Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, will stop in Cuba today for a historic meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, at Havana’s José Martí International airport. The Pope has said the purpose for the meeting is to have a “personal conversation” with the leader of the Russian Orthodox … Read more
Cuban brothers Lourdes Gurriel Jr., 22, and Yulieski Gurriel, 31, appear to have defected from Cuba’s Ciego de Avila team following the Caribbean Series being held in the Dominican Republic. The series included teams from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela It is expected that the brothers will seek contracts with major … Read more
Each year the University of Idaho Department of English hosts A Moveable Feast fundraising dinner in honor of Ernest Hemingway’s insatiable appetite for good food, good drink, and good company. A local restaurant is chosen to cater the Feast each year for which the chef builds a unique menu inspired by Hemingway’s life and writing. … Read more
It should be no surprise to anyone that HumansofHavana.com (HOH) is much like Brandon Stanton’s wildly popular HumansofNewYork.com (HONY). That’s because Brandon has done such a great job building HONY – and he has acknowledged and welcomed all the other “Humans of” sites around the world. The HOH project is the Cuba Journal’s foray into … Read more
Cuba’s Tech and Startup Scenes – On the Verge of Connection It is an unmistakable sign of technical sophistication when developers are capable of discussing and debating code at a conceptual level — as opposed to simply executing on tasks. Mastering the underlying concepts allows coders to unlock the door to high-level problem solving, the … Read more
It is no secrete that Cuba’s future economic development plans includes a focus on travel and tourism. Current US rules have so far restricted US firms from doing business in Cuba. Although Obama has loosened some restrictions, the travel and tourism sector remain off limits for US-based firms. Recently, Choice Hotels’ Steve Joyce visited Cuba. … Read more
According to an announcement made on Sunday by ETECSA, Cuba’s state telecommunications company, a pilot project to bring broadband internet into Cuban homes is moving forward. The announcement was made by Odalys Rodríguez del Toro, ETECSA’s director for Havana. Del Toro also stated that three parks will receive new WiFi service including the Castillito and … Read more
Recently, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) removed Cuba from its exclusion list. Now, US-based telecom operators can provide Internet and telephone services to Cuba without separate approval from the FCC and can export telecom equipment and products to Cuba. US State Department officials said that while the US is making efforts to conclude telecommunications agreements … Read more
Washington announced today further loosening of air travel and export financing restrictions related to Cuba. The amendments, “will remove restrictions on payment and financing terms for authorized exports and re-exports to Cuba of items other than agricultural items or commodities,” according to a statement from the Treasury and Commerce Departments. “Today’s amendments to the Cuban … Read more
Today, Engage Cuba announced the creation of the Engage Cuba Policy Council, a group comprised of renowned Cuba policy experts who will provide their expertise to inform the organization’s work. Amid the complex dynamics of U.S.-Cuba politics, the Engage Cuba Policy Council will be uniquely situated to draw from their combined experiences in academia, policy … Read more
