1. Art and Diseño

HavanaReporter
THE
©
YOUR SOURCE OF NEWS & MORE
A Weekly Newspaper of the Prensa Latina News Agency
Good Time
for Cuban Filmmaking
YEAR V
Nº 2
JAN 31, 2015
HAVANA, CUBA
ISSN 2224-5707
Price:
1.00 CUC, 1.00 USD, 1.20 CAN
/P.7
Tourism
New Air Routes Will Bring
China and Caribbean Closer
/P. 2
Society
Cuban Doctor Returns to
Finish What he Started /P.4
Health & Science
2015: An Important Year
for Island Nations /P.5
Entertainment
& Listings
/P.8-9
Culture
Havana Cigar Festival
Ready to Light Up
Cuban Boulevard with
Cinematographic Theme
/P.10
Photo Feature
Bear Sculptures in Havana, a
Message of Tolerance /P.11
International
Colombians Work for the
Peace Dividend /P.12
Cuba Will Never Renounce
Principles in Relations With US
/P.16
Economy
CUBA: Step by Step
towards Single Currency
/P.14
Sports
Hemingway Tournament
Keeps Reeling in Interest
/P.15
...lovers of this high-quality Cuban product
are attentively waiting to see what might unfold
during the
2015 Habano Festival.... /P.3
This
n e w s pa p e r i s d i s t r i b u t e d o n b o a r d
Cubana
de
Aviacion´s
flights
2
TOURISM
New Air Routes Will Bring China and Caribbean Closer
By IlsaRODRIGUEZ
BEIJING._ The inauguration of the first direct air route
between Beijing and Havana next September represents
another major step towards the long cherished dream of
bringing China and the Caribbean region closer.
The announcement was made during the first
Ministerial Forum between China and the Community
of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held in
Beijing in early January.
Such mutually beneficial initiatives, based on equality
and respect, encourage rapprochement between
the two regions; with tourism serving as an excellent
platform for establishing people-to-people contact.
Air China announced it will launch a direct air route
between Beijing and Havana on September 28, which will
coincide with the 55th anniversary of the establishment
of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Operating three times a week with a stop to refuel in
Montreal, Canada, the airline will be the first to launch
such flights. With more than 100 million Chinese tourists
having traveled to other countries for their vacations in
2014, China has become an attractive tourist provider
market for the entire world.
Experts agree that the number of Chinese travelling
to foreign destinations could rise to 500 million within a
few years.
Another step toward bringing China and the
Caribbean closer was made known during the official
visit of the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Perry Christie,
to this Asian country which coincided with the CELAC
sessions.
During Christie´s visit to China Eastern Airlines´
headquarters in Shanghai, the company’s general
manager Liu Shaoyong told his guest a feasibility test
would be conducted on charter flights linking the
eastern Chinese city and Nassau.
Details are still to be ironed out, but Liu told
Christie that the first flight would be launched next
September and that the Chinese company would
receive cooperation from its Skyteam partner Delta;
hence, experts assume that the air route may have a stop
somewhere in the United States.
For some years Latin American and Caribbean
countries have tried to establish air routes with China to
facilitate both the arrival of tourists and businesspeople,
and foster academic and cultural exchange and peopleto-people contact.
The lack of those routes makes it a trip of nearly 20
hours, excluding time spent making connections.
Upgraded Electricity Supply to Cuba’s Premier Resort
By WilfredoALAYÓN
PHOTOS: FotosPL.
VARADERO._ The reliability of electricity supply to
Cuba’s premier beach resort has been enhanced by
the official opening of a substation operating Italian
technology and 13km of 110kw underground cable.
Project investment director, Jorge Alejandro
Rodriguez, told the Prensa Latina news agency
that the 54-million dollar works were undertaken
in response to the growth in tourism at this key
location.
The works started in November 2012, he said,
adding that the erection of two further substations
and the laying of the entire 110kw underground area
supply cable is programed for the coming year.
Rodriguez said the projected cost of the second
stage was 78 million US dollars. When concluded,
the complete works would optimize the service and
ensure the functionality of the network.
The project includes a remodeling of the
electricity and public lighting system in particular.
Located on the northern coast of the province of
Matanzas and 140km east of Havana, Varadero has
around 50 tourist hotels, of which almost 70 percent
have a four or five star rating.
Tourism Ministry statistics indicate that the region
caters for one third of all tourists who visit Cuba.
The resort boasts more than 20,000 rooms and a
tourist network of restaurants, cafes, shops, car rental
outlets, recreational centers and a dolphinarium.
The renowned resort, also known as “Blue Beach”,
welcomed, for the seventh consecutive year, more
than 1 million foreign tourists in 2014.
HavanaReporter
A Weekly Newspaper of the Prensa Latina News Agency
THE
President: Luis Enrique González.
Information Vice President: Víctor M. Carriba.
Editorial Vice President: Maitté Marrero Canda.
Chief Editor: Luis Melián.
Translation: Prensa Latina English Department.
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E-mail: [email protected]
CUBA
3
Havana Cigar Festival
Ready to Light Up
PHOTO: FotosPL.
By RobertoCAMPOS
HAVANA._ Having seen President Barack Obama publicly
accept a Cuban Montecristo habano (hand-made cigar)
on social networks, lovers of this high-quality Cuban
product are attentively waiting to see what might unfold
during the 2015 Habano Festival.
Cuban tobacco industry executives issued a timely
announcement about the hosting of the 17th Habano
Festival, the greatest celebration of premium cigars,
where Romeo and Juliet and Montecristo in particular
reign supreme.
In a statement, the Habanos S.A. international
corporation added that the smoke-fest would be held in
the Cuban capital from February 23 to 27.
A number of Habano brands will be honored
during the event, two of which in particular –Romeo
and Juliet and Montecristo– rank among the most
prestigious.
The last Festival brought more than 1,300 participants
from almost 60 countries together, who were joined by
250 journalists and photographers representing 142
media outlets from more than 30 nations.
Participants in the forthcoming 17th edition will once
again enjoy the exclusive pleasure of tasting new types
of Habanos to be launched in 2015. They will also have an
opportunity to discover or rediscover the centuries old
origins, secrets and culture of the Cuban cigar.
According to the statement, the itinerary will
also include visits to the finest Vuelto Abajo tobacco
plantations in the western province of Pinar del Rio and
a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the “Casa del
Habano” franchise.
The program features tours of factories, an
international seminar, the Habano Sommelier contest
and an auction to close the event. The organizers have
confirmed that, as in previous years, the commercial
fair will be held in Havana’s Convention Center. The Fair
welcomed over 2,200 visitors in 2014 and hosted 60
firms from 7 countries; all of which confirms its success
and appeal.
As a novelty, the opening ceremony will be held
in the Havana docklands Timber and Tobacco Store,
where guests will share the honor of being present at
the launch of the Romeo and Juliet Grand 2009 Harvest
Reserve.
The convention will close by paying tribute to the
Montecristo brand and their special 80th anniversary
band, in addition to the traditional auction of humidifiers;
the entire proceeds of which go to the Cuban health
system.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
As the 2015 edition of the festival draws near, it is worth
recalling some of the best moments of what is Cuba´s
best tourist travel incentive.
This initiative started back in 1994 as part of the
celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the H. Upmann
brand. That festival, which lasted only two days
-September 20 and 21- was very well received.
The meeting was hosted by ¨Las Ruinas¨ restaurant,
which served a supper prepared by the renowned
Cuban chef Gilberto Smith Duquesne. The chef made
lobster dishes reign on the table.
Then, three H.Upmann bands were enjoyed: Preciosa,
Mareva and Sir Winston while a panel evaluated what
would later become Upmann No.4 and Petit Coronas.
Between September 19 and 21, 1995 it was the turn
of the Partagas brand, one of the most sought after
globally, to celebrate 150 years.
That year´s opening supper, attended by 300
personalities from 30 nations, including Hollywood’s
Matt Dillon, Seymour Cassel and Joe Pantoliano, was
held in the Melia Cohiba Hotel.
This was the first time that the Habano Man of the
Year award was bestowed.
The Commercial honor was granted to Pedro Perez,
then president of the Spanish Tabacalera S.A. and the
Communications award went to Marvin Shankee, editor
of the U.S. Cigar Aficionado magazine.
No festival was held in 1996 and the following year
it was transferred to run from February 20 to 28 in order
to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Cohiba brand
and the 15th since it became commercially available.
That year´s celebrations were hosted at the Tropicana
Cabaret’s Under the Stars Salon. Proceeds of the auction
had by then reached 342,000 dollars.
By 1999 changes were apparent and that year the
Habano Festival was born, running from February 22
to 26 with the most important Gala Dinner held on the
closing day.
The 16th and most recent edition ran between
February 4 to 8 and facilitated close encounters among
some 1,500 participants from 80 countries who enjoyed
visits to plantations and factories and attended other
activities.
*The writer was awarded the Communications sector
Habano man of the Year in 1999.
4
SOCIETY
Cuban Doctor
Returns to Finish
What he Started
PHOTO: FotosPL.
By NuriemDEARMAS
HAVANA._ Cuban doctor Félix Báez has
returned to Sierra Leone to finish what
he started; just as he promised he would
when he arrived in Cuba following his
recovery from Ebola.
Báez is a member of the 165-strong
professional medical brigade that
traveled to the African nation as part of
the fight against Ebola.
Some 256 specialists have been in
West Africa since last October, with 53 in
Liberia and 38 in Guinea.
According
to
World
Health
Organization statistics, more than 6,000
people have died and more than 17,000
have been affected by the disease.
Báez, a 43-year old specialist in
internal medicine contracted Ebola
while attending patients in Sierra Leone.
He was then hospitalized in the intensive
care unit of Geneva University Hospital in
Switzerland.
Jorge Pérez Avila, director of the
Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine,
who formed part of the team that treated
Báez and transferred him back to Cuba,
considered the physician living proof
that Ebola, when treated correctly, is not
necessarily fatal.
He commented that Báez is very brave
and deeply committed to the comrades
he left in Sierra Leone, which is manifest
in his decision to return once recovered.
There are 5 different strains of Ebola,
three of which are potentially fatal to
humans. Survivors become immune to
the strain that infected them. Báez, who
was welcomed by Minister for Public
Health Roberto Morales, arrived in
Cuba from Genera last December 7. He
thanked firstly the University Hospital for
their extraordinary care and the radical
clinical measures they took to facilitate
his recovery.
He also thanked Geneva and Sierra
Leone authorities for their constant
interest in his recovery, the Cuban
government and people for the
“enormous solidarity” that he felt and
the World Health Organization which
arranged his transfer to Geneva for the
continuation of treatment in a more
secure environment once the Ebola
diagnosis had been confirmed.
Local and foreign media have
transmitted inspiring images of Báez’s
return to Sierra Leone in which he is
joined by fellow members of his brigade.
HEALTH & SCIENCE
5
2015: An Important Year for Island Nations
Interview with, Claudio Tomasi, the UN Development Program representative in Havana
HAVANA._ Whenever a year ends, predictions for the
next are commonplace. Extensive coverage of both
favorable and unfavorable economic, political, social,
environmental and even personal forecasts can be seen
in the media.
Sometimes, these predictions are not based on
orthodox methods.
But political forecasts are not astronomy-based and
less so when it comes to the Caribbean, despite the strong
sense of folkloric heritage that prevails in the region.
The region has for such purposes the input of
the University of Havana sponsored Department of
Caribbean Studies which facilitates forecasts on issues
such as vulnerability, challenges and cooperation
among island states.
In an interview with The Havana Reporter, Claudio
Tomasi, the UN
Development Program (UNDP)
representative in Cuba commented on his predictions
for 2015.
THR- Tomasi, you said the year 2015 would be
very important for island countries that could have
an effect on the world agenda in coming years?
CT- Yes, in the international arena, there will be
four major events in 2015 that will clearly define the
development agenda.There is one due to start in March;
the third Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai
(Sendai-shi, capital of Miyagi prefecture, Japan, the largest
city in the Tohoku region), which is crucial for small island
countries because we know they suffer the negative effects
of a series of risks, including hurricanes and rising sea levels,
which affect them more than other countries.
THR- Later on there will be a second event on the
same topic…
CT- Yes, it will be on financing for development. It is
scheduled to take place in July in Addis Ababa. The third
conference will also be very significant because it hosts
Claudio Tomasi.
PHOTOS: Manuel Muñoa.
By AniaORTEGA
world discussions on financing for development; hence, it
is very important that small island states make themselves
heard at that forum.
THR- What is known as the Conference of the
Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change, COP 20, was held in December in Lima, Peru
and COP 21 will be held in Paris this year. There exists
the commitment for reaching consensus on the Post2020 legal framework, post-Kyoto on greenhouse gas
emissions.
Will there be a fourth major event on that topic
too?
CT- Yes, finally, in September the UN General Assembly
will summarize the previous meetings and the post-2015
sustainable development goals will be agreed upon. We
are, as of 2015, currently implementing international
agreements on the millennium development goals.
The conference held in 2014 in Samoa (officially the
Independent State of Samoa) was essential for small island
countries in terms of the agenda because these countries,
which historically have come up against obstacles in
making themselves heard, actually played a key role.
THR- You said Cuba stands out regarding climate
change adaptation and that it plays a key role in this
regard. Why do you say so?
CT- Cuba has developed many relevant actions for
adapting to climate change that have been recognized
by the UNDP and implemented by other regional
countries. I particularly refer to risk and vulnerability
studies recently referred to by President Raúl Castro at the
recent CARICOM-CUBA Summit, where he highlighted the
country’s capacity to conduct threat, risk and vulnerability
studies and the implementation of the National Macro
Project “Coastal Threats and Vulnerability for 2050-2100,”
which includes projects on the assessment of mangroves
and coastal dunes, beaches, coastal settlements and
infrastructure. He noted that Cuba is willing to share its
results with CARICOM. I think these studies identify risks
and vulnerabilities for the population to cope with at the
national, provincial and municipal levels in the future.
THR- The meetings that the Department of
Caribbean Studies hold in Havana are supportive in
this sense
CT- It is on the basis of those studies that the policies
for coping with and preventing disasters are drawn
up. For this reason, other countries, especially from the
Caribbean, are interested in learning and exchanging
views on the subject. as well as on those topics which
Cuba has a leading position, such as the provincial and
municipal Centers for Risk Reduction, which are tools for
local planning that allow local and national governments
and the population to be better trained and to cope with
natural disasters more effectively.
6
POLITICS
US-CUBA
Blockade Remains Despite Changes in U.S
Policy on Cuba
By RobertoGARCIA
HAVANA._ On January 15 the United
States announced changes to its hostile
policy toward Cuba by eliminating some
restrictions on trade with and travel to
the Caribbean country by U.S. citizens.
However,
the U.S. economic,
commercial, and
financial blockade
maintained against Cuba for
more than five decades remains in place.
The measures, which are in keeping
with the changes announced by President
Barack Obama on December 17, establish
12 categories under which U.S. citizens
can visit the island but the prohibition on
maritime travel remains.
Other changes include a removal of
the limit on travelers’ expenses in Cuba
and permission to use credit cards.
Meanwhile, restrictions on U.S. exports
to Cuba remain; however visitors will
be able to return home with purchases
worth up to 400 dollars.
With the objective of supporting
the U.S. government’s intentions
to increasingly influence the
Cuban population, the new
regulations encourage the
telecommunications sector
to invest in infrastructure
and sell services, software
and equipment
other than advanced
technology
products.
The White House maintains the
prohibitions on the use by Cuba of the
U.S. dollar in international transactions, as
well as on the acquisition in other markets
of technological products and equipment
containing more than 10 percent U.S.
made components.
The bad news also affects U.S. airlines,
as their planes will not be able to fly to the
island regularly for at least a year, despite
the easing of some restrictions on travel
to Cuba by U.S. citizens, according to
experts quoted by The New York Times.
Until the time comes, travelers will
have to book authorized charter flights
coming to Cuba from Miami and other
U.S. cities. As part of changes in U.S. policy
on Cuba, a delegation of congressional
Democrats visited Havana recently.
Headed by Senator Patrick Leahy, the
delegation included Senators Richard
Durbin (Illinois), Debbie Stabenow
(Michigan) and Sheldon Whitehouse
(Rhode Island), and Representatives
Chris Van Hollen (Maryland) and Peter
Welch (Vermont).
In his State of the Union address
on January 20, Obama once more
defended his decision to introduce
changes to Cuba policy and asked
Congress to start working toward
lifting the blockade.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
. 24th International Book Fair, Morro-Cabaña historical complex, Havana. February 12-22.
. 18th International Livestock and Trade Fair, Rancho Boyeros exhibition site, Havana. March 17-21.
. 13th Health for All Fair, Pabexpo exhibition center, Havana. April 20-24.
. 36th International Tourism Fair, Jardines del Rey archipelago, central province of Ciego de Ávila, from
May 5-7.
. “Arte en la Rampa” Handicraft Fair, Pabellón Cuba exibition site, Havana. June-August.
. 32nd International Fair of Havana, Expocuba exhibition center. November 2-8.
. 19th International Craft Fair, Pabexpo exhibition center, Havana, December.
CULTURE
7
SPOTLIGHT ON
Good Time for Cuban Filmmaking
By MarthaSÁNCHEZ
la Fraternidad,” “Vestido de novia,”
“Conducta,” and “La pared de las
palabras” won the viewers´choice awards,
displacing good proposals such as
Argentina’s “Relatos Salvajes” (Wild Tales),
which has been nominated for an Oscar in
the Best Foreign-language Film category.
The event’s collateral prizes also went
to most Cuban films: “Conducta” won five
awards followed by “Vestido de novia”
and “La pared de las palabras,” each one
receiving three.
Similarly, “Conducta” won the Coral
Prize for Best Fiction Film and the SIGNIS
Award, while actor Armando Valdés
won the Coral Award for Best Male
Performance, beating such great actors
as Darío Grandinetti, Ricardo Darín and
Oscar Martínez.
In the meantime, Cuban filmmaker
Marilyn Solaya’s first work “Vestido de
novia” is currently being shown at Cuban
movie-theaters where new releases are
screened, after it received the Public
PHOTOS: FotosPL.
HAVANA._ The Cuban film industry
will offer several excellent proposals in
2015, some of which have won awards
at international events such as the films
“Conducta” (Behavior), “Vestido de novia”
(Wedding Dress) and “La pared de las
palabras” (The Wall of Words).
Since it was premiered at the
beginning of 2014, Ernesto Daranas’s film
”Conducta” has captured the hearts of
most viewers on the island with a script
largely portraying Cuba’s contemporary
reality, also featuring Alejandro Pérez’s
photography
and
the
excellent
performances of Alina Rodríguez and
adolescent Armando Valdés, among
others.
It is worth recognizing that the 36th
edition of the International Festival
of New Latin American Film held last
December revived Cubans’ passion for
movies, and proved that this is a good
time for Cuba’s filmmaking industry.
The films “Fátima o el Parque de
Choice Award at the festival and an
Honorable Mention in the first work
category.
The feature film raises questions over
the relationship between love and gender,
while portraying the consequences of
several social prejudices that still prevail
in many countries, with clear examples of
the psychological and physical damage
caused by intolerance.
According to the cast, the film shows
that love goes far beyond stereotyped
precepts, of what is taught or imposed,
beyond social stereotypes that the
patriarchal society has set for decades or
centuries.
Jorge Perugorría’s film “Fátima o El
parque de la Fraternidad” also deals with
some of these themes, based on a story
with the same title by Cuban ethnologist
Miguel Barnet.
Also an outstanding actor, filmmaker
Jorge Perugorría stars “La pared de
las palabras,” the latest masterpiece
by filmmaker Fernando Pérez (2007
National Film Prize laureate). According
to Perugorría, this film posed him one
of the greatest challenges thus far in his
career after Tomás Gutiérrez Alea’s film
Strawberry and Chocolate.
The film is inspired by a real-life character
with learning difficulties who suffers from
dystonia. To be able to get familiar with this
neurological disorder, Perugorría had to
visit institutions treating such patients, he
told The Havana Reporter.
According to the actor, Pérez’s film is
very special and sensitive as it can easily
touch viewers by showing how important
it is for the human being to open up to
another.
The film appeals to the need one has
to express oneself, to be oneself, he noted.
From these premises, the Cuban film
industry advances along the year 2015,
defending diversity and those values that
allow us to be an ever more tolerant and
respectful society.
8
ENTERTAINMENT
THEATER
*Note: theater companies are in
parentheses
Centro Cultural
Bertolt Brecht
GETTING
By MaylínZALDIVAR
[email protected]
RECOMMENDS
Swan Lake by Cuba’s National Ballet at Teatro Nacional
de Cuba.
ART GALLERIES
& MUSEUMS
MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Casa Victor Hugo
•
MUSIC
MUSIC
Iglesia de Paula
Calle 13 esquina a I. Vedado.
Tel: 832-9359. Sala Café Teatro.
Fri. Feb. 13, 20, 27, Sat. 14, 21, 28
(8:30 pm) and Sun. 15, 22 (5 pm):
Rent (musical) directed by Andy
Señor Jr.
Oratorio San Felipe Neri
Calle Aguiar esq. Obrapía.
Habana Vieja. Tel: 862-3243.
Thu. Feb. 26 (7 pm): Clarinetist
Arístides Porto and pianist
Lianne Vega in concert.
exhibit Eroticism and Sexuality.
Museo Numismático
Calle Obispo e/ Aguiar y
Habana. Habana Vieja. Tel:
861-5811. Tue. Feb. 17 (10 am):
Opening of the exhibit “Pasajes
históricos en la Numismática”
(Historical Moments in
Numismatics (bills and coins).
Casa Africa
Obra Pía e/ San Ignacio y
Mercaderes. Habana Vieja. Tel:
861-5798. Tue. Feb. 17 (10 am):
Opening of an exhibit marking
the 39th anniversary of the
establishment of the Sahrawi
Arab Republic.
Basílica Menor
San Francisco de Asís
Museo Napoleónico
Teatro Trainón
Línea e/ Paseo y A. Vedado. Tel:
830-9648. Fri. Feb. 23, 30 Sat. 24,
31 (8:30 pm) and Sun. 25 (5 pm):
“Decamerón” (The Decameron
Tales) by (Teatro El Público).
Teatro Raquel Revuelta
Paula esq. San Ignacio, La
Habana Vieja. Tel: 860-4210.
Wed. Feb. 11 (7 pm): Havana’s
Chamber Music Orchestra
conducted by Canadian
maestro Thomas Gabrich. Thu.
12 (7 pm): Single concert by
musicians from Havana and
New York (baroque music from
Europe). Ars Longa early music
orchestra and Viola da Gamba
Dojo Ensemble will perform as
well. Fri. 13 (7 pm): Concert by
students from Cuba and the
United States involved in the
Convivium Musicum academic
program. Director: flutist Susana
de la Cruz. Sat. 14 (7 pm):
Baroque Music Orchestra from
the National School of Music
performs, directed by professors
Laura Valdés and Yulnara Vega.
Antiguo Casino Español
Línea esquina a B. Vedado. . Tel:
833-0225. Sala Raquel Revuelta.
Fri. Feb. 13, 20, 27, Sat. 14, 21, 28
and Sun. 15, 22 (8:30 pm): “El
Zapato sucio” (Dirty Shoe) by
(Teatro D´ Dos).
(Former Spanish Casino)
Paseo del Prado esq. Ánimas.
Centro Habana .Sala Ignacio
Cervantes. Fri. Feb. 13 (6 pm):
Soprano Milagros de los
Angeles. Sun. 22 (6 pm): Concert
by lyrical musicians marking
Pablo Milanés’s 72nd birthday.
Oficios e/ Amargura y Churruca,
Habana Vieja. Tel: 862-9683. Fri.
Feb. 13 (6 pm): Camerata Romeu
chamber music orchestra
conducted by Zenaida Romeu.
Sat. 14 (6 pm): Concert by
Música Eterna chamber music
orchestra dedicated to Habana
Radio station´s 16th anniversary.
Artistic direction: Guido LópezGavilán. Thu. 19 (10 am): Pianist
José María Vitier in concert. Sat.
21 (6 pm): Concert dedicated to
love (international and Cuban
music). Sat. 28 (6 pm): D´Accord
duo performs (pianist Marita
Rodríguez and clarinetist
Vicente Monterrey).
Casa Victor Hugo.
O’ Reilly e/ Habana y Aguiar.
Habana Vieja.Tel: 866- 7591. Sat.
Feb. 14, 28 (5 pm): Concerts by
Vocal Leo vocal ensemble and
Móviles Trio.
O’ Reilly e/ Habana y Aguiar.
Habana Vieja.Tel: 866- 7591.
Through Feb. 26 (10 am):
Exhibition Víctor Hugo, Great
Painter, made up of books
showing some of the drawings
made by the French writer and
politician. Through Feb. 28:
Photo exhibition “Meliponas
o Abejas de la tierra de Cuba
(Cuba´s ground bees)” by
Samuel Perichon, president of
the French Association in Cuba;
Jorge Demedio, professor from
Havana’s Agrarian University,
and Mariline Dubois, French
student and photographer.
Museo de Lombillo
Empedrado Esq. Mercaderes.
Habana Vieja.Tel: 860- 4311.
Through Feb. Painting exhibit “El
camino que te busca” (The Road
that Calls You) by landscape
painter Carlos Alberto Casanova.
Factoría Habana
Calle O´ Reilly e/ Habana y
Aguiar. Habana Vieja. Tel: 8649518. Through Feb. Painting
exhibit “Occidente tropical”
(Tropical West) by Esterio
Segura.
Biblioteca Rubén Martínez
Villena
Obispo e/ Oficios y Baratillo. La
Habana Vieja. Tel: 862- 9035. Sat.
Feb. 14 (10 am): Book and poster
(Napoleonic Museum)
San Miguel # 1159. Vedado.
Plaza de la Revolución. Tel: 8791412. Through Feb. 19 (10 am):
Opening of the exhibit “La vajilla
de la Dolce Dimora” (Dolce
Dimora’s Dinner Set).
Casa del Benemérito de las
Américas Benito Juárez
Obrapía e/ Mercaderes y Oficios.
La Habana Vieja. Tel: 861- 8166.
Through Feb. 19 (4 pm): Exhibit
“Nuevas tentaciones de Narciso”
(Narcissus’s New Temptations).
Casa Asia
Mercaderes e/ Obrapía y Obispo.
La Habana Vieja.Tel: 863- 9740.
Exhibit of 2015 Japanese
calendars on Japan’s culture, art,
society and development.
ENTERTAINMENT
AROUND
9
(THR is not responsible for any changes made by sponsoring organizations)
Casa Oswaldo Guayasamín
Submarino Amarillo
NIGHTCLUBS
& CABARETS
NIGHTCLUBS & CABARETS
Obra Pía e/ Oficios y Mercaderes.
La Habana Vieja.Tel: 861- 3843.
Fri. Feb. 27 (5 pm): Opening
of the exhibit “Histo-Grama”
(Histo-Gram) by Aissa M. Santiso
Camiade.
DANCE
DANCE
Centro Cultural
Bertolt Brecht
Centro Cultural
Barcelona-Habana
Calle 13 esquina a I. Vedado. . Tel:
832-9359. Sala Estudio. Feb. 12,
19, 26 (10 pm): Pedro Luis Ferrer
and his band.
Barcelona esq. Aguila. Centro
Habana. Tel: 864- 9576. Wed. Feb.
18 (7 pm): Show “Flamenco por
dentro” by Ecos Flamenco Dance
Company.
Calle 17 esq. 12, Vedado,
Habana. Tel: 830-6808. Live rock
nightly in this Beatles-themed
nightclub (10 pm-3 am).
Teatro Nacional de Cuba
Loma y 39. Plaza de la
Revolución. Tel: 878-5590. Sala
Avellaneda. Fri. Feb. 13, 20, Sat.
14, 21 (8:30 pm) and Sun. 15,
22 (5 pm): Swan Lake by Cuba’s
National Ballet.
International Book Fair
Havana:
From February12-22
Main venue:
Morro-Cabaña Complex
Other venues: Cultural
institutions in the main
municipalities.
Other Cuban provinces:
Until March 8
10
CULTURE
Oscar Hope for Argentinean “Wild Tales”
By MartinHATCHOUN
BUENOS AIRES._ Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales), the most
popular Argentinean film of all times, aspires to become
much more than that; the director Damián Szifrón and
the cast have their sights set on an Academy Award for
Best Foreign-language Film.
Leo Sbaraglia, who stars in one of six independent
shorts that make up the film, has said he is very excited
about the possibility of an award. “I have not experienced
anything like this in a long time,” he noted on hearing
that the film was shortlisted for the 87th Academy
Awards ceremony on February 22 in Los Angeles.
Szifrón’s feature film will be competing against
Zaza Urushadze’s Tangerines (Estonia), Abderrahmane
Sissako´s Timbuktu (Mauritania), Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida
(Poland), and Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan (Russia).
Also starring Ricardo Darín, Oscar Martínez, Érica Rivas,
Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylberberg, and Dario Grandineti,
the film might take a third Oscar for Argentina.
The two Argentinean films that have already won
Academy Awards in the best foreign-film category
are La historia oficial (The Official Story, 1986) by Luis
Puenzo, starring Héctor Alterio and Norma Aleandro in
collaboration with Hugo Arana and Chunchuna Villafañe;
and El secreto de sus Ojos (The Secret in their Eyes, 2010)
by Juan José Campanella, starring Darín, Soledad Villamil,
and Guillermo Francella, an excellent cast.
Wild Tales has revolutionized the Argentinean
film industry and amazed audiences with the realistic
portrayal of all six of its independent story lines.
Between December 21 and 23 last year, 3.4 million
people watched the film, making it the biggest box
office hit in the history of Argentinean cinema, and the
third most-viewed of all time in the country after Titanic
and Ice Age.
The film includes six stories that alternate between
intrigue, humor and violence. Its characters are pushed
to the abyss and to the undeniable pleasure felt with the
loss of control in stressful situations, crossing that fine
line that separates civilization from barbarism.
Also a box office hit in Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Brazil,
Venezuela, Mexico, and Costa Rica, the film will be
premiered this year in the United States, Great Britain,
Germany and in a dozen other European, Asian and
Middle Eastern countries.
It also features among Time magazine´s top ten films
of the year, has been nominated for the 2015 Critics
Choice Awards, has won an award from the National
Board of Review 2015 and has received the Audience
Award at the Sarajevo Festival.
In addition, the film received an award at the San
Sebastián Film Festival and among other prizes, has
taken the Audience Award at the film festivals of Lima,
Biarritz, and Havana.
After the announcement about the Oscar nomination
became known, Darín posted on Twitter: It’s good news
for all the people and the film crew that worked so hard
and so well!
The famous actor’s adrenaline began to flow the way
it did when the film The Secret in Their Eyes, in which he
starred under the direction of Campanella, competed
and finally won the Academy Award. Now, his greatest
desire is that Wild Tales also wins an Oscar.
He knows better than anyone how it feels to receive
an Oscar nomination, as he also starred in El hijo de la
novia (The Son of the Bride), which was nominated in
2001.
Argentina’s film industry, which stands out for its high
quality, and has had other films nominated by Hollywood
Academy of Arts and Sciences: Sergio Renán’s La tregua
(The Truce, 1974), María Luisa Bemberg’s Camila (1984)
and Carlos Saura’s Tango (1998).
Cuban Boulevard with Cinematographic Theme
Text and Photos By LázaroNAJARRO
CAMAGUEY._ The only cinematographic
themed boulevard of its kind in Cuba is
an academic, cultural and touristic project
bestowed by the city of Camaguey to
highlight what most characterizes world
cinematography.
National Prizewinning Critic Juan
Antonio GarcÍa told The Havana
Reporter that no similar space exists
in Latin America with the intellectual
characteristics of the project, which
is a fusion of various forms of artistic
expression.
He added that it seeks to pay homage
to the importance of the imaginary within
the 100 year old universe of cinema.
García recalled that celebrations of the
500th anniversary of the foundation of
Camaguey –originally known as the villa of
Santa Maria del Puerto Principe and some
570km east of Havana– provided a context
that decisively boosted the project.
An
exhibition
of
important
architectural examples and a range of
services intertwine to stamp their mark
on the town.
This leisure and academic space
endeavors to fuse cinematic tradition
and state of the art technology in which
establishments form an integral part of
fanciful concepts.
He said that the Cinematographic
Complex incorporated about twenty
cultural, recreational and commercial
facilities among which, “Miracle Alley”, an
allusion to the 1995 Mexican Goya Prize
for Best Ibero-American Film winning
movie based on the Naguih Mahfuz novel
of the same name, features.
García said that area also features
the Casablanca bar, designed in the
style of Rick’s Cafe in the movie starring
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman
and recognized as the only place in
town where, amid photos reminiscent of
the “cine noir” genre, good jazz can be
enjoyed until the early hours.
He added that “Charlot’s Way”, the
Casablanca movie theater, the Nuevo
Mundo (New World) Audiovisual Complex,
the Encanto cinema, the Fotograma
Cultural Center and the Lumiere Video
library were also noteworthy.
The specialist commented that
the entire complex is a venue for
events such as the National Workshop
For Cinematographic Criticism,
the
Camaguey
International
Video-art
Festival, meetings with personalities
from the audiovisual industry and special
screenings of films from Latin-American
and other parts of the world.
He added that the thematic walk
opens national and international tourism
not only to the history of cinema but also
engages visitors with a veritable cultural
forum where the most diverse artistic
expressions and multi-sensory cultural
creations are present and where cultural
diversity is radiant. The Cinematographic
Complex endeavors to rescue, restore
and protect “a record of occurrences from
a cinematic point of view, always with
due regard to the creative possibilities
that can offer a reinterpretation of the
past with a modern perspective.”
PHOTO FEATURE
11
Bear Sculptures in Havana, a Message of Tolerance
TEXT by MarthaSÁNCHEZ PHOTOS by ManuelMUÑOA
HAVANA._ Life-size bear sculptures have taken over the San Francisco de Asís Plaza in
the Cuban capital; sending a message of tolerance and understanding between all the
peoples, cultures and religions in the world.
Germans Eva and Kalus Herlitz, in cooperation with the Austrian sculptor Roman
Strobl, started to sculpt the nearly two meter tall bears in 2001.
The sculptures evoke UN member countries advocating that international
organization’s message of world peace and harmony, according to a statement issued
by the Office of Havana City’s Historian.
Since it was first shown in 2002 in Berlin, the exhibition has toured the cities of
Vienna, Cairo, Jerusalem, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Paris, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Tokyo,
Sydney, Warsaw, and Rio de Janeiro, among others.
As the bears represent different countries, artists from every one of those nations
have contributed to enlarge the project known as United Buddy Bears with diverse
styles and distinctive sets of symbols.
The money collected from the sale of some of those pieces has been used to
support anti-poverty programs.
Made by Cuban artist Nancy Torres, the bear representing Cuba will be auctioned on
the island.
The project’s promoters announced that the bear sculptures will be on display in
Havana until early March, after which they will depart for another country.
12
INTERNATIONAL
Colombians Work for the Peace Dividend
Humberto
de la Calle
BOGOTA._ Trapped in a prolonged
conflict, the Colombian people have
invested their hopes for a deeply desired
peace agreement in talks with FARC-EP
and ELN insurgents.
Although not without obstacles or
contradictions, negotiations with the
Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces
– People’s Army (FARC-EP) have reached
a consensus on issues of rural integration
reform, political inclusion and illicit drugs.
Two years on, talks continue between
government officials and the rebels at
their Havana venue and now broach the
controversial topics of transitional justice,
conflict resolution, disarmament and
societal reintegration of the guerrillas.
The decision in particular to discuss
a bilateral ceasefire has aroused the
expectations of a Colombian public
demanding that it be declared without
delay.
Complexities that exist for parties to
the conflict to consider are exacerbated by
the fact that the talks are being held in the
absence of a full suspension of hostilities.
Despite the government´s initial refusal
to respond positively to such an initiative,
the FARC-EP declared a unilateral ceasefire
last December 20 which has been verified
by the National Center for Conflict Analysis,
the Broad Front for Peace and by President
Juan Manuel Santos.
Continuing insurgency calls for the
suspension of army operations and rebel
camp displacements give an insight into
other elements of concern at a time when
many Colombians have voted to make
2015 “the year for peace”.
This is something reiterated by the
president who has recalled during TV
appearances that he was reelected on the
basis of fulfillment of this promise.
Lawyer Humberto de la Calle, chief
of the government´s negotiating team,
has recognized that the difficult talks are
progressing but that significant differences
regarding key issues such as transitional
justice remain. Because of the risks that
PHOTOs: Vladimir Molina
By AdalysPILAR
these peace negotiations entail, they
constitute an ongoing process based on
a fixed agenda.
There is meanwhile some uncertainty
regarding talks with the National
Liberation Army (ELN for its Spanish
initials) which in a recent communique
expressed willingness to engage in a
formal dialogue with the Dos Santos
administration regarding the conclusion
of an exploratory phase.
There is yet nothing definite about
the form that such meetings might take,
but the governing National Party of Social
Unity (U) has suggested that they proceed
on the basis of topics already discussed
and agreed during talks with the FARCEP. The co-director of U, Hernan Penagos,
said that the sealed agreements could be
very useful tools which could save time
in bringing the 50-year old conflict to an
end.
The drafting of a law to facilitate a
national referendum on agreements reached
in Havana aimed at supporting peace have
a time-frame in the context of regional
elections scheduled for next October.
Parliamentarians, activists and social and
political leaders agree that the attainment
of peace will require the convergence of all
forces engaged in the conflict, even though
there have been no results yet to the steps
taken with the ELN.
The armed conflict has resulted in
more than 230,000 Colombian fatalities
and according to official sources, the
overall register of victims surpasses 6.8
million people.
BOLIVIA
Another Challenging Term for President Morales
LA PAZ._ Evo Morales has assumed his third term as
Bolivian president and contrary to how it might seem,
he has more and greater challenges to face than he has
had since January 2006.
During last October´s election campaign, Morales
focused on the potential to convert the nation into a
regional energy center by exploiting every source of
electrical energy generation from solar to hydro -- with a
special focus on thermal in particular.
As these projects advance, there is a real possibility
that they will in the short term ensure that Bolivia, in
addition to being an exporter of gas, quinoa, textiles and
minerals, will begin to sell electricity.
For Fernando Fuentes, who for the past two years
has been the deputy minister for Consumer Protection
and who played an active role in the Morales election
campaign in the central Cochabamba region, the
greatest challenge facing the president is to press on
with the process of change in the face of collapsing
oil prices.
In an exclusive interview with the Prensa Latina news
agency, Fuentes said maintaining the rate of investment
is fundamental despite the shrinking income from gas
sales. He highlighted the importance of concluding
giant projects such as those in the urea and ammonium
industries, presently under construction.
Carlos Aparicio, who was secretary of the Chamber
of Deputies until recently, says that the economy will
pose the most serious challenge for the president and
above all the reduction of the gap between the richest
and poorest members of Bolivian society.
PHOTO: Vladimir Molina
By HéctorMIRANDA
Aparicio added that “the president has many tasks to
face, of which the economy is the most important, and
he will need to maintain investment in industry and in
food production because, even though there have been
advances between 2006 and today, inequality has not
been eradicated.¨ Bolivia’s first indigenous president
has advocated for the need for scientific liberation and
to have capable men and women available to add value
to the country’s raw material resources and to lend an
important boost to his project.
The construction of a scientific city in Cochabamba
will prove crucial in the development of men of science
while the government will prioritize the education of
new generations and the population´s health -- with
special attention paid to those areas that have never had
their own doctor or hospital.
Even though he might encounter some regional
opposition to the ongoing process of change, Morales
can count on the support of a majority in both the
Senate (25-36) and the Chamber of Deputies (88-130)
in the Legislative Assembly, which represents more than
the required two thirds majority.
The Movimiento Al Socialismo ( The Movement toward
Socialism, MAS), which won a landslide victory in the
October elections, might have problems in regional polls
scheduled for next March, above all in the bigger cities.
Internal candidate selection problems seem to be
the root cause of diminished support in some cities and
regions for the ruling party despite the fact that Morales
has the overwhelming support of rural areas, the Bolivian
Workers´ Union and even the business community.
Ensuring that unity prevails within his party and
guaranteeing the support of the social movements as
he has done to date poses a further challenge for the
president, who is more committed than ever to turning
Bolivia, for many years trailing in the region, into an
economic power.
INTERNATIONAL
13
Mexico Targets A Wind Powered Future
By OrlandoORAMAS
MEXICO CITY._ With the price of crude at
less than 40 dollars a barrel and extraction
costs to Mexico on the rise, the country is
depending more on renewable –wind in
particular– energy.
Energy Minister Pedro Joaquin
Coldwell has announced a 14 billion dollar
private investment funded program that
will aim to expand the Mexican windfarm infrastructure over the next four
years.
Renewable energy accounts for
approximately 20 percent of electricity
generated in Mexico, of which wind
energy accounts for a mere 2 percent.
Fuel oil distilled from crude is what is
most used in Mexican power generation
stations but the perpetual decline in
local oil production poses a threat to the
system.
Adrian Escofet, president of the
Mexican Wind Energy Association,
said that “the aim of the announced
investment is to reach 9,500 megawatts
and increase the share of electricity
generated by this source to eight
percent.”
The state-owned Federal Electricity
Commission (CFE for its Spanish initials)
will also increase spending on wind
energy by 3.5 billion dollars for the
construction of eight new wind farms.
CFE director Enrique Ochoa said that
“Mexico has great renewable energy
potential and is privileged by virtue of
climatic conditions and geographical
location .”
According to a Pricewaterhouse
Coopers (PwC) report entitled “Mexican
Wind Power Potential”, by their energy
sector director, Eduardo Reyes, the
installation of renewable energy capacity
is destined to rise annually thanks to
higher efficiency while the potential
exists to produce up to 20,000 megawatts.
Some of these projects have sparked
off protests from environmentalists
and affected land owners. The energy
minister emphasized that “constitutional
changes that facilitate the opening of
the energy sector oblige authorities to
consult indigenous communities when
an energy project is planned on their
lands.¨
Spain´s Acciona, Iberdrola and
Gamesa along with the CFE have already
prepared their portfolio of projects for
the coming years.
These Spanish companies have
subsidiaries in Mexico and as a result of
energy reforms they will be able to sell
the electricity they produce, something
that used to be exclusively a CFE
activity. Acciona director general, Miguel
Angel Alonso, commented that “the
government has established sufficiently
stable foundations so that companies
such as ours that invest in wind-energy
are well positioned for development.”
Acciona, which is already generating
2,000 megawatts, will invest 650 million
dollars in the construction of 3 wind
farms.
The chief of regulatory affairs at
Iberdrola, Alvaro Portellano, said that
their “investment in Mexico could rise to
5 billion dollars”.
The full amount of the Spanish
multinational investment covers diverse
energy related opportunities within
the framework the reforms allow in the
renewable and hydrocarbon sectors.
Iberdrola, which is Mexico’s second
biggest electricity producer (5,200
megawatts), has wind energy projects
under construction in Oaxaca, Baja
California, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila.
The president of the Mexican Wind
Energy Association has said that if all
plans come to fruition, by the end of
the six-year term of Enrique Peña Nieto
Mexico´s capacity to generate wind
energy will be almost four times that at
present.
Mexico still looks towards the subsoil
but now also raises mills that face the
winds of development, among other
renewable sources.
14
ECONOMY
CUBA
Step by Step towards Single Currency
Text by CiraRODRIGUEZ & PHOTOS: FotosPL.
HAVANA._ The process of eliminating the
dual currency system in Cuba is expanding
and being fortified as conditions for this
planned move are created within the
context of all that the modernization of
the nation´s economic model implies.
Although the change is of the utmost
urgency given its bearing on the monetary
restructuring, which centers on the Cuban
peso (CUP), it will also favor the stateowned sector and enterprises for whom
the exchange rate within the economy
does not reflect the real transactions.
As Cuban authorities and experts
have reiterated, monetary and exchange
unification will not of itself resolve
the present problems facing the
domestic economy, but its introduction
is a key element in guaranteeing the
reestablishment of the value and
functionality of the Cuban Peso as a
measure of value and a unit of circulation,
payment and saving.
Just one example of its negative
impact: it has been established that the
system of dual currency and exchange
distorts the economic valuation of goods
and services for export, which impedes
the accurate determination of their
competitiveness.
The topic has become all the more
relevant for both institutions (companies,
cooperatives and subsidized bodies)
and individuals (small farmers, self
employed and the public at large) since
the publication of the decision to put
into effect a timetable for the execution
of measures leading directly to monetary
and exchange unification. However, as is
the case with every decisive process for
the economic, social and political life of a
nation, this is, because of its importance
and implications, a definitive but gradual
and staged introduction.
The first and most visible manifestation
is the acceptance of the CUP as payment
in stores that previously accepted only
the CUC (convertible peso). This policy
now extends nationwide.
At the close of the first quarter of
2014, a range of Cuban retail stores that
operated exclusively in hard currency
began to accept the Cuban peso in
payment for purchases; a move that was
very much welcomed by a significant
percentage of the population.
Similar transactions in either currency
can now be undertaken in fuel service
stations, a method that, as in the case of
retail stores also in the adjustment and
rectification stages, will remain in place
until “Zero Day”, as economists refer to
the as yet undisclosed changeover day.
Thus, from “zero day plus one” onwards,
monetary union will be in effect and only
one legal tender will freely circulate for
monetary and financial transactional use,
which is to say that all transactions will be
carried out in Cuban pesos.
It is worth recalling that dual currency
circulation began in Cuba at one of the
most complex moments of the so called
“special period” (post socialist block
disintegration); when a severe scarcity
of hard currency had a dramatic sudden
impact, and was always intended to be a
temporary measure.
Authorization was granted at that
time for the internal circulation of six
foreign currencies, the most predominant
of which was the U.S. dollar. A year later, in
December 1994, a new Cuban currency–
the convertible Cuban peso or CUC –,
that has remained in use in conjunction
with the Cuban peso, began to circulate
too. Economist Jose Luis Rodriguez, of
the Center for World Economy Studies,
has assured that from that point forward
there were repercussions arising from
dual currency circulation that created
difficulties in the measurement of
economic activity undertaken in two
interactive currencies that overvalued
the Cuban peso against the dollar.
For the public this was the start of a
very devalued Cuban peso against the
CUC, at a rate of exchange relative to
supply and demand within the domestic
market. In this regard, excessive Cuban
peso monetary liquidity exercised
upward pressure on the exchange rate,
making the convertible peso more
expensive.
On that basis, the forecast gradual
monetary reunification should insure the
greatest possible degree of economic
stability and security for every member
of society.
Cuba’s Tallest Tower
By Francisco G.NAVARRO
CIENFUEGOS._ In addition to being the
island’s tallest structure at 192 meters
and representing a point of reference in
the Cuban territory, the tower at the oil
refinery that Cuba and Venezuela jointly
operate in the south-central city of
Cienfuegos is an example of the benefits
of regional economic and energy
integration.
The white smoke that has been
bellowing from the industrial tower
for seven years now, is an indication of
the continuation of a project launched
by the two governments within the
framework of a more comprehensive
initiative: PetroCaribe; an integration
mechanism supported by the Bolivarian
Alliance for the Peoples of Our America
(ALBA). By the end of 2014, the joint oil
refinery named after Camilo Cienfuegos
–hero of the revolutionary fight in the
1950s– had processed nearly 18.2 million
barrels of crude oil, bringing the total to
139 million since operations started.
For this, the local port received 47
cargo ships during the past 12 months,
bringing the number from Venezuela to
373 since the first cargo ship docked in
early December 2007, sector authorities
recalled.
The figures corroborate statements
made by Cuban engineer Humberto
Padrón and Venezuelan Ramón
Curapiaca –the plant’s general and
deputy director respectively– in telling
the press that well-rooted bilateral
cooperation is progressing sensibly.
The industrial CUVENPETROL, S.A.
company manufactures a series of
products made from petroleum byproducts; including jet fuel and gasoline,
diesel fuel, fuel oil and liquefied gas; the
last three of which have two variants.
In the latest economic report jet fuel
and gasoline recorded the best results.
Oil directors noted that no damage
or workplace accidents had occurred
during works based on the principle
of environmental responsibility for
the Bay of Jagua and the atmosphere
to attain these results. In a period
marked by a significant drop in oil
prices, the Venezuelan government
has guaranteed the supply of oil to the
plant, which is still an economic priority
in the joint relations encouraged by
ALBA, engineer Curapiaca said.
For the 150,000 inhabitants of the
provincial capital of Cienfuegos, 250
kilometers southeast of Havana, the
sight of white smoke coming out of
Cuba’s tallest tower every morning is an
optimistic signal.
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SPORTS
15
CUBA
Hemingway Tournament Keeps Reeling in Interest
PHOTO: FotosPl.
By RobertoCAMPOS
HAVANA. The Cuban seas offer
permanent excitement. This is
proven by an annual event with
close links to Ernest Hemingway,
the North American author
who held the island –and its
inhabitants in particular– in very
high esteem.
The most recent edition
was marked by strong foreign
participation which adds weight
to the belief that the future of
marine tourism in Cuba looks
promising.
Coincidentally,
the 2015
Cuban International Tourist
Fair, to take place on the
beautiful keys of the NorthCentral “Jardines de Rey” region
next May, will be dedicated to
nautical tourism.
In addition to the overall
prizewinner, another significant
achievement of the most recent
64th Hemingway Bill Fishing
Tournament is that it held the
second highest attendance rate
in the past 10 years.
The Hemingway tournament,
which is usually held during the
months of May or June, proved,
according to participants and
organizers, to be a resounding
success in 2014 and the triumph
of the Cuban team forecasts well
for even better fishing in 2015.
Divided into 22 teams
representing 11 nations –
Canada, U.S.A., France. Sweden,
U.K., Cuba, Italy, Latvia, Mexico,
Spain and Russia, 83 anglers
enlisted in the last event, the
second largest contingent of
participants in a decade.
As is habitual, a catch and
release policy was applied for
species and environmental
protection.
The organizing committee
said that a total of 26 marlins
and 48 dorados were tagged
and
photographed, which
represents an increase to
previous tournaments and is a
positive indicator of the wealth
of fauna off the Havana coast
competition zone.
At the closing, Alexis Trujillo,
deputy minister of Tourism
said that the 64th edition had
highlighted the rich marine
environment of the Cuban
archipelago and had paved
the way for the hosting of the
65th Hemingway Tournament,
scheduled to run from May 25 to
30 this year.
Presently based at the
Hemingway Marina on Havana’s
west-side, the tournament has
a history dating back to 1950
when the novelist who the
contest was named after was
alive.
With the exception of the
Nova Scotia Tuna World Cup and
the Mexican Shad Tournament,
this is the oldest competition of
this type on earth.
A unique attraction of the
tournament for experts is the
link to its 1950s baptism by the
U.S. seafaring novelist.
The “Hemingway Mile”, a strip
that runs parallel to the Havana
shore line and renowned for
excellent catches of both
pelagic and bill fish –depending
on its Gulf of Mexico currents–
has a particular significance for
anglers.
Participating
anglers
appreciate such gems in
addition to being enamored
by the hospitality extended to
tourists in the surroundings of
the event’s Hemingway Marina
venue.
BASEBALL
Cuba´s Hall of Fame, a Grand Slam
HAVANA._ No other country can claim a
national identity as closely tied to the game
of baseball as Cuba. With the exception of
the United States, this Caribbean island
features a unique heritage of home runs
and strikes.
However, for some strange reason,
Cuba had lacked a place to preserve the
history that honors, extols, fascinates and
imbues the national passion for the game.
This is a reference to the Hall of Fame,
which has suffered from a lack of vitality
and purpose to augment its grandeur, even
after it was established by the National
Board of Sports and its first members were
inducted in 1939, only three years after
that the U.S. did so.
Neither then, nor after 1961, when the
Hall of Fame became inactive, did Cuba
have a space to exhibit baseball treasures
to visitors, locals, experts and neophytes,
fans and indeed, those for whom the sport
may mean little.
Stars had to be sought out in the
press and stories disseminated orally.
Some reached us from Cooperstown,
New York, where the legendary careers of
Martin Dihigo, José de la Caridad Méndez,
Cristóbal Torriente and Atanasio Pérez
still live. They all came from Cuba, the
Latin American nation that boasts the
greatest number of stars immortalized in
the United States. At least theoretically,
Omar Linares
PHOTO: FotosPl.
By RafaelARZUAGA
the black hole of Cuban baseball began
to disappear last November 7, when
a group of enthusiastic intellectuals,
film makers, journalists and scorers
¨refounded¨ the island´s Hall of Fame
and brought it into the limelight.
It gained a further boost last
December 28 on the occasion of the “AllStars Game” in the eastern Cuban city
of Bayamo, where eternal recognition
was bestowed upon Orestes Miñoso,
Conrado Marrero, umpire Amado
Maestri, Esteban Bellán and Camilo
Pascual, all of them active before 1961,
and Omar Linares, Orestes Kindelán, Luis Giraldo Casanova, Antonio Muñoz, and
Braudilio Vinent, who played later.
Furthermore, the National Board of Sports has ruled for the first time ever that as a
token of further homage, the home teams of the latter cannot feature the numbers 10,
46, 14, 5 or 35 on their uniforms, which were easily recognized by fans both at home
and abroad. And so, a space has been recovered, even though it is not yet housed in
any building. Some may see it as a very long term goal while others will regard it as a
life preserver thrown to someone drowning in a wild river. However, there´s no doubt
that it is a dynamic and convincing, if humble, way to start paying off an outstanding
debt to the history of Cuban baseball and drawing attention to the theme.
These developments were considered a grand slam, a 94 mph strike, in other words,
the best thing that –in addition to the title won at the 22nd Central American and
Caribbean Games hosted by the Mexican city of Veracruz– happened to Cuban baseball
in 2014.
16
INTERNATIONAL
Cuba Will Never Renounce Principles in Relations With US
HAVANA._ Relations between Cuba and the United States
should be based on principles without the undermining
of the island’s sovereignty and with respect for both
international law and the United Nations Charter.
As Josefina Vidal, director general of the Cuba’s
Foreign Ministry U.S. Office commented recently, no
one can expect Cuba to renounce the principles that
underpin its political system in order to improve relations
with the United States.
Vidal led the Cuban delegation in the first round
of talks both sides held January 22 regarding the
reestablishment of diplomatic ties after more than
fifty years of complex bilateral relations marked by
Washington’s hostility.
The Cuban official stressed that all this is about
establishing civilized relations between two nations
with profound differences and distinctive concepts on
several issues that could nonetheless peacefully co-exist.
An important step in the joint initiative to normalize
the bilateral relations –which both agree will be a long
and complex process– will be the lifting of the economic,
financial and commercial blockade the U.S. has enforced
against Cuba for more than five decades.
Vidal also highlighted the evident contradiction
between the process to reestablish bilateral diplomatic
ties and the fact that the U.S. keeps Cuba on a list of
nations that the White House alleges sponsor terrorism.
In a press statement released after the meeting, the
Cuban delegation expressed serious concern over the
disregard for Human Rights in the United States and
said it was willing to engage in talks on this issue.
Although the two sides recognize profound
differences, spokespersons for both delegations agreed
in describing the talks as positive, constructive and
respectful and expressed interest in continuing them.
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere
Affairs, Roberta Jacobson, led the U.S. delegation to the
talks, which were extensively covered by domestic and
international media.
As part of a scheduled program, the 28th round of
talks on migration issues was held on January 21 while
cooperation on issues of mutual interest was discussed
the afternoon of the following day.
At those talks, both sides reviewed their cooperation
on several issues, including air and aviation security as
well as response to oil spills.
PHOTOS: Vladimir Molina
By ErnestoVERA
The Cuban delegation reiterated its government´s
willingness to engage in talks with U.S. counterparts
on seismic monitoring, protected marine areas and
hydrography and to participate in joint marine species
research. Cuba also proposed that both sides meet to
define an effective and efficient cooperation methodology
to confront the Ebola virus, among other initiatives.
On migration, both negotiating teams agreed to
continue talks that have been ongoing for twenty years
aimed at attaining a legal, safe and orderly migratory
flow between the two nations.
However, the U.S. delegation reaffirmed its country’s
decision to maintain the Cuban Adjustment Act and the
“wet foot, dry foot” policy, viewed by Havana as major
incentives for illegal emigration from Cuba to the U.S.
and human trafficking.