CSC news

Viewing from July 2015

Clinton Endorses Dismantling of Cuba Blockade

News from Cuba | Friday, 31 July 2015

Hillary Clinton has criticised supporters of the Cuban blockade as looking at the world through an “outdated cold war lens.” U.S. presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton called Friday for a total end to the blockade of Cuba, and demanded Republican opponents “either get on board or get out of the way.” “The Cuba ... read more

Fidel Castro Awarded Honorary Degree in Bolivia

News from Cuba | Friday, 31 July 2015

Seven years after leaving office, Fidel Castro remains one of the Latin American left's most prolific figures. A Bolivian university is set to award former Cuban head of state Fidel Castro with an honorary degree, Cuban media reported Saturday. Fidel Castro will officially be handed the degree on Sunday by Bolivia's National ... read more

Chavez-Castro Initiative to Aid the Blind has Helped 4 Million

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 28 July 2015

The aid mission is well on its way to meeting the goal of helping 6 million people. The 'Operation Miracle' Mission (Mission Milagro), the Cuban-Venezuelan aid mission for the blind, has helped 4 million people since its creation just over 10 years ago, Venezuelan officials announced Monday. The initiative was started by ... read more

Met Police flipped its facts: Cubans are Terror Victims

Campaign News | Monday, 27 July 2015

LAST week the Metropolitan Police gave a “sincere and unreserved apology” after dressing its “terrorist” actor in a Cuban flag t-shirt during the simulated attack known as Operation Strong Tower. The apology was issued after the Cuba Solidarity Campaign complained that the choice of costume associated Cuba with terrorism. Deputy Assistant ... read more

Cuban and U.S. banks sign agreement

News from Cuba | Monday, 27 July 2015

Cuba’s International Commerce Bank and the U.S. Stonegate Bank reached the first important financial accord to be signed since the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries July 20. The Cuban International Commerce Bank (Bicsa) and the Florida-based Stonegate Bank have signed an agreement to establish a correspondent account, reported ... read more

Obama Administration Outlines Plan to Close Guantanamo

News from Cuba | Monday, 27 July 2015

The Obama administration hopes to garner support from members of Congress in order to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. President Obama’s top counterterrorism advisor Lisa Monaco has outlined details of a plan to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. During a speech at the Aspen Security Conference on Saturday, ... read more

Cuba Celebrates July 26 Attack that Ignited the Revolution

News from Cuba | Monday, 27 July 2015

Fidel Castro led the attack along with small group of rebels that sparked the events that ousted the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Cubans celebrated on Sunday the 62nd anniversary of the first armed uprising launched by Fidel Castro's guerrillas against the army of U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1953. A crowd of ... read more

Embassies Open, But The US Is No Friend To Havana

Campaign News | Monday, 27 July 2015

Cuba Solidarity’s ROB MILLER explains why relations between the superpower and the socialist island are still far from “normalised” AFTER 54 years the US and Cuba have restored diplomatic relations and opened embassies in Washington and Havana. Many people may be led to believe that the relationship between the two countries is ... read more

Senate Committee approves measure to end restrictions on travel to Cuba

News from Cuba | Friday, 24 July 2015

WASHINGTON.— Yesterday July 23, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to the proposed 2016 government budget which could relax restrictions on travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens, and allow increased trade between the two countries. The amendment received bipartisan support, with 14 Democrats and four Republicans on the committee voting ... read more

Latin America Demands End to 'Criminal' US Blockade of Cuba

News from Cuba | Friday, 24 July 2015

Latin American leaders have welcomed Monday's formal restarting of relations between Cuba and the United States, after decades of hostility that has frustrated the region. “We reaffirm our solidarity and unconditional friendship with the Cuban people and government,” said the 11-nation ALBA bloc. The regional organisation described the resumption of ... read more

Cuba travel ban should be lifted, says Republican-controlled Senate panel

News from Cuba | Friday, 24 July 2015

A Republican-controlled Senate panel has voted to lift a decades-long US ban on travel to Cuba, giving a boost to President Barack Obama’s moves to ease travel restrictions and open up relations with the Castro-governed country. The Senate appropriations committee also voted to repeal a law prohibiting banks and other US ... read more

Cuban and U.S. banks sign agreement

News from Cuba | Thursday, 23 July 2015

Cuba’s International Commerce Bank and the U.S. Stonegate Bank reached the first important financial accord to be signed since the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries The Cuban International Commerce Bank (Bicsa) and the Florida-based Stonegate Bank have signed an agreement to establish a correspondent account, reported bank authorities ... read more

Kerry: U.S. Will Not Discuss Returning Guantanamo

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 21 July 2015

The reopening of embassies is a step towards normalisation between the U.S. and Cuba but the infamous U.S. base in Guantanamo remains a sore point Celebrations over the reopening of a Cuban embassy in Washington and a U.S. embassy in Havana were muted Monday by the White House’s refusal to give ... read more

Statement by Cuban Foreign Minister at opening of embassy in Washington

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 21 July 2015

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla spoke at the ceremony to re-open the Cuban Embassy in the United States in Washington, today July 20 Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla spoke at the ceremony to re-open the Cuban Embassy in the United States in Washington, today July 20, saying, “We’ve been able to ... read more

Noam Chomsky Says US Turned to Cuba Due to Increasing Isolation

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 21 July 2015

The U.S. was on the verge of being completely isolated from its own ‘backyard,’ Latin America, in the 2015 Summit of the Americas. Internationally renowned linguist and intellectual Noam Chomsky told Mexican newspaper La Jornada Monday that because Washington was becoming increasingly isolated from 'their own backyard,' Latin America, they decided ... read more

Cuba Delegation in Washington to Officially Reopen Embassy

News from Cuba | Monday, 20 July 2015

As of the first second of July 20, diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba are officially resumed. The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez arrived in Washington Sunday, as of the first second of July 20 Cuba and United States officially have resumed their diplomatic relations after 54 years. Rodriguez is ... read more

US-based TV and radio news for Cubans becomes obstacle as relations improve

News from Cuba | Monday, 20 July 2015

Radio and TV Martí are under pressure to show they are truly effective at providing Cubans with access to a free news, after costing Congress $700m “Welcome, welcome to 1800 Online!” says presenter Lizandra Díaz Blanco at the start of Radio Martí’s popular interview and call-in show 1800 Online. A few ... read more

Bruno Rodríguez and John Kerry hold joint press conference

News from Cuba | Saturday, 18 July 2015

Following the opening of the US Embassy in Havana on 14 August, Cuban Foreign Secretary, Bruno Rodríguez, and US Secretary of State, John Kerry, held a join press conference. A transcript of the meeting is reproduced below: Bruno Rodríguez.- Good afternoon. I apologize that you have had to wait a few minutes; ... read more

We will continue the process of transformations in Cuban society at our own pace say Raul Castro

News from Cuba | Friday, 17 July 2015

Speech presented by Raúl Castro Ruz during the closure of the National Assembly of People’s Power Eighth Legislature’s Fifth Period of Ordinary Sessions Compañeras and compañeros: Over the last few months we have witnessed several events of great importance to the country, about which you and our people have been informed ... read more

Cuban Official Warns US Still Seeking Regime Change

News from Cuba | Friday, 17 July 2015

The United States may still be attempting to remove the Cuban Communist Party from power, in spite of a public promise from President Barack Obama to move away from “regime change,” warned an island nation foreign ministry official Thursday. With only three days to go before Cuba and the U.S. reopen ... read more

Raul Castro calls for new Cuba-US relationship

News from Cuba | Thursday, 16 July 2015

The Cuban President, Raul Castro, has said his country must establish a new kind of relationship with the United States. In a speech to the National Assembly, Mr Castro said that, for normal relations to resume, a US embargo on Cuba would have to be lifted. He also called for the US ... read more

The economic slowdown has been reversed

News from Cuba | Thursday, 16 July 2015

President Raúl Castro noted that GDP was up 4.7% by the end of June, at the close of the plenary session of the National Assembly of People’s Power PRESIDENT Raúl Castro said that the country has managed to reverse the trend of slow Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth seen in recent ... read more

Deputies discuss critical national issues in standing committees

News from Cuba | Wednesday, 15 July 2015

Among the central topics addressed were the performances to date of the 2015 national economic plan, state budget and housing construction programme Cuban deputies took center stage during three days of debate in the National Assembly’s standing committees, focused on critical, prioritised national issues related to the economic, social and political ... read more

2 million foreign tourists arrive to Cuba

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 14 July 2015

On July 10, the number of international visitors to Cuba reached two million, 39 days earlier than the same figure achieved in 2014 The first six months of the year have been marked by encouraging trends seen in tourist arrivals from Canada, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, the U.S. and Argentina. On ... read more

Raymundo Navarro, International Secretary of the CTC, speaks at Unite Rules Conference

Campaign News | Friday, 10 July 2015

“Just like the struggle to release the Five, you need to fight all the way until you win - and that’s what we’re going to do until we see that the blockade is lifted”, he said Raymundo Navarro, International Secretary of the CTC (Central De Trabajadores de Cuba -Cuban equivalent of ... read more

Metropolitan Police issue apology

Campaign News | Friday, 10 July 2015

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner responds to complaint from the Cuba Solidarity Campaign for incident that associated Cuba with terrorism The Metropolitan Police have issued a “sincere and unreserved apology” in response to complaints that dressing one of their Operation Strong Tower "terrorists" in a Cuban flag t-shirt associated the country ... read more

Letter from Raúl to medical personnel who fought Ebola in Africa

News from Cuba | Wednesday, 8 July 2015

Raúl recognised the altruism and bravery of the Cuban medical personnel serving in Africa Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Councils of State and Ministers, recognised the altruism and bravery of the Cuban medical personnel serving ... read more