Cuba News Roundup: January 21st, 2022
Any headline with the letters C.I.A. in it gives us a funny feeling but alas, the agency claims that Russia doesn’t have anything to do with the so called Havana Syndrome. 
A head scratching headline coming from the New York Times this week, with the C.I.A. claiming that the ailments known as Havana Syndrome are unlikely to have been caused by Russia or another adversary. While believing a statement the C.I.A. puts out could be parallel to believing in Santa Claus, it does seem that nobody knows will say what the real story is.
Look to the southeast and you’ll find a kidnapped Cuban doctor in the D.R. This is after a ransom payment was made (and that my friends is why you don’t negotiate with terrorists). Six mass trials have concluded, leaving Cuban protestors to await potential lengthy prison sentences. Tensions remain high between Russia and U.S. leaving many to ponder Putin’s plans for Cuba. Spain’s EFE is likely to have to leave Cuba. A Miami Herald opinion piece calls out Miami politicians for calling for democracy while acting like fascists. And, Puerto Rico has received judge approval for its debt restructuring – the largest public sector bankruptcy deal in U.S. history. Read on… it gets juicy this week.
By the way, none of the opinions in any of the stories shared on this page represent ours; we’re just sharing them with you. If you are a journalist or you have seen a story that you’d like us to consider for future weekly news roundups, please send us a note and a link to the story here.
Relatives show pictures of relatives in prison. Photo: Ap/Ramon Espinosa
Cuban courts have wrapped up the hearing phase of six mass trials for people accused of involvement in the largest and most unruly protests on the island in decades, leaving more than 100 defendants awaiting potentially heavy sentences. Read more at apnews.com.
December 1, 2023
Top bartenders and mixologists from around the world pitched up in Cuba’s top beach resort last year to compete in the IBA World Cocktail Championship shining a spotlight on global drinks and craft cocktails.
Cuban doctor Daymara Helen Pérez Alabedra was kidnapped in Haiti, a fellow doctor confirmed. Photo: Facebook
More than a week after she was kidnapped, a Cuban doctor is still being held for ransom in Haiti, where violent gangs keep disrupting essential services. Read more at miamiherald.com.
Bringing Communism to Washington’s back yard meant dealing a double blow to the White House and raising the stakes in the Cold War. Read more at aljazeera.com.
Puerto Rico received approval from a federal judge on Tuesday to leave bankruptcy under the largest public-sector debt restructuring deal in the history of the United States, nearly five years after the financially strapped territory declared it could not repay its creditors. Read more at nytimes.com.
February 10, 2023
Samuel Riera’s Art Brut Cuba opens channels for Outsider Artists to sell their art when they otherwise couldn’t earn a living from their work.
Soberana is one of Cuba’s homegrown vaccines Photo: Yahoo! News file
For almost half a century, Spain’s EFE news agency has reported from Cuba, covering everything from the historic visit by President Barack Obama to the death of Fidel Castro. But its independent coverage in one of the world’s most censored societies could be about to end. Read more at voanews.com.
The C.I.A. has found that most cases of the mysterious ailments known as Havana syndrome are unlikely to have been caused by Russia or another foreign adversary, agency officials said, a conclusion that angered victims. Read more at nytimes.com.
Gov. Ron DeSantis gives opening remarks flanked by local state delegation members before signing legislation to make it harder for social-media companies to punish users who violate terms of service agreements. Photo: Carl Juste Miami Herald.
I hardly recognize you, Cuban-American Republican lawmakers from Miami. You are a shameful bunch. How can you call for democracy in Cuba with a straight face — and any measure of credibility — when you subscribe and indulge the fascist, racist impulses of Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida. Read more at miamiherald.com.