Viewing from September 2016

What normalisation of relations are we talking about?

News from Cuba | Friday, 30 September 2016

On repeated occasions and in diverse spaces, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, President of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba, has made clear the will of the revolutionary government to discuss the historic Cuba-U.S. conflict without conditions and on the basis of mutual respect for the sovereignty and ... read more

Trump Attacks Cuba Now, but Sought to Do Business There Earlier

News from Cuba | Friday, 30 September 2016

Trump has come out against efforts to normalise relations between the U.S. and Cuba, but a news report claims he tried to do business on the island. A news report revealed that one of U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's companies attempted to do business in Cuba during the economic blockade ... read more

Fourth Cuba-U.S. bilateral commission meeting to be held

News from Cuba | Friday, 30 September 2016

The fourth session of the Cuba-U.S. Bilateral Commission will take place next today in Washington to review the results of efforts undertaken over the last four months, since the last meeting held May 16, in Havana, reported Cuban Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General for the United States, Gustavo Machín, this ... read more

Cuba-Brazil Mais Médicos programme to continue

News from Cuba | Thursday, 29 September 2016

Dilma Rousseff and Lula support the continuation of the Mais Medicos program HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 27 (acn) A communiqué issued by the Cuban Ministry of Public Health points out that since 2013, at the request of the government of President Dilma Rousseff and with the participation of the Pan-American Health Organization, ... read more

The U.S. blockade prevents Cuba from obtaining tools, state-of-the-art applications and IT resources.

Damage caused by the U.S. blockade to education in Cuba

News from Cuba | Thursday, 29 September 2016

“If the United States were willing to sell the materials and supplies we need to successfully develop our education system, Cuba would save $1,245,000 USD on shipping fees alone" The efforts and political will of the Cuban state to continue to provide free and universal education to the people are laudable, ... read more

Obama Nominates First Post-Revolution Ambassador to Cuba

News from Cuba | Thursday, 29 September 2016

The diplomat is currently serving as the top U.S. official in Havana. President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the first U.S. ambassador in Havana since the Cuban Revolution. "Today, I am proud to nominate Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in ... read more

Peace in Colombia: A farewell to arms

News from Cuba | Thursday, 29 September 2016

A historic day in Cartegena • Signatories thank Cuba for its role as guarantor of peace talks CARTAGENA DE INDIAS, Colombia.— "Today the bets are on peace," many Colombians commented to the Cuban press yesterday, September 26, during a day when emotions ran high in the streets and neighborhoods of ... read more

Raúl pays tribute to Gabo

News from Cuba | Thursday, 29 September 2016

The Cuban President paid a heartfelt tribute to Gabriel García Márquez, “the big absentee today,” shortly after the official signing ceremony of the Colombia Peace Agreements concluded on September 26 Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.— The Cuban President paid a heartfelt tribute to Gabriel García Márquez, “the big absentee today,” shortly after ... read more

Tony Burke, Unite AGS, Rocio Maneiro, Venezuelan Ambassador, Adrian Weir, Unite Deputy Chief of Staff, Teresita Vicente, Cuban Ambassador and Baroness Angela Smith

Huge turnout for solidarity with Cuba at Labour Party Conference fringe meeting

Campaign News | Thursday, 29 September 2016

International solidarity with Cuba was displayed at a packed standing-room only Labour Party conference fringe meeting in Liverpool where delegates and visitors heard from speakers including Teresita Vicente, Cuban Ambassador, Baroness Angela Smith and Tony Burke, Unite Assistant General Secretary. Adrian Weir, Deputy Chief of Staff of Unite, chaired the meeting ... read more

EU proposes normalisation of relations with Cuba

News from Cuba | Friday, 23 September 2016

Brussels.— The European Commission proposed that member countries adopt the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba to normalize relations between the bloc and the Caribbean island, as reported by Prensa Latina. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, presented the document this Thursday, September 22, and ... read more

Bruno Rodríguez addresses the United Nations General Assembly

News from Cuba | Friday, 23 September 2016

Cuba's Foreign Minister addressed the 71st session of the UN General Assembly on global inequality, the blockade and peace NEW YORK, September 22, 2016.- “Eighty per cent of the world’s population owns only 6 per cent of all the richness, while the 1 per cent richest enjoys half of the ... read more

Over 80,000 Lives Saved by Cuba's Henry Reeve Contingent

News from Cuba | Thursday, 22 September 2016

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 19 (acn) The Henry Reeve International Contingent of Physicians Specialised in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics has saved more than 80,000 lives in almost twenty countries where more than 7,000 Cuban voluntary workers have offered their services. The head of the Department of International Cooperation of the Central ... read more

6 Latin American Countries Boycott Temer's UN Address

News from Cuba | Wednesday, 21 September 2016

The delegations of Ecuador, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua walked out of the auditorium as Temer began his address. Brazilian President Michel Temer, who came to power following what has been widely condemned as a parliamentary coup against ex-President Dilma Rousseff, told the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday that ... read more

Trump is ready to redeclare diplomatic war on Cuba if elected president

Trump says will reverse US-Cuba relations if his demands not met

News from Cuba | Monday, 19 September 2016

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continued his brash approach to foreign policy on Friday, saying that if elected he would reverse the recent moves toward normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Trump said he would reverse recent moves by outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama to help thaw relations between with ... read more

U.S. Banks Hesitant to Engage With Cuban Banks

News from Cuba | Thursday, 15 September 2016

Sept. 9 — Some U.S. financial firms refuse to engage in legal transactions with Cuban entities, despite recent federal policy changes, in part because of regulatory uncertainty and the novelty of the policy changes, Mark Feierstein, a senior Obama administration official, said. “We frankly still see some hesitancy on the part ... read more

Cuba Says Political Will is Key to Wipe out Illiteracy from the World

News from Cuba | Thursday, 15 September 2016

Cuban Education Minister Ena Elsa Velazquez said at a conference in Paris that political will is the key to eradicate illiteracy in today´s world, and education can be guaranteed for all the people when the governments consider it a working priority. The Cuban government official is taking part at the International ... read more

Christine Blower, NUT International Secretary, Mick Whelan, ASELF General Secretary, Roger McKenzie, UNISON Assistant General Secretary and Steve Turner, Unite Assistant General Secretary

British trade unions in solidarity with Cuba at TUC Congress

Campaign News | Thursday, 15 September 2016

Over 80 delegates packed into a standing-room only Cuba Solidarity Campaign fringe meeting at the 2016 TUC Congress in Brighton. The fringe meeting was one of the best attended at the Congress, demonstrating the excellent international solidarity with Cuba from across the British trade union movement at this crucial time. Delegates ... read more

Obama renews Trading with the Enemy Act against Cuba and continues the blockade

News from Cuba | Wednesday, 14 September 2016

The U.S. extended for one year a law restricting trade with Cuba, despite the re-establishment of diplomatic relations. U.S. President Barack Obama renewed on Tuesday for another year the Trading with the Enemy Act, extending the economic blockade originally imposed on Cuba more than 50 years ago. "I hereby determine that the ... read more

Cuba Foreign Minister Presents Report on 'Absurd' US Blockade

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 13 September 2016

Despite the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana, the U.S. blockade remains present. Cuba presented a report on Friday that claims the U.S. blockade on the island nation has cost it US $4.7 billion over the last year and US $753.7 billion over the last six decades. “To change Cuba ... read more

The weight of U.S. blockade falls on Spanish bank

News from Cuba | Monday, 12 September 2016

U.S. blockade regulations prevent Spanish bank's provision of services to Cuban consulates A press release issued by the Cuban embassy in Spain, September 10, reports that U.S. sanctions prevented the Spanish bank Santander from offering sales services (TPV) to the island's consulates in the cities of Barcelona, Seville and Santiago de ... read more

Cuban Foreign Minister: The blockade continues

News from Cuba | Monday, 12 September 2016

Bruno Rodríguez Parilla, Minister of Foreign Relations, presented the report calling for an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba which will be debated in the UN next month Minister of Foreign Relations Bruno Rodríguez Parilla, presented the country's report on United Nations General Assembly Resolution 70/5, entitled, "The Necessity of ... read more

Eddy Brown translating for the CTC's Salvador Mesa and Raymundo Navarro at the TUC Congress in 2009

A tribute to Eddy Brown

Campaign News | Friday, 9 September 2016

CSC was sad to learn of the death of Eddy Brown in Cuba in July. Earl Eddison Brown was, until quite recently, the leading English/Spanish interpreter working in the International Relations Department of the Cuban CTC (union federation). Well-known to many CSC activists, above all in British trade unions, he ... read more

Benefits of Heberprot-P to be presented at international event

News from Cuba | Thursday, 8 September 2016

Around 200 delegates from some 25 countries are scheduled to attend the event, which aims to promote cooperation and the mutual exchange of knowledge for the benefit of diabetes patients Havana.— Cuba will present the benefits of Heberprot-P for managing diabetes related conditions, offering renewed hope for some 422 million people ... read more

Cuba registers new skin cancer medicine

News from Cuba | Thursday, 8 September 2016

Cuba has registered a new skin cancer medicine called “Heberferon” developed by the island’s Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center (CIGB) After 20 years of research and clinical trials, Cuba’s Havana-based Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center (CIGB) has developed a new medicine called “Heberferon.” BiologistIraldo Bello, who participated in the process, described the ... read more

Cuban Singer Silvio Rodriguez Says US Blockade Hurts His People

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 6 September 2016

Cuban folk singer and songwriter Silvio Rodriguez said Sunday that the U.S. blockade on Cuba has been extremely harmful to the Cuban people, and that he could not conceive how lawmakers could pass such a bill. “Those who vote in favour (of the blockade) are voting in order to harm my ... read more

The hostile blockade policy limits the island’s potential to obtain materials and supplies vital to arts education.

U.S. blockade continues to negatively impact Cuban culture

News from Cuba | Tuesday, 6 September 2016

According to a report by the Cuban Ministry of Culture, the hostile blockade policy prevents the island from obtaining materials and supplies vital to arts education Not long to go before the start of the new school year and everything is ready across all levels of the country’s education system: uniforms, ... read more

Brazilian trade unions thank Cuba for support

News from Cuba | Monday, 5 September 2016

The Brazilian Workers’ Federation (CTB) thanked the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Cuba for its strong rejection of the parliamentary-judicial coup staged to oust the country’s legitimate President Dilma Rousseff. The CTB sent a message of thanks to the Cuban government following its statement denouncing the impeachment of Rousseff, published ... read more

Cuba is Winning the War on Zika

News from Cuba | Saturday, 3 September 2016

Cuba’s campaign against the Zika virus has been successful in preventing a major spread of the mosquito borne disease thanks to a comprehensive spraying program, Cuban officials say. So far, just three people have caught Zika in the country and only 30 people have been found to have contracted the virus ... read more

Actions President Obama could take to further his Cuba policy advances

News from Cuba | Thursday, 1 September 2016

In advance of the UN vote on the US blockade in October the Washington Office on Latin America has offered a list of actions President Obama could take to further his Cuba policy advances before his final term is over. The contents of the open letter signed is reporduced below. Dear ... read more