English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
[Translator’s note: This post apparently got posted in the original missing the beginning… whether it starts in the middle of a sentence, a paragraph, we don’t know, as we haven’t been able to get in touch with Henry. If he adds the rest, we’ll add it here… but given internet access in Cuba… or lack … Continue reading “Hatuey* in Flames… / Henry Constantín”
Right now, Teófilio Roberto López, age 66, is out of his mind. He ambles like a lunatic doing the paso doble along the edges of his farm, located a stone’s throw from the National Highway. Lopez is on the razor’s edge. All of his possessions, erected with sacrifice and with the help of his eight … Continue reading “Waiting to be Evicted by Force / Iván García”
Fidel Castro could convert his name into a registered brand like Adidas, Nike, or Coca-Cola. After death, perhaps his image will have more appeal than the Argentinian soldier Che Guevara. The anti-globalization advocates will repeat his phrases with his image tattooed on their biceps, while they launch criticisms towards some capitalist bank. Specialists in advertising … Continue reading “The Power of a Symbol”
The Cuban government, shackled by a chain of failures after seven long years of inflexibility, decided to begin releasing political prisoners jailed in the spring of 2003, in order to change its image abroad, to seek aid, and to proceed with a reform called “update the model.” This shift underscores the failure of inflexibility and … Continue reading “The Teachings of Chibás”
Sometimes I lose interest in denouncing the violations committed by the Castro regime because they are repeated time and time again. It wears me out and it wears my readers out, too. Once again there are house arrests without any official notification because such a legal argument does not exist in the constitution. How does … Continue reading “The Impunity of the Police”
Morgan Freeman was at the finals. Seated in the VIP section of Soccer City with his dark baseball cap and a nervous expression on his face. Nervous in the angle the television offered us, of course. Perhaps two seconds later he would’ve been euphorically screaming if he rooted for Spain or would have been another … Continue reading “A World Cup as an Antidote Against the Past”
The street corners of Havana are hot. Glowing. Like a match on sandpaper that will burst into flame at the slightest touch. Baseball is to blame. This spring it is being played coast-to-coast on the island, celebrating the playoffs of the national sport, and Los Industriales, the team representing the capital, is hitting hot. The … Continue reading “A Minister in the Public Pillory”