English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Orlando Palma, Havana, 9 February 2014 – “The flour trail is easy to follow,” says a retired baker whose hands, for more than five years now, haven’t mixed ingredients nor added leavening to a dough. “I left it all behind, because the administrator of the bakery where I worked changed every six months and … Continue reading “Follow the Trail of Flour / 14ymedio, Orlando Palma”
You already see hundreds of stalls selling CDs and videos. Good-natured, calm señoras who offer a wide range of religious articles and, in any Havana doorway, from one day to the next, a snack bar with fast food emerges. When in October 2010 they authorized the expansion of self-employment, people took their time. There were … Continue reading “Private Businesses and Suspicions Flourish in Cuba / Iván García”
The order to combat Cuba’s largest black market was given by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero. 14ymedio, Miguel García, Holguin, April 7, 2025 — Unlike Atrévete-te-te, that famous song [see also] that celebrated informality to the rhythm of cumbia and reggaeton and that got so many people dancing 20 years ago, the “street fighters” of Calle … Continue reading “Growing Persecution Against the ‘Street Fighters’ on Calle 13 in Holguín, Cuba”
After a period of uncertainty, the station will broadcast several of its usual programs this Wednesday. 14ymedio, Madrid, 26 March 2025 — About 50 federal employees of Radio TV Martí and the news website returned to their jobs this Wednesday, and part of their programs returned to the air. In the morning, two internal sources … Continue reading “Radio Martí Calls on Part of Its Staff To Return to Work”
State-owned companies have not received flour in the last three weeks to make bread for the rationed market 14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Matanzas, 27 February 2025 — The Provincial Food Company in Matanzas has only confirmed what had been the main topic on the streets of the city for more than three weeks. When the … Continue reading “If You Don’t Live Near a Private Bakery, You Won’t Get Breakfast or a Snack in Matanzas, Cuba”
The dollar stores that Tiendas Caribe and Cimex have begun to open in the provincial capitals have given their final blow. 14ymedio, José Lassa/Natalia López Moya, Havana, February 13, 2025 — “They have fans for sale in Roseland, hurry up,” writes a user in a WhatsApp group where hundreds of customers meet to monitor stores … Continue reading “Fatally Injured, Cuba’s Hard Currency (MLC) Stores Refute the Official Speech About Their Continuation”
14ymedio, José Lassa, Havana, February 9, 2025 –Resembling a flying saucer or a hamburger bun, Havana’s Ciudad Deportiva stands not only as one of the city’s premier architectural treasures but also as the backdrop for thrilling events like championship finals and Cuba’s sole Rolling Stones concert. Nestled at the crossroads of several capital neighborhoods, this … Continue reading “Long Gone Are the Times When a Flying Saucer Arrived at the Ciudad Deportiva in Havana”
14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 24 December 2024 — Turkey breasts from Minnesota, pork loins and legs that say “Made in USA” on the label, chickens raised in Brazil and pieces of impeccable beef fed with grass from the Iowa plains. A few hours before the Christmas Eve festivities, the platforms of Havana’s markets are … Continue reading “Brazilian Pork, US Turkey and Turkish Rice for Christmas Eve for Cubans with Resources”
The private sector does not have the necessary foreign currency to import fertilizers or seeds 14ymedio, Madrid, 22 November 2024 — The Government has approved two resolutions with which it intends to stimulate food production through discounts and tax exemptions on the import of raw materials and inputs. The measures, which affect both the private … Continue reading “With the Exemption of Tariffs on Agricultural Inputs, the Cuban Government Continues Its Patchwork Policy”
The provincial authorities have left passenger transport in the background to focus on “covering vital services” 14ymedio, Havana, November 12, 2024 — Ciego de Ávila’s transportation plan will have completed three consecutive years in 2024 without even approaching half of what was planned. At the end of October, according to a text published this Sunday … Continue reading “With 74 Percent of Buses out of Service, Public Transport in Ciego De Ávila, Cuba, Remains at a Minimum”
At the Calzada de Dolores fair, which is held on Saturdays, it is becoming more and more expensive to pay for the few products that there are. 14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Cienfuegos, 11 November 2024 — On Calzada de Dolores two parallel fairs coexist every Saturday. One is for those who have the required licenses … Continue reading “‘I Have Spent Almost a Thousand Pesos and I Don’t Have Enough Food for a Week,’ Laments a Retired Woman From Cienfuegos, Cuba”
“The objective of the new Migration Law is to ensure that Cubans find prosperity in Cuba” 14ymedio, Havana, 21 September 2024 — Despite the impression of “frank dialogue” with emigration that Cuba’s Foreign Ministry wants to give, those who attended the fifth meeting of this type organized by the Cuban Consulate in the United States, … Continue reading “In Search of ‘Solidarity’ and Support, Cuba’s Foreign Ministry Brings Together Emigrants in New York”
People must deposit solid waste in designated areas starting at 6:00 p.m. 14ymedio, Havana, 21 August 2024 — Havana’s municipality of Cerro has turned to a private company to collect the mountains of garbage that have accumulated for months in the streets. In the area, one of the most densely populated in the Cuban capital, … Continue reading “A Private Company Is Hired in Havana To Collect Mountains of Accumulated Garbage”
Many teenagers choose to work after spending only one year in Military Service 14ymedio, Havana, August 8, 2024 — “In hard times, the croquette is put before the brain.” The diagnosis, coined by a university professor from Las Tunas, synthesizes the problem of entry into higher education on the Island, which is most critical in … Continue reading “Young Cubans in Las Tunas Would Rather ‘Sell on Revolico’ Than Go To University”
