English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Havana, Cuba, December 27, www.cubanet.org – In Havana’s Central Railway Station, they were fumigating — against the Egyptian aedes mosquito — with passengers inside (children, pregnant women, old people), violating all health standards. And don’t mention freshening up. They charge a dollar to use the bathrooms. And even paying, the bathrooms do not have soap … Continue reading “Life and Death of Cuban Railways / Ernesto Garcia Diaz”
HAVANA, Cuba, December, www.cubanet.org-It was raining heavily in Havana. It was the first day of December and Miriam Leiva had come to Cuba carrying the ashes of her husband and the memories of their almost 40 years together. Oscar Espinosa Chepe had died after a long illness that they shared together like so many things … Continue reading ““The psychological torture was intense, permanent. They wanted to erase his mind.” / Lilianne Ruiz”
HAVANA, Cuba, December 2013, www.cubanet.org.- . It’s frightening the number of housing collapses that have occurred in Havana, up to the end of November and in the first days of December. Officially, there have been 227 collapses, including 26 which were total and the rest partial. 627 individual families have been affected. They haven’t listed … Continue reading “Downpours Emphasize the Chaos / Martha Beatriz Roque”
In recent weeks we have heard some information in the United States media about the possibility of selling medicines produced in Cuba in that country, particularly Heberprot-P, a drug for the treatment of diabetic foot. On the other hand, the Cuban authorities continue to express themselves about the obstacles facing them in buying certain medications … Continue reading “Humanitarian Demand / Rosa Maria Rodriguez”
Viewing the videos of the assassins of the regime, especially against the Ladies in White, their constant abuse, cynical laughter and death threats after forceful beatings, we can assure ourselves that they are ruthless beings who do not deserve to be born of a woman. It is so obvious that their feelings belong to mercenaries, … Continue reading “Testimonies And Evidence Puts The Hitmen In The Dock Of The Accused / Angel Santiesteban”
A Cuban Minister announces that Castroism will reign in perpetuity. Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment. Photo: Ministério da Saúde via Flickr. When the Cuban government acts with complete impunity and without transparency, it could be useful to know what destiny our leaders have in store for us millions of Cubans. … Continue reading “Malmierca or Death: We Will Overcome! / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”
HAVANA, Cuba, December 2013, www.cubanet.org. – Guadalupe Bustos left Houston, Texas on November 27, enthusiastic about her upcoming trip to Cuba. But she didn’t know that she is on the “black list,” delivered to the Miami airport authorities by the Cuban Immigration Office, with the names of Cubans who are forbidden, for political reasons, from … Continue reading “She Can’t Return to Cuba: She’s on the Blacklist / Lilianne Ruiz”
HAVANA, Cuba , November www.cubanet.org – Karina laments having come rather late to Havana from her native Santiago de Cuba. According to her, if her arrival in the capital had happened five or six years ago, the job of becoming a successful prostitute would have been much less work. Because the competition here is huge, … Continue reading “Karina Aspires to be a Successful Prostitute / Orlando Freire Santana”
1959: “I have said very clearly that we are not communists.” Several posts back I claimed that if Fidel Castro was once a communist, even he him himself didn’t know it; ultimately he ceased to be one from the time when he put his personal interests ahead of those of the Cuban people. And the … Continue reading “Social-political Inventory of the Dictator / Angel Santiesteban”
It happened in the early morning hours of Monday, 19 November: suddenly the usual transmissions were cut and all the official TV channels were linked. Many thought it might be news of great impact: the death of Fidel Castro or something like that. The image of Raul Castro raised the expectation. But it was all … Continue reading “Bastion 2013 and the Ghost of the Enemy /Orlando Delgado”
Now that the President of Venezuela has assaulted the stores in his freeform version of “Robin Hood,” with the mistaken and desperate idea of getting the poor on his side, while others stage a faithful version of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” the Cuban leader Raul Castro should imitate him and assault and lower … Continue reading “Prison Diary LXX: Maturing Maduro in the Raul Castro Version / Angel Santiesteban”
HAVANA, Cuba , November 29, 2013 , www.cubanet.org.- A man and a woman died at noon today in the collapse of a building located at 619 Campanario Street, between Reina and Salud in Central Havana. The couple lived with seven other families on the first floor of the building declared uninhabitable. According to eye-witnesses, the … Continue reading “Two Fatalities in Building Collapse in Havana / Augusto Cesar San Martin”
I had a long discussion with a friend about the genius or lack of same of a certain political personage. He insisted that the power to quote extensive passages of text and to remember dates and the names of historic figures, was evidence of his brilliance. But, I pointed out to him, I’ve never heard … Continue reading “Teaching with Humor / Yoani Sanchez”
Like every self-respecting homeland, ours is a cruel cemetery. One by one we go diminishing the men and women who marked history, those who really shone in Cuba’s history with an intensely personal light, a history of the heart that hurts and hardly forgets: the intimate history of the soul of what a nation has … Continue reading “My Dear Lovers, Parents and Grandparents / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”
Camilo, the dictator’s henchman November 8 marked a year since our peaceful demonstration in front of the Acosta Police Station (Unit 1), demanding the release of Antonio Rodiles, Yaremis Flores and Laritza Diversent. After the corresponding beating and arrest, while they led us to our respective cells, distributing us around the city (divide and conquer?), … Continue reading “Prison Diary LXIX: Camilo, Henchman of a Regime That is a Member of the United Nations Human Rights Council / Angel Santiesteban”
