Choreography of an Interrogation / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

“Sit down!” ordered ‘Number One.’ “I’m comfortable like this, thanks,” I responded. 14ymedio, VICTOR ARIEL GONZALEZ, Havana, 12 December 2014 — “But you didn’t come here to be comfortable,” he concluded, and for once we were in agreement on something, Number One and I: I was not comfortable. It was Human Rights Day, which in … Continue reading “Choreography of an Interrogation / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Tricking Customs, Another National Sport / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez, Havana, 6 December 2014 — Establishing the rules of a sport takes time. Let’s take for example baseball, one of the most complicated games that exists; one could ask where the rules for its practice come from, and why some are so convoluted. But when it comes to regulatory whim, let’s … Continue reading “Tricking Customs, Another National Sport / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Customs, Another Point Against It / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

14ymedio, VÍCTOR ARIEL GONZÁLEZ, Havana. 24 November 2014 — From food to motorcycles, stuffed into plastic water tanks, Cubans use the most improbable ways to introduce products into their country. But it has nothing to do with drugs or weaponry, but basic necessities intended as much to satisfy consumer demand as to supply a retail … Continue reading “Customs, Another Point Against It / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

What else can you expect from a TEDx in Havana? / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

14ymedio, Victor Ariel González, Havana, 18 November 2014 — I have spent several days trying to digest the mass of information coming out of the first TEDxHavana, where I was present as just another spectator. However, no matter how much I ruminate on it, I just can’t seem to swallow it. So before it gets … Continue reading “What else can you expect from a TEDx in Havana? / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

A Management Success: The Butcher Shops without Flies / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez, Havana / 6 November 2014 — It’s ten in the morning, and the Golden Pig is packed with customers. On entering, one detects the intense odor of smoked meat mixed with the aroma of ripe guavas. Two salesmen work behind the counter, and a third places fruits in their boxes. They … Continue reading “A Management Success: The Butcher Shops without Flies / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Berta Soler: They Must Put An End To This / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

14ymedio, Havana, Victor Ariel Gonzalez, 21 October 2014 — Berta Soler, leader of the Ladies in White, has called for a vigil this October 21 in front of the Diez de Octubre Municipal Court in Havana. The reason is the new suspension of the trial of Sonia Garro. Soler explained that there are “dubious things” in … Continue reading “Berta Soler: They Must Put An End To This / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Back Channel to Cuba / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

The Villena room was too small for the audience, which endured sweltering heat during the two hours of the presentation of the book “Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations Between Washington and Havana.” The free event, at the headquarters of the Cuban Artists and Writers Union (UNEAC), had raised such high expectations … Continue reading “Back Channel to Cuba / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Florida Two Hundred Yards Away / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

14ymedio, Havana, Victor Ariel Gonzalez, 19 September 2014 – The Morava and Danube rivers come together in Devin. The place still belongs to the Bratislava region, but only the far shore is Slovakia. The near shore is Austria. Maybe a detail that means nothing special. Even less because today you can cross from one side … Continue reading “Florida Two Hundred Yards Away / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Reseller, That Dirty Word / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

14YMEDIO, Havana, Victor Ariel Gonzalez, 21 August 2014 – “I have mattresses, games room, air conditioning …” an individual stationed at the entrance to a popular store says softly. A few yards further on, another vendor has filters for drinking water, and so it continues, on both sides of the commercial center, an illicit network … Continue reading “Reseller, That Dirty Word / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Memories of My Duty / Victor Ariel Gonzalez Celaya

Part I: The Zambrana Mustache The most notable feature of Colonel Zambrana was a mustache, thick and very black, under his nose. I, who had thought there could not be a mustache more … mustachioed, than that of a regular presenter on the television news, I found that the Zambrana far surpassed this record: it seemed … Continue reading “Memories of My Duty / Victor Ariel Gonzalez Celaya”

What Was the Havana Metro? / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

Conceived 30 years ago, it would have been the largest civil engineering project in Cuba, but it sank after Perestroika. 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez, Havana | June 17, 2014 It’s morning rush hour at the Coppelia Ice Cream Parlor bus stop, a busy node in the city of Havana. Thousands of people rush to work, … Continue reading “What Was the Havana Metro? / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Our Own Dangerous “Twin Towers” / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez

Havana, June 9, 2014, Victor Ariel Gonzalez — Corrugated fiber-cement sheets and wooden planks form a security fence in the shadow of the two tallest buildings of an iconic Havana site: the “Twin Towers” at Texas Corner, where 240 families live, marooned, as the buildings crumble. Every day many people walk past, where the sidewalks … Continue reading “Our Own Dangerous “Twin Towers” / 14ymedio, Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Dad, I Want to Go to La Yuma* / Victor Ariel Gonzalez

Havana, Cuba – It’s not too surprising that a son of Cuba’s Minister of the Interior recently arrived in the U.S. to stay. Josué Colomé–as this immigrant is named–is not the first descendent of a high official of the regime who decided to leave for “enemy” lands, and so join the thousands of Cubans who … Continue reading “Dad, I Want to Go to La Yuma* / Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

Shelves of Misery / Victor Ariel Gonzalez

The old Carlos III market was transformed into a “mall.”  At the beginning, Havanans found a wide selection of merchandise (in CUC — hard currency); today the showcases are empty. The shelves where the most common ingredients should be found often appear empty or offer only one product of its type without options of quality … Continue reading “Shelves of Misery / Victor Ariel Gonzalez”

2014: Death Before Birth / Victor Ariel Gonzalez

HAVANA, Cuba, January, www.cubanet.org — Doorways where until a few days ago all kinds of clothes and shoes were for sale are now empty. All the usual stalls are closed. It is a return to the recent past, confirmation that the economic openings are not as open, but quite the opposite: they narrow. The state … Continue reading “2014: Death Before Birth / Victor Ariel Gonzalez”