In the many years I lived in today’s Isla de la Juventud (formerly Isla de Pinos), I travelled from Havana to the town of Nueva Gerona (passing through Batabano on the mainland) hundreds of times. It had been some time since I’d last paid a visit to Batabano, where ferries bound for the second largest isle of the Cuban archipelago depart.
Read MoreThis past November 2nd, on an invitation from photographer Sergio Leyva Seiglie, I attended an interesting exhibition titled Reencuentro (“Reunion”) which gathered photographs by this artist and sculptures by Alfredo Duquesne.
Read MoreWith the clear intention of removing some of the obstacles in the way of the full development of Cuba’s productive forces, particularly in the strategically important area of agriculture, the Council of Ministers headed by President Raul Castro has approved a number of decrees that grant food producers new rights and commercial freedoms.
Read MoreThe recent decision of Cuba’s Council of Ministers to re-establish a single currency system in the country has, first of all, a psychological aim with a clear political motivation: getting us used to the high retail prices we will be seeing when this one currency, most likely the Cuban Peso (the “CUP”, in bank jargon), becomes generalized.
Read MoreBeing diagnosed with breast cancer or told one must have a radical mastectomy is not a death sentence, Enna Ferrer Carmona, a woman who faced such a reality 22 years ago, tells me. She is one of the founders of Alas por la Vida (“Wings for Life”), a project launched by mastology professionals working in the Manuel Fajardo University Hospital in Havana.
Read MoreWhenever I can, I spend part of my afternoon at El Toledo, a small bar and restaurant located at the intersection of Barcelona and Aguila streets, a stone’s throw from Old Havana’s Capitolio, the beautiful building where the phone company is currently located, the San Rafael boulevard and other emblematic places in Havana.
Read MoreWhen someone speaks of the Catholic Church, we often think of it as a powerful institution that has immense political influence everywhere. I will address this issue in general terms and then focus on the case of Cuba.
Read MoreHavana Times has been publishing some very harsh criticisms of the agreement that will take four thousand Cuban doctors to Brazil. Considering the number of MDs and their monthly salaries, the agreement implies millions of dollars in revenues for Cuba in the course of a year.
Read MoreIn the case of the Cuban Five and these three whistleblowers, the convictions are within the bounds of the law. It seems, however, that our legislations have serious shortcomings. They need to be interpreted differently and perhaps changed with new precepts that take into the account the universal and eternal value of ethical principles.
Read MoreI still remember the question put to me when I applied to become a history teacher, right after finishing the twelfth grade: “Do you maintain any type of contact with relatives living abroad?” It still pains me to have written a “NO” in the questionnaire. What hurts most is that it was actually true…
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