Read this article by Norman Girvan: Fidel Castro Unseen Guest at Vth Summit. The number of issues facing the Americas at this moment is staggering: the upcoming Summit must address the current financial crisis and global economic downturn, energy concerns, drug trafficking, migration pressures, persistent poverty and inequality, organized crime and regional violence, at least. And yet, […]
I was recently told, rather unceremoniously, that Cuba’s neighbors in the Caribbean are quite content with a Castro regime in Havana. Apparently these small countries ‘dread’ a regime change, an evolution of the form of government, or an end to the embargo. This point merits special discussion. The reason for such sentiment, of course, is […]
Manuel Marrero Faz of Cuba’s Ministry of Basic Industries stated this week that Havana would welcome U.S. companies’ help in developing the island’s oil industry, should the embargo (someday) be lifted. “We’re very close to each other. We’re neighbors. Why not do business?” He said. A previous post described the possible benefit to the United […]
Representative Barbara Lee of California is head of a Congressional delegation that arrived today in Havana to discuss tourism and trade, as well as other U.S.-Cuba exchanges (health, cultural and academic). She expressed before departing: “America’s harsh approach toward our nearest Caribbean neighbor divides families, closes an important market to struggling U.S. farmers, harasses our […]
Cuban artist Tania Bruguera, a resident of Havana, set up a podium and microphone as the backdrop to her performance art show on Sunday at the 10th Havana Biennial, a prestigious international festival. Volunteers from the audience were invited to speak for no more than one minute each, and during each speech actors dressed in […]
“Acopio,” the system that organizes the purchase and distribution of about 90% of Cuba’s agricultural output, will no longer be overseen by Cuba’s agriculture ministry but by the domestic trade ministry. A brief report on state-run television explained that by reassigning this duty, the agriculture ministry will be able to focus solely on production without […]
This post can also be seen on FPA’s Latin America Blog. This month marked a historic change for El Salvador and popular movements in Latin America as a whole. Central America in the late 70’s and early 1980’s was one of the warfronts of the Cold War between the US and the USSR. Countries such […]
Fareed Zakaria GPS this past Sunday brought one of the most popular leaders in Latin America to English speaking viewers with an interview with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva. With questions of the economic crisis, oil, relations with Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia as well as Brazil’s role as one of the world’s largest […]
This month marked a historic change for El Salvador and popular movements in Latin America as a whole. Central America in the late 70’s and early 1980’s was one of the warfronts of the Cold War between the US and the USSR. Countries such as Cuba and even Mexico became entrenched in the problems in […]
A “new” bill that removes legal barriers to all travel to Cuba (not just family-related visits) will be unveiled on Tuesday in the Senate, with a host of supporters rallying behind it. The bill has been proposed for the last two years, but died each time in Committee under the threat of presidential veto. This time, both […]
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden announced today that Washington plans to maintain the embargo against Cuba—the first definitive statement on the current Administration’s stance on the issue and a serious blow to the many analysts and think tanks advising that the embargo be lifted. Biden’s statement came at the Progressive Governance Summit in Chile, convened […]
Excerpts from a letter sent from the U.S. Congress to the White House this week: March 24, 2009 The Honorable Barack Obama President of the United States of America The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: As Members of the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus, who represent the overwhelming majority of Cuban Americans in […]
The Fifth Summit of the Americas, an initiative of the Organization of American States (OAS), will meet on April 17-19, 2009 in Port of Spain, Trinidad. President Obama has recently confirmed that he will attend the Summit. Cuba, as previously noted, is the only independent country in the Western Hemisphere that is excluded from the OAS, making […]
Last Friday, U.S. federal courts sentenced Luis Perez of southern Florida to 10 years in prison. As the head of a human trafficking network (which operated partially out of his garage), he is not only guilty of bringing numerous illegal Cuban migrants into the United States, but of providing dangerous and inhumane conditions for passage to […]
The EU Commissioner for External Relations confirmed today what we discussed a few days ago—that the EU wants to move toward a compromise with Cuba in relations and dialogue, which will involve reformulating the Common Position in favor of a more cooperative approach. Meanwhile, El Salvador’s newly elected President, Mauricio Funes, announced last week that […]