English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
It seems that an important part of the Cuban Jewish community, from fear or pressure, have turned their backs on the U.S. contractor,Alan Phillip Gross, age 62. I venture to predict he would not finish his sentence, nor even a couple of years of it, if his family and the lawyers tied to the case … Continue reading “Politics or Humanity? / Juan Juan Almeida”
Eliot Ness and his group in Chicago in the 30’s were called ’The Untouchables’. They fought head on rampant corruption in the Windy City, and through legal chicanery of tax evasion led gangster Al Capone to prison. That group of Chicago has a female version in Cuba. Her name is Gladys Maria Bejerano Portela. She … Continue reading “Gladys Bejerano’ Cuba’s “Iron Lady” / Iván García”
It’s 10:00 am at the Plaza Hotel a few yards from Havana’s Capitol building. A smell of moisturizer wafts from the bodies of tourists rushing through their coffee so they can go out and explore the city. On one side of the lobby several people line up at the entrance to a small office where … Continue reading “The Internet for Cubans: A Permanently Impossible Dream? / Yoani Sánchez”
1. The Arab spring Only when the events in Egypt exceeded the predictions, did the Cuban press note (with tweezers) some isolated incidents. Nor had it published anything earlier about the riots in Tunisia and Yemen, nor did it later dig into the deposition of Hosni Mubarak. On Libya and and the fall of Muammar … Continue reading “Eleven News Stories Not Reported in Cuba in 2011 / Ernesto Morales Licea”
Editorial 24 The Catholic Church and the official press have announced that His Holiness the Pope Benedict XVI “is considering visiting Mexico and Cuba during the spring of the year 2012”. At the same time, the spokesman of the Holy See has declared that the State Department of the Supreme Pontiff has told the Papal … Continue reading “The Pope’s Visit to Cuba: Expectations and Possibilities / Intramuros”
Architecture that was once daring, a carefully tended lawn, and well-guarded doors to ward off the curious. The Palace of Conventions has been the site of so very many events organized by the government that it is difficult to separate its name from the word “official.” It has also served as the parliamentary hall for … Continue reading “Dictated Hashtags / Yoani Sánchez”
The Motherland is joy for all, pain for all and heaven for all, and nobody’s fiefdom or chaplaincy. Jose Marti In Cuba’s educator circles, the proper attention to the sexual orientation of students is lacking. In my judgement we are a homophobic society whether in a conscious way or not. Matter of fact, some of … Continue reading “A Viewpoint Regarding Everyday Homophobia / Dora Leonor Mesa”
“Violation of Correspondence” by Pablo Pacheco Avila The communication between those of us prisoners in “The Polish” jail and the functionaries of the interior was deteriorating daily. The guards had a low cultural level and engaged in despotism and intolerance. The prisoners, on the other hand, were rebellious, energetic, and desired freedom, which conflicted with … Continue reading “Notes from Captivity XVII / Pablo Pacheco”
An article by a foreign news agency recently reported on the Internet, “Cuban Dissidents at a Crossroads”by Paul Haven and Andrea Rodríguez of the Associated Press, suffers from, at least, two of the most common and serious limitations of accredited journalism in Cuba: contempt for the nationals of this Island and an almost total disregard … Continue reading “Strange “Estrangement” of the Foreign Press in Cuba / Miriam Celaya”
(Work originally published in number 9, Voices magazine) Several weeks ago an interview appeared in the virtual space cubaencuentro.com. The two-part interview was conducted by Luis Manuel García Méndez, and the person interviewed was the young American scholar Ted Henken. Titled “Mapping Blogolandia” (May 2011), Henken traces, with remarkable objectivity, his map of the Cuban … Continue reading “Cuban Blogosphere: Stings and Irritations of the Internet in Cuba / Miriam Celaya”
(Article originally published in the digital magazine Convivencia, Issue No. 21) In just five years, Cubans have been witnessing an extremely aggravating process in the socioeconomic and political crisis, steeped in what constitutes an exceedingly complex national and international juncture. Though just a few years ago it would have been possible to alleviate the hardship … Continue reading “Cuba: Notes About Unity, Leadership One-Party System / Miriam Celaya”
When the documentary was close to its end, I discovered an unbelievable sensation deep inside of me: the “destination” Claudia Palacios was proposing was absolutely unknown to me and made me feel the urge to visit it. CNN, through one of its reporters of spectacular beauty and proven professionalism, had just managed to make a … Continue reading “CNN’s Havana / Ernesto Morales Licea”
Personalities on television, as a matter of privilege, exercise basic rights that are denied to viewers. There appears to have been considerable impact from the TV program “Where there is true affection, two… [are enough],” directed and hosted by the singer Amaury Perez. The guest to close a first and long season was none other … Continue reading “Is It So Easy to Have a Blog in Cuba, Silvio? / Francis Sánchez”
At last, skeptics have been able to confirm the accuracy of their assessment of the insolubility of the Cuban problem from government “initiatives”. The Sixth Congress of the Cuban Communist Party, held last April, didn’t go beyond a situational formality intended to legitimize the decisions previously issued by the top leadership of the country and … Continue reading “Evolution vs. Revolution: The Sign of the Social Vanguard / Miriam Celaya”
Again my friend Mari Carmen (arsenal of fresh anecdotes), she tells me another story, as unusual as it may seem, is so real that it hurts to tell it. Her nephew came to her house very upset, to say that he had just come from immigration, where he had been notified that he could not … Continue reading “Transference / Rebeca Monzo”
