English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Unbelievable. Some time ago the post office left at my house an envelope full of my maps that I had inadvertently left behind at a little house in Sierra del Cristal, back east. The extraordinary thing is that they arrived at my house two years and two months — the date was shown on the … Continue reading “The Sierra and Forgetting / Henry Constantin”
By Ivette Leyva Martínez CaféFuerte.com offers for the consideration of its readers a selection of 12 events that affected Cuba and Cubans during the past year. The selection was made considering the impact of these events on the political, economic and cultural life of the country. They were organized chronologically, not according to relevance. It … Continue reading “12 Important Events for Cuba and Cubans in 2012 / Ivette Leyva Martinez”
After wrapping up its jubilee year with a program of operas, operettas and zarzuelas of enormous dramatic and musical impact, the National Lyric Theater of Cuba offered three festive events in theGarcía Lorca Hall of the Gran Teatrode la Habana on the weekend of September 14 to 16 to honor the founders and artists who, … Continue reading “Fifty Year Anniversary of the Lyric Theatre / Miguel Iturria Savon #Cuba”
By Jeovany Jiménez Vega I reread the letter from the surgeons from the Havana “Calixto García” Hospital to Raúl Castro, which was published on 20 September by Cubaencuentro anonymous and undated. At the time of posting my previous post on October 1, I didn’t know that on September 28 another digital site, Cubainformación, had published … Continue reading “Necessary Reminder / Jeovany Jimenez Vega #Cuba”
On the evening of November 4th some members of the Coexistence team had the privilege of being invited to participate in the activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of Christian Life. The occasion brought together many at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, where there was a mass presided over by the Cardinal of … Continue reading “Christian Life Turns 50 to Congratulations From Coexistence / Intra Muros #Cuba”
Today is the 27th of November 2012 and after having sung the notes of the National Hymn a group of Cuban resistance members, militants from different organizations of the peaceful opposition, are here in the city of Placetas on the roof top of the home headquarters and we are and are going to give a … Continue reading “Members of the internal Cuban Resistance reaffirm their pledge to keep up the fight for democratic change in the streets of Cuba / Jorge Luis García Pérez Antunez”
People visiting Havana for the first time agree on the similarities of this city with Cadiz. The cultural similarities and certain visual resemblances tie the Cuban capital to its Andalusian first cousin. The presence of the sea, some of the architectural style, and the open behavior of its people, complete the embrace. But not even … Continue reading “Raul Castro Avoids the Ibero-American Summit in Cadiz / Yoani Sanchez”
By: Ignacio Estrada Cepero, Independent Journalist. [Note from Translating Cuba: The strike discussed here was successful and is now over… our apologies for not translating this article sooner.] Havana, Cuba: In a press conference the leading dissident Lic. Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello explained her decision to begin a hunger strike on last Monday, September 10th. … Continue reading “Chain Hunger Strike Begins in Havana In Support Of Jorge Vazquez Chaviano’s Release / Wendy Iriepa and Ignacio Estrada”
Watching the very “English” opening ceremony of the Olympic Games the other day I remembered that this could have been the Havana Olympics if a collective act of insanity on the part of the IOC had awarded us the games. Not to lose the right for failing to meet the deadline to complete the construction, … Continue reading “Havana 2012 – London 2012 / Regina Coyula”
Citizen Demand for Another Cuba As Cubans, legitimate children of this land and an essential part of our nation, we feel a deep sorrow at the prolonged crisis that we are experiencing and the demonstrated inability of the current government to make fundamental changes. This obliges us, from civil society, to seek and demand our … Continue reading “Citizen Demand for Another Cuba – 536 Signatures and Counting”
Citizen Demand for Another Cuba As Cubans, legitimate children of this land and an essential part of our nation, we feel a deep sorrow at the prolonged crisis that we are experiencing and the demonstrated inability of the current government to make fundamental changes. This obliges us, from civil society, to seek and demand our … Continue reading “For Another Cuba – Citizen Demand for Another Cuba”
Cuban journalists located in other countries, where they act as correspondents for government media, seem to me like the bread sold on the ration book (the government bread, as a poet friend of mine calls it): they are unpalatable and difficult to digest. If they carry out their duties in a country whose government is … Continue reading “Disciplined Correspondents / Fernando Dámaso”
Yoani Sanchez’s message saying that Laura Pollan, the leader of the Ladies in White, had died, saddened me. I had hoped she would recover from her serious illness, but it didn’t happen. From the time she entered the hospital, State Security tried to keep her away from her friends, sympathizers and family. They also wanted … Continue reading “Laura / Anddy Sierra Alvarez”
We were waiting for a ride on 23rd when Ernesto Morales’ cell phone rang. It was Yoani Sánchez, worried about him because he could have taken AeroCaribbean Flight No. 883. We were stunned for a few seconds and then Ernesto told me: “I was going to travel on that plane.” I felt helpless to express … Continue reading “Catastrophe / Claudia Cadelo”
CHUCHO AND THE END OF THE WORKING CLASS Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo He was not fired from his job by Fidel or Raul. He was fired from life, the life he worked for himself. Chucho died today. For months he urinated too much. He had anemia. Little appetite. He got skinny. The doctors felt a … Continue reading “Jesus in Memorium / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”