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Thursday, April 23, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
CUBA: Following the Trail of a Woman Who Lived as a Man
When Cuban historian and anthropologist Julio César González and his Spanish friend Alberto Góngora Sanz arrived at the birthplace of Swiss physician Enriqueta Favez, in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, their joy at finally reaching their destination was so great that they broke into tears and dropped to the ground in the square across the street from her house.
DEVELOPMENT-CUBA: Water Scarce at the 'Singing Frog'
Canta Rana, which somewhat ironically translates as "Singing Frog", is more than just a neighbourhood in this town in the drought-stricken eastern Cuban province of Holguín. Here, at the highest point in the area, which provides a view of the entire town and the sugar mill tower, there is a huge tank marked by rust, the passage of time and the scarcity of water.
ECONOMY-CUBA: New Budget Cuts in Store
The impact of the global financial crisis on the economy in Cuba was a major focus of a speech Sunday by President Raúl Castro, who confirmed that further "adjustments" will be made to this year's budget.CUBA: What Schools Can and Cannot Do for Equality
They are sisters, just two years apart, and had the same upbringing and education, but they have completely different aspirations. While Ana, the younger, dreams of going to university and following a professional career, Marlén is only interested in boyfriends, getting married and living happily and quietly at home.CUBA: Video Sheds Light on Raul Castro’s Strict Approach
In another demonstration that it is impossible to hide anything in this socialist Caribbean island nation, the hottest video in Cuba today appears to show President Raúl Castro's determination to root out certain vices and disloyalties, regardless of the rank of the people involved.
Q&A: “Participatory Socialist Democracy Is Essential”
Renowned for her work for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transvestite and transgender people, Mariela Castro advocates a fairer, more inclusive, and above all more participatory socialism in Cuba.ARTS-CUBA: Aura of Deja Vu at the Biennial
Too bold for some tastes and too dissident for others, some of the Cuban exhibits at the recent Havana Arts Biennial brought to mind the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the visual arts were in the vanguard of national culture.HEALTH-CUBA: HIV-Positive Want Respect, Not Tolerance
Over 20 years after the diagnosis of the first cases of AIDS in Cuba, HIV-positive persons and those who work with them or are involved in the issue on the island are attempting to drop the use of terms like tolerance and acceptance, and speak instead of respect.TRANSPORT-CUBA: Nearly There
Cuba's transport crisis finally appears to be coming to an end, after three years of substantial investments and reforms, although future economic growth could pose new challenges.
CUBA: Anti-Hurricane Green Map
The wind was ripping the tiles off the roof of her house, her father-in-law felt his body trembling to the bone, and her husband tried to protect her with a table propped up by mattresses, but as she lived through the worst moment of her entire life, Cuban teacher Gladis San Jorges could think of only one thing: "Oh God, the school! The school!" she cried.
Anti-Hurricane Green Map
Using a Green Map -- a portrait of an area’s cultural, social and ecological resources -- a Cuban municipality was able to rebuild a hurricane-ravaged school on its own.
CUBA: Close Encounter with a Hurricane
Coffee was ready, documents and files had been removed to a safe place, communications equipment was switched off and the optical system was secured. With nothing left to do but wait, Cuban lighthouse keeper Miguel Chacón climbed the 218 stairs to the tower of the Cape Lucrecia lighthouse and looked out to sea.CUBA: "I’m a Man and I Cry"
"I was ashamed to cry," confesses Alejandro López, a burly Cuban man who a year ago decided to break away from violence and leave behind the "macho" stereotypes that prevented him from expressing his feelings and sensibility.CUBA: Years of Reconstruction Ahead
Rosa María Leyva was one of the first people to reach Caletones after it was ravaged by Hurricane Ike. It took six hours to clear the road between the small fishing and resort village - just one of seven seaside neighbourhoods in this area destroyed by the storm - and the eastern Cuban port city of Gibara.CUBA: Even the Coral Reefs Shook
The years will pass and their children’s children will ask how much truth there was in their grandparents’ stories.CULTURE-CUBA: Rock n’ Roll Fanzine Fights Prejudice
For eight years, Michel and Alexander Sánchez have been publishing Scriptorium, a fanzine (fan magazine) dedicated to rock music produced within Cuba and abroad, in a society that resists accepting this genre and its fans as part of the national culture.
CUBA: Coastal Dwellers to Relocate Away from the Sea
She was born, grew up and lived all her life just a few steps from the sea, in the part of the city that everyone knows simply as La Playa (the beach). Although she was lucky enough to return to a home and belongings that withstood Hurricane Paloma’s mighty waves, Iramis Rodríguez has made up her mind to move inland.Q&A: Masculinity Doesn't Mean Macho
The rules for "being a man" that predominate in Latin America include "never saying no" to temptations out on the street, being "macho" - hanging tough - no matter what the risks, and above all, avoiding any characteristics or feelings that might be seen as feminine or cast doubts on one's masculinity.CUBA: Films that Tackle Touchy Social Issues
"Viviendo al límite" (Living to the Limit), a documentary by Cuban filmmaker Belkis Vega that follows the lives of five HIV-positive people, will be shown for the first time on Cuban television this week, four years after its release.CUBA: Cultural Prejudice Still Lingers
Political convenience, generation gap or Stalinist influence? Nearly 50 years after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, it is still hard to discern why this country decided that rock, fashion, long hair for men and homosexuality were counter-revolutionary.CUBA: Emerging Community of Bloggers?
Blogging has finally hit Cuba, despite the challenge of gaining access to the Internet and the limited number of home computers on the island, and the emergence of a Cuban community of bloggers may soon be more than just wishful thinking.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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