http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com Continuity and change in Havana, Miami and Washington Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:47:03 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Today, Yoani Sánchez, the Cuban dissident blogger of world fame, posted unbelievable news. President Barack Obama had answered the seven questions she sent to him---questions that she said keep her awake at night wondering about the future of her country. That future, after all, is so closely intertwined with the choices made ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/19/barack-obama-talks-to-yoani-sanchez/ The Cuban Defense Ministry announced that for November 26-28, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionaria (Revolutionary Armed Forces), Interior Ministry and other national defense actors will perform nationwide military exercises. The tactical exercises will require, for example, troops movement, air flights, and explosions. Called "Bastión 2009," the exercise is meant to ensure that ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/18/the-cuban-military-bastion-2009/ The cover shown to the right is only the beginning of the problem that Miami-Dade County residents identified with the book Vamos a Cuba. The school board in that county decided to remove the book from schools because it contained omissions about life in Cuba under Castro. Happy Cuban children, ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/17/follow-up-ban-of-book-on-cuba-ruled-ok/ The press has recently alighted upon the subject of campaign funding: its origins and its direct effect on Congressional votes with respect to Cuba policy. A report released by the Washington, DC-based group called Public Campaign shows fairly straightforward timelines: lawmakers vote for easing restrictions on Cuba; those same lawmakers ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/16/money-makes-cuba-policy-go-round/ U.S. Science Group Seeks Cooperation with Cuba (From Reuters) A group led by the head of the United States' biggest science organization is in Cuba this week to discuss ways to rekindle scientific cooperation as U.S.-Cuba relations slowly improve under U.S. President Barack Obama. Nobel Prize-winning scientist Peter Agre, president of the ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/15/on-cooperation-baseball-and-science/ Anne Louise Bardach wrote a piece on "Fidel Castro's Long Goodbye" for the Los Angeles Times today, including a note comparing the caudillo/dictator qualities of Fidel and Francisco Franco. Her interesting comment is excerpted here: Castro's reluctant leave-taking---with its periodic near-finales---fits into a long tradition of Hispanic caudillos or dictators. Consider, ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/12/on-caudillos-fidel-castro-and-francisco-franco/ Dr. Eduardo Torres Cuevas is a Cuban national treasure. A professor of history at the University of Havana and Director of the José Martí National Library, he has received the National Literature Prize and the National Prize in Social Sciences of Cuba. His work focuses on topics of Cuban independence, abolition, ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/11/distinguished-cuban-intellectual-in-nyc-miami/ Havana held its 27th annual International Trade Fair last week (November 2-7), with 652 companies in attendance for a total of over 1,600 participants from 51 countries. Spain, Canada, China, Russia and Venezuela boasted the largest delegations at the Fair, and Italy, Germany, Mexico and Brazil also had considerable presence. Meanwhile, CNN ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/10/cnn-on-us-companies-in-havana/ Last week potatoes and peas were dropped from the monthly ration books that Cubans depend upon as one of their main sources of food. Not having these products in the ration books means, of course, that potatoes and peas will no longer be rationed. Islanders can buy as much of ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/09/depleting-ration-books/ House Representative Howard Berman (D-California) announced last week that the Committee on Foreign Affairs, of which he is chair, will hold an open hearing at 10 AM on November 18 on the topic "Is It Time to Lift the Ban on Travel to Cuba?" The 47-member Committee includes representatives that are ... http://cuba.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/11/08/hear-hear-congress/