English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, 21 March 2016 – A “historic milestone”: This is what Americans call President Obama’s visit to the Cuba of Fidel and Raul Castro. That is, the Cuba that has not had a legitimate president for 64 years. And a Cuba that is of the caste of children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren, … Continue reading “Between a Historic Milestone and the Horror of History / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”
14ymedio/EFE, Havana, 21 March 2016 – Nervous, tangled up in his headphones, with a discourse more appropriate for the Cold War than the 21st century, Cubans were able to see their president this Monday during the live broadcast of the press conference he gave with Barack Obama, after a more than two hour meeting behind closed … Continue reading “If There Are Political Prisoners, They Will Be Released Before Nightfall” says Raul Castro / 14ymedio, EFE”
By Dimas Castellano, 9 February 2016 Property and crisis Once the Cuban Government arrived in power, imbued by an exacerbated voluntarism, it ignored the laws that govern the economy and subordinated them to ideology. From this moment on, the loss of the autonomy that is required by economic processes was converted into a factor of … Continue reading “Crisis in Agriculture: Land for Those Who Work It / Dimas Castellanos”
Dimas Castellanos, 16 January 2016 — A commentary on five economic issues raised by the Cuban president on December 29, 2015 during the closing session of the National Assembly of People’s Power. 1. The president stated that, though the effects of the US blockade remain unchanged and external economic constraints have worsened in the second half … Continue reading “Five Points: Sorting Through Raul Castro’s Economic Speech”
Ivan Garcia, 8 January 2016 — When Fidel Castro came to power in January 1959, one of the first things he proposed was doing away with the legend of the Three Wise Men. The government tried replacing the tradition, which originated in Spain, by offering rationed toys through its shops. Now it does not even … Continue reading “Cuba: Toys Only for Hard Currency / Ivan Garcia”
SOMOS+, Jose M. Presol , 3 January 2016 — Part 1 enunciated what I consider to be the four main points of the “Manifesto to the People of Cuba,” but there are many more. Let’s recall these four points and take a look at what actually happened. 1. Restoration of the 1940 constitution. Technically speaking, … Continue reading “January 1, 1959: The Beginning of a Betrayal? (Part 2) / Somos+”
14ymedio, Havana, 26 December 2015 — The creator of Detective Mario Conde enjoyed an extravagant 2015. In July he was awarded the Princess of Asturias Prize for Literature in recognition of his career as a novelist and journalist. During the ceremony, the writer acknowledged his “Three homelands”: Cuba, language and work. Born in 1955 in Mantilla, … Continue reading “Cuban Faces of 2015: Leonardo Padura, Writer / 14ymedio”
Convivencia, Pinar del Rio, 20 November 2015 — December 17, 2014 opened, without a doubt, a new stage, a new phase in the recent history of Cuba: it was the announcement of the process of restoration of diplomatic relations between the governments of Cuba and the United States. Both leaders welcomed the mediation of Pope … Continue reading “December 17th, One Year On: Balance and Responsibility / Convivencia”
Dimas Castellanos, 30 November 2015 — The unstoppable exodus of Cubans has become a crisis once again. While thousands of our compatriots are stuck at the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, the Government of Cuba chooses to ignore the main cause. In recent months, thousands of Cubans have been traveling through Central America for the … Continue reading “The Cuban Exodus: Causes and Effects / Dimas Castellanos”
Dimas Castellano, 31 July 2105 — According to a report presented by the Minister of Economy and Planning, Marino Murillo Jorge, in the Fifth Ordinary Sessional Period of the National Assembly of Popular Power, during the first haf year of 2015, the GDP grew by 4.7%. In reference to transport, among other things, he said: in … Continue reading “The Growth of GDP, and the Cuban Railway: Past and Present / Dimas Castellano”
14ymedio, Havana, 16 November 2015 – Almost 72 hours after its Nauta email service was interrupted, cellphone customers have not received an explanation from the Cuba’s State-owned Telecommunications Company (ETECSA). Calls to the #118 complaint line are told “it is a technical problem affecting the whole country” and the engineers are working on it. On … Continue reading “Nauta Breakdown Leaves All of Cuba Without Email / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Orlando Palma, 11 November 2015 – The shortage of soy yogurt in the regulated market has worsened in recent weeks, and this product intended for children between 7 and 13* years of age is also characterized by its low quality. The shortage of soy yogurt has worsened in recent weeks in the regulated market where the … Continue reading “Yogurt, Scarce and Bad / 14ymedio, Orlando Palma”
“I traded one cell for a slightly roomier prison, because I continue to think that this island is a prison.” Elisa Tabakman (Blog Editor), 6 November 2015 — Angel Santiesteban-Prats was arrested on November 4, suspiciously, after reporting the previous day that the political prisoner Lamberto Henández Planas died in Combinado del Este Prison as … Continue reading “Angel Santiesteban Explains What Happened During His Arbitrary Detention”
14ymedio, Havana, 5 November 2015 — The writer Angel Santiesteban was released Thursday after appearing before the Provincial Court of Havana. The journalist had been arrested yesterday afternoon, accused by his ex-wife of the supposed crime of “violation of domicile,” the same charge he was convicted of 2012. “We were going to revoke your probation, but … Continue reading “Writer Angel Santiesteban is Released / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Havana, 4 November 2015 — The writer Angel Santiesteban was arrested on Wednesday afternoon in Havana. A police car drove the activist from Antonio Gonzalez Rodiles’s house, where he was, to a police station, according to Santiesteban himself who spoke to this newspaper at the time of his arrest. After the arrest, the blogger Lia … Continue reading “Writer Angel Santiesteban Arrested Again / 14ymedio”
