On Two Shores

12/11/2013

Birds of a feather...

Because he was told a more senior person was in the next room waiting for him:

12/10/2013

Just like their mouth-breathing counterparts on Miami AM Cuban radio and at Babalu Blog, the Cuban government wishes the handshake never happened.

Just like their mouth-breathing counterparts on Miami AM Cuban radio and at Babalu Blog, the Cuban government wishes the handshake never happened, according to Yoani Sanchez: Official TV news program omites salutation of the President to Raúl Castro in SouthAfrica. Let's see how will th...

11/08/2013

"Reconciliation requires forgiveness and justice. To the extent that we are unable to heal because we continue to dwell on our pain, we are rendered incapable of crafting a new future. Forgiveness requires that we not allow the future to be doomed by the past. The violence caused by both sides needs to be remembered and addressed, but without degenerating into revenge. Requiring that change bring about justice before anything else only serves to delay the very process of change, thereby causing greater injustice"

I've written before about the Cuba Study Group's Reconciliation Project, which aims to study and debate how reconciliation processes in deeply divided countries have been successful, and the lessons that can be learned for Cuba. Their second conference just took place in Miami, with the participatio...

07/31/2013

It’s hard to explain the appeal of Alvarez Guedes if you’re not Cuban. His act was part Bill Cosby with long soliloquies about Cuban culture, and incisive observations like George Carlin. He’s also the consummate Cuban, with a permanent twinkle in his eye and a knowing smile lifting his moustache, his deliberate and witty delivery and his raspy and warm voice, always alternating between “in the know” lows and expansive “can you believe this” highs, punctuated with the best uses of coños and carajos. Listening to one of his records was like talking to your favorite uncle tell his exaggerated, rambling stories, only ten thousand times funnier.

Fidel Castro is giving a speech at Revolution Square. Half a million Cubans are present. He's bellowing: "We will forever stand strong in the face of imperialist aggression!" Meanwhile, an ice cream vendor tries to sell his wares in the crowd: "¡Coquito y piña!" (Coconut and pineapple flavors) Castr...

05/28/2013

The blockade, or embargo, or unilateral sanctions, or bloqueo—as you wish—are completely futile and have served miserably the ends which they so passionately seek to accomplish: remove Castro(s) from power and give the island a capitalist transplant. The 11th Circuit highlighted the labyrinth that is U.S.-Cuba legislation and called it “long-standing,” “nuanced,” and “highly calibrated.” That’s putting it gently.

By Guillermo Artiles The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld the Southern District of Florida's decision to enjoin Florida's Department of Transportation from enforcing the Cuba Amendment. No, this is not an amendment emanating from (or affecting) the island of 13 million that lies athw...

04/15/2013

04/15/2013

A positive take on tourism to Cuba.

Amidst all the hoopla over Beyonce and Jay-Z trip to Cuba, we thought it would be a good time to remind our readers of what acclaimed Cuban blogger has to say about tourism:

04/12/2013

Must-read article by William Leogrande on Foreign Policy about The Cuba Lobby in DC, and their influence over Washington.

Must-read article by William Leogrande on Foreign Policy about The Cuba Lobby in DC, and their influence over Washington. I have a couple issues with this article: 1) the headline "Castro-hating right wing". To clarify, they're not the only ones who hates Castro. An overwhelming majority of Cuban-A...

04/12/2013

If there’s something made clear and obvious after the much ballyhooed trip of Jay and Bey to Cuba, is the absurdity of licensed travel. It’s time to get rid of it, and open travel for any American citizen who wants to visit.

If there's something made clear and obvious after the much ballyhooed trip of Jay and Bey to Cuba, is the absurdity of licensed travel. It's time to get rid of it, and open travel for any American citizen who wants to visit. Opponents say that the travelers have contact with government officials or…

04/10/2013

Excellent op-ed by Carlos Saladrigas, on how the visit of Yoani Sanchez left a mark on the exile community.

Excellent op-ed by Carlos Saladrigas, on how the visit of Yoani Sanchez left a mark on the exile community. Her visit presented a big contrast to Oswaldo Payá’s visit nearly 10 years ago. Like Yoani, Payá had spoken against the embargo and preached a message of hope and reconciliation. He talked ab...

04/06/2013

So I’ve been trying not to comment on Beyonce’s and Jay Z’s trip to Cuba (btw, how come she gets first billing? Hova is just as successful. But I digress) because this ain’t the fourth or fifth most famous Cuban’s blog and because honestly, a couple of millionaires vacationing in Cuba and stimulating the local independent economy (notice how they are dining at paladares) and generally making the day of their Cuban fans who spot them on the streets should be the new normal. I’d love for the news coverage to include the names of La Guarida and La Moneda Cubana, so those fine establishments enjoy even more deserved recognition and increased business.

So I've been trying not to comment on Beyonce's and Jay Z's trip to Cuba (btw, how come she gets first billing? Hova is just as successful. But I digress) because this ain't the fourth or fifth most famous Cuban's blog and because honestly, a couple of millionaires vacationing in Cuba and stimulatin...