POLITICS-CUBA: Wanted – Socialist System that Meets Real Needs

Cuba's communist government is being challenged to move toward a more participative and inclusive socialist system, one that offers real economic well-being and responds to the social and political demands that have built up and been expressed in different ways in recent years.

CUBA: Leaving the Hurricane Behind

Debris of houses, roofless buildings and fallen trees are still routine sights along the 740-km drive from the Cuban capital to Holguín, one of the regions most heavily affected by Hurricane Ike in early September, 2008.

CUBA: Compulsory Rural Boarding School on the Way Out

Without fanfare or major explanations, the Cuban government has begun to dismantle the system of mandatory rural boarding school for students in the last three years of high school – one of various reforms aimed at improving the quality of education that will start to be implemented at the start of the next school year in September.

CUBA: Fullest Possible Social Inclusion for the Disabled

Arnoldo Ramón Virgilio’s legs are of little use to him, but he has a way with words that more than makes up for any physical limitations. He’s one of the outpatients at the "América Labadí Arce" Medical and Education Centre, which provides health care and rehabilitation for the disabled in this city in eastern Cuba.

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-US: Frosty Relations No Bar to Communication

Cuba and the United States are poised to resume talks on migration issues any time now, although the five Cuban agents imprisoned in the U.S. remain "a formidable obstacle" to normalising bilateral relations, according to Cuban parliament president Ricardo Alarcón.

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.

ECONOMY-CUBA: Holiday Blues in Times of Crisis

Anxieties about making ends meet in Cuba are heightened at the start of the summer holiday season, when there is increased demand for food, transport and electricity, all of which are affected by restrictions intended to ease the country's economic problems, intensified by the global recession.

RELIGION-CUBA: Women in the Pulpit

Izet Samá has no regrets about her decision to devote every waking hour to her mission as pastor of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church, guiding a small congregation in the Cuban province of Havana.

POLITICS: U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Review ‘Cuban Five’ Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied taking up an appeal of a group of Cuban intelligence agents accused of spying in the United States.

LATIN AMERICA: Cuba Wants Integration Without OAS

For decades, Fidel Castro has been the most vociferous opponent of an eventual return by Cuba to the Organisation of American States (OAS), which he has referred to as a "colonial ministry," "odious," "shameless" and "rotten." "The OAS was the accomplice to all of the crimes committed against Cuba," he also wrote.

RIGHTS-CUBA: “Going to the Police Never Crossed My Mind”

Mercedes Toyo has finally started to smile again after many years of tears and violence. But the bad memories linger. "Now I’m being courted by a 50-year-old man who tells me I’m too wary, that I don’t let anyone get too close," she told IPS in the living room of her house.

AMERICAS: OAS Opens Doors to Cuba Without Conditions

After heated debate, the 39th General Assembly of the Organisation of American States (OAS) decided Wednesday to lift its 47-year suspension of Cuba, without conditions.

US-CUBA: Obama Still Moving Cautiously Toward Normalisation

Sunday's announcement by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Washington will begin talks with Cuba on bilateral migration issues and resume direct postal service between the two countries suggests the new administration of President Barack Obama intends to proceed cautiously toward normalising ties with the Caribbean nation, according to veteran experts here.

LATIN AMERICA: Remittance Drop Will Hurt Poor

The fall in migrant remittances to Latin America caused by the global financial crisis is posing a threat to middle and lower-income households, especially in countries where cash transfers represent a large proportion of GDP.

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.

CUBA-US: Talking About Talks

Bolstered by international support for its demand for an end to the embargo, Cuba could sit down with the United States to talk about a number of matters of mutual interest while it awaits the lifting of the web of restrictions that have weighed on its economy for nearly half a century.

US-CUBA: Despite Trinidad, Still in Limbo?

Despite a growing sense of anticipation coming out of the Trinidad Summit of the Americas last weekend regarding the possibility of a historic breakthrough in U.S.-Cuban relations, specialists here remain uncertain about how and even if that breakthrough will be achieved.