Stories about Cuba from April, 2009
Caribbean: Keeping Track of Swine Flu
As concerns over the Swine Flu outbreak continue to mount, Caribbean bloggers are educating themselves, just in case...
Cuba: Path to the Future
“This little accessory hanging from the hip could well come to be all the newspapers we lack at the kiosks”: Cuba's Generation Y has faith in the potential of SMS to be a reliable source of information.
Caribbean: When Pigs Fly?
The idiom "when pigs fly" is not a popular one in the Caribbean these days as regional bloggers, like the rest of the world, keep a close eye on the Swine Flu threat.
Cuba: Right to Travel
“Hasn’t it been said already—by enough voices—that the requirement for permission to leave and enter Cuba has to be repealed?”: Generation Y wants to know “What more has to happen to stop them from hijacking this right from us?”
Cuba: Strike of the Period?
Cuba's ration market for feminine hygiene products is not always reliable, prompting Generation Y to envision “a ‘Strike of the Period,’ a massive protest marked by the ovulation cycle.”
Cuba: Female Political Prisoner Released
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports that “perhaps the best known female political prisoner in Cuba” has been released.
Cuba, U.S.A.: What Next?
“After a week in which President Obama announced new Cuba policy measures and discussed Cuba policy at the Trinidad summit,” The Cuban Triangle asks: “Where do things stand?”
MENA: Reflections on Durban II
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech, and the way European Union representatives reacted to it at the United Nations Conference on Racism in Geneva (Durban II), has stirred debates among bloggers across the Middle East. Eman AbdElRahman sums up reactions in this post.
Trinidad & Tobago: Summit Thoughts
From Trinidad and Tobago, The Undisputed Truth claims that “even Fidel Castro thinks the Summit was too expensive”, while Barbados-based B.C. Pires is experiencing the “post-Summit blues”.
Cuba: The Outside World
“The Summit of the Americas ended yesterday and it doesn’t appear that an urgent meeting of parliament…is being convened to discuss the proposals made by Obama”, writes Cuba's Generation Y, adding: “I can’t help asking myself, then, if all this ‘olive branch’ and the willingness to touch on broad themes,...
Cuba: Open Letter About the Relationship with the United States
Bloggers Cuba [es] writes an open letter regarding the differences between Cuba and the United States and hopes that change can happen now with the hope that both countries’ leaders “establish a sincere dialogue soon” and that “we need to look ahead, together.”
Cuba: National Football Team to Skip Gold Cup
Even though it qualified, the Cuban national football team will not participate in the Gold Cup to be held in the United States in July because of “technical and organizational” reasons according to the Association, writes Miguel Gómez of Mi Columna Deportiva [es]. However, one commenter notes that the reason...
Americas: 5th Summit Reactions
The much-hyped Fifth Summit of the Americas is now over, culminating with the Hemispheric leaders' adoption of the Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain - albeit with one signatory - the Prime Minister of host country Trinidad and Tobago, who purportedly signed on behalf of all participating leaders. This signaled to many a clear lack of unanimity on the final declaration, hardly surprising given the differing agendas of the 34 participating nations. Bloggers were quick to post their impressions of the three-day engagement.
Caribbean: 5th Summit Begins
As the heads of member states of the Fifth Summit of the Americas gather today in Trinidad and Tobago, bloggers Caribbean-wide are eager to discuss the pros and cons of the event.
Cuba, U.S.A.: Remembering the Prisoners
“Cuban Americans may be about to flood the island with cash and visits,” says diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense, “but political prisoners in the Castro gulag are not likely to enjoy any benefits of the largesse.”
Americas: Eye on the Summit
As the much-anticipated opening of the Fifth Summit of the Americas - which will see 34 Western Hemisphere leaders coming together to discuss issues related to human prosperity, environmental sustainability and energy security, not to mention the global financial crisis - fast approaches, regional bloggers continue to closely monitor developments.
Cuba, U.S.A.: Play Ball
“The ball is in Cuba’s court after Obama threw it yesterday, as he announced new flexibility in his policies toward Cuba”: From Havana, Generation Y says: “The game would become more dynamic if they let the Cuban people take hold of the erratic ball of change. Many would kick it...
Cuba, U.S.A.: Extending an Olive Branch?
The Obama administration yesterday announced some key changes to U.S. policy designed to "reach out to the Cuban people in support of their desire to freely determine their country’s future." While the policy shift allows for a lift on travel and remittance restrictions and paves the way for greater telecommunications links with the island, some bloggers are concerned that the measure has not gone far enough...
Americas: The 5th Summit Gets Underway
The Fifth Summit of the Americas, to be held in Port of Spain, the capital city of the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, from April 17-20, 2009, is already capturing intense regional and international interest. Regional bloggers weigh in.
Cuba: Blogger Yoani Sánchez Introduces Voces Cubanas
In this interview with Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez, she presents the new project called Voces Cubanas that will providing hosting for anyone wanting to learn to create his or her own personal blog. She also comments on the term "blogostróika" often used to describe this new wave of Cuban blogs and their role in the democratization process.
Cuba, U.S.A.: “Economic Emigrants”
From Havana, Generation Y remembers “events such as the Mariel Boatlift”, adding: “Emigration happens more quietly now, in rocky coves where—in the early hours every morning—someone launches themselves into the sea, and in the consulates crammed with people looking for a visa.”
