a challenge that forces us to exploit our potential to the full, and since scammers and rip-off merchants are here to stay, it seems to me, we might as well create the job of “Scam Detector “, especially with the renewed enthusiasm there is today for self-employment.

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The Freedom We All Need

A recent and alarming cervical crisis led me to become aware of the long hours I spend sitting at my laptop in an unnatural and harmful posture. As well as how I had forgotten that basic freedom that I discovered back in the 80´s in dance.

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The Power of Fear

After watching a documentary about North Korea, when I went out into the street and looked around, I was relieved to have been born in Cuba. But I had forgotten that comparisons can be misleading. Very soon afterwards I had the opportunity to remember that.

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The Risks of Optimism

A friend and colleague with Havana Times told me that most of us who write for this magazine are “whiners” (himself included). We both noted that this is an attitude that isn’t entirely sincere, since if life in Cuba doesn’t also give people reasons for joy, who could put up with it?

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London 2012: The Party Where Many Cry

After being delighted by the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, as the traditional competitions began, with these came my frustrations – because in sports, inexorably, someone wins and another one loses.

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