English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Ivan Garcia, 11 April 2017 — Right now the most closely guarded secret in Cuba is the protocols for succession of the nation’s president, army general Raul Castro, after his retirement in February 2018. I will tell you what is rumored among some officials close to the tight-lipped team of advisers and influential relatives in the … Continue reading “Is Raul Castro in Hibernation Mode? / Iván García”
14ymedio, Zunilda Mata, Havana, 1 April 2017 — Rumors of a general rise in prices have sharpened shortages at gas stations this Saturday, with long lines of vehicles waiting their turn at service stations across the country. The fuel sold at preferential prices for thousands of state employees has gone up 0.10 CUC in recent … Continue reading “Anxiety Grows Over Cuba’s Gas Shortages”
14ymedio, Luz Escobar/Mario Penton, Havana/Miami, 25 March 2017 – Maria, 59, has a daughter in Miami she hasn’t seen for six years. Her visa applications have been denied three times and she promised herself that she would never “step foot in” the US consulate in Havana again. Cuba is the country with the most denials … Continue reading “Cuba Holds World Record For Visa Applications Rejected By The United States”
Cubanet, Miriam Celaya, Havana, 27 February 2017 — As the second month of 2017 comes to a close, the Cuban panorama continues to be bleak. Material difficulties and the absence of a realistic economic recovery program – the ineffectiveness of the chimerical Party Guidelines has been demonstrated in overcoming the general crisis of the “model” … Continue reading “Ten Years of Raulism: From “Reformism” to the Abyss / Cubanet, Miriam Celaya”
Ivan Garcia, 4 January 2017 — Like a metaphorical invisible hand, moving to place a ouija or bet on Russian roulette, David, a young writer, considers that the coming year will be unpredictable for the island. In the hope that the Ifá priests (Yoruba mystics) will spread around their Letters of the Year, the necromancers predict the future, and … Continue reading “Cuba: Skepticism Beats Hope / Iván García”
14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 3 January 2017 — The images from the January 2nd parade and the march of the “combative people” provoked questions in many: Who are these Cubans who went to the Plaza of the Revolution? What characteristics define those who awoke at dawn, shouted slogans in front of the podium or marched diligently … Continue reading “Brief and Imprecise Sketch of a Supporter / 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar”
14ymedio, (With information from EFE), Havana, 27 December 2016 – The Cuban economy closed the year with a 0.9% contraction in GDP, well below the 1% growth forecast, according to an announcement from Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, Minister of the Economy and Planning, during the final 2016 session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, 27 December. … Continue reading “Cuban Economy in 2016: GDP Contracted 0.9% / 14ymedio”
Editor’s note: This article was written before Fidel Castro’s death. Cubanet, Miriam Celaya, Havana, 18 November 2016 — Just hours after the finish of the November 8th US elections, the Palace of the Revolution in Havana sounded its trumpets of war, summoning another of its ridiculous bombastically named strategic-militaristic exercises: 2016 Bastion Exercise and Defense … Continue reading “The Castros’ Late Halloween / Cubanet, Miriam Celaya”
14ymedio, Mario Penton and Nora Gamez Torres, Miami, 31 October 2016 – Cuba’s Cienfuegos refinery, operated by Cuvenpetrol SA, a Cuban/Venezuelan joint venture, has been forced to cut production by half due to cuts in shipments of crude oil from Venezuela, according to comments made on Monday by an official of the Cuban Communist Party … Continue reading “Cuba’s Cienfuegos Refinery Reduced Production By Half Due to Cuts In Venezuelan Oil / 14ymedio, Mario Penton and Nora Gamez Torres”
Ivan Garcia, 11 October 2016 — Marcos, the fifty-six-year-old owner of an illegal gambling operation, went to Cordova Park in Havana’s La Vibora neighborhood to chat online with a friend who lives in Miami. When he got there, he wondered if he was dreaming. Perhaps there are people in some remote corner of Africa or … Continue reading “Internet Access Remains a Luxury in Cuba / Iván García”
14ymedio, Zunilda Mata, Havana, 9 August 2016 — Private trucks covering the stretch between Santa Clara and Sancti Spiritus remained out of service during the weekend and Monday in response to new demands from the authorities. For several days, at checkpoints along the road drivers have been asked to show an invoice for the purchase of fuel … Continue reading “Private Transport Drivers in Central Cuba Demand End to Excessive Controls / 14ymedio, Zunilda Mata”
14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, Havana, 6 August 2016 — She split the plate into two meager rations. “Mommy, you’re not going to eat?” asked one of the daughters voraciously swallowing the mashed banana without oil, free of protein and with hardly any salt. The image of this skimpy dinner in the summer of 1993 is recalled by Maria … Continue reading “The Special Period: The Return Of The Cuban Middle Ages / 14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez”
Iván García, 19 July 2016 — At the traffic signal on Infanta and Carlos III, in the heart of Havana, Guenady takes advantage of the red light to thirstily take a swig out of a half-liter of ice water that he keeps at one side of his driver’s seat. Perhaps the cold water helps to … Continue reading “The Cuban Government Wants to Regulate Prices for Collective Taxis / Iván García”
Iván García, 23 July 2016 — It was announced on Friday, July 8 that Cuba had experienced an economic recession in the first half of this year and that there would be cutbacks in fuel consumption. If the country had a stock exchange or a convertible national currency, their fall would have been dramatic. It was … Continue reading “A Lighter Version of Cuba’s Special Period / Iván García”
Joel, a fifty-five-year-old engineer, remembers the summer of 1994 when, after finishing his day job, he came home to roast two or three pounds of peanuts. After packaging them in paper cones fashioned from the pages of school textbooks, he went out to sell them on the street and make a little extra money. As … Continue reading “Is This the Second Phase of Cuba’s Special Period? / Iván García”