In 1925, Las Margaritas, the birthplace of Cuban singer Celia Cruz, was one of Havana’s poor black neighborhoods. Today, the children who live in this shantytown have free access to education and healthcare, but little of the deplorable living conditions that prevailed back then has changed, and its inhabitants are still, for the most part, of the same skin color.
Read MoreWhen someone holding a Cuban passport goes through an airport, they draw the undivided attention of its immigration officers, for he/she is seen, not as a run-of-the-mill traveler, but as a potential illegal immigrant. Likewise, Cuban consulates abroad are seldom equipped to offer services to help nationals.
Read MoreGetting to know the reality of any country is very easy in these days of the Internet. One can’t keep anything a secret. Even national security issues of a country are increasingly difficult to hide. An outstanding example is the body of revelations by Wikileaks.
Read MoreDirector Philip Lord is a very bright, young man. No doubt he’s on many lists of up and coming Hollywood directors. He’s already registered two box office successes with “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” and more recently “21 Jump Street.” This past week he ventured into the political fray – with a vengeance and head first.
Read MoreNicolás Maduro’s electoral victory, recently announced by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), has left us with more questions than answers. A number of analysts have argued that Cuba could enter a second “Special Period in Times of Peace”, should Caracas be unable to maintain its oil shipments to the island.
Read MoreIn Cuba, the BRICS are presented to us as an alternative to the hegemony of the United States and its Western European allies. While this may well be a valid contrast, we must look behind such apparently simple remarks, for they point to the fact that half of humanity has undertaken a form of development that was in no way foreseen by the communists who steered the educational system and ideology in my country for many years.
Read MoreBefore 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.
Read MoreThey 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.
Read MoreEvery 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.
Read MoreAs 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.
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