HAVANA — Baby jaguars and an intricately colored endemic boa known as the “maja” are among the exotic animals at Cuba’s national zoo that parents and teachers say provide unusually effective therapy to children with special needs. Children pet the jaguars and play with their paws, stroke the cool, moist skin of snakes and give […]
Tag: Republic of Cuba
Cuban Teenagers Who Protested Communism In Streets Of Havana To Be Tried As Adults
HAVANA — Among those being charged are 55 teenagers, ages 16 to 18, who are being tried as adults. Human rights groups have said the crackdown shows how Cuba’s judicial system is used to crush dissent. The Cuban government said on Tuesday that some 790 people were being charged for sedition, public disorder and other […]
Spain’s Longtime News Service EFE Could Leave Cuba ‘Within Weeks’
HAVANA — For almost half a century, Spain’s EFE news agency has reported from Cuba, covering everything from the historic visit by President Barack Obama to the death of Fidel Castro. But its independent coverage in one of the world’s most censored societies could be about to end. In an interview with VOA, EFE’s president said […]
Cuban Protesters Face 30 Years In Prison For Daring To Talk Back To Communism
HAVANA — Detained protesters in Cuba could get up to 30 years in prison as they face the largest and most punitive mass trials on the island since the early years of the revolution. Prosecutors last week put on trial more than 60 citizens charged with crimes, including sedition, for taking part in demonstrations against the country’s […]
Russians ‘Won’t Exclude’ Putting Military Hardware in Cuba or Venezuela Amid ‘Unsuccessful’ Talks With U.S. On Ukraine
HAVANA — A senior Russian diplomat wouldn’t rule out the possibility of his country placing military infrastructure in Cuba or Venezuela, as the Kremlin called two recent rounds of talks with the U.S. and NATO “unsuccessful.” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, who led negotiations with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Geneva this week, said Thursday […]
Cuba Tightens Border Controls As Coronavirus Infections Rebound
HAVANA — Cuba tightened border controls on Wednesday as the Caribbean island nation moved to tamp down a growing wave of coronavirus infections while keeping doors open for its economically vital tourism industry. The country will now require both a negative PCR within 72 hours and proof of vaccination of all visitors, though authorities have said they […]
China’s Belt And Road Initiative Snags Cuba On Christmas Day
My recent pair of articles based on an interview with Professor David Arase of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, published in Asia Times under the title Belt & Road Phase 2 moves beyond infrastructure and ‘Greater Eurasia’: Belt & Road expands in Africa, detailed the evolution of China’s Belt & Road Initiative beyond large infrastructure projects and its expansion in […]
Biden Administration Slaps Travel Bans On 8 Cuban Officials
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has placed a travel ban on eight Cuban officials it says have been complicit in the repression of opposition protesters and other dissidents. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced visa restrictions Thursday in a statement that condemned an ongoing crackdown on participants in demonstrations that began last July and called prison […]
Bombardments, Glamor and Gangsters Mark History of Cuba’s Hotel Nacional
HAVANA — In its 91 years, Havana’s majestic Hotel Nacional has borne witness to some of the biggest events of Cuban history. It was once bombed as part of a conflict between rival units of Cuba’s military, hosted a summit of mafia dons, was a key site of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a holiday jaunt […]
Communist Cuba Records Runaway Inflation Of Over 70%
HAVANA — Cuba will have an inflation rate of over 70 percent by the end of 2021, Economy Minister Alejandro Gil said on Tuesday. Cuba’s economy shrank 10.9 percent in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic devastated the country’s tourism sector. This was further aggravated by harsh new sanctions imposed by the United States during the presidency of Donald […]