Opinion

The Danger of Pragmatic Economism

Once again I’ve heard the voices of representatives of a trend of pragmatic economism who insist that “what’s important is that the economy functions, not the form of ownership or production used to achieve that.”

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Letter to a Young Man Leaving Cuba

This open letter by Temas magazine editor Rafael Hernandez reflects something of today’s generational change in Cuba and something of the island’s new political language seeking to explain it. It opens a debate and we hope you will chime in with your views on the subject.

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The African in All Cubans

In Cuba there’s a popular expression that goes: “He/she who doesn’t have Congolese, has Carabali,” which is a way of saying that black blood runs through all our veins here on the island, no matter how white one’s skin color might be or how thin their features.

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The Loves of Oswaldo Paya

I met Oswaldo Paya in the early 90’s when he was an active Catholic layman, to the point that we would meet at churches. I can’t say how many times we met since then, but there were many.

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The Costly Frivolities of Agent Percy

I’ve been reading all the mess generated by Cuban security operative Percy Alvarado. At first he accused everyone who crossed his path of being a pro-US puppet, and then he apologized for having slung mud with such energy at those who he wasn’t authorized to defame.

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Cuba Critics Who Only See Sunspots

It’s not that we revolutionaries are enemies of criticism – quite the contrary. The revolution’s leaders themselves have repeatedly expressed the need for criticism in order to improve the management of government; but such criticism must be done professionally, if indeed one is really seeking to solve problems.

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Requiem for Coppelia

On three separate occasions it has happened to me. When going into the Coppelia outdoor ice-cream parlor, I have promised myself each time to never come back there again! Nonetheless, the other day when I was passing by there, and saw the line was short I began to either distrust my memory or to have confidence in that eternal relativity of events.

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Cuba’s Health Care Challenges

On Thursday, 5,694 young people from 59 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa in Cuba received their diplomas certifying them as doctors. The last time I was at that international school, I ran into everyone from a Uruguayan compatriot of mine drinking mate to a young Mongolia woman washing her clothes.

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A Neighbor of Enviable Character

I know that envy is a harmful feeling for human beings and that when someone is envious they suffer due to the accomplishments of another person. They want everything that the other person has, without thinking about the good they already have in their own personal life.

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The Press Is to Inform, Not Manipulate

On the first page, there appeared a large headline that read: “Florida Experiencing Tuberculosis Epidemic”. On page two appears the news item reporting on an outbreak of cholera in Cuba with 158 infected and 3 deaths.

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