More Faiths, Greater Religious Fluidity in Cuba

Interest in religion is on the upsurge in Cuba, indicated by the growth and variety of the faiths being practised as well as by the ease with which people participate in more than one spiritual community at a time.

CUBA: Drought Looming – Again

As Cuba feels the impact of a drought that is affecting the entire Caribbean region, authorities have stepped up calls for water savings in households and the public sector.

CUBA: Sustainable Agriculture Moves to the Suburbs

Backed by its considerable experience in urban agriculture, Cuba is tackling the challenge of food security through a new initiative that will bring farming to the suburban areas surrounding cities and towns.

CUBA: Corruption, the Real Threat

One of the priorities of the process of change undertaken by Cuban President Raúl Castro is apparently curbing corruption, which threatens to undermine the country from the inside.

CUBA: Quake Damage Begins at Home

With the wounds exposed by earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and other parts of the Americas, Cuba is beginning to focus on its own great challenge: adapting construction for housing that can withstand strong tremors.

Quake Damage Begins at Home

There is little awareness about quake-related dangers for homes and other buildings in vulnerable zones like Cuba, say experts.

POLITICS-CUBA: Castro Confronts US, EU

Cuban President Raúl Castro has confirmed the worst economic forecasts for his country, in an international context that could become even more complicated following his refusal to address demands on human rights issues.

CUBA: Old Havana Reaches Out to Hearing Impaired

An innovative programme in Old Havana has given the hearing impaired greater access to the historical and cultural wealth of the restored historic city centre.

ECONOMY-CUBA: “What About the Changes?”

Changes to improve the Cuban economy are not happening fast enough to satisfy people's expectations, and instead appear to have got bogged down due to the international financial crisis and the island's internal difficulties in overcoming the impact.

CUBA: Replica Slave Ship Drops Anchor amidst Debate on Racism

A replica of the historic Cuban slave ship Amistad, which was taken over by the Africans aboard in 1839, is visiting Cuba, where academics and community leaders have begun to publicly debate the problem of racial discrimination that has not been stomped out in Cuban society.

LATIN AMERICA: Still a Long Way to Go for Black Women

At the age of 17, Meybelin Bernárdez is clear about the future: "When I finish my studies, I'll return to help my community get on its feet," the young Garifuna woman from Honduras, who is studying medicine in Cuba, says without hesitation.

CUBA: Human Rights at the Eye of the Storm

Cuba stepped up its state-controlled media offensive Monday in response to what the government calls a well-orchestrated international campaign of misinformation carried out in the last few weeks against this socialist island nation.

RIGHTS-CUBA: Hunger Striker Refuses to Go into Exile

The state news media in Cuba reported Monday on the case of dissident Guillermo Fariñas, who has been on a hunger strike for 13 days and refuses to go into exile in Spain.

CUBA: A Good Old Age in Old Havana

In the centre of Old Havana, historic buildings are being restored without neglecting the occupants who are their heart and soul. The priority is to care for elderly residents with programmes that could become a model for the rest of Cuba, whose population is ageing fast.

RIGHTS-CUBA: Dissidents Bid Final Farewell to Hunger Striker

Several dozen anti-government opponents gathered Wednesday at the headquarters of the Ladies in White, a Cuban dissident group, in the capital, to hold a "symbolic wake" for Orlando Zapata, a political prisoner who died on the 85th day of a hunger strike.

CUBA: Zeolite, Mineral of a Thousand Uses

Cuba, which has major reserves of zeolite, aims to boost exploitation of the mineral, whose properties and uses in products and technologies contribute to protecting the environment.

Q&A: "Being Poor and White Is Not the Same as Being Poor and Black" in Cuba

The elimination of racism remains unfinished business in Cuba today. "We have to admit that the problem exists, determine its impact on the social model that we defend, and tackle it in depth," says Esteban Morales, an Afro-Cuban economist, political scientist and author of numerous articles and essays on the subject.

Zeolite, Mineral of a Thousand Uses

The versatility, abundance and low cost of zeolite make it a valuable tool for agriculture and other economic sectors in Cuba.

CUBA-US: Stuck at a Standstill

Relations between Cuba and the United States are still bogged down in longstanding political and ideological differences, in spite of the signals of greater openness and opportunities for dialogue when Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama arrived at the White House.

CUBA: World Class Pharma that Puts People First

Cuban biotechnology and pharmaceutical products are already among the country's major exports, and the industry is on course to continue developing while maintaining a firm focus on making a real difference to the health of all Cubans and of people in the numerous countries where Cuba provides medical assistance.

CUBA: Sponge Farms – New Source of Bounty from the Sea

The ocean punishes Carahatas every time a hurricane tears through the region. The sea combines with the flow of a nearby river, and floods the houses with water a metre and a half deep, or more. Nevertheless, the residents of this Cuban town are deeply attached to the sea.