Startup Cuba Weekly News Roundup: October 7th, 2022
Reports are claiming that as many as 77,000 homes are damaged on the island. So yeah, how can the U.S. just standby? 
El Bocadito: Cuba asked the U.S. for help. The U.S. said, “let’s talk.” Talk (talking) they did. That’s basically the bocadito for the week. Although, one could also argue that there’s nothing “ito” about it. Much more GFD (Grande F’in Deal) than anything. Could it be the detente that’s been needed to break the impasse? Again?
In other, yet related news, the reports coming out of Cuba for Hurricane Ian are claiming that as many as 77,000 homes have been damaged on the island following the storm. 77,000. That is an enormous number and most likely the reason that the resource strapped starved island is picking up the phone to reach out and touch someone the United States. Of course, people are still frustrated as the island nation’s infrastructure continues to crumble and then there’s… baseball. If you’re looking to support the Cuban people in this time of extreme need, we’ve put a list of Hurricane Ian resources together here. For more of the week’s headlines, scroll below.
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.
Videos taken in La Coloma, Pinar del Río, Cuba, show extreme damage during and after Hurricane Ian. BY PROVIDED TO THE MIAMI HERALD
Hurricane Ian, which hit western Cuba last week with Category 3 force winds and brought devastating flooding to the western provinces of Pinar del Río and Artemisa, damaged or destroyed more than 77,000 homes, Cuban authorities said. Read more at miamiherald.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.
Washington Post: U.S. Weighs Aid to Cuba Following Hurricane and Request From Havana
The Biden administration is having “ongoing conversations” with the Cuban government on “the humanitarian needs of the Cuban people” in the wake of the devastation on the island caused by Hurricane Ian, a senior State Department official said Wednesday. Read more at washingtonpost.com.
Havana’s modern “international” architecture has Cuba’s urban planners worried.
Somerville City Councilor WiIlie Burnley Jr. is pictured. Courtesy Willie Burnley Jr.
Somerville City Councilor At-Large Willie Burnley Jr. introduced a resolution on Sept. 22 that calls upon President Biden to remove Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List and pressure Congress to end the “failed policy of regime change.” Similar resolutions have been introduced by Cambridge, Boston and the town of Brookline in the past year. Read more at tuftsdaily.com.
People leave a store that displays an image of late Cuban President Fidel Castro, in downtown Havana, Cuba, October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
Cuba had restored power to most of Havana on Monday following Hurricane Ian, defusing tension in the capital after scattered protests last week, though anger still simmered on the streets as residents struggled to replace food and supplies squandered by blackouts. Read more at reuters.com.
Aledmys Díaz stuffed his jersey into a small backpack and walked away from the Cuban National Team during a tournament in the Netherlands in 2012. Cionel Pérez was coming off a terrific season in Cuba’s Serie Nacional when he fled, leaving the island by boat in 2015, bound for the Dominican Republic. Read more at usatoday.com.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez, Havana, Cuba, Oct. 4, 2022. | Photo: Twitter/ @EmbaCuba_SKN
On Tuesday, Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez ratified that his country is willing to hold a dialogue with the United States Government on the basis of mutual respect and equality. Read more at telesurenglish.net.
Yamile Sánchez leaned from her colonial-era window into the street in central Havana, a large pile of avocados visible behind her. “The damage used to be sorted out much faster,” she said. “Even when the storms were worse.” Read more at theguardian.com.