57 Years Later: Towards a New Contract for Cuba (Pt. 2) / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua

14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua, Havana, 8 May 2016 — The only certainty in Cuba in political terms is that the government accumulates a lot of power but lacks leadership. The kind of leadership required when a country faces an economic challenge, or a cultural, sociological, information, knowledge and generational one, plus the obvious dangers of any new … Continue reading “57 Years Later: Towards a New Contract for Cuba (Pt. 2) / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua”

57 Years Later: Towards A New Contract For Cuba (Pt. 1) / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua

14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua, Havana, 7 May 2016 — I am offering, for critical discussion, a viewpoint discussed in more than one place about what I consider the progressive and punctilious deconstruction of our national project. Cuba is no longer one nation, but rather an unfinished project. I will offer this in two parts, not … Continue reading “57 Years Later: Towards A New Contract For Cuba (Pt. 1) / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua”

Civic Engagement of Peruvians / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua

14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua, Havana, 19 April 2016 — In many ways, the elections in Peru reflect in some way the process of democratic maturation in the Americas. I participated in the elections of 2016 as an international observer in response to a shared invitation from Peru’s Political Institute for Freedom (IPL) and the Center for … Continue reading “Civic Engagement of Peruvians / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua”

Forty Years Later, What Does The Cuban Constitution Need? / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua

14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua, Havana, 23 January 2016 – Forty years in the life a nation is a short time in the long span of history. In politics, on the other hand, three generations are enough to measure the significance of accomplishments that mark a specific period. With the Socialist Constitution of Cuba turning 40, … Continue reading “Forty Years Later, What Does The Cuban Constitution Need? / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua”

Spanish Lessons for Cuba / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua

14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua, Havana, 28 December 2015 — The general elections held in Spain this 20 December (20-D) contain a number of important lessons for Cuba and for Cubans, as we look ahead to the electoral process in 2018. Here is a reflection on these lessons, at a distance of space and time. I … Continue reading “Spanish Lessons for Cuba / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua”

Revolutionary ‘Plattism’* / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua

14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua, Havana, 23 October 2015 — During the State-sponsored 12th Forum of Cuban Civil Society Against the Blockade, which ended last Friday at the Ministry of Public Health’s auditorium in Havana, a unique paper was presented. Under the title “The Blockade: Methodology for Calculating Costs,” Pico Nieves, and expert from the National Institute … Continue reading “Revolutionary ‘Plattism’* / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua”

Czech Prime Minister Receives Cuban Regime Opponent Manuel Cuesta Morua / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, September — Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka met Wednesday with Cuban dissident Manuel Cuesta Morua–leader of the Progressive Arc and promoter of several citizen projects–during the last day of the 19th version of Forum 2000 in Prague. In the conversation, the head of state was interested in the political and economic events in … Continue reading “Czech Prime Minister Receives Cuban Regime Opponent Manuel Cuesta Morua / 14ymedio”

The Associated Press Calls Us ‘Mercenaries’ / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua

14ymedio, Havana, Manuel Cuesta Morua, 14 August 2014 — Two separate reports from the American Associated Press (AP) agency, published urbi et orbi, reproduce a syndrome of certain US media in relation to Cuba, at least in the last 55 years. The syndrome began in 1958 with the New York Times journalist Herbert Matthews, and his sympathetic tale … Continue reading “The Associated Press Calls Us ‘Mercenaries’ / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua”

A Preview of the Next Cuba / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua, Reinaldo Escobar

Interview with Manuel Cuesta Morúa from Constitutional Consensus Options under discussion: Change the 1940 Constitution, the 1976 update or create a new constitution The Project involves most of the relevant organizations from the civic and political community, inside and outside Cuba Reinaldo Escobar, Havana | May 23, 2014 Question. What is the objective of the … Continue reading “A Preview of the Next Cuba / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua, Reinaldo Escobar”

Manuel Cuesta Morua Nominated for the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize

The Program for International Democratic Solidarity of CADAL, Democracy Bridge, has nominated Cuban dissident leader Manuel Cuesta Morúa spokesman for the Progressive Arch Party, to the Václav Havel 2014 Human Rights Award, according to their press release. The award “aims to reward civil society action in defense of human rights in Europe and beyond. The … Continue reading “Manuel Cuesta Morua Nominated for the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize”

Confusion in the Americas on the Venezuelan Crisis / Manuel Cuesta Morua

HAVANA, Cuba. – The open crisis in Venezuela confuses all of Latin America and the Caribbean. It has an important economic component. Many of the small countries of the Caribbean basin, turned client-states, foresee the loss of the cheap oil prices Venezuela has been providing. This may be a small consideration for most, except for … Continue reading “Confusion in the Americas on the Venezuelan Crisis / Manuel Cuesta Morua”

Manuel Cuesta Morua Arrest Confirmed

Yesterday opposition leader Manuel Cuesta Morúa member of the Progressive Arc Party and organizer in Cuba of the 2nd Democratic Forum on International Relations and Human Rights (parallel to CELAC) was detained and held at the 7th Police Station in La Lisa the outskirts of the Cuban capital. The news came through the opponent and Cubanet … Continue reading “Manuel Cuesta Morua Arrest Confirmed”

The “Murderous Law” Which Allows Many Cubans to Eat / Manuel Cuesta Morua

Havana, Cuba,November 2013, www.cubanet.org.– The Cuban Adjustment Act generates a lively controversy on both sides of the Straits of Florida. For the government it is the cause of indiscriminate exodus by Cubans to wherever, and for some of the exiles it constitutes the best escape valve which the regime utilizes to ease its tensions. Another … Continue reading “The “Murderous Law” Which Allows Many Cubans to Eat / Manuel Cuesta Morua”

Manuel Cuesta Commits to a “Common Strategy” for Change in Cuba / Manuel Cuesta

On Monday, Cuban dissident Manuel Cuesta Morúa, spokesman for Progressive Arc of Cuba, and a Cubanet journalist, committed to a “common strategy” of the opposition to bring about political change in the island, and he denounced the repression exercised by the Government over private initiative in the economy. Cuesta Morúa, on a visit to Spain, … Continue reading “Manuel Cuesta Commits to a “Common Strategy” for Change in Cuba / Manuel Cuesta”

Castro’s Strategy, in Short: A Perfect Manual for Disaster / Manuel Cuesta Morua

HAVANA, Cuba, August, www.cubanet.org — Does Raul Castro have a vision for the state? After seven years in office the question bears asking. Perhaps few people thought about it during the previous forty-six years because most observers just assumed that Fidel Castro had a grand plan for the state. But in perspective I do not … Continue reading “Castro’s Strategy, in Short: A Perfect Manual for Disaster / Manuel Cuesta Morua”