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Cuba in the News
Archive: 10/16 - 12/16
La obsesión yanqui por matar a Fidel: entrevista a Fabián Escalante 12/30/2016 Cubainformación: "Las investigaciones realizadas al respecto demostraron que en 41 años los organismos de seguridad cubanos conocieron y desmantelaron 634 complots homicidas contra su persona, en diferentes estadios de elaboración, de ellos 60 dirigidos ejecutivamente por la CIA, en 10 de los cuales participó la Mafia de ese país, un triste record que ningún otro líder mundial alcanzó en la historia de la Humanidad y ello sin contar los no descubiertos."
Cuba Grants Friendship Medal to Danny Glover, Estela and Ernesto Bravo 12/30/2016 Escambray
Cuban households test free Internet access 12/30/2016 EuroNews: "Some 2,000 Cuban households are getting to grips with free Internet access as part of a government-run pilot scheme in downtown Havana.
Cuba has one of the lowest online connectivity rates in the world. Just five percent of its 11.2 million residents is estimated to have home Web access."
Chinese Investor Plans Computer Factory in Cuba 12/29/2016 Cuba Journal: "This factory will reportedly produce both 8-inch and 10-inch tablets, and will also produce laptops running sixth-generation Intel processors. Researchers from Cuba's academic institutions will work on the development of an operating system and software."
Reflections from Cubans on Castro (2/2) 12/29/2016 Real News: "James Early and Paul Jay discuss the potential role of independent trade unions in Cuban politics and the future of relations with the US under President Trump"
Danny Glover dialoga con jóvenes cubanos 12/28/2016 Cuba Si
La Salchipizza cubana 12/28/2016 Marti Noticias: "Los jóvenes emprendedores en Cuba han sacado provecho de la debacle económica que existe en la mayor de las Antillas. Este es el caso de Alberto González, graduado como cocinero internacional que hoy se ha independizado y nos expone su iniciativa."
Reflections from Cubans on Castro (1/2) 12/28/2016 Real News: "Street interviews with Cubans and a conversation with the Smithsonian's James Early about the future of the Caribbean island after the passing of Fidel Castro and a growing US presence "
China's Haier Group will manufacture low-end tablets and laptops in Cuba 12/28/2016 The Internet in Cuba: "However, there has been a major shift in manufacturing technology since "made in Japan" meant low-end products -- assembly work is now heavily automated and will be more so in the future. I wonder how many Cubans will be employed in this factory and what sorts of jobs they will have."
Trump's Homeland Security Chief Wants to Share Guantanamo Base with Cubans 12/27/2016 Cuba Journal
¿Sigue la Guerra Fría cultural? 12/27/2016 Cubainformación: "Estados Unidos tiene una vasta experiencia en la práctica de la guerra cultural contra todo proyecto alternativo a su hegemonía en el escenario internacional. La CIA y la guerra fría cultural, de Frances Stonor Saunders, constituye un libro imprescindible –la investigación más completa sobre el tema- para comprender esta realidad.[i] Este libro demuestra cómo, en los años de la Guerra Fría, el programa de guerra psicológica y cultural de la CIA contra el campo socialista, fue su joya más preciada."
Stiglitz and the Cuban economy 12/26/2016 On Cuba: "For me, his time in the World Bank as chief economist perhaps was the most relevant, especially because it marked new tendencies in that organization and under his direction one of the most notable Development Reports of the 1990s was published, where an in-depth analysis was made of the role of knowledge in development and economic growth. Already by that time – we’re talking of 20 years ago – several Cuban economists had carried out works where the importance of that factor for Cuba’s economic development was demonstrated and also, as a leading factor of those researches, that Cuba had to promote economic policies that would make that advantage really effective."
Testimonio: Cubano que soñaba con montar la Salchi-Pizza en La Habana 12/24/2016 Enganche Cubano: video
China-Cuba Relations: Assessing US Stakes 12/24/2016 The Diplomat: "However, if the Cuban government undertakes reform at structural levels as did Vietnam and China years ago, then China’s investment interest toward Cuba could grow suddenly. Above all, because in a scenario like this, the U.S. could quickly lift the embargo on the island and Cuba could automatically become the main tourist destination in the Caribbean. This would involve multi-million-dollar investment projects in infrastructure that Cuba needs, where Chinese companies could compete in the market against U.S. companies."
Plan para presionar a Trump a romper relaciones con Cuba 12/23/2016 Radio Havana: por Arthur González "La evidencia de que los mafiosos estaban detrás del diseño arcaico de tal provocación, fueron sus propias declaraciones en la rueda de prensa ejecutada de inmediato, el 18/12/2016 en Miami.
En la misma, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen y Mario Díaz-Balart, en compañía del ex congresista Lincoln Díaz-Balart, expresaron abiertamente:
“Esperamos que las concesiones unilaterales de la Casa Blanca al gobierno de Raúl Castro, lleguen a su fin cuando Donald Trump asuma el poder el 20 de enero próximo”." La plantocracia se mobiliza.
Twin sisters make cigars to celebrate different shades of the AfroCuban diaspora 12/20/2016 Miami Herald: "According to the sisters, most of their business comes from black Americans. Tres Lindas Cubanas, which was named after a Cuban song and translates to three pretty Cuban girls, also serves as homage to the variety of shades of black women across the world and the complexion of the three blends of cigars available through their brand."
Travelers — and Travel Companies — Push for Trips to Cuba in Case Trump Dumps Deal 12/19/2016 NBC: "This and other Trump statements lead travel guru Arthur Frommer to believe Trump will quash the Cuba deal, "unless a number of major industries — cruise lines, airlines, hotel chains, and other travel entities — succeed in persuading him that they have invested heavy sums in the preparation for widespread American tourism to Cuba," Frommer wrote in a recent blog post."
On Racism and Revolution: An Interview with Cuban Activist Norberto Mesa Carbonell 12/19/2016 New Politics: "Since 1959, the Cuban revolution has been dedicated to racial equality. In a country where slavery was abolished only in 1886, the revolution offered many black Cubans their first access to land and education, through the new universal egalitarian policies, and an explicit commitment to eliminating racial discrimination. Even critical scholars argue that though it falls short of racial democracy, Cuba has done more than any other society to eradicate racial inequality."
FIART 2016 entrega sus premios 12/19/2016 Radio Rebelde: "Los proyectos ZULU, por colección de Bolsos y Carteras, y Mosaicos Textiles, de la Asociación Cubana de Artesanos Artistas (ACAA), ambos de la capital, resultaron premiados en la categoría de Productos."
Indecencia 12/18/2016 Granma: "Digámoslo de una vez por todas: «la gente molesta» no representa la comunidad cubana residente en Estados Unidos. Se trata de un sector minoritario pero influyente económica y mediáticamente, que ha hecho del odio, el revanchismo y la intolerancia un modo de vida."
Cuba-U.S. Relations in Trump’s Era: Reserved Forecast 12/18/2016 On Cuba: "The majority of U.S. citizens, Cubans and the Cuban-American community support the dialogue and exchange processes with Cuba. The ties woven between Cuba and Miami have today reached a critical mass that guarantees a rejection in Florida of any policy aiming to separate the two principal communities from the Cuban nation."
Cubans arrest U.S. human rights lawyer in Havana, activists say 12/17/2016 ABC 10 News: "When Motley was arrested, police officers also arrested punk rock artist Gorki Aguila and Luis Alberto Mariño, a political activist from the group Cuba Decides, according to the Human Rights Foundation."
Reversing Cuba policy seen as a punch in the gut to Latin America 12/17/2016 Miami Herald: " One of the most significant effects of the U.S. détente with Cuba had less to do with relations between the two countries than with helping stop the “pink tide” that was pulsing through Latin America.
That’s the message the White House is delivering to the Trump transition team as it warns against rolling back a Cuba policy that has made it easier to work with Latin American nations and undercut the spread of the leftist movement known, for its founder Hugo Chavez, as “chavismo.”"
Guavas, plantains, rum 12/16/2016 The Undefeated: "In truth, we’ve romanticized — and Americanized — what Cuban food is and what it ought to be. If your expectation is to come here and eat roast pork, ham, and cheese-filled sandwiches daily, you’re doing Cuba all wrong. Because in Havana, Cuba’s capital city, there’s amazing ice cream, private home restaurants—aka paladares—with salad bars and robust charcuterie, and there’s great stuff to munch on in Barrio Chino de la Habana."
The streets and scenes of Misty Copeland’s trip to Havana 12/16/2016 The Undefeated: "I didn’t know what to expect when I stepped on that plane in Miami and walked off when it landed in Cuba, but I do know that it was a lot more than rum and cigars. It was the understanding that sometimes you just have to slow down and cherish the moments. I hope you begin to do just that with these behind-the-scenes images of Misty Copeland’s trip to Cuba."
Marco Rubio: ‘I have serious concerns’ about Rex Tillerson nomination 12/13/2016 Yahoo News: Could it be this has to do with Tillerson pro Cuba trade stance?
Google signs internet deal with Cuba's telecommunications monopoly 12/12/2016 Reuters: “This deal allows ETECSA to use our technology to reduce latency by caching some of our most popular high bandwidth content like YouTube videos at a local level," a Google statement said."
Fidel, Ché and the post 1959 Executions: Post 1945 Executions of Nazis and Nazi Collaborators 12/10/2016 AfroCubaWeb: "In 1945, thousands of nazis and nazi collaborators were executed across Europe. In France alone, "9,000 were summarily executed during the liberation campaign, 1,500 were executed after a trial, and 40,000 were sentenced to prison." In Czechoslovakia, 30,000 German civilians were summarily murdered while 3 million were expelled to Germany."
Film on Cuba's gay intolerance pulled from Havana festival 12/8/2016 AFP: ""The film presents an image of the revolution that reduces it to an expression of intolerance and violence against culture and makes irresponsible use of our patriotic symbols and unacceptable references toward comrade Fidel," Smith -- director of the all-powerful Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) -- said in a statement."
Cuba’s Surge in Tourism Keeps Food Off Residents’ Plates 12/8/2016 NYT: “The private tourism industry is in direct competition for good supplies with the general population,” said Richard Feinberg, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, and specialist on the Cuban economy. “There are a lot of unanticipated consequences and distortions.”
The little known history of Cuba’s intervention in Africa during the Cold War 12/8/2016 Oxford University Press Blog: By Piero Gleijeses - "In all the reflections upon the death of Fidel Castro, his contribution to Africa has been neglected–because most Americans are unaware that Castro’s Cuba changed the course of southern African history. While Americans celebrated the peaceful transition of apartheid South Africa to majority rule and the long-delayed independence of Namibia, they had no idea that Cuba–Castro’s Cuba–played an essential role in these historic events."
Five days that shook the South Bronx into NYC’s Sierra Maestra 12/8/2016 People's World: "Giuliani didn’t simply omit Castro and Arafat. He issued a press release specifically disinviting them. Arab New Yorkers held a banquet for Arafat; Boricuas (Puerto Ricans) in the South Bronx, led by Pabón, similarly responded toward Castro, for the public revoking of the invitation was an insult to the city’s Latino population that could not go unchallenged. Pabón recounts his story in the newly published book Knockout: Fidel Castro Visits the South Bronx."
Fidel and African Americans 12/7/2016 Amandala, Belize: "This notion that Third World revolutionaries and American civil rights activists were allies in the same essential conflict—that racism and global capitalism were part and parcel of a single oppressive system, presided over by the United States—was a source of tremendous fear in Washington. And the last thing anyone needed was for radical blacks to start getting ideas directly from the Cuban guerrillas”."
Cuba: Fanaticism against a White Background 12/7/2016 Havana Times: "They couldn’t act that day because some of the women, the majority of whom are in their 60s and 70s, suffered from an increase in their blood pressure when the organized crowd confronted them with shouts, posters and wanting to hit them."
Carlos Cristóbal Márquez Valdés 12/7/2016 Marti Noticias: "La misiva promovida por la empresa Cuba Educational Travel, y el grupo de cabildeo a favor del deshielo Engage Cuba, ha sido suscrita por más de 100 dueños de paladares, servicios tecnológicos y de autos y peluquerías, entre otros pequeños negocios."
In Cuban Town That Hershey Built, Memories Both Bitter and Sweet 12/7/2016 NYT: "But the company’s imported mores also included class and racial segregation: The American supervisors lived in the biggest houses, the laborers in the smallest; black workers were assigned homes on the farthest edge of town."
Extracting Castro from the Demonization 12/6/2016 Consortium News: "In other words, the United States created an ongoing wartime situation for Havana. Under such circumstances the historically usual reaction is for a government – any government – to become more controlling."
Operativos contra Damas de Blanco y multa de 2.000 pesos a un opositor 12/5/2016 Diario de Cuba: "Disidentes, Damas de Blanco y periodistas independientes de diferentes lugares del país han sido víctimas de hostigamiento y arrestos en los días del "duelo nacional" decretado por el régimen por la muerte de Fidel Castro.
Entre los casos más graves estarían los del coordinador nacional del Movimiento Cristiano Liberación (MCL), Eduardo Cardet, en Holguín, y el grafitero Danilo Maldonado (El Sexto), en La Habana. Ambos fueron golpeados y llevan varios días presos."
Cuba under Fidel’s long shadow 12/5/2016 Harvard Gazette: "To me, one of the most impressive statistical observations is that 20 years after he took power, and as a result of programs that were instituted, there were no differences by skin color in the likelihood of a newborn baby dying as an infant, and no differences by skin color in primary school completion. That’s not the United States. That is not Brazil. That’s not the case in Cuba today. Once again, there is inequality that is marked by color, but that’s in part because things have become worse for Cubans in the last 25 years. But in the moment when he was able to do the kind of things he wanted to do, some of these outcomes were very impressive."
Africa in the Americas: Tour Group Explores Cuba’s African Roots 12/4/2016 NBC: "When the United States and Cuba first announced plans to restore diplomatic relations two years ago, Kasara E. Davidson says she and her business partner "hit the ground running" and used their combined 20 years of experience with the island to start Diaspora Enterprise Solutions (DiasporaES)."
Cábalas de a pie 12/4/2016 On Cuba: "San Jerónimo afirmaba que el número nueve indica sufrimiento y dolor en la Biblia. Sin embargo, esta tradición no tiene su origen en el libro santo, sino que se inspira en una costumbre griega y romana que celebraba nueve días de duelo por los difuntos o para apaciguar a los dioses.
También a los nueve días, pero en el entorno de la santería cubana, se realiza la ceremonia conocida como Oro ilé Olofi, “misa cantada que se dice en la iglesia por el eterno descanso del olocha (hijo de santo) desaparecido”, según recoge Lydia Cabrera en su célebre libro El monte."
'The Cubans are sh------ themselves' over Trump 12/3/2016 Miami Herald: "He’s 100 percent a freedom fighter,” said former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, whose Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute honored Pence in 2010. “He’s met with former political prisoners. He knows the issue.”
Revolutionary Road: Navigating Fidel Castro’s Polarizing Legacy 12/2/2016 The Root: An extensive article featuring an interview with AfroCubaWeb columnist,
Alberto Jones. Touches on
Cuban and Black Cuban relations with Black Americans, as well as the
justified execution of Batista torturers and murderers.
Cuba Wanderlust Dims as American Cuts Flights, Trump Looms 11/30/2016 Bloomberg: "Citing weak demand, American Airlines Group Inc. trimmed plans for almost a quarter of its trips to Cuba early next year. And in a potentially crippling blow, President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to rescind the relaxation of ties with the communist government, leaving future operations in limbo. Already, Trump’s comments have prompted some tourists to accelerate plans to visit Cuba before his inauguration or to delay them until he makes his policies clear."
To so many Africans, Fidel Castro is a hero. Here’s why 11/30/2016 The Guardian: "A great irony about the reaction to Castro is that many of the same people demanding acknowledgement of his wrongs have never acknowledged that their governments were on the wrong side of history, or sponsored dictatorships in many developing countries."
¿Que no hay guerra cultural de EE.UU. contra Cuba? 11/29/2016 Cubarte: "esta modalidad de diplomacia, participan y coordinan sus acciones el Departamento de Estado, la Fundación Nacional de las Artes (NEA), las fundaciones filantrópicas -como la Ford Foundation, o la Open Society - y las multinacionales de la industria cultural, como los emporios de Hollywood, la Universal Music Group o la editorial Condé Nast Publications Inc. de Vanity Fair y Vogue, que ya han desembarcado en la capital cubana."
'We Learned a Lot from Fidel': Supporters Defend Castro's Legacy 11/29/2016 NBC
Threatening Cuba Will Backfire 11/29/2016 NYT: "If Mr. Trump’s Cuba policy matches his latest rhetoric, cooperation is likely to wane. That would only embolden hard-liners in the Cuban regime who are leery of mending ties with the United States and are committed to maintaining Cuba as a repressive socialist bulwark. In Mr. Trump, they may find the ideal foil to stoke nationalism among Cubans who are fiercely protective of their nation’s sovereignty and right to self-determination."
Fidel 1926-2016 (2:58) by Mumia Abu-Jamal 11/29/2016 Prison Radio
Trump has threatened to rip up the “deal” with Cuba. Would that work? 11/29/2016 WaPo: "Cuba itself has never been interested in opening its doors to U.S. businesses, despite what Cuban officials claim. During the Cold War, Cuba was comfortable trading with the Soviet bloc — it was, after all, subsidized trade. Since then, Cuba has profited from the embargo. The government doesn’t have to make concessions to U.S. businesses, and more important, the embargo gives Cuba leverage when dealing with other foreign investors: The government can offer other nations a business environment free of U.S. businesses."
A U.S.-Cuba Breach Presents an Opportunity for China 11/29/2016 WSJ: "While U.S. remittances total more than all Cuban exports, Beijing’s trade with island is growing fast "
Cuba: Now That Fidel is Gone What Comes Next? 11/28/2016 Alternet: "“Why can’t Spain or Mexico give Raúl Castro political asylum?” a source inside the Trump campaign asked in March 2016, a clue as to where Trump’s advisors are thinking: Cuba without the remaining Castro—and without a one-party government, the Communist Party of Cuba.
The implication is that Trump’s advisers do not rule out military intervention—and military occupation—of Cuba to achieve this “opening” and move to “democracy” on the island nation."
After Surviving 600 Assassination Attempts & Outlasting 11 U.S. Presidents, Fidel Castro Dies at 90 11/28/2016 Democracy Now
Donald Trump’s Threat to Close Door Reopens Old Wounds in Cuba 11/28/2016 NYT: "Reversing some of Mr. Obama’s decisions could be legally difficult. Companies like JetBlue, Starwood and Airbnb have invested millions of dollars in time and resources to enter the Cuban market, and did so with the American government’s blessing.
“In theory, Donald Trump has the ability to reverse almost everything Obama has done,” said Matthew D. Aho, an adviser on Cuba at the New York law firm Akerman. “In practice, that reversal would be far more complicated from a legal process than most observers realize."
Given the incentive, Cuba’s economy could boom 11/28/2016 The National, South Africa
Castro Had Secret Role In Infamous Wells Fargo Robbery 11/27/2016 Hartford Courant: "It would take years of investigation, defections and admissions by conspirators before the complete picture emerged: Acting on a long-held grievance over what he considered the continuing colonial exploitation of Puerto Rico by the U.S., Castro allowed his country's diplomatic and intelligence services to finance and support a sensational robbery of $7 million from a Wells Fargo depot in West Hartford."
Colin Kaepernick clarifies remarks on Fidel Castro 11/27/2016 USA Today: "In the postgame press conference following the 49ers’ 31-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Kaepernick was asked about his remarks, which were interpreted by some as a sign of support for the longtime leader of Cuba.
"What I said was I agree with the investment in education," Kaepernick said. "I also agree with the investment in free universal health care, as well as the involvement in helping end apartheid in South Africa."
Donald Trump Could Reverse Obama's Cuba Policy 'Fairly Quickly' 11/26/2016 ABC: "People who are really pushing Cuban policy the most is the American farmer, agriculture,” Williams said. “The heart of Trump's support came from the agriculture community and they continue to be lock-step behind this."
Decreta el Consejo de Estado duelo nacional 11/26/2016 Granma: "Con motivo del fallecimiento del Comandante en Jefe de la Revolución Cubana, Fidel Castro Ruz, el Consejo de Estado de la República de Cuba declara nueve días de Duelo Nacional, a partir de las 06:00 horas del 26 de noviembre hasta las 12:00 horas del 4 de diciembre de 2016.
Durante la vigencia del Duelo Nacional cesarán las actividades y espectáculos públicos, ondeará la enseña nacional a media asta en los edificios públicos y establecimientos militares. La radio y la televisión mantendrán una programación informativa, patriótica e histórica."
Video de la alocución de Raúl Castro Ruz 11/26/2016 Granma: con la noticia del fallecimineto de Fidel.
Not Afraid To Ruffle Feathers: How Michael Flynn Became A Trump Confidant 11/18/2016 NPR: "Those countries include, certainly, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, countries like Cuba, certainly China. And their national security [strategies], if you will; how they view the world... And what I've seen in the last couple of administrations is just a real failure to truly connect strategic dots around the world."
¿Mensaje a Trump las maniobras militares que Cuba anunció hace siete meses? 11/16/2016 Cubainformación: "El diario español “El País”, por su lado, en un trabajo titulado “Maniobras militares y políticas en Cuba”, sentenciaba que “las maniobras militares anunciadas por Cuba (...) parecen subrayar que el régimen también está dispuesto a regresar a las barricadas ideológicas” (4).
Curioso. Porque estas “maniobras militares” cubanas -el llamado “Ejercicio Estratégico Bastión 2016”- nada tienen que ver con el triunfo electoral de Donald Trump (5). Se realizan en la Isla cada cuatro años, siempre en el mes de noviembre. Y la fecha exacta para este año fue anunciada por el Presidente Raúl Castro, el pasado 16 de Abril (6). Es decir, ¡hace siete meses!"
Unlike other Latinos, about half of Cuban voters in Florida backed Trump 11/15/2016 Pew Research: "In Florida, Cubans were about twice as likely as non-Cuban Latinos to vote for Donald Trump. More than half (54%) supported the Republican president-elect, compared with about a quarter (26%) of non-Cuban Latinos, according to National Election Pool exit poll data."
Justin Trudeau heads to Cuba, decades after his father's history-making trip 11/14/2016 CBC: "In January 1976, then prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau rankled many when he became the first NATO leader — in fact, the first Western leader — to visit Fidel Castro's Cuba. The two got on famously, developing a close bond that would last for decades after that encounter.
Now, his son, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is heading to the Caribbean country Tuesday to try and rekindle the special bond as part of a three-country tour that will also take him to Argentina and Peru, where an APEC summit is being held."
Cuba must shun capitalism and seek development solutions from within 11/11/2016 Guardian: ""Cuba needs to learn quickly what these other countries learned to their cost – that institutions matter. Rather than plunging into the cauldron of free market forces, the Cuban government needs to build the solid institutional framework that has been termed “the developmental state”." ...The Cuban government should resist any recalcitrant calls to deploy the microcredit model as a major part of its transition strategy. Microfinance has not succeeded in generating a sustainable, “bottom-up” development trajectory anywhere in the world (and for clear lessons one need only look at the disaster that has taken place in Bosnia and Herzegovina)."
Cuba Ventures on Why an Incoming Trump Administration Will be Good for U.S.-Cuba Rapprochement 11/10/2016 Cuba Ventures: "Even the Trump-friendly corporate lobbying group ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) has called for the normalization of U.S. trade relations with Cuba, which would be consistent with its free market agenda."
A Trump attempt to reverse Obama’s Cuba policies could be complicated and costly 11/10/2016 Miami Herald: "In recent weeks, Trump has said he can reverse Obama’s executive orders and will “unless the Castro regime meets our demands. Not my demands — our demands. Those demands will include religious and political freedom for the Cuban people, and the freeing of political prisoners.”
In an effort to win Cuban-American votes, he repeated that message in Miami just a week before the election.
But on previous occasions he said normalization was fine — although he thought Obama’s policies didn’t go far enough in pushing U.S. interests and that he intended to get a better deal.
“During the campaign he also said 50 years of the same policy was enough, and then he started fund-raising and came to Miami and was convinced to take a different approach,” said Gutierrez, who is now chairman of the Albright Stonebridge Group and favors engagement with Cuba."
Cubans Fear Trump to Reverse Opening, Army Drills Announced 11/9/2016 AP: "The first Bastion Strategic Exercise was launched in 1980 after the election of Ronald Reagan as U.S. president, according to an official history. The announcement by Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces in red ink across the top of the front page of the country's main newspaper Wednesday said the army, Interior Ministry and other forces would be conducting maneuvers and different types of tactical exercises from the 16th to the 20th of November.
It warned citizens that the exercises would include "movements of troops and war materiel, overflights and explosions in the cases where they're required."
Speaking of Cuba's leaders, Communist Party member and noted economist and political scientist Esteban Morales told the Telesur network: "They must be worried because I think this represents a new chapter.""
Trump win prompts fear, uncertainty in Cuba 11/9/2016 France 24: "However, Cuba will probably not be a "priority issue" for Trump, said Michael Shifter, head of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank.
"It's not clear if he will try to roll back policy toward Cuba that is fairly popular, according to polls," he said.
One thing is certain: with the Republicans retaining control of Congress, the 54-year-old embargo is probably not going away anytime soon."
Cuba Calls Military Exercises after Trump Victory in USA 11/9/2016 Havana Times: "During the long campaign, at first Trump assured that the thaw with Cuba was positive and that it was necessary to continue the rapprochement between both countries.
However that position began to change when Trump traveled to Miami and threatened to reverse the rapprochement between Washington and Havana.
“The next president can change that policy and that’s what I’m going to do unless the Castro regime lives up to our demands,” Trump said during a speech in Florida in September."
Trump Presidency Could Affect US-Cuba Policy 11/9/2016 NBC Miami: "There was a rousing cheer in Little Havana on Election Night as Donald Trump stumped Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House.
Many Cuban-Americans believe a Trump presidency means a return to a hardline policy against Cuba."
Cuba announces military exercises after Trump elected U.S. president 11/9/2016 Reuters: ""His most recent statements indicate that he may not immediately reverse commercial, economic and political engagement, but may increase conditionality as a cost of expansion," said John Kavulich, head of the New York-based U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc.
In a mid-October interview with CBS in Miami, Trump said he would do anything necessary "to get a strong agreement" with Cuba's government, without providing specifics."
Cuban “Gamers” Surrealist Internet 11/8/2016 Havana Times: "In Cuba, over 20 years ago, when pirate distributors called “lateros” began to create homemade TV antennas so that they could pick up foreign TV channels and transmit them via cable to their users, a productive underground market for coax cables was born. You only have to have the right “contact”, the right amount of money and you can ask for however many meters you want. Normally, groups of teenagers and young people put together their money which they’ve painfully scraped together and buy all the cables they need between them."
Nothing for Ordinary Cubans 11/4/2016 Havana Times: "The internet isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Plus, the 2 CUC (US $2.30) price tag for a 1 hour access card is still a great blow to the Cuban people’s economy. However, the problem isn’t only the government’s expensive price, but also the cruel initiative that resellers take.
They take advantage of the fact there are very few ETECSA retail outlets and that employees there would rather sell them in bulk in exchange for getting a few cents extra for each card sold, since when these are sold directly to the general population, they don’t get a cut."
Cuba, un país de mujeres de ciencia 11/3/2016 Cubainformación: "En pleno siglo XXI, las féminas representan tres quintas partes de los habitantes más pobres del orbe, el 70% de las 130 millones de personas que no estudian y dos tercios de los 960 millones de analfabetos. Más de 300 mil mueren cada año por complicaciones evitables durante el parto, el 99% en los países del Sur. Cifras que demuestran que los esfuerzos a nivel mundial en los últimos tiempos por lograr un mayor empoderamiento de la mujer, han sido insuficientes."
Invertir en Cuba: ¿Qué dicen los empresarios? 11/3/2016 Cubainformación: "¿Qué beneficios tiene invertir en Cuba? ¿Cómo ha sido este proceso para algunas de las empresas ya asentadas en la Isla? ¿Cuánto frena el bloqueo económico a los hombres de negocios que apuestan por la Mayor de las Antillas? Reconocidas firmas como Nestlé, Havana Club Internacional e Iberostar compartieron sus opiniones al respecto durante la clausura del primer Foro de Negocios celebrado en el marco de la 34 Feria Internacional de La Habana."
Unión de Informáticos de Cuba, plataforma de intercambio científico 11/3/2016 Cubainformación: "La joven Unión de Informáticos de Cuba (UIC) pretende erigirse como una plataforma de intercambio en la I Convención Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Información, declaró hoy la presidenta nacional de esa institución, Eilyn Febles.
Somos una organización de la sociedad civil cubana, que surge el 7 de marzo de 2016, justo cuando empezó a prepararse el comité organizador de esta convención, explicó Febles a Prensa Latina."
Cuba Shuts Itself Off to US Businesspeople 11/2/2016 Havana Times: "Cleber’s investment meant that the Cuban Government would have to take too many ideological risks, said John Kavulich, the director of the US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council. Accepting this project “would be seen as the country accepting the US’ current statutes, laws and policies. That it had given in,” said Kavulich according to Miami’s El Nuevo Herald.
“They feel confident that with the existing subsidies, loans and debt restructuring, projects focusing on energy and the revenue from US visitors and visitors from other countries, the government will be able to remain firm in its resistance against any significant commercial and economic commitments with companies based in the US,” he added, according to the Miami newspaper."
CIA Releases Controversial Bay of Pigs History 10/31/2016 National Security Archives: "2016 Change in FOI Law Overturns Agency Stonewalling - CIA fought release for years, claimed draft would “confuse the public” "
Periodista graba el interrogatorio que le hace el Minint en Baracoa 10/27/2016 14 y medio: ""Está prohibido hacer periodismo por cuenta propia. ¿Tú tienes algo que te acredite como que eres periodista?", se escucha decir al presunto agente.
"Hacer periodismo por cuenta de uno no está prohibido en Cuba", responde González.
La legislación cubana no incluye al periodismo como actividad que se pueda ejercer por cuenta propia, pero tampoco está prohibido expresamente por lo que las publicaciones independientes intentan aprovechar este vacío jurídico para realizar su labor, aunque eso podría cambiar muy pronto."
“No es porque escribas en ‘OnCuba’, es por lo que escribes”, le dicen a un profesor universitario 10/26/2016 14 y medio: "Las presiones de las autoridades cubanas para que periodistas y académicos no colaboren con la prensa privada y las emergentes plataformas digitales ha arreciado durante el último año. A comunicadores de emisoras de radio y televisión se les dijo en una circular transmitida verbalmente que quedaban prohibidas las colaboraciones. Según un testigo de aquellas reuniones, se les recordó que "dentro de la Revolución todo, pero fuera de la Revolución nada", lo que motivó desde cartas de protesta hasta las continuas deserciones a la prensa independiente.
"La confusión de algunos ha estado en pensar que todos mis problemas en la UH han sido por errores -concluye Fernández- por ingenuidad, por falta de pragmatismo, pero no es así, mis problemas han sido por decir la verdad, por ser digno y honesto, por defender el socialismo y criticar a los oportunistas y a los desvergonzados. Estos son mis crímenes y los seguiré cometiendo"."
Trump elogia a las Damas de Blanco durante un acto de campaña en Florida 10/26/2016 14 y medio: "Trump elogió a las Damas de Blanco y acusó a Clinton, quien se ha mostrado a favor de acabar con el embargo económico a la Isla, de "cerrar los ojos" ante las violaciones de los derechos humanos en Cuba."
AT&T Makes its Debut in Cuba with Roaming Wireless Service 10/26/2016 Nearshore Americas: "US telecom giant AT&T has begun offering roaming wireless services for its customers in Cuba after wrapping up an agreement for network interconnection with the island’s state-run telecom firm ETECSA.
The carrier says its customers can now talk, text, and use data while visiting the communist island. Some US papers have described the move as AT&T’s second major step on its expansion in Latin America."
“Disidencia cubana”: Washington está botando el dinero 10/25/2016 Cuba estrella: “Los cientos de millones mal empleados deberían servir por sí solos para poner fin a este disparate. Sin más demora. Pero hasta ahora Washington ha preferido continuar entregando el dinero sin preocuparse por los logros de los proyectos, al punto de despertar la sospecha de si su interés es realmente premiar los fracasos.”
U.S. subversion against Cuba continues 10/24/2016 Radio Cadena Agramonte: "Even while the ink of Barack Obama’s new Presidential Directive on Cuba is not yet dry, an announcement for new subversive projects against the island, containing all usual ingredients of the typical aggressive and interventionist policies of the past, was published on the U.S. State Department website on October 21.
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, is offering funding opportunities for projects which supposedly promote “democratic changes” in the spheres of civil, political and labor rights in Cuba."
Trump on Cuba 10/23/2016 CBS4: CBS4 Interview
Hurricane Matthew: an Overview of the Damages in Cuba 10/21/2016 Counterpunch: by Susana Hurlich
Cooperatives Drive Cuban Agriculture 10/21/2016 Iowa Public TV
Foro Online: Ponerle rostros y nombres al bloqueo 10/19/2016 Invasor: "“El componente psicosocial de los efectos del bloqueo, también es tenido en cuenta y se han desarrollado investigaciones que lo refieren. Pudiéramos citar la realizada por especialistas de la Biblioteca Nacional José Martí, en la que se refieren no solo los daños que este ocasiona a los profesionales cubanos, sino, también, a los bibliotecarios norteamericanos. Instituciones como el Centro de Investigaciones Psicológicas y Sociológicas (CIPS), han desarrollado proyectos investigativos en los que son abordados directa o indirectamente dichos impactos."
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Request for Statements of Interest: Programs Fostering Civil, Political, and Labor Rights in Cuba 10/19/2016 State Department: Not NED, but the closely related State Department Bureau of Democracy.
Trump’s Cuba policy could prove a setback for travel industry 10/16/2016 Travel Weekly: "In stark contrast to Trump’s remarks, Obama said during his Havana visit that relaxed travel restrictions were already helping the Cuban people.
“Since we’ve made it easier to travel to Cuba, a lot more Americans are visiting the island, you may have noticed,” Obama said in Havana. “More Americans coming to Cuba means more customers for your businesses. More Americans using the dollar will mean that they will spend more, as well. There will be more channels for you to import supplies and equipment. More Americans will be able to buy your arts, crafts, food, Cuban-origin software as well as, of course, Cuban rum and cigars.”"
“Ones to Watch” for Cuba Tech 10/13/2016 The New Cuba: "If you had been really dialed into the scene before arriving to Cuba, you would have been tipped off to a cool restaurant app called Alamesa, which lists 900 restaurants with addresses, phone numbers and reviews — and it works brilliantly offline. Game-changer. Who is the creator of this app? His name is Ariel Causa Menendez, and this week, the young Cuban was awarded for his invention by the recent 10X10KCuba contest along with 9 of his industry peers in a competition that sought to select the 10 most promising Tech startups in Cuba today."
Canada's Trudeau to visit Cuba 40 years after father's historic trip 10/9/2016 WION: ""Cuba and Argentina are two of our closest partners in the hemisphere," Trudeau said in a statement.
"I look forward to working with President Castro and President Macri to stimulate more trade and investment with Canada, grow the middle class, and foster closer people-to-people ties for the benefit of all our citizens.”
Canada and Mexico were the only two nations in the Americas to have kept ties with Cuba after the 1959 revolution, and trade, tourism and investment from the two countries has filled in some gaps from the US embargo."
Donald Trump’s Cuban-American Problem 10/4/2016 Huff Post
Clinton And Liberal Media Scandalized That Trump Explored Doing Business With Cuba 10/4/2016 The Daily Caller: "In brief, Trump’s “crime” consisted of this: back in 1998 (when the Clinton Administration in their push to end the embargo, was urging American companies to partner with the Castro regime) Trump Resorts and Hotels hired a consulting firm named Seven Arrows headed by Richard Fields to explore the possibility of opening a hotel in Cuba. In other words, while unconvinced of its merit, Trump was willing to at least explore business opportunities then being promoted by the Clinton administration."
A New Cuba: President Obama’s plan normalized relations. It may also transform the nation. 10/3/2016 New Yorker
With Cuban exile leaders mum, Clinton launches Miami radio attack ad over Trump's embargo-breaking 10/3/2016 Politico: "In a sign of the “uncomfortable” spot Donald Trump has put them in, the Miami Republican leaders who support a hard line on Cuba don’t want to talk about a news story detailing how one of the GOP presidential nominee’s companies helped violate the U.S. embargo of the communist island.
So Hillary Clinton is making sure voters hear all about it in South Florida — home to a sizable population of pro-embargo Republican Cuban-Americans — in a 30-second radio ad called “Two Trumps.”
Thanks To Santería, Cuba Is Experiencing An Economic Boom 10/3/2016 Vibe: “People who become santeros are often waiting for a foreigner to come from the outside so that they can make money. You can’t survive with what the government pays you, so santeros do whatever it takes to survive like charge tourists a lot of money for their services and, in a way, are obligated to do these illegal things. It’s all about survival.”
Persiguen cuentapropistas ilegales 10/2/2016 Cartas desde Cuba: "Según Raúl González Quintana, secretario del Consejo de Administración Provincial (CAP), “además de la imposición de 1500 pesos (CUP) de multa a quienes desempeñen cualquier actividad de forma ilícita, aplicaremos con fuerza el decomiso de los medios e instrumentos que utilizan para su labor. La ley es rigurosa en tal sentido.
“Si el ciudadano emplea una bicicleta para comercializar algo, la puedo decomisar; si dispone del auto como taxi y carece de licencia operativa, igual queda estipulado el decomiso del vehículo; incluso, si arrienda su inmueble, existe la prerrogativa para abrir un proceso a través de la dirección de Vivienda y decomisarlo. Todo está bien claro en el Decreto Ley 315, en lo referente a aquellos que ejercen de modo ilegal”."
Debate sobre producción cultural propia- Radio Melanina 10/1/2016 Afrofeminas: ""Melanina" es un programa de "Onda Verde", la emisora de la ONG "Movimiento Contra la Intolerancia". En nuestro segundo capítulo, en el espacio de debate, hablamos de producción cultural propia y, para ello, contamos con el músico y educador Chojin; con Creisy Lyon, artista multidisciplinar; con Ken Provence, de United Minds y con Lucía Mbomío, reportera en tve1."
Report That Donald Trump Did Business in Cuba Ups the Ante in Florida 10/1/2016 NY Times: "“Trump’s business with Cuba appears to have broken the law, flouted U.S. foreign policy, and is in complete contradiction to Trump’s own repeated, public statements that he had been offered opportunities to invest in Cuba but passed them up,” Mr. Sullivan said."
Report That Donald Trump Did Business in Cuba Ups the Ante in Florida 10/1/2016 NYT: "As the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump teeters on a razor’s edge in Florida, their campaigns are scuffling over business that Mr. Trump may have conducted in Cuba while American companies were barred from operating there.
The issue has already started to percolate among the state’s large Cuban-American population and could have the potential to undo some of the progress that Mr. Trump — a pariah to many Hispanics — had been making there."
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