Weekly Cuba News Roundup: August 9th, 2022
El Bocadito: Do you remember Blondie? She sang a lot of great songs one of which was “Call Me.” The song was released in 1980 and it still rocks. And, ironically Blondie, now 77 years old, also rocks. And the Miami native released a twenty minute documentary chronicling her dream of traveling and playing in Havana with local musicians. I’ve always loved Blondie. Love her more now.
After taking two months off from this Weekly Cuba News Roundup, we’re back this week. And, the news headlines haven’t changed a bit. For starters the Cuban government is calling the US government immoral for keeping the country on the terrorism list (I agree incidentally – there are a lot of things the US government can say about Cuba but terrorism is not one of them, but who’s asking). Lots of Cubans have migrated recently but they’re having trouble obtaining legal status. Cubans are saving a rare croc. Blackouts continue. A Cuban woman woke up from a Coma in Miami. The Cuban peso hits a 30 year low. And, a mother in Miami pleads for her daughter’s release. All this and a shit ton more, below, in this week’s 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.
BBC: Longshots: Blondie: Vivir en Habana
A colourful and exciting chronicle of the time when Blondie iconic lead singer Debbie Harry, at 77, fulfilled her dream of travelling to Cuba and playing in Havana with local musicians. In this kaleidoscopic and sensorial journey, we explore the elements of fire and water, and the energy of two cities, New York and Havana. We embark on an adventure with one the greatest rock stars of all times. Read more at bbc.com.
Is the Face of Havana Changing?
Havana’s modern “international” architecture has Cuba’s urban planners worried.
NBC News: Cuba: U.S. keeping the country on terrorism list is ‘illegitimate’ and ‘immoral’
Cuba’s deputy foreign minister accused the Biden administration of acting immorally, illegitimately and unfairly by keeping Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, claiming it has been a victim of state-sponsored terrorism by the United States for more than 60 years. Read more at nbcnews.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.
Miami Herald: After Arriving in the United States, Thousands of Cuban Migrants Face New Legal Hurdles
Thousands of Cubans are arriving in the United States every month in one of the largest migrations from the island in decades, but a sometimes overlooked policy change during the Obama era is making it harder and more expensive for many of them to obtain legal immigration status. Read more at miamiherald.com.
Reuters: Cuban scientists race to save one of the world´s rarest crocodiles
Shirtless and waist-deep in the dark waters of Cuba’s palm-speckled Zapata Swamp, researcher Etiam Perez releases a baby crocodile confiscated from illegal hunters back into the wild. Read more at reuters.com
CNN: Over 100 Cuban migrants apprehended over the weekend in waters off South Florida
US Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 100 Cuban migrants after multiple vessels reached land in South Florida over Labor Day weekend, as Cuba grapples with its worst shortage of food and medicine in decades and runaway inflation. Read more at cnn.com.
Yahoo! News: Waking up from a coma, a Cuban woman recounts a deadly boat trip fleeing to the U.S.
When Bárbara Viltres regained consciousness, she was told that she was in Miami, that she had achieved her goal of escaping from Cuba and that she could consider herself lucky. Read more at news.yahoo.com.
teleSUR: Cuba Suffers Blackouts Due to 23.5% Service Deficit
The state-owned company Unión Eléctrica (UNE) of Cuba announced for this Sunday new blackouts due to a generation capacity deficit of 23.5% during peak demand hours. Read more at telesurenglish.net.
NBCNews: Ailing mom of teacher who had been jailed in Cuba pleads for her return
A former Miami teacher who was jailed in Cuba on espionage charges for five years has not been allowed to return to the United States even though she was released in July. Read more at nbcnews.com.
US News: Cubans Juggle Exchange Rates, Soaring Prices as Peso Plunges to 30-Year Low
Rider Gonzalez helps run a small cafe in touristy downtown Havana, a challenge in a country where coffee-shop staples like milk and flour are scarce, sometimes even impossible to find. Read more at usnews.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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