Opinion

Cuba maintained its solidarity ethics even during the severe economic crisis in the first half of the 1990s, but concessions to market oriented measures installed for shear survival have created a growing gap between a new rich and a new poor.

Somehow our two-month-old Havana Times website from and about Cuba is causing lost sleep for Massachusetts businessman Rob Sequin who claims to be the world’s leading expert on Cuba. Mr. Sequin says he has “proof” that I am a “senior Cuban government agent.”

Only Pope John Paul II had succeeded in bringing Cuban leaders to mass. That was until President Dmitry Medvedev was accompanied by President Raul Castro to a religious service to consecrate the Russian Orthodox Church’s Our Lady of Kazan cathedral, in Old Havana.

Finding a common ground to get beyond the animosity could be a key step towards easing tensions. Far from the Congressional arena, a strategy for improving longstanding poor relations could be many thousands of miles away on the African continent.

I have a lot of things regarding Cuba that I want to write about, but the US elections on Tuesday have overshadowed my thoughts. I’m not alone. A lot of people on the island are wondering what’s going to happen, as is a good chunk of the world.

Most Cubans made up their minds on who they favor shortly after the Democratic Party primary ended. Not that people are enamored with either of the two major parties, but they at least see a ray of hope for improved relations under Obama. This means a lot for many families divided by the Florida Straits and politics.

The aftermath of hurricanes Gustav and Ike have greatly magnified the shortcomings in the island’s economy and addressing them has become all the more pressing. One problem that most everyone agrees has reached epidemic proportions is workplace pilfering. Although by far not the only problem, it has combined with other factors including low productivity to keep the country from operating anywhere near capacity.

Preliminary estimates speak of several billion dollars of damage, but it will take some time for the government to compile a complete report of losses from both storms. When Ike hit, the damages caused by Gustav on August 31 were still being tallied.

Like all Cuban TV, the Olympic coverage is commercial free, and virtually all disciplines are shown independent of whether the island has participants.

By Circles Robinson Since coming to Cuba six years ago, getting the news from the island’s print or broadcast media