An Airlift, Family by Family, Bolsters Cuba’s Economy

<p style="text-align: justify;">By VICTORIA BURNETT. Published: June 11, 2011. HAVANA — Alejandrina Hernández packed only light clothes and a makeup bag when she flew here from Miami this spring. As always, she kept her baggage to a minimum.Jose Goitia for The New York Times. Cuban-Americans and Cubans living abroad are a source of goods and cash for their relatives on the island. Travel to Havana has surged since some travel limits were lifted. Read More

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Stage Version of Rachel´s Song

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Miguel G. Valdés Pérez. No doubt, two titles out of the vast literary work of Cuban researcher and ethnographer Miguel Barnet have called people’s attention the most. These are the testimonial works ‘Biografía de un cimarrón’ (Biography of a Runaway Slave) and ´Canción de Rachel’ (Rachel’s Song).The latter sets the story in Cuba in the first half of the 20th century. It is a composite chronicle of the experience of a number of women who worked in Havana’s dance-halls. Read More

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Iowa State students, faculty visit Cuba

<p style="text-align: justify;">Cuba Agricultural Production. By Ted Sics. Professors Steven Fales and Mary Wiedenhoeft of the Iowa State agronomy department took five graduate students to Cuba from May 7 to May 16 to learn about the country's food supply system. "I had originally thought about taking some undergraduate students down," Fales said. "Then I found out that undergraduates can't go to Cuba unless they spend at least 10 weeks there." The students who accompanied Fales and Wiedenhoeft are enrolled in Iowa State's sustainable agriculture graduate program. Read More

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A CNN insider's guide to Havana, Cuba

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Shasta Darlington, CNN. June 8, 2011 -- Updated 1029 GMT (1829 HKT). Shasta Darlington is CNN's International Correspondent in Havana. Born in Boulder, Colorado, she has lived in Cuba for five-and-a-half years. Because of U.S. travel restrictions, very few American tourists make it to Cuba&nbsp; but for those that do and visitors from other countries, Shasta shares her tips for the Cuban capital.Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- What is your favorite neighborhood? Why? It's a touristy area but one that's really well kept is old Havana. Read More

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Piñón on Energy: Only one more piece is missing

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Jorge R. Piñón. Over the last few months, we have seen a number of Congressional initiatives in Washington to restrict international oil companies from conducting exploration and production activities in Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico waters. These proposed laws question the experience in deepwater drilling of the international oil companies working in Cuba, the standards and regulations under which they will operate, the technology and quality of the drilling equipment to be used, and the lack of a bilateral disaster preparedness and coordination agreement in the event of an oil spill. Read More

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National Ballet of Cuba Returns to Orange County's Segerstrom Center June 15 - 19

<p style="text-align: justify;">06.06.2011– COSTA MESA, CA – In its two previous visits to Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the incredible dancers of the National Ballet of Cuba have enchanted audiences with their engaging artistry and charm. This dazzling company from Havana returns to Segerstrom Center June 15 – 19 with The Magic of Dance, a special collection of excerpts from classical ballet works of the 19th century including Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppélia, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker and Gottschalk Symphony. Read More

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Embargo may block U.S. response to Cuban oil spill

<p style="text-align: justify;">By JENNIFER A. DLOUHY. Washington Bureau. With oil exploration set to begin in Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico waters, pressure is mounting on the administration to relax a politically sensitive embargo that would prevent U.S. firms from responding swiftly to potential oil spills roughly 50 miles from Florida beaches. The U.S. trade embargo against Cuba generally bars U.S. commerce with the nation and caps at 10 percent the portion of American-made components in offshore drilling equipment used in Cuba.That means containment equipment developed after last year’s oil spill would be off-limits — at least initially – if the same thing happened in Cuba’s part of the Gulf. Oil spilled there could reach the U.S. in three days. Read More

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Xi: Cuba showing clear direction for future

<p style="text-align: justify;">2011-06-06 09:49. HAVANA, Cuba - Vice-President Xi Jinping praised the 6th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party for showing a clear direction for the country's future development.In a written speech delivered to the press at the Jose Marti Airport in the Cuban capital Havana on Saturday night, Xi voiced his determination to expand consensus, enhance friendship, deepen cooperation and seek common development with the Caribbean island nation.Xi praised Cuba's relationship with China, which dates back to 1960, when Cuba became the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic ties with China. Read More

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Cubanist revolution: Isolation did nothing to slow production of fine art

<p style="text-align: justify;">Sunday, June 05, 2011, 7:21 AM. Dan Bischoff/For The Star-Ledger By Dan Bischoff/ Much of what we say about art is an analysis of influences: Rembrandt learned his tricks of light by studying Caravaggio, say or Picasso unlearned the Western figural tradition by studying indigenous art in ethnographic museums in Paris.Cuba still embargoed by the United States (but open to the rest of the planet), Cuba’s faux-isolation has in some ways made its art and artists more personal, more spiritual, and more contemporary than any other art anywhere.<br /> <br /> Read More

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How Cuba's economic reforms are taking root

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Michael Voss BBC News, Ciego de Avila. 3 June 2011 Last updated at 17:22 GMT. Cuba has seen a raft of reforms in recent months aimed at updating the island's stagnant Soviet economic model.But the ageing generation which led the revolution 50 years ago remains firmly in charge.And as President Raul Castro celebrates his 80th birthday on 3 June there is little sign of imminent change, with no obvious younger successors in sight. Read More

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