Havana Times recently reached its six-month birthday and the scope and reach of the site has been far greater than I ever imagined, at least at this stage. It was originally conceived of as an alternative site that would update a few times a week, with reports, photos and opinions rarely seen in other Cuban media, including a novel section of diaries from Havana.
A fellow editor reminded me the other day that Cuban media professionals draw a danger line for themselves. The line keeps them from stepping onto shaky ground, where some higher up might perceive their subject matter as too controversial or too negatively critical.
—The rationale is always that internal problems should not be divulged or discussed by the Cuban media, because such writing “helps the enemy.”
When the Havana Film Festival agreed to show Steven Soderbergh’s production, the foreign press speculated that it must have received former president Fidel Castro’s approval. Che is revered by government leaders, much of the general citizenry, as well as by people who see in him ideals they think have been sidetracked over 50 years of the ups and downs of revolution.