The “Weekly Packet” Rules in Cuban Homes / Cubanet, Anddy Sierra Alvarez

Cubanet, Anddy Sierra Alvarez, Havana, 28 October 2014 — With the delivery of the “weekly packet” to Cuban homes, the people have taken an important leap toward access to information and entertainment. In a country where the only television is state-run and there is no mass consumption of the Internet, this phenomenon helps to build … Continue reading “The “Weekly Packet” Rules in Cuban Homes / Cubanet, Anddy Sierra Alvarez”

Cuba’s ‘Weekly Packet’ Rises in Price While the Censorship of its Content Increases

14ymedio, Havana, 25 January 2022 — The weekly packet, that compendium of audiovisuals, music and digital material that for more than a decade has been an alternative to official television, has risen in price this January and in Havana it will cost 70 pesos each week. Customers are alarmed by this increase and also the loss … Continue reading “Cuba’s ‘Weekly Packet’ Rises in Price While the Censorship of its Content Increases”

Sarita Reyes: Goodbye to One of the Smiles on Cuban Television

14ymedio, Marcelo Hernández, Havana, 7 May 2020 —  When I was a child one of the smiles that populated my childhood was that of Sarita Reyes, one of the most popular Cuban actresses of the last century. Versatile, witty and with a touch of authority, her presentations on the program Behind the Facade were the first … Continue reading “Sarita Reyes: Goodbye to One of the Smiles on Cuban Television”

The Real Parents of the Weekly Packet / Cubanet, Augusto César San Martín and Rudy Cabrera

This video is not subtitled but the images will be interesting to all. Cubanet, Augusto César San Martín and Rudy Cabrera, Havana, 24 November 2017 — Contrary to what has been affirmed to date, the “Weekly Packet” did not have a creator. The original idea was spontaneous, in the mid-eighties, with the arrival in Cuba … Continue reading “The Real Parents of the Weekly Packet / Cubanet, Augusto César San Martín and Rudy Cabrera”

Cuban Faces of 2016: Yomil and El Dany, Reggaetoneros (b. Havana, 1991 and 1989)

14ymedio, Havana, 25 December 2016 – Cuban Faces of 2016: Roberto Hidalgo Puentes (Yomil) and Daniel Muñoz Borrego (El Dany) reached the status of the most listened to reggaetoneros in Cuba this year. Previously known for being part of projects like Los 4 and Jacob Forever, respectively, both young men joined last year in a group … Continue reading “Cuban Faces of 2016: Yomil and El Dany, Reggaetoneros (b. Havana, 1991 and 1989)”

Cuba’s ‘Weekly Packet’ is Caught in the Crossfire / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 23 December 2016 – “Over my dead body!” echoes across a living room in Florida, Camaguey, Cuba, the day Jorge Angel discovered his family absorbed in the weekly packet. Now the wife sneaks to watch the reality shows that come in the weekly audiovisual compendium so as not to annoy the … Continue reading “Cuba’s ‘Weekly Packet’ is Caught in the Crossfire / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar”

Cuban Government Imposes Mourning By Force / 14ymedio, Marcelo Hernandez

14ymedio, Marcelo Hernandez, Havana, 29 November 2016 — Eulalia has two obsessions in her life: listening to music and sitting in her easy chair in the doorway of her home in the city of Alquízar, Artemis. There, she watches the evening fall and keeps an eye on her chickens so they won’t end up “in other … Continue reading “Cuban Government Imposes Mourning By Force / 14ymedio, Marcelo Hernandez”

Cuban Independent Press Grows Despite Censorship / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, 13 October 2016 – The Cuban independent press has been marked by two opposing phenomena: censorship and growth, according to the report on Cuba published by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) on Thursday. The document prepared for the association made up of representatives from more than 1,300 publications of the Americas by Yoani Sanchez in her … Continue reading “Cuban Independent Press Grows Despite Censorship / 14ymedio”

Omega and Odyssey Compete for ‘Weekly Packet’ Audience / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, 29 September 2016 – Two young men wait on the centrally located corner of San Lazaro and San Francisco in Havana, at the door of the private business Copypack. They have in hand a hard disk to get the ‘Weekly Packet’ without knowing that through this compendium of audiovisuals a discrete battle is … Continue reading “Omega and Odyssey Compete for ‘Weekly Packet’ Audience / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar”

“Cubans Like Everything Forbidden” / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 22 September 2016 – He is a self-confessed “son of television,” but he also admits that Cuba “is a bit behind” in the last decades with regards to innovation and quality in this medium. To catch up, Rolando Lorenzo León has created an entertainment program focused on the lives of artists … Continue reading ““Cubans Like Everything Forbidden” / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar”

“Social Media and the ‘Weekly Packet’, That’s the Game Plan in Cuba / 14ymedio, Mario Penton

14ymedio, Mario Penton, Miami, 12 September 2016 — Experts who participated in the first day of the Cuba Internet Freedom Forum, a two-day conference in Miami starting on Monday, agreed on the importance of further progress in improving access to the World Wide Web on the island, highlighting the crucial crucial played by alternatives such … Continue reading ““Social Media and the ‘Weekly Packet’, That’s the Game Plan in Cuba / 14ymedio, Mario Penton”

Cuban Government Lifts Censorship Against Revolico / 14ymedio, Zunilda Mata

14ymedio,Zunilda Mata, Havana, 12 August 2016 — With the same discretion that eight years ago led the government to censor a popular Cuban version of Craigslist, it has now lifted its electronic blocking, without any announcement or public statements. The news of the unlocking the Revolico, a site filled with classified ads, has revolutionized the … Continue reading “Cuban Government Lifts Censorship Against Revolico / 14ymedio, Zunilda Mata”

The Christian Section of the ‘Weekly Packet’ / 14ymedio Luz Escobar

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana 8 July 2016 – For decades, Cuban evangelicals have lost the ability to operate their own schools, to defend their ideas on the radio, and to distribute their written publications in the newsstands throughout the country. However, new technologies have allowed them to place their new audiovisual media in the popular … Continue reading “The Christian Section of the ‘Weekly Packet’ / 14ymedio Luz Escobar”

Cubans Cheer the First Cruise Ship From Miami / 14ymedio, Yosmany Mayeta Labrada

14ymedio, Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, Havana, 2 May 2016 — The clock struck nine as the cruise ship Adonia entered the bay of Havana. Dozens of people enthusiastically welcomed the first pleasure boat to come to the island from Miami in the last 50 years. The government did not need to issue an official call for citizens to gather there, … Continue reading “Cubans Cheer the First Cruise Ship From Miami / 14ymedio, Yosmany Mayeta Labrada”

The Obama Revolution and the Average Cuban / Iván García

Ivan Garcia, 9 April 2016 — Quiet has returned to the streets of Carraguao, a neighborhood in the suburb of Cerro. There are no more patrol cars, no local police or beefy foreigners who look like U.S Secret Service agents walking around and checking everything out. But two days after it took place, Berta — … Continue reading “The Obama Revolution and the Average Cuban / Iván García”