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Cuba in the News
Archive 1/2017 - 6/2017
8 Things To Know About Assata Shakur And The Calls For Her Return From Cuba 6/26/2017 Essence: "Many prominent Black thinkers and leaders have also maintained her innocence. Angela Davis, for example, has said that Shakur is a little threat to the U.S. government:
"Assata is not a threat. She is innocent," she has said. "People really don't know the details and are not aware of the extent to which [Shakur] was targeted by the FBI and the COINTEL programme.""
Fate of Annual HBCU Cuba Programs Unclear 6/22/2017 Afro: "Wickham told the AFRO that once the federal government rolls out the new regulations he will ensure the trips he leads to Cuba adhere with the new policy. Until then, he said, those trips will continue until the administration tells him his groups cannot go as journalists and/or educators."
NSU Professor Explains Trump’s Moves On Cuba 6/22/2017 New Journal and Guide: "Dr. Geoffroy de Laforcade, a Professor of Latin American and Caribbean History at Norfolk State University, is among supporters of the Obama policies.
De Laforcade shared his views on Trump’s efforts with the GUIDE immediately after President Trump made his speech, with Senate and House Republicans at his side, before Cuban American exiles who supported his candidacy in 2016."
El Bloqueo Redux: Trump's Cuba Policies Strike a Familiar Chord 6/22/2017 Rolling Stone: by Alan Aja - "Trump's new Cuba policy directives may not be, in the political aggregate, as draconian as he boasted, but they remain irresponsible, immoral measures, with disproportionate effect on our island relatives and working-class Cuban-Americans alike. Elected Cuban-American officials, Republican or Democrat, who support this move should pay in the election booth, while Cubans, resident and U.S.-side, marginalized to privileged, should continue organizing across race, gender and class lines to end el bloqueo's repressive contours once and for all."
Cuban Government: We Will Never Return Assata Shakur to U.S. 6/21/2017 All Black Media: "Gustavo Machin, the deputy director of American affairs at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Yahoo News that he has no intention of returning Joanne Chesimard, more notably as Assata Shakur, to the United States.
“I can say it is off the table,” Machin said."
Cuban entrepreneurs concerned about Trump’s new policy 6/20/2017 On Cuba: "“Eighty-five percent of the tourism [in my restaurant] is from the United States, that is to say, for me this is devastating,” Niuris Higueras, owner of the Atelier paladar, affirmed to EFE.
In her opinion, strengthening the blockade will bring a “shortage of products, of alternatives and of clients”: she does not see the support Trump has insisted he gives to Cuban entrepreneurs."
OFAC: Lo anunciado no surte efecto aún 6/20/2017 On Cuba: "Los cambios anunciados por el presidente Donald Trump en su política hacia Cuba no entrarán en vigor hasta que los Departamentos del Tesoro y del Comercio de los Estados Unidos ajusten sus regulaciones al respecto. Este proceso debe iniciar en menos de 30 días, pero podría durar “varios meses”, según la Casa Blanca."
Did Trump Revive Failed Cold War Cuba Policy to Buy Rubio’s Loyalty? 6/19/2017 Common Dreams: "What does Trump potentially get out of this deal? Rubio defended Trump from questions raised by former FBI Director James Comey in the Senate Intelligence Committee hearings."
Day of National Shame for Cuba 6/19/2017 Havana Times: by Alberto Jones - "Cuba could and should have promoted the formation of large Cuban-American Joint ventures in potato, rice, corn, citric, fruit, poultry, pig and cattle industries, instead of holding on to millions of fallow acres, while having to import the majority of its foodstuffs.
Marazul: President Trump’s June 16 speech and its effects on ‘individual’ travel to Cuba 6/19/2017 Progresso Weekly: "If someone has already made their request for INDIVIDUAL people to people educational travel PRIOR TO JUNE 16, their travel is still OK under this subcategory – NO MATTER when it is to take place and no matter if it has been confirmed yet. No new reservations can be requested in this category as of June 16."
Cuba Won't Negotiate Trump's New Policy 6/19/2017 The Atlantic: "As a result, the administration paved the way for major companies like Airbnb and Starwood to access the Cuban market, while spurring entrepreneurship among Cuban citizens.
Trump’s new policy threatens to stymie this growth while placing high-level U.S.-Cuba negotiations on the chopping block. With Rodriquez now calling Trump’s policy “a grotesque spectacle straight from the Cold War,” it seems the lines of dialogue between top U.S. and Cuban officials have already begun to close—and, with them, the chance to witness the long-term results of improved diplomatic relations."
8 cosas que NO SABÍAS sobre los tres cubanos mencionados en #Miami por Donald Trump 6/18/2017 Cuba por siempre: "Usted se habrá dado cuenta los elementos en común que tienen estos personajes: Mercenarios al servicio de USA, anexionistas, violentos, rechazados por la población, ignorantes políticos, entre otras. Imaginamos que ahora no le es difícil apreciar su parecido con los extremistas opositores de Venezuela, y entenderá el por qué los cubanos estamos alertas y combativos."
Understanding the New US Policy on Cuba 6/18/2017 Havana Times: "Policy changes will not take effect until the Treasury and Commerce departments have completed a complete review of the new policy in a process that may take up to 90 days."
Trump Demands Cuba Return Assata Shakur 6/17/2017 All Black Media
Republicans divided as Trump reverses some Obama Cuba policy 6/17/2017 WaPo: "While anti-Castro conservatives hailed Trump’s partial roll-back of President Barack Obama’s detente, a number of other GOP lawmakers, particularly from farm states, criticized the change as misguided and isolationist. They urged him to ease barriers with Havana that will boost trade and create jobs in both countries."
Best and Brightest Cuban Young Technologists to Study US Entrepreneurship as Interns in New York 6/16/2017 Businesswire: "With Cuban-American relations back front and center on the political agenda, four of Cuba’s best and brightest minds in technology and design have been selected to travel to the U.S. and learn about American entrepreneurship in the heart of New York City’s startup scene. The students were selected out of a field of nearly 100 applicants for the experience by the Innovadores Foundation, an American non-profit that works with Cuban young people to seed innovation in Cuba."
How a Crew of Hardliners Hijacked Donald Trump’s Cuba Policy 6/16/2017 Mother Jones: "Rubio had at least one ally inside the bureaucracy: Mauricio Claver-Carone, who is arguably the most vocal pro-embargo activist and lobbyist in Washington, was working on the inside. A onetime Rubio adviser, Claver-Carone has spent most of his adult life blasting the Castro regime for its human rights abuses and fighting any effort to open diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. As the head of the US-Cuba Democracy Political Action Committee, he lobbied to help defeat several measures in 2005 to permit more humanitarian travel to Cuba and allow toothpaste and soap to be included in gift packages sent to the country."
Trump’s new Cuba policy is extortion on behalf of the Trump Organization 6/15/2017 Intrepid Report: "Trump is re-imposing sanctions on travel to Cuba to further the business interests of his Trump Organization, which wants a piece of the hotel and real estate action in Cuba. By maintaining the economic blockade of Cuba, which includes levying harsh fines on foreign companies doing business in Cuba, Trump is using the White House to advance his own development plans for the island."
With shift on Cuba, Trump could undercut his company’s hotel-industry rivals 6/15/2017 WaPo: "But as the owner of a real estate company with a big stake in hotels and resorts, Trump brings an added element to an issue that is unique to his presidency — the ability, through his official actions, to undermine a growth area for his industry rivals who have raced in recent years to establish a foothold in a lucrative new market."
Another Miami-White House anti-Cuba Concoction 6/14/2017 Havana Times: "Rather than devoting their time and financial resources to address the monstruous financial crisis that is sinking Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands into the ocean, the massive drug epidemic that is devouring New Hampshire, West Virginia and Ohio, the intractable race-relations and hate that is ravaging the nation or the gun violence in Chicago, Miami Gardens and Jacksonville, they choose to focus on Cuba with none of these intractable social ills."
Ola de reacciones previas a los anuncios de Trump hacia Cuba 6/14/2017 On Cuba: "Según el jefe de la diplomacia estadounidense, el enfoque general de la revisión de la política hacia la Isla ordenada por Trump “es permitir que la actividad comercial y de intercambio con Cuba continúe todo lo posible, porque vemos el lado bueno, vemos los beneficios para el pueblo cubano. Y de algún modo, más adelante, se puede llegar al punto de normalización”."
Periodista cubano Wilfredo Cancio, nuevo Director de Noticias de los Martí 6/13/2017 Cubanet: "Cancio, periodista y profesor, es también el fundador del sitio web de noticias independientes “Café Fuerte”. Es Licenciado en Periodismo por la Universidad de La Habana y Doctor en Filosofía. En Ciencias de la Información de la Universidad de La Laguna en Tenerife, España. Enseñó en la Escuela de Comunicaciones de la Universidad de La Habana hasta 1994 cuando llegó a los Estados Unidos como parte de un programa especial de la Fundación McArthur y la Universidad de Carolina del Norte en Chapel Hill."
Ante inminente anuncio, opositores cubanos apoyan cambio de política de EEUU hacia Cuba 6/13/2017 Nuevo Herald: [La plantocracia habla:] "El líder de la organización opositora más grande de Cuba, la Unión Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU) pidió al presidente Donald Trump que imponga sanciones al gobierno de Raúl Castro, en medio de un anticipado anuncio sobre la política hacia Cuba que se espera este viernes en Miami."
Engage Cuba: 'Revertir el deshielo costaría 6.600 millones de dólares a EEUU' 6/2/2017 Diario de Cuba: "El sector más afectado sería el de los viajes: modificar la reciente expansión de las categorías legales para que los estadounidenses visiten Cuba podría costarle 3.500 millones de dólares a las aerolíneas y cruceros y afectar a 10.154 empleos en esas compañías, indica el estudio."
Is Cuba Bidding Farewell to Hollywood? 6/2/2017 Havana Times: "Culture has an implicit ideology tied to it and every cultural product has political values. However, when I see someone referring to the Cuban people as naive, manipulable and vulnerable to the North, I don’t understand how the generation that was influenced the most by capitalism could carry out a Revolution in Cuba. If there is a Latin American people who have been trained to deal with mental colonialism, it’s the Cubans. Underestimating our capacity to culturally assimilate something or to prepare us for half a century and then be afraid of this fight, is absurd and suicidal."
Travel Diary: Karen Mitchell Explores Havana With Cuban Friends 6/2/2017 OK Africa: "Our second diary entry—see the first here— is from the hair care expert Karen Mitchell, owner of the True Indian hair franchise. The Jamaican born entrepreneur has spent over a decade in the haircare industry. Beginning as a licensed cosmetologist, license honed her skills in salons from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Her experience as a stylist introduced her to her true passion: connecting image-conscious career women with easy-to-care for luxury extensions."
Will Trump Leave Cuba’s Dissidents without their Millions? 6/1/2017 Havana Times: de Fernando Ravsberg - "It is still too early to know if this budget will be approved but surely the internal and external anti-Castroites must be very concerned because all the organizations and many of the individuals that comprise them live off and make politics in Cuba and the US with those $20 million."
Black Dade Democrats angered by a lack of action, injustice 5/31/2017 Miami Times: "Black Democrats in Miami-Dade County say they are tired of party leaders ignoring issues on the Black agenda: discrimination, police brutality and economic justice. They say they are becoming more vocal about their displeasure with the party even if Miami-Dade Democrats call for the resignation of State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle."
Trump Considers Rolling Back Obama’s Opening With Cuba 5/31/2017 NYT: "President Trump is considering reversing major pieces of the Obama administration’s opening with Cuba and reinstating limits on travel and commerce, citing human rights abuses by the Castro government as justification for a more punitive approach."
Trump anunciaría cambios en política hacia Cuba en junio: ¿cuáles van a ser las medidas? 5/30/2017 Café Fuerte: "Si en definitiva hay un anuncio en junio, numerosos analistas y figuras del ruedo político en Washington consideran que serán medidas moderadas para crear una barrera de control que no tendrá efectos significativos sobre los viajes y las operaciones comerciales en marcha."
The mysterious Cuban video about Rodiles and Diaz-Canel 5/29/2017 Havana Times: Tomorrow, any of these media platforms could be shut down, but it hasn’t happened in six months – that’s the reality – in spite of Diaz-Canel guaranteeing this. And this angle could have also been news had it been made public on the right date: how a Cuban vice-president makes such claims, even talking in the plural as if all of the Government were agreeing with him, and nothing has happened yet. But, maybe the issue is more complicated, rough and not very beneficial to deal with on local news."
NinjaCuba, la red social de los emprendimientos cubanos 5/29/2017 IPS: "Para muchos freelancers cubanos, obtener un empleo acorde a sus aspiraciones puede ser una tarea difícil. Y dependen de intermediarios que en variadas ocasiones “lucran excesivamente”, gracias a los beneficios que otorga la plusvalía.
Dos conocedores en carne propia de este fenómeno son Víctor Manuel Moratón, un ingeniero informático de 29 años, y Fabián Ruiz, un diseñador de 33 años, quienes intentan cambiar esa realidad con la creación de una plataforma online que conecta directamente a los profesionales con los empleadores, de una manera rápida y sencilla."
Cuba to boost actions against smoking 5/28/2017 Adelante: "Various actions are taken by Cuba in the fight against smoking, taking into account that its prevalence is 24 percent, which places the country in third place with the highest rate of addiction in Latin America."
Havana: Clandestine Business Deals, Poverty and Glamor 5/27/2017 Translating Cuba: “In Santiago de Cuba we were worse off. The water supply on the outskirts of the city comes every 40 days, and the money just goes. At least in the capital, although we live like animals, you can make enough money to eat and send detergent and clothing to relatives in Oriente. If I were younger, I would be hooking like some women in the building. But now I can’t do that kind of thing,”
Cuba celebrates its African roots 5/26/2017 Granma: "Cuba celebrated Africa Day this Thursday, May 25, with an event held in Havana, attended by members of the Party Political Bureau, Salvador Valdés Mesa, a vice president of the Council of State; Esteban Lazo Hernandez, president of the National Assembly of People’s Power; and Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, minister of Foreign Affairs"
The little known Africa 5/25/2017 Granma: "In Cuba, where there is a notable African heritage, a proactive foreign policy toward this region has been followed since the triumph of the Revolution. The island is proud to belong to the African Diaspora, which the AU refers to as the continent’s “sixth region.”"
Tribute to Cubans who fought for Angola’s independence 5/23/2017 Granma: "The widow of Agostinho Neto, Maria Eugénia Neto, together with their daughter Irene Alexandra, paid tribute to those who died in the struggle for Angola’s independence during a visit to the island this Monday, May 22."
Castro Calls Trump’s Message to Cuba “Ridiculous” 5/21/2017 Havana Times: "“Even the US government itself is aware of the contradictory and clumsy pronouncements of the millionaire tycoon turned president, on issues of both foreign and domestic politics,” said the note read by state television.
The government’s statement described Trump as “the ill-advised US president” and called the message “controversial and ridiculous.”"
US Entrepreneurs Interested in Cuban Hotel Business 5/16/2017 Prensa Latina: "US businesspersons visiting Havana expressed interest in Cuban tourism, particularly in hotels, during the meeting of the Latin American Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (SAHIC).
The two-day event, which ends today, drew more than 200 executives from 20 countries, most of them from the United States."
Cuba: Where underground arcades, secret networks and piracy are a way of life 5/15/2017 Polygon: "Now, despite trade embargoes, despite nearly non-existent internet and government controlled media and censorship, Cuba surprises once more in its ability to overcome the seemingly insurmountable by embracing all aspects of video games.
Secret gaming networks entwine utility lines, broadcast from rooftops and piggy-back phone cables over highways. Speakeasy arcades can be found in many Havana neighborhoods, locked away behind closed doors. Blocked by two governments, U.S. video games — normally priced in the U.S. at more than a Cuban makes in a month — are as inexpensive as they are ubiquitous in Cuba’s thriving black market."
Meet Cuba’s first internet entrepreneurs at Disrupt New York 5/11/2017 Tech Crunch: "Cubazon. Kewelta. Knales. These aren’t house hold names in the US but they’re at the vanguard of entrepreneurship in Cuba and they’ll be joining us on stage at Disrupt New York."
Cuban religious freedom activist threatened after visit to US, says Christian Solidarity Worldwide 5/4/2017 Sight: "A 20-year-old religious freedom activist and university student was detained and threatened by Cuban state security agents after a visit to the US to raise concerns about religious freedom violations in Cuba, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide."
Cuban religious freedom activist threatened 5/2/2017 Christian Solidarity Worldwide: "F?lix Yuniel Llerena López, A 20 year-old religious freedom activist and university student, was detained and threatened on his return to Cuba following a visit to the US, which included advocacy meetings arranged by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) in Washington, DC to raise concerns about continued violations of religious freedom in Cuba."
Another call to close GITMO 5/2/2017 Havana Times: "After having been invited and later disinvited to take part in this historic event, I cannot deny my pain and disappointment for not being able to be there to represent and honor the memory of thousands of humble, predominantly black men and women from every Caribbean Island and Cuba, who contributed millions of years of loyal services in construction, maintenance, housekeeping and management to an ungrateful institution, where workers were subjected to fear, threats of being reprimanded or dismissed, frequently stripped-searched when exiting GITMO and where others less fortunate, were imprisoned, beaten, tortured and murdered with absolute impunity."
Proyecto para emprendedores privados de Cuba cumple cinco años 5/2/2017 IPS: "Miles de personas y más de un centenar de negocios privados han emergido en Cuba con el acompañamiento y asesoría del Proyecto Cuba Emprende (PCE), una iniciativa de la Iglesia Católica que celebra sus primeros cinco años de creada."
Replacing Ros-Lehtinen: Who’s in and who’s out (so far) 4/30/2017 Miami Herald: "National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers quickly issued a statement Sunday promising to “keep this seat red in 2018.” But where Ros-Lehtinen won by 10 points, the district swayed heavily Democratic in the presidential race, and the DCCC issued its own statement Sunday declaring the post “all but guaranteed to be won by a Democrat.”"
Google activates company's first servers in Cuba 4/28/2017 Christian Science Monitor: "On Thursday, Google activated a line of caching servers in Cuba, becoming the first foreign company with the ability to provide online content in the country. The new servers will help speed up internet access for the small percentage of Cuba's population that are internet users, and could lay a groundwork for future web expansion in the isolated nation."
Where Will Cubans Look to Now? 4/28/2017 Havana Times: "Journalist Fernando Ravsberg quotes the economist Juan Triana, who claims that the unification of national currency could mean that over 60% of state companies will have to shut down, as they are currently benefitting from an artificial exchange rate.
When these companies need to import, the State recognizes the parity between the regular Cuban peso and the US dollar, while the real exchange rate is in actual fact 24 to 1."
Los revolucionarios … 4/27/2017 Salir a la Manigua: "En Cuba, en materia de TIC, han cambiado algunas cosas. Muchos emprendedores cubanos relacionados con este sector han visitado EUA para intercambiar con emprendedores de ese país, casi se realiza un evento sobre Startups en La Habana y por poco se hace uno, también sobre esos temas, en New York, concluyó la “prueba piloto” del servicio de internet en los hogares en La Habana Vieja y se “proyecta la comercialización gradual a otras zonas del país”, nació la “bolsa nauta”, el “plan amigo”, se redujo el precio de la navegación por la “internet nacional” y según funcionarios de ETECSA se dan los pasos iniciales para, en un futuro, ofrecer el servicio de acceso a Internet en los teléfonos móviles utilizando la tecnología 3G."
When words spell danger 4/24/2017 Harvard Gazette: "Poetry rescued Cuban dissident Jorge Olivera Castillo during his darkest hours. A journalist and author, Olivera was arrested in 2003 for his political views and sentenced to 18 years in prison. He spent 21 months behind bars, he said, for “nothing else but defending the right to free speech,” nine of those in solitary confinement. With wasps and ants his only companions, Olivera said through a translator that poetry helped him “fill this period of terrible loneliness.” He wrote his first volume in jail and credits the work with saving his life.
“I would have died under those conditions otherwise,” said Olivera, a scholar at risk hosted by Harvard’s Department of Comparative Literature. He said he intends eventually to return to Cuba “whatever the consequences.”"
La Florida y el fin del Embargo 4/23/2017 On Cuba: "Entre el Estado de la Florida y la República Dominicana, según datos de la propia Cámara de Comercio del Estado, hay un intercambio comercial de más de 5 000 millones de dólares. Vistos esos datos es muy probable que, en un escenario donde no exista el embargo, Cuba y la Florida estén muy cerca de esos números. Algunos expertos se atreven a decir que, dadas esas condiciones, en la Florida se crearían unos 30 mil nuevos empleos."
Exitosa prueba de plataforma 3G para tráfico de datos en Santiago 4/23/2017 TV Santiago: "Con éxito se realizaron pruebas para habilitar la plataforma 3G para el tráfico de datos en la ciudad de Santiago de Cuba, lo que permitirá ampliar la velocidad y eficiencia de los servicios desde las cuentas Nauta y el envío de MMS en la cabecera provincial."
Sin/Con Fidel 4/21/2017 Cuba Posible: por Víctor Fowler Calzada - "Una vecina de mi suegra, de larga trayectoria en la disidencia política, fue entrevistada por alguna agencia de prensa extranjera para que hablase acerca de lo que estaba sucediendo en Cuba y respondió que, aunque no compartía las ideas de Fidel, respetaba el dolor popular y prefería no emitir juicios en ese momento. En esos mismos días escuché de numerosos casos de personas que, disgustadas con la forma e intensidad del odio anti-castrista expresado en las cuentas personales de Facebook, habían roto relaciones con familiares o amigos. Al mismo tiempo, otros muchos manifestaban en privado su rechazo o vergüenza frente a esa alegría en la que hubo momentos de vulgaridad."
Despite tensions, religious freedom blooming in Cuba 4/14/2017 AP: "Pastors and worshippers say Cuba is in the middle of a boom in evangelical worship, with tens of thousands of Cubans worshipping unmolested across the island each week.
But while the government now recognizes freedom of religion, it doesn't grant the right to build churches or other religious structures. It has demolished a handful of churches in recent years, but allowed their members to continue meeting in makeshift home sanctuaries."
How the Cocaine Cowboys built a drug empire that helped inspire ‘Miami Vice’ 4/13/2017 NY Daiy News: "When the Falcon brothers and partner Salvador (Sal) Magluta — all of Cuban heritage — were indicted 26 years ago, prosecutors alleged they smuggled about 75 tons of cocaine into the United States between 1978 and 1991. Their hauls were valued at more than $2 billion."
Cuba’s State Entities Benefit from Local Laptop and Tablet Assembly 4/10/2017 Havana Times: "From last December to this March, that is to say in just three months of production, 1500 laptops and over 3500 tablets have been assembled, figures which are relatively modest given this kind of industry.
The Industrial Company for Computers, Communications and Electronics (GEDEME) was the first on the island to have a specialized production line for these types of devices, whose hardware, or physical parts come from the Haier company in China. The software has been “made in Cuba” courtesy of the University of Information Sciences (UCI), which has designed Nova Operation Systems for laptops and NovaDroid for tablets."
Destination: Cuba — An Insider’s Guide to Havana & Beyond 4/8/2017 Style & Blueprint: "Credit cards are still not generally accepted, so it is necessary to bring enough cash for any non-prepaid expenses and tips. Additionally, the U.S. dollar cannot be used in Cuba. There is a 10% surcharge, in addition to the normal change fee, when exchanging the dollar for CUCs (the Cuban tourist currency) in Cuba. The airport and hotels are the best locations to exchange money. Taking advantage of the dollar-euro exchange rate, we brought euros from the United States and saved the 10% surcharge."
IX Encuentro Internacional de Investigadores y Estudiosos de la Información y la Comunicación (ICOM 2017) 13-17 de noviembre de 2017 4/1/2017 IPS: Convocatorio - ICOM 2017, 7 de noviembre de 2017 - "En tiempos en que las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación atraviesan la
gestión del desarrollo en nuestros países y estimulan prácticas de convergencia, y
cuando la solución de muchos proble
mas de la realidad social demanda el diálogo
entre las competencias y enfoques teóricos de diferentes disciplinas, es imprescindible
trascender los muros y la tentación de la especialización excesiva del conocimiento,
más propia de paradigmas epistemológic
os de antaño."
Cuba's digital drive gathers impetus 3/31/2017 China Daily
Cuba drives digitalization with help of Chinese technology 3/28/2017 Xinhua: "Significantly, the products' operating systems and applications are produced by Cuba's UCI. "That decision was due to the current global scenario of spying and cyber security. For us to be able to guarantee that our products are Cuban designed and that the operating systems are 100 percent Cuban, (we have to) endow them with a higher degree of security," said Fernandez."
How to save money on your trip to Cuba 3/27/2017 LA Times
Perdue supports expanded trade with Cuba 3/27/2017 Wisconsin State Farmer: "USDA Secretary designate Sonny Perdue is an exceptionally qualified nominee to lead the USDA. Mr. Perdue has long been an advocate of expanding trade with Cuba's $2 billion agricultural import market. We're very optimistic that Mr. Perdue will be confirmed by the Senate and will continue to support American agribusiness by advancing efforts to lift the U.S. embargo on Cuba.
In an exchange with committee member Senator John Boozman from Arkansas, Perdue said, "with respect to Cuba, for those of you on the Gulf Coast and those along the East Coast as well as those who have been mentioned by your colleagues in the upper Midwest, I think we would love to have Cuba as a customer in many things."
Documental sobre mujeres emprendedoras pone acento en los derechos económicos 3/26/2017 IPS Cuba: incluye a las Zulu, con su tienda de bolsos de cuero
Invitación a ”Mujeres…los poderes vitales del éxito” 3/25/2017 Proyecto Palomas: "La Embajada de Canadá en Cuba, CARE Canadá y el Proyecto Palomas tienen la satisfacción de invitarle a una Presentación Especial, esta vez con la obra documental “Mujeres… los poderes vitales del éxito”, con Guión y Dirección de Lizette Vila e Ingrid León, y textos de la periodista Sara Mas, narrados por la actriz Obelia Blanco.
El sábado 25 de marzo a las 3:00 pm en el cine 23 Y 12, 25 Mujeres Cubanas hacedoras de su propio camino, edifican sus vidas y las de su familia a favor del desarrollo del Proyecto Social Cubano, y expresan la voluntad de evocar un Día Naranja, que desde 2013 es símbolo de compromiso con la igualdad de derechos y oportunidades entre los géneros,"
Sixteen Mind-Blowing Facts About Who Really Killed John F. Kennedy 3/24/2017 Global Research: "Many of the facts revealed in this article were gleaned from the book “JFK and the Unspeakable,” by Jim Douglass, which has recently been endorsed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I use Douglass’s book as a main source, as all of his facts are documented in over 100 pages of endnotes, citing declassified government documents contained in the National Archives building in Maryland, which are available to the public."
If You Really Want To Know What's Happening With Tech in Cuba, Read Beyond the Headlines 3/22/2017 Global Voices: "This and other US media coverage of the recent shift in US-Cuba relations reflect a longstanding popular narrative in which the United States sees itself as the patron or colonial parent of the underdeveloped Cuban state. And as with so many other countries less developed than ours, we imagine our government—and now our technology companies—acting as the savior to the people of the country, empowering the disempowered through the (sometimes) democratizing effects of our multi-billion dollar tech innovations.
With the collective hysteria about false information in news media in the background, these headlines reflect a small but important problem that arises when we try to write our news for clicks. When we combine our hunger for web traffic with entrenched biases about the United States as a patron of what too many Americans still imagine to be a forlorn Communist island, we land on a path to increasingly misleading, poorly researched narratives about a place that is indeed knowable and deeply connected to the US, in culture, intellectual history, and much more."
Cuba: Activist sentenced to three years in jail after criticising Fidel Castro 3/21/2017 Amnesty International: "A three year sentence against the leader of a Christian pro-democracy movement after he criticized Fidel Castro is a stark illustration of ongoing restrictions to the right to free expression in Cuba, said Amnesty International.
Dr. Eduardo Cardet Concepción, leader of the Christian Liberation Movement (Movimiento Cristiano Liberación, MCL) was sentenced on Monday 20 March, his wife told Amnesty International."
Desde Camagüey: Regalo y amenaza 3/18/2017 Café Fuerte: "El periodista independiente Henry Constantín, director de la revista La Hora de Cuba y vicepresidente regional de la Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa (SIP), fue oficialmente acusado este viernes por “usurpación de capacidad legal” y si se consuma un proceso judicial en su contra podría ira la cárcel hasta por un año."
Festival de New York también censura película cubana "Santa y Andrés" 3/18/2017 Cibercuba: "Sin embargo la directora ejecutiva del Havana Film Festival de Nueva York, Carole Rosenberg, negó que detrás de la decisión se encuentre el Gobierno de Cuba. "No tiene nada que ver con eso, se debe a los tonos políticos de lo que se ha publicado en internet", argumentó sin entrar en detalles.
"No sé cómo explicártelo pero nuestra misión es construir puentes y siempre nos hemos mantenido fuera de los asuntos políticos de ambos países. No nos metemos en chismes políticos, no es como operamos. Y de pronto surge todo esto. Simplemente, sentí que no quería ser parte de esto", añadió al citado medio."
Los planes de Trump para que Miami pague la construcción del muro 3/18/2017 Cibercuba: "El estado de la Florida se encuentra en el punto de mira del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, como vía para recaudar fondos destinados a la construcción del muro fronterizo con México.
El memorando, que se había filtrado sobre las intenciones de la Casa Blanca, planea añadir un impuesto adicional a los seguros de inundación, algo que desató la preocupación entre los ciudadanos."
Cuban Americans in Congress need to stop wrapping themselves in the Cuban flag 3/14/2017 Miami Herald: "If it’s true that U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart tried to trade his vote for “Trumpcare” for a commitment from the administration to take a tough stance on Cuba, then the obsession of Cuban Americans in Congress with U.S.-Cuba policy has hit a new low.
Voting for the American Health Care Act is going against the interests of all who need affordable health insurance in South Florida — and Diaz-Balart’s district has the fourth highest number of Obamacare marketplace enrollees in the country."
Impacto de la Organización de Informáticos de Cuba 3/14/2017 TV Santiago
La ignorancia de Helen Aguirre Ferré, asesora de Donald Trump 3/14/2017 Yoani$landia: por Arthur Gonzale - "Demostrando total ignorancia en temas cubanos, la señora Aguirre afirmó: “Cuba mantiene a fugitivos de la justicia estadounidense, tiene que entregar a esas personas y hablar también sobre la importancia de elecciones libres, y liberar a los presos políticos”.
¿Habrá pensado bien lo que iba a declarar antes de hacer tales afirmaciones? Evidentemente no.
En primer lugar, quien mantiene a cientos de fugitivos de la justicia cubana en suelo estadounidense desde hace 58 años, es precisamente su Gobierno, quien acogió a asesinos, ladrones y violadores de los derechos humanos que lograron asilo en Estados Unidos desde el 1ro de enero de 1959."
Cuba’s nascent tech industry is growing fast 3/11/2017 Salon: "Last year, computer engineer Bernardo Romero González came up with an idea to develop an online ordering system that allows people outside of Cuba to pay for gifts purchased from local Cuban businesses to be delivered to friends and relatives on the island. “This platform helps other entrepreneurs in Cuba to grow their market,” Romero told Salon. “Businesses in Cuba are limited to their town or city because they don’t have access to e-commerce. This creates the financial platform that allows them to put their products on the Internet.”"
Cuban entrepreneurs shatter glass ceilings 3/10/2017 Medill: "Cooperatives typically receive funding or material support from the government and are also responsible for raising their own funds. As part of the liberalizing of Cuba’s socialist economic system, cooperatives are opening the country up to capitalism and privatization while maintaining some of the revolution’s collectivist ideals."
WikiLeaks releases 'entire hacking capacity of the CIA' 3/7/2017 Fox: "Some of the files include redacted information, such as tens “of thousands of CIA targets and attack machines throughout Latin America, Europe and the United States.”"
Documental devela cómo un pueblo cubano venció la homofobia 3/7/2017 Genesis Cuba: "El filme, exhibido el primero de marzo en el espacio de la Embajada de Noruega, relata cómo esa localidad ubicada en la provincia de Villa Clara, “se ha convertido en uno de los sitios de más respeto a la diversidad sexual en la isla”, según la sinopsis."
The Case of Journalist Fernando Ravsberg 3/7/2017 Havana Times: by Esteban Morales Domínguez - "If at the end of the day I discover that Ravsberg is working for the enemy, maybe I’ll criticize myself, because I was treated in the same way and nobody criticized themselves when they discovered that it had all been a mistake.
Furthermore, I must have ideological problems because I have never read, up until now, a single article written by this journalist that I haven’t liked, at least published here in Cuba. I even love his “spicy” articles, because in this country there are more than enough people who need to have “garlic” put in front of them, so that they get up from their desks and fulfill their role. Ravsberg’s articles are a contribution to that end.
However, what’s been done with Ravsberg doesn’t have a name. Not too long ago, the Vice-President at UPEC (Cuban Journalists Association) took the luxury of making insinuations against him [calling for his deportation] and now, more recently, a journalist has even threatened him physically in her blog. This seems like Central America to me, the only difference being that here they don’t murder us out on the street."
Boulder company helps Cuba catch up in the tech race 3/7/2017 NBC: "A good laugh can be a great cure for a lack of creativity. That's why you'll hear plenty of it at Boomtown Accelerator in Boulder.
Jose Vieitez, the co-founder, helps startups fine tune their software, business strategy and other elements essential to a successful business."
Miami Herald Cites Nearshore Americas for Cuba Tech Talent Research 3/7/2017 Near Shores America: "The Miami Herald has cited Nearshore Americas for its research on Cuba’s hidden technology talent pool, explaining how foreign multinationals are silently sourcing skilled software professionals on the island. (The article appeared on the front page of the Herald, last Friday, March 3, 2017.)
The news daily said Cuba could be home to the largest pool of untapped IT talent in the Americas, adding that the communist government has given “tacit permission” for programmers to work for U.S. companies."
Kaspersky "heapgrd" DLL Inject 3/7/2017 WikiLeaks: Kaspersky is widely used in Cuba. This hacking tool described in WikiLeak's collection of CIA tools should be readily fixable.
Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed 3/7/2017 WikiLeaks: "Today, Tuesday 7 March 2017, WikiLeaks begins its new series of leaks on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Code-named "Vault 7" by WikiLeaks, it is the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency."
Opciones de EEUU ante Cuba y Venezuela 3/6/2017 Cuba Encuentro: "Los destinos de Cuba y Venezuela pueden no estar tan separados como parecen a primera vista. Si los Estados Unidos toman medidas para enfriar sus lazos con Cuba, el gobierno en Venezuela podría ser capaz de aferrarse al poder por más tiempo."
To the People of Cuba: Is Washington Preparing a “Soft Coup”? The Co-optation of Cuban Intellectuals 3/6/2017 Global Research: "Of significance, the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSS) was actively involved in financing the opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski in Venezuela in the 2012 elections. Its activities extended far beyond its endorsement of Caprile’s candidacy. In its quarterly report, the HSS openly acknowledges its dislike of the Bolivarian process. In this regard, the HSS was involved in organizing a number of anti-government conferences, largely with a view to upholding free market capitalism (neoliberalism) and smearing the Chavez government. The HSS was also used to create links with right wing parties including Copei and Primera Justicia."
Esteban Morales sobre el lepelepe con Ravsberg 3/6/2017 Negra Cubana: "Replico el texto de abajo porque, como Esteban, estoy hasta la coronilla del lepelepe de Iroel y su pandilla con Ravsberg, con Elaine, con Harold, con Maykel, con Enzo, con, con…. conmigo." [lepelepe = quien hecha maldiciones]
Florida governor threatens ports over trade with Cuba 3/3/2017 AJOT: "Not only did the two South Florida ports cancel MOU signings, but embarrassment was heaped as officials of the Alabama State Port Authority, which operates the Port of Mobile, signed their own MOU with leaders of the National Port Administration of Cuba on Feb. 2 in, of all places, Tampa – in the hotel where a port conference hosted by Port Tampa Bay and presented by entities including the American Association of Port Authorities and the U.S. Maritime Administration was taking place."
Preparing for a business career in Cuba takes persistence 3/2/2017 Miami Herald: "One of the biggest challenges in running a private tech venture in Cuba is getting the spare parts to operate the repair operation. “We decided to buy old laptops, broken laptops so we could get the screws and hardware needed to make repairs,” Puente said. “We learned how to do maintenance on motherboards to extend their lives.”
Cuba remains analog in a digital world 3/2/2017 The Internet in Cuba: "To run a sub-network the guys logged in using ETECSA cards and then sold the connection to the people in the park. When someone wanted to connect, one of the guys would type in a password on the person’s phone and, when the time was over, delete it. Back in November they paid 2 CUC per hour connecting maybe 10-15 people an hour for 1 CUC. With so many people using the same link, the speed was so bad that sometimes I couldn’t even check email. Yet, many people around me were video-chatting using an app called IMO (Skype and several other popular apps doesn’t work in Cuba)."
Cuba tech startups land in Boulder for a Boomtown-style training 3/1/2017 Daily Camera: "Under the guidance of the Washington, D.C.-based Cuba Emprende Foundation, a cadre of young Cuban startup CEOs has arrived in Boulder to undergo a two-week intensive program on product design, finance, digital marketing and anything else Boulder's hyper-active startup community can throw at them."
As the Tourism Dollars Roll into Cuba 3/1/2017 Havana Times: "Celia was on the lookout every day, she asked her friends, she hunted a lot, but there wasn’t any way for her to find a decent place to rent for a reasonable price. Until a friend stated the obvious: “My girl, everybody is renting them out to the “yumas” (foreigners) now."
Who will be Cuba's new leader? 2/27/2017 ABC: "The high-profiled man who keeps getting mentioned as the possible successor is Miguel Diaz-Canel, the country's current and first vice-president in the Council of States.
He is an engineer by trade, with party and government experience. Diaz-Canel, 56, was at one point the secretary of the communist youth.
"He's a guy who is modern, goes around with a tablet, carries out a good conversation and he reads a lot," Alzugaray said."
Más de 220 cuentapropistas acusados por evasión fiscal; condenas de 5 años de cárcel 2/27/2017 Café Fuerte: "Fernández comentó que también se aplicaron “más de 300 acciones contra quienes ejercen ilegalmente una actividad por cuenta propia, lo cual conlleva a una presunción de deuda por el período de tiempo estimado de trabajo y multas con el máximo rigor”."
La ONAT presentó 223 denuncias contra trabajadores privados en 2016 2/27/2017 Diario de Cuba: "La ONAT (Oficina Nacional de Administración Tributaria) presentó 223 denuncias contra trabajadores privados por evasión fiscal a lo largo de todo el país en el año 2016, 136 de ellas fruto de la labor conjunta desde junio pasado con la Policía Nacional Revolucionaria (PNR), según dio a conocer el semanario estatal Trabajadores.
Las actividades por cuenta propia que principalmente evaden impuestos, de acuerdo con datos del Gobierno, son diferentes modalidades de venta de alimentos, transportación de carga y pasajeros, así como el arrendamiento de viviendas y habitaciones."
Cuba has ‘largest pool of untapped IT talent in the Americas’ 2/27/2017 Miami Herald: "The people working in the Bacardí building probably also work for Cuban state enterprises, McIntire told el Nuevo Herald. “The government is fully aware that those are programmers working for foreign companies. They are in the stage of allowing it, but not promoting it,” he said."
Congressmen: the advance of the rapprochement “is inevitable” 2/24/2017 Vistar: "Cochran, meanwhile, affirmed that “there are openings, and winning implies taking risks.” Speaking of the expectations regarding Trump, he joked saying that “some say that we have a spontaneous president…. There will be active debates in Congress,” he forecasted."
Avances en nexos Cuba-EE.UU. deben consolidarse, afirman congresistas 2/22/2017 Radio Taino: "Una delegación del Congreso norteamericano que visita a Cuba desde el domingo ratificó el deseo de la mayoría de los miembros del Capitolio de consolidar las relaciones entre Estados Unidos y la nación caribeña."
There is no Cuban home Internet plan -- and that's good news. 2/22/2017 The Internet in Cuba: "My guess is that the Havana trial and the installations in Bayamo, Santa Clara and Las Tunas are not part of a national home-connectivity plan, but ends in themselves -- interim measures aimed at bringing slow DSL connectivity to small businesses and self-employed people in the most affluent parts of selected cities. That makes more sense to me than a plan to spend a lot of money upgrading copper telephone wires and central office equipment in order to be able to offer obsolete connectivity to 50% of Cuban homes by 2020."
Prohibido el uso de laptops en la zona Wifi de Caibarién 2/20/2017 Cibercuba: "Se referían a las prácticas frecuentes en las zonas Wifi con el llamado Connectify, que permite a varios usuarios conectarse simultáneamente desde una sola cuenta de Internet. Algunos ciudadanos compran una tarjeta Nauta, y a través de sus laptops personales conectan a varias personas por un menor precio."
La ciudadanía republicana: el género y otros “márgenes”* 2/20/2017 Cuba Posible: "Con lo dicho, ¿cómo pensar la ciudadanía como núcleo político que reemerge en las plazas públicas cubanas? La propuesta de este texto atiende a la necesidad de atender a la tradición republicana democrática como camino realmente democratizador de los mundos de la política y de la economía y, además, a la necesidad de pensarnos como ciudadanos atendiendo a las “geometrías” que constituyen las desigualdades sociales."
República y socialismo, aquí y ahora: introducción a un dossier 2/20/2017 Cuba Posible: "Hoy el significado del republicanismo está en disputa desde casi todos los costados del espectro político. El concepto cuenta con una tradición milenaria habitualmente asociada a principios como el autogobierno colectivo, las virtudes cívicas y la participación política de la ciudadanía. Amén de tan noble contenido, el interior de su historia cuenta con enconadas luchas entre versiones oligárquicas y democráticas del republicanismo."
¿Cómo sobrevivir a un padre internacionalista? 2/20/2017 Cubanet: "Los conflictos generacionales que por fuerza existen en el desarrollo de una sociedad cualquiera, en Cuba pudieran estar agravados por el síndrome postraumático que provocaron las intervenciones militares en África."
They Threaten to Break My Teeth if I Continue Writing 2/20/2017 Havana Times: "In several “revolutionary” blogs like La Mala Palabra, Cuba por Siempre and Isla Mía, this last one of the journalist Norelys Morales, has just appeared an article on the problems of transportation in Cuba, written by a certain Felix Edmundo Diaz, that ends with a strong threat against me."
Cuba y dos puertos de un estado en EEUU pactan convenios de colaboración 2/20/2017 Nuevo Herald: "El senador republicano por el estado sureño, William Thad Cochran, presidió la firma de los nuevos memorandos, rubricados por el director general de la Administración Nacional de Puertos de Cuba, Manuel Pérez, y representantes de Pascagoula, Mark McAndrews, y de Gulfport, Jonathan Daniels."
NY event celebrates life of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro 2/20/2017 The Militant: "Hundreds of people packed the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Cultural Center here in Harlem Feb. 4 to celebrate the life and political contributions of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who died Nov. 25."
Senador aliado de Trump en delegación de congresistas a Cuba 2/19/2017 Café Fuerte: "El senador republicano por Mississippi,Thad Cochran, quien ha respaldado decisivamente a Trump en el Senado, figura en la delegación, que aparece encabezada por uno de los principales promotores de la normalización de relaciones con Cuba, el senador demócrata Patrick Leahy (Vermont), según informó el Consejo Económico y Comercial Cuba-EEUU."
Hart, un hombre bueno 2/19/2017 UNEAC: "La 26 Feria Internacional del Libro se dedicada al Doctor Armando Enrique Hart Dávalo." [Hart perdio su posicion como ministro por su guerrita contra la Fundacion Pablo Milanes, en lo cual era muy racista.]
Frenan el trabajo por cuenta propia en Varadero 2/17/2017 Cartas desde Cuba: "El directivo comentó que, desde el mes de agosto del año 2012 no se emitían nuevas licencias para ejercer labores no estatales en Varadero, y a partir del acuerdo y las disposiciones complementarias que entrarán en vigor 90 días posteriores a su publicación en la Gaceta Oficial (31/1/2017), se otorgarán nuevas licencias sólo en algunas actividades.
Entre las modalidades que se incluyen en el documento figuran el asistente para el cuidado de niños, cuidador de enfermos, personas con discapacidad y ancianos, cuidador de baños públicos y taquillas, trabajador doméstico, repasador, tenedor de libros, y arrendamiento de viviendas, habitaciones y espacios."
African Roots of Cuban Culture 2/17/2017 Center for Cuban Studies: "This exciting trip takes you across country where you’ll see much of the lovely island. Starting in the northeast, then traveling south and west across the country to explore how African customs, religion and people have contributed to la cubanía. You’ll meet artists, dancers, musicians, as well as learn about Santería and other religious practices. You’ll learn about the influence of religious iconography, and the significance it plays in the country and how these elements have survived throughout the years. You’ll meet and interact with scholars, artists, researchers, and writers who have dedicated their work to researching Cuba’s African roots and visit landmarks in Afro-Cuban history."
In Cuba Most Small Businesses Are Still Illegal 2/17/2017 Havana Times: "Mairim is a chemical engineer and after having started up her job agency, she has studied legal and economic issues. “In fact, I’m taking a small business management course.”
In spite of her interest and the tried-and-tested usefulness of her business venture, what she’s doing isn’t allowed. Like a kind of legal lifeline, she has taken out a license as a “Collector-payer” and wants to present a “new activity project” to include what she really does to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, “let’s see if they accept it.”"
Cuba: Gov. & Private Taxi Drivers Flex Muscles 2/16/2017 Cartas desde Cuba: "A boss can have several cars (from 1 to even 20) and hire different drivers. They can sit at home, and pocket more than $1,000 USD every month per car while the driver will only earn around 250 USD per month, working 10 or 12 hours per day. [More than 10 times the average salary on the island]."
Transporte de pasajeros, ¿imposición o negociación? 2/16/2017 Cartas desde Cuba: "Un patrón puede tener varios automóviles (desde 1 hasta 20) contratando diferentes choferes. El dueño, sentado en su casa, se embolsa más de U$D 1000 al mes por cada vehículo mientras que el chofer gana unos U$D 250 mensuales, trabajando 10 o 12 horas diarias.
Entonces ni siquiera se puede hablar de boteros en general ni tratar a todos por igual. Hay que analizar cuanto les cuesta mantener sus vehículos, con 60 años de vida en el costillar, trabajando 12 horas al día. Cuanto gastan en piezas de repuesto, gomas o baterías."
Carnival Corporation expandirá viajes de cruceros hacia Cuba 2/16/2017 Cubadebate: "La compañía norteamericana, Carnival Corporation, ha obtenido la aprobación para expandir los viajes de cruceros hacia Cuba y, con ello, Carnival Paradise podría convertirse en el navío de mayor capacidad en la historia que navegue de EEUU a La Habana.
Las salidas desde el puerto de Tampa Bay a Cuba comenzarían en junio de 2017."
Not One or the Other: Class and Identity Politics 2/16/2017 The Islamic Monthly: "After taking a trip to Cuba, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates had this to say about pervasive racism there: “I saw segregation everywhere around me. … I saw a wide gap between rich and poor, and so many poor seemed to have brown faces.” Gates’ reflection shows that even a class-based revolution as thorough as the one that took place there over 50 years ago alone was unable to do away with racism. With this in mind, it is clear that any class-based politics alone cannot do away with racism and other forms of discrimination in the United States either."
Almost Half of Cuba Lacking Rain 2/14/2017 Adelante: "There was little rain in most of the country in the last decade, mainly in the western and central regions."
Socialismo y feminismo en Cuba: ¿totalizar la igualdad o reivindicar la diferencia? 2/14/2017 Cuba Posible: "Ello permite constatar cómo, sin el feminismo, se diluye la dimensión de género de muchos problemas sociales que hoy constituyen preocupaciones en Cuba. Así, se crea un vacío, ocupado por el Estado como garante universal de derechos. Y con él y su carácter masculinista, la ausencia puede convertirse en estructura para la reproducción de relaciones de poder y para la naturalización de desigualdades que alejan el debate de un entendimiento de las relaciones sociales, en clave de género."
CHINA PILES INTO CUBA AS VENEZUELA FADES AND TRUMP LOOMS 2/14/2017 Cuban Economy: "China’s growing presence gives its companies a head start over U.S. competitors in Cuba’s opening market. It could leave the island less exposed to the chance U.S. President Donald Trump will clamp down on travel to Cuba and tighten trade restrictions loosened by his predecessor Barack Obama. A deterioration in U.S.-China relations under Trump could also lead Beijing to dig in deeper in Cuba, some analysts say."
Broader Horizons for Cooperatives in Cuba 2/14/2017 PL: "The experimental, non-agricultural cooperative sector in Cuba continues to expand in the areas of trade, food and technical or personal services provision, as part of the ongoing process to update Cuba´s economic and social model.
The first national workshop on the topic was held in Havana recently to evaluate progress to date, with the participation of high ranking government officials, the presidents of non-agricultural cooperatives (CAN), trade union representatives and university professors and researchers."
China piles into Cuba as Venezuela fades and Trump looms 2/14/2017 Reuters: "Cuban imports from China reached a record $1.9 billion in 2015, nearly 60 percent above the annual average of the previous decade, and were at $1.8 billion in 2016 as the flow of oil and cash slowed from Venezuela due to economic and political turmoil in the South American country.
China's growing presence gives its companies a head start over U.S. competitors in Cuba's opening market. It could leave the island less exposed to the chance U.S. President Donald Trump will clamp down on travel to Cuba and tighten trade restrictions loosened by his predecessor Barack Obama."
Cuéntanos tus experiencias con los “boteros” en La Habana 2/13/2017 Cubadebate: "El 8 de febrero el gobierno de La Habana reiteró algunas disposiciones establecidas desde julio pasado para asignar precios máximos a 30 rutas. Los viajes desde el Parque del Curita hasta diferentes zonas de la ciudad tendrán nuevos costos específicos para diferentes puntos de los recorridos. Cubadebate te invita a que compartas tus experiencias sobre este particular."
HOW DOES CUBA MANAGE TO ACHIEVE FIRST-WORLD HEALTH STATISTICS? 2/13/2017 Cuban Economy: "However, despite these impressive statistics, the quality of primary healthcare, which has been fundamental to Cuba’s success, has been declining in recent years. Between 2009 and 2014 there was a 62% fall in the number of family doctors, from 34,261 to 12,842, according to Cuba’s National Statistics Office (ONEI)."
Presentan multimedia sobre la vida y la obra del doctor Armando Hart Dávalos 2/11/2017 Cubarte: "En el marco de la Feria Internacional del Libro de La Habana fue presentado en el Centro de Estudios Martianos (CEM) la multimedia Hart: Pasión por Cuba, una compilación que recoge la vida y la obra del prestigioso intelectual, pensador revolucionario y martiano. Ella se incluyen testimonios de distintas personalidades de la esfera de la política, la educación y la cultura ,su papelería, epistolario, galería de fotos y de dibujos realizados cuando niño, al igual que distintos materiales audiovisuales remitidos a su obra."
Cuba: It Might Seem Stupid but… 2/9/2017 Cartas desde Cuba: "The Cuban economy would be on the increase if half of the Revolution’s guardian angels – those who dedicate themselves to monitoring what is written on every blog – spent their time chasing corrupt and incompetent officials who steal and destroy the wealth that other Cuban people generate... During the debate that then kicked off on the blog, many people asked why names of corrupt and incompetent officials weren’t made public or why we weren’t informed of the dismissal of company leaders or those sectors affected, just like the blog La Joven Cuba was “reported” in the press, for example."
Do-it-yourself rural fiber 2/9/2017 The Internet in Cuba: "Large cities like Havana have expensive fiber rings intalled in tunnels and ducts under the streets. (Google has installed that sort of infrastructure in two African capitals). Could a small town construct their own fiber ring using L.1700-compliant cables and electronics -- creating a network like the one in the following ITU illustration?"
Gobierno de La Habana pone precios máximos a rutas de los “boteros” 2/8/2017 Cubadebate: "Los taxistas de La Habana, más conocidos por su popular apodo de “boteros“, desde hace varios meses cortan los recorridos para que los pasajeros paguen más. El tema se ha tratado varias veces en Cubadebate, al final de esta nota encontrará enlaces a trabajos anteriores al respecto."
Portraits of Cubans executed by Castro regime on display in the European Parliament 2/8/2017 Miami Herald: The exhibit is entitled "1959" and honors the Batistiano psychopaths who were mostly justly executed. It has no place in Europe where they did the same to the Nazis after World War II, except that there, in a lot of cases, there were no trials. In Cuba, they had public trials. See Fidel, Ché and the Cuban executions in 1959,
12/5/2016.
NCBA CLUSA calls on President Trump to build relationship with Cuba and its co-op sector 2/7/2017 Co-op News: "The apex organisations for co-operative enterprises, NCBA CLUSA, has sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of progress on the US-Cuban relations."
Residents of Harlem NY Pay Tribute to Fidel Castro 2/6/2017 PL: "Cuban Permanent Representative at the United Nations Anayansi Rodriguez expressed gratitude here for the tribute paid by New Yorkers to revolutionary leader Fidel Castro in Harlem.
‘The whole work of his life, dedicated to forge that better world we believe is possible, multiplies on you, in your firm solidarity with Cuba, and reaffirms our commitment to being faithful to the legacy of Fidel,’ Rodriguez said at the event, held at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center."
Alabama Port Authority announces deal with Cuban counterpart 2/3/2017 AL.com: "Alabama's Port Authority announced that state and Cuban officials met Thursday in Tampa, where they signed a Memorandum of Understanding described as the first Cuban ports agreement signed on U.S. soil since 1959. The five-year cooperative agreement is based on "a mutual interest in facilitating trade growth," according to the ASPA. The two agencies agreed to collaborate on "port and cargo marketing studies and strategies, engaging in promotion and exhibition activities, and sharing data to the mutual benefit of their respective seaports.""
Unión de Informáticos de Cuba abre convocatoria a membrecía 2/1/2017 Cubarte: "La Unión de Informáticos de Cuba en colaboración con el Centro de Informatización para la Cultura (Cubarte), sostuvo un encuentro con los principales actores en las ramas de la tecnología, la informática y las telecomunicaciones de las diferentes instituciones del sector cultural.
El encuentro que tuvo lugar en la sala-teatro Abelardo Estorino, en la tarde de este martes, contó entre sus objetivos suscitar el debate en torno a los trabajadores que en su puesto de trabajo se encuentran en estrecho vínculo con las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones, sus prácticas diarias y los basamentos o estatutos que puedan amparar a este agente dentro de su campo."
African Union Calls on US to Return Guantanamo Bay to Cuba 1/30/2017 Latin American Herald Tribune: "The chairperson of the African Union Commission asked the United States on Monday to return Guantanamo Bay naval base to Cuba, and to end the embargo on the island.
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma made this appeal in one of her last speeches as the African Union leader during the annual summit held at the organization’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, where heads of state and governments from across the continent will elect her successor."
“El futuro para los emigrantes cubanos va a ser muy difícil” 1/29/2017 On Cuba: "Creo que creará una segunda categoría de cubanos aquí, de cubanos con órdenes de deportación que no van a poder legalizarse. Creo que aumentará mucho las deportaciones a Cuba y que el futuro para los emigrantes cubanos va a ser muy difícil."
My Seven Day Itinerary for Cuba 1/28/2017 AfroBuenaventura: "I don't usually plan an entire itinerary for trips. But I did for this trip to Cuba, because frankly, I was afraid of things going wrong."
Trump's Cuba Negotiator Has Ties to the Island Nation 1/27/2017 Cuba Journal: "Greenblatt himself traveled to Cuba between 2012 and 2013, Businessweek reported in July, to scout future investment potentials for Trump’s company."
Obama and Cuba post White House 1/27/2017 On Cuba: "From the United States, the public relations executive and founder of the CubaOne Foundation, Giancarlo Sopo, also considers that one of the biggest achievements of Obama’s policy toward Cuba was the boost given to Cuban entrepreneurs. He said that under his mandate the country saw a greater expansion of its private sector in more than half a century and that at the start of Obama’s presidency there were 114,000 Cubans registered as self-employed and today there are more than 500,000, and added that that growth wouldn’t have been possible without the measures he initiated in 2009, mainly the expansion of the right to travel and the sending of remittances to Cuba.”"
Cuba Failed Me in 5 Ways 1/25/2017 AfroBuenaventura: Fail 4: Afro-Cubans Were Not Hard to Find
To Get to Know Cuba Don’t Stay in a Hotel 1/25/2017 Havana Times: "Maylena Chaviano Cubillet, a 30-year-old Cuban woman, has lived in the United States for 10 years and in June 2016, she started up a small business: organizing trips to bring US citizens who were interested in getting to know Cuba.
These aren’t your typical holidays of sun, beach and mojitos, but are about learning to dance Cuban rhythms, going beyond the basic “one, two, three” which tourists normally learn, and going further than casino or salsa dance forms. It’s especially about getting to know Cuba, our people and culture, up-close."
Trump’s New Cuba Negotiator Fought For Stronger Cuba Ties 1/24/2017 BuzzFeed: "Until December, Jason Greenblatt served as a senior vice president at the Trump Organization and acted as the corporation’s chief legal officer. He was sworn in on Sunday as the White House’s “special representative for international negotiations.” Among that remit will be, according to CNN at the time the position was announced, “working on Israel-Palestinian peace process, the American relationship with Cuba and trade agreements.”
Raúl Diago, de estrella mundial a empresario 1/24/2017 El Toque: "Catalogado como el mejor pasador del mundo del voleibol en los años 90, Raúl Diago perteneció a una generación que sacó muchos suspiros y más de una lágrima a la afición cubana.
Luego de que salio "o lo sacaron" de la Federación Cubana de Voleibol, Diago ya había sentado las bases para su retiro. Y nos cuenta su historia."
How to Define Cuba's Private Sector 1/23/2017 Cuba Journal: "The Cuban private sector currently includes three primary components that are authorized by the Cuban government: (1) self-employed entrepreneurs known as cuentapropistas, (2) agricultural cooperatives and private farmers, and (3) nonagricultural cooperatives."
An ethnographic study -- what are Cubans doing online? 1/23/2017 The Internet in Cuba: "Even if the Cuban Internet has grown significantly during these times of change, no vibrant online society has marched forward. A well-known group of dissidents continues to provide the international community with critical opinions from the inside, but the average netizen is busy calling their family, downloading pictures from Facebook onto their phones, or struggling to open Wikipedia in preparation for their next term paper."
This is what Havana’s growing WiFi revolution looks like 1/22/2017 Huck Magazine: "The Zone is a place in which the laws of reality no longer apply. Its map extends through the capital in urban nodes, and in the villages of the provinces, it occupies the previously semi-vacant central park."
A Eusebio Leal 1/18/2017 Jiribilla: "El Premio Nacional de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades que se convoca cada año por el Instituto Cubano del Libro, el Ministerio de Cultura y el Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente es una modesta manera de reconocer públicamente a quienes han realizado aportes significativos a las ciencias sociales y la cultura nacional a través de una trayectoria de trabajo y creación que enriquece el conocimiento social, su difusión y su aplicación para la transformación y el bienestar humano."
More U.S.-Cuba memorandums 1/18/2017 On Cuba: "The document establishes carrying out technical exchanges on questions of mutual interest and defines the fields where there will be joint work. These include the struggle against terrorism, drug trafficking, the trafficking in persons and cybercrimes."
Top diplomatic negotiator in Cuba warns Trump: 'aggression doesn't work' 1/17/2017 The Guardian: “Aggression, pressure, conditions, impositions do not work with Cuba. This is not the way to attempt to have even a minimally civilised relationship with Cuba,”Josefina Vidal, a foreign ministry department head, told the Guardian."
Inaugurarán nuevo punto wifi en el parqueo de Coppelia 1/15/2017 Cubadebate: "Un nuevo punto para la conexión wifi será inaugurado el cuatro de abril en el parqueo de la capitalina heladería Coppelia, en homenaje a los pioneros y jóvenes cubanos en su día.
“El espacio estará concebido para el disfrute de la población, y contará con ofertas gastronómicas y baños públicos en aras de amenizar la estancia en el área“, informó Reinaldo García Zapata, miembro del Comité Central del Partido y presidente del gobierno en la provincia."
Cuba tiene singulares maneras de ingresar a internet 1/14/2017 AP: "En un país donde el salario promedio equivale a unos 25 dólares al mes, el costo suena alto, aunque está al alcance de muchos cubanos que reciben remesas del extranjero o trabajan en el sector privado emergente."
‘Marielitos’ Face Long-Delayed Reckoning: Expulsion to Cuba 1/14/2017 NYT: "On Thursday, President Obama announced the immediate end of the so-called wet-foot, dry-foot policy, which allowed Cuban migrants to stay in the United States if they reached its shores, special treatment that drew the ire of the Cuban government. The flip side of the deal got far less attention, but it effectively closed one chapter in the tortured relationship between the two countries: Cuba agreed to take back up to 500 criminal Mariel refugees."
Cuba sees explosion in internet access as ties with US grow 1/14/2017 WaPo: "The government estimates that 100,000 Cubans connect to the internet daily. A new feature of urban life in Cuba is the sight of people sitting at all hours on street corners or park benches, their faces illuminated by the screen of smartphones connected by applications such as Facebook Messenger to relatives in Miami, Ecuador or other outposts of the Cuban diaspora."
Will Trump Be Better for Latin America than Obama? 1/13/2017 CEPR: "Asked which US presidential candidate would be better for the region, Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa didn’t hesitate:
Trump … because he is so crude that he will generate a reaction in Latin America which will build more support for progressive governments. … We have a US government that has changed little in its policies and has done practically the same as it always has, but has a charming president in Obama."
Is the U.S. Opening to Cuba Dead in the Water? 1/13/2017 Foreign Policy: "But given the members of the transition team, it seems likely that it will be rolled back as far as possible, even at the risk to U.S. security. How far, though, remains unclear."
Cubans Must Now Go to Colombia to Apply to Immigrate to the USA 1/13/2017 Havana Times: "As if it were a simple matter, US diplomatic sources said today that Cubans who want to immigrate to the United States, often under family reunification, will have to apply for a visa at that country’s embassy in Colombia.
“Following the suspension of visa services at the US Embassy in Havana, the State Department decided that the Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, will be responsible for dealing with requests for immigration visas for residents of Cuba,” said a statement from the US Embassy in Havana."
Cubans Stranded On Mexican Border After Obama’s 11th-Hour Change 1/13/2017 Huff Post: "But by around 4 p.m., something was wrong. When official word came down that the Obama administration was scrapping the so-called wet foot-dry foot policy that allowed Cuban migrants, Rodríguez said American immigration authorities laughed, cheered and applauded.
The officials assured Rodríguez that everyone in line would make it through. But the line barely moved. And by 9 p.m., U.S. authorities at the border said no more Cubans would be allowed to cross."
Cuba’s Raul Castro meets with U.S. Chamber of Commerce president 1/13/2017 Reuters: "The chamber has been urging the Cuban government to sign a number of agreements with major companies such as General Electric (GE.N), negotiated over the last 18 months, before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20."
Cuba Is Headed for a Tech Revolution 1/13/2017 Tech.co: "With the passing of Fidel Castro, and his brother Raul poised to retire soon, it is entirely possible that Cuba will shift into a vibrant, Internet-enabled economic engine. These events will bring the island nation into focus as free markets and technology emerge as potential replacements for an ideology that has for too long failed to address poor economic performance."
Cuban-Americans at odds over 'wet foot, dry foot' repeal 1/13/2017 USA Today: ""So many people who have come in these last few years come for different reasons," said Vilches, 68, a retired factory worker. "They come with a different mentality now." That kind of response has angered other beneficiaries of "wet foot, dry foot.""
Obama Administration Ends Refugee Policy That Favored Cubans 1/12/2017 NPR: "Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, released a statement saying the existing policy needed to be revamped, not ended. In particular, he said he wanted Donald Trump to reverse the cancellation of the medical professional program when he becomes president next week. Rubio added that he had spoken with Vice President-elect Mike Pence this evening and was "heartened by the fact that in a week we will have a new administration committed to discarding the failed Cuba policy of the last two years."
Miami’s Cuban Jews ponder the meaning of Trump’s pick for international negotiator 1/10/2017 Miami Herald: "“My philosophy, in both business and in life, is that bringing people together and working to unite, rather than to divide, is the strongest path to success,” Greenblatt said in a statement released by the Trump transition team.
Nearly 95 percent of Cuba’s Jewish population left the island for the United States after Fidel Castro seized power and established a communist government in 1959."
Here's How to Plan a Trip to Cuba 1/9/2017 Cuba Journal
Cuban solidarity has been ‘extraordinary’ 1/9/2017 The Militant: "Peter Thomson, ambassador of Fiji and president of the General Assembly, chaired the event, with the overwhelming majority of participants coming from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The meeting highlighted Washington’s failure to isolate Cuba in the world. Speaker after speaker pointed to Castro’s political leadership on a global scale and hailed the solidarity extended to their peoples over decades.
The number of representatives from Africa was particularly striking. Like Scott, they stressed the decisive importance of the 425,000 internationalist Cuban volunteers during their 16-year mission aiding the people of Angola and Namibia fighting apartheid South Africa. The volunteers were instrumental in consolidating Angola as a sovereign state, winning Namibia’s independence in 1990, Nelson Mandela’s release the same year and the subsequent dismantling of the apartheid state."
Access to Telecommunications in Cuba: An Interview with The Mindful Techie 1/4/2017 AfroBuenaventura: "I rarely used my phone during the trip given the cost of international cell and data coverage through my provider ($2.99/min for calls and $2.99/1MB for data). Text messaging was significantly cheaper at $.05 message. Some places, such as some of the major hotels offered paid access to internet."
It's Time to Give Cuba the Credit It Deserves for Its Global Medical Accomplishments 1/3/2017 Alternet: "Reports from Haiti, Chernobyl, West Africa and many other places recount the extraordinary contributions of what some call Cuba’s “medical internationalism.” In 2014 there were 50,000 Cuban doctors and nurses working in 60 developing countries, according to the research of Canadian author John Kirk published in his book “Cuban medical internationalism has saved millions of lives.” But this unparalleled solidarity has barely registered in the western media."
Un milagro de Año Nuevo 1/3/2017 Joven Cuba: "Yanet Gil Gilling es una doctora cubana. Un día hace 5 años abandonó su misión internacionalista en Bolivia, buscando mayor prosperidad seguramente. No sabemos qué ocurrió del 2012 hasta la fecha, pero lejos del éxito soñado, hoy se encuentra entre la vida y la muerte en un hospital latinoamericano. Su salvación será regresar a Cuba."
Cuba Moves Ahead With Home Internet Project – But Will It Expand? 1/2/2017 WLRN, Miami: "So this week the government will start a pilot project giving 2,000 households in Havana’s historic center free Internet access for two months. After that they’ll have to pay for it. Still, most Cubans say it’s an encouraging sign."
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