Search results for: Eusebio Leal

Battered by Exodus and Crisis, Havana Takes Refuge “Behind the Wall” To Celebrate Its 505th Anniversary

The gala included a wide repertoire of ballads, boleros, romantic and traditional music, as well as songs in English, the language that makes officials nervous. 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 16 November 2024 – On Friday night, Havana had a respite from its long decline. In the Plaza de Armas, a few meters from the point … Continue reading “Battered by Exodus and Crisis, Havana Takes Refuge “Behind the Wall” To Celebrate Its 505th Anniversary”

Photo Series: Havana’s Cinemas No Longer Show Movies… Nor the ‘Dead Princelings’

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 12 October 2024 *Translator’s note: The title contains the author’s maternal last name, Infante, which in Spanish can mean either “child” or “young prince”. It is also a pun on the title of Maurice Ravel’s “Pavane for a Dead Princess.” ____________ COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious … Continue reading “Photo Series: Havana’s Cinemas No Longer Show Movies… Nor the ‘Dead Princelings’”

La Chocolatera, an Oasis of Luxury in Cuba, Alongside Poverty and Scarcity

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez/Olea Gallardo, Havana, 14 September 2024 — Entering La Chocolatera is a pleasure for all the senses. The place, situated at the Havana Club in the municipality of Playa, is small but clean, illuminated, stocked and perfectly air-conditioned. The strong odor – a sour vanilla – of chocolates and sweets seeps into … Continue reading “La Chocolatera, an Oasis of Luxury in Cuba, Alongside Poverty and Scarcity”

The Cartoonists From ‘Mazzantini’ Save August From Editorial Lethargy

14ymedio, Xavier Carbonell, Salamanca, 31 August 2024 — In Cuba there is no more money, even for Martí. It is true that the cult of the man Cubans call ’the Apostle’ in his land always had something of alms, and there was no tribute – from the Civic Square to Martí Notebooks – that did … Continue reading “The Cartoonists From ‘Mazzantini’ Save August From Editorial Lethargy”

Leaked Documents From the UMAP Reveal Techniques To ‘Rub Out’ Homosexual Behaviors

14ymedio, Havana, August 12, 2024 — “Rub out all mannerisms and antisocial behavior” was the first commandment of the Military Units to Aid Production (UMAP), founded in Cuba in the 60s as forced labor camps for “homosexuals, the religious and the social lumpen.” The phrase is fixed, like a mantra, in several documents of the … Continue reading “Leaked Documents From the UMAP Reveal Techniques To ‘Rub Out’ Homosexual Behaviors”

Prostitution, Sales of Drugs and Other Trades Have Taken Over Havana’s Parc de la Fraternidad

When the sun comes out and the shadows that inhabit the place retreat, what you see is a square fallen into disgrace. 14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 3 August 32024 — There is a map for any Havana you want to find. If you try to avoid danger, unsafe areas and having your throat cut, … Continue reading “Prostitution, Sales of Drugs and Other Trades Have Taken Over Havana’s Parc de la Fraternidad”

With a Director Trained in Moscow, the Office of the Historian Has Russians in Its Blood

Perla Rosales, who replaced Eusebio Leal, is the daughter of one of Fidel Castro’s generals 14ymedio, Juan Izquierdo, Havana, July 21, 2024 — “When the Russians called us, Eusebio Leal used to say, ’Don’t even ask for my permission. Just go ahead.’” Perla Rosales, deputy-director of Havana’s Office of the Historian, leaves little doubt about … Continue reading “With a Director Trained in Moscow, the Office of the Historian Has Russians in Its Blood”

Juan Gualberto Gómez’s Legacy Is ‘Democratic and Subversive’ for Cuba, Says His Great-Granddaughter

14ymedio, Xavier Carbonell, Salamanca, 12 July 2024 — A large part of Juan Gualberto Gómez’s library was kept in the house that the patriot and his wife had built in Santos Suárez. When the family decided to leave Cuba, after Fidel Castro’s coming to power, they didn’t have time to take everything out. Angelina Edreira, … Continue reading “Juan Gualberto Gómez’s Legacy Is ‘Democratic and Subversive’ for Cuba, Says His Great-Granddaughter”

Kempinski Luxury Hotels Will Manage the Recently Remolded Metropolis in Old Havana

The German chain estimates that it will be able to receive its first customers in just five months 14ymedio, Havana, 18 April 2024 — After announcing its remodeling in 2019, and after several years of work, the Metrópolis hotel finally found an owner. Located on Aguacate Street, on the corner of O’Reilly, in Old Havana, … Continue reading “Kempinski Luxury Hotels Will Manage the Recently Remolded Metropolis in Old Havana”

A Violin and a Bicycle in the Streets of Havana

14ymedio, Pedro Espinosa, 27 February 2024– Of everything that Reniel carries with him, on his miles-long bicycle trips through Havana, there is nothing more important than his violin. With the case open and the bow taut, the young man of 30 from Havana performs in all kinds of improvised settings in the capital: squares, parks, … Continue reading “A Violin and a Bicycle in the Streets of Havana”

Lobster and Bread Are ‘Affected,’ the Formula To Tell Tourists in Cuba ‘We Don’t Have Any’

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, February 22, 2024, Juan Diego Rodríguez  — Old newspaper presses, paper cutters, cast iron poles and typographical motifs on the walls in the La Imprenta (The Printing Press) restaurant located at Mercaderes 208 in Old Havana, show the stamp of the late Eusebio Leal. The Historian of the City did … Continue reading “Lobster and Bread Are ‘Affected,’ the Formula To Tell Tourists in Cuba ‘We Don’t Have Any’”

Crumbling like the Rest of Cuba, Havana’s Chinatown Reluctantly Ushers in the Year of the Dragon

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 10 February 2024 — The Confucius statue in Havana’s Chinatown did not start off the Year of the Dragon on the right foot. Sitting this Saturday morning on benches in a park dedicated to the wise man were a beggar, a woman trying to get past the glitches in the … Continue reading “Crumbling like the Rest of Cuba, Havana’s Chinatown Reluctantly Ushers in the Year of the Dragon”

For the Scavengers, the Building Collapses in Havana Are Good News

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, January 24, 2024 — The scavengers of Havana are happy. A mass of debris, bricks, iron and garbage has extended, since Monday, in the area of the facade of the old Vía Blanca hotel at 505 Zulueta Street. It took three months since this newspaper’s last visit to the property … Continue reading “For the Scavengers, the Building Collapses in Havana Are Good News”

The Shark… and Chicken instead of Fish

14ymedio, Yunior García Aguilera, Madrid, January 17, 2024 — The Cuban president with the biggest monument is perhaps Jose Miguel Gomez. In 2012, controversy arose over whether it was appropriate to preserve or demolish the gigantic sculptural complex at G and 29th streets in Havana. It all started with a song by the group Obsesión. … Continue reading “The Shark… and Chicken instead of Fish”

Fire in the Forge

14ymedio, Yunior García Aguilera, Madrid, 14 December 2023 — Two speeches, completely opposed, have marked these days of the film festival in Havana. On the one hand, we have the inaugural words of Alexis Triana, the appointed official at the head of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC). On the other, those … Continue reading “Fire in the Forge”