Obispo Street, the ‘Beggars’ Boulevard’ in the Cuban Capital

14ymedio, Pedro Espinosa, Havana, 21 December 2023 — The belongings of old Orlando, whom everyone in Havana knows as El Barba [The Beard], can be counted on the fingers of one hand. With fingers left over. A quilt, a couple of shirts, some pants, his crutch and a small box. His 86 years are also … Continue reading “Obispo Street, the ‘Beggars’ Boulevard’ in the Cuban Capital”

Competing Pizzerias on Havana’s Obispo Street

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, June 29, 2023 — No one shows any interest in having lunch at Via Venetto, whose interior is pitch black and flies buzz around the pizzas on display. The restaurant is located on Obispo Street in a downtown area with constant foot traffic that should make it an ideal spot … Continue reading “Competing Pizzerias on Havana’s Obispo Street”

Obispo Street Protesters are Fined and Pressured to Leave Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, 17 January 2022 — The demonstrators of Obispo Street, who spent several months in prison, were informed this Monday in Villa Marista, the State Security headquarters in Havana, that they will receive an “administrative fine” in order to conclude the judicial process against them. “Serving prison for the alleged fabricated charges of resistance and public … Continue reading “Obispo Street Protesters are Fined and Pressured to Leave Cuba”

The Last of Those Arrested on Obispo Street, Esteban Rodriguez, Exits Cuba ‘Fleeing Terror’

14ymedio, Havana, 5 January 2022 — Journalist Esteban Rodríguez, detained in Combinado del Este prison until Tuesday for participating in the protest on Obispo street is in El Salvador with his colleague Héctor Luis Valdés Cocho after Nicaragua refused them entry. Both are reporters for the Cuban independent daily, ADN, and members of the San … Continue reading “The Last of Those Arrested on Obispo Street, Esteban Rodriguez, Exits Cuba ‘Fleeing Terror’”

Two of Cuba’s Obispo Street Protesters Are Released After Eight Months in Prison

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 4 January 2022 — The activists Inti Soto and Ángel Cuza, two of the six protesters arrested after the April 30 sit-in on Obispo Street in Havana, were released on Tuesday, after eight months in prison, confirmed Mary Karla Ares, an independent journalist also arrested during the protest, told 14ymedio. Cuza … Continue reading “Two of Cuba’s Obispo Street Protesters Are Released After Eight Months in Prison”

The Six Cuban Activists Arrested on Obispo Street Have Been Transferred to Prisons

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 28 May 2021 — With last Wednesday’s transfer of the communicator and activist Esteban Rodríguez to the Valle Grande penitentiary, there are now six activists jailed awaiting trial for their participation, on April 30 in Obispo Street in Havana, in an act of solidarity with the artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. The … Continue reading “The Six Cuban Activists Arrested on Obispo Street Have Been Transferred to Prisons”

Six Cuban Evangelical Leaders Call for the Release of the Obispo Street Detainees

14ymedio, Havana, 22 May 2021 —  Six evangelical pastors have addressed an open letter to the Cuban State to request the freedom of those detained in Obispo Street in Havana on April 30, after a demonstration in favor of the artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, then on a hunger strike in his home. In their letter, made public … Continue reading “Six Cuban Evangelical Leaders Call for the Release of the Obispo Street Detainees”

Mary Karla Ares is Serving Two Weeks in Prison for Filming the Obispo Street Protest

14ymedio, Havana, 13 May 2021 — Journalist Mary Karla Ares turned 29 this Tuesday, May 11. On that day she had also served 11 days in provisional prison since her arrest on April 30 on Obispo Street, in Havana, during a solidarity protest with the artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, then on a hunger and … Continue reading “Mary Karla Ares is Serving Two Weeks in Prison for Filming the Obispo Street Protest”

“How Much Does the Apostle Cost?” The Price of a Portrait of José Martí in the Streets of Havana

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, May 30, 2024 — How much can a piece of cardboard with the portrait that Andrés Estévez made of José Martí in Key West during Christmas 1891 cost in Havana? The answer comes from a man who walks along Obispo Boulevard, without people paying much attention to him, with filthy … Continue reading ““How Much Does the Apostle Cost?” The Price of a Portrait of José Martí in the Streets of Havana”

Thais Mailen Franco, One of the Detainees from the Obispo St. Demonstration, Arrives in the U. S. by the ‘Route of the Volcanoes’*

14ymedio, Havana, 7 October 7, 2022 — Thais Mailén Franco, one of those arrested for the demonstration on Obispo Street in Havana in April 2021, has been in U.S. territory since the early hours of Wednesday. “Crossing the California border, crossing the entire desert,” says the activist herself in a video posted on her social … Continue reading “Thais Mailen Franco, One of the Detainees from the Obispo St. Demonstration, Arrives in the U. S. by the ‘Route of the Volcanoes’*”

The Yes Vote and No Vote on Cuba’s New Family Code Collide on a Street In Havana

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 22 September 2022 — A scene this Thursday on Obispo Street, in Old Havana, was enough to show that the opinion of Cubans on the Family Code, whose referendum will be held next Sunday, is far from uniform. This isn’t what the Government would like, judging by the resources it … Continue reading “The Yes Vote and No Vote on Cuba’s New Family Code Collide on a Street In Havana”

Update on the Transfer to Prison of the Obispo Protesters / Cubalex

Cubalex, 28 May 2021 — The six protesters arrested during the peaceful protest on April 30 on Obispo Street in Old Havana have already been transferred to remote prisons, outside the capital and in different provinces from Pinar del Río to Matanzas. Yuisán Cancio Vera was transferred to the Pinar del Río provincial penitentiary and … Continue reading “Update on the Transfer to Prison of the Obispo Protesters / Cubalex”

Calle Obispo: Look But Don’t Touch / Jose Hugo Fernandez

HAVANA, Cuba, January, www.cubanet.org — If the caviar leftists from abroad saw what their eyes can see in Cuba, and not only what they want to see, a walk through Old Havana would suffice for them to discover the impassable class wall that the regime has raised between them and our common people.  They do … Continue reading “Calle Obispo: Look But Don’t Touch / Jose Hugo Fernandez”

Art on the Streets of Havana / Wendy Iriepa and Ignacio Estrada

The images we publish today, were taken through the lens of my camera on our walk down Obispo Street last Sunday. The Art of Mime is a must-see for those strolling down this central artery of the oldest part of Havana. For Cubans and foreigners alike, the presence of the mimes is something new to … Continue reading “Art on the Streets of Havana / Wendy Iriepa and Ignacio Estrada”