English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Moringa has become a “trending topic.” But aside from all the thoughtful analysis Fidel’s reflective mention has merited, I note with the moringa that our ex-president still has the clout to order the sowing of this miraculous plant and to override, in a new Special Plan, the normal work of specialists in cultivation techniques, plant … Continue reading “A Little More Moringa / Regina Coyula”
I went to the Zoological Park when the sun was still beating down. In my tour I could see the lion sleeping or exhausted, indifferent too the proddings of a public who want to see him standing up and roaring. I went to the fountain of my childhood, thinking I could find some water to … Continue reading “More on the Zoo at 26th / Rebeca Monzo”
The Cuban paper Granma is an inexhaustible assortment of themes for any attentive reader. I , at the risk of seeming repetitive and without any intention of making copies of what they publish, found myself often challenging their texts and points of view, as in this case. The note shown in the image published by … Continue reading “Hate Crimes? / Rosa María Rodríguez Torrado”
Havana, Cuba (CNN) — In the ’90s a certain joke became very popular in the streets and homes of Cuba. It began with Pepito — the mischievous boy of our national humor — and told how his teacher, brandishing a photo of the U.S. president, launches into a harsh diatribe against him. “The man you … Continue reading “Should the U.S. raise a fist or offer a hand to Cuba? / Yoani Sánchez”
Talitá, cum, is a phrase in Aramaic, a language spoken in Palestine in Jesus’ time, meaning “I speak to you”, and it belongs to the gospel of Mark 5, 21-43, and the church has set it has aside for us to meditate this week. This gospel tells us the story of a woman, who, for … Continue reading “CUBA, Talit’ cum – I speak to you / Ricardo Medina”
It was around ten in the morning and the heat was unbearable. The street was shimmering, reflecting the scorching sun. The pushcart vendor had taken refuge under one of the trees along Tulipan Street from where he was better able to offer his delicious guayaba pastries. He makes them himself, which allows him to sell … Continue reading “Inspectors or Predators? / Rebeca Monzo”
By Wilfredo Vallín Almeida There is a word that when you hear it, it’s difficult not to evoke the barbarity of the Inquisition that forced a 20th century Pope to apologize to humanity for actions so inappropriate for the Church of Christ. Faced with the subject it’s common for names such as Dachau, Treblinka, Auschwitz, … Continue reading “That is the question / Cuban Law Association, Wilfredo Vallín Almeida”
I have already told you many times how much I like to cook, especially desserts and pastries. Lately, I have stopped posting recipes since there is already a very professional blog on our portal devoted to this subject, one I highly recommended. I have also told you about the difficulties in preparing any sort of … Continue reading “Lemon Meringue Pie / Rebeca Monzo”
Translated by Mara from Yoani’s Twitter Thanks to Mara’s daily efforts, you can follow Yoani’s Twitter in English here. 1 July 2012
For three days, from June 21 to 23, an event organized by civil society on technology, social networking and the Internet was held in Havana. Called the CLICK Festival, this event was the realization of a long-cherished dream among citizens who, from the Island, are using social networks and the web as a path to … Continue reading “Kilobytes Win, Extremists Lose / Yoani Sánchez”
To: Office of Immigration and Alien Affairs, Ministry of the Interior Re: Reply request Miguel Iturria Savón, Cuban citizen, legal adult, married, university graduate, unemployed, permanent identity number 53092900308, residing at 222 Street, #9529, between 101 and 1st, Cruz Verde, Cotorro, Havana, Cuba,of my own volition hereby state to this office the following: That I … Continue reading “No Way Out / Miguel Iturría Savón”
When Leandro was born, back in 1930, there was no television. Of course, there was no Internet, computers or mobile phones either. The radio and the movies were no longer silent, and newspapers used to have many pages. Leandro still remembers when at age 13 in San Antonio de los Baños, he saw two planes … Continue reading “Portrait of a Revolutionary Old Man / Iván García”
April 23, 2012 Year of the Lord. From: Priest: Mario Félix Lleonart Barroso. To: Villa Clara Provincial Prosecutor’s Office and Management of the Protection of Citizen Rights of the Prosecutor General of the Republic. In so far as: Within just a few days, on May 8th, it will be one year since the controversial death … Continue reading “Letter from Priest Mario Félix Lleonart Barroso to the Villa Clara Provincial Prosecutor / Mario Félix Lleonart Barroso”
In 1915, the wives of the members of the Independent Party of Color managed something the Ladies in White have been denied in the 21st century. Article originally published in Diario de Cuba. Marking the 100th anniversary of the crime committed against black Cubans in 1912, data and facts previously relegated to history have come … Continue reading “Ladies in Black, An Ignored Antecedent / Dimas Castellano”
With the title “The Land Belongs to Those Who Work It,” the newspaper Granma published an editorial on May 17, in commemoration of “Peasant’s Day” from which I have selected three points that invite reflection. One: The Agrarian Reform was a basic need for economic liftoff. An affirmation that I share, since the concentration of … Continue reading “Why Doesn’t the Land Belong to Those Who Work It? / Dimas Castellanos”
