CUBA NEWS
La Tienda de Cubanet

October 2004

October 28

FROM CUBA
Havana glassworks dismantled; 900 workers displaced
Government authorities have decreed that the "Orlando Cuéllar" glassworks be dismantled and the facility be turned into warehouse space for the Ministry of Public Health, displacing 900 workers.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Interior Ministry official at the center or prison corruption
The director of the Valle Grande prison on the outskirts of Havana, Interior Ministry Major Juan Guevara Toledano, is at the center of corruption at the facility, making sure inmates are charged, in dollars, for privileges such as access to phone calls and beds.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Anti-government slogans in Villa Clara town
Someone painted anti-government slogans on at least a dozen walls early October 18 in Vueltas, Villa Clara province, in central Cuba. Residents say all along Oro Street people could see a string of red graffiti reading "Down with Fidel."
SANTA CLARA
FROM CUBA
Dissident beaten and fined by police
After exchanging some words with police and getting roughed up for his troubles, Leonardo Dévora says he was fined 200 pesos at the police station.
MANICARAGUA

Yahoo! News
• Straw and Morantinos agree to revisit EU policy on Cuba
• Cuba Studying Extending Use of Euro
• US says embargo on Cuba is working as Castro banishes dollar
• Cuba nets short-term cash-flow taking dollar out of circulation, eyes US vote

Dollar decision a sign of distress
Cuba's dedollarization points to growing strains on the Cuban economy, as the recent scarcity of fresh greenbacks compounds the permanent shortage of foreign exchange.
The Miami Herald.
Diversionary tactics, hardship for Cubans
Cuba's tyrant is up to his old tricks. On the mend from an embarrassing fall that broke his knee and arm last week, Fidel Castro this week tightened the screws on the Cuban people -- again.
The Miami Herald
Will Cuba's dollar ban backfire?
Cuba's decision this week to strip the American dollar of its legal tender status may cause more problems than it solves for the country's already enfeebled economy.
International Herald Tribune,Thursday.
N. Korea, Cuba worst for press
North Korea, Cuba, Burma and China are ranked among the countries with the worst press-freedom records in an index released by a media watchdog group this week.
The Washington Times.
OAS head supports Cuba's membership
Luigi Einaudi, who became the interim head of the organization after former Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodriguez resigned Oct. 8 amid fraud charges, was in Mexico City Tuesday for a government-sponsored forum on children.
The Washington Times.
PEBERCAN Steps Up Its Exploration and Development Programs in Cuba
PEBERCAN (TSX: PBC) is pleased to announce an intensification of its oil exploration and development project within Bloc 7, a concession located between Havana and Matanzas on the north coast of the Republic of Cuba. At present, three drilling rigs are active in this zone and will remain active until the end of 2004.
CNW Telbec.

External links

Ban means dollar buys less in Cuba
Cuba's decision to penalize anyone using American dollars had some people wondering Tuesday whether U.S. economic sanctions were finally wearing down the socialist government.
Tracey Eaton / The Dallas Morning News.


October 27

The Miami Herald
• New dollar dictate breeds confusion
• Cuba to take 10% of exiles' cash
• White House stemming flow of remittances
• Flow of vital cash likely to continue
• Recuperating Castro expected to maintain political power

Yahoo! News
• US says embargo on Cuba is working as Castro banishes dollar
• Cuba Begins Saying 'Adios' to U.S. Dollar
• Cuba nets short-term cash-flow taking dollar out of circulation, eyes US vote
• Summary: Cuba Does Away With Dollars
• US-Cubans angry Cuba took dollar out of circulation

External links

Ban means dollar buys less in Cuba
Cuba's decision to penalize anyone using American dollars had some people wondering Tuesday whether U.S. economic sanctions were finally wearing down the socialist government.
Tracey Eaton / The Dallas Morning News.

Castro bets on dollar ban
The Cuban government's decision to eliminate U.S. dollars from circulation on the island allows Havana to boost its hard currency reserves while following a familiar pattern: Blame the Bush administration for an unpopular move likely to hurt Cubans who receive cash from relatives in the United States.
Sun-Sentinel, FL.

Cuban-Americans angry over change
Cuban-Americans who send money to relatives in Cuba were incensed by Fidel Castro's announcement halting widespread use of the U.S. dollar in the island nation, saying the measure will hurt Cuban families.
Sun-Sentinel, FL.

Old Cars in Cuba: Nurtured but Not Loved
There is a feeling abroad in the land that Cubans love old American cars. Nothing could be further from the truth. Cubans love new American cars, not old ones, but the newest ones that they can get their hands on are 45 years old.
The New York Times.

Cuba move triggers war of words
Fidel Castro announced the ban, which takes effect in two weeks, in response to a tightened US embargo. The US said the move demonstrated Cuba's "economic desperation"; later the Cuban central bank said the move had struck a "forceful blow" at the US.
BBC, UK.

Cuba winds back economic clock
All conversions between the US dollar and Cuba's "convertible" peso will from 8 November be subject to a 10% tax. Cuban citizens, who receive money from overseas, and foreign visitors, who change dollars in Cuba, will be affected.
BBC, UK.


October 25

FROM CUBA
Cuban soap grows hair, causes rashes
Consumers here are complaining that the soap sold as the October allotment under the government's rationing plan causes rashes and, in the words of one, "grows hair."
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Cuban government effort directed against consumer fraud
Municipal authorities in Santa Clara launched an effort to protect consumers against fraud. The operation began at 5 a.m. Friday and concentrated initially on 14 local bakeries, finding eight of them sold underweight bread, said chief Price inspector Rafael Marichal.
SANTA CLARA

The Miami Herald
• Recuperating Castro expected to maintain political power
• Fallout from Castro's fall
• Tumble is the talk of South Florida
• No evidence Cuba working on bioweapons, expert says
• Castro's fall again raised questions about his health at age 78

Yahoo! News
• Cuba Minister Simeon Said Dead at Age 61
• Castro Says He's Working Despite Injuries
• Cubans Seek to Draw Attention to Embargo
• Shipwrecked Cuban boy: 'Get well, Fidel'
• State Department Mum on Castro's Health'

Following in Fidel's footsteps
Under Cuban law, "the family, teachers, political organizations and mass organizations" have a duty to help children develop a "communist personality." And they must protect young people from "any influence contrary to their communist formation."
Tracey Eaton / The Dallas Morning News.
Cuban exile carves new life as a resident refugee
Now a successful restaurateur, Rafael once had a much different life: One of political activism that led to arrests, detainment and fear for his life in his Cuban homeland.
The Lafayette Daily Advertiser, LA.
When Castro falls for good
But when Fidel Castro fell onto concrete last Wednesday after delivering a graduation speech, it looked eerily similar to the way the statue of Saddam Hussein fell after coalition troops occupied Baghdad last year.
Deseret Morning News, Utah .
Free the political prisoners
Last month the International Committe for Democracy in Cuba sent, from Prague, a clear message to Fidel Castro and his cronies: Cuba's political prisoners have not been forgotten; they have become the conscience of the Free World. International support is stronger than ever for those struggling to win respect for human rights and a nonviolent transition to democracy.
Martin Palous, The Miami Herald.

External links

'Wrong kind of fall' for Castro
Some people wept among the stunned audience in Santa Clara Washington has declined to wish Fidel Castro a speedy recovery, with some officials joking that they preferred to hear of a "different kind of fall".
BBC, UK.

Castro awake for surgery
His kneecap shattered and his arm broken after a nasty fall, Fidel Castro refused to let doctors put him to sleep during surgery, showing his determination not to lose control of his nation's affairs, if even for a moment. Mr. Castro, 78, chose epidural anesthesia, so he could stay awake as surgeons used stainless steel wire to stitch together his left knee, broken in eight places, state-run media said Friday.
Tracey Eaton / The Dallas Morning News.

Castro's public fall has Cubans buzzing
News programs around the world broadcast startling images Thursday of Fidel Castro stumbling and falling, breaking his knee and fracturing his arm. But state-run Cuban television showed none of that, opting instead for Bugs Bunny, Popeye and other soft fare.
Tracey Eaton / The Dallas Morning News.

Cuban American Ad Opposes Bush
Strategists for the New Democrat Network, one of the so-called 527 groups attacking Bush, say the ad will air in Spanish and English in Miami during the campaign's final week - a $150,000 investment that is one of the most substantial efforts yet to draw Cuban Americans from Bush.
Chicago Tribune.

Bush Cuba Policy In Eye Of Storm
Opponents of President Bush's Cuba travel and aid restrictions see hurricane damage as a fresh opportunity to go after Bush and other Republicans on an issue that's especially hot in Florida. Democrats.
TBO, Florida.

I'm still playing Cuba's Fidel: Castro
Demonstrating he retains firm control over Cuba after fracturing his knee and arm in an accidental fall at a public event, President Fidel Castro told of conducting government business by cellular phone during an ambulance ride and later refusing general anesthesia.
Times News Network, India.


October 21

FROM CUBA
Residents of temporary shelters in Cuba demand better conditions
Residents of Lugardita, a community of temporary shelters in the Boyeros municipality of Havana, demanded an improvent in living conditions in a letter to local government authorities.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Foremost laundry in Holguín inoperative
The largest most important laundry in Holguín, the capital of Holguín province, has been shut down since August due to lack of water, said the laundry's administrator Marilis Labrada.
SANTA CLARA

The Miami Herald
• Castro 'all in one piece' after fall
• Cuban's cargo ride to America another extreme in risk-taking
• Afro-Cuban culture is celebrated

Yahoo! News
• Castro's fall raises new questions about Cuba's future
• Miami, capital of Cuban exiles, abuzz with news of Castro's fall
• Castro calls for calm after breaking knee, arm in fall

Mariel Cubans entitled to real due process
They are not suspected terrorists. They are not ''enemy combatants.'' They are not even charged with a crime. But on Oct. 13, in Clark vs. Martinez and Benitez vs. Rozos before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Bush administration defended the executive's authority to imprison them on U.S. soil until they are dead.
The Miami Herald.
Cuban cure found for SA doctor crisis Farook Khan
Within months hundreds of doctors from Cuba and Iran are expected to start work in the province which will see long patient queues at hospitals coming to an end.
IOL, South Africa.
Cuban trade embargo? Not for Vermont cows
Amid debate over trade sanctions, a little-known exception allows farm exports, like apples and milk.
The Christian Science Monitor.

October 20

FROM CUBA
Product warranties meaningless in Cuba
Product warranties are meaningless in Cuba, as attested by the myriad complaints of consumers; appliances seem to top the list.
SANTA CLARA

The Miami Herald
• Congressman: Bush hurting Cuban families
• Cuban government pledges to guarantee jobs for young people
• Cuban who shipped herself to Miami hero to Cubans risking life
• Mel Martinez | 'I'm bottom-line oriented'

Yahoo! News
• Cuban Classical Pianist Heading to Paris
• Ex-Cuban Wrestler Pleads Guilty in Crash

Cuba refuses to apologise for deportation
The Cuban ambassador to the Netherlands has refused to apologise after Havana ejected two Dutch MPs and a Spanish politician last week on grounds they intended to meet with opponents of Fidel Castro's regime.
Expatica News, Netherlands.
Cuba's baseball fans find ways to tune in
There are few places outside of Boston, New York, Houston, and St. Louis where the Major League playoffs are being followed with such keen interest as on this baseball-crazy island.
Boston Globe, MA.
Nethercutt proud of his work with Cuba
At first glance, George Nethercutt would seem an unlikely dinner companion for Fidel Castro.
Tri-City Herald.
Hundred of Cubans employed in South Africa Sheena Adams
More than 450 Cubans are on the payrolls of South African government departments including housing, health, and water affairs and forestry.
Independent Online, SA.
EU anger at Cuban expulsions
Following the expulsion from Cuba at the weekend of three European politicians, Cuban exiles in Europe have strengthened their call to abandon any form of dialogue with the regime of Fidel Castro.
Edwin Koopman, Radio Netherlands.
MSU archaeologist part of major Cuba initiative
At a remote location near Cienfuegos, Cuba, O'Hear is in charge of field operations in a project he co-directs with Vernon James "Jim" Knight, anthropology professor at the University of Alabama, and Marcos E. Rodriquez Matamoros of the Provincial Center of Cultural Patrimony in Cienfuegos.
Mississippi University.

External links

Cuban who shipped herself to Miami hero to those risking life
Sandra de los Santos became famous this summer when she left Cuba for the Bahamas and then, after a brief disappearance, climbed out of a wooden cargo crate in Miami. Her odyssey was one of the more creative ways that dozens of Cubans have made bids to reach the United States in recent years.
ABC.

Bottom Line: Latino "Oprah" unveils her furniture line at market
When Hispanic talk-show host Cristina Saralegui put her celebrity name onto a licensed furniture collection by Pulaski, she anticipated questions about whether the new line specifically targets the rapidly growing Latino market.
The Charlotte Observer.

Cubans Push for Kerry Win in Florida
A multitude of unlikely volunteers is working the phones for Sen. John Kerry in the swing state of Florida. His campaign is unaware of the support, as the volunteers do not live in the United States, but in Communist-run Cuba.
ABC News.


October 18

FROM CUBA
Cuban sugar mills diverted to generate electricity
Nine sugar mills are in full production even though the sugar harvest has not yet started; they are generating electricity to alleviate the energy crisis in the country, said Sugar Industry Minister Oscar Almazán, although he did not specify which sugar mills are involved.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
More than 11,000 youths in eastern Cuba unemployed
More than 11,000 youths in Pinar del Río province are unemployed and out of school, according to the official report issued after a meeting of the provincial Communist Party.
SANTA CLARA

FROM CUBA
Nurse fired for political posture
Alfredo Verdecia, a nurse at the Oncological Hospital, says he has been fired after 10 years of service for participating in a peaceful demonstration with other dissidents.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Raid directed against peddlers in Santa Clara
Police confiscated sacks of sugar and flour, cheeses, milk, fish, avocados and other foodstuffs, and fined peddlers between 750 and 1,500 pesos.
SANTA CLARA

FROM CUBA
Chronicle of a suicide foretold
José Mas Llanes did some calculations before killing himself and was able to verify that sometimes life puts one on the good side, and other times it puts us in the worst places.
PINAR DEL RÍO

The Miami Herald
• Cuban women protest and get results
• Cuban official fired, blamed for energy woes
• Justices hear arguments over Cubans' indefinite detentions

Yahoo! News
• Cuba refuses entry to Spanish, Dutch lawmakers
• El Duque to Start ALCS Game 4 for Yankees
• Cuba Denies Entry to Spanish Politician

Spain summons Cuban ambassador after politician denied entry to Havana
Authorities in Cuba denied entry to a conservative Spanish politician and two Dutch colleagues hoping to meet with dissidents, Spain's Foreign Ministry said Saturday.
The Canadian Press.
Cuba's brave 'Ladies in White'
During the Argentine military dictatorship, it was a group of courageous women who defied the regime and eventually helped to restore democracy. In Cuba, a similar group of women is shaming Fidel Castro into improving conditions for imprisoned dissidents.
The Post and Courier, NC .
US Rice Producers Sign Agreement with Cuba
Cuba has imported 100,000 tons of rice from the United States this year and despite commercial restrictions placed on doing business Cuba is the third largest importer of rice from North America after both Mexico and Japan.
Kansas City InfoZine.
U.S. Embargo of Cuba Fades Away
The full scale U.S. embargo of Cuba has ended. With no fanfare or "fall of the Berlin Wall" celebration, a mighty flow of American goods is streaming into Cuban stores and kitchens.
Keith Porter, Globalization Issues.
Zapatero caves to bad element
In the case of Cuba, Zapatero has managed to resist pressure from his communist allies to ''normalize'' relations with the Castro dictatorship.
Carlos Alberto Montaner. The Miami Herald.

External links

'Silueta' of A Woman: Sizing Up Ana Mendieta
Few artists have ever captured that fundamental, peculiar essence of art as powerfully as Ana Mendieta, whose performances and installations are the focus of a comprehensive retrospective that opened Thursday at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum.
The Washington Post.

An Unmoveable Feast of Hemingway History Struggles to Survive
Ernest Hemingway's work made him a citizen of the world. But he made this tiny community of artisans on the outskirts of Havana his only real home. Now caretakers are fighting to keep his country villa, set high on a hill looking out to the sea, just the way he left it four decades ago.
The New York Times.

Cuba's gas prices leaving wallets running on fumes
Feeling pain at the gas pump? Be thankful you don't live in Cuba, where the typical worker must labor for an entire week just to earn enough for a gallon of the precious stuff. The average Cuban makes $12 a month, and the top grade of gas costs $3.41 a gallon. "Not everyone can afford it," said Ailet Peláez, 20, a cashier in Havana. "I save money so I can buy gas. And I use my car only when necessary. Cars here are luxuries."
Tracey Eaton / The Dallas Morning News.

Reporter's Notebook: Chronicles From Cuba
Nearly 100 members the Southeast Christian Church -- vocalists from the Masters Mens choir, their wives and a few support staff -- are here for a one-week concert tour and outreach mission.
WAVE 3, KY.

94 Cuban doctors in, as Ghanaian doctors flee
A team of medical doctors and paramedics from Cuba are in the country to support the health sector. They replace 117 Cuban medical personnel from that country's medical brigade who left the country after a two year service.
Ghana Web.

Anna in the Tropics at Arena Stage
"Anna in the Tropics," Arena Stage's latest production, had a praiseworthy reputation. As the 2003 winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the American Theatre Critics Association Steinberg Award, expectations were high, but scarcely met.
GW Hatchet (subscription), D.C.


October 13

FROM CUBA
Industries in central Cuba shut down due to power shortage
Authorities have announced that they will start construction early next year on a power plant that will generate electricity from wood splinters in the Isle of Youth, south of Havana province, according to a report published in the government daily Juventud Rebelde..
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Electric plant to generate power from wood splinters
Authorities have announced that they will start construction early next year on a power plant that will generate electricity from wood splinters in the Isle of Youth, south of Havana province, according to a report published in the government daily Juventud Rebelde.
HAVANA
FROM CUBA
Municipal sewage system backed up for 7 months
Residents of Banes, Holguin province, say the municipal sewage system has been backed up for the last seven months, especially around the Miguel Salcedo neighborhood, causing in many cases black water intrusion in homes.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Cuban TV off the air for an hour Saturday night
The evening newscast on government TV went off the air shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday and was not fully reestablished until 10 p.m.
SANTA CLARA

The Miami Herald
• In the U.S., volleyball player has chance to chase dreams
• Martinez makes ad misstep

Vermont to ship cows to Cuba
Vermont expects to send its first shipment of dairy cows to Cuba early next year. The shipment is part of a trade agreement Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr worked out during a trip to the island nation in early September.
WCAX, VT.
Havel calls for democracy in Cuba
Vaclav Havel is one of the world's foremost champions of human rights. He defied the Communist system in his native Czechoslovakia. He rose to become a key figure in the post-Soviet era of democratic reforms.
Voice of America.
Kerry courting Cuban community
There is a new wrinkle in the community: voters such as William Valdez, a 21-year-old handyman who was born in the United States of parents who are Cuban émigrés.
The Globe and Mail, Canada.
Young doctors return from Cuba
Seventy-three medical students are at present studying in Cuba through the health department's bursary programme. The department spends about R82 000 on each student.
News24.com.

External links

Cuba bets heavily on tourism to lift economy
Visitors can fly directly into Varadero airport and never experience the harsher aspects of Cuban life, the poor roads, dire public transportation and electricity blackouts. But hardier travelers who do venture outside the resort areas can be assured a warm welcome across the island, where conditions are no worse than many other Caribbean nations.
MSNBC.

Battling for the Cuban vote in south Florida
With the Elian Gonzalez drama still fresh in their minds, and encouraged by the Republican's hostility toward Fidel Castro, four out of five Cuban-Americans backed Bush in south Florida, helping tip an election where the difference turned on a few hundred votes.
MSNBC.

Former Federal Agent In Martinez Ad Helped Organize Elian Raid
A former federal agent who appears in a campaign ad for U.S. Senate candidate Mel Martinez helped plan the raid that took Elian Gonzalez from his Miami relatives' home four year ago.
wftv.com.

World education conference set for Cuba
The World Council of Comparative Education Societies will meet in Havana, Cuba from October 25 to 29 for its 12th conference on education.
The Jamaica Observer.

Court to consider detention of Mariel boat lift refugees
The United States wants to deport them, and their homelands won't take them back. Meanwhile, they wait in detention centers. They are at least 1,700 stowaways, thwarted asylum seekers and ex-convicts who have done their time for their crimes.
Macon Telegraph.

Cuban Jazz Pianist & Composer Manuel Valera Makes Impressive Recording
Cuban jazz pianist Manuel Valera makes his impressive recording debut as a leader with the release of "Forma Nueva" (MAVO Records 1101), an authoritative set of post-bop jazz with Latin overtones that showcases his impressive skills as an instrumentalist and composer.
Onlypunjab.com, India.


October 11

The Miami Herald
• Six players survive exodus by sea to Miami
• Cuban in court fighting to keep his citizenship

Yahoo! News
• U.S. Raps Cuba on Its Presence Abroad
• Academics Protest Barring of Cuba Scholars

In Cuba, Che comes cheap
Cuba's central bank on Saturday introduced a new three-peso note bearing a likeness of revolutionary hero Che Guevara on the 37th anniversary of his death.
News24. South Africa.
Cycling Masters compete in Cuba
The Corkie's Casuals cycling club and friends are scheduled to pedal off in the Pan Am Masters Cycling Championships to be held in Cuba from today until Saturday.Z
Trinidad & Tobago Express.

October 8

FROM CUBA
Religious festivities pale in comparison to previous years
Religious festivities in honor of the Afrocuban deity Orula October 4 were much quieter than those in previous years; some described them as "simpler" and "more modest" than others they had attended.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Fifty students in Cuba sick from contaminated water
Fifty students became ill and the school was closed after authorities discovered the school's water supply was contaminated September 28.
SANTA CLARA

FROM CUBA
Grocery store stoned in Almendares
Someone threw stones through the glass windows of a grocery store in Almendares, in the Havana municipality of Playa, at about 2 a.m. Thursday.
HAVANA

The Miami Herald
• Castro still a problem, Powell says
• Anti-Castro group leader dies
• Otspoken Chávez foe seeks asylum in Miami
• Rare clips revive Bay of Pigs
• Marlins like prized Cuban defector, if they can afford him

Yahoo! News
• Remarks From the National Summit on Cuba
• U.S.-Cuba Trade Could Generate $50 Billion, 900,000 Jobs; Florida Economist Gives Forecast at National Summit on Cuba in Tampa

Information Bridge Cuba Miami
• Montes de Oca ratifies his position from prison
• Freedom for Independent Cuban Trade Unionists demanded in Cuba
Fidel Blinks
The wife of an imprisoned Cuban dissident emerged from their first visit in 83 days saying that only an unprecedented public protest won her husband's transfer to a Havana hospital.
CBS News.

External links

Wife's campaign succeeds in Cuba
Angel Moya, 40, is awaiting a back operation after his wife Berta Soler and other inmates' spouses protested for nearly two days. Police broke up the protest, in a park adjacent to Revolution Square at the heart of the city, on Thursday.
BBC, UK.

Summit advocates lifting sanctions on Cuba
Lifting trade and travel restrictions on Cuba is the only way to bring about real change in the island nation, panelists said Friday during a national summit largely critical of long-standing U.S. policies.
Sun-Sentinel, FL.

Coming to America
New York-based director Jo Bonney has had little time for sightseeing since arriving in Washington this summer to work on "Anna in the Tropics," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Nilo Cruz. On those rare forays away from the Arena Stage rehearsal rooms, she found being in the nation's capital resonant to Cruz's themes.
The New York Times.


October 7

FROM CUBA
Cuba ends protest in Revolution Square
Later in the day authorities notified Berta Soler that her husband has been moved to a Havana hospital and that she was being permitted to visit him for an hour.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
War games scheduled for October 25
The Cuban armed forces will engage in war games across the island starting October 25, said a government official who requested not to be named. The military exercise will go by the name Bastion 2004.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Cuban authorities deny journalists access to hurricane victims
Journalists from several foreign news agencies duly accredited in Cuba were denied clearance to report on the victims of hurricane Ivan in Pinar del Río province.
PINAR DEL RÍO
FROM CUBA
Three hotels in Cuba close to tourism due to shortage of electricity
Three tourist hotels in Havana closed October 1 as a response to the crisis in power generating capacity the country is undergoing.
HAVANA
FROM CUBA
TV Martí signal jammed in Santa Clara
The Cuban government has installed a transmitter to jam the TV Martí signal, broadcast to the island from a U. S. -based C-130 plane.
SANTA CLARA

The Miami Herald
• Bill puts Cuban migrants at risk of return
• Kerry blasts Powell over Castro remark
• Cheney visits Miami, says Bush will hold firm on restrictions on Cuba travel
• U.S. Defends Denying Visas to 67 Cubans

Yahoo! News
• US tightens ban on Cuban cigars
• Dissidents' kin stage rare public protest in Cuba's Revolution Square
• Block on Cuban scholars sparks protest
• Cuba to decide fate of Colombian drug lord wanted in the US
• Sotomayor: Maradona will recover

No lack of anger, frustration in Cuba
The two young men leaned on their bikes outside a school in the Marianao neighborhood of Havana, sheltering under trees from the scorching afternoon sun, eager to talk about what they don't like about Cuba.
MSNBC.
Cuba summit stirs interest, passion
It's a hot potato in a hot presidential race in a key state. But that's not the only reason the National Summit on Cuba will be held in Tampa this year.
The St. Petersburg Times.
Hypocritical rules on Cuba
A welcome Cuban import to Las Vegas: Cuban performers, live on stage with mambo, rumba, flamenco, colorful costumes and swinging Latin rhythms.
The Kansas City Star.

External links

Bush And Kerry: Take A Look At Cuba
The first presidential candidates debate last week provided some interesting comments applicable to U.S. policy toward Cuba. But you might have missed that, since Cuba was not actually the subject of a particular question; nor did either President Bush or Sen. John Kerry mention Cuba.
The Tampa Tribune.

Tisch offers first full semester in Cuba
The Tisch School of the Arts will offer NYU's first semester-long study abroad program in Havana in spring 2005, Tisch officials said. Twenty-four NYU students will be accepted to the Tisch program, which is operating in collaboration with the Ludwig Foundation, a nonprofit group that supports young Cuban artists, and two Cuban schools, the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematograficos and the University of Havana.
Washington Square News.

Cuban fans stand behind Yankees' pitcher
As the New York Yankees head to Minneapolis this weekend to face the Minnesota Twins in the American League Division Series, baseball-crazy fans in Cuba are hoping that pitcher Orlando Hernandez will again save the day for the Bombers.
MSNBC.

From the political to the spiritual, 12 artists give their impressions of the island nation
As you walk from room to room in the Mattress Factory annex, a bass voice booms "no" from an enormous woofer on the first floor. "No" over and over, regular like a pulse, is the overriding message of Yoan Capote's exhibition titled "Impotence."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

TNK denies 'oil for food' trading in Iraq and Cuba
TNK and others are alleged to have profited under the oil-for-food programme established by the United Nations for Iraq under Saddam Hussein and a similar oil-for-sugar scheme for Fidel Castro's regime.
Guardian Unlimited, UK.

Demonstrations planned for Cuba trade meeting in Tampa
A delegation of the group Mothers and Women Against Repression and other activists plan to demonstrate at a meeting of business and economic interests convening in Tampa Oct. 8, a release said.
Tampa Bay.


October 5

FROM CUBA
"Fidel, leave Bush alone and let there be light"
Cubans have been living under chronic blackouts for months now, and, according to government pronouncements, there is no end in sight, as repairs to the national electrical grid are undertaken.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Steel foundry partially shut down
The plant employs hundreds of workers who were sent home with partial salaries. It dates back to the 50s and consumes inordinate amounts of electricity, since it has not been modernized since it was nationalized in 1960.
SANTA CLARA

FROM CUBA
Housing inspectors in Cuba fired for signing Varela petition
Two housing inspectors in Villa Clara province were fired after authorities learned they had signed the Varela project petition, a civil society initiative that seeks limited changes in Cuba's government.
SANTA CLARA

Yahoo! News
• Cuban Hip-Hop Reaches Crossroads

Peddling influence for a communist state
People who make deals with the devil shouldn't be surprised when the bill comes due. U.S. businesses that signed ''advocacy agreements'' with Cuba have no cause to complain about the regime pressuring them to lobby for lifting U.S. trade and travel sanctions on Cuba.
The Miami Herald.

October 4

FROM CUBA
Protester beaten, arrested, and charged in Cuba
On Sunday, September 26, Daniel Orlando Gómez planted himself in front of the local Communist Party headquarters and started yelling for Fidel Castro to step down.
SANTA CLARA

FROM CUBA
Pedicabs confiscated in Havana province
Police and government inspectors confiscated 24 pedicabs whose owners operated without the required licenses in San José de las Lajas.
HAVANA

FROM CUBA
Returned rafters complain of harassment in Cuba
Returned rafter Maikel Pérez says the fine he owes is up to 6,000 pesos by now and he is afraid he is going to end up in jail because he can't pay it.
SANTA CLARA

FROM CUBA
Investigation probes theft from government warehouse
Several workers at a government warehouse in Havana have been extensively questioned and two are being held after the theft of 90 cases of shower curtains was discovered two weeks ago.
HAVANA

Yahoo! News
• Cuba Denies It Owes US$130 MLN To Indonesia
• Cuban Visas to U.S. on the Rise

The Miami Herald
• Feud erupts over Cuba trade
• U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council
• Don't ignore Americas, leaders say
• Cruz beautifully helms his opus

Shipment of U.S. cattle to Cuba
The on-again, off-again shipment of Florida beef cattle to Cuba is on again. The Cuban government originally agreed to purchase 250 head of cattle in November and increased that total to 300 head four months later.
The Herald Tribune, FL.
A global effort to bring democracy to Cuba
Below are excerpts from the Prague Memorandum, issued at a summit last month by the Committee For Democracy in Cuba. It was signed by former Czech President Vaclav Havel, former Chilean President Patricio Aylwin and former U.S. Ambassador Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, among others.
The Miami Herald
Trade missions to China, Cuba leaving next week
An alfalfa processor and North Dakota State University agricultural officials are among a dozen people taking part in a trade mission to China later this month.
In-Forum .
Russia sees no threat from Cuba to U.S.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Cuba does not pose any threat to the United States.
Interfax, Russia.
Blackouts beleaguer Cubans; Castro declares energy crisis
It's early afternoon in this sweltering town, but air conditioners are off, the lights are out and stereos are silent.
The Billings Gazette.

External links

Baucus says sideline Cuba effort, focus on terrorism
The government should spend less money enforcing the ban on American travel to Cuba and direct the dollars saved to the fight against terrorism, says Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.
Billings Gazette, MT.

Cuban Americans' key role in election 2004
Picking up her stogie with elegantly long fingers, Lida Escalona pauses and leans on the wooden counter, where she's been lovingly hand-rolling long sheets of tobacco into cigars called "La Gloria Cubana.''
San Francisco Gate, CA.

Cubans struggle to cope with nation's failing electrical system
It's early afternoon in this sweltering town, but air conditioners are off, the lights are out and stereos are silent. Like much of Cuba, Manicaragua is suffering through one of the lengthy blackouts that have plagued this island nation in recent months, setting residents on edge, fanning discontent and forcing Cuban President Fidel Castro to take to the airwaves to cool tempers.
Chicago Tribune.

Cuba policies have some rethinking their support for president
Many Cubans who came in the most recent decades, however, describe themselves as economic refugees and are more likely to align themselves with the Democratic Party.
Sun-Sentinel, FL.


October 1

FROM CUBA
Cuban graffiti artist subverts government slogan
The original sign, asking for "Liberty for the 5 prisoners of the Empire," refers to the 5 Cubans convicted of spying and held in U. S. prisons. Someone took advantage of a blackout last Thursday and added a "7," making the number 75.
SANTA CLARA

FROM CUBA
Anti-government slogans posted in Santa Clara
Someone painted signs that read "Fidel, leave Bush alone, we want electricity" on two walls of a recreational center in the Condado neighborhood of Santa Clara September 23.Government workers later scraped the paint off the wall.
SANTA CLARA

FROM CUBA
Cuban garbage collectors claim back pay
Garbage collectors in 10 de Octubre municipality are complaining that they have only been paid 50% of their wages after hurricanes Charley and Ivan.
HAVANA
FROM CUBA
Viñales Valley: another teardrop on Cuba's cheek
On the island there is a Cuba that's off-limits. It's the Cuba that shows its most beautiful face to the foreign visitor. Pinar del Río, as part of that island, hasn't stayed free from that ban. The Valley of Viñales, an age-old feature and a pride of nature, has been snatched away from its inhabitants.
PINAR DEL RÍO

The Miami Herald
• Power shortages force new blackouts in Cuba
• The dilemma: Confiscated properties

Yahoo! News
• U.S. Denies Cubans Visas for Conference
• Cuba Blames U.S. Trade Embargo for Banes
• Energy crisis has Cubans sweating


CubaNet is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Some of the links are removed after a period of time from their sites.
Archives
CUBAN JOURNALISTS IN PRISON
Cuban Independent Press
News in your e-mail
DONATIONS

In Association with Amazon.com

Search:

Keywords:


PRENSAS
Independiente
Internacional
Gubernamental
IDIOMAS
Inglés
Francés
Español
SOCIEDAD CIVIL
Cooperativas Agrícolas
Movimiento Sindical
Bibliotecas
DEL LECTOR
Cartas
Opinión
BUSQUEDAS
Archivos
Documentos
Enlaces
CULTURA
Artes Plásticas
El Niño del Pífano
Octavillas sobre La Habana
Fotos de Cuba
CUBANET
Semanario
Quiénes Somos
Informe Anual
Correo Eléctronico

CUBANET
145 Madeira Ave, Suite 207
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 774-1887

CONTACT
Periodistas
Editores
Webmaster