Stories from and

Cubans Join Authorised Users of Google Chrome

  21 August 2014

Google Chrome finally becomes “legal” in Cuba and blogger Yoani Sanchez says that she gleans great satisfaction from “knowing that the opinions of citizens interested in the free flow of information and technology influenced the elimination of this prohibition.”

Safety Measures Against Ebola in Cuba

  19 August 2014

Thus far, no-one in Cuba has contracted the deadly Ebola virus and the government wants to keep it that way. Havana Times reports on “increased control measures to prevent the possible introduction of Ebola into Cuba”, adding that The Ministry of Public Health and other supporting agencies are being extra...

Cuba's Customs Clamps Down in “Illegal Imports”

  24 July 2014

On September 1, 2014 the Customs Service of the Republic of Cuba will begin enforcing new regulations intended to combat illegal trafficking of merchandise by relatives, friends and ‘mules’ (a slang term for couriers of goods from overseas through airports and port facilities). Iván's File Cabinet considers this “one more...

The Problem of Bullying in Cuba

  24 June 2014

Abuse at school is an issue that is rarely discussed in the national media, but it affects hundreds, even thousands, of students across the country. Generacion Y blogs about bullying in Cuba.

“We are Leaderless” in Cuba

  20 June 2014

In an emotional post by Rafael González, author of the blog El Microwave, he questions: Are any of us willing to sacrifice time, prestige, fortune and emotional stability in support of an improbable change in the climate of the state of affairs in Cuba? The author builds on multiple issues...

Cuban Journalists & Bloggers

  1 June 2014

One side questioned the silence of the press on issues of interest to the public and the other cast doubt on the convenience of publishings posts with ‘incendiary’ news. Havana Times looks at the divide between journalists and bloggers, making the point that this “runs counter to the fusion that...

Cuba: Throwing Sticks at Language

  7 May 2014

Havana Times explores the origin of a controversial idiom that brings into focus “the sexual idiosyncrasies of people in the Caribbean and those of Cubans in particular.”

It's Not Easy Being Black in Cuba

  6 May 2014

The worst news for black and mixed-race Cubans is that there are no independent legal institutions that protect them in the face of government neglect. Iván's File Cabinet reports that non-whites are still marginalized in Cuba.

Cuban Music Legend of “Los Van Van” Juan Formell Dies

  2 May 2014

The founder and director of the legendary Cuban ensemble Los Van Van, the bassist Juan Formell, died in Havana, Cuba, on May 1st. He was 71 years-old. For the last 45 years, Formell and Los Van Van have been inspiring people to dance with their Cuban rhythm. Los Van Van,...

Human Rights Video: 2013 Year in Review

  3 February 2014

A video by WITNESS on the Human Rights Channel of YouTube wrapped up some of the most significant protests and human rights abuses of 2013. Dozens of clips shot by citizens worldwide are edited together to show efforts to withstand injustice and oppression, from Sudan to Saudi Arabia, Cambodia to...

Cuba: Madiba Was Great, But Not Perfect

  18 December 2013

Cuban blog Without Evasion says the best way in which she can pay tribute to Nelson Mandela is by “imitating him in forgiveness and reconciliation”: I forgive you…for the friendship with…the vilest dictator my people has ever had…for placing your hand –redemptive for your people- on the bloodied shoulders of...

Cubans’ Daily Concerns Trump Controversial Handshake

  18 December 2013

While the Obama-Raúl thing sent a large part of the exiled Cuban-American community…into an uproar, in Havana [it] was little more than just another bit of news. Iván García offers insight as to why most Cubans overlooked the exchange.

Cuba Temporarily Reestablishes Consular Services in the United States

  10 December 2013

The Cuban Interest Section, the country's diplomatic mission in Washington, has temporarily reestablished its consular services until 17 February 2014. The decision comes after M&T Bank Corporation indicated they would postpone closing the Cuban diplomatic mission's accounts in the United States.  The official announcement by the Cuban Interest Section is...

400 Cuban Doctors Go to Brazil

  11 September 2013

David Oliveira de Souza, a doctor and professor from the Research Institute of the Sirio-Libanés Hospital, sent an open letter to the more than four hundred Cuban doctors who recently arrived in Brazil and who constitute the first group of a total of 4,000 physicians who are expected to come to this...

Could Guantánamo Be Returned to Cuba?

  4 September 2013

Michael Parmly, ex-representative of the United States in Cuba, suggested to President Barack Obama that the Guantánamo military base be returned to the island's authorities, along with other recommendations mentioned in a 26 page report which the news agency Reuters had access to and which will be published shortly at the Fletcher Forum...

Cuba: Another Brick in the Wall?

  18 June 2013

The whole process is managed and legitimated by a whole army of high-level psychologists and pedagogues in the name of the common Good. Erasmo Calzadilla blogs at Havana Times about the state of education in Cuba: “Till recently, school and repression were for me synonymous.”

New York Times Profiles Global Voices Cuba Contributor

  13 June 2013

According to the New York Times’ The Lede blog, Global Voices Cuba contributor Elaine Díaz “may be the most important Cuban dissident you’ve never heard of.” Elaine, currently on a visit to the US, is profiled in a June 11 post titled “Cuban Blogger Who Reveres Castro Pushes for Reform”.