Reports from Cuba: The alliance between Spanish colonialism and the Castroist leadership

An article appearing in the Spanish newspaper El PaA s , entitled "EspaA a no puede perder Cuba dos veces" , analyzes the machinations of the latest Spanish Governments' policies towards Cuba, and observes that "Rajoy's government seems determined to make up for lost time with Havana."

Havana named as host city for 2017 International Jazz Day

Herbie Hancock has twice before visited Havana to perform intimate solo-duet concerts with his Cuban counterpart Chucho Valdes, but at the end of April the two renowned jazz pianists will be collaborating on a grander scale. Hancock and Valdes will be serving as artistic directors for the 6th International Jazz Day.

Most offensive Cuba stunt of the year: PETA goes slumming

Don't they know that it would be impossible for Cubans to follow a vegan diet, due to the scarcity of certain food items? Don't they know that street dogs in Castrogonia need much more than "dog treats", or that these dogs could be someone's next meal? Why would they be any better informed than the rest of the American people as a whole, or less attracted to the thrill of slumming in a repressive hell-hole and gazing at the ill-fed primitive natives with utter contempt? Why, Mildred, just last night I heard a very highly-placed world-class American scholar talking about the great Porterhouse steak he ate at a "private" restaurant in Castrogonia. He had no clue that such a meal is totally inaccessible to Cubans.

Why Raul Castro is sinking Cuba into an even deeper hole

In recent weeks the regime of General RaAol Castro has "spooked," and is now galloping in the wrong direction, in defiance of time and history. The economic crisis is compounded daily, and the dictator and his military junta, far from taking steps to unshackle Cuba's productive forces, are restricting and choking them more and more.

Ay! Castronoids hold celebration for Fidel’s “legacy” in the Third World

Yes, some Castronoids gathered in the capital city of the U.S. to "pay tribute" to their idol, spout noxious nonsense, and congratulate each other for holding the concept of human rights in contempt. One must assume that there is always some meeting of this sort taking place somewhere on earth: fans of Hitler, fans of Stalin, fans of Mao, fans of Pol Pot, fans of Saddam Hussein, etc, getting together to pat each other on the back for their common love of evil.

Miami’s Little Havana has been named a ‘National Treasure’

Little Havana is a place where many of us grew up and for me, the source of the fondest memories of my life: Visiting the "Army/Navy" store on Calle Ocho and then having churros across the street; riding my bike to Shenandoah pool; eating pan de gloria from the bakery across the street from the Wing Ditsy ; playing basketball at Brian park; Kung Fu movie double features at the Tower Theater; riding my bike down 27th avenue all the way to the Grove; eating freshly baked Cuban bread from Ayesteran; bowling at the Coliseum; block vs. block street football games on 10th street; the marzipan from Perezsosa Bakery.

Meet the new Rick Scott, Cuba guru

First, there was the post-presidential election, post-Fidel death letter to RaAol Castro in December asking the Cuban leader to "allow a new era of freedom and opportunity for Cuba" or continue "down a path of poverty." Rick Scott, Governor of Florida, comments on ports in Florida doing business with the "ruthless dictator" Raul Castro".

Sorry Lopez-Rivera but Dr. Biscet is the real political prisoner

As some in the left cheer the commutation of Oscar Lopez-Rivera's sentence, their romantic choice of a political prisoner in the U.S., a real political prisoner was arrested in Cuba. We are talking about Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, the well known dissident who got in trouble with the Castro regime years ago when he refused to perform abortions.

EDITORIAL: US is ending unfair Cuban immigration policy finally

Ever since U.S. relations with Cuba appear to have normalized in the past year - air travel has opened, trade restrictions were lifted, and President Barack Obama visited the island nation - The Monitor's editorial board has called for the lifting of a unique refugee policy that has been in place for Cubans, but not offered to other immigrants who are seeking asylum. Commonly referred to as "the wet-foot, dry-foot" policy, Cubans who cross onto U.S. land have for the past 22 years been immediately put on a path to citizenship and eligible for U.S. assistance programs.

Havana hails end to special US immigration policy for Cubans

The Cuban government hailed President Barack Obama's decision ending automatic legal residency for any Cuban who touches U.S. soil, while ordinary citizens mourned the end of an easy pathway to a new life in the United States. Average Cubans and opponents of the island's communist leaders said they expected pressure for reform to increase with the elimination of a mechanism that siphoned off the island's most dissatisfied citizens and turned them into sources of remittances supporting relatives who remained on the island.

Obama making changes to Cuban immigration policy

President Barack Obama is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident, a senior administration official said Thursday. The repeal of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy is effective immediately, according the official.

Cubans surf the web at home in Havana pilot project

Downtown Havana resident Margarita Marquez says she received a special Christmas gift this year: web access at home, a rarity in a country with one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world. Marquez, a 67-year-old retired university professor, was among those selected by the government two weeks ago to participate in a pilot project bringing the web into the homes of 2,000 inhabitants of the historic center of the island's capital.

Cuba’s cult of personality dictatorship passes anti-‘cult of personality’ law

For nearly six decades, Cuba has been ruthlessly and mercilessly ruled by Fidel Castro and his cult of personality. The island is plastered from end to end with thousands of signs and murals depicting the image of Fidel and quoting his Marxist exhortations to do more for less.

Cuban President Raul Castro faces deep problems in 2017

In this March 21, 2016 file photo, Cuban President Raul Castro, right, lifts up the arm of U.S. President Barack Obama, at the conclusion of their joint news conference at the Palace of the Revolution, in Havana, Cuba. Next year will likely be Castro's toughest year in office since he took power in 2006, as the 85-year-old general faces a possible economic recession alongside a hostile new U.S. administration promising to undo measures that gave many Cubans expectations of a better future.

HBO Documentaries Illuminate Castro’s Brutal Cuba

HBO should get a little trophy from the television industry for giving executives something to talk about at holiday parties besides falling ratings and the specific level of Hell that should be reserved for whoever invented this internet thing . Instead, they can ponder over the question: Is HBO's documentary division the most genius outfit in television, or just the luckiest? Months ago, HBO acquired two unheralded documentaries on Cuba, then booked them for the very moment when Fidel Castro would head off to the great workers' collective in the sky .

Castro’s death end of era, but oppression likely to continue

Fidel Castro's death certainly is the end of an era, that of the cult of personality that kept Cubans oppressed and without economic opportunity for decades. For more than half a century, Castro ran Cuba as a communist enclave in the new world.

Flights land in Havana as country mourns

Passengers erupted into applause as the first commercial flight from the United States to Havana in more than 50 years landed in Cuba, arriving as the island begins week-long memorial services for revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. Cubans saluted the packed American Airlines flight by spraying water from firetrucks above the plane as it taxied along the runway at Jose Marti International Airport in honor of the inaugural voyage.