Opinion Archives - Page 294 of 502

How Primary School Hours Trap Parents in Cuba

A few days ago, I wrote an email to a friend of mine about how bothersome it is to keep your kids in school here in Cuba, in spite of it being free. Let me explain why.

Colombia Didn’t Vote NO to Peace

Every time peace is sullied for some reason it normally means humanitarian and universal failure. However, in the case of the people of Colombia, there are several factors that have led them to not want to be manipulated.

The New Wave of Repression in Cuba

Laritza Diversent is the director of CUBALEX, a non-governmental agency that is committed to providing free legal services to Cubans. She is a young professional who speaks softly and has well-defined ideas, such as those that lawyers use when they file a lawsuit.

First Hand Account from Cuba in Preparation for Hurricane Matthew

Osmel Ramirez describes the situation in his community of Mayari, Holguin as hurricane Matthew approaches. The memory of hurricane Sandy four years ago is still present in the minds of the authorities and population.

Cuba’s Leader and His Flexible Principles

With a skillful juggling act, Raul Castro, president of Cuba and the Cuban Army’s Chief for decades, surprises us with a new facet of his, presenting himself as a leader and guardian of peace in Colombia.

Cuba’s Conservative Revolutionaries

Over the last few weeks, the debate surrounding whether one is a revolutionary or not has come up. Some serious definitions have appeared while others only seem to seek to discredit young Cubans who think differently, are critical and propose ways of moving forward.

Peace in Colombia but Not in Cuba

Today, international conditions also favor the road to domestic peace in Cuba; however, the absence of a democratic system blocks this road. A clear dialogue and democratization process would be enough to tear down the framework that supports the US embargo laws.

Cuba’s Frozen Revolution

I came to write this piece because I was fascinated reading the Lonely Planet’s account of Cuban history. Wanting to share it, I summarized it. Yet I realized that something vital was missing from the Lonely Planet, namely a summing up of Cuba as it is now.

In the Presence of Greatness

I make no secret of, nor apologies for, my admiration of Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution. The ultimate victory of a handful of heroic rebels— many unarmed at first — over dictator Fulgencio Batista’s army, consisting of 37,000 troops, as well as tanks and Mig fighter jets, can be called nothing less than admirable.

Our Current Cuban Reality

What bothers me most is our passivity, that feeling of indifference which Cubans feel with regard to all of our leaders who live in luxury and don’t care too much about are problems.