Reflexiones del Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro
Bush, la salud y la educación
http://www.cubamigos.be/nl/node/487,
Permaculture and Marxism
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/717/37245,
Cuba and 21st-Century socialism By Manuel Alberto Ramy
http://www.rprogreso.com/index.php?progreso=Ramy&otherweek=1184475600,
Books 'Havana' splits literary grannies
María-Eugenia Cossío-Ameduri and Ellen Riojas Clark - Special to the Express-News
Havana: Autobiography of a City By Alfredo José Estrada - Palgrave Macmillan, $24.95
Editor's note: Here's another installment in the ongoing literary conversation between Las Dos Abuelas. This time, they disagree on a recent nonfiction book on Havana from the author of the 2005 novel "Welcome to Havana, Señor Hemingway."
Ma. Eugenia: Ellen, after reading this book, I can't wait to visit Havana. Rather than an autobiography, this book is a biography of Havana, since Estrada narrates lovingly and passionately the history of this fascinating and whimsical city, from its foundations to his last trip there in 2006. For those traveling to Havana, it is a "must" read, a book they should take along to savor during their visit as they will learn not only the official history of all the sites, but also their peculiarities. For those of us staying home, "Havana" makes an interesting read as its history is so tied up with our own. Reading Estrada, you realize how a good writer can make dry facts and places come alive. You feel you are there witnessing what is happening, looking vicariously through Estrada's eyes, and caring for the city and the people.
Ellen: Ooh, we are going to have a good discussion on this one. I guess determining what type of book this is, is the first question for me — autobiography, history book, biography, or the tale of two cities. I find myself trying to determine Estrada's perspective by analyzing his writing. Is the book a nostalgic view of Cuba? Is it an accurately portrayed historical book? Is it a romanticized, idealized view or is it simply a travel book with all the bits and pieces that make a good travel book? Or is it a timely book with Castro almost at his end and the possibility of Cuba opening up? That is the question.
I must say Estrada's writing has improved since "Welcome to Havana, Señor Hemingway," his first novel, which I thought was weak. Oh, am I being critical? "Havana" can be a good read that will entice us to visit Cuba. Or it can be a tiring book to read since it tries to do so much.
Ma. Eugenia: The genre it belongs to or Estrada's point of view are of no importance to me since I don't believe that "objective" historians exist. It seems to me that all historians tell the "history" from their own biased point of view. As I said, I think this book is both a biography and a travel book. However, to me, what is key is how Estrada makes Havana's history interesting by providing noteworthy information, like the fact that (Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista) was never accepted into the Havana Yacht Club because he was of mixed blood, and by incorporating curious facts like the origin of Rum Bacardi. Estrada unearths these nuggets and makes them part of the historical narrative, enlivening it and giving it zest.
Ellen: Well, I think to place Estrada as a historian might be a reach. Well, now back to the book itself, as a reader, I do find myself trying to place the book so that I can understand it.
I find the writing tedious, so much information that it makes you want to gloss over it. Imagine, a book of 255 pages with 19 illustrations, footnotes, and 20 pages of references! Por favor! All that to say that he covered too much in really a few pages. He has plenty of information in this book to write several books. I really think he should concentrate on a few events and worked them well or, better still, make it a good travel book.
Then the writing! His themes just jump from paragraph to paragraph, nothing gets worked well. Ma. Eugenia: Sorry, but I disagree! Since I like a book that gives me a quick history of the site, some curious facts that I can remember, and some light humor, Estrada hits my mark. I agree he is not an academic historian, but I do not need one to entice me to visit a place. And frankly, I love the way he gives us the quirkiness of Havana and its inhabitants, including Fidel. Which other city in the world can boast of having a "Protestidromo," a stadium built with the specific purpose of holding mass demonstrations and to top it off in front of the U.S. Interest Section? That tickles my funny bone.
It didn't bother me a bit that Estrada jumps from one topic to another because those facts that he sprinkles and peppers throughout the narrative give it flavor.
Ellen: Regardless of what I think about the book, I am planning a trip to Cuba!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------María-Eugenia Cossío-Ameduri is former UNAM and San Antonio Public Library Foundation director. Ellen Riojas Clark is a professor in the Division of Bicultural Bilingual Studies at UTSA.
Cuba lays to rest dispute over remains of Che Guevara
The remains of Che Guevara brought here from Bolivia 10 years ago provided "conclusive" forensic evidence they belonged to the revolutionary leader, state media said Saturday.
In a lengthy article, the official Granma daily newspaper addressed claims made by an ex-CIA agent who earlier this year claimed to have buried Guevara in a secret grave after he was killed in 1967, offering a clump of his hair for a DNA test to prove it.
Granma said several features of the remains of Guevara "left no room for doubt" they were authentic, including the pronounced bridge over the eyes and prominent frontal lobe of the skull that "characterized" Guevara.
The Cuban government in 1995 announced it had located Che's remains and returned them to Cuba in 1997 for a pomp- and parade-filled extravaganza, ending in their interment at a mausoleum in Cuba honoring Guevara.
In March, former Central Intelligence Agent and Miami Cuban emigre Gustavo Villoldo, 71, a veteran of the failed US-backed Bay of Pigs invasion, said he buried Guevara and two colleagues in October 1967 in a pit in Vallegrande, Bolivia, after cutting a lock of the hair.
Villoldo said he would give the exact coordinates of the grave only to the Guevara family if they requested them.
As additional proof of Guevara's identity, Granma said the remains brought back from Bolivia were missing both hands, which Argentine coroners in 1967 had amputated to send back to their laboratories for fingerprint identification.
"But the determining factors were a mold taken of his teeth for a masking job done for his protection when he left Cuba in the mid 1960s, which together with dental X-rays taken in the 1950s in Mexico ... were conclusive," the daily said.
The medic-turned-guerrilla fighter was killed in October 1967 in Bolivia, where he had gone to foment a leftist uprising.
US Central Intelligence Agency operatives and special forces advisers helped organize a Bolivian military operation, as a result of which he was captured and executed, according to documents made available later.
But much to the dismay of the Cuban exile community, Guevara's death turned him into a cultural icon.
A world-famous 1960 photograph of Guevara taken by Alberto Korda captured the restless spirit of the long-haired revolutionary after he had helped Fidel Castro topple a pro-US regime in Cuba.
Guevara appears in painter Andy Warhol's artwork, is the subject of countless books, articles and the popular 2004 movie, "The Motorcycle Diaries."
Cuba con indicadores demográficos similares a países desarrollados
Afirma la Doctora Sonia Catasús, subdirectora del Centro de Estudios Demográficos de la Universidad de La Habana
Alina M. Lotti - Trabajadores
Para el 2025 uno de cada cuatro cubanos tendrá 60 años de edad, o más, aseguró en esta capital la Doctora Sonia Catasús, subdirectora del Centro de Estudios Demográficos de la Universidad de La Habana.
Al intervenir en el III Taller Internacional de Educación Inicial y Preescolar, celebrado recientemente, Catasús resaltó que a pesar de que esta nación es subdesarrollada desde el punto de vista económico muestra indicadores demográficos propio de países desarrollados, pues gracias a los servicios de salud desarrollados por la Revolución la esperanza de vida de la población se ha elevado considerablemente.
Cuba es el país de América Latina de menor crecimiento demográfico y también de menor nivel de fecundidad; por lo que no llegaremos a ser 12 millones de habitantes, al menos por el momento, enfatizó.
Explicó que el número de hijos por mujeres ha ido descendido de manera paulatina, y que estos decrecimientos se constatan tanto en las áreas rurales como urbanas.
Por esto, lo augurios para el 2025 es que también disminuirá la población menor de cinco años, pero mencionó como una ventaja el hecho de que vivirán más personas adultas capacitadas para atender a los pequeños
El ojo autocríticoCuba. Dilema y Esperanza; un artículo de Pedro Campos Santos
http://www.insurgente.org/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=10468,
H. Dieterich
Capítulo 7 del libro Hugo Chávez y el Socialismo del siglo XXI (.pdf 1,1 Mb)
El Socialismo del siglo XXI en preguntas y respuestas
http://www.rebelion.org/docs/53596.pdf,
Habla Fabían Escalante, ex jefe de la inteligencia cubana
«Posada sabe demasiado» - Jean Guy Allard
http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=53621,
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