Translating Cuba

What you see here was once the seal of the centrifuge of our washing machine. A frightening little sound every time we turned it on that announced it was already signing the song of the peanut seller, until more than a month ago it told us, gentlemen I’m retiring, and it expired along with the motor damp underneath.

Between naiveté and hope I went in vain to the State repair workshop and collided there with the predictable evidence: in the intricacies of the black market — virtually the only one available for these purposes — this piece of rubber would cost between 20 and 25 CUC, that it at least 500 Cuban pesos, plus the usual labor cost, without which we would have to wash our clothes by hand.

This happened exactly when our ministry decided to start “paying” doctors 2.00 Cuban pesos (less than 10¢ U.S.) an hour for each night shift from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, which is 24 Cuban pesos per night shift — and so with an average of five night shifts a month this comes to 120 Cuban pesos, or the equivalent of some $5.00 U.S. now added to our monthly salaries for this work.

The incontrovertible evidence strikes us in the face again: while we public health professionals devote ourselves to our work, we continue to be the last link in the food chain; the pittance added to our salary today proves it. Other sectors triple or quadruple the pay, however mine, which for more than a decade has been the greatest source of hard currency entering the country (in exchange for doctors on “medical missions” abroad in countries like Venezuela), is kept destitute, in practice and deliberately.

Luckily selfless helping hands took on our repair, and although we always have to buy the part, having had to pay the full price for the disaster would have tripled our cost.

However, this still meant paying an entire month’s salary. While this is happening our minister determines that we do not deserve more than 2 Cuban pesos per hour for night duty, which destroys our health. They definitely do not respect us.

By: Jeovany Jimenez Vega.

29 May 2013

Almost two years late, the famous fiber optic cable will be available to the population within a few days. One hundred and eighteen Internet sites will be opened throughout the country, although the number set up by the State phone company, ETECSA, for information isn’t working (cleverly or by chance the phone number is 118).

I don’t know the details, I don’t know if the rooms will have three computers or twenty, but the news is positive. Many Cubans will be able, for the first time, to look into the abyss of the web, the initial dizziness will pass.

My son, on hearing the news, first said that having Facebook and Revolico (the Cuban “Craigslist”), people would be content. Then I got a little petty: “Don’t think they’ll be that content.” The prices are a step forward compared to connecting in a hotel, but “our working people” whose wages, let’s say, are around 400 Cuban pesos a month (about $16.00 US), will have to work more than a day to afford a single hour of surfing the Internet.

If they also want international email, this hour will cost them three and a half days’ wages, and if they get greedy and want to go out on the information highway, one hour will relieve them of a fourth of their monthly salary.

In a population of 11 million, I don’t doubt that at least while it’s a novelty they will form lines to get into these rooms. It’s speculation on my part, but it would be best if they offer the service 24 x 7.

I suspect we will navigate “a la Chinese,” and in addition to set sites, commitments in writing, the room directors walking behind users to verify their good behavior, and big character posters explaining what we can and cannot do, we would leave behind our browsing history and “the comrades who serve the sector” could access this information, thus depreciating the value of privacy.

But I am content. At last we Cubans can surf the Internet!

29 May 2013

A resolution urging the regime of the Castro brothers to ratify the International Covenants on Human Rights and to cooperate with the workings of the United Nations, was passed in the 38th Congress of the International Federation of Human Rights, which concluded on Monday 27 May in Istanbul (Turkey).

The resolution, proposed by the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN) and titled “With regards to the situation of civil and political rights in Cuba,” asks Havana to ratify the Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which it signed, as also demanded from Havana by the Campaign For Another Cuba.

The document also calls for the abolition of the death penalty on the island.

The Congress was attended by more than 200 organizations from 130 countries.

Source: solidaridadcuba.org

29 May 2013

It seems that the economic imperialism of so-called Latin American left is going to throw the ballots in favor of the election of Piedad Cordoba for the presidency of Colombia.

Telesur’s news-ticker already announced her candidacy for the nomination so we should be preparing for this new time of awakening of the peoples of the continent. Winning this election will guarantee Venezuela peace on its western flank, but above all, it will make possible the removal of the base that the Northern Giant has in this Latin American state and insure the entry of a new country in the area in to the strategic hemispheric alliance against the interventionism and hegemony of the United States.

Thus, it would affirm the “made in Cuba” demagogic discourse, and support the continuity “of the soldiers of perpetual socialism” — although Latin American is now more humane and multi-party — continuing to place kings in front of their respective people, whom they give free education so as to later try to avoid that they think or that they do only in the direction convenient for them.

With regards to health care which — as in the Cuban case — is also free, it is mediocre in a general sense in the attention and services and this is aggravated by the material scarcities of every kind and also of doctors, who are sent outside of Cuba by the state patronage masked by solidarity. To compound the South American problems in general, are already thinking even about creating a continental army to defend the interests — those of the caudillos, for example — of the countries in the region.

These forms of “divine” government with no alternation in power, cause its citizens  to indefinitely “choose” the same person or group for the top job, as has been done historically in Cuba, despite the ongoing red ink through multiple olive-green administrations through 54 years.

The government of my country, seems to be the evil brain — for parasitic dependency and disability — of the anti-United States design, and dedicates itself to bleeding other peoples by exporting this failed model, while waiting with open mouths for the barrels of oil and all possible assistance that feeds and sustains their costly and impoverishing stay at the forefront of the nation.

In the same way the presence of Ms. Córdoba mercifully facilitated the FARC’s release of hostages, it is possible that her winning the Colombian presidency, will disarm this or that other army to attribute the victory to the leftist struggle and justify in the first instance, her reelection.

I do not know if in Colombia — with its complex reality of narcotrafficking, armies, insurgents, drug cartels and other problems that surely I don’t know — it will be easy to impose a queen with a popular image; what truly saddens me is that this model that is presented to the rest of the world as humanistic is installed in countries in the region, a model that for over half a century has led Cubans to general poverty, divided families and society, violated fundamental rights, led to prison, to exile, to national bankruptcy.

28 May 2013

Although a sputtering Russian-made truck and its crew passed through the Sevillano neighborhood picking up trash and garbage in the streets the night before, debris had once again accumulated on the street corners by morning.

“It never ends. At dawn every morning we go through areas of Diez de Octubre picking up trash. We take tons of waste to the dump, but a little later the street corners are overflowing with junk again,” says Orlando, a 35-year-old sanitation worker.

Directly facing the Plaza Roja in the heart of the Havana neighborhood of La Víbora, there is an unoccupied building where neighbors dump significant quantities of trash. Every so often large dump trucks and a bulldozer carry off the piles of debris. A few days later the building is once again filled with refuse and discarded objects.

The garbage trucks cannot always make their rounds. The drivers do what they can with the aging fleet. Many of the vehicles remain idle due to a lack of spare parts. Widespread indifference leads some people to steal the wheels off the trash containers to make pushcarts. Or for fun, gangs of youths turn trashcans over into the streets.

Public health and epidemiological officials launch media campaigns in an effort to stem the illegal dumping, but they have little effect.

“Havana as a city is extremely vulnerable to diseases associated with a lack of cleanliness. Unhealthy conditions as well as rats, mice, mosquitoes as well as poor water treatment can lead to skin infections, cholera and dengue fever,” says a specialist.

In spite of some outbreaks of dengue fever and cholera, Havana has not seen large-scale epidemics — at least not yet — even though dengue fever has reached almost epidemic proportions.

Because potable water is not available 24 hours a day, a large segment of the population is forced to store water in containers, and not always in the most hygienic or careful way. As a result mosquito larvae carrying hemorrhagic dengue fever can be difficult to eliminate.

“Ending the cycle of the dengue epidemic has so far proved to be impossible. As long as current living conditions in Cuba persist, trying to eradicate dengue is like tilting at windmills,” says the head of a brigade which fumigates houses in an attempt to prevent the illness.

A shortage of trash bins means pedestrians often throw peanut wrappers, beer cans and other pieces of trash into the street. Because there are fewer public restrooms — especially in bars, cafes and nightclubs — at night many people urinate or defecate in public thoroughfares, on street corners or in building stairways.

Public apathy and societal discontent among certain segments of the population manifest themselves in acts of petty vandalism towards public telephones, automatic teller machines and city buses.

The filth and stench have turned the capital into the dirtiest city on the island. A shortage of trashcans and public idleness have caused the streets to overflow with refuse and debris.

“If the accumulation of dirt and poor water treatment continue, an epidemic of huge proportions could be unleashed in Havana in the near future,” warns an epidemiologist. We have been lucky so far.

Iván García

18 May 2013

By Ignacio Estrada

Havana, Cuba – The population affected by HIV/AIDS in Cuba is still not receiving oil as part of the aid from the United Nations Global Fund.

The Cuban community living with this disease has been living without aid since late 2012 and this continues to date. The aid was restored only a month ago and is expected to be only a total of 22 cans of sausages for all the rest of the year. Meanwhile vegetable oil has not been deposited in the warehouses for distribution.

According to what we learned, the food aid being delivered has only been approved for two years, due to continued growth of the population that lives with HIV/AIDS in Cuba, figures which are kept a state secret by the authorities in power. The appearance of these figures in the media would put in the public arena the uncertain efforts of the faltering health system.

It is important to clarify that aid provided by the UN relieves the lack of products on the island and is a relief for every home where a person lives with the disease.

I asked one of the UN officials in Havana — who preferred that his name not be mentioned — “Why did the help end before the scheduled time?” and he unhesitatingly replied, “The health authorities on the island receive help for a specific number of affected, which are backed by our project. Each year in Cuba new cases are detected and they are given the help of the already approved initial figure. This fact makes the products run out sooner than expected and causes the bumps from one year to another…”

The truth is that this year the population that lives with HIV/AIDS has received as aid only hot dogs and there is already talk of a second round with the same amount but vegetable oil is conspicuously absent. What many do not know is that even apparently after the next installment Cuba will say a final farewell to an aid which for years has palliated the hunger and the needs of the sick on the island.

27 May 2013

Silvio Rodriguez enlightens us about the Five Grey Years and the late censor Luis Pavón:

In the time when Pavon led the National Council of Culture, there was injustice with some writers and artists, because of narrow views. I believe his responsibility for that has been exaggerated. I think it is necessary to analyze what happened then more deeply, from various angles, not to fall into another kind of extremism. So as to someday be able to say, with foundation, that yes, there were mistakes, but it wasn’t all gray in those five years.

Silvio Rodriguez will remain as the Repairer of Five-Gray-Years. To you, the people who love him still, that man is screaming for euthanasia: that someone will take pity on him and save him from so much embarrassment.

From The Blog of Enrisco

28 May 2013

The University of Havana fell 27 places in the Latin American ranking, going from 54 to 81, a fall with several explanations.

With a score of 49.10 (out of 100), the main Cuban school lost ground in almost all aspects evaluated, but its decline is due mainly to the advancement of other universities in the region.

Its best indicator is its academic reputation (83.5 points) and its worst, the amount of research by faculty (22.5 points).

The second-ranked Cuban institution is the University of the Oriente, which slightly improved in ranking to145 in Latin America, with a score of 34.70. In 2012 it was ranked 149.

The next-ranked are José Antonio Echeverría City University  and the University of Cienfuegos, both between the positions 201-250, and the Central University of Las Villas 251-300. (After 150th place, the universities were ranked in groups of 50.)

No medical school on the island made the list.

According to the QS University Rankings, produced annually in London, the University of São Paulo in Brazil tops the chart for the third consecutive year. Brazil dominates with 81 institutions in the top 300.

Of the ranked universities, 44% were founded in the last 50 years.

According to the report of QS World Universities Rankings, assessments are based on surveys of academic reputation and work, along with research productivity and citations, student-faculty ratio, academics with doctorates and web presence.

Translated from Diario de Cuba

28 May 2013

Last night Eliecer Avila returned, they tell me that today Berta Soler is coming, and Thursday we will greet Yoani and then the others will return: Guillermo Fariñas, Wilfredo Vallín, Juan Antonio Madrazo, Manuel Cuesta… and while some arrive others will leave, among them Dagoberto Valdés, who leaves today after years of his exit permit being denied.

Now missing is permission to visit or return permanently to Cuba for all those they have prevented from returning to their Homeland. Some won’t be able to do it because they died in exile, among them our Celia Cruz, others will require special guarantees, like Carlos Alberto Montaner and others who have been demonized.

“Cubanness,” that indefinable abstraction, will be stronger than any ideology, any religion. When sitting at the table we look at each other and recognize ourselves as Cubans, Cubans, period! as the great blogger rightly said; only then will solutions begin to appear, far from definitive, and bringing new problems, new challenges, new questions.

Someone will have to explain to me what must happen for this miracle to appear.

27 May 2013