Ruins Overlooking the Sea in a Depopulated Havana

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, December 1, 2023 —  The colorful paint behind the building on the corner of Campanario and Malecón, in Havana, is only there to hide the hole left by a collapse on the San Lázaro side. The same function is fulfilled by a kind of park – if you can call … Continue reading “Ruins Overlooking the Sea in a Depopulated Havana”

A Bridge in Ruins and Few Passengers: Deterioration Reaches the Small Launch From Regla in Havana

14ymedio, Natalia López Moya/Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 5 May 2023 — “Line up, one by one and slowly!” shouted a security employee at the Regla pier, to the passengers who had just arrived in the boat and had to travel over a short walkway to reach land. The metal structure is so rusty and full … Continue reading “A Bridge in Ruins and Few Passengers: Deterioration Reaches the Small Launch From Regla in Havana”

Cuban Opponent Guillermo Farinas Returns Home After a Short Arrest

EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, 6 August 2022 — Cuban opponent Guillermo Fariñas remained under arrest this Friday for several hours, according information from his family speaking to EFE. Fariñas’s mother, Alicia Hernández, confirmed by phone that her son was released, after he was stopped by the police who were waiting for him nearby when he left his … Continue reading “Cuban Opponent Guillermo Farinas Returns Home After a Short Arrest”

11J (July 11th) Far From Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, 11 July 2022 — Thousands of Cubans in exile joined their compatriots on the island in the surprise and hope entailed in 11 July 2021. A year after those historic demonstrations, 14ymedio asked 15 of them – artists, writers, historians – what did 11J mean, how did they experience it from a distance, … Continue reading “11J (July 11th) Far From Cuba”

The Blackout is the Essence of the Cuban Communist Revolution

14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 17 June 2022 — The social pressure cooker is about to explode. This kind of thing has not been seen in Cuba since the time of the maleconazo. Unexpectedly, Díaz Canel appeared along with other senior officials of the regime and directors of the sector, simultaneously on Cubavisión, Cubavisión Internacional … Continue reading “The Blackout is the Essence of the Cuban Communist Revolution”

Why Don’t Foreign Baseball Players Flee Their Countries and Why Didn’t Cuban Players Flee Before 1959? / Dimas Castellano

Dimas Castellano, Havana, 31 May 2021 — César Prieto, second baseman for the Cienfuegos Elefantes and member of the Cuba team at the Americas Pre-Olympic Tournament, escaped on May 26 as soon as the delegation arrived in Florida. The frequency of this occurrence, although not considered newsworthy, becomes of analysis. Why do Cuban baseball players, … Continue reading “Why Don’t Foreign Baseball Players Flee Their Countries and Why Didn’t Cuban Players Flee Before 1959? / Dimas Castellano”

In the Absence of Tourists, Havana’s Deauville Hotel Sells ‘Combos’ for 5,000 Pesos

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 9 February 2022– About thirty people are crowding at the doors of the Deauville hotel in Havana this Wednesday, and they are not tourists nor do they carry suitcases. Loaded with boxes and crates full of empty beer bottles, they line up to buy food and drink combos for 5,000 pesos … Continue reading “In the Absence of Tourists, Havana’s Deauville Hotel Sells ‘Combos’ for 5,000 Pesos”

‘In Seconds, the Bus Became the Freest Place in Cuba’

14ymedio, Anonymous, Havana, 6 January 2022 — The 11J [July 11 nationwide protest] was so spontaneous, popular and genuine that it is funny, or a shame, to see how officialdom tries to sell the idea of ​​a small group paid by federal agencies in the United States. That day I was very close to the … Continue reading “‘In Seconds, the Bus Became the Freest Place in Cuba’”

Cuba: Anatomy of Fear / Regina Coyula

For the women of today, leaders. Regina Coyula, Havana, 23 October 2020 (Originally published in El Estornudo). In 1980, I worked for G2 (yes, the G2), and I provided staff support to that gigantic “Operation Inca” launched during the events at the Peruvian Embassy. The first times I crossed the many throngs, vociferous and intimidating, … Continue reading “Cuba: Anatomy of Fear / Regina Coyula”

The 11J Prisoners Detained for Shouting Freedom in Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, 27 December 2021 — They did not belong to any opposition organization within the island nor, as the official media claimed in a foreseeable smear campaign, were they instigated by the “enemy” from outside. Simply, together with thousands of compatriots in dozens of cities throughout the island, they decided to go out into the streets … Continue reading “The 11J Prisoners Detained for Shouting Freedom in Cuba”

Yes, Cuba is a Failed State / Dimas Castellanos

Dimas Castellanos, Havana, 29 November 2021– “The U.S. government is following a script, seeking to portray Cuba as a failed state,” grumbled Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla on Wednesday, November 10, during his appearance before the accredited diplomatic corps in Cuba. Among the defining elements that characterize a failed state, those related to its economy are … Continue reading “Yes, Cuba is a Failed State / Dimas Castellanos”

An Irreverent Tour of the Temple Dedicated to the God of the Cuban Revolution

14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 1 December 2021 — The police have found a homeless person huddled at the corner of Paseo Avenue and 11th Street in Havana’s Vedado. “Please give me something to buy a pizza, I’m hungry,” insists the woman, speaking to the visitors of the brand new Fidel Castro Ruz Center, living … Continue reading “An Irreverent Tour of the Temple Dedicated to the God of the Cuban Revolution”

Officials Station Rapid Response Brigades Near Key Government Sites

14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, October 12, 2021 — The Rapid Response Brigades (BRR), the regime’s shock troops, were mobilized on Tuesday after the Cuban government refused to to allow a public march on this coming November 15. In neighborhoods where the July 11 demonstrations were most intense, state-employed workers, police and State Security agents … Continue reading “Officials Station Rapid Response Brigades Near Key Government Sites”

And After July 11th, What Comes Next?

14ymedio, Ariel Hidalgo, Miami, 25 August 2021 — In the worst days of the Special Period crisis, when I was asked during a Miami radio program if I thought that people in Cuba were going to take to the streets, I replied: “The only street where people could launch themselves would be the Malecón, trying … Continue reading “And After July 11th, What Comes Next?”

Cuban Opposition Harshly Criticizes Island’s Coverage by Spanish Newspaper ‘El Pais’

14ymedio, Madrid, 10 August 2021 — The Council for the Democratic Transition in Cuba has addressed a letter to Pepa Bueno, the new editor of the Spanish newspaper El País, in which it criticizes the coverage of its Havana correspondent, Mauricio Vicent. Specifically, they refer to the article entitled The Cuban government takes a mass bath to reaffirm itself after … Continue reading “Cuban Opposition Harshly Criticizes Island’s Coverage by Spanish Newspaper ‘El Pais’”