Fernando Ravsberg Archives - Page 45 of 59

On Being a Cuban, Communist and a Catholic

Since the 90’s, when the government ended offical religious discrimination in Cuba, people can worship Fidel, Jesus & Chango at the same time without feeling the slightest conflict.

Cuba: Church-State Dialogue

Relations between the Catholic Church and the Cuban government have gone through various moments, from the head-on-collision of the 1960’s to their current collaborative efforts around issues as sensitive as the release of prisoners and mediations with other governments.

Cuba’s Religious Melting Pot

Many experts agree that among the fastest growing religions in Cuba is the African-based Santeria faith and non-traditional Pentecostal belief systems. However religious amalgamation makes it difficult to determine the exact number of followers of each doctrine.

Amnesty Accuses Cuban Government of Harassing Dissidents

Amnesty International (AI) slammed the Cuban government for “harassment and the arrest of political dissidents, human rights activists, journalists and bloggers all over Cuba – actions that have experienced sharp increases over the last 24 months.”

Cuba: Church & State, Alliances & Resentments

Church-state relations in Cuba are now at their best since 1959. They are even better than during the 1998 visit by John Paul II, but the atmosphere isn’t the same.

Cuba: A Strange Conversation about Corruption

A week ago a good friend gave me a call asking for help in speaking out against the case of an official who was “wrongly accused by the prosecutor’s office, savagely tortured by Cuban State Security forces, and sentenced to 10 years in prison by the court.” I found the story interesting and a few hours later I was seated in front of an attractive and energetic 40-year-old woman.

The Cuban Ration Book Turns 50

Cuba’s ration book had, and still has, its supporters and detractors. Citizens are divided between those who fear that its disappearance will result in hunger among the poor and those who believe that it is cheaper to subsidize people than products.

Intermediaries in the Cuba Agro Chain

Today, while walking by a number of farmers market stalls full of fruits and vegetables, something made me think back to the 1990s, when food distribution in Cuba was monopolized by the government through mechanisms that were as strict as they were inefficient.

Cuba Gov. Replaces Culture Minister

Abel Prieto had been key to harmonizing the government’s relations with intellectuals, first as the president of the Cuban Association of Writers and Artists (UNEAC) and later as the minister of Culture, a position he held for 15 years.

Among Cubans: Confrontation or Dialogue

When I arrived in Cuba, the Torricelli Act (1992) was being promoted by Washington and Miami to tighten the US embargo, continuing with the old approach of sharpening the crisis so as to force Cubans to rise up against their government.