Viewing from February 2017

Ana Belen Montes will spend her 60th birthday in US jail with another 10 years to serve

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 28 February 2017

Today (28th February) is the 60th birthday of Ana Belén Montes, a Puerto Rican woman serving a 25-year US prison sentence for passing information to Cuban intelligence agencies. Ana is unable to receive any messages in prison, except from people she knows, so those wishing to send birthday messages and ... read more

Cuba's Lauded Medical System Starts New Trial for HIV Vaccine

News from Cuba | Monday, 27 February 2017

Testing looks promising so far for the vaccine designed to improve living conditions of people who are HIV positive. Scientists in Cuba are currently undertaking phase one of a clinical trial for a vaccine to help improve the health of people who are HIV positive, Cuban media reported this week. The vaccine, ... read more

US Legislators Favour Advancement of Relations with Cuba

News from Cuba | Friday, 24 February 2017

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 23 (ACN) A US congressional delegation stressed the pace of current US-Cuba efforts towards the improvement of bilateral links, during a visit to Havana, where they were received by President Raul Castro. During a press conference on Wednesday, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) stressed the scope of 22 accords ... read more

Unicef praises Cuba's Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts

News from Cuba | Friday, 24 February 2017

Guantánamo.– On February 22, Unicef program coordinator, Victoria Colamarco highlighted the impact of recovery efforts undertaken by the people of Guantánamo, together with national and international support, following Hurricane Matthew. The UN representative also emphasised the impact of donations benefiting both children and communities in affected regions; noting the gratitude expressed ... read more

Obesity: A global health problem affecting Cuba

News from Cuba | Friday, 24 February 2017

Obesity is also a global phenomenon, which according to United Nations statistics, affects one in every five men and five in every 10 women on the planet, causing low self-esteem, a negative body image, depression, stigmatization, marginalization, and isolation With an 18.1% increase over recent years in the number of overweight ... read more

Cuba to Build Its First Mosque as Muslim Population Grows

News from Cuba | Wednesday, 22 February 2017

Since 2015, the country’s some 10,000 Muslims have been congregating for prayers in a building space in downtown Havana. The city of Havana is set to build Cuba’s first mosque, touted to be one of the largest in Latin America, as its Muslim population continues to grow. Since 2015, when the government ... read more

Flight confusion reigns as Cuba's tourism boom is beset by teething problems

News from Cuba | Monday, 20 February 2017

CSC Director Rob Miller says the US blockade is preventing British travellers from using Air Miles towards Virgin Atlantic flights to Cuba Cuba remains a hot-ticket destination for British travellers as airlines launch new routes and cruise tourism surges. But as the boom continues, confusion has taken hold over whether Britons ... read more

Donald Trump Says Cuban-American Voters Love Him, but He's Wrong

News from Cuba | Friday, 17 February 2017

One of Donald Trump's most enduring, unchallenged fictions is the idea that Cuban-American people adore him. He repeats the lie all the time. During the election season, Trump flew into Miami, made a pit stop at Versailles, and earned some cheers after promising Cuban immigrants he would crack down on ... read more

Trump suggests he shares the hard line, pro-blockade views of Marco Rubio

News from Cuba | Friday, 17 February 2017

US President Donald Trump suggested during a press conference on Thursday that he shares Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio’s views on Cuba. Marco Rubio is a hard line, pro-blockade Florida Senator, who has been a vocal critic of re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba and is a staunch supporter of US intervention ... read more

Late Cuban President Fidel Castro hands out a baseball bat to Cuban player Yulieski Gourriel in Havana. March 21, 2006.

Cuban Baseball Held Back by US Blockade

News from Cuba | Friday, 17 February 2017

Sports is one of many areas where Cuba is held back by restrictions under the five-decade ban. Cuba hopes to advance the country's favourite sport by becoming a full member of the Caribbean Baseball Series, but the ongoing U.S. economic blockade on the island stands in the team's way. Speaking to ... read more

President of Ireland makes historic State Visit to Cuba

News from Cuba | Thursday, 16 February 2017

Cuba’s President Raúl Castro met with Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, on Wednesday afternoon, as part of an official visit to Cuba, the first ever State visit by an Irish President to the island. The Irish President paid tribute to Cuban National Hero José Martí at the memorial erected in ... read more

The President of Ireland to arrive in Cuba for official visit

News from Cuba | Wednesday, 15 February 2017

Irish President Michael Higgins will arrive in Cuba today, Wednesday 15 February, following an official invitation from his counterpart Raul Castro. Before the meeting with Raul Castro, the Irish president will honour National Hero Jose Marti, in the Plaza of the Revolution in Havana. According to the program, Higgins will also participate ... read more

 Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Congressman Carlos Curbelo, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart

Anti-Castro Cuban-American Lawmakers See a Champion in Trump

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 14 February 2017

Republican lawmakers from South Florida who opposed the restoration of relations with Cuba under President Barack Obama have high hopes for President Trump. By GISELA SALOMON, Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Cuban-American lawmakers from Florida helped shape U.S. relations with the island for years until they found themselves on the outside during ... read more

Guaranteeing children's health

News from Cuba | Friday, 10 February 2017

A total of 471,888 children will receive their doses of oral polio vaccine during the months of February and April this year, as part of the 56th national polio oral vaccination campaign, which will be conducted at the country's neighborhood polyclinics, reported Dr. Francisco Durán García, the Ministry of Public ... read more

Cuba introduces greater maternity protection for working mothers

News from Cuba | Friday, 10 February 2017

New legislation was passed in Cuba to ensure greater maternity protection for working mothers, with the aim of encouraging a greater birth rate and addressing population ageing Marked by population ageing and an increasingly low birth rate, the demographic outlook in Cuba continues to be complex. To cite just a few figures, ... read more

US Blockade Against Cuba Still in Place 55 Years Later

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 7 February 2017

After acknowledging that bullying Cuba for decades proved to be a bad and losing strategy, the U.S. changed course, but not entirely. Many believe since U.S. and Cuba restored diplomatic relations, the blockade imposed on Cuba by the U.S. is over, but 55 years later, it remains in place. But despite this ... read more

Governor Rick Scott channels Trump to threaten Florida ports over Cuba ties

News from Cuba | Friday, 3 February 2017

Scott used Twitter to issue a threat to cut funding to any of the state’s ports working with the Caribbean country in a sign of worsening US-Havana relations Governor Rick Scott of Florida, appears to be following Donald Trump’s example of dictating policy by Twitter, with potentially far-reaching impacts for the ... read more

Why a blockade and not an embargo?

News from Cuba | Friday, 3 February 2017

Although the United States didn’t fully implement the blockade against Cuba until February 7, 1962, it had been applying similar policies against the island since 1959 The measures adopted against Cuba by the United States government do not fall within the category of "embargo." On the contrary, they go beyond this ... read more

WHO grants prize to Cuba´s Henry Reeve medical brigade

News from Cuba | Wednesday, 1 February 2017

HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 31 (ACN) The Executive Council of the World Health Organization (WHO) granted the Doctor Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health to the Cuban Henry Reeve Contingent of Doctors Specialised in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics. The recognition is an acknowledgement to the work of solidarity Cuba does ... read more

African Union Condemns US Blockade of Cuba

News from Cuba | Wednesday, 1 February 2017

On the last day of the summit, the organisation reaffirmed their unanimous rejection of the genocidal policy against Cuba. The 28th African Union Summit, held in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, approved a resolution Wednesday demanding an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States ... read more