Search results for: Battle of Ideas

Alexander, ‘Self-directed* Opponent’ Convicted in a Summary Trial in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, February 10, 2022–Since July 11th (11J), tranquility does not exist in the life of Luisa María Milanés Valdés. Her son, Alexander Fábregas Milanés, was arrested at his home at 7 pm that day. His crime: live streaming on social media a passionate call for the people of Sancti Spiritus to take to the … Continue reading “Alexander, ‘Self-directed* Opponent’ Convicted in a Summary Trial in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba”

The New Ministry of Truth is Lanched in Cuba, it is Called the Institute of Information and Social Communication

14ymedio, Havana, 24 August 2021 — The Cuban government knows that communication is the priority. After the popular protests of July, the regime has moved at full speed to pass decrees to control publications on the internet and is now trying to shake up the stagnant Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT) which, as … Continue reading “The New Ministry of Truth is Lanched in Cuba, it is Called the Institute of Information and Social Communication”

Cement Reappears in the Shape of a Concrete Cuban Flag in Front of the U.S. Embassy

14ymedio, Havana, March 29, 2021 — The cement shortage has not been an obstacle to the Cuban government’s plans to build a huge concrete flag in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana. The structure, some ten meters tall, is a replacement for the flag poles, badly damaged by saltwater, that once stood on the … Continue reading “Cement Reappears in the Shape of a Concrete Cuban Flag in Front of the U.S. Embassy”

In Other Times…

14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Havana, 22 February 2021 — What are the signs that predict the end of an authoritarian system? What symptoms does a despotic regime show as its decline approaches? These two questions have obsessed me in recent days, in the midst of unprecedented events that have been happening on this Island for weeks. Are they … Continue reading “In Other Times…”

From ’Protoplin’ to Sugarcane Juice

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Desde Aqui, Havana, 28 May 2020 — It was in the 1980s, durng one those trips to the provinces which I took as a journalist for the magazine Cuba International, accompanied by the Luis Manuel Fernández, better known as Pirole.  In the midst of the boredom of those hotels with no diversions, … Continue reading “From ’Protoplin’ to Sugarcane Juice”

In the Streets of Bogota, Thousands of Venezuelans Barely Survive

14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, Bogota, 15 February 2020 – There are three of them and they are sitting on a wall in front of a restaurant in the Chapinero neighborhood. The girl is restless and the mother tries to keep her from walking into the busy avenue. Meanwhile, the father asks for money. He is about 20 years … Continue reading “In the Streets of Bogota, Thousands of Venezuelans Barely Survive”

Imperialism or Twitter Trolls: Who’s to Blame? / Regina Coyula

Regina Coyula, 20 September 2019 — During a special appearance by Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel on the September 2019 broadcast of the talk show Roundtable, several Twitter users complained about a number of accounts which have been blocked on the platform. Many, though not all, were linked to the news media. The suspended accounts included … Continue reading “Imperialism or Twitter Trolls: Who’s to Blame? / Regina Coyula”

Havana’s Anti-Imperialist Platform is Being Demolished to Build Office Buildings

14ymedio, Havana, 21 May 2019 — The Anti-Imperialist Platform, a symbol of Fidel Castro’s Battle of Ideas, will be replaced by something much more prosaic: two two-story buildings designed to house offices. The construction manager and several workers involved in the dismantling of the monument told 14ymedio that this is the future that awaits the emblematic place, … Continue reading “Havana’s Anti-Imperialist Platform is Being Demolished to Build Office Buildings”

Ratifying the Constitution Will Institutionalize the Dictatorship of One Party

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, February 4, 2019 — If someone wanted to find a definition of what is most current and important from what is happening in Cuba, they could assert that today there is happening a transition of authority from symbol to force of law. For almost half a century Cuba was basically driven … Continue reading “Ratifying the Constitution Will Institutionalize the Dictatorship of One Party”

The "Yes" Campaign Invades Cuba’s High Schools and Universities

14ymedio, Marcelo Hernández, Havana, January 11, 2019 — Meetings, morning assemblies, and talks in high school courses and university faculties all over the country are some of the strategies that the Cuban Government has put into practice to promote the Yes vote among the youngest voters, especially those who, in the February 24 referendum on … Continue reading “The "Yes" Campaign Invades Cuba’s High Schools and Universities”

The ‘Chicken’ of ‘Rice with Chicken’ / Somos+

Somos+, Germain Gonzalez, 13 October, 2018 — There’s a certain surprise in digital media over the active participation of the Cuban population in the “debates” about the project of the constitution. The surprise is valid because in reality the “revolutionary” enthusiasm is minimal. The “electoral” processes as well as in the status reports from the … Continue reading “The ‘Chicken’ of ‘Rice with Chicken’ / Somos+”

“Being A Teacher Is Not Profitable In Cuba But It Teaches You To Love”

14ymedio, Caridad Cruz/Mario Penton, Cienfuegos/Miami, 17 April 2017 – teaching children cursive writing and educating them is much more than a job for Adrian, an elementary school teacher in Ciego de Avila. His threadbare pants stained with chalk dust make clear that he is not one of those most favored by the economic changes on the … Continue reading ““Being A Teacher Is Not Profitable In Cuba But It Teaches You To Love””

Eliécer Ávila, The ‘New Man’ Who Became An Opponent

14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, Havana, 8 April 2017 – Walking along the streets with Eliécer Ávila can be a complicated task. His face is well known thanks to a viral video broadcast almost a decade ago. However, before fame came into his life, this young man born in Las Tunas was a model “New Man”: the most finished … Continue reading “Eliécer Ávila, The ‘New Man’ Who Became An Opponent”

At 55, Cuba’s Young Communist Union Loses Relevance But Does Not Want To Retire

14ymedio, Zunilda Mata, 4 April 2017 — There was a time when its red card was a source of pride and most teenagers dreamed of entering its ranks. But those days have been left behind for the Young Communists Union (UJC), an organization that turns 55 this Tuesday, with an aging image and a noticeable decrease in … Continue reading “At 55, Cuba’s Young Communist Union Loses Relevance But Does Not Want To Retire”

The Taliban Has Returned / Cubanet, Luis Cino Alvarez

Cubanet, Luis Cino Alvarez, 15 March 2017 – At the beginning of the last decade, when Fidel Castro would call a “march of the fighting people” for any reason whatsoever and the multitudes who seemed to have arrived from Pyongyang would chant slogans and wave little paper flags, prominent for his impetuous verbiage was a … Continue reading “The Taliban Has Returned / Cubanet, Luis Cino Alvarez”