“Maybe I’ll be able to sell this bottle of Bucanero rum now that the Americans are coming,” says the bartender. The bottle costs what many Cuban worker’s make in two weeks. If Kerry comes meaning business, we could perhaps all enjoy the aged elixir.
Read MoreThe July 3 incident at the US Interests Section celebration for US Independence Day involving Cardinal Ortega must be understood on the basis of a development which the Cuban bishop has had the privilege to experience: the fact the Church is losing its isolation as an authority.
Read More“We get off at kilometer 184,” we told the bus driver while he checked our luggage. “Not a problem,” he replied. “You’re headed for Las Cajas, then.” Two hours later, we traded the AC for a morning breeze, as our host spurred the horse on and we settled in for the unavoidably bumpy ride along the dirt road.
Read MoreFor the time being, we are left with the unquestionable foreign policy successes of Cuba’s new president. The contrast with his brother, who appears to be the antithesis of the diplomat, is striking.
Read MoreIn Cuba, there are people playing the race card, irresponsible demagogues in search of fame. Rosa Park’s protest would never have taken place in Havana, not under Batista and not under Fidel – it is a gesture foreign to our reality. Our hack writers milk the expectations that exist in our places around the world, where their messages are well received.
Read MoreWhen Nelson Mandela was about to proclaim his country’s new constitution, he delved into the issue of the human races. The scientific answer he came upon is still considered valid today: we are all the children of a primordial Eve born 190,000 years ago, probably near the great African lakes, and of a primordial Adam of similar origins, who roamed the Earth 50 thousand years later. Human beings, in fact, share more than 99% of their genetic makeup. There are no races, or, better, there is but one race: Homo sapiens.
Read More“If it weren’t for the pizzas and the shortbread cookies, Havana’s cemetery would extend all the way to Artemisa.” I recall people used to say that in my youth, commenting on the popularity of those two basic food products and their essential role in the eating needs of a large city.
Read MoreThis past Saturday, April 25, Havana’s Central Computer Club (Palacio Central de Computacion) hosted the Latin American Freeware Festival (FLISOL), which saw the participation of hundreds of people who opt to use operating systems such as Ubuntu’s Linux Mint edition and a whole “array” of similar repositories and applications. Admission was free of charge and the venue was open to everyone.
Read MoreAt 80, Manuel is still a strong and clear-headed man. He wears humble (but clean) attire and speaks without gesticulating, though a certain degree of haughtiness still comes across.
Read More“My son got his medical degree twenty years ago,” Rogelio tells me. “Today, he earns 1,460 Cuban pesos a month (70 usd). Since that amount isn’t close to enough to live on the father and son team actually make a living with bottle caps.
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