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-US: Milestone Theatre Production Breaches Cultural Blockade

"When time starts to change, no one can stop it," says a character in "El canto del pozo ciego" (Blind Mouth Singing), a play that is reviving the cultural exchange between Cuba and the United States, which has been virtually nonexistent over the past 10 years.

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.

MIGRATION-ECUADOR: Cubans Turn to Marriages of Convenience for Citizenship – Part 2

Cuban nationals can be found every day at the busy corner of Amazonas and Naciones Unidas avenues in the Ecuadorean capital, where the National Civil Registry Office is located.

MIGRATION-ECUADOR: Cubans Find Door Half Open – Part 1

Carlos sold his house, Juana got a divorce so she could remarry and obtain resident status, and Pedro bought a "letter of invitation" with 10 years of savings... These sorts of stories are common amongst Cubans anxious to make a new life in Ecuador.

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.

US-CUBA: Clinton “Encouraged” by Prisoner Accord

In the most positive U.S. statement on developments in Cuba in recent memory, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Thursday said the reported agreement between President Raul Castro and the Cuban Catholic Church regarding the release of 52 political prisoners was "very welcome".

US-CUBA: Key Congressional Committee Votes to Lift Travel Ban

In a major victory for anti-embargo forces, a key Congressional committee voted here Wednesday to lift restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba.

EDUCATION: EnGendering Awareness in Trainee Teachers

The teacher seats the most attentive girls in the front row and the troublesome boys at the back of the classroom. He punishes the liveliest pupil and lets the withdrawn one be. Dark-skinned boys sit with dark-skinned girls, boys play with boys and girls with girls.

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.

/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.

Virtual Diversity in Cuban Blogosphere

There are blogs made in Cuba, and many more Cubans living abroad who blog, both in favour of or against the Cuban government. Caught up in the sea of political passions, the hundreds of blogs about this socialist island nation reflect a growing variety of viewpoints and realities.

Q&A: Church’s Mediation Marks Start of “New Time” for Cuba

One of Cuba's most prominent moderate dissidents, historian Manuel Cuesta Morúa, says the recent talks between Catholic Church leaders and the government of Raúl Castro mark the start of a "new time" for the country.

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.

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.