Sports
With Cuba decision, Obama hands Hillary Clinton a gift
With Cuba decision, Obama hands Hillary Clinton a gift
BY STEVE HOLLAND
WASHINGTON Thu Dec 18, 2014 9:15pm EST
(Reuters) – Potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary
Clinton knows a political gift when she sees one.
She was quick to embrace the step this week when President Barack Obama,
a fellow Democrat no longer having to face an electorate, relaxed… Continue reading
U.S. trade embargo with Cuba keeps broader economic impact at bay for now
U.S. trade embargo with Cuba keeps broader economic impact at bay for now
By Michael A. Fletcher December 18 at 2:02 PM
The biggest opening in U.S. relations with Cuba in more than half a
century could be a boon for farmers, telecommunications firms and
construction suppliers, but any broader economic impact is limited for
now by the trade embargo… Continue reading
Obama’s decision, pro and con
Obama’s decision, pro and con
12/18/2014 7:10 PM 12/18/2014 7:10 PM
President Obama’s historic opening to Cuba is long overdue — and has a
chance of hastening the Castro dictatorship’s demise. Critics of the
accord should explain why they believe a policy that has failed
miserably for half a century could ever work.
What is it about Cuba that makes… Continue reading
U.S.-Cuba rapprochement exposes Venezuela’s Maduro
U.S.-Cuba rapprochement exposes Venezuela’s Maduro
By Andrew Cawthorne
CARACAS (Reuters) – Even as Cuba and the United States try to bury 50
years of enmity, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has seemed to be going
in the other direction, vilifying “insolent Yankees” at rallies and
threatening to cut ties completely.
Fellow leftists Cuba and Venezuela are arguably the most unconditional
allies… Continue reading
Cuba-Venezuela Sign 62 Accords for 2015
Cuba-Venezuela Sign 62 Accords for 2015
December 14, 2014
HAVANA TIMES — The governments of Cuba and Venezuela just signed 62
joint projects for social and economic development in 2015, reported dpa
on Sunday.
The agreements seek to “increase the number physicians to expand the
health system in Venezuela by training 518 additional specialists in
Cuba, as well as cooperation… Continue reading
New comedy wave tests limits on criticism in Cuba
New comedy wave tests limits on criticism in Cuba
By ANNE-MARIE GARCIA
HAVANA (AP) — Panfilo, the elderly protagonist in a weekly show on Cuban
state television, has a broken water pipe in his house. When the city
repair worker says it’ll take six months to fix, Panfilo bribes her with
a bottle of shampoo and the repair is made… Continue reading
How Cubans Make Ends Meet – What New York Times Editorials Miss
How Cubans Make Ends Meet: What New York Times Editorials Miss* / Ivan
Garcia
Posted on December 6, 2014
If someone told you would receive a monthly salary of 350 pesos, the
equivalent of $15, for a job as a nighttime security guard at a
dilapidated school in a country where credit does not exist and that you
would need… Continue reading
Cuba, Iran among new offerings in Times Journeys program
Cuba, Iran among new offerings in Times Journeys program
By Johanna Jainchill
NEW YORK — Times Journeys, the New York Times’ travel program, has
expanded its offerings to include 29 itineraries that visit 36 countries
on seven continents.
New itineraries for 2015 include places identified as having “troubled
pasts,” such as Cuba, Sri Lanka, Colombia and Iran.
Times Journeys launched… Continue reading
An Epidemic of Editorials
An Epidemic of Editorials / Fernando Damaso
Posted on November 25, 2014
A few days ago the sixth editorial by the New York Times appeared
regarding relations between the Cuban and North American governments. I
believe that never has a country so small and relatively unimportant
merited so much – and such sustained – attention. This smells of strange
interests… Continue reading
Cuba Fast Facts
Cuba Fast Facts
Posted: Nov 11, 2014 10:32 PM RST
(CNN) — Here’s a look at what you need need to know about Cuba, a
communist country located in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 90 miles
south of Florida.
About Cuba:
(from the CIA World Factbook)
Area: 110,860 sq km (slightly smaller than Pennsylvania)
Population: 11,047,251 (July 2014 est.)
Median age:… Continue reading
Report sheds light on Jose Abreu’s defection from Cuba
Report sheds light on Jose Abreu’s defection from Cuba
By Mark Townsend
16 hours ago
Big League Stew
A little more than a year after Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose
Abreu arrived in the United States and inked what at the time was an
international free agent record six-year, $68 million contract with the
Chicago White Sox, the circumstances… Continue reading
Halloween Hangover in Havana
Halloween Hangover in Havana
November 8, 2014
HAVANA TIMES — The advance of Halloween as a celebration in Havana has
not gone unnoticed by the critics of the ruling Communist Party of Cuba.
Pedro de la Hoz, cultural columnist for the official Granma newspaper,
expressed concern about the costume celebrations. What bothered De la
Hoz most was the use of… Continue reading
Cuba’s black market thrives
Cuba’s black market thrives
AAP
From foreign DVDs to perfume, rum and coffee, Cuba’s shelves are packed
with pirated and counterfeit goods, which are sold as authorities turn a
blind eye — using the longstanding US embargo as justification.
The more than 50-year US trade freeze with communist-ruled Havana has
bred a healthy appetite for smuggled goods, including TV series,… Continue reading
Faced with US embargo, Cuba`s black market thrives
Faced with US embargo, Cuba`s black market thrives
Last Updated: Friday, October 17, 2014 – 09:00
Havana: From foreign DVDs to perfume, rum and coffee, Cuba`s shelves are
packed with pirated and counterfeit goods, which are sold as authorities
turn a blind eye — using the longstanding US embargo as justification.
The more than 50-year US trade freeze with communist-ruled… Continue reading
Interview with Diario de Cuba Editor Pablo Diaz
Interview with Diario de Cuba Editor Pablo Diaz
October 14, 2014
“You can’t do good journalism if you’re thinking in terms of Left or Right.”
By Yusimi Rodríguez
HAVANA TIMES — Diario de Cuba (DDC) was born at a Starbucks in Madrid in
2009. Its creators, Pablo Diaz (editor in chief) and a group of Cuban
journalists, artists and intellectuals,… Continue reading
Civil Society in Cuba Finds More Space Under the Reforms
Civil Society in Cuba Finds More Space Under the Reforms
By Ivet González
CÁRDENAS, Cuba , Oct 15 2014 (IPS) – Cafés, real estate agencies, taxis
and other small privately-owned businesses and cooperatives in Cuba have
brought new life to the depressed local economy and have given rise to
pockets of prosperity in the country’s towns and cities.
Although it… Continue reading
Benefit Raises Money To Send Family To Cuba
Benefit Raises Money To Send Family To Cuba
Story Updated: Oct 13, 2014 at 9:00 AM EDT
A community came together over the weekend to send a young family to Cuba.
Amanda Garcia says her father-in-law lives in Cuba, where he is fighting
for his life. She, her husband and their children couldn’t afford the
$6,000 or more needed to… Continue reading
Struggling Cuba misses ’deserters’
Struggling Cuba misses ’deserters’
Saturday, 11 October 2014 10:32 Posted by Saad Jabri
HAVANA: Cuba has some of the world’s best volleyball players, but none
of them are helping the national team, once one of the most feared.
Instead, they are caught in a sporting Cold War.
Cuba’s women won the Olympic gold medal three times in a row between… Continue reading
Cuban athletes face hurdles on road to sporting glory
Cuban athletes face hurdles on road to sporting glory
By Will Grant
BBC News, Havana
11 October 2014 Last updated at 00:07 GMT
Looming down on Cuba’s young athletes as they train at the Pan American
Stadium on the outskirts of Havana is a billboard with an image of Che
Guevara and his famous words “Hasta la victoria, siempre” (Until… Continue reading
Looking at Cuba’s Social Spending Cutbacks
Looking at Cuba’s Social Spending Cutbacks
October 9, 2014
with our own spyglass
HAVANA TIMES — Cuban economist Jose Luis Rodriguez has brought a
shocking fact to light. In an article by the former Minister of the
Economy, originally published by Cubacontemporanea and re-printed by
Cubadebate, Rodriguez lays bare several statistical reports on Cuba´s
current economic panorama.
One of the… Continue reading
Cuba and the U.S. need to cooperate on fisheries
Cuba and the U.S. need to cooperate on fisheries
BY JOHN HEMINGWAY AND PATRICK HEMINGWAY
October 8, 2014
Recently, we traveled to Cuba to help celebrate two important
anniversaries honoring the legacy of our grandfather, Ernest Hemingway.
For five days, with a group of Americans that included marine scientists
under the auspices of the Latin America Working Group of Washington,… Continue reading
Cricketers Fight for Foothold in Baseball-Mad Cuba
Cricketers Fight for Foothold in Baseball-Mad Cuba
HAVANA — Oct 6, 2014, 12:26 AM ET
By ANNE-MARIE GARCIA Associated Press
The ball bounced off the pavement and Yordeni Caballero swung, whacking
it with a soft thud and hurling his bat to the side as if he’d hit a
homerun. As the 7-year-old raced down a street-turned-cricket pitch, his
coach shouted… Continue reading