El Tumbao Cubano - El Blog de Cuba en el Exilio

Internet use is limited in Cuba, which blames U.S.

LINK  The Internet is a luxury to the privileged few in Cuba, and the government there says the U.S. economic embargo is at fault.   BY FRANCES ROBLES.  frobles@herald.com

Oscar Visiedo says that when he helped bring the Internet to Cuba in 1992, he faced three daunting obstacles: the U.S. economic embargo, technological shortcomings and ominous state security.

Thirteen years later, steep prices and strict government controls largely keep ordinary Cubans from the World Wide Web, while the island's authorities still blame the embargo as the reason the country stalled on the information highway.= So, even while the Internet boomed in Cuba -- the government alone has at least 200 sites -- usage remains among the lowest in the Western Hemisphere, and the hurdles remain unchanged.

''There is a fear -- a fear that is practically pathological -- of access to information,'' said Visiedo, who worked at the government office that introduced Cuba to the Internet, back when nobody there knew what it was. He now works in management information systems at Carlos Albizu University in Miami.

If I Had a Hammer: Hugo Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution

LINK   A revolution is presently on course in Venezuela known as the “Bolivarian revolution.” It is an antisystemic and socialist revolution, which benefits from very broad support. Since 1998, Venezuelans have repeatedly affirmed their liking for this revolution as amply evidenced by Hugo Chávez’s election to the presidency, the reform of the Constitution, the “no” vote to attempt to recall the chief of the state, and regional elections won some months later. Even earlier, in April 2002, the broad public rose up in protest against a coup supported by the oligarchy and, in December of the same year, resisted an employers’ lockout which attempted to strangle the economy.

Fundamentally, the legitimacy of the revolutionary process in this South American country lies in strict respect for the law (so as not to give a handle to reaction), and appeals to an ideal of social justice imbued with the spirit of Christianity and deeply rooted in the people’s mentality. But in the word of Chávez this ideal will be achieved only if “one gives the power to the people.”

This is exactly what Hugo Chávez, an exceptional revolutionary leader, is trying to do. In this difficult time for the left, the radicalism of Chávez’s discourse is almost surprising in its anti-imperialist firmness in bringing to the fore the vital need for humanity to search for an alternative to capitalism and find a new way to a socialism of the future. US imperialism does not make a mistake in seeing him as a major enemy.= If the Venezuelan revolution is peaceful, however, it is not unarmed. Arms have recently been imported, because “the people of Venezuela are ready to defend its territory and to fight for its revolution.” Within Venezuela, Chávez is resisting the aggressiveness of the still powerful local bourgeoisie. At the international level, he does not cease to insist on the urgency of building an anti-imperialist front in the South by uniting Latin American countries.

LaAm Does Not Trust Democracy

Havana, Nov 27 (Prensa Latina) Latin American people´s confidence in democratic government has taken a sharp downturn in the last few years, Atilio Boron, secretary general of the Latin American Council for Social Sciences reported.

In his lecture on foreign debt and government discipline, the expert told the 450 delegates and guests at the sixth Cuban National Association of Economists and Accountants (ANEC) a recent survey showed only 19 percent approval of democracy, down from 41 percent in 1997.

The Argentine expert, a distinguished member of ANEC, said the main reason is the foreign debt that countries of the region face.= Decisions adopted in the last few years by the so-called democracies of the area originated outside the region, in New York- eye of Davos, he pointed out.

Boron also said the United States and financing organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the Inter-American Development Bank decide the fate of Latin American populations.= Professor Johs Saxe Fernandez, of the Mexican Autonomous University, referred to the "iron triangle" of Latin American governments, corporations and the US congress.

Cuban Foreign Affairs Vice-Minister Eumelio Caballero likewise highlighted the international situation in which Cuba faces the expanding US economic blockade.

How Should US Prepare for a Post Castro Cuba?

LINK MIAMI, Nov. 27, 2005 — From the Bay of Pigs to poison cigars, American attempts to rid the world of Fidel Castro have repeatedly been met with embarrassment and failure.

After 46 years, Castro's wheezing revolution has even outlived his cold-war ally, the once-mighty Soviet Union.

Now, amid reports of Castro's fragile health and conflicting expectations about the shape of a post-Castro Cuba, the U.S. government is facing a choice about how aggressively it should press for democratic reforms in Havana after Castro's reign. Top Cuban officials, for their part, are reacting with alarm and bracing for a possible new round of American meddling.

Those in favor of taking bold action — namely, trying to stop Raul Castro from stepping into his brother's shoes — cite post-9/11 concerns that any failing or hostile nation may become a launching pad for terrorists seeking to attack the United States.

Tropicana Nights

Join us for a reading by the author – Rosa Lowinger and Ofelia Fox.
Monday October 17, 2005 @ 7:00 PM at
The Half King= 505 W 23RD ST
NEW YORK, NY 10011
TEL: 212.462.4300

From Publishers Weekly
Tropicana opened in 1939 at Villa Mina, a six-acre suburban Havana estate with lush tropical gardens. It's still going strong, after a number of setbacks, not the least of which was Fidel Castro's squelching of nightlife and other social outlets. After Martin Fox took over in 1950, choreographer Roderico "Rodney" Neyra staged spectacular shows in the club's newly constructed Arcos de Cristal, parabolic concrete arches and glass walls soaring over an indoor stage. Headliners included Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole, Celia Cruz, Xavier Cugat and Carmen Miranda; and celebrity visitors ranged from Brando and Durante to Hemingway and Piaf. Tracing the evolution of this "paradise under the stars" against the backdrop of Cuban culture, politics in pre-Castro Cuba and mob connections, journalist Lowinger (Latina) interweaves the personal stories of Fox and his widow, playwright-teacher Ofelia Fox, who recalls, "It was a life set to music. What could be better?" The superb talents of Cuban music's Golden Age were resurrected in the Oscar-nominated film Buena Vista Social Club (1998), but Lowinger's scintillating chronicle offers an overview—not found in that film—of the florid, splashy era when "Cuba was an endless party, and Tropicana was its epicenter." Photos. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

From Booklist
Lowinger and Fox tell the story of Havana's notorious Tropicana nightclub, the template from which Las Vegas was made after the corrupt Batista regime collapsed, and the Tropicana was closed. In its day the Tropicana was a prime site for gambling, elegance, seeing and being seen--a resort of choice for international gangsters and jet-setters. Readers who enjoyed Anthony Haden-Guest's "biography" of Studio 54, The Last Party (1997), will enjoy comparing the differing modes of showmanship, decadence, and ostentation current in the Tropicana's 1950s heyday to those of 1970s New York's debauched disco scene. Fox married Tropicana owner Martin Fox in 1952 and helped him run it until 1962, when they decamped to Miami. She and Lowinger take pains to establish that the Tropicana was hardly a sleazy Mob hangout but rather a world-class entertainment venue that discriminating gangsters happened to enjoy frequenting. An excellent resource on Cuban popular culture, lavish entertainment, and everyday life just before and just after Castro, this is also an exciting and rewarding read. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

New Research on Indigenous Peoples in Cuba

Ahora.cu / 03-10-2005 Unprecedented research on metallic pieces found in the cemetery of indigenous peoples of Chorro de Maita, in the eastern region of Holguin, Cuba, has revealed their European and South American origins.

The investigation, one of the most complete of this type in the Caribbean, was carried out in the laboratories of the Archaeology Institute of London, in the United Kingdom.

Latest technology equipment was used for the analysis of samples which have proven that the objects were created with European brass while others are the results of a gold, copper and silver alloy, possibly originating from Colombia.= That conclusion points out that the chronology of the Chorro de Maita cemetery, one of the most important archaeological sites on the island and in the Caribbean, and indicates that part of the burials occurred after the Spanish conquest at the beginnings of the sixteenth century.

Roberto Valcarcel, a specialist of the Oriental Archaeology Center in Holguin and a Cuban representative in London, said to AIN that the conclusions of the work open new perspectives on the topic.= He indicated the existence of objects brought from South America and used in mortuary rites verified in the place, adding that it should be studied whether they were brought by Europeans or were obtained by means of exchange.

The cemetery of indigenous peoples of Chorro de Maita is located near Guardalavaca Beach in Banes, Holguin, where all the known burial forms in Cuba and other parts of the Caribbean can be appreciated.

Americans Travel to Cuba with It's Just The Kids, Inc. to Join Cuban Families to Build Playgrounds In Four Havana Neighborhoods

American volunteers, organized by the nonprofit organization It's Just The Kids, Inc., assemble and erect the latest in playground equipment assisted by Cuban family members in a local Havana neighborhood.
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 22, 2005--Hardly anyone receives permission to travel here for any purpose, but on September 24, two 30-passenger aircraft will leave Miami International Airport in Florida with over 50 enthusiastic volunteers to travel to the island of Cuba to participate in a project whose goal is to build four playgrounds in one week for the children of Havana. These American volunteers will join local Cuban families to assemble and erect new swing sets, climbing structures, crawling tubes, triple twists, turbo towers, infant playhouses and many more pieces of the latest playground equipment.

This project was the idea of an entrepreneur and real estate investor, Bill Hauf, who six years ago formed a nonprofit foundation, It's Just The Kids, Inc., to fulfill the unrealized dreams of children. Hauf's organization will construct four brand new playgrounds in record time, utilizing American volunteers working alongside Cuban family members, building friendships as well as playgrounds.

No PlayStation, X-Box or Nintendo for these children: only the latest in playground equipment that will take these children off traffic filled streets to the safety of a new neighborhood park playground.

Two years ago, in May 2003, Hauf's organization built three similar playgrounds after investing four years of tenacious effort in the bureaucratic process. Finally, he received the approvals necessary from both governments to build these playgrounds, which took a quarter million dollars and 100 Americans working in friendship with Cuban family members to assemble and erect this equipment.= Cuba may be miles apart in geography, but for one short week, through the joint efforts of caring people and a common goal, the people, if not the countries, got a little closer together.

With the intent to continue the success they achieved two years before, 50 American volunteers will arrive in Cuba on Saturday morning, September 24. They will immediately head for their hotel for a quick check-in, light lunch and then be sped across Havana Harbor to the neighborhood of Cotterro to start unpacking shipping containers, sorting parts, pouring concrete, assembling structures and erecting playground structures for the first of the four playground sites. No time will be lost by these volunteers in trying to fulfill these children's dreams.

Language may be a barrier for some, but no lack of translation can hide the joy in friendship as people of two cultures meet and make new friends and form new bonds that transcend generations.= At night the group will enjoy Cuban family hospitality, listen to Cuban music, savor Cuban food, maybe see a ballet or baseball game and learn about Cuban culture and life in modern day Havana.= The week will conclude with ribbon cutting ceremonies and a farewell celebration dinner on Friday night, where Cuban families will join with their American counterparts for an exchange of addresses and a plethora of thank yous and mutual gratitude for such a rewarding experience.

It's Just the Kids, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the needs of children at home and around the world. Its goal is to help children by providing that which is necessary to promote their physical and mental health and development. Safe playground equipment in family neighborhoods is one way to reach that goal and to enhance the emotional, physical and psychological quality of children's lives.

To learn more about this program, visit: www.itsjustthekids.org

FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN CUBA

A Distorted Reality.
Cuba: a medley of religions. Numerous churches and religious denominations practice their faiths freely on the island, said Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), following his recent visit to the Caribbean island. The Cuban Constitution on Religion. Believers Join the Cuban Communist Party.

The presumed lack of any kind of freedom in Cuba is outstanding among the many distortions that exist today regarding the island's reality.

It's then hardly surprising that the empire includes in its arsenal of official, as well as media fallacies, the false idea that the island's inhabitants are denied the right to practice a religion of their choice. Accustomed to spreading only what favors their evil purposes, the U.S. administration of President George W. Bush and its lackeys from the Florida-based Cuban-American National Foundation, pretend to not hear or see the facts, the truth…

In order to determine who is right, it would be enough to verify the differences between what the enemies of the Cuban Revolution say and the many achievements the island nation demonstrates to the world.

Everyday life in Cuba is open to anyone interested in getting to know and understand it. That was the experience of Reverend Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), who after spending almost one week on the island in August 2005, described his pastoral visit as excellent and very useful...

LINK

Havana Pizzazz With The Saratoga Hotel

There are ripples of excitement in the air as the Cuban capital of Havana prepares for the opening of The Saratoga Hotel. The hotel is reputed to evoke the pizzazz of a bygone Cuba – aching back to the 1920’s when the city’s elegant inhabitants met for afternoon tea while listening to orchestra performances of the famous group ‘Anacaona’.= The hotel has undergone extensive restoration at its original location enabling spectacular views of the Capitolio building, the Fraternity Park, the prestigious Partagás Cigar Factory and the Grand Theatre.

Revamped features include a roof top pool offering near 180-degree views of the Bay of Havana and Fortress of “San Carlos de la Cabaña”. The restoration has combined traditional elements including the magnificent façade, with modern technology to guarantee the best service and comfort for guests.

The hotel is set to be a must for discerning travelers wishing to combine culture, sightseeing and Havana’s renowned nightlife. Luxury brand One & Only were, until recently, hawking the hotel for their portfolio. It is now being managed by the Havana company, Habaguanex.

The hotel has 99 bedrooms and seven suites. There is a restaurant with a French chef and three bars including the rooftop bar.= As an example of price a three-night stay at the hotel with tourist visa, return Virgin Atlantic flights from London, accommodation with breakfast, private transfers from Havana airport costs from £739 per person sharing room (based on April 14 – July 13, 2006) rising to £930 per person for seven nights. =

Cuba’s Hurricane Response Far Superior

Commentary.   Marjorie Cohn,La Prensa-San Diego, Sep 13, 2005

Last September, a Category 5 hurricane battered the small island of Cuba with 160-mile-per-hour winds. More than 1.5 million Cubans were evacuated to higher ground ahead of the storm. Although the hurricane destroyed 20,000 houses, no one died.

What is Cuban President Fidel Castro’s secret? According to Dr. Nelson Valdes, a sociology professor at the University of New Mexico, and specialist in Latin America, “the whole civil defense is embedded in the community to begin with. People know ahead of time where they are to go.”

“Cuba’s leaders go on TV and take charge,” said Valdes. Contrast this with George W. Bush’s reaction to Hurricane Katrina. The day after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Bush was playing golf. He waited three days to make a TV appearance and five days before visiting the disaster site. In a scathing editorial on Thursday, the New York Times reported, “nothing about the president’s demeanor yesterday – which seemed casual to the point of carelessness – suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis.” ...

Cuba announces further downsizing of sugar industry

LINK    Wed Sep 7, 2005. By Marc Frank
HAVANA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Cuba plans to shut down more sugar mills and replace them with food processing facilities, the Sugar Ministry said this week, in the first official confirmation many mills would be idled after 71 were closed in 2002.

"This period, through 2007, includes the closing for the next harvest of another group of mills that will be temporarily preserved," the Communist party daily Granma said on Wednesday, reporting on a meeting between ministry officials and workers.

Warehouses and workshops will be put to other uses and "more than 100 factories to produce pastas, chocolate, candy, process soy beans and corn will replace mills," Granma said...

Capitalism in Cuba

FROM GRANMA. BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS

The so-called "transition" aspired to by President Bush and the Miami anti-Cuban mafia is reminiscent of that pseudo-republic where corruption, unemployment, illiteracy and ill-health prevailed as an example of the final years of capitalism on the island.

Cuba entered in its final decade of capitalism (1950-1960) converted into an insufficiently developed country with no organic integration between its productive and consumer elements, with a majority percentage of rural over industrial employment and a considerable rate of unemployment in the face of the constant growth of the working population....

LINK

Cuba, previously a 'threat,' drops from radar

Two years ago, John Bolton widely publicized a State Department report alleging that Cuba was developing a biological warfare program.

By DAVID ADAMS, Times Latin America Correspondent. Published September 6, 2005.
MIAMI - A week ago, the State Department quietly reinterpreted its intelligence assessment on the bioweapons threat posed by Cuba.

It makes for interesting reading.

Readers may recall that two years ago the State Department alleged that Cuba had "at least a limited, developmental offensive biological warfare research and development effort."

The report was widely publicized by critics of the Cuban government, including John Bolton, who at the time was undersecretary for arms control and international security.

Bolton was recently tapped as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Congress was unable to agree on his nomination after Bolton was criticized during testy hearings for allegedly using his political influence to bully intelligence officials.

The Bush administration appointed him anyway...

LINK