Weekly Cuba News Roundup: October 8th, 2021
Cuba is getting ready to open its doors to tourism again, in November and Varadero, the country’s prized tourist resort town, about 95 miles to the east of Havana, is getting ready to roll out the welcome mat. It’s a much needed economic relief and oxygen line for the country that depends heavily on its tourism sector. At the same time the country has declared November 20th, National Defense Day. This happens to also be the day that dissident groups are planning to stage another, and a bigger demonstration throughout the country. Ummm…
Nicaragua is getting 7 million doses of Cuba’s COVID-19 vaccine and to the south a little bit, nine Cuban baseball players are taking up residence. They’ve defected to Mexico during the recent U-23 tournament. Back at home, artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara has staged a hunger strike in prison. And, Cuba’s literacy rates are praised even though Cubans continue to experience censorship. See below for more from this week’s Weekly Cuba News Roundup.
By the way, none of the opinions in any of the stories shared on this page represent ours; we’re just sharing them with you. If you are a journalist or you have seen a story that you’d like us to consider for future weekly news roundups, please send us a note and a link to the story here. (Hero image: Karen Vierbuchen)
Miami Herald: Jailed Cuban artist Otero Alcántara is on a hunger strike, other activists join protest
Imprisoned Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, whose performances and hunger strikes have inspired a pro-democracy artists’ movement on the island, is again refusing to eat to call attention to the incarceration of hundreds of Cubans who protested against the government on July 11. Read more at MiamiHerald.com.
New York Times: Cimafunk’s Quest to Create One Nación Under a Groove
The Cuban musician’s new album, “El Alimento,” is a fresh take on funk that blends Afro-Cuban and African American rhythms using a cast of international collaborators. Read more at nytimes.com.
Related Post: Cimafunk is Touring Again: Here’s The Show Schedule
AP: Cuba’s famed Varadero beach getting ready for tourists again
Little by little, vacationers are returning to one of the Caribbean’s most iconic beaches, which has been a nearly abandoned strip of glittering sand and turquoise seas for more than a year. Read more at apnews.com.
A Thanksgiving Recipe: Mojo Turkey With a Mofongo Stuffing
Turkey with a mojo marinade and mofongo stuffing with bacon?! Just add the rice, beans and key lime pie and Chef Jami turns your holiday into a Caribbean feast.
U.S. News: Cuba Calls National Defense Day on Date of Dissident Protest
Cuba announced Friday it would conduct annual military exercises on Nov. 18-19, leading up to a day of civilian defense preparedness on Nov. 20, the same date dissidents plan human rights protests around the country. Read more at usnews.com.
Axios: Cuba’s Revolution left legacy of literacy, as well as censorship
Cuba’s high literacy rates and the rapid rollout of the campaign that resulted in most residents learning to read and write has been a model for many other countries — even as Cubans continue to experience harsh censorship. Read more at news.yahoo.com.
AP: Nicaragua to get 7 million doses of Cuban COVID-19 vaccine
Nicaragua said Tuesday it will get 7 million doses of Cuban coronavirus vaccines over the next three months.Read more at apnews.com.
Here’s How You Can Support Art Brut Cuba: Cuba’s Outsider Artists
Samuel Riera’s Art Brut Cuba opens channels for Outsider Artists to sell their art when they otherwise couldn’t earn a living from their work.
NBC News: 9 Cuban baseball players defect in Mexico during U-23 tournament
Nine of the 24 players on Cuba’s national team at baseball’s U-23 World Cup defected during the tournament in Mexico, the Cuban government confirmed Sunday. Read more at NBCnews.com.
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Hola todo el mundo. Sometimes our stories are sourced from multiple people on our team. Or, we like to keep you guessing... You know... anonymous. And, for that, soy el escritora; "El Equipo." We exist to amplify the voices of writers, photographers, and content creators in the space between the United States and Cuba, and we also feature stories from Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the Latinx community in the US. Topics of interest are personality-driven and include pop culture and music, featured current events, climate and the environment, and travel and tastemakers. Oh, and of course we're always 100% independent. No governments, businesses or other influencing factors play a role in our work.
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