Opinion Archives - Page 398 of 499

I Hate You

Before anything else, I would like to offer my apologies to all U.S. citizens, particularly to those who are against war and terrorism. This post is in no way aimed at them. It is, rather, aimed at their government.

Cuba Tests a New Type of Public Administration

They got rid of half of the bureaucrats, drastically cut down on administrative expenses, transformed dozens of government office facilities into homes and now plan to house in one building all the offices for the population’s legal procedures. These things alone suffice to make one consider the possibility of moving to Cuba’s province of Artemisa.

LASA, Travel Visas, Cubans and Other Matters

Every time the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) holds one of its congresses, we see at least one conflict involving Cubans and travel visas. This year, on the eve of the 31st Congress, to be held in Washington, the U.S. State Department has denied three young Cuban intellectuals.

Cuba: Yoani Sanchez at the Round Table

As far as I know, Yoani Sánchez, the woman in question, has repeatedly called for the lifting of the blockade imposed on Cuba. I want to point out that I am not a follower of Sánchez’, or of any other blogger for that matter. I have only read two or three of her posts and they have struck me as accurate and sincere.

Venezuela Has Chosen its Future

As a kid, I would follow the presidential elections and their avalanche of promises. Afterwards, I would notice that absolutely nothing had changed: the elected leaders would forget all they had promised and we, the poor, would see no improvements in our lives.

The Mississippi, a Cuban River

Not long ago, we were visited at home by a 13-year-old boy who had gone through six years of elementary education and was in his first year of junior high school (seventh grade, in other words). The young boy surprised me by his deportment and good manners.

Margaret Thatcher and the Face of Evil

Throughout Britain these last few days hundreds of thousands of people are celebrating the death of Margaret Thatcher, in their hearts or on the streets. They were drinking champagne today Saturday in Piccadilly Circus, London and elsewhere in the towns and cities throughout Britain that Thatcher left blighted by her policy reforms and her desire to crush the unions.

“My Vote’s for Maduro”

“I swear to you Chavez, my vote’s for Maduro!” With these words and other songs in support of Chavista candidate Nicolas Maduro, a red tide overflowed seven avenues in Caracas. If anyone still doubted the way the Venezuelan people support their interim president, they couldn’t have after having seen this massive march.

Opera de la Calle and a Show for Beyoncé

In the middle of Beyonce’s dash across the city, runnning here and there, I got a phone call from Ulises Aquino, the director of the “Opera de la Calle” (Opera in the Street). He was informing me that they would be reopening their space because Beyonce had asked to see their show.

Yoani Sanchez Launches Virtual Realism in Cuba

Carpentier spoke of “magical realism,” just as people had spoken of this earlier in Europe. Similarly, Stalinists defended their grim “socialist realism.” Now, Cuba — a country with restricted internet access for its citizens — is showcasing to the world the island’s most famous blogger who is giving us “virtual realism.”