Weekly Cuba News Roundup: February 11th, 2022
This is a tough one because in the year 2000, when finding a Cuban sandwich in New York City was like finding a moving iquana in an ice storm, Cafe Habana was there for us. It was the only Cuban sandwich in town. It. Was. The. Only. One. At that time it was just a joint at the corner of Prince and Elizabeth struggling to find its identity. Even NoLita was still trying to figure out who it was. Fast forward 22 years and the little cafe that somehow convinced patrons that Mexican corn is Cuban has been corporatized and is expanding. And, in doing so their canned branding is pissing lots of people off.
In other news, we took last week off so we’re catching up on possible consular services in Havana soon, as reported by the Miami Herald. Cuba’s running out of milk (which was supposed to be plentiful), Cuba’s isolation only hurts the Cuban people (duh) and another 10 migrants have been sent back to Cuba by U.S. Border Patrol. At the same time, history buffs would be wise to look to the Cuban Missile Crisis for tips on how to handle the Ukraine situation. Please don’t go to war.
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.
Miami Herald: Consular services in Havana to increase in ‘the not too distant future,’ U.S. diplomat says
A year after announcing a review of U.S. policy towards Cuba, a top State Department official hinted the Biden administration was readying to move to increase visa processing in Havana. Read more at miaimherald.com.
Yahoo! News: Cuba runs out of milk, breaking Castro’s promise
In the early days of communism in Cuba, Fidel Castro had pledged that every child under seven would have a liter of subsidized milk every day. For some time, they did — but today, many go without. Read more at yahoo.com.
ConBAC: Cuba’s Blooming Craft Cocktail Scene
Top bartenders and mixologists from around the world pitched up in Cuba’s top beach resort last year to compete in the IBA World Cocktail Championship shining a spotlight on global drinks and craft cocktails.
Foreign Policy: Boxing Cuba In Benefits No One
Despite recent claims by the U.S. State Department that Cuba is a “top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration” and promises by then-presidential candidate Joe Biden in 2020 to “reverse the failed Trump policies that inflicted harm on Cubans,” Trump-era sanctions on Cuba—the tightest in the U.S. embargo’s 60-year history—remain in place. Read more at bbc.com.
Daily Mail: Border patrol detains 10 Cuban migrants
Ten Cuban migrants were taken into custody after they washed up on a makeshift raft on the shores of a canal in the Florida Keys. Read more at dailymail.co.uk
New York Times: Opening a Restaurant in Miami? Invoking Cuban Communism Might Backfire.
A Manhattan restaurant planning an expansion to Miami has drawn the ire of some Cuban Americans after its use of Communist lore was pointed out on social media. Read more at nytimes.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.
WPLG10: High demand for costly Miami flights to Cuba continues
Antonio Figuereo said he paid $600 for his flight from Miami International Airport to the Havana Jose Marti International Airport. Figuereo said the cost of gas was steep since he had to drive to Miami from Orlando, where he lives. He also had to pay extra for luggage to take medications and gifts for relatives. Read more at local10.com.
The Hill: The Cuban Missile Crisis provides a lesson to resolve the Ukraine crisis
Is there a way to build on John F. Kennedy’s approach to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis in reducing the risk of a Russian attack on Ukraine in coming weeks? Read more at thehill.com.
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El Equipo
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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