Cuba in the News-February 2010

Spain Asks Cuba for Better Treatment of Political Prisoners
Latin American Herald Tribune-During a meeting in Madrid last Thursday, Spain asked the Cuban government to provide better humanitarian treatment for ailing dissidents; the meeting was held to discuss the state of human rights on the communist-ruled island.

Cuba Criticizes U.S. Diplomats for Meeting with Dissidents
February 20, 2010-Cuba criticized U.S. diplomats Saturday for meeting with political opponents after bilateral talks on immigration in Havana, accusing the American diplomats of "promoting subversion."

Cuban and U.S. Officials Meet in Havana to Discuss Migration
February 19, 2010-Dagoberto Rodriguez, Cuba's deputy minister of foreign affairs, met with U.S. delegation led by Craig Kelly for several hours this past Friday to discuss migration issues.


Cuba Blasts U.S. Leaders for Meeting With Dissidents
February 20, 2010-Cuba scolded a top U.S. delegation Saturday for meeting with political opposition leaders following high-level immigration discussions, saying it proves Washington is out to topple the country's communist government.

2010-U.S. and Cuba Relations

Obama Administration to Spend Millions on Cuba
February 3, 2010-The president officially loosened Cuba travel and money remittance policies in 2009, and now plans to spend millions on programs designed to bring about Democratic change in Cuba.

Cuba: Accord on Human Trafficking Sought with U.S.
January 28, 2010-According to foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, Cuba wants to negotiate an agreement with the United States to slow the trafficking of its citizens fleeing the island. 

Updates Coming Soon!

Roger Williams University Pen Collaborative has been on break for the past month but has plans of continuing with the fight to free Normando Gonzalez at the beginning of the semester in January. To all our followers, we encourage you to pay attention and be aware of the upcoming changes to our blog. Thank you to those followers and please spread the word in support of Normando.

Bloggers in Cuba

Special Report: Chronicling Cuba, bloggers offer fresh hope
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has recently published a special report on the independent blogging culture that is emerging in Cuba.

Current Events in Cuba

Cuba-The New York Times
A Cuban blog hosted by the New York Times that gives the latest information on Cuban relations.

Kennedy Library Gets Hemingway Papers From Cuba
October 29, 2009-Cuba's Ministry of Culture is giving copies of 3,000 letters and documents, amassed during Ernest Hemingway's years in cuba from 1939 to 1960, to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

U.S. Embargo on Cuba Again Finds Scant Support at U.N.
October 28, 2009-Trade between the United States and Cuba remains strict as a result of the American trade embargo against Cuba.

Cuba Magazine Slams "Bad Taste" Castro Sister Book
November 2, 2009-An official Cuban publication is labeled as "a bad taste commercial operation" after revealing that the younger sister of Fidel and Raul Castro worked for the CIA in Cuba in the early 1960s.

Cuba Cuts Back on Rationed Products
November 7, 2009-Cubans are now forced to pay full price for potatoes and peas, two foods that are essential to islanders and were once rationed at only a fraction of the cost; making the decades-old subsidies become nearly eliminated.

New England's 7th Spanish-language Paper Begins Publishing
November 6, 2009-A group of Latino journalists in Massachusettes has launched New England’s seventh Spanish-language weekly newspaper.

Attention RWU Students & Faculty

Tonight there will be a Cuban inspired dinner in honor of Normando Hernandez Gonzalez in the upper commons dining facility.

Between 5 and 7 pm members of the PEN Collaborative will be available to provide information on Normando's story as well as distributing letters to be signed and mailed to various government officials in hopse of getting the word out about Normando and bringing justice to an imprisoned journalist.

For all who attend, we look forward to meeting you and hope you enjoy a taste of Cuban culture!

Cuban Blogger Wins Top Honor in Journalism

Yoani Sanchez: Virtually Outspoken in Cuba 

October 17, 2009-A 34-year-old Cuban writer, editor and linguistics scholar, Yoani Sanchez, became the first blogger to win one of the Maria Moors Cabot Prizes given by Columbia University for journalism that advances inter-American understanding.