On September 18, 1980, a joint Soviet Union-Cuba exploration spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in the former Soviet Union, under the command of Colonel Yuri Romanenko and the Cuban Colonel, Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez.
Official statements describe the Cuban Customs Office as “the country’s first line of defense, responsible for preventing the entry of harmful materials,” while at the same time it “allows and encourages the free flow of trade and development between countries.”
This summer I stayed in Guantanamo longer than usual as my trip coincided with the National Rebelliousness Day celebration of July 26 being held there, plus there was the annual carnival festivities in that city. Here’s some of what I saw…
The history of Guantanamo is cruel, sinister and associated with tragedy and misfortune. Before the revolution this was the most neglected and backward area of the country, one where education, health care, communications, sports, industry and culture were noted for their low levels.
No one in his/her right mind can deny the extraordinary educational advances that Afro-Cubans have made in the past half century. Yet, the socio-economic gap between us and other ethnic groups has persisted and widened in many cases.