English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
As the plane begins its descent towards Miami on a flight from San Diego, the first thing a resident of Cuba notices is the incredible number of lights that at this hour, five-thirty in the morning, can be seen from plane. As big US cities go, Miami is one of the smallest in terms of … Continue reading “Miami: The Havana That Could Not Be / Ivan Garcia”
14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, 7 November 2014 – Of all the faces that circulate on the illegal information networks, there is a very serene and well-known one that has been with us for decades. This well-spoken man who never seems to get upset has received the worst insults in the official media and the stealthy applause … Continue reading ““We journalists are the witnesses to history” / 14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez”
When it comes to Gabriel García José de la Concordia Márquez (Aracataca, Colombia, 1927) myth and reality merge. The first time he heard the name Fidel Castro, Gabo believed, was in the Latin Quarter in Paris, in 1955.
In spite of the decay and the grime, it is still a vain city. A varied architecture, rows of archways and tall columns topped with plaster figures. Neighborhoods with their own flavor.Atarés, El Pilar, Carraguao, La Víbora, Lawton, Sevillano, Mantilla, Párraga, Buena Vista, Pogolotti, San Leopoldo, Colón, Cayo Hueso, El Vedado o Miramar. Each with … Continue reading “Havana, A Unique Metropolis / Ivan Garcia #Cuba”
For the last thirty years Cuba has been a big market for foreign soap operas and mini-series. When state television decided in the 1980s to broadcast the Brazilian telenovela, Isaura the Slave, it ignited a great national passion for melodramas. During evening hours Brazilian telenovelas, almost all produced by Globo TV, alternate with melodramas produced … Continue reading “Series on Pablo Escobar a Hit in Cuba / Iván García”
I saw it today. It is in black and white, has little yellow spots on it, and smells like cockroach. I recovered a photo from my adolescence, frozen in time and already in Sepia color. It is a portrait of 11 young men, joyful under the effects of the poor man’s drink, alcohol mixed with … Continue reading “The Chronicles of a Deceived Generation”
The morning of Monday March 1st in Havana was like any other. After spending the night with my girlfriend I returned to my house at around 6:30 AM. There was no sign of abnormality. The only warning sign emanated from a small portable radio next to the bus driver. It was a song by Silvio … Continue reading “House Arrest”
