travel
Cuba’s Democratic Left on State Socialism
Cuba’s Democratic Left on State Socialism May 9, 2013 | | Print Print | 0 5 11 32 HAVANA TIMES — A couple weeks ago we published a summary of an essay by Pedro Campos and Armando Chaguaceda on the inability of the State Socialist system that reigns in Cuba to carry out the changes [...] Continue reading
Cuba close to passing law for golf resort construction
Cuba close to passing law for golf resort construction After nearly two years of waiting, with ready-to-go blueprints and agreements with joint venture partners in the drawer, at least three golf course resort developers may soon be able to go ahead with construction projects. The government is “taking the last steps” on long-expected laws and [...] Continue reading
The Nature of Socialism
The Nature of Socialism / Rafael Leon Rodriguez Posted on April 23, 2013 The “handpicked” successor of the late comandante Hugo Chavez was elected and is not the new president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro. Starting off, his first statements addresses the aim of radicalizing the revolutionary process. On the one hand [...] Continue reading
Changes In Cuba, I’ll Believe It When I See It
Changes In Cuba, I’ll Believe It When I See It / Juan Juan Almeida Posted on April 19, 2013 Many of you remember what happened in our country in the summer of 1989*. I’m referring to those trials that popular wits baptized, for the range of events and actors, “Tropicana show under the stars, first [...] Continue reading
Socialism: A Transition Stage Between Capitalism and… Capitalism
Socialism: A Transition Stage Between Capitalism and… Capitalism / Rebeca Monzo Posted on April 10, 2013 I was having a conversation recently at a friend's house about new private businesses, doctors being given permission to travel, the prices and shortages of food, and other issues currently affecting our Cuban planet. One of those present mentioned [...] Continue reading
Prostitution in Cuba: Denied at Home, Enabled from Abroad
Prostitution in Cuba: Denied at Home, Enabled from Abroad March 30, 2013 Graham Sowa HAVANA TIMES — In Cuba the denial of prostitution is a lie of omission: the government doesn't really talk about it. At the same time American politicians promote a travel ban that seriously damages United States efforts to identify and prosecute [...] Continue reading
How Cuba became the newest hotbed for tourists craving sex with minors
Posted on Saturday, 03.16.13 Sex Tourism in Cuba: Second of three parts How Cuba became the newest hotbed for tourists craving sex with minors HAVANA — These stories are the result of a joint investigation by Toronto Star reporters Robert Cribb, Jennifer Quinn and Julian Sher, and El Nuevo Herald reporter Juan O. Tamayo. The [...] Continue reading
Canadians are major customers in Cuba’s child sex market
Canadians are major customers in Cuba's child sex market Canada is lax when it comes to stopping its sex offenders from going to Cuba and preying on underage prostitutes. Most tourists are drawn to Cuba by the sand, the sunshine, and the culture. But a few tourists – including some Canadians – are drawn by [...] Continue reading
Analysis: Castro brothers’ successor may inherit a very different Cuba
Analysis: Castro brothers' successor may inherit a very different Cuba Fidel Castro, left, and his brother, Raul, are preparing to pass the torch of power to a new generation. By Carlos Rajo, Telemundo News analysis Raul Castro's recent announcement that he will leave power in 2018, and his appointment of 52-year-old Miguel Diaz-Canel as first [...] Continue reading
The new man
Cuba's leaders The new man The Castros unveil their successor Mar 2nd 2013 | HAVANA EVER since Raúl Castro replaced his ailing brother, Fidel, as Cuba's president in 2008, he has made clear that his overriding aim is to organise an orderly political and economic transition to ensure that the ruling Communist Party remains in [...] Continue reading
Misleading Balancing Act
Misleading Balancing Act / Miriam Celaya Miriam Celaya, Translator: Norma Whiting At first glance, it would seem that nothing changes in Cuba. The system seems to gently continue down its inexorable march toward a crash that, nevertheless, doesn't seem to ever arrive, just like the future promised by the defunct revolution. People continue to do [...] Continue reading
Cubans can leave, but to where and with what?
Cubans can leave, but to where and with what? Girish Gupta, Special for USA TODAYShare Cuba announced it will lift its travel ban, but the expense and the fine print will probably mean many Cubans will stay put. Story Highlights - Cuba announced a lifting of its travel ban in January - It is unlikely [...] Continue reading
Cuba unlocks the door
Cuba unlocks the door The lifting of foreign travel restrictions is the most significant act of liberalisation yet from Raúl Castro By Telegraph View 8:22PM BST 16 Oct 2012 It has taken half a century but Cuba has finally bowed to the inevitable and announced the lifting of foreign travel restrictions on its citizens. From [...] Continue reading
Indecision time
Cuba Indecision time Never rapid, Raúl Castro's reforms seem to be stalling Sep 15th 2012 | HAVANA WHEN Raúl Castro, Cuba's president, gave his latest big speech, to a meeting of the National Assembly in July, he repeated his stock response to those who urge him to move faster with reforms to his country's stagnant [...] Continue reading
Foreign business in Cuba: Beware the dangerous embrace
Foreign business in Cuba: Beware the dangerous embrace Havana is at the same time attracting and terrifying entrepreneurs by Nancy Macdonald and Gabriela Perdomo on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 10:16am Until this spring, Stephen Purvis had it all. The British architect, who'd helped launch the Saratoga, Cuba's poshest hotel, was one of the more prominent [...] Continue reading
Cuba’s Customs Office Tightens the Screws
Cuba's Customs Office Tightens the Screws July 18, 2012 Fernando Ravsberg* HAVANA TIMES — The Customs law that goes into effect in September is one that will have the most social impact, since in one way or another it will affect the majority of Cubans, making everyday life a little more difficult and a lot [...] Continue reading
Risky Business: Investing in Cuba Is More Than Just a Financial Gamble
Risky Business: Investing in Cuba Is More Than Just a Financial Gamble By Justin Rohrlich Jun 20, 2012 1:45 pm "It's hard to argue against weeding out corruption. Sometimes, in the process, you break a couple of eggs." MINYANVILLE ORIGINAL Investment risk can mean a number of different things. This past fall, British businessman Amado [...] Continue reading
The Conspiracy Exposed: Who is Behind Estado de Sats?
The Conspiracy Exposed: Who is Behind Estado de Sats? (corrected) / Estado de Sats, Alexis Jardines Alexis Jardines, Estado de Sats / State of Sats, Translator: Unstated Corrected Text: Unfortunately the first paragraph got left off this article when it was posted earlier today. Alexis Jardines While it is considered a construction of State Security [...] Continue reading
The New Man vs. The Honest Man / Yoani Sánchez
The New Man vs. The Honest Man / Yoani Sánchez Translator: Unstated, Yoani Sánchez Villa Marista is the main operations center of the Cuban Ministry of the Interior. Its huge structure was built to house a school run by a religious order, but since 1963 it has been home to the most feared jail cells [...] Continue reading
Foreign Policy: Preparing for Life after Castro
Posted on Tuesday, 05.15.12 Foreign Policy: Preparing for Life after Castro Early this month, a senior Cuban official raised the possibility of loosening travel restrictions, potentially making it far easier for Cuban citizens to travel abroad as tourists. So far, little is known about the details of the policy Havana has in mind. But the [...] Continue reading
Remittances and the Silence of Their Beneficiaries on the Island / Iván García
Remittances and the Silence of Their Beneficiaries on the Island / Iván García Iván García, Translator: AnonyGY To ask for money from relatives who live in the United States of America is a constant in Cuba. Whether it is done through one of most expensive international collect calls from the island, an e-mail, or through [...] Continue reading
For an American, Havana is filled with contradictions
Posted on Tuesday, 04.17.12 For an American, Havana is filled with contradictionsBy Franco OrdonezMcClatchy Newspapers HAVANA — The green 1951 Dodge Coronet clattering along this city'sfamed Malecon coastal seawall looks like the car built more than ahalf-century ago, but lift the hood and things are not as expected. The car's bulging headlights give the classic [...] Continue reading
The Streets Belong to Cubans / Rosa María Rodríguez Torrado
The Streets Belong to Cubans / Rosa María Rodríguez TorradoRosa María Rodríguez Torrado, Translator: Unstated Cuba's leaders and their acolytes have warned for years and without the least reserve, that the streets belong to the Revolutionaries. This amounts to the segregation that only government sympathizers can march and protest peacefully and publicly, but always in [...] Continue reading
Forget the Pope / Estado de Sats – State of Sats
Forget the Pope / Estado de Sats – State of SatsEstado de Sats / State of Sats, Translator: Unstated Our rallying point: the Invisible Church.And our fundamental currency: freedom of thought.(Letter from Hegel to Schelling) In 1998, When John Paul II had not yet boarded the plane back the Holy See, I witnessed the following: [...] Continue reading
Havana Gets a Taste of the Free Market
03/23/2012 01:38 PM – Cuba's Pioneering Days Havana Gets a Taste of the Free MarketBy Jens Glüsing in Havana Inhabitants of the communist bastion of Cuba have been getting a taste of the free market lately with the introduction of market reforms by President Raúl Castro. The Catholic Church is supporting his endeavor, and Pope [...] Continue reading
Routing Out Corruption in Cuba Will Require Transparency, Now Missing
Yoani Sanchez – Award-winning Cuban blogger Routing Out Corruption in Cuba Will Require Transparency, Now Missing in ActionPosted: 02/28/2012 3:18 pm Several months ago a friend gave me this magnificent manual entitled "Toolbox for citizen control of corruption." Accompanied by a CD with numerous practical examples, I have read it in search of answers to [...] Continue reading