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Cuba in the News
Archive 4/16 - 9/16
¿Se puede ser revolucionario y conservador? 9/29/2016 Cartas desde Cuba: "Paradójicamente, quienes acusan al resto de no ser revolucionarios son los más conservadores, los que aspiran a que todo siga como está. Ellos se autoproclaman “revolucionarios” pero tratan de impedir los cambios, son una contradicción en sí mismos.
Debilitan a Cuba en un momento en el que necesitará de todas sus fuerzas para mantenerse viva en medio de un acercamiento a una de las mayores potencias culturales del mundo. Una aproximación que sería peligrosa incluso si EEUU tuviese las mejores intenciones.
Como nunca antes, la nación necesitará de todas sus fuerzas, de todos sus recursos, de todos sus talentos, de todas sus visiones, de todos sus ciudadanos. Son tiempos de volver a la estrategia martiana, apostando por una nación “con todos y para el bien de todos”."
One of Cuba's fastest growing economies is inspired by the life of saints 9/29/2016 Fusion: “Santeria has become really trendy,” he told me in his living room, as his son’s stereo thumped U.S. rap songs in the next room. “Whites have been coming to Cuba and practicing this black religion and stealing our secrets. They began to realize that there was money to be made and they started taking advantage.”
Cuban government steps up campaign against independent media 9/29/2016 In Cuba Today: "For years, the hardliners have been trying to halt the development of this new journalism that is just starting, even within the official media,” Ravsberg wrote in Spanish. “They blocked La Joven Cuba, accuse OnCuba and Progreso Semanal of ‘doing the enemy’s work’ and lash out at the blogs of local and foreign journalists, forcing them out of Cuban platforms, dismissing them from their jobs or asking that they be expelled from the country.”"
Trump broke Cuban embargo, report says, roiling Miami politics 9/29/2016 Miami Herald: "Revelations that Donald Trump’s hotel and casino company secretly spent money trying to do business in Cuba in violation of the U.S. trade embargo roiled Miami politics Thursday, forcing top Cuban-American Republicans to express concern about Trump’s dealings while maintaining that the allegation isn’t reason enough to disavow the presidential nominee yet."
How Donald Trump’s Company Violated the United States Embargo Against Cuba 9/29/2016 Newsweek: "A company controlled by Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, secretly conducted business in Communist Cuba during Fidel Castro’s presidency despite strict American trade bans that made such undertakings illegal, according to interviews with former Trump executives, internal company records and court filings."
Revelan proyectos financiados por NED en 2015 para subversión en Cuba 9/29/2016 Radio Sancti Spíritus: "El sitio Along the Malecón, del periodista Tracey Eaton, publicó este miércoles la lista de organizaciones que recibieron financiamientos por un valor total de casi 4 millones dólares para los programas de cambio de régimen en Cuba, a través de la organización gubernamental estadounidense National Endowment for Democracy (NED)."
NED's Cuba projects 9/27/2016 Along the Malecon: Provides 2015 budgeted amounts for Cuban dissident groups, including several focused on racial issues, the
Cuban Soul
Foundation ($85K), Plataforma de Integracion Cubana ($113K), and the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights ($26K). Other groups also participate in this theme.
After debate, Trump visits with the Hispanics who seem to like him most 9/27/2016 Miami Herald: "Trump, who arrived on stage with no introduction, basked in the political embrace. Polls show him lagging far behind Clinton among Hispanics nationally and in Florida, where Latinos make up about 15 percent of the electorate. But a narrow majority of Republican-leaning Cuban Americans in Miami-Dade County prefer Trump, according to a recent Univision survey."
Campaign Begins in Cuba for Imprisoned Spy Ana Belen Montes 9/26/2016 Cartas desde Cuba: “For the Cuban government in its relations with the US it is extremely complex to request by the release of the imprisoned lieutenant colonel. It is different from the Cuban Five agents’ case [which ended with the release of the remaining three from US prisons in December 2014.] But no one can stop us as civil society from mounting a campaign for her freedom,” added Orrio."
Fantasmas y amenazas de la revolución cubana 9/24/2016 Cartas desde Cuba: "Por su parte, militar por cuenta propia en el ejército del socialismo también tiene un costo. En La Joven Cuba hemos acompañado el proceso revolucionario, apoyándolo desde la crítica y la alternatividad. Pero algunos creen que todo aquello que no venga por la vía institucional, no rinda cuentas verticalmente, no entre en el sistema de trabajo centralizado y planificado, lo que no cumpla estos parámetros es una amenaza. Y así nos han tratado a menudo, sin mucho éxito gracias a las fuerzas revolucionarias dentro de las instituciones, en la estructura estatal."
Levantamiento del bloqueo comercial de EEUU contra Cuba: El momento es ahora 9/24/2016 Cubadebate: Por Doug Keesling/ Kansas High Plains Journal
Primer “Sábado del Software” en Camagüey 9/23/2016 Adelante: "La Junta Directiva Nacional convoca a participar en esta jornada a los afiliados de empresas estatales y no estatales de la provincia anfitriona; así como de Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila y Las Tunas, a intercambiar conocimientos, proyectos y resultados sobre aplicaciones móviles, soluciones informáticas y otros software de interés educativo."
Reporting in Cuba With or Without Consent 9/23/2016 Cartas desde Cuba: "One of the media’s jobs is to reveal corruption cases and in Cuba it’s even more important to do so given the fact that all national media belongs to the people who lose out when a manager steals.
This objective is impossible to achieve if journalists have to ask for permission to cover every event they want to. This explains why when 30 patients died of hunger and cold at a psychiatric hospital no national media went there to find out why."
Medalla de bronce contra el #Bloqueo 9/23/2016 FotoPacheco: "Una medalla de bronce alcanzó el atleta matancero Yordani Jiménez, siendo estos sus primeros juegos de máximo nivel mundial en su vida."
Habrá Wifi en todo el Malecón habanero 9/21/2016 Cubadebate: "La Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA) prevé proveer con tecnología Wifi la avenida del Malecón habanero, desde Prado hasta la entrada del túnel de 5ta Avenida, antes de que concluya el 2016.
“Ya se identificaron los lugares donde se colocarán los puntos de acceso inalámbrico, así como el equipamiento técnico para el servicio”, aseguró Eudes Monier Núñez, jefe del Departamento de Mercadotecnia y Comunicación de la División Territorial de ETECSA."
Lifting the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba: The time is now 9/21/2016 High Plains Journal: "Doug Keesling is a farmer and owner of Keesling Farms. He is also the state council chairman of the US Agriculture Coalition for Cuba."
Camila en el macrocosmos del micro mecenazgo 9/17/2016 Progreso Semanal: "Desde que comenzó a “crowfundiar” Camila Carballo no se va a dormir sin saber qué contenido agitará al día siguiente en las redes. Una foto vieja o nueva. Un amigo que encuentra en la calle. Una reflexión sobre caer y levantarse. Algo que lee de pasada en un libro o periódico que un fulano sostiene abierto bajo el sol en el camino de su apartamento semiderruido en el Vedado hasta la zona Wi-fi de 23 y L. Cualquier detalle ingenioso o sentimental puede abrirle paso hasta otro mecenas. Y otro mecenas. Y otro."
Encuesta Cuba de la FIU: cubanos de Miami ya no están a favor del embargo 9/16/2016 Progreso Semanal: "Una mayoría de residentes cubanoamericanos de Miami-Dade se opone a la continuación del embargo de EE.UU. contra Cuba. Sesenta y tres por ciento de los encuestados se opone a la continuación del embargo. La oposición se eleva a 72% entre los cubanoamericanos de 18 a 59 años de edad. Del mismo modo, 79% de los que llegaron después de 1995 se opone a la continuación del embargo. Entre los electores inscritos, el 58% se opone a la continuación del embargo. Una mayoría de los encuestados está a favor de incrementar las relaciones económicas con la Isla. La expansión de las relaciones de negocios recibe el apoyo del 57% de la muestra y el 90% de los recién llegados apoya la ampliación o la permanencia entre los dos países de la actividad económica en los niveles actuales."
Cubans don’t benefit from American business — Castro does 9/16/2016 WaPo: by the Editorial Board, confused as always by Cuban realities.
Soros y lo hegemónico como alternativo 9/14/2016 Pupila Insomne: por Iroel Sánchez, reproducido en Cuba Debate - "Como soy cubano no pude sustraerme a la búsqueda de la palabra “Cuba” en DCLeaks y el hallazgo fue revelador. Un informe titulado “BackGround Paper: CUBA” fechado en 2013, firmado por Katrin Hansing, que concluye afirmando algo que es casi exacto a lo planteado reiteradamente por el Presidente Barack Obama desde el 17 de diciembre de 2014:
“The current period of change is an opportune moment to reach out and work with Cuba and Cubans to support them to become a more open society”"
Red cubana de producción audiovisual nace este mes 9/13/2016 Progreso Semanal: "Como una red de servicios de producción audiovisual surge Encuadre, una plataforma que desde finales de este mes de septiembre reunirá a profesionales, organizaciones y empresas para intercambiar ideas y propuestas de trabajo.
Bajo la máxima “Encuentra en Cuba todo lo que necesitas para hacer audiovisuales”, la iniciativa parece ser la primera de su tipo en el país."
Barbara’s Modas, creación cubana 9/11/2016 Masoneria Libertaria: "El Proyecto Barbara’s Modas, liderado por mujeres emprendedoras Afro-descendientes en La Habana, pese de la precaria situación de sus recursos, avanza la primera etapa de su programa, a partir de los nuevos diseños creados realizan modificaciones y pruebas a los vestuarios que usarán en el futuro, un equipo de modelaje en una exposición pública. Sobre este tema abundó más en profundidad la abogada, diseñadora y Directora del Proyecto Barbara´s Modas, Deyni Terry Abreu."
Barbara’s Fashion an Afro-Cuban Led Project 9/10/2016 Havana Times: "The Barbara’s Fashion Project, led by Afro-descendant Cuban women entrepreneurs in Cojimar, Havana, advances in the first phase of its program, despite the precarious situation of its resources. The group is currently working on new designs with an eye towards a public fashion show in the future. We spoke with Terry Deyni Abreu, a lawyer and designer and the project’s director."
A Cuban Idea to Comfortably Connect to Internet 9/10/2016 OnCuba: "“Out in the open, exposed to the elements, with insecurity, without privacy…,” Luis Ramírez, the Cuban designer who together with his colleague Michel Aguilar has conceived a “Modular system of urban furniture for the WiFi zone in Cuba,” or Parawifi, as they called it, points out."
PayPal sanctions the word “Cuba” 9/7/2016 OnCuba: "But a year before PayPal had to pay 7.7 million dollars as part of an agreement with OFAC, the authority that indicated that for over several years up until 2013, the company had not adequately reflected the transactions so that the agency could detect people or entities subject to sanctions against Cuba, Iran and Sudan."
American aims to be the biggest U.S. player in Cuba travel 9/6/2016 In Cuba Today: "American aims to be the biggest U.S. player in Cuba travel. Not only is it launching service to five Cuban cities in less than a week, but the U.S. Department of Transportation has given its approval for four daily flights to Havana from MIA and one daily flight from Charlotte. AA plans to launch its Havana service before the end of the year.
On Wednesday, two American flights — one to Cienfuegos, the other to Holguín — will take off from adjoining gates at MIA, but the Cienfuegos flight will go into the history books as American’s first regularly scheduled flight to Cuba because it will take off 15 minute before the flight to Holguín."
Cuban blog makes big faux pas in jab at JetBlue for Che Guevara cake 9/6/2016 In Cuba Today: "Except the cake says “Tampa International Airport,” not Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport where the flight took place and the image is not from 2016 but rather December 2013 when JetBlue inaugurated charter flights to the island. The cake wasn’t even commissioned by JetBlue — it was presented to the airline by Tampa International Airport.
Oops."
Improvements in Family Reunification of Cubans in U.S. 9/6/2016 OnCuba: "An announcement by the U.S. migration authorities has stirred up hopes in the Cuban community residing in that country. The Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program (CFPR) has been updated and plans to speed up the procedures to grant an immigrant visa to the program beneficiaries: spouses and single children of permanent residents, and siblings and parents of naturalized citizens."
Thousands of computers possibly infected after visiting Cuban government website 9/5/2016 Caribbean News Now: "But whoever has infected the website seems to have the ability to turn the infection on and off at will, ironically to the ignorance of the site owner, which happens to be the government of Cuba."
Vallas clandestinas, la apuesta por lo ilegal 9/5/2016 Cubanet: "“No existe la emoción, la gritería en la pelea subiendo la apuesta, en las vallas legales no se habla de peleas sino de topes. Por eso la gran mayoría de nosotros, los que estamos en este negocio, preferimos las vallas clandestinas fuera del control. Aquí las reglas las ponemos y las quitamos nosotros y nadie viene a decirnos como debemos hacer las cosas”, dijo para este diario Gustavo Ruiz, un criador de gallos para peleas que se encontraba en la valla."
The Role of the Police at Havana’s Wi-Fi Hot Spots 9/5/2016 Havana Times: "It’s not the country that’s crazy, it’s the system,” replied the Internet guy. “I studied at the CUJAE university, and you know what every young person who studies there wants to do after they graduate?”
“I can guess, but I’d like my hypothesis to be proven right,” I responded.
“Leave the country, because there’s no way of changing it and no way of putting up with it,” he asserted."
A Bold Attempt to Redefine ‘Dissidence’ in Cuba 9/3/2016 NYT: "This year, with expectations reset by the normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States, Luis Manuel Otero and Yanelis Nuñez Leyva, a couple in Havana, figured it was time to redefine what it means to be a dissident. They created the Museum of Dissidence in Cuba, a website that chronicles the long line of people who have stood in opposition to the government throughout history."
Air travel to Cuba divides Congress 9/3/2016 The Hill: "In the Senate, appropriators have already approved an amendment that would lift the tourism ban with Cuba, while similar legislation has garnered over 50 cosponsors.
But over in the House, advocates still face fierce opposition from the majority on the Homeland Security Committee, which is pushing a bill that would ground flights to Cuba until a thorough airport security review is conducted."
Cuba reports remarkable success in containing Zika virus 9/2/2016 AP: "Six months after President Raul Castro declared war on the Zika virus in Cuba, a militarized nationwide campaign of intensive mosquito spraying, monitoring and quarantine appears to be working.
Cuba is among the few countries in the Western Hemisphere that have so far prevented significant spread of the disease blamed for birth defects in thousands of children. Only three people have caught Zika in Cuba. Thirty have been diagnosed with cases of the virus they got outside the island, according to Cuban officials."
Travel to Cuba: What You Need to Know 9/2/2016 Travel and Leisure: 'The Department of Treasury dropped the amended regulations on the lap of tour operators and others with a stake in travel to Cuba yesterday morning. Just how quickly these changes can and will be implemented remains foggy—as do some of the particulars, which will likely be hashed out in the coming days and weeks. So watch this space."
Ferrer y el Fascismo 9/2/2016 Yadira Escobar: "No creo que Ferrer sepa diferenciar los hechos concretos (facts) de la propaganda. Por eso lo vemos siempre repitiendo lo mismo de manera infantil y presentándose como una víctima de la “tiranía cubana” que lucha por la democracia. Sin embargo, el hecho concreto sigue siendo que vive sin trabajar en Cuba (donde se dice posee varias residencias y emplea sivientes domesticos) recibiendo un salario desde el exterior."
Traveling To Cuba: An Idea Whose Time Has Come 9/1/2016 AntiWar: "Yesterday history was made, with the first commercial flight from the US to Cuba in more than 50 years. Here is one real foreign policy achievement of President Obama, but in fact you cannot oppose an idea whose time has come. In today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report we take a look at the benefits and pitfalls of the de facto normalization with Cuba."
Religiosos cubanos apoyan a Pastores por la Paz de EEUU ante sanción del IRS 9/1/2016 Cibercuba: "La Federación de Espiritistas de La Habana, la Asociación Cultural Yoruba, el Consejo Supremo Abacuá y la Institución Religiosa Bantú de Cuba han firmado una carta de respaldo a esta institución norteamericana, caracterizada por lanzar misiones de apoyo a la mayor de las Antillas."
How to Go to Cuba Now 8/31/2016 NYT: "Once off-limits to most Americans, Cuba became just another stop on JetBlue’s international network on Wednesday, when the airline began operating the first direct commercial service between the United States and the island since the early 1960s."
Scheduled Flights to Cuba From U.S. Begin Again, Now With Jet Engines 8/31/2016 NYT: "Amid live Cuban music, fresh guava pastries and a water cannon salute, the first scheduled passenger jet service in history between Cuba and the United States began on Wednesday with a 9:45 flight from here to Santa Clara, east of Havana.
The flight on JetBlue, the first regularly scheduled flight from the United States to Cuba in more than 50 years, was another important step toward normalized relations between two former Cold War foes, which promises to sharply reduce airfares and ease travel between the nations."
JetBlue wants to be the Cubans’ favourite 8/31/2016 OnCuba: “JetBlue wants to be Cuba’s preferred airline, with excellent service and high quality and a fee of $99 one way with amenities including health insurance,” she said. “Studies in the US have found that when JetBlue is introduced to the market our competitors’ rates go down by an average of $32, which forces them to provide lower prices and a better quality of service.” It is known that American Airlines has launched a flight priced $74."
Cuban Religious Organizations Condemn U.S.A. Measure against Pastors for Peace 8/31/2016 PL: "The letter, signed by the Federation of Spiritualists of Havana, the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba, the Supreme Council of the Abacua Association of Cuba and the Bantu Religious Institution of Cuba, recalls that the links between Pastors for Peace and Cuba date back to more than 30 years ago."
IRS goes after Pastors for Peace for sending aid to Cuba 8/24/2016 In Cuba Today: "But Pastors for Peace now faces punishment for its charitable acts from another U.S. agency: the Internal Revenue Service. The organization was recently informed that it will it lose its tax-exempt status for failing to declare the shipments to Cuba.
The Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization Pastors for Peace (IFCO), which has been audited by the IRS for the last seven years, said in a statement that the action is politically motivated."
Haiti - Education : 21 Haitian scholars depart for Cuba 8/23/2016 Haiti Libre: "Monday at the National Palace in the framework of bilateral cooperation Haiti-Cuba the de facto President Jocelerme Privert received 21 young scholars (16 medical and 5 in law, engineering and agronomy) from different regions of Haiti, that will leave the country on Tuesday August 23 for Cuba."
Miami to host social media and internet freedom in Cuba conference 8/23/2016 In Cuba Today: "Titled Cuba Internet Freedom and organized by the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), the Sept. 12-13 event aims to bring together independent journalists from the island with digital innovators and personalities who want to open up the country to the digital world without limitations."
AT&T and ETECSA will connect Cuba and the US for voice, text and data 8/22/2016 OnCuba: "AT&T and ETECSA have concluded negotiations and signed agreements direct connection for the exchange of international voice traffic between the USA and Cuba, as the Cuban company announced today in an institutional statement.
The agreements provide for roaming voice, text and data services for AT&T customers traveling to Cuba; as well as providing telephone calls through direct connection between the two countries."
Moda y afrodescencia: Una iniciativa de emprendimiento en Cuba 8/21/2016 Negra Cubana: "Ya mucha gente en la isla no se cree el cuento del ajiaco, porque de sobra se sabe que ya servido el delicioso plato no todas las viandas han alcanzado el mismo grado de cocción. Es por eso que celebro las iniciativas donde se intenta destacar intencionalmente la cultura afrocubana, entendiendo por ello, en mi opinión, aquella que resalta nuestro vínculo con el continente madre."
Encuadre, una red social para el audiovisual cubano 8/19/2016 Progreso Semanal: "Encuadre, la única red cubana de producción audiovisual que se anuncia en el horizonte, planea comenzar con un producto mínimo viable. Pero aun así es una empresa ambiciosa. En abril, durante la Muestra Joven del ICAIC, sus cinco fundadores dijeron que el sitio web estaría online en julio, luego anunciaron dos plazos más, uno en agosto y otro en septiembre."
NED, the Legal Window of the CIA 8/18/2016 Cuba Si: "Furthermore, although NED is an association under US law, it is not a tool of the CIA alone, but an instrument shared with British services (which is why Reagan announced its creation in London) and the Australian services. This key point is often glossed over without comment. However, it is validated by messages of congratulations by Prime Ministers Tony Blair and John Howard during the 20th anniversary of the so-called “NGO”. NED and its tentacles are organs of an Anglo-Saxon military pact linking London, Washington and Canberra; the same goes for Echelon, the electronic interception network. This provision can be required not only by the CIA but also by the British MI6 and the Australian ASIS."
PayPal Froze My Account After I Bought A Cuban Cigar 8/18/2016 Forbes: "According to the new rules, U.S. citizens traveling abroad are allowed to consume Cuban goods. A tourist visiting Mexico City can buy a glass of Cuban rum or an expensive Cuban cigar and pay for the purchase with a major credit card such as MasterCard or Visa. Current restrictions place a $100 limit on Cuban cigars brought back to the U.S. by people visiting Cuba. The ban has been lifted on goods purchased and consumed by tourists traveling outside of the U.S.\r\n\r\nI’ve written about Amazon successfully entering Mexico’s e-commerce market. In a country with low credit card penetration PayPal has a chance to expand its business in Mexico’s e-commerce market.\r\n\r\nMy account, however, is still frozen. So, apparently, PayPal is still figuring out how to do business in Latin America when it comes to allowing users to purchase and enjoy Cuban goods."
Paypal halted a transaction because it contained the word "Cuba" 8/17/2016 BoIng Boing: "The lesson: don't use forbidden words when sending someone money via PayPal. Better yet, use Bitcoin instead."
Aduana, del abuso al chantaje 8/17/2016 DDC: "Recientemente el rapero cubano Soandry del Río denunciaba en la red social Facebook cómo las autoridades intentaron revisar el contenido de su computadora personal al arribar a Cuba, a lo que él se negó.
"Y detrás de mi valor no hay más soporte que el autorrespeto y los deseos de libertad para Cuba, aunque muchos no merezcan ni un ápice de la misma", escribió el artista en su perfil de Facebook, recibiendo muchos comentarios de apoyo de personas que han pasado la misma situación." [Igual que para las personas entrando en los EE.UU.!!!]
IT Outsourcers, Get Ready for the Castro Dividend 8/17/2016 Nearshore Americas: "Yet, beyond the allure of Cuba’s shabby-chic hotels and the prospect of improving the island’s decrepit roads, there is an even greater prize for investors with vision: Cuba possesses immense STEM talent. Today, physicians, thousands of whom are sent abroad to friendly countries in exchange for foreign aid to Havana, are probably the most prominent part of this group, but this is only one segment. There are tens of thousands of IT professionals on the island."
Cooperatives Becoming Bigger Part of Cuba’s Reforms 8/16/2016 Counterpunch: "There is a consensus among informed observers that a primary reason for the Communist Party’s slowness in promulgating clear rules for the formation of cooperatives is that the party leadership has yet to reach a consensus itself."
How Much Is a Contract Worth in Cuba? 8/16/2016 Havana Times: "A small group of former state employees in the city of Artemisa, the capital of the western province that shares the same name, who became independent workers due to the new self-employment law laid out by the Cuban government, face a critical situation.
They had signed a 10-year contract with the government’s Services Company in the city so they could develop their work and now they are being forced to leave their site and lose the small investments they made to improve it. The building no longer belongs to them they were told, “Because now it belongs to the government’s Retail Sales Enterprise (Comercio) and not the Services Company anymore.”"
Mujeres emprendedoras diseñan para la moda afro-cubana 8/15/2016 Havana Times: "En un apartamento del poblado de Cojimar ubicado en La Habana del Este. Mujeres cubanas se inician como diseñadoras de moda para un proyecto que aspira a visibilizar el trabajo de la mujer afrodescendiente en Cuba, mostrar su belleza en toda su diversidad y convertirse en una fuente de empleo."
Marijuana Sales in The US Rise to Over $6 Billion, Leaving the Caribbean Behind 8/14/2016 Atlanta Black Star: "At the end of July eleven individuals received jail sentences in Havana of between 15 to 30 years for attempting to traffic narcotics into Cuba from Jamaica. The convictions followed a number of co-ordinated operations to stop go-fast boats arriving with large quantities of marijuana. The intention had been to sell the ganja in the Cuban capital."
Cuba Solidarity and Looking the Other Way 8/13/2016 Havana Times: "I totally agree with Farber in this statement. I’ve watched many foreign intellectuals who I admire and with whom I share important ideological congruence, come to Cuba, embrace the regime and shower it with praise. Of course, the Revolution has praiseworthy ideals and its anti-imperialist struggle invites brotherhood. However, things go much further than that and the values that it steps on are just as important, or maybe even more important, than the values they stand up for."
¿Qué opción escoger para viajar a Cuba a partir de agosto? 8/13/2016 Telemundo 51: "Los vuelos comerciales desde Estados Unidos a Cuba se espera comiencen tan pronto como el 31 de agosto y las preguntas de los potenciales viajeros coinciden en lo mismo: ¿Qué decisión tomar a partir de ahora? ¿Cuesta más viajar por aerolíneas regulares o seguir con los vuelos charter?" [Mucho de los charters no pueden volar desde 9/2016 porque los aviones tienen que ser basado en los EE.UU.]
The Labor Board Hearing over My Firing 8/12/2016 Havana Times: "During the session with the OJL members, all civil servants at the Ministry of Culture, interrogated me about a lot of different subjects, among them, why the magazine where I worked didn’t know about my activities in this project of mine. Moreover, if I believed I could develop the Cuban Museum of Dissent… somehow linking it to the institution? They also asked the reasons why I’d promoted the museum and the problem of the disciplinary measure on non-governmental media platforms, such as Cubanet, Havana Times and Diario de Cuba."
Derecho e Informática, un puente a medio construir en Cuba 8/12/2016 IPS: "Para la presidenta de la no gubernamental Sociedad Cubana de Derecho e Informática, es vital potenciar un pensamiento en la población cubana que le “permita superar el estado de simple consumidor de tecnología para convertirse en creador de valores”."
Fidel y el ballet cubano 8/4/2016 Granma: "Dos personas muy cercanas a Alicia y Fernando y al quehacer del conjunto, fueron claves en hacer posible que Fidel, desde los días de la Sierra Maestra y en los primeros momentos del triunfo revolucionario, pudiese estar al tanto de la magnitud que entrañó tan injusta agresión para la cultura de nuestra Patria.
Fueron ellos el Dr. Julio Martínez Páez, Comandante del Ejército Rebelde, combatiente de la Columna 1, al mando del líder de la Revolución hasta el final de la guerra y primer ministro de Salud Pública del Gobierno Revolucionario; y el Capitán Antonio Núñez, topógrafo del Che en la contienda del Escambray y Santa Clara."
Cuba’s Anti-Establishment Left 8/1/2016 Cuba Counterpoints: By DMITRI PRIETO-SAMSONOV
What do Cuban entrepreneurs stand to win from closer US Cuba relations? 8/1/2016 Cuba Counterpoints: "At this point, even if the government facilitates direct relations between the self-employed and foreign businesses, it will remain to be seen how many independent entrepreneurs become actual company owners. Many of these entrepreneurs have been able to stay in business only because their ability to operate within the production and price-regulating features of the informal and underground economies (which are economies geared toward survival, focusing on short-term objectives and low-level investments)."
Los condenados de la Izquierda 7/24/2016 Cartas desde Cuba: "La Revolución cubana no sobrevivirá sin nuevos consensos. Aún así, la fórmula actual de qué es un revolucionario y el papel que le toca en la sociedad, es tan caricaturesca y políticamente correcta que no resulta atractiva, no genera empatía. Entonces los revolucionarios en la sociedad siguen esperando en el banquillo que alguien recuerde que son ellos los protagonistas y no actores contemplativos. Los condenados de la izquierda somos los que sufrimos las victorias del dogma y la inercia sobre el sentido común, y duele."
Cuentapropistas en el limbo jurídico 7/23/2016 Negra Cubana: "Ninguna de estas historias son ficticias, es la vida de gente común que camina por las calles de La Habana. Gente que trabaja en la más absoluta precariedad de sus derechos laborales y a quienes todos les llamamos “cuentapropistas”. Los suponemos en una vida de lujo pero en cambio viven una Cuba cada vez más intensa."
Terror In Nice: 'We Couldn't Think, Just Run' 7/16/2016 Hartford Courant: por Odette Casamayor - "The authors were in Nice, France, on Thursday when a terrorist ran a large truck into crowds gathered for the annual Bastille Day celebration. This is an account of their experience."
Cuba’s gay community comes out of the closet 7/10/2016 Black Americans: “Although Cuba is a macho society, people don’t bother me because most of them accept us,” he said. “Things have changed quite a lot here in Cuba and there’s just a minority of machos, but we don’t mix up.”
Cuba: the Government vs. its Emigres 7/9/2016 Havana Times: "However, Cuba isn’t a normal country because the government chooses instead to have a hostile relationship with its emigres – the opposite of what happens everywhere else in the world, including in the Dominican Republic – and prefers to overexploit them with exorbitant fees with its inefficient consulate services, or by buying in the most expensive half-empty stores in the world."
Cuba Warns of Dirty Money Investments from Abroad 7/7/2016 Havana Times: "The Cuban Interior Ministry (MININT) has under surveillance attempts by Cubans living abroad and foreign citizens who are introducing illicit funds in the country to invest in the private sector, in goods and property."
Africa: Cuba/Sierra Leone - Reclaiming Slave-Trade History 7/6/2016 All Africa: "As recognition grows that the legacy of slavery and the slave trade is still embedded in the structural inequalities of today's world, scholars are finding new ways to make the lost connections visible. One dramatic and inspiring illustration, featured in this issue of AfricaFocus Bulletin, is the film "They Are We," showing the rediscovery and re-connection in person with their African relatives of an Afro-Cuban community which still celebrates their heritage with dances and songs in a language almost forgotten by current generations even in its villages of origin in Sierra Leone."
Iroel Sánchez: “Siro, en Cubainformación y en Aporrea hay plazas disponibles para todos” 7/5/2016 Siro4el
¡Carajo, este es el comandante Guevara…! 7/1/2016 UNEAC: "En la mañana del 10 de octubre, el cadáver fue expuesto en la lavandería del hospital. La monja María Muñoz, testigo presencial del drama, relató: «El Che estaba como si no hubiera muerto. Había un silencio único, no escuché que nadie hablara, ni lo creo; él con sus ojos mirándonos a todos, que parecía vivo». Muchas personas lloraron."
Robberies at Havana Area Wi-Fi Hotspots 6/29/2016 Havana Times: "As is the custom, Etecsa only installed the antennas and requested the Electric Company put in some lighting fixtures. The company did not bother to articulate with the local government actions that would allow better comfort for its users and, most importantly their safety."
Analistas expertos y periodistas imparciales: pluralidad ficticia para fabricar un único mensaje sobre Cuba 6/28/2016 Kaos en la Red: "El tema Cuba es el ejemplo claro de que la libertad de información y de prensa, en los grandes medios españoles, es pura retórica. Un solo mensaje se repite -en diferentes formas, grados y matices- en noticias, reportajes o secciones de opinión de prensa, radio y televisión: Cuba tiene –nos dicen- un “régimen” político no democrático al que se debe exigir una “apertura”."
Shaq Shoots for Diplomacy in New Role as Sports Envoy to Cuba 6/25/2016 Cuba Journal
Guerra psicológica contra Cuba y Venezuela: los medios son armas masivas de destrucción de conciencias 6/25/2016 Kaos en la Red: "La guerra psicológica trata de crear zozobra, descontento, duda, desmoralización o arrepentimiento. Y combina su acción con numerosos actores, que operan de manera directa o indirecta: supuestas organizaciones “no gubernamentales”, fundaciones, centros de pensamiento, partidos…"
Florida bank issues first US credit card for use in Cuba 6/23/2016 AP: "A small Florida bank will issue the first U.S. credit card intended for use in Cuba and make it easier for Americans to travel and work on an island largely cut off from the U.S. financial system, the bank announced Tuesday.
Pompano Beach-based Stonegate Bank said its Mastercard, available Wednesday, will let U.S. travelers charge purchases at state-run businesses and a handful of private ones, mostly high-end private restaurants equipped with point-of-sale devices. Until now, Americans have generally had to bring cash to Cuba and change it either at state institutions that impose a 10 percent penalty on the dollar or in informal exchanges with locals. “This is going to be huge for American companies trying to do business down here,” Stonegate president David Seleski said.
The card’s utility will be limited for the moment, however. Cuba is preventing cardholders from using them for cash advances. And while the bank says there are 10,000 point-of-sale devices across the island, cashiers in state-owned stores often say they are out of service."
Nestle Helps Cuba Skirt the US Embargo 6/22/2016 Havana Times: "In conclusions made from this deal, the US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council values the fact that the Obama administration is focussing on creating trade opportunities rather than directly or immediately influencing this activity with Cuba’s independent farmers.
This focus is founded on the belief that in the last 190 days of Obama’s presidency, a bilateral trade agreement is on the horizon, even when it isn’t the kind of involvement for State companies that the Cuban government and its institutions want, may be seen as preferable than not having one at all."
Cuba Oriental aspira a convertirse en alternativa a La Habana y Varadero 6/22/2016 Nuevo Herald
Hackers Invade Cuba’s Wi-Fi Hotspots 6/21/2016 Havana Times: "A common way to hack these accounts is to create a false Wi-Fi signal which could be called the same or something similar to ETECSA’s own network. “Phishing involves simulating something in order to access sensitive information,” Andy Velazquez (*), a cybernaut, explains.
For example: when somebody connects to Nauta, they have to first sign in through their registration page, where they have to enter their username and password. What people see is just a design. That’s to say that, with a little web design know-how, you can create a page that looks just like Nauta’s, and trick the ordinary internet user.”
That’s how criminals get their hands on personal details of customers."
¿Debería Cuba compensar a los herederos de Meyer Lansky?
¿Debería Cuba compensar a los herederos de Meyer Lansky? 6/20/2016 Cibercuba: "Lansky, dice Colhoun, no era, ni fue, una oveja a la cual le expropiaron el fruto de su sudor. Era un mafioso, que hizo un imperio de dinero, extorsionando, comprando, y asesinando.
¿Reclamar? ¿Qué cosas? No debería existir ninguna compensación para los herederos de aquellos mafiosos, termina diciendo."
Cuba-U.S. Relations Facing New Challenges 6/14/2016 Havana Reporter: "Vidal outlined during a press conference to review the meeting that further expert meetings in the fields of hydrology, the environment, law enforcement and compliance and the battle against both people and drug trafficking would also be held."
Tom Joyner Foundation Leads Delegation of HBCU Presidents on Mission to Havana, Cuba to Explore Global Exchange and Research 6/13/2016 Black News: "Tom Joyner, chairman of the Dallas-based nonprofit that helps support historically black colleges and universities, led a historic trip to Havana, Cuba where he led a group of HBCU presidents who explored global exchange and research opportunities for students and faculty in Cuba."
Here's How to Design a Tour of Cuba 6/13/2016 Cuba Journal
José Daniel Ferrer utiliza dinero de la FNCA para mantener sus casas en #SantiagodeCuba (+Fotos) 6/13/2016 Yoani I$landia: "En dicha entrevista Ferrer García, ante una pregunta de Londoño sobre cómo se financia la mercenaria Unión Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU) organización que dirige, reconoce que la mayoría del financiamiento monetario y material les llega de las “dadivosas” manos de la terrorista y anticubana Fundación Nacional Cubano Americana (FNCA); y sin pelos en la lengua añade que “están dispuestos a seguir recibiendo ayuda de cualquier país u organización que quiera contribuir al cambio de régimen en Cuba”."
Una beca, un pretexto 6/10/2016 Cubadebate: "Se percataron que la “cuestión” es realizar “actividades dirigidas a posibilitar a un movimiento de resistencia”5 Y esto no es más que la definición estadounidense de Guerra no Convencional (GNC).
De forma explícita, el propósito del programa dice: “fomentar una nueva generación de líderes de la sociedad civil, quienes poseerán las habilidades y conocimientos para profesionalizar la base de la sociedad civil de Cuba. Este grupo de jóvenes profesionales modelará la dirección efectiva de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil que son responsables ante el público, promoverán la participación de la comunidad, apoyarán la diversidad, y otros principios democráticos en Cuba”"
US fugitives say Cuba has reassured them they are safe 6/10/2016 Washington Times: "Charles Hill, a black militant wanted in the 1971 slaying of a New Mexico state policeman, told The Associated Press that Cuban government contacts had recently reassured him he was at no risk of extradition. Nehanda Abiodun, another black militant wanted in a 1981 armored car robbery that left two police offers and a security guard dead, told the AP she had recently received a similar promise."
Guillermo Álvarez Guedes 6/9/2016 Diario de la Marina: "A Guillermo Álvarez Guedes* lo prohibieron en Cuba. Lo borraron de la historia, como a Olga Guillot y Orlando Contreras. Como a todo el que se fue. Pero en el caso de GAG el tiro les salió por la culata."
WHO to Announce End of Ebola in Liberia, Thanks to Cuba 6/9/2016 teleSUR: "It is mostly acknowledged that without the aid of Cuba and its doctors, very little would have been done to stop the outbreak. "
A deserving homage for Ali 6/7/2016 AfroCubaWeb: "Ali knew that Cuba is the only place on earth, where the intractable, corrosive inner city malady derived from poverty, illiteracy, drugs, violence and deaths can be reversed through education, culture and the perfect environment, which precludes a genetic recessive factor."
La Asociación Canaria de Cuba 'Leonor Pérez Cabrera' festejó el Día de Canarias junto al viceconsejero Pedro Rodríguez 6/7/2016 Canarias Exterior: "Carmelo González Acosta, titular de la Asociación Canaria de Cuba ‘Leonor Pérez Cabrera’, presidió la actividad y una vez escuchados los himnos nacionales de Cuba, España y el himno canario, felicitó a todos los participantes y leyó un mensaje enviado por el presidente del gobierno isleño, Fernando Clavijo, con motivo del Día de la Autonomía: “Nos gustaría compartir con ustedes la celebración de este día. Con todas aquellas personas que en momentos de enorme dificultad tuvieron que dejar las Islas, a sus familias, su cultura, sus amigos."
Raúl receives provisional President of Haiti 6/6/2016 Cubadebate: "During the meeting the two leaders reviewed the cooperation Cuba provides this sister country in various sectors, and Raúl reiterated Cuba’s commitment to continue supporting Haiti’s recovery and development. They emphasized the good condition of bilateral relations, and discussed regional as well as international issues of mutual interest."
US Media Claim Cuba Could Extradite Assata Shakur, Despite All Evidence to the Contrary 6/6/2016 teleSUR: "Cuba and the U.S. are currently negotiating a prisoner swap deal as part of the normalization of relations but Shakur’s name has not been mentioned and no official source has confirmed the rumors.
But despite this, news outlets like New York Post and NBC news have rushed to suggest the former Black Panther will be included in a potential prisoner swap."
Así fue el encuentro entre Muhammad Ali y Fidel Castro en Cuba en el año 1996 6/5/2016 Cibercuba: [Video] - "El leyenda del boxeo Muhammad Ali, visitó Cuba en 1996 y 1998 en misión humanitaria, llevando una donación de más de 1.2 millones de dólares en material médico.
Alí deseaba conocer al entonces presidente de la Isla comunista, Fidel Castro ?, y lo consiguió en su primer viaje."
Muere Muhammad Ali, el boxeador más famoso del mundo 6/4/2016 CubaDebate: "Ali visitó Cuba en al menos dos ocasiones, donde sostuvo encuentros con el gran boxeador cubano Teófilo Stevenson. A propósito de la muerte de Stevenson en 2012, envió este mensaje de condolencias: “Me entristeció profundamente esta mañana la noticia de la muerte de uno de los grandes campeones del boxeo, Teófilo Stevenson. Aunque nunca peleó profesionalmente, haber ganado tres medallas de oro en tres Juegos Olímpicos diferentes, garantiza que él habría sido un enemigo formidable para cualquier otro campeón de peso pesado reinante o cualquier retador en su mejor momento. Siempre recordaré el encuentro con el gran Teófilo en su Cuba natal. Él fue uno de los grandes de este mundo, y a la vez fue un hombre cálido y abrazable. Mis condolencias para su familia y amigos. Que descanse en paz.”"
El asesinato de Carlos Muñiz Varela. Conversando con el gobernador de Puerto Rico 6/4/2016 Progreso Semanal: "Alejandro García Padilla: Le agradezco sus palabras, es algo en lo que no voy a descansar. Quiero añadir al caso de Carlos Muñiz Varela el caso de Santiago Mari Pesquera, otro joven independentista puertorriqueño que fue asesinado y que todo parece indicar que fue asesinado en aquella misma época por la derecha de mi país por ser independentista. Yo no soy independentista pero mientras sea gobernador voy a hacer todo lo posible por esclarecerlo porque no es aceptable que ese tipo de acciones sucedan en Puerto Rico y que queden impunes."
Cuba’s president remembers Muhammad Ali 6/4/2016 Reuters
Falleció Mohamed Ali, amigo de Stevenson y Cuba (dossier) 6/4/2016 Trabajadores: Imágenes de la amistad con Stevenson, Fidel Castro y Cuba
First U.S. managed hotel begins operating in Cuba 6/1/2016 Periodico 26: "Havana's newly named Four Points by Sheraton, the first U.S. managed hotel on the island in over 50 years, began operating June 29, under the administration of the Starwood chain, in association with Cuban state enterprise Gaviota."
El lobo y la fábula de Cuba Posible 6/1/2016 Pupila Insomne: por Por Yeniel Cabrera Duardo - "Hoy nos quieren imponer todo lo contrario -el lobo villano convertido en cordero-, cuando presentan con pasmosa naturalidad a la organización Open Society (Sociedad Abierta), como una caritativa e inofensiva organización que financia y acoge a un minúsculo grupo de personas que, desde esta isla, fueron a debatir en Nueva York el futuro de Cuba, entre extranjeros y emigrados."
The Washington Post: No a compromisos con los represores uniformados del pueblo cubano 5/31/2016 Café Fuerte
Reentry Through Resistance: Détente with Cuba was Accomplished Through Resistance and Solidarity, Not Imperial Benevolence 5/31/2016 Counterpunch: "While the White House may want the public to believe that Cuba is reentering the system of states because the U.S. has decided to be benevolent in ending a harmful policy, the real reason is that the U.S. government no longer had a choice in the matter. After a half-century of attempting to overthrow Cuba’s communist government, the U.S. has failed to decimate the culture of resistance that exists in Cuba."
La Asociación Canaria de Cuba organiza unas jornadas sobre las elecciones en España 5/30/2016 Canarias Exterior: "El lunes 23 de mayo se celebró en La Habana la jornada ‘Canarias: actualidad política y elecciones en España’ impartida por el presidente de la Asociación Canaria de Cuba ‘Leonor Pérez Cabrera’, Carmelo González Acosta quien disertó sobre el próximo proceso electoral a celebrar en España y los diferentes pasos que hay que tienen que dar los ciudadano españoles para poder participar desde el extranjero."
17 Things You Need to Know Before Doing Business in Cuba 5/30/2016 Entrepreneur
Presidente venezolano participa en exequias del general asesinado 5/30/2016 Granma: "En la mañana de este lunes, comandos del Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional (Sebin) intervinieron la sede policial de la barriada Chacao, en esta capital, luego de conocerse que dos de sus oficiales habían participado en el asesinato del general.
Luego de arrestar a los uniformados, Kendinyers García y Yaemil Brito, se encontró el arma con que perpetraron el homicidio, agregó el ministro de Relaciones Interiores, Justicia y Paz, Gustavo González.
Estos hombres actuaron en conjunto con una banda criminal dedicada a la extorsión, el secuestro y el asesinato, agregó González, citado por PL."
Sesionó Foro de Negocios Cuba y Missouri 5/30/2016 Juventud Rebelde: "A las 48 horas del anunció de las relaciones entre Cuba y Estados Unidos del 17 de diciembre de 2014, aseguró el Gobernador Nixon, reunió a su gabinete para analizar como podían dirigirse en ese camino, y confesó que quiso ser el primer estado en llegar a Cuba, que es una oportunidad para rancheros y granjeros de Missouri, especialmente para los productores de arroz, soya, carne de res, maíz, algodón, fertilizantes, biocombustibles y nutrientes."
On U.S.-Cuba military cooperation, proceed with caution 5/30/2016 Washington Post: "Legislation pending in Congress would block full military-to-military normalization until Cuba democratizes. At a time when Cuba’s beleaguered civilian democracy activists need unequivocal U.S. moral support, the administration and outside supporters of its Cuba policy should not be eager for potentially compromising relationships with the Cuban people’s uniformed oppressors."
La mala memoria: Jefe de la Red Avispa nombrado vicerrector de Instituto de Relaciones Exteriores de La Habana 5/27/2016 Café Fuerte: [Que mala memoria? La memoria de acusar los antiterroristas de ser espias?]
Cuba blames US sanctions for Co-op Bank closures 5/27/2016 Co-operative News: "Cuba’s permanent mission to the UN has denounced the sanctions imposed by the USA after the Co-operative Bank closed the accounts of the British Cuba Solidarity Campaign.
In a press statement, Cuban officials say the Bank’s chief executive, Niall Booker, had confirmed in writing to customers that the closure was the result of the risk arising from US sanctions imposed on Cuba."
“Los desafíos actuales de Cuba”… con George Soros y sus Open Society Foundations 5/27/2016 Cuba Debate: por Iroel Sánchez - "Este 26 de mayo Open Society Foundations acogió en su sede de New York al “laboratorio de ideas” Cuba Posible. Bastante parecido a Encuentro… Cuba Posible, según declaraciones de su “director”, Roberto Veiga, promueve el “transitional change” y una “multiparty Cuba”. El evento neoyorquino, organizado por Cuba Posible junto a un think tank financiado por la Fundación Ford y Open Society, versó sobre “los desafíos actuales de Cuba”."
ETECSA, la lista negra y los códigos IMEI pirateados 5/27/2016 Cubanet: "Huyendo de la lista negra de ETECSA, muchos cubanos que dudan de la procedencia de sus teléfonos por haber sido comprados a extraños que no brindan garantías se están acercando a las nuevas y pequeñas empresas de reparación de celulares para, de cualquier manera, asegurar sus adquisiciones."
Feijóo viaja a Cuba con la prioridad de reforzar las comunidades gallegas en el exterior 5/26/2016 Galicia Exterior: "Hace falta destacar que el principal motivo del viaje del titular de la Xunta es la celebración del undécimo plenario del Consello de Comunidades Galegas, que se desarrollará los días 27 y 28 de mayo, en el histórico Palacio del Centro Gallego de La Habana, donde se interpretó por vez primera el himno gallego y donde hace apenas unas semanas el presidente de los Estados Unidos de América, Barack Obama, pronunció un discurso histórico para el devenir de la isla, donde viven 40.000 gallegos."
The Business of Counterrevolution in Cuba 5/26/2016 Havana Times: “This is my livelihood, kid, this is my livelihood!” This phrase, spoken by renowned “dissident” Ricardo Boffil while being interrogated at Cuba’s State Security Department in Havana expressed the true essence of counterrevolutionary activity in Cuba: a business that allows one to live well without having to work, on the money of US taxpayers."
Cuba legalises small and medium private businesses 5/25/2016 BBC: "The government currently allows self-employment in several hundred job categories from restaurant owners to hairdressers.
The Cuban economy has been stimulated by many of these becoming small businesses and employing other workers.
The latest reforms were published in a 32-page document detailing the party's plan for economic development, and approved by Congress."
How to CUBA 5/25/2016 CurlyNikki: "I don't usually share how I put these trips together because (1) there's no formula, and (2) I have a flare for the dramatic. But as this epicness comes to a close, I thought I'd do y'all a solid and provide you with a how-to manual of sorts."
Aduana de Cuba informa sobre la entrada y salida de dinero al país 5/25/2016 Habana Linda: "Estas medidas permiten entrar al país un total de 5000 dólares máximos, pero debes declararlo ante los funcionarios de la Aduana General de la República.
Los ciudadanos cubanos domiciliados en el país y los ciudadanos extranjeros residentes permanentes en Cuba pueden exportar e importar a su salida o entrada al país, sumas que no excedan los dos mil pesos cubanos 2000 pesos cubanos."
Cuba Is Seeing Increasing Work Protests 5/25/2016 Havana Times: "The recent bici-taxi protest in Plaza de la Revolución managed to get annulled dozens of fines, which had been sensationalized to appear as economic crimes. In October 2015, mail delivery workers in Banes, Holguin refused to work, finally getting their demands met against administrative arbitrariness.
Other complaints haven’t been so successful, but one thing’s for sure, a crack has been opened in the Communist party’s trade union wall."
Cuba to legalize small and medium-sized private businesses 5/24/2016 AP: "Cuban business owners and economic experts said they were hopeful the reform would allow private firms to import wholesale supplies and export products to other countries for the first time, removing a major obstacle to private business growth.
"This is a tremendously important step," said Alfonso Valentin Larrea Barroso, director-general of Scenius, a cooperatively run economic consulting firm in Havana. "They're creating, legally speaking, the non-state sector of the economy. They're making that sector official.""
Fidel Castro & Cuba: Thorns In Side of US Imperialism 5/24/2016 Black Agenda Report: "The United States has a long and duplicitous history when it comes to not only attempting to assassinate the character of Fidel Castro, but also his life. The US government’s unsuccessful attempts at both forms of assassination can easily be deemed as an evil obsessive. The United States (via the CIA) has tried to assassinate/murder Fidel Castro over 600 times. This number is startling due to the fact that the CIA has been so utterly unsuccessful in their nefarious attempts to eliminate Castro. However, it should not be surprising that they tried to assassinate this leader, since they have successfully (and extra-judiciously) assassinated countless humans, including government leaders throughout the globe. This diabolical track record goes back many decades."
Cuba Moves to Legalize Small- and Medium-Size Businesses 5/24/2016 WSJ: "Cuba’s government said it would move to legalize thousands of small- and medium-size businesses that have sprung up in recent years, a step that could encourage more entrepreneurship in the hemisphere’s lone communist country."
Una Cuba inclusiva siempre será más fuerte 5/20/2016 Chiringa de Cuba: "Para nadie es un secreto que Washington está apartándose lentamente de sus antiguos socios de la disidencia y apostando por los cuentapropistas, cooperativistas y empresarios cubanos, nacidos al amparo de las reformas encabezadas por el Presidente Raúl Castro.
Las ventajas de estos sobre la disidencia tradicional son enormes, están integrados en la sociedad, sus compatriotas los consideran personas de éxito, poseen recursos financieros propios por lo que no hay que mantenerlos y el agua en la que nadan es la economía de mercado."
ETECSA detecta en dos días más de 600 celulares con IMEI no válido 5/20/2016 Cubanet: "La norma jurídica aprobada por el MINCOM pone una fecha límite para sustituir los dispositivos que posean errores en el código de identificación internacional de equipo móvil (IMEI). “A los teléfonos que vayan saliendo con ese estado, se les comenzará a llamar uno a uno a partir de la semana próxima, e informaremos a los titulares que tienen hasta el 18 de mayo de 2018 para cambiar su equipo”, dijo a Granma Héctor Marsal Blanco, director de mercadotecnia de la división de servicios móviles de ETECSA."
Lawyer: Fugitive loyal to Cuban revolution 5/19/2016 Along the Malecon: "In late March of 2016, Huck Magazine published a lengthy article that contained numerous inaccuracies regarding Mr. Hill, an African-American human rights activist who was forced to flee the United States in 1971 due to political repression.
Mr. Hill has since resided in Havana as a guest of the Cuban government. The Huck Magazine article so egregiously mischaracterizes and misstates Mr. Hill’s positions that we are necessarily compelled to immediately enter into litigation against Huck Magazine for fraud, libel and false light. Neither Mr. Hill nor his undersigned attorney were duly notified by Huck Magazine of their intent to publish this article."
The U.S. Approves First Direct Regular Flights to Cuba as of Autumn 5/14/2016 Cuba Now: "American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Jet Blue Airways, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines and Sun Country Airlines are the first six airlines that will regularly fly from the United States to Cuba starting from this fall, as announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation."
EE.UU. insta a Cuba a conectarse a Internet mientras dura el interés por la isla 5/11/2016 Ads305: "Tres compañías de telefonía móvil de Estados Unidos han firmado acuerdos con Cuba. Verizon, Sprint y T-Mobile ofrecen a sus clientes la posibilidad de realizar y recibir llamadas en la red de ETECSA con sus propios teléfonos móviles a través del “roaming” o servicio de itinerancia directo, pero hasta el momento ninguna de las compañías estadounidenses puede suministrar estos servicios a los cubanos que viven en la isla."
"Poner Internet en Cuba no es un problema tecnológico, si no una decisión política de sus líderes" 5/11/2016 Cibercuba: "He estado, participado y visto de primera mano las discusiones en la Habana con el Ministro de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba, y con la empresa principal (ETECSA). Conozco del interés que poseen en desarrollar la infraestructura de las telecomunicaciones en toda la isla. Su personal técnico, y las compañías como tal, comprenden perfectamente los beneficios económicos que esto pudiera aportarles, pero, tomar tal decisión no les corresponde a ellos, si no a los líderes políticos del país. Son ellos quienes tienen la última palabra en cuanto al cómo y cuan rápido estos cambios puedan implementarse en el país. Obviamente el gobierno cubano debería aprovechar el momento actual, en que Cuba es tema de interés mundial."
The Transition of a Calabar Traditional Leader 5/7/2016 Cross River Cultural Heritage: "According to indigenous tradition in the Cross River region of Nigeria and Cameroon, when a traditional community leader dies, his body is quickly dressed in Mgbè traditional attire and buried in a secret location in his compound, while the community is informed that he is 'traditionally ill'. The physical death is not announced until much later, when the community is prepared for the full schedule of 'traditional rites' to honor their leader's legacy, to guide his spirit to the realm of the ancestors, and to invest the next leader of the community to the royal throne."
Grand Ambitions: Cuban Coders Looking to Energize a Nascent Startup Scene With First Regular Meetups 5/6/2016 Huff Post: "But an ambitious group of young Cuban programmers wants to change that and is trying to energize the island’s technology entrepreneurs by organizing its first tech meetup. Alex Medina, a 35-year-old coder from Camaguey, and a group of friends have started the Merchise Startup Circle and hope to hold the first meeting later this month in Havana. The ultimate goal, according to Medina, is to garner enough interest for regular, monthly meetings on the island."
Cuban security officials toured Key West drug-war center 5/4/2016 Miami Herald: "That officer, Lt. Cmdr. Derek Cromwell, escorted the four-member Cuban security delegation on a familiarization tour of the so-called Joint Interagency Task Force South, or JIATF-South, at the Truman Annex of the U.S. Navy base in Key West on April 21, according to Tidd’s spokeswoman, Army Col. Lisa Garcia.
They got a briefing on the work of the multi-agency, multi-national organization that has been described as Southcom’s command center in the war on drugs, toured the Joint Operating Center there and met with representatives of 18 different countries assigned there."
Cuba - Estados Unidos: influencias y confluencias culturales 5/3/2016 Esteban Morales: "Entonces quiere decir que ese es un problema importantísimo, sumamente importante, porque la otra parte –para terminar– del enfrentamiento político es el enfrentamiento científico, y nosotros ya hemos entrado en una guerra distinta. Esta es la guerra cultural, esta es la guerra de que hablaba Martí: a pensamiento. Entonces, si no somos capaces de estar preparados para enfrentar esa guerra, no vamos a sobrevivir al segundo round."
Los trabajadores cubanos marchan en su día… a paso de conga 5/1/2016 Progreso Semanal: "En cada cuadra tres congas. No es de extrañar que los soviéticos se asombraran en el 62 cuando al borde del holocausto nuclear, a ninguna dotación antiaérea faltaba la tumbadora."
Preside Esteban Lazo Primero de Mayo en Santiago de Cuba 5/1/2016 TV Santiago
Fobia a la democracia entre viejos “comunistas” cubanos 4/30/2016 Havana Times: "Para Balaguer, a punto de cumplir 84 años de edad, los cubanos debemos “tener cuidado con el socialismo democrático”, y llamó a no unir las palabras “socialismo” y “democracia”. Según el anciano, hay en el mundo una corriente vergonzante de socialistas arrepentidos, con quienes no podemos confundirnos.
Para este hombre, ex-embajador de Cuba en la extinta Unión Soviética, el nuestro es un sistema más democrático que ningún otro en el mundo, “un sistema excepcional”, según expresó ante los delegados.
Esteban Lazo, actual presidente de la Asamblea Nacional, secundó al viejo “cuadro” sin pensarlo dos veces, y enfatizó que “debemos tener cuidado con determinadas palabras”."
Could US Trade Threaten Sustainable Agriculture in Cuba? 4/27/2016 Common Dreams: "Although most continue to employ conventional agricultural methods, and Cuba continues to import more than half of its food, around a quarter of the country’s farmers have nonetheless succeeded in supplying some 65 percent of national agricultural output using agroecological practices. These achievements, however, could come under threat with the expected resumption of U.S.-Cuban trade relations."
Some Thoughts on Cuban Resistance to US Ideological/Political War 4/26/2016 Black Agenda Report: “The question is, will Obama’s visit to Cuba provide Cubans the opportunity to make headway against the cultural war, or will it allow the US to make inroads? Or are both these scenarios on the horizon?”
Africa Should Follow Cuba's Lead: Senior Congolese Official 4/26/2016 teleSUR: "The Congolese official is on an official visit to Cuba until April 28 following an invitation made by Esteban Lazo, the president of the National Assembly of the People's Power of Cuba."
Some Thoughts on Cuban Resistance to US Ideological/Political War 4/25/2016 Counterpunch: by Arnold August - "However, one feature became clear during my stay in Havana and immediately following it. Both in and outside of Cuba, the repercussions of the visit not only continued but were being ramped up. In fact, at the time of writing, a month after the trip, the ideological and political controversies are carrying on."
From Italy to Centro Habana: The Story of SalchiPizza 4/24/2016 Havana Times: "In Italy, Alberto won the Bronze Medal for International High Cuisine (2007) and the Golden Spoon and Silver Fork awards (2009). He was the first Cuban chef to obtain the distinguished Michelin Star and remained in the Michelin Guide for 3 years. He didn’t maintain this status because it entailed far too much effort and ended up being stressful. Any of these awards would make it easy for Alberto find work at any first-rate restaurant in the world."
El Contingente Médico Cubano "Henry Reeve": ejemplo de altruismo consolidado desde la educación médica cubana 4/23/2016 Edumecentro: "La educación médica cubana se ha caracterizado siempre por su sistemática e inquebrantable función de ofrecer una educación a los profesionales de la salud basada en el perfeccionamiento de valores como el humanismo y la solidaridad desde la acción curricular y extensionista."
Cuban Gov. to Allow Citizens to Travel by Sea 4/22/2016 Havana Times: "The Castro government announced today it was lifting the longstanding prohibition on anyone born in Cuba from traveling by sea. The measure will allow Cubans to hire out on merchant ships and travel on cruisers. The change takes effect on April 26th."
Deportaciones a Cuba, el tsunami que viene 4/22/2016 Marti Noticias: "Unos 28.400 cubanos con antecedentes penales están en indefinida espera para ser deportados de Estados Unidos, muchos de ellos bajo la supervisión de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas."
Renowned Cuban Pro-Reform Economist Fired as Chill 4/21/2016 AP: "Reached by The Associated Press on Wednesday, Perez confirmed his dismissal by center director Humberto Blanco for having unauthorized conversations with foreign institutions and informing "North American representatives" about the internal procedures of the university.
The dismissal letter described Perez, 56, as "irresponsible" and "negligent" for continuing to engage in unauthorized activity after warnings from his superiors. It also accused him of receiving unauthorized payments for a study of the South Korean economy and said he was barred from returning to work for at least four years."
In Farewell, Fidel Castro Urges Party to Fulfill His Vision 4/19/2016 NYT: "“Soon, I will be 90,” said Mr. Castro, 89, who spoke in a strong but rasping voice at the close of a four-day party congress in Havana, according to official press reports. Mr. Castro’s birthday is on Aug. 13.
“Our turn comes to us all,” added Mr. Castro, who made his longest public address in years clad in a blue track jacket, “but the ideas of Cuban communism will endure.”"
Angela Davis Calls To Exonerarte Ex Black Panther Assata Shakur 4/18/2016 Chicago Defender: "ANGELA DAVIS: Well, yeah, Assata has not seen her grandchildren. It’s horrendous, the extent to which the repression associated with the era of the late 1960s and 1970s continues to this day. And we might also mention the fact that vast numbers of people are still behind bars from that era, members of the Black Panther Party—Mondo we Langa, Ed Rice. My co-defendant, Ruchell Magee, has been in prison for over 50 years. So I think that when we put all of these things together, they create a kind of invitation for increased radical activism for trying to resolve these issues that have been decades in the making."
Cuba calls Obama visit 'an attack' as Communists defend ideology 4/18/2016 Counterpunch: "President Raul Castro referred to the United States as "the enemy" in the opening speech of the party congress over the weekend and told Cubans to be alert to U.S. attempts to weaken the revolution.
The congress, held every five years, must make decisions about the future of Cuba's elderly leadership and the progress of market-style economic reforms adopted in 2011 that allowed more small businesses.
The measures have been only partially implemented, amid resistance from hard-liners who distrust market economics and fear detente with the United States at a time when Cubans are increasingly vocal about their needs."
Brigada médica cubana viaja a Ecuador para ayuda por terremoto 4/18/2016 Cuba Si: "Una brigada del Contingente Internacional de Médicos Especializados en el enfrentamiento a desastres y graves epidemias "Henry Reeve", viajó a Ecuador para brindar ayuda a las víctimas del terremoto."
Aduana cubana desmiente presencia de droga en contenedor embarcado en Cuba 4/18/2016 CubaDebate: "Luego de las investigaciones correspondientes; la revisión de las imágenes radiológicas, así como de los procedimientos establecidos para la inspección de los contenedores, la Aduana General de la República de Cuba puede asegurar categóricamente que el contenedor CLHU 387265-2 no era portador de drogas en su estructura, ni en los tanques metálicos que transportan la miel, por lo que el despacho de la agencia EFE carece de todo fundamento."
Mueren tres médicos cubanos durante el terremoto de Ecuador: MINSAP 4/18/2016 CubaDebate: "En este hermano país se encuentran laborando 742 colaboradores cubanos de la Salud, de los cuales 59 lo hacen en la zona azotada por este desastre natural."
American embassy in Havana offers grants 4/17/2016 Along the Malecon: "The U.S. Embassy in Havana is passing out grants ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 to individuals and organizations based in Cuba and non-profit organizations in the U.S.
Two project announcements, reproduced below, say that "projects that are inherently political in nature" aren't likely to be funded.
I doubt this means that the State Department and the Agency for International Development have ended other more expansive programs that are political. But the goal of these embassy projects is to strengthen U.S.-Cuba bilateral relations."
Raul Castro Presents Grim Portrait of Cuban Reforms 4/16/2016 NYT: "Cuban President Raul Castro delivered a grim report on the state of the country on Saturday, acknowledging that the communist bureaucracy he oversees has failed to implement most of the hundreds of changes launched five years ago to stimulate the stagnant centrally controlled economy."
Barbadian beer joins Cuban imports to relieve local demand 4/15/2016 Adelante: "Barbados´ Bank Breweries Limited will soon begin exporting nearly one million boxes of beer to Cuba, where the local demand has surpassed production capacity following the increase of tourism and private businesses."
Qué seguirá al histórico viaje de Obama a Cuba 4/13/2016 Havana Times: "Mucho antes de que el presidente Barack Obama pensara entrar en la vida política, la semilla de la discordia se había sembrado en Miami en 1998, con la creación y entrenamiento de grupos anti-cubanos disfrazados de periodistas independientes, bibliotecas independientes, agricultores independientes e independientes de cualquier cosa, con el único propósito de resaltar las desigualdades raciales existentes.
Manejados, financiados, entrenados y dirigidos en el combate por Frank Calzón, director de la subversiva organización Cuba Libre, bajo la mirada acuciosa del US-AID, NED, IRI y la Fundación Nacional Cubano Americana, en la cual se reclutaron a hombres y mujeres, predominantemente negros, para intentar alcanzar el triunfo donde los grupúsculos de predominio blanco habían fracasado."
#Guantánamo por una web inclusiva 4/12/2016 Eskina Lilith: "Un taller para crear diseños web accesibles a discapacitados sesiona desde ayer en Guantánamo como parte del proyecto Ciudades preparadas y alertas ante el riesgo sísmico en las provincias orientales, con fondos de varias organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG) en colaboración con el Citma y la Defensa Civil en Cuba.
La acción de capacitación es impartida por el ingeniero Ernesto Fernández, de la ONG Handicap Internacional, y se centra en la introducción a diseñadores, desarrolladores web y comunicadores en las herramientas para la creación de sitios digitales que puedan ser visitados por todos."
What’s Next After Obama’s Historic Trip to Cuba 4/11/2016 Havana Times: "Long before President Barack Obama thought of running for political office, the seed of discord was sown in Miami in 1998 with the creation and training of anti-Cuba groups disguised as Independent Journalists, Independent Librarians, Independent Farmers and Independent everything else, with the sole purpose of highlighting existing racial disparities in Cuba.
Managed, financed, trained and directed into battle by Frank Calzon’s subversive Free Cuba organization under the watchful eyes of US-AID, NED, IRI and the Cuban American National Foundation, these predominantly black men and women were recruited in an attempt to succeed where Miami lily-white counterrevolutionaries groups had failed."
Cuba US People to People Partnership 4/10/2016 Cubapeopletopeople: "The individual general license relies completely on the ingenuity, integrity and judgment of the traveler as to what qualifies. Unless Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz gains power, it is unlikely his or her conclusions will ever be challenged. Even then it will be hard to dispute the legitimacy of anyone who is not so irresponsible as to post on Facebook about a week on the beach. As a key State Department official said at the New York Times Travel Show in January 2015, the burden of proof of violations is on the Office of Foreign Assets Control. OFAC is in no position to second guess the actions of individual citizens."
Sector privado en Cuba, cinco años después 4/4/2016 Cuba a Contraluz: "Una primera dificultad tiene que ver con el acceso a las materias primas y el aprovisionamiento en general. Salvo para productos del agro, no existe un mercado mayorista para los pequeños emprendedores. Y las consecuencias son harto evidentes: altos precios de la oferta, desabastecimiento en la red de tiendas, repunte del mercado negro…
Aunque las autoridades han reconocido el problema, la solución se perfila a mediano o largo plazo, pues las compraventas al por mayor requieren desarrollar la industria y la agricultura nacionales, y disponer de recursos financieros que permitan importar más. Las dos cosas llevan tiempo. Por otra parte, el comercio exterior cubano se encuentra centralizado en un grupo de empresas estatales, y los emprendedores no tienen licencias para exportar ni importar.
De acuerdo con un informe publicado a mediados de 2015 por el Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social, 504 613 personas, el 27% de la fuerza laboral, se encontraban entonces afiliadas a los nuevos emprendimientos."
Obama en Cuba: La caída de los imaginarios 4/3/2016 Negra Cubana: por Yesenia Selier - "Más allá de las imágenes y los discursos, el fin del antagonismo con “el norte revuelto y brutal” sacude como un terremoto invisible imaginarios que han definido nuestras narrativas nacionalistas, entre ellos las relaciones Cuba- Estados Unidos, el lugar del no-blanco en el ideario nacional y cuál es la coalición bajo la que es definida la nación."
Los silencios de Obama 4/2/2016 Cubadebate: por Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada - "No me remontaré a tiempos remotos sino a un momento que sin duda él no ha olvidado: noviembre de 2008 cuando fue elegido por primera vez en una jornada que despertó ilusiones y esperanzas en millones de norteamericanos.
Aníbal Acevedo Vila, entonces Gobernador del “estado libre asociado” de Puerto Rico, le envió una carta pública pidiéndole algo elemental, al alcance de sus facultades administrativas y al mismo tiempo indispensable para cumplir su obligación constitucional. Acevedo le explicaba que el FBI había admitido poseer evidencias que mantenía ocultas sobre los asesinatos de dos jóvenes –Santiago “Chagui” Mari Pesquera y Carlos Muñiz Varela- en dos incidentes que en 1976 y 1979 estremecieron y aun conmueven a la sociedad boricua. En su misiva el Gobernador daba cuenta de las infructuosas gestiones para que la Agencia Federal norteamericana entregase esas pruebas a los tribunales."
Encuentro propone diseminar en Cuba computadora de 35 dólares 4/2/2016 IPS: "En el segundo islote más grande del archipiélago cubano, Isla de la Juventud, un grupo de 25 personas integrado por artistas, informáticos, emprendedores y realizadores,acampó durante tres días para compartir experiencias sobre nuevas tecnologías y desarrollo de las ciencias humanísticas.
Las oportunidades para Cuba que ofrece la computadora Raspberry Pi, con un costo de solo 35 dólares en el mercado internacional, fueron valoradas por las y los participantes de THATCamp 2016, que en su segunda edición viajó a Nueva Gerona, la capital de ese municipio especial."
Restablecimiento de servicio postal Cuba-EE.UU. beneficia a ambos 4/1/2016 Adelante: "En tal sentido, informó que con el fortalecimiento del parque de transporte contratado, y el ajuste de las tarifas aéreas que permitirá el traslado por esa vía de una parte de los envíos expresos, se podrá agilizar la entrega.
Además, abundó, trabajan en la ampliación de nuevas capacidades por ferrocarril para darles respuesta al resto de los envíos.
Asencio informó que hasta el momento solo ha arribado a Cuba correspondencia que incluye paquetería de menos de dos kilogramos porque, pese al acuerdo, todavía la página de correo norteamericana no ha publicado la autorización para el envío de encomiendas (bultos postales internacionales)."
Frequently Asked Questions About Business And Travel To Cuba 4/1/2016 Cuba Journal: "Here are 87 questions and answers about Cuba travel and business compiled as as of March 15, 2016."
Fernando Barral: El psiquiatra que fue amigo del Che 4/1/2016 Cubadebate: "En 1969, Fernando Barral fue el primer extranjero en ser autorizado a entrevistarse en Vietnam con un prisionero norteamericano. Don Fernando quien, tras volver a Cuba, informó a la familia del prisionero. La versión que Barral da sobre la situación en la que estaba McCain en Vietnam difiere en mucho de la leyenda de héroe que el senador norteamericano se construyó."
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