Opinion Archives - Page 417 of 503

Was Sirley Avila Right?

The story of Sirley Avila is well known. She was a delegate to “People’s Power” (the municipal council) in Majibacoa, Las Tunas, the least populated municipality in Cuba.

The Dying Art of the Cuban Hawker’s Cry

Those familiar with the hawker tradition recall it as the art of promoting the wares with well-modulated inflections that tempt us more with the power of the word, with the power of the music, like that of the peanut vendor which Moises Simons immortalized through the unparalleled voice of Rita Montaner.

Cuba’s One-Party State is the Main Obstacle

Even though the monopoly of power by the Cuban Communist Party may be compatible with a certain degree of liberalization – that is, a relaxation of the control that the State exerts over certain aspects of economic and social life – that political monopoly is the main obstacle to the genuine democratization of Cuban society.

The ‘Outraged’ of Cuba

Outraged Cubans have a “voice,” but there’s no use in isolated protests as long as there are no institutional “ears” that will hear them. Citizens’ outrage and indignation should become the starter motor for putting solutions in motion.

My Havana Nights

It is a beautiful place – at times, hauntingly so. I felt at home in the narrow streets of Old Havana. I lived for the smells of street food, the sounds of the bustling city life, dodging out of the way of the constantly whizzing-by-like-it’s-the-Autobahn vintage Chevrolets, and the warmth of the Cuban people that greeted me at every turn.

Santiago de Cuba Lives On, Despite Sandy

I finally reached Santiago de Cuba but had to look closely to make sure I was in the right place. The entrance to the city made you wonder if you were actually in Santiago or if the driver had made a wrong turn and had driven to some other unfamiliar place.

Alejandro Castro: Building the Extended Family

In the headlines last week was Alejandro Castro Espin, the sole son of general/president Raul Castro and the coordinator of his intelligence and counterintelligence apparatus. He was interviewed in Moscow by RT Noticias.

Cuba: An Intelligent Strategy on Immigration Policy

The new Executive Order and its implications represent not only substantial modifications of the regulations in force up until now, but signify a real historical change in the methods and instruments used by the Cuban government to deal with immigration policy.

The Blank Slate Theory and Socialism in Cuba

The existence of the market, with its basic categories such as money, wages, banking, credit and so on, does not imply the presence of a capitalist system. Such economic categories have accompanied human society since the dawn of civilization.

When I Taught at a Technical School

I graduated as an English teacher in 1999 and began teaching at a technical school. During the first year, my students were studying skilled trades in mechanics, electronica and business. The ones studying business were in their first year while the future mechanics and electricians were in their third.