Osmel Ramirez Alvarez

Cuba is Where Demand Far Exceeds Supply

This is what a young Cuban said inside a hard currency store, after his failed search for a TV. The words came from his heart; you could hear in the moving tone of his voice and see it in the sparkle in his eyes. It was worth investigating.

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Jeep Stolen for Ransom in Mayari, Cuba

Kidnapping animals, especially horses, to then ask for ransom from their owners, has already become commonplace in Mayari, where I live in the province of Holguin. It’s the Cuban version of organized crime, the kind we see on news shows about Mexico, Colombia or El Salvador.

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My Reply to a Dangerous Threat

Every act in Cuba in favor of change, outside of the official framework, is considered an act of dissidence. It doesn’t matter whether you sympathize with Posada Carriles’ violent methods, with the Chicago school of economics or whether you are a democratic socialist like yours truly.

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The Socialist Ideal Smeared Again

Events in Venezuela are truly a cause for concern. A political party, with a socialist name, is clinging onto power with ruses, rather than mass popular support. The desire to implement socialist policies should never undermine the principle of strict compliance to the people’s will which is expressed via democratic channels.

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Fidel Castro and his One-Party “Democratic” System

We Cubans will go through the electoral process now in October with the election of neighborhood representatives, which will end in February next year with the selection of the new national Government. A lot of government propaganda has been created about the subject, highlighting the alleged democratic nature and the “virtues” of Cuban socialism and its political model.

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A Double-Edged Sword among Cubans

We commonly hear the term “neoplatista” to label different attitudes and stances between Cubans. It already appears frequently in our vocabulary, especially among the diaspora community and those of us here in Cuba who take part in political debate on alternative digital media platforms.

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Trump’s Cuba Policy and its Repercussions

“Trump is a son of a bitch”: this is how Alberto, a street seller, defines him. “Now we really aren’t going to do better off; this crazy old man doesn’t have God’s forgiveness,” said Susana, while she served a soft drink in a cafe. When asked the same question (What do you think about Trump’s recent actions towards Cuba?), another twenty-three people responded in the same vein.

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