GM Maize Debate Simmers in Cuba

Those who believe the introduction of transgenic crops is only a scientific matter are mistaken, says Cuban agro-ecologist Fernando Funes-Monzote in this exclusive interview.

CUBA: Black Women Face Double Discrimination, Half Century After Revolution

Cuban women have to work twice as hard as men to get ahead in their careers. But things are even tougher for black women in Cuba, although discrimination by reason of gender or skin colour is prohibited by law and by the constitution itself.

MILLENNIUM GOALS: A Question of Political Will

"I am not pessimistic, but I am realistic. Under present conditions and the prevailing system of world government, the Millennium Development Goals simply cannot be achieved," Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno said in an interview with IPS.

Cuban Union Calls for ‘Unity’ in Face of Job Reduction

The elimination of half a million public sector jobs, starting immediately and lasting through the first quarter of 2011, is one of the most complex and sensitive aspects of the reforms announced by Cuban President Raúl Castro.

Q&A: Cuban Vaccines Cross Borders, But Barriers Remain

Even today, many years after it was proved effective, the Cuban vaccine against meningitis B is still ignored by industrialised countries, whose medical literature usually states there is no immunisation against that strain of the disease.

CUBA: Expansion of Self-Employment Poses Challenges for Socialist Model

The announcement of a plan to expand the practice of self-employment in Cuba as an alternative for the "excess" workers who are to be slashed from the public workforce presents several challenges to the socialist model that the government is seeking to modernise.

CUBA-US: Tourism and ‘Cuban Five’ Top Agenda

Cuba is getting ready to welcome tourists from the United States, in the event that the ban on travel by U.S. citizens to this Caribbean island nation is lifted, as well as clamouring more loudly for a presidential pardon for the five Cuban agents who have spent the last 12 years in U.S. prisons.

Q&A: ‘Corruption Is an Extraordinary Danger’

"I still view corruption as an extraordinary danger" to the country, as its "corrosive power" makes it a matter of "national security," said Esteban Morales, who was expelled from the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) after publishing an article warning of its pervasive effects.

CUBA: Government Set to Cut Inflated Payrolls

Cuban President Raúl Castro announced a series of measures to gradually reduce the "considerably bulky" payrolls in the government sector, with excess estimated at around one-fifth of the economically active population.

CUBA: Village with English Past, Ecological Present

Only hurricanes disrupt the tranquility of Cocodrilo, a Cuban coastal village founded by immigrants from the Cayman Islands in the early 20th century.

POLITICS-CUBA: Left Speechless

The anniversary of the attack on the Moncada barracks, commemorating Revolution Day, one of the most important dates on Cuba's calendar, found the country caught up in speculation that Fidel Castro might appear on the platform, and raised fresh expectations about changes promised four years ago.

Cuban Village with English Past, Ecological Present

An environmental protection regimen is changing the fate of a community founded in Cuba by English-speakers from the Cayman Islands.

Q&A: “We Demand the Repeal of the Cuban Five’s Sentences”

"There are many people in the United States who believe in justice and actively support the Five, fighting every day for their freedom," says labour and community activist Gloria La Riva, the head of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, responding to questions about her total dedication to the cause.

CUBA: Church-State Dialogue Sends “Signals” to the World

The talks between the Catholic Church and the Cuban government are unprecedented in several respects in this socialist island nation, and this should be taken into account by the international community, experts say.

CUBA: How to Hurricane-Proof a Caribbean Island

The residents of Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth), the second largest of the Cuban archipelago, know a lot about hurricanes, but it wasn't enough to avoid the destructive power of Hurricane Gustav two years ago.

How to Hurricane-Proof a Caribbean Island

The community on Cuba's Isla de la Juventud is preparing for another hurricane season, one that could be more intense than ever.

/UPDATE/CUBA: Variety of Viewpoints Expected at Church Conference

Cuban intellectuals, religious and non-religious, including three who live and teach in the United States, will take part in a four-day conference organised by the Catholic Church next week in the midst of a relaxed climate of dialogue between the Church leadership and the government of Raúl Castro.

CUBA: Prisoner Transfers “First Step in Right Direction”

A European diplomat speaking anonymously told IPS that the relocation of six imprisoned opponents of the Cuban government "represents a positive step in the direction of the release of all political prisoners in Cuba, which we hope will occur soon."

Q&A: Diversity the Best Option for Cuban Farmers

Cuban biodiversity scientist Humberto Ríos, one of the six recipients of the 2010 Goldman Environmental Prize, probably won't be able to collect the 150,000 dollars in prize money, though that setback is unlikely to cause him to lose any sleep -- or keep him from singing.

CUBA: Castro, Church Discuss Political Prisoners

Talks between the government of President Raúl Castro and leaders of the Catholic Church in Cuba may alleviate internal tensions and lead to the release of political prisoners, although the dialogue should be extended to include other social sectors in the country, religious leaders and analysts told IPS.

CUBA: New Agricultural Plan, But Few Real Reforms

Cuba's strategy to boost production and reduce imports of food is intended to untangle the bureaucratic knots that hinder privately-run farms, responsible for 70 percent of the food on the country's dinner tables.