‘The Idea is to Leave, Once Outside We’ll see,’ Say Cubans on Their Way to Managua

14ymedio, Mexico, 9 March 2023 — “Passengers who do not have a passport, stay seated.” That phrase, which on any other flight would sound strange, is already routine for the Aeroméxico flights between Havana and Mexico City that end in Managua. Cubans continue to use that route to get to the United States. Between hugs … Continue reading “‘The Idea is to Leave, Once Outside We’ll see,’ Say Cubans on Their Way to Managua”

The Renegades of Castroism

14ymedio, Pedro Corzo, Miami, 25 February 2023 — Political rivalry and enmity should not lead to the victimization of the adversary, as happen with the Castro regime and its peers such as Marxism and Nazi fascism, all inspired by ideas that conceive government management as divine acts that cannot be questioned. Supporters of these regimes act … Continue reading “The Renegades of Castroism”

When the Motherland is Really a Mother

14ymedio, Carlos Alberto Montaner, Madrid, 18 February 2023 — There is a rhetorical way of referring to Spain: “The Motherland.” But sometimes that fits reality and is said without hypocrisy. Especially, when it involves some sacrifice and a certain price has been paid. The socialist government of Spain, contradicting its minority partners in the coalition … Continue reading “When the Motherland is Really a Mother”

In Coyote Regimes

14ymedio, Pedro Corzo, Miami, 18 February 2023 — We often read about that particularly predatory human subspecies that we call “coyotes,” unscrupulous subjects who live from the despair of those who seek to have a better life for themselves and theirs. These people have no mercy. They traffic people, making them face countless dangers, like … Continue reading “In Coyote Regimes”

Arrest, Condemn and Exchange, the Tactic of Authoritarianisms Against Dissidents

14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Merida (Mexico), 9 February 2023 — When I met Nicaraguan opposition member Félix Maradiaga I knew immediately that Daniel Ortega must hate him rabidly. The activist is the antithesis of the old caudillo: hyperactive, charismatic and an excellent communicator. This Thursday I learned that the former presidential candidate is among the 222 … Continue reading “Arrest, Condemn and Exchange, the Tactic of Authoritarianisms Against Dissidents”

‘Bolos’ [Russians] and Yankees in Havana

14ymedio, Pedro Corzo, Miami, February 4, 2023 — It’s evident that the Castro leadership, those whom they call moncadistas [the ones who took part in the attack on the Moncada barracks, celebrated every July 26], by their stubbornness in maintaining privileges and fortunes at all costs, don’t cease to reinvent themselves by resorting to any maneuver … Continue reading “‘Bolos’ [Russians] and Yankees in Havana”

Mario Vargas Llosa: ‘Socialism is Dead. No One Can Believe in it After Cuba’

14ymedio, Maite Rico, Madrid, 5 February 2023 — At age 86, Mario Vargas Llosa (b. Arequipa, 1936) faces a new stage in his life. He has returned to his apartment in the center of Madrid, after ending his relationship with Isabel Preysler. Also, surrounded by his collection of hippos, he has finished his novel about … Continue reading “Mario Vargas Llosa: ‘Socialism is Dead. No One Can Believe in it After Cuba’”

283,189 Cubans Crossed to the U.S. in 2022, an Average of 775 Per Day

14ymedio, Ángel Salinas, Mexico, January 2, 2023 — Miami is the target of Rolando and his wife Yaimaris. In this region in southeastern Florida they hope to achieve a better future for their seven-year-old daughter, because on the Island “the situation gets worse every day.” This Cuban couple spent 48 hours in a detention center … Continue reading “283,189 Cubans Crossed to the U.S. in 2022, an Average of 775 Per Day”

Latin America and the Eternal Political Pendulum of the Caudillos

14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Generation Y, 1 January 2023 — Some call it the political pendulum, others classify it as the necessary ideological fluctuations imposed by history and there is no shortage of those who compare it with a cachumbambé (or seesaw) that sinks some party leaders in Latin America today while elevating others. The academic … Continue reading “Latin America and the Eternal Political Pendulum of the Caudillos”

Canada is Asked to Sanction Diaz-Canel and Others for the Repression in Cuba

14ymedio, Madrid, 14 November 2022 — On Monday the organisations Democratic Spaces and Cuba Decide asked the Canadian government to sanction the Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel and a further nine officials, as well as the bodies known as the boinas negras (black berets) — the National Special Brigade of the Ministry of the Interior; and the boinas … Continue reading “Canada is Asked to Sanction Diaz-Canel and Others for the Repression in Cuba”

The First Decrees of the New Cuba

14ymedio, Ariel Hidalgo, Miami, 9 November 2022 — With the increasingly profound crisis of popular representation in the Cuban dictatorship and a government about to collapse, there will come a time when a power vacuum requires the constitution of a Civic Board composed of people who have earned the respect of the population in their … Continue reading “The First Decrees of the New Cuba”

Cuba: The Nicknames of Power

14ymedio, Yunior García, Madrid, 27 October 2022 — One of the first nicknames that Díaz-Canel received before becoming the visible head of the Cuban regime was when he was the first secretary of the Communist Party in Holguín. He had tried to prevent the farmers from bringing milk into the city. His “dry law” didn’t … Continue reading “Cuba: The Nicknames of Power”

‘Four Years Have Passed and the Cuban Government Still Hasn’t Paid Us for the Hogs it Bought’

14ymedio, Yankiel Gutiérrez Faife, Camajuaní, 28 October 2022 — The cart towed by an old Soviet tractor left the rural area of Camajuaní in Villa Clara province headed to Remedios. It was loaded with seven pigs whose owners, five farmers who rented the transportation, had made the decision to sell to the state. With the … Continue reading “‘Four Years Have Passed and the Cuban Government Still Hasn’t Paid Us for the Hogs it Bought’”

New Cuban Film ‘Plantadas’ Tells the History of the Island’s Female Political Prisoners

14ymedio, Pedro Corzo, Miami, 18 October 2022 — Cuban filmmaker Lilo Vilaplana recently announced that he had concluded the filming of Plantadas, a more than necessary historical document, which will do justice to the thousands of Cuban women who have been and are in prison for their struggle for freedom and democracy on the Island. … Continue reading “New Cuban Film ‘Plantadas’ Tells the History of the Island’s Female Political Prisoners”

The Protests Extend to the Zapata Swamp, Showcase of the Cuban Revolution

14ymedio, Havana, 13 October 2022 — La Ciénaga de Zapata [the Zapata Swamp] in Matanzas, considered one of the showcases of the Cuban regime, which considers the place an example of its achievements, starred in one of the noisiest protests on Wednesday night. “Put on the light, dickhead, put on the light, fuckers!” they shouted … Continue reading “The Protests Extend to the Zapata Swamp, Showcase of the Cuban Revolution”