Detained Cuban Journalist Freed
Region: CubaCalixto Ramón Martínez Arias spent half a year in jail without being sent to trial. By Dana Sants - Cuban journalist Calixto Ramón Martínez Arias was freed on the evening of April 9 after spending six months in jail. “I feel really good and really happy, and at the same time really grateful to you and to all those who showe... more
Views: 554Jehovah's Witnesses Face Discrimination in Cuban Schools
Region: CubaRefusal to conform with state ideology exposes faith group members to discrimination. By Yaremis Flores Marín A member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Cuba filed a complaint with the state prosecutor last month alleging discrimination against her three school-age daughters. She says the authorities have condoned acts of discrimination including physical and verbal viol... more
Views: 1796Southeastern Cuba Affected by Food Shortages
Region: CubaSince 2012 hurricane, produce has been brought in from other parts of the country, but transport problems lead to waste. By Magaly Norvis Otero Suárez Foodstuffs are in short supply in Santiago de Cuba Province in the far southeast of Cuba, a legacy of Hurricane Sandy which raged through the area in October. The flooding and infrastr... more
Views: 860Cuba: Food Storage and Distribution System Inefficient, Produce Goes to Waste
Region: CubaIn Mayabeque province, farmers say the government's distribution network is failing them. By Arian Guerra Pérez - Latin America 5 Mar 13 As Cuban farms struggle to produce enough food, the state-run storage and distribution systems are often so inefficient that produce goes to waste. In one ... more
Views: 784Cuba: Self-Mutilation in Prisons
Region: CubaBy Alejandro Tur Valladares Inmates resort to extreme methods that can leave them disabled. Inmates of Cuba’s prison system frequently harm themselves, often causing permanent physical damage, according to the independent Jagua Press agency. Jagua Press has gathered evidence from prisoners and their relatives in Cienfuegos province, many of whom say self-harming is c... more
Views: 731Cuba:Dissident Family Facing Charges of Attempted Murder
Region: CubaAfter son refuses to do military service, he and his parents are charged with assaulting police. By Rodolfo R. Ramírez Hernández A young man and his parents are facing charges of attempted murder after trying to stop police forcing him into the Cuban army. In September, Osvaldo Rodríguez Castillo was due to be called up for the standard two years of conscripted service w... more
Views: 608Cuban Political Detentions Intensify in Last Three Years
Region: CubaHuman Rights Day in December marked with surge of arrests. By Camilo Ganga - Three times more Cubans were detained or arrested on political grounds last year than in 2010, rights activists say. The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, CCDHRN, recorded 6,602 politically motivated arbitrary arrests in 2012. A separat... more
Views: 644Cuban Athletes: Immersed in Race to Leave
Region: CubaWhile some seek better lives abroad, others stay out of a sense of loyalty. By Carlos Rodríguez Cuban athletes who leave the country in search of better careers abroad frequently cite a lack of support and poor rewards. Robertlandy Simón Aties used to captain Cuba’s national volleyball ... more
Views: 637Cuba: Entrepreneurs On the Rise But Struggle to Gain a Competitive Edge
Region: CubaSelf-employed numbers rose ten per cent in 2012. By Carlos Rodriguez More and more Cubans are running their own small businesses, generating incomes and helping support the economy. But in a system heavily weighted against them, they struggle to gain a competitive edge. The self-employed entrepreneurs known as “cuentapropistas” took off in the early 1990s, and ... more
Views: 560Counterfeit Banknotes in Havana
Region: CubaPeople pay surprisingly little attention to checking whether their change comes in counterfeit notes. By Carlos Rodriguez Fake banknotes are circulating in the Cuban capital Havana, but although they are fairly easy to spot, residents pass them from hand to hand with apparent unconcern. “No one bothers to check whether a banknote is fake,” taxi driver Rafael Garc&ia... more
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