As ideology fades in Cuba, spirituality and popes intervene
By Nick Miroff June 1 at 2:30 PM
On Easter morning, April 5, members of Victory Outreach International
held mass on The Malecon. It is a Pentecostal order founded on the
streets of Los Angeles that is known for evangelizing among addicts,
inmates and the homeless. In Cuba, the group has no church, but Cuban
authorities allow them to congregate Sunday mornings for worship along
Havana's iconic Malecon seawall. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
HAVANA — Raúl Castro was a Jesuit schoolboy before turning to communism,
and after a lengthy meeting with Pope Francis last month, he told
Vatican reporters he was so impressed he was considering a return to the
church. They laughed.
"I'm serious," said Castro, 83.
If so, he would not be the first Cuban in recent years to find his way
back to Jesus.
The island has experienced a religious revival of sorts in the past 25
years, as the demise of Soviet totalitarianism has made room for a
tropical Marxism that is less than total but still highly controlling.
Cuba was never a deeply pious country in the cloth of some other Latin
American nations. But the Catholic church and other denominations have
come a long way from the 1960s and '70s, when Fidel Castro's revolution
sent religious believers to labor camps and enshrined atheism in the
constitution.
Today, Christmas and Good Friday are national holidays once more.
Churchgoers no longer face official discrimination. For the first time
in five decades, the government has given the church permission to build
a cathedral. And Catholic authorities face increasing competition from
fast-growing evangelical denominations, many with close ties to U.S.
churches.
"There is freedom of worship now, yes," said the Rev. Roberto
Betancourt, the priest at Our Lady of Regla, one of Cuba's landmark
churches. "But that's not the same as freedom of religion."
Indeed, no other country in the Americas is so restrictive. The Cuban
government doesn't allow the church to run its own K-12 schools, or
broadcast on television or the radio. Public acts of worship or
proselytizing are proscribed.
These limits may explain why Cuba continues to draw so much attention
from the Vatican, despite a reputation for thinly attended Sunday
Masses. About 27 percent of Cubans identified as Catholic in a poll of
1,200 adults commissioned by the Univision network earlier this year.
Forty-four percent of respondents said they were "not religious."
People pray during mass on Easter morning. The Methodist Church of
Marianao in Havana had fewer than than 400 members in the late 1990s,
and more than 3,200 today. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
Still, the poll found that 70 percent of surveyed Cubans have a
favorable opinion of the Roman Catholic Church, and 80 percent rated
Pope Francis positively, as both are viewed as powerful advocates for
political and economic change.
When Francis arrives here in September before his trip to the United
States, it will be the third papal visit since 1998, when Pope John Paul
II called on Cuba to "open to the world, and for the world to open to
Cuba." Pope Benedict XVI traveled to the island in 2012.
Francis, an Argentine and the first pope from Latin America, has
appeared even more eager to take up John Paul II's mantle. He played a
central role in the secret negotiations between U.S. and Cuban officials
that are leading to the restoration of diplomatic relations. At one
point, the Vatican hosted meetings for U.S. and Cuban negotiators, and
the pope's blessing has provided President Obama with political cover as
he faces opposition to the rapprochement with Castro from Cuban-American
lawmakers.
By visiting Cuba and the United States, Francis will make the countries'
incipient reconciliation a central theme of his trip.
"In places where there is conflict in the world, the pope makes himself
present," Betancourt said.
Francis's schedule shows that he will spend four days on the island,
celebrating Masses in Havana and the large cities of Santiago and
Holguin. Raúl Castro said he plans to attend all three.
Whether Francis will openly criticize Cuba's one-party system and urge
Castro to do more to open to the world — and democratic governance —
remains a key question. Opponents of the communist government here and
abroad would be deeply disappointed if the pope does not use his
platform to push for change.
He may be more likely to nudge. Francis, like Obama, is essentially
following a course charted by John Paul II that seeks to gradually
change Cuba by engaging the Castro government, rather than confronting
it, as the church attempted to do in 1960s and '70s.
The benefits of the engagement approach are evident today in the
rehabilitation of the Catholic Church as the island's only significant
independent institution. Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Cuba's highest-ranking
prelate, has negotiated directly with the government for the release of
political prisoners. The church publishes magazines, hosts lecture
forums open to Cuban dissidents and has organized MBA courses for
aspiring entrepreneurs.
Such privileges are somewhat resented among other Christian
denominations on the island, which cannot match the Catholic Church's
institutional profile.
Religious leaders and communist officials seem to share a sense of alarm
over what both groups perceive as a "crisis of values" among Cuban
youth, even if they differ on the root causes. Ideological differences
notwithstanding, both see a generation of Cuban young people eager to
obtain material goods, with loose sexual mores and even looser
commitments to the social objectives of Fidel Castro's revolution.
But while Catholic leaders are trying to win them back with an
institutional resurgence, evangelical Christians are going into the
streets to do it.
"We are living in a society that has lost its values," said Yoel
Guevara, a 32-year-old evangelical pastor. "Christ gives them back."
Cuban authorities and the Catholic Church both look warily on the rapid
spread of evangelical denominations across the island, as hundreds if
not thousands of tiny churches have popped up in Cubans' living rooms.
There is often no hierarchical structure for the Cuban government to
relate to, and many smaller Christian groups have resisted the
government's attempt to organize them. (The island also has small Jewish
and Muslim communities.)
Guevara's group is affiliated with Victory Outreach International, a
Pentecostal order founded on the streets of Los Angeles that is known
for evangelizing among addicts, inmates and the homeless. In Cuba, the
group has no church, but Cuban authorities allow them to congregate
Sunday mornings for worship along Havana's Malecon seawall. They bring
their own generator to power the microphone and the speakers, attracting
hundreds.
"The presence of Christ is strong where sin is abundant," said Daniel
Delis, wearing long dreadlocks, after a small church weeknight service
in a fellow member's home. He said his faith helped him overcome an
addiction to marijuana.
Like Catholic leaders, Cuba's evangelicals oppose abortion, which is
legal in Cuba, as well as the highly publicized efforts of Mariela
Castro, Raúl Castro's daughter, to win same-sex marriage rights and
other protections for gay Cubans. The Pentecostal group says it goes out
on weekend nights to walk among the revelers along Havana's seawall,
attempting to convert gays and occasionally facing police harassment.
The issue is a reminder that while the Cuban government holds the reins,
its social policies are sometimes calibrated to balance among different
groups.
Evangelical Christianity has made inroads especially in poorer eastern
Cuba, and among migrants from rural Cuba who arrive in Havana and find
community through the church's open doors and animated style of worship.
The Rev. Ricardo Pereira, the bishop at the Methodist Church of Marianao
in Havana, said his church has gone from fewer than 400 members in the
late 1990s to more than 3,200 today. There are three worship services on
Sundays to accommodate them. His services draw everyone from dissidents
to military officials to the families of U.S. diplomats.
Like other "charismatic" forms of worship, Pereira's sermons are
rollicking, hallelujah affairs, featuring electric guitars and drumming.
"The great majority of Cubans have African blood," he said. "We show our
devotion with drums and a lot of shouting."
In some ways, he and others have won followers by making Christian
devotion more like Santeria, a form of spirit worship that blends
African deities with Catholic saints. It is perhaps more pervasive in
Cuba than ever, and even as Christian leaders of nearly every
denomination label it "idolatry," they have incorporated more music and
dance into their services.
"Other denominations want Cubans to stop being Cuban when they enter the
church, and sit there like Europeans or Americans," Pereira said. "We
want to dance and be Cuban."
Nick Miroff is a Latin America correspondent for The Post, roaming from
the U.S.-Mexico borderlands to South America's southern cone. He has
been a staff writer since 2006.
Source: As ideology fades in Cuba, spirituality and popes intervene -
The Washington Post -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/as-ideology-fades-in-cuba-spirituality-and-popes-intervene/2015/06/01/c337174a-04b8-11e5-93f4-f24d4af7f97d_story.html
Monday, June 1, 2015
Obama Vows to Defend Human Rights in Talks With Cuba's Raul Castro as He Prays at National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami
Obama Vows to Defend Human Rights in Talks With Cuba's Raul Castro as He
Prays at National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami
BY STOYAN ZAIMOV , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
June 1, 2015|8:15 am
President Barack Obama has promised a Cuban priest that he will defend
human rights despite restoring diplomatic relation with Cuba late last
year. Obama reportedly spoke with the priest at the National Shrine of
Our Lady of Charity in Miami, where the president stopped to pray and
light a candle to Cuba's patroness, the Virgin Mary.
"The topic of freedom for Cuba and human rights will always be on the
negotiating table with [Cuban President] Raul Castro," Obama told Father
Juan Rumin Dominguez in an unexpected visit last week, according to
Catholic News Service.
Dominguez was able to speak with Obama in detail about the plight of
Cubans in exile, many who have come to the United States seeking refuge.
"For me it was an honor and a sign that we live in a free country,"
Dominguez said. "To be able to tell President Obama to his face about
the feelings of thousands of people who visit the shrine every day."
The priest, his secretary, and the president prayed together, after
which Obama "lit a candle in front of the Virgin," Dominguez said, and
stood for a minute in silent prayer.
In April, Obama and Castro met to discuss thawing political and economic
relations, which was the first meeting between U.S. and Cuban leaders in
more than half a century.
News of the renewal of diplomatic ties was met with mixed reactions in
the U.S., with several Christians such as the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez,
president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference,
warning that the development should not serve as an endorsement of an
oppressive regime.
"As a result of Castro's totalitarian rule, millions live in poverty,
thousands lie in prisons, and many have lost their lives. In addition,
the God-given rights of Cuban citizens are held hostage to governmental
persecution," Rodriguez said back in December 2014.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami is recognized as a
first stop for thousands of immigrants from Central and South America
who continue making their way to South Florida.
Dominguez told Obama of the tens of thousands of people from Cuba who
come to America seeking refuge and who stop at the National Shrine.
"They felt sad, forsaken, they missed their homeland. They had come
searching for liberty and at that moment, the image of the Virgin was
brought in, a sign that they were not alone."
Dominguez also showed Obama a mural depicting Cuban rafters.
"There I took the opportunity to explain to him the tragedy of the
Florida Straits," Dominguez said. "I told him: Look, that image
represents Cubans who, since Communism came to Cuba, have been coming
and losing their lives in the Florida Straits, looking for liberty. I
hope all that effort won't be lost, and that this process (of
reconciliation between the two countries) will conclude with true
freedom for Cuba."
Obama said "Father, don't worry, that is our goal, to achieve liberty in
Cuba," according to the priest.
Source: Obama Vows to Defend Human Rights in Talks With Cuba's Raul
Castro as He Prays at National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami -
http://www.christianpost.com/news/obama-vows-to-defend-human-rights-in-talks-with-cubas-raul-castro-as-he-prays-at-national-shrine-of-our-lady-of-charity-in-miami-139803/
Prays at National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami
BY STOYAN ZAIMOV , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
June 1, 2015|8:15 am
President Barack Obama has promised a Cuban priest that he will defend
human rights despite restoring diplomatic relation with Cuba late last
year. Obama reportedly spoke with the priest at the National Shrine of
Our Lady of Charity in Miami, where the president stopped to pray and
light a candle to Cuba's patroness, the Virgin Mary.
"The topic of freedom for Cuba and human rights will always be on the
negotiating table with [Cuban President] Raul Castro," Obama told Father
Juan Rumin Dominguez in an unexpected visit last week, according to
Catholic News Service.
Dominguez was able to speak with Obama in detail about the plight of
Cubans in exile, many who have come to the United States seeking refuge.
"For me it was an honor and a sign that we live in a free country,"
Dominguez said. "To be able to tell President Obama to his face about
the feelings of thousands of people who visit the shrine every day."
The priest, his secretary, and the president prayed together, after
which Obama "lit a candle in front of the Virgin," Dominguez said, and
stood for a minute in silent prayer.
In April, Obama and Castro met to discuss thawing political and economic
relations, which was the first meeting between U.S. and Cuban leaders in
more than half a century.
News of the renewal of diplomatic ties was met with mixed reactions in
the U.S., with several Christians such as the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez,
president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference,
warning that the development should not serve as an endorsement of an
oppressive regime.
"As a result of Castro's totalitarian rule, millions live in poverty,
thousands lie in prisons, and many have lost their lives. In addition,
the God-given rights of Cuban citizens are held hostage to governmental
persecution," Rodriguez said back in December 2014.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami is recognized as a
first stop for thousands of immigrants from Central and South America
who continue making their way to South Florida.
Dominguez told Obama of the tens of thousands of people from Cuba who
come to America seeking refuge and who stop at the National Shrine.
"They felt sad, forsaken, they missed their homeland. They had come
searching for liberty and at that moment, the image of the Virgin was
brought in, a sign that they were not alone."
Dominguez also showed Obama a mural depicting Cuban rafters.
"There I took the opportunity to explain to him the tragedy of the
Florida Straits," Dominguez said. "I told him: Look, that image
represents Cubans who, since Communism came to Cuba, have been coming
and losing their lives in the Florida Straits, looking for liberty. I
hope all that effort won't be lost, and that this process (of
reconciliation between the two countries) will conclude with true
freedom for Cuba."
Obama said "Father, don't worry, that is our goal, to achieve liberty in
Cuba," according to the priest.
Source: Obama Vows to Defend Human Rights in Talks With Cuba's Raul
Castro as He Prays at National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami -
http://www.christianpost.com/news/obama-vows-to-defend-human-rights-in-talks-with-cubas-raul-castro-as-he-prays-at-national-shrine-of-our-lady-of-charity-in-miami-139803/
Cuba approves new measures for private cooperatives
Cuba approves new measures for private cooperatives
Published June 01, 2015 EFE
The Cuban government has approved new measures to consolidate the
private cooperatives that have developed as part of President Raul
Castro's reforms, but it is in no hurry to dramatically expand the
sector, state-run media reported Monday.
"The cooperatives have an experimental character and although their
implementation is moving forward we have no reason to accelerate the
pace. We have to get the rhythm of events," Castro said last Friday
during a Cabinet meeting.
To improve the functioning of this form of management, the government
will expand from three months to a year the maximum time within which to
hire workers, although employees of this kind will not be allowed to
exceed 10 percent of the cooperatives partners.
Since they began to be allowed in 2012, 498 private non-agricultural
cooperatives have been created in Cuba, of which 347 are still operating.
The authorities are presently studying 205 proposals to create new
cooperatives.
The government acknowledges that there are negatives that have burdened
the operation of this experimental private cooperative plan, including
bureaucratic red tape, access to supplies and the trend toward
increasing prices for products and services.
The government decided to extend the experimental program but under the
principle of "not making the creation of cooperatives accessible to
all," given that the priority "must be to consolidate those that exist
and move forward in a gradual way." EFE
Source: Cuba approves new measures for private cooperatives | Fox News
Latino -
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/06/01/cuba-approves-new-measures-for-private-cooperatives/
Published June 01, 2015 EFE
The Cuban government has approved new measures to consolidate the
private cooperatives that have developed as part of President Raul
Castro's reforms, but it is in no hurry to dramatically expand the
sector, state-run media reported Monday.
"The cooperatives have an experimental character and although their
implementation is moving forward we have no reason to accelerate the
pace. We have to get the rhythm of events," Castro said last Friday
during a Cabinet meeting.
To improve the functioning of this form of management, the government
will expand from three months to a year the maximum time within which to
hire workers, although employees of this kind will not be allowed to
exceed 10 percent of the cooperatives partners.
Since they began to be allowed in 2012, 498 private non-agricultural
cooperatives have been created in Cuba, of which 347 are still operating.
The authorities are presently studying 205 proposals to create new
cooperatives.
The government acknowledges that there are negatives that have burdened
the operation of this experimental private cooperative plan, including
bureaucratic red tape, access to supplies and the trend toward
increasing prices for products and services.
The government decided to extend the experimental program but under the
principle of "not making the creation of cooperatives accessible to
all," given that the priority "must be to consolidate those that exist
and move forward in a gradual way." EFE
Source: Cuba approves new measures for private cooperatives | Fox News
Latino -
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/06/01/cuba-approves-new-measures-for-private-cooperatives/
Brand building in Cuba still a long way off
Brand building in Cuba still a long way off
Added by Diana Bradley
With advertising and PR deemed illegal in Cuba, brands must adopt
outside-the-box strategies to make an impact.
Cuba is an untapped landscape for PR pros. And it may remain that way
for years to come, even with the end of the US trade embargo in sight.
Just because Cuba and the US are taking steps to normalize relations, it
is important to note that the Cuban government's policies and basic
rules of business are not changing with them – not just yet, anyway.
JeffreyGroup's CEO Jeffrey Sharlach notes Cuba is still a communist
country where the state controls the media and most business
enterprises. Because of this, the country's PR and marketing industry is
unlike anything most American companies are used to, according to Kirby
Jones, founder of Alamar Associates, which advises companies on doing
business in Cuba.
None of the top communications firms in the world have, as Jones puts
it, "hung out their shingle" in Havana. In fact, one would be hard
pressed to find any PR agencies on the island.
The reason behind this is simple: Commercial advertising and PR is not
allowed in Cuba and continues to be illegal for a US company to open an
office there.
"You do see posters or visual depictions of people drinking certain rum
and of cigar brands, but there is no advertising at all, not even on TV,
inside Cuba," Jones says.
This means American companies who want to do business there will just
have to get inventive about the way they promote their brand or product.
Finding loopholes
Companies should, for example, keep an eye out for vehicles on which
they can showcase their name, Jones advises.
"Cuba's policies won't change in terms of commercial advertising, but
the opportunity for non-advertising promotion may increase," he adds.
"Organizations will have to do things such as sponsor concerts and
sporting events to get their brands out there in a way that doesn't
conflict with Cuban rules and regulations."
Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment got a taste of doing business in the
country earlier this year when it produced Cuba's first full Broadway
musical in 50 years: Rent.
The American production company needed permission from the Cuban and US
governments to put the show on due to the embargo. The licensing process
took one year, according to CEO Bob Nederlander.
Once they got the green light, Rubenstein Public Relations supported
Nederlander in promoting the event. Although the firm mainly targeted
press outside Cuba to spread the word globally, Rubenstein VP Jodie
Thomas says she also had to set up press interviews with the all-Cuban
cast members.
"This proved to be difficult due to a lack of communication," she adds.
"There was only one cellphone for the entire cast, so getting things
like that scheduled was hard."
Cuba's Ministry of Culture helped promote the show locally. A press
conference was also held in Havana.
However, Cubans mainly heard about the musical via word of mouth, says
Thomas. Despite these challenges, every night of the show's three-month
run was sold out, and 20% of the audience was made up of tourists.
Other companies striving to establish a foothold in the country include
Airbnb and Netflix.
"Netflix is no longer illegal in Cuba so we made it available," says
Kari Perez, Netflix's senior PR manager. "We launched in every other
country in Latin America in 2011, so once we were able to, it was simply
a question of unblocking transit to the country."
But Netflix is already facing numerous complications. For instance, only
5% of Cubans can access the Internet from home and they cannot legally
subscribe to Netflix as the company won't accept Cuban currency as
payment. In addition, Cubans are not allowed to hold foreign bank
accounts. Moreover, the $7.99-a-month bill is also considered fairly
steep in a country where an entry-level nurse is paid $25 a month,
according to Granma, the newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party.
"In time, Cuba will get better Internet and more access to foreign
exchange; it is a long bet for us," she adds.
While it might be premature for companies to promote directly to Cubans,
Sharlach predicts that tourism, already a booming industry in Cuba, will
explode with the ease on US travel restrictions.
Although Cuba's close proximity to the US and well-educated residents
make it an appealing market for US businesses, Sharlach says it is key
to note that only 11 million people live on the island.
"There are a lot of changes that need to take place before it can be a
vibrant business scene," he adds.
Source: Brand building in Cuba still a long way off | PR Week -
http://www.prweek.com/article/1349168/brand-building-cuba-long-off#disqus_thread
Added by Diana Bradley
With advertising and PR deemed illegal in Cuba, brands must adopt
outside-the-box strategies to make an impact.
Cuba is an untapped landscape for PR pros. And it may remain that way
for years to come, even with the end of the US trade embargo in sight.
Just because Cuba and the US are taking steps to normalize relations, it
is important to note that the Cuban government's policies and basic
rules of business are not changing with them – not just yet, anyway.
JeffreyGroup's CEO Jeffrey Sharlach notes Cuba is still a communist
country where the state controls the media and most business
enterprises. Because of this, the country's PR and marketing industry is
unlike anything most American companies are used to, according to Kirby
Jones, founder of Alamar Associates, which advises companies on doing
business in Cuba.
None of the top communications firms in the world have, as Jones puts
it, "hung out their shingle" in Havana. In fact, one would be hard
pressed to find any PR agencies on the island.
The reason behind this is simple: Commercial advertising and PR is not
allowed in Cuba and continues to be illegal for a US company to open an
office there.
"You do see posters or visual depictions of people drinking certain rum
and of cigar brands, but there is no advertising at all, not even on TV,
inside Cuba," Jones says.
This means American companies who want to do business there will just
have to get inventive about the way they promote their brand or product.
Finding loopholes
Companies should, for example, keep an eye out for vehicles on which
they can showcase their name, Jones advises.
"Cuba's policies won't change in terms of commercial advertising, but
the opportunity for non-advertising promotion may increase," he adds.
"Organizations will have to do things such as sponsor concerts and
sporting events to get their brands out there in a way that doesn't
conflict with Cuban rules and regulations."
Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment got a taste of doing business in the
country earlier this year when it produced Cuba's first full Broadway
musical in 50 years: Rent.
The American production company needed permission from the Cuban and US
governments to put the show on due to the embargo. The licensing process
took one year, according to CEO Bob Nederlander.
Once they got the green light, Rubenstein Public Relations supported
Nederlander in promoting the event. Although the firm mainly targeted
press outside Cuba to spread the word globally, Rubenstein VP Jodie
Thomas says she also had to set up press interviews with the all-Cuban
cast members.
"This proved to be difficult due to a lack of communication," she adds.
"There was only one cellphone for the entire cast, so getting things
like that scheduled was hard."
Cuba's Ministry of Culture helped promote the show locally. A press
conference was also held in Havana.
However, Cubans mainly heard about the musical via word of mouth, says
Thomas. Despite these challenges, every night of the show's three-month
run was sold out, and 20% of the audience was made up of tourists.
Other companies striving to establish a foothold in the country include
Airbnb and Netflix.
"Netflix is no longer illegal in Cuba so we made it available," says
Kari Perez, Netflix's senior PR manager. "We launched in every other
country in Latin America in 2011, so once we were able to, it was simply
a question of unblocking transit to the country."
But Netflix is already facing numerous complications. For instance, only
5% of Cubans can access the Internet from home and they cannot legally
subscribe to Netflix as the company won't accept Cuban currency as
payment. In addition, Cubans are not allowed to hold foreign bank
accounts. Moreover, the $7.99-a-month bill is also considered fairly
steep in a country where an entry-level nurse is paid $25 a month,
according to Granma, the newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party.
"In time, Cuba will get better Internet and more access to foreign
exchange; it is a long bet for us," she adds.
While it might be premature for companies to promote directly to Cubans,
Sharlach predicts that tourism, already a booming industry in Cuba, will
explode with the ease on US travel restrictions.
Although Cuba's close proximity to the US and well-educated residents
make it an appealing market for US businesses, Sharlach says it is key
to note that only 11 million people live on the island.
"There are a lot of changes that need to take place before it can be a
vibrant business scene," he adds.
Source: Brand building in Cuba still a long way off | PR Week -
http://www.prweek.com/article/1349168/brand-building-cuba-long-off#disqus_thread
In an online world, Cuba remains a stand-in-line society
In an online world, Cuba remains a stand-in-line society
By Nick Miroff May 31 at 8:20 PM
HAVANA — As one of Havana's largest state-run retail hubs, the
Supermercado 3ra y 70 is the communist government equivalent of a Target
or Wal-Mart, created as a one-stop shopping center. It was designed,
quite possibly, by sadists.
Customers with long shopping lists face no fewer than seven places to
stand in line. One for butter. Another for cooking oil. A third for
toothpaste. And so on.
"¿El último?" ("Are you the last person in line?" ) a man asked,
arriving at the end of a slow-moving queue for cheese. This reporter nodded.
Long lines — at the bank, the bus stop or the bodega where government
rations are distributed — are a fact of daily Cuban life, as inescapable
as the heat or the music.
Want potatoes? There's a line for that. Need to pay your phone bill?
Well, there's a line for that, too.
A group of people wait anxiously for public transportation to arrive.
(Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
Elsewhere in the world, the Internet revolution has allowed goods and
services to be ordered, organized and distributed with ever-greater ease
and efficiency. Cuba's socialist revolution has barely bothered with
these advancements. In an online era, Cuba remains a stand-in-line society.
With a new surge of American tourism — up 36 percent this year,
according to government data — the island is facing a shortage of hotel
rooms, rental cars and seats at the Tropicana cabaret. Which means
American visitors, too, may find themselves waiting more than they're
used to.
They can learn a great deal from their hosts, who possess vast reserves
of stoicism.
"Cubans put up with a lot," said the man in the cheese queue, with a
knowing smile. He introduced himself as Mario.
Mario was a middle-aged man of considerable girth, dressed in shorts and
a form-fitting, sleeveless T-shirt. His cap read "U.S. Marine Corps." He
did not look like a leatherneck.
"My brother sent it to me. He lives in Kendall," he said, in Florida. "I
just got the visa to go visit. I'll be there for the Fourth of July, man!"
Mario assured me that he has no plans to migrate to the United States.
He has a car, he said, and he makes a good living selling construction
materials on the black market — mostly nails, screws, that sort of thing
(technically illegal, so his last name is withheld here).
"Plus, it would be against my religion," he said.
Mario explained that he is a babalawo, a Santeria priest. His particular
order requires its adherents to reside close to their place of birth,
although short-term visits were acceptable to the Orisha spirits.
"A friend of mine who went to visit said there were two things he really
missed about the United States," the babalawo said. "One was the
freedom. The other was Home Depot."
Bringing out the best and worst
Ahead of us in line, a customer asked for a large order of sliced
bologna. This brought the entire section of the supermarket to a
standstill. Two employees ran the deli slicer, shooting flecks of lunch
meat out the sides. A half-dozen other workers stood around, watching.
Cuba's queues tend to bring out the country's best and worst.
Resignation and tedium, sure. But also a remarkable concern for the
weakest and most needy. Pregnant women and the elderly always go to the
front. Scofflaws who try to cut in face collective scorn. As they do
everywhere, Cubans pass the time gossiping, joking and complaining.
No one stands around in rigid formation, so a sophisticated queuing
culture has evolved to maintain proper order and countenance the wait.
As Mario had done, the last person to arrive must ask aloud, "¿El
último?" to ascertain where the line ends. Then they ask, "Who are you
behind?" so if that person wanders off and doesn't return, the queue
doesn't collapse.
Before a place in line is saved, that person must wait for someone else
to arrive and ask for "el último" before they're free to stray. The
system is prone to breakdowns, but it allows queuers to use their time
in other ways — waiting somewhere more comfortable, like in the shade,
or running errands and possibly waiting in other lines.
If one loses his place, the others in line know how to keep the queue in
order. This could easily be accomplished with little red take-a-number
wheels like those at U.S. deli counters. But that's one more thing
that's not available in Cuba — along with credit cards, which state-run
banks don't offer.
A man in dusty work coveralls arrived, towing a little boy. He was
clearly in a hurry. Upon reaching the counter, he turned to address the
line. "Excuse me, compañeros," he said, pointing into the deli case. "I
just need to buy this little piece of cheese right here. I'm sorry."
Seeing the child, and the man's obviously harried state, Mario and the
others assured him that this was not a problem. The man paid $3 for a
small hunk of cheese, a soft, whitish Gouda, the kind that has been
scarce at government supermarkets recently, eliciting queues of this
sort wherever it appears.
"It's not even very good cheese," Mario said. "After five days in the
fridge, it tastes like plastic."
Mario's wife and daughter arrived and joined the line. A few places up
ahead, the bologna man was finally paying. We'd been there about 15
minutes by then.
The conversation drifted to other sorts of lines, and which ones were
longest in Havana these days. Pretty much anything sold at fixed or
state-subsidized prices — such as potatoes, airplane tickets and organic
lettuce — produces one.
There have been especially long lines lately outside the Ecuadoran
embassy. It's a country with some of the loosest travel requirements for
Cubans wishing to emigrate or just to go buy stuff that they can sell on
the island's black market. But the lines outside the U.S. consulate,
where hundreds wait each day, are usually the longest.
Perhaps the city's most famous queue is the one outside the Coppelia ice
cream park, stretching down the block when there are only one or two
flavors available. After standing for more than an hour, most Cubans
order the "ice cream salad" — five scoops for five pesos (about 20 cents).
After about a 20-minute wait, everyone got their Gouda and headed off to
contend with other lines in the store. "Come visit me any time," Mario
said, explaining that he lives in a rural area just outside the city.
"You like roast pork?"
Nick Miroff is a Latin America correspondent for The Post, roaming from
the U.S.-Mexico borderlands to South America's southern cone. He has
been a staff writer since 2006.
Source: In an online world, Cuba remains a stand-in-line society - The
Washington Post -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/in-an-online-world-cuba-remains-a-stand-in-line-society/2015/05/31/07459d7e-fd90-11e4-8c77-bf274685e1df_story.html
By Nick Miroff May 31 at 8:20 PM
HAVANA — As one of Havana's largest state-run retail hubs, the
Supermercado 3ra y 70 is the communist government equivalent of a Target
or Wal-Mart, created as a one-stop shopping center. It was designed,
quite possibly, by sadists.
Customers with long shopping lists face no fewer than seven places to
stand in line. One for butter. Another for cooking oil. A third for
toothpaste. And so on.
"¿El último?" ("Are you the last person in line?" ) a man asked,
arriving at the end of a slow-moving queue for cheese. This reporter nodded.
Long lines — at the bank, the bus stop or the bodega where government
rations are distributed — are a fact of daily Cuban life, as inescapable
as the heat or the music.
Want potatoes? There's a line for that. Need to pay your phone bill?
Well, there's a line for that, too.
A group of people wait anxiously for public transportation to arrive.
(Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
Elsewhere in the world, the Internet revolution has allowed goods and
services to be ordered, organized and distributed with ever-greater ease
and efficiency. Cuba's socialist revolution has barely bothered with
these advancements. In an online era, Cuba remains a stand-in-line society.
With a new surge of American tourism — up 36 percent this year,
according to government data — the island is facing a shortage of hotel
rooms, rental cars and seats at the Tropicana cabaret. Which means
American visitors, too, may find themselves waiting more than they're
used to.
They can learn a great deal from their hosts, who possess vast reserves
of stoicism.
"Cubans put up with a lot," said the man in the cheese queue, with a
knowing smile. He introduced himself as Mario.
Mario was a middle-aged man of considerable girth, dressed in shorts and
a form-fitting, sleeveless T-shirt. His cap read "U.S. Marine Corps." He
did not look like a leatherneck.
"My brother sent it to me. He lives in Kendall," he said, in Florida. "I
just got the visa to go visit. I'll be there for the Fourth of July, man!"
Mario assured me that he has no plans to migrate to the United States.
He has a car, he said, and he makes a good living selling construction
materials on the black market — mostly nails, screws, that sort of thing
(technically illegal, so his last name is withheld here).
"Plus, it would be against my religion," he said.
Mario explained that he is a babalawo, a Santeria priest. His particular
order requires its adherents to reside close to their place of birth,
although short-term visits were acceptable to the Orisha spirits.
"A friend of mine who went to visit said there were two things he really
missed about the United States," the babalawo said. "One was the
freedom. The other was Home Depot."
Bringing out the best and worst
Ahead of us in line, a customer asked for a large order of sliced
bologna. This brought the entire section of the supermarket to a
standstill. Two employees ran the deli slicer, shooting flecks of lunch
meat out the sides. A half-dozen other workers stood around, watching.
Cuba's queues tend to bring out the country's best and worst.
Resignation and tedium, sure. But also a remarkable concern for the
weakest and most needy. Pregnant women and the elderly always go to the
front. Scofflaws who try to cut in face collective scorn. As they do
everywhere, Cubans pass the time gossiping, joking and complaining.
No one stands around in rigid formation, so a sophisticated queuing
culture has evolved to maintain proper order and countenance the wait.
As Mario had done, the last person to arrive must ask aloud, "¿El
último?" to ascertain where the line ends. Then they ask, "Who are you
behind?" so if that person wanders off and doesn't return, the queue
doesn't collapse.
Before a place in line is saved, that person must wait for someone else
to arrive and ask for "el último" before they're free to stray. The
system is prone to breakdowns, but it allows queuers to use their time
in other ways — waiting somewhere more comfortable, like in the shade,
or running errands and possibly waiting in other lines.
If one loses his place, the others in line know how to keep the queue in
order. This could easily be accomplished with little red take-a-number
wheels like those at U.S. deli counters. But that's one more thing
that's not available in Cuba — along with credit cards, which state-run
banks don't offer.
A man in dusty work coveralls arrived, towing a little boy. He was
clearly in a hurry. Upon reaching the counter, he turned to address the
line. "Excuse me, compañeros," he said, pointing into the deli case. "I
just need to buy this little piece of cheese right here. I'm sorry."
Seeing the child, and the man's obviously harried state, Mario and the
others assured him that this was not a problem. The man paid $3 for a
small hunk of cheese, a soft, whitish Gouda, the kind that has been
scarce at government supermarkets recently, eliciting queues of this
sort wherever it appears.
"It's not even very good cheese," Mario said. "After five days in the
fridge, it tastes like plastic."
Mario's wife and daughter arrived and joined the line. A few places up
ahead, the bologna man was finally paying. We'd been there about 15
minutes by then.
The conversation drifted to other sorts of lines, and which ones were
longest in Havana these days. Pretty much anything sold at fixed or
state-subsidized prices — such as potatoes, airplane tickets and organic
lettuce — produces one.
There have been especially long lines lately outside the Ecuadoran
embassy. It's a country with some of the loosest travel requirements for
Cubans wishing to emigrate or just to go buy stuff that they can sell on
the island's black market. But the lines outside the U.S. consulate,
where hundreds wait each day, are usually the longest.
Perhaps the city's most famous queue is the one outside the Coppelia ice
cream park, stretching down the block when there are only one or two
flavors available. After standing for more than an hour, most Cubans
order the "ice cream salad" — five scoops for five pesos (about 20 cents).
After about a 20-minute wait, everyone got their Gouda and headed off to
contend with other lines in the store. "Come visit me any time," Mario
said, explaining that he lives in a rural area just outside the city.
"You like roast pork?"
Nick Miroff is a Latin America correspondent for The Post, roaming from
the U.S.-Mexico borderlands to South America's southern cone. He has
been a staff writer since 2006.
Source: In an online world, Cuba remains a stand-in-line society - The
Washington Post -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/in-an-online-world-cuba-remains-a-stand-in-line-society/2015/05/31/07459d7e-fd90-11e4-8c77-bf274685e1df_story.html
Man struck in hit-and-run is former Cuban political prisoner
Man struck in hit-and-run is former Cuban political prisoner
BY DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
A former Cuban revolutionary who spent nearly three decades as a
political prisoner on the communist island was fighting for his life
Saturday night days after he was hit by a speeding car in Little Havana.
Relatives say the car fled Wednesday morning after hitting Onofre Perez
on Flagler Street near Northwest 37th Avenue. He was rushed to Jackson
Memorial Hospital, where he remained Saturday in critical condition and
with numerous broken bones.
Police could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
Perez, who was on disability, had taken a bus that morning and was
crossing the street to go to a doctor's appointment, according to his
sister, Maria Elenea Perez.
In the Cuban exile community, the 79-year-old Perez was well-known.
He was a captain with the rebel group know as the "Second Front," which
sought to overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in the 1950s. The
group claimed as their territory the Escambray mountains.
"He's a hero, and they left him like a dog in the street," said Zoe
Lorenzo, whose husband joined with Perez in the mountains during the
fighting in 1958 to overthrow Batista.
Perez later served as the lead bodyguard for the legendary rebel William
Morgan, a former U.S. Army soldier who was arrested by the Castro regime
in 1961. Perez was convicted alongside Morgan during a brief trial at La
Cabana prison.
Perez was known as a "plantado," a political prisoner. After spending 28
years in Cuba prisons, he arrived in Miami in January 1989 with hopes of
starting a simple life.
"Perez doesn't ask for much to start his new life in Miami: a car, an
apartment and a job, preferably as a truck driver," the Herald wrote at
the time.
He was 54 years old when he arrived to Florida — and was featured in a
Miami Herald article about the Cuban Welcome Committee, a group that
helped former political prisoners arriving from the island.
He was part of a group of prisoners allowed into Miami under a renewed
immigration agreement with Cuba that allowed up to 3,000 refugees into
the United States.
Miami Herald reporter Michael Sallah contributed to this report.
Source: Man struck in hit-and-run is former Cuban political prisoner |
Miami Herald Miami Herald -
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article22717278.html
BY DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
A former Cuban revolutionary who spent nearly three decades as a
political prisoner on the communist island was fighting for his life
Saturday night days after he was hit by a speeding car in Little Havana.
Relatives say the car fled Wednesday morning after hitting Onofre Perez
on Flagler Street near Northwest 37th Avenue. He was rushed to Jackson
Memorial Hospital, where he remained Saturday in critical condition and
with numerous broken bones.
Police could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
Perez, who was on disability, had taken a bus that morning and was
crossing the street to go to a doctor's appointment, according to his
sister, Maria Elenea Perez.
In the Cuban exile community, the 79-year-old Perez was well-known.
He was a captain with the rebel group know as the "Second Front," which
sought to overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in the 1950s. The
group claimed as their territory the Escambray mountains.
"He's a hero, and they left him like a dog in the street," said Zoe
Lorenzo, whose husband joined with Perez in the mountains during the
fighting in 1958 to overthrow Batista.
Perez later served as the lead bodyguard for the legendary rebel William
Morgan, a former U.S. Army soldier who was arrested by the Castro regime
in 1961. Perez was convicted alongside Morgan during a brief trial at La
Cabana prison.
Perez was known as a "plantado," a political prisoner. After spending 28
years in Cuba prisons, he arrived in Miami in January 1989 with hopes of
starting a simple life.
"Perez doesn't ask for much to start his new life in Miami: a car, an
apartment and a job, preferably as a truck driver," the Herald wrote at
the time.
He was 54 years old when he arrived to Florida — and was featured in a
Miami Herald article about the Cuban Welcome Committee, a group that
helped former political prisoners arriving from the island.
He was part of a group of prisoners allowed into Miami under a renewed
immigration agreement with Cuba that allowed up to 3,000 refugees into
the United States.
Miami Herald reporter Michael Sallah contributed to this report.
Source: Man struck in hit-and-run is former Cuban political prisoner |
Miami Herald Miami Herald -
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article22717278.html
In letter to administration, Rubio vows to block ambassador to Cuba unless reforms made
In letter to administration, Rubio vows to block ambassador to Cuba
unless reforms made
BY CHRIS ADAMS
McClatchy Washington Bureau
— U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio vowed to oppose the confirmation of any nominee
to be U.S. ambassador to Cuba unless he sees "concrete results" on a set
of democratic and human rights issues.
The Republican from West Miami, who is running for president in a
crowded GOP field, wrote Secretary of State John Kerry, laying out his
demands.
Rubio has been a leader in Congress in pushing back on the White House's
opening to Cuba, which was announced in December. His comments echoed
previous statements on the matter; in February, for example, he noted
there are "multiple ways to stop an ambassador nomination, and I reserve
the right to use all of them."
The opening to Cuba is a multi-pronged effort that has already relaxed
some travel and financial restrictions, and is quickly moving toward the
establishment of a greater diplomatic presence in Havana. It could
eventually lead to a full lifting of the trade embargo with the country.
The White House can accomplish some steps on its own, while Congress
would need to weigh in on other aspects.
As it stands now, the U.S. diplomatic presence in Havana can function
without a confirmed ambassador, and some experts on Cuban issues are
skeptical the Senate would confirm one, no matter Rubio's stance.
Rubio's position, laid out in his letter, address four concerns: the
lack of political reforms on the island; the harboring of known
terrorists and other fugitives from U.S. justice; the outstanding
American property claims and judgments against the Cuban government; and
the limitations that continue to be placed on American diplomats working
in Havana.
He wrote: "I hope to see a free and democratic Cuba, but that means we
must confront the authoritarian Castro regime that suppresses its own
people, not acquiesce to their demands."
Source: In letter to administration, Rubio vows to block ambassador to
Cuba unless reforms made | Miami Herald Miami Herald -
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article22804953.html
unless reforms made
BY CHRIS ADAMS
McClatchy Washington Bureau
— U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio vowed to oppose the confirmation of any nominee
to be U.S. ambassador to Cuba unless he sees "concrete results" on a set
of democratic and human rights issues.
The Republican from West Miami, who is running for president in a
crowded GOP field, wrote Secretary of State John Kerry, laying out his
demands.
Rubio has been a leader in Congress in pushing back on the White House's
opening to Cuba, which was announced in December. His comments echoed
previous statements on the matter; in February, for example, he noted
there are "multiple ways to stop an ambassador nomination, and I reserve
the right to use all of them."
The opening to Cuba is a multi-pronged effort that has already relaxed
some travel and financial restrictions, and is quickly moving toward the
establishment of a greater diplomatic presence in Havana. It could
eventually lead to a full lifting of the trade embargo with the country.
The White House can accomplish some steps on its own, while Congress
would need to weigh in on other aspects.
As it stands now, the U.S. diplomatic presence in Havana can function
without a confirmed ambassador, and some experts on Cuban issues are
skeptical the Senate would confirm one, no matter Rubio's stance.
Rubio's position, laid out in his letter, address four concerns: the
lack of political reforms on the island; the harboring of known
terrorists and other fugitives from U.S. justice; the outstanding
American property claims and judgments against the Cuban government; and
the limitations that continue to be placed on American diplomats working
in Havana.
He wrote: "I hope to see a free and democratic Cuba, but that means we
must confront the authoritarian Castro regime that suppresses its own
people, not acquiesce to their demands."
Source: In letter to administration, Rubio vows to block ambassador to
Cuba unless reforms made | Miami Herald Miami Herald -
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article22804953.html
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