Opinion Archives - Page 320 of 498

Reflections on the End

No matter where we look, everything seems to end in darkness, death and desolation. Does it really matter whether we die today, tomorrow or in 10 years? Does it, when the end is inevitable?

Three months ago, at the funeral parlor in La Lisa, Havana, Luis showed me why he is renowned for never missing a wake. He was among the first to arrive. “This is one of the ugliest, lesser known funeral parlors in Havana,” he said when he saw me.

A Maddening Story Involving Tourists

There are no fools in Cuban journalism. Nor is anyone incompetent, let alone naïve. The situation is such that all debates remain hallway chatter. Sometimes, they make it to the park and, occasionally, accompany the drinks people have at a bar in our cities.

Cuba’s Architectural Demons

Nothing says more about what we once were, what we are or what we want to become than our architecture. The post-revolution unimaginative designs, the poor quality of the construction work and the little importance given the buildings’ finishing had an impact on immediate surroundings. The practice became generalized and, today, we can see its results everywhere.

A Glimpse At Matanzas, Cuba

The private lodging sector has grown more than any other in Cuba’s province of Matanzas. In 2014, it expanded by more than 40 % and, this year, it has already grown more than 50 %. Towards the south of the province, near the Zapata Swamp, there are more private accommodations than in State hotels.

Back To Havana’s Sewers

I had decided not to write about Pancho again, but, on the night of Thursday, October 8, Pancho confirmed everything I’d been told. The drain was to one side of a bank in Old Havana. Cucaracha showed up with a crowbar. They quickly lifted the lid.

Cuba: The Way We Were, The Way We Are

More than thirty years ago, I was married to a man. We lived together for a year and then split up. I liked him, but that wasn’t enough for us to go on. I needed to love someone, to love them deeply, to be able to live with them.

Big Bucks in Cuba’s Garbage Scams

The accounting department of Cuba’s garbage collection services is clearly riddled with cracks that high officials in the sector take advantage of. The latest case revealed, 10 months after the court sentences, over US $470,000 stolen.

Should Cuba/US Relations be Government to Government or People to People?

Empowering the private sector and cooperatives – today a growing minority – means to slowly pull the rug from under the parasitical governing elite of the “communist” archipelago. Having achieved diplomatic peace, what the Castro government now fears is a peaceful US invasion.

What Are Cubans Like Today?

What were Cubans once renowned for? What was it that set us apart as individual in an extremely peculiar nation? What kind of people are Cubans today, or, at least, as a general rule, what kind of people are most Cubans?