Published on 28 March 2016 by teleSUR.

fidel speaks

Cuba's Fidel Castro has responded to U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to his country last week in an opinion piece for the website Cuba Debate.

In the article, published Monday, the iconic revolutionary figure explained that "Cuba doesn't need the empire to give us anything," adding that "nobody should be under the illusion that the people of this noble and selfless country will surrender their rights and spiritual wealth that they have won with the development of education, science and culture,” under the Cuban Revolution.

He added that Cuba can "produce the food and material wealth we need through effort and intelligence of our people."

Published on 30 March 2016 by Granma.

obama speech

Much more is revealed by what Obama didn’t say in Havana, than the little he did, no matter how choice his words. This is the same Obama who could do much more given his Presidential powers and yet has not.  Dario Machado reports.  

Like many others, I followed the visit by Barack Obama to our country and experienced mixed feelings: on the one hand, the healthy patriotic and revolutionary pride of witnessing a U.S. president rectifying the policy toward Cuba and repeating on our own soil that the blockade must be ended, reaffirming respect for our sovereignty and independence, which we Cubans have earned with our sacrifice, our sweat, our blood, our history; and on the other hand, the danger posed by those who believe that with these lukewarm changes, the contradiction between the interests of U.S. imperialism and the Cuban nation has disappeared. But it was only after listening to his speech that Tuesday morning that I decided to write this, because, as Fidel warned over half a century ago, from now on everything will be more difficult.

Who could doubt the enormous complexity of U.S. society, where black and white analysis is of little value?

Published on 18 March 2016 by teleSUR.

maduro in cuba

Cuba has awarded Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro one of the Caribbean country’s highest honors, the Maximum National Order.

"Jose Marti was the biggest Bolivariano of the 19th century, a loyal interpreter of the genuine spirit of the Liberator."          

Maduro was in Cuba on Friday to accept the award, named after Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti.

“Our union comes from love, brotherhood, identity, from two peoples with heroic histories,” Maduro said on receiving the award.  This award is truly for the heroic people of Venezuela, who have battled, and who do not give in.”

Cuba and Venezuela have a long history of solidarity, with joint projects like Miracle Mission, to cure blindness, and Mission Barrio Adentro, bringing thousands of Cuban doctors to Venezuela.

Published on 22 March by Granma.

raul and obama

The President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, set off from Havana’s José Martí International Airport aboard the Air Force One plane this Tuesday afternoon, bringing his official visit to Cuba, which began on Sunday March 20, to an end.

He was accompanied and bid farewell at the airport by the President of the Councils of State and Ministers Raúl Castro Ruz.

Obama will now travel to Argentina to meet with his counterpart Mauricio Macri.

During his visit to the island, the U.S. President, together with his accompanying delegation, toured sites in Old Havana including the Plaza de Armas, the Captain Generals' Palace and the Cathedral of Havana, accompanied by City Historian Eusebio Leal Spengler.

On the morning of Monday, March 21, Barack Obama paid tribute to Cuba’s national hero, José Martí, laying a floral wreath to the monument in Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución, and held official talks with the President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz. Following the talks, both presidents offered statements to the press, which received wide international media coverage.

Published on 22/03/16 by teleSUR

OBAMA 2

Below we look at how the United States government has provided “assistance” in order to sow dissent within Cuban society.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with U.S.-backed opposition organizations on Tuesday in Cuba as part of his visit to the island.          

Leading up to his meeting, teleSUR takes a look at the historic ties between Cuban dissidents and the U.S. government.

Despite the thawing of diplomatic relations, the U.S. government continues to provide financial “assistance” to individuals and groups dedicated to "regime change" in Cuba.

Published on 17 March 2016 by teleSUR.

cuban elections

In the context of developing Cuba-U.S. relations, on March 2, 2016 in Geneva, the Deputy secretary of State of the U.S. State Department, Antony J. Blinken, issued the National Statement at the Human Rights Council of the United Nations. In this statement he indicated that Obama during his visit to Cuba in March “will emphasize that the Cuban people are best served by an environment where people are free to choose their political parties and their leaders ...”

Let us concentrate for the moment on the theme of “choosing their leaders.”

 

Dr Helen Yaffe, author of Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution, speaks to the BBC on the arrival of Obama in Cuba.

Published on March 14 2016 by Granma.

Syrian Ambassador

Dr. Loai Aloja, chargé d'affaires of the Syrian Arab Republic in Havana, described the fraternal relations between his government and Cuba as those of sister nations, exemplified by the island’s support for independence causes in the Arab nation.

Speaking with national media in Havana, the diplomat referred to Cuba’s continued support in defense of the anti-colonial struggles of underdeveloped countries. He noted that the leaders of the Revolution, the Communist Party of Cuba and institutions, have never held back on providing political support for movements fighting for national sovereignty.

With regard to Syria and the Ba'ath Party, he stated that Cuba has denounced military aggression promoted from abroad, and the interventionist pretensions of Western powers in the country, in international forums. “Cuba presents its opinions in an open manner and without shying away, based on a position of internationalist principle,” he said.

Published on March 15 2016 by Granma.

cuban technology expo On the morning of Monday, March 14, the 16th International Computer Sciences Convention & Fair 2016 opened its doors in Havana’s Pabexpo exposition center where - through March 18 - exhibitors will present products and projects across 73 stands; 34 affiliated with Cuban entities and 39 foreign companies.

Grisel Reyes León, executive secretary of the fair, which this year has the central theme of “Connecting Societies”, noted that the event is a demonstration of Cuba’s desire to occupy an important role within the field of communications, and is undoubtedly a space for interaction and professional exchanges, where Cuban and foreign entities can present their newest products.

Participating in the event – featuring 300 exhibitors – was Mal­com John­son, deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union; Maimir Me­sa Ramos, minister of Communications of Cuba; Rashid R. Ismailov and Dmitry M. Alkha­zov, deputy ministers of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation; as well as other foreign and national sector representatives.