HavanaReporterYEAR VIIINº 13JUL 16, 2018HAVANA, CUBAISSN 2224-5707Price: 1.00 CUC1.00 USD1.20 CAN

Y O U R S O U R C E O F N E W S & M O R EA Bimonthly Newspaper of the Prensa Latina News Agency

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The Wonderful & Authentic Havana Turns 500

La Colmenita: A Cuban Theater Company that Promotes Values & Art

Stone Zoo: Nature & Art Combined in Cuba’s Eastern Mountains

P. 6 P. 7 P. 11

Culture Culture Photo Feature

The Moncada Garrison 65 Years After

Pastors for Peace, a Bridge Between

USA & Cuba

P. 3 P. 4

President: Luis Enrique González.Information Vice President: Hector Miranda.Editorial Vice President: Lianet AriasChief Editor: Luis MelianTranslation: Dayamí Interian/ Yanely Interián

HavanaReporterTHE

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2 TOURISM

HAVANA.- The influx of U.S. tourists to Cuba is one of the topics that draws much attention from journalists specialized in tourist issues, as evidenced at a meeting recently held here.

As stated by professor Paolo Spadoni, of the Augusta University (Georgia, USA), if restrictions on the travel of U.S. citizens to Cuba were lifted, about 3.5 million of them would visit the island.

Spadoni addressed about 65 communicators – mainly from Latin America – present at the 13th International Journalism and Tourism Seminar, held from June 25 to 29.

The meeting, held at Havana’s José Martí International Journalism Institute, gathered representatives from 12 nations, including the host country.

During his talk, the U.S. professor noted that over one million U.S. visitors could come to the island in the short term if the travel restrictions imposed by the government of president Donald Trump were lifted.

His lecture, entitled ‘The Impact of the new measures taken by the current U.S. government on tourism in the Caribbean,’ dealt with topics that went from the actions taken by former U.S. president Barack Obama to the intensification of Trump’s measures against Cuba, and its impact on the Caribbean region.

The specialist opened his talk by analyzing the start of the normalization process between the United States and Cuba, on December 17, 2014. In this

sense, he referred to the changes made by Obama in relation to the economic sanctions, and the subsequent “warming of the thaw”.

He also talked about the development of international tourism in Cuba, the business possibilities for both countries and the impact of the measures taken by Trump, which intensified the restrictions Washington has imposed on Havana for over 50 years.

Spadoni recalled that Cuba’s main economic source of income in the first half of the 1990s was the sugarcane industry, and then tourism, to which the provision of professional services is now added.

He stressed that tourism continues to be an important source of liquidity and reserve.

The professor also mentioned that Canada is Cuba’s first issuing market – 1,134,225 visitors came last year –

U.S. Citizens Take Strong Interest in Cuba

Text & Photos by RobertoCAMPOS

followed by the United States – more than one million. This data show the potential Cuba has for the U.S. visitors.

The measures taken by Obama eased the U.S. restrictions on travel, remittances, trade, investment, bank and financial operations, among others.

However, these measures didn’t have a chance to attain much progress in practice, because of Trump’s restrictions. Nonetheless, the 12-category measure is still in force for those who want to come to Cuba from the United States, while the number of cruise ships continues to increase, the expert said.

The seminar also dealt with issues related to the country’s heritage, technology and tourism, the hotel business and other topics of interest.

The Cuban Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) General Manager for Development, José Daniel Alonso, referred to topics related to the sector

and stated his confidence on receiving 4.7 million foreign visitors by the end of 2018 – a figure reached in 2017.

The seminar, organized by the Cuban Journalist Association (UPEC) Tourism Section, included the presentation of the Journalism and Tourism Department of the José Martí International Journalism Institute.

Communicators from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Argentina, Colombia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Uruguay, Peru, Mexico and the United States attended the meeting, in addition to the host country.

After three days of theoretical sessions and talks, the participants toured tourist places in Havana and facilities of Varadero resort.

The 14th edition of the seminar, to take place in late June 2019, is expected to welcome a higher number of Cuban and foreign press professionals.

3CUBA

SANTIAGO de Cuba.- Ever since Fidel Castro and other revolutionary fighters attacked the Moncada Garrison in this Eastern Cuban city at dawn on July 26, 1953, locals began to feel a deep affection for the military fortress.

That action marked the beginning of the final period of Cuba's wars of independence, which closed with the revolutionary triumph five years, five months and five days later, on January 1, 1959, leaving an imprint on the city’s historic memory and patriotic spirituality.

The imposing military enclave, which comprises one block in one of the city’s highest points, was turned into a school in 1960. The anniversary of this day was first celebrated in 1962, and ever since 1973 it has been commemorating at the site every five years.

Like every year during carnival, locals do an assessment of the economic, political, social and cultural achievements inspired by this legacy, this time 65 years after the attack.

The July 26 set of monuments is regarded as the apple of the City Preservation Office’s eyes due to the many visitors who tour the site. As a new anniversary of the day approaches, the building is being refurbished as part of efforts to further embellish the city.

The other two targets of the attack, the Palace of Justice and the former Civil Hospital, today known as Abel Santamaria park/museum, are also undergoing restoration, together with the Frank País School of Teachers, a National Monument in that same section of the city.

FROM PAST TO NEW FEATSSponsored by the National Union of

Historians, the Cultural Patrimony Council, the Council of State’s Office for Historic Affairs and the University of Oriente, a workshop dedicated to the collective approach of museums and other institutions connected with the Moncada Attack was held at the Antonio Maceo Revolution Square’s Salón de los Vitrales.

The conference taught by Dr. Mario Mecia, National History Prize laureate, referred to the origin and development of Fidel Castro’s political thinking and insurrectional action.

In the meantime, different research papers by specialists from the house-museums of some of the July 26 heroes and from the immaterial heritage office bear testimony to the event and the Granjita Siboney camp, with information about the work done with the community, children and youth to encourage familiarization among the youngest generation.

The creation of a network that groups these centers together was proposed during the workshop. The objective is to update and exchange the results of historical and geographical research and further enhance their respective collections.

The Moncada Garrison 65 Years After

By MartaCABRALESPhotos: DanielHOUDAYER

4 CUBA-U.S.

WASHINGTON.- The interreligious for community organization Pastors for Peace toured some 40 U.S. cities with the objective of talking about Cuba and defending the U.S. citizens’ right to travel to the island.

The organization, which on July 19 will kick off the 29th edition of its United States-Cuba Friendship Caravan, last month visited a considerable part of the United States covering five routes, with the intention of sharing its message about Cuba with their fellow citizens.

Having started on June 22 in Seattle, Washington, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the tour addressed the Cuban reality. According to the participants, a lack of information about Cuba prevails among the U.S. citizens.

For this year, the organization has focused on the travel restrictions that prevent U.S. citizens from visiting Cuba as tourists, and clarifying questions about how to travel to the island.

“The Pastors for Peace Caravan has always followed the people-to-people diplomacy and the United States government cannot tell us who our friends are,” caravan member Bill Hackwel told The Havana Reporter.

The activist noted it is important to talk both with people from the big cities and small towns as well, because the misunderstanding is widespread among the population.

There are people who think that the blockade is over, or do not know the

details of the new restrictions approved by the Donald Trump administration, he said, referring to the plus 55-year-old blockade and U.S. policy toward the island.

“This affects the trips to Cuba, together with the travel bans and the reduction of the diplomatic staff; many people say they want to go there but are confused, even when we know that

it is the safest place in the world to visit,” Hackwel noted.

Commenting on the 12 categories approved for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba, Hackwell said that the restrictions should not even exist. They are in place for the case of Cuba only.

Similar remarks were made by Bill Hill, who has visited Cuba more than 30 times, 27 of them as a caravan member. “I have missed one only,” he noted.

“Our main goal is not to bring aid to Cuba but people; so that they can share what they experience with their friends and can help people change their minds here in the United States,” he stated.

He recalled the late reverend Lucius Walker, the author and promoter of this solidarity initiative, and stressed that his daughter Gail Walker has continued with his work to keep building the bridge between the two countries.

With an increase in the number of U.S. visitors to the island after the bilateral rapprochement process began at the end of 2014, the perception that U.S. citizens have towards Cuba has changed considerably.

In this regard, he praised the role of the social networks, because upon their return to the United States, they share photos and their impressions about Cuba.

As part of its program, Pastors for Peace will celebrate activities in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba, where they will pay tribute to the historic leader of the Cuban revolution Fidel Castro, and attend the July 26 rally marking Cuba’s National Day of Rebellion.

HAVANA.- In the last decade Cuba provided information to the United States on approximately 500 cases linked to drug trafficking, a cause for world concern.

According to the Cuban National Drugs Commission (CND) secretary, Antonio Israel Ybarra, the U.S. authorities were able to confiscate over 40 tons of drugs in that period thanks to the information provided.

The enforcement of the law is one of the most benefited areas since the restart of bilateral relations in 2015, as a result of the signing of specific contracts and meetings between specialists from both countries.

However, the rolling back of relations between Havana and Washington since Republican president Donald Trump took office in January 2017 has affected cooperation between the island and the US, the world’s largest consumer of drugs.

The official highlighted Cuba’s commitment to international cooperation, a key element to prevent and fight drug trafficking, a scourge United Nations Secretary General António Guterres considers a world problem that threatens sustainable development.

In this sense, Ybarra told the Cuban and foreign press that the island has signed agreements with 46 countries and over 50 agencies to fight narcotics. In addition, the country is a State party and a signatory of the three main conventions in the field of drug fighting - which were signed in 1961, 1971 and 1988.

The CND secretary stressed that Cuba implements a zero tolerance policy on drugs.

At the end of June 2017 the official said the country had confiscated over 5.5 tons of narcotics, mostly at sea.

About 95 percent of the narcotics were seized at sea, mainly packages of marihuana and cocaine that reached the coasts of the country after being thrown to the Caribbean sea by drug traffickers –

sometimes to avoid controls and others, to pick them up later and take them to the consuming countries.

Moreover, 57 kilograms of drugs were intercepted in the Cuban airports last year as part of 94 incidents, while 48 Cuban

and foreign citizens were prosecuted for committing drug trafficking crimes.

“But beyond the numbers, it’s important to reiterate that Cuba is neither a country for drug transit nor a consuming nation,” Ybarra said.

Pastors for Peace, a Bridge Between USA & Cuba

Cuba, U.S. Cooperate in Fight Against Drugs

By MarthaAndresROMAN

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HEALTH & SCIENCE 5

HAVANA.- Cisco Networking Academy has opened a training center in Cuba to teach young specialists how to design, configure and manage computer networking through a cutting-edge online model.

Cisco Systems, the largest networking company in the world, inaugurated its first program in Cuba on June 19 at the University of Computer Sciences (UCI) of Havana.

Cisco Academy uses a training program that combines personalized teaching with a web-based curriculum. The practical courses are designed to be taught in laboratories and the exams are online, which poses a challenge to the students.

Developed by experts in teaching and networking and taught in nine languages, the internationally known program involves more than 11,000 institutions worldwide, now including Cuba’s UCI, said Raydel Montesino, first vice rector of the Cuban university.

According to Cisco Corporate Affairs Vice President Laura Quintana, over eight million people in the world have acquired skills with this program over the past 20 years; therefore, the association with UCI will have a positive impact on Cuba’s digital development.

The first Cisco Networking Academy in Cuba adds to the pre and postgraduate programs developed by UCI to train networking managers, thus accomplishing its goal of contributing to further spread access to information technologies within the Cuban society.

It consists of four modules on introduction to networking, basic routing and switching principles, escalation and network connection. Hence, it goes far beyond the skills needed to configure and manage Cisco technologies.

The academy is part of the “Innovative University” concept, which combines scientific research with technological innovation, top level information and the development of value added products and services in the field of new technologies, said Montesino.

Cuba’s first 19 Cisco instructors were trained already and got the best grades in Latin America, said the vice president of the company headquartered in San José, California.

Of them, 14 are UCI professors and the remaining five are from the University of Pinar del Rio, the José Antonio Echeverría Higher Polytechnic Institute, the University of Las Villas, the University of Oriente and the Ministry of Higher Education.

Several editions will be developed every year to help train more than 100 professionals in networking configuration and management, the representative of the Cuban university announced.

In addition to the UCI professors and specialists, others from Cuba’s Telecommunications Company, Segurmática, the Computer Networking Security Office and the Agrarian University of Havana enrolled for this edition, with its consequent positive impact on the training programs of Cuban institutions, companies and universities.

The idea to have a Cisco Academy in Cuba was first conceived in 2015. The development of the program, donations, the configuration of equipment, the use of simulators, training of instructors and the selection of the center followed.

This represents another step forward on the way to further develop information technologies in Cuba, through an online learning program aimed at training better professionals.

HAVANA.- Expedition members, geographers, biologists and followers of Cuban naturalist Antonio Núñez Jiménez have recalled the experiences of a mythical journey through the Orinoco and the Amazons 30 years after the crossing, considered a cultural and scientific meeting that fostered unity among Latin American nations.

‘Onboard a canoe from the Amazon to the Caribbean’ is the name of the journey that started on March 1987 in Misahuallí, Ecuador, located on the banks of the Napo River - and finished in the Cuban capital on June 1988.

About 300 people travelled onboard five canoes made by natives of the towns visited as part of the expedition that covered 17,422 kilometers and 20 countries.

“It was a congress of wise travelling people,” wrote Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, the 1982 Nobel laureate in Literature, in the preface of the text that compiles testimonies on this scientific deed.

According to Cuban researcher Liliana Núñez, daughter of the project’s author and president of the foundation that preserves Núñez Jiménez’s work, one of the objectives of the journey was relive the discovery of the Americas, a half a millennium later.

“This journey was an important source of inspiration to Núñez,” Liliana told The Havana Reporter. But it was also an example of team work.

The deed was done with humbleness, in order to be able to approach each person or group, each community visited respectfully, and never from a negative or arrogant position, the researcher noted.

Núñez highlighted that the expedition united differences, but also reduced conflicts and made

dreams come true, like turning utopia into praxis.

The researcher referred to the importance of recalling this event 30 years later. “The idea is to visualize the work of this scientist, so that he may be known by the future generations. We wanted them to know Núñez, the human being and the explorer,” she added.

An international seminar on his work was held in the Cuban capital, attended by researchers from Ecuador, Brazil, Australia, Spain and the United States. Topics such as scientific expeditions and geographical history in Núñez’s legacy were dealt with at this seminar.

Scientist Michael Holland, Ocean Elders CEO and a follower of the seas and oceans’ conservation principles, was among the guests of honor.

“There’s no green without the blue,” he said at the opening of the seminar in reference to the pollution resulting from the dumping of toxic wastes and plastics in the oceans by humans, and the consequences this has on human health. “Intergovernmental unity is needed in order to protect the seas and all marine life,” he stressed.

One of the most important moments of the event was the closing ceremony, held the very same day the typical canoes entered the Havana bay, one year after the start of the journey.

A nautical parade with different types of vessels resembled the actual historic event, which took place on June 28, 1988. That day, paddles in hands, the members of the expedition greeted the people gathered at the entrance of the bay to witness their arrival.

“We want the Cubans of today to come again to the bay to accompany us,” said Ángel Graña, one of the members of the expedition. And so they did.

Cuba’s First Networking Academy

Canoe Crossing from the Amazon to the Caribbean

By LisbetRODRIGUEZ

By AnaLauraARBESU

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HAVANA.- U.S. writer Ernest Hemingway’s presence in Cuba still lives on both through the tourist sector and the places he frequented, as well as in the books he wrote and the neighborhoods where he made friends.

For that reason, experts on his life and work are interested in conducting research and preserving the patrimony he left on the island, where visitors can follow the most attractive routes linked to his life.

In line with this, information was recently provided on the strengthening of relations between the Cuban Cultural Heritage Council and the U.S. Finca Vigía Foundation.

The parties informed that they have extended the agreement signed in 2002 for another five years to preserve the legacy of the Nobel prize winner for Literature, Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), who lived in Cuba for over 20 years.

The extension of the agreement was signed by Cuban Heritage Director Gladys Collazo and Director of the Finca Vigía Foundation, Mary Jo Adams.

Finca Vigía, today Hemingway’s

Museum, is the residency the novelist lived in since 1940. The hidden abode preserves a good number of personal items related to the writer’s activity.

Finca Vigía, 15 kilometers from downtown Havana, treasures 22,000 personal objects that belonged to the novelist.

Hemingway’s third wife, Martha Gellhorn, had the idea of taking up residency there in 1939, and a year later, the novelist bought it to begin their life there.

While living in Finca Vigía, the U.S. writer received the Nobel prize for Literature in 1954, and after he committed suicide, on July 2, 1961, the mansion was turned into the museum that bears his name.

Cuban and U.S. specialists look after the preservation of the site in spite of the political differences between Washington and Havana and the economic restrictions imposed on the island for over 50 years.

Books, hunting trophies, records, weapons, documents, photos, the typewriter Hemingway used and his yacht Pilar – where the journalist went sailing and fishing – can be seen there.

Hemingway was very much in love with Cuba and its people, especially the fishermen. For that reason, he lived here for over 20 years, though he would go back and forth to his native country and to other parts of the world.

According to experts, Ernest Hemingway was as much a Cuban as he was a U.S. citizen, a statement that seems to be related to his endless imprint on wonderful Cuban places.

The writer’s routine in Cuba included the Havana Bay; Old Havana; the Ambos Mundos Hotel; the Floridita Bar-Restaurant; Las Terrazas Bar, in Cojímar; the Hatuey Brewery; the Hemingway Nautical Club; Finca Vigía, and the Mégano and Coco keys.

The Bronze God of the U.S. Literature used to frequent places with a lot of character, where he met and talked to his friends, drank or even wrote some of his works.

He also enjoyed fishing on the ocean currents or following the routes of the German submarines during World War II – places that can be part of a tour today.

Because of that, Hemingway is part of Cuban tourism. His adventurer lineage or that of a simple human being who was able to choose the best places is still present in Cuba.

HAVANA is exhibiting the best of its joyful, attractive look and, under the title of “Wonderful and authentic,” the old city is carrying out an information campaign to celebrate the 500th anniversary of its founding.

The festivity will be held on November 16, 2019, but many of the actions are being conducted already to contribute to the social and economic development of the city and its 15 municipalities, as stated by the city’s historian Dr. Eusebio Leal.

When launching the campaign, Leal met with young people and referred to the changes made in recent years to return the charm back to this city.

“It is a tough endeavor and we must focus all the actions on the youngest generations. It is not a goal but an opportunity, because the city needs it,” said Leal.

One of the endeavor’s main objectives is to have a greater sense of belonging and love for Havana, with an active participation of the entire population.

The intention of turning Havana into a healthier and more beautiful, organized, disciplined and literate city was stressed as well.

The message of this big campaign is aimed at the Cuban population in general who, with the support of the mass media and information technologies, are expected to accomplish the campaign’s goals.

This endeavor entails a huge effort, however, this seems to be the pretext used to strengthen the identity and historical information of Havana.

The campaign has been designed in three stages: from June 1st to November 16th, 2018, when the city

will exhibit the title of “Wonderful and authentic;” then from November 16th, 2018 to November 16th, 2019. The third is from the anniversary onwards.

The last stage will entail long-term restoration of the city, putting an emphasis on the continuation of works aimed at preserving the beauty of the Cuban capital.

Havana is a real city; real means what you can see, touch, listen to or feel. But it is also wonderful, because of its people, its solidarity; because it has indiscreet doorknockers, living cobblestones, columns that withstand time and walls full of history.

Declared a World Marvel City in June 2016, the Cuban capital feels honored and is gaining new strengths for a celebration where one of its specific goals is to position it as a territory in motion, able to combine history and tradition with a great sense of modernity.

Havana changes and defines itself as inclusive, bohemian, and a symbol of resistance and hope.

Under the slogan “The Greatest,” the Cuban city asserts itself with a forward-looking approach with views to one of the country’s most relevant events: the 500th anniversary of one of the villas founded by the Spanish.

HEMINGWAY IN CUBAUnited States & Cuba Look After Hemingway’s Legacy

The Wonderful & Authentic Havana Turns 500

By TinoMANUEL

By DaimarelysPEREZ

6 CULTURE / SOCIETY

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La Colmenita: A Cuban Theater Company that Promotes Values & Art

SPOTLIGHT 7

HAVANA.- “Art is the pretext we use to promote human values,” said Carlos Cremata, founder and director of the Cuban children theater company La Colmenita, a group that has become an educational referent in several parts of the world.

When attending this artistic project, in which several children-actors give recitations and play live songs, the audience feel as if they were in the clouds, where everything is possible.

The company’s most renowned works include: La cucarachita Martina; Cinderella according to The Beatles; Snow White and the Seven Dwarves; two versions of Elpidio Valdés (one with music by the Van Van orchestra and the other, with music by Adalberto Álvarez y su son); Y sin embargo se mueve, and Meñique.

The plays the group performs highlight human values. For that reason, Tin – as the members of the company call Cremata – stresses that music, the theater and dance are the tip of the iceberg: something that people see but is not the essential element.

“The most important workshop we conduct in La Colmenita is called Crecer con Martí (Growing with Martí),” noted Tin, who has been a teacher for different generations of artists – some of whom have dedicated themselves to theater, cinema and other art expressions.

Though the company’s objective is not aimed at training professionals, their instructors teach responsibility, respect, discipline and values. They prepare kids for life.

The ideas of Cuban National Hero, José Martí, thus become the essential epitome for the spiritual and intellectual growth of La Colmenita members. “Martí is the Maestro, and we do many exercises that are not directly related to artistic training, because we give priority to the teaching of values. The kids, for example, read La Edad de Oro (The Golden Age) in depth,” Tin mentioned.

The creator of this pedagogic and artistic project, mostly composed of kids from five to 14 years old, thinks that no one is incapable of participating in this theater adventure. In his opinion, everybody has a place in the theater. For that reason, he is proud of the first Colmenita founded in Cantabria, Spain, in 2000, which included local kids with severe mental disabilities.

“We had worked in Cuba with physically handicapped children, who like any other kid, have an excellent memory, brilliant diction capacity and are very talented in theater, but we had never done anything like that, and it was a deed working with kids with severe mental disabilities from 2000 to 2002, because when there are complicating factors and language is not fluent, how can we make theater and musicals? It was really difficult, but we made it,” said the director.

By MarthaSANCHEZ

For Tin no one company is better than the other, as he considers that they are all his children. After the one created in Cantabria, another two companies were formed in Spain, in addition to three in Mexico, one in Canada, some in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Colombia, six in Argentina and 21 in nine Venezuelan States. However, none of these gained the strength of the movement currently developed in El Salvador by the president of the Republic himself, Salvador Sánchez Cerén.

Thanks to the will of the president, who’s a teacher by profession and who thought that La Colmenita would be a useful tool to change the Salvadoran schools’ cultural life, at present there are 30 companies in that Central American country and in October of every year, a festival is organized with the participation of all companies.

The Cuban company always participates either at the opening or closing ceremony of this event,which will hold its third edition next October.

And to everyone’s surprise, the festival’s presenter is always president Sánchez Cerén himself.

Tin never thought he would go that far when he founded La Colmenita on February 14, 1990. At that time, Cuba was starting to undergo a terrible Special Period, named so because of the tough economic difficulties and endless social problems the country faced.

“My company was created precisely in the toughest years of the Cubans’ life, but creativity is the result of difficult times and we were really happy even though we had nothing,” said Tin, a humble Havana citizen who in the first decade was forced to transport the wardrobe, the tape recorders, the cassettes and other accessories in tricycles.

Together with 21 colleagues, Cremata worked for eight years without being paid, until in 1998 the Cuban State was able to give them full support.

At present, La Colmenita has two splendid venues in Havana - in the municipalities of Plaza de la Revolución and Playa – although there are about a dozen similar groups in the capital and about seven in other provinces.

With the passing of the years, the company has spread all over the world. However, its key objectives remain the same: taking their culture to Cuba’s most vulnerable places.

Cremata would like his company, declared a Goodwill Ambassador by UNESCO in 2007, not to lose its humbleness.

“Sometimes artists think that they are the best and that means losing the essential idea Martí taught us when he said: All the glory of the world fits in a kernel of corn. Let’s look at Fidel, who’s lying alone with his name on a stone, which precisely looks like a grain of corn,” Tin noted. PH

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT(THR is not responsible for any changes made by sponsoring organizations)thr@prensa-latina.cu

8 CULTURE

UPCOMING EVENTSOmara Portuondo in

concert, Old Havana, to mark the 500th anniversary of the

city's founding (Jul. 21)

Closing ceremony of the Summer Cuballet Course, Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso,

(Sleeping Beauty, Jul 27)

Arte en la Rampa Fair (Thru Aug)

Liuba María Hebia and Cuba´s

National Symphonic Orchestra in concert

to mark the 35th anniversary of the

singer´s artistic career

(National Theater, Jul 22)

LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN 9

HAVANA.- Cuba has reinforced its links with the Caribbean countries through an extensive tour of the region by its Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra, along with many other exchanges in Havana and various Caribbean capitals.

Sierra made official visits to Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica. The last four countries were the first ones in the region to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba in December 1972, amid the continuing U.S blockade of the island.

That gesture was considered in Cuba as a door for other Caribbean nations to do the same, an action that today shows strong signs of cooperation and friendship, as Sierra highlighted during his tour.

The strengthening and increase in trade relations and Cuba’s continuing collaboration with Caribbean countries for several decades now in diverse fields, especially health and education, were topics the deputy foreign minister reiterated during the exchanges.

Regarding world politics, the visitor and his hosts stressed the importance of the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a peace zone, after it was approved in 2014 in Havana by the heads of State of the 33 member countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Similarly, Sierra once more thanked the Caribbean countries for their continuing support at the United Nations against the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba for over 50 years.

A special moment of his tour was the meeting held with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) under general secretary for Human and Social Development, Douglas Slater, when the two sides agreed to strengthen economic and cultural relations.

In addition to CARICOM, Sierra addressed Cuba’s links with the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and told its Secretary General June Soomer that Cuba supports the revival process the organization is undergoing.

Shortly before the deputy foreign minister began his tour, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel had stated in Havana: “there is no other choice but to bring regional integration and equal development forward” in order to change the pyramid in which “the richest one percent of the population in the main regional countries controls a large amount of the wealth.”

When addressing the 37th session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) held in Havana, the president stressed that the climate change threats are multiplying in the Caribbean region, exerting a lot of pressure on their economies.

Consequently, they require a special, differentiated treatment and greater support, solidarity and cooperation.

Sierra met with top-level authorities in all the visited countries, including Guyanese President David Granger, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley and the Foreign Minister of Suriname and Jamaica, Yldiz Pollack-Beighle and Kamina Johnson Smith, respectively, as well as parliamentarian leaders and heads of solidarity with Cuba organizations.

Cuba & the Caribbean Bolster RelationsBy VictorM.CARIIBA

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HAVANA.- The prestigious British choreographer Lea Anderson decided to stage a work in Cuba that will join the island nation and the United Kingdom through Roman mythology.

The performance, which will premiere in late September by Danza Contemporánea de Cuba (DCC, Cuban Contemporary Dance)– the country’s most famous modern dance group– calls for an unusually dramatic show from the company.

“I had never come to Cuba before and the chance to do it now was so exciting that I couldn’t miss it; so I was interested from the beginning. Besides, the reputation of the dancers was another motivation, and the Cuban music is great,” said the choreographer, who’s considered an icon of dance in the United Kingdom.

Anderson came to Cuba as part of the Creative Islands project, sponsored by the British Council Cuba to foster cultural communication between both nations. The premiere of the piece will be at the prestigious Grand Theater of Havana Alicia Alonso, the oldest center of its type in Latin America still in operation.

The idea of the piece, entitled The Loves of Mars and Venus, comes from a document found in the United Kingdom that dates back to the

beginning of the 18th century and records the data of the first choreographic piece made in London, by John Weber, the first English choreographer.

According to the artist, the work is about a classical story between Mars, Venus and Vulcan – gods of Roman mythology. The document tells the story of each character’s dance performance with words, not with images or diagrams; thus, it’s hard to imagine what they would look like.

In an exchange with The Havana Reporter, Anderson, 58, talked about the way the text is reinterpreted and how she created a modern version of the old, classical work with the Cuban dancers.

“My working methods are always interesting or rather unusual for artists, whether they work in Europe or somewhere else, and here I found fantastic dancers,” said Anderson, who has founded companies such as The Featherstonehaughs and The Cholmondeleys.

The choreographer prefers certain types of artists: those who are excellent dancers, who are born to act and have knowledge of music, she said.

“Here, I have more chances of finding that kind of dancer than in London,” noted the artist, who has created over 100 choreographies and has a reputation for being a transgressor.

“I’m interested in the combination of rhythms and the way they help to tell a

story. At present, musicality in Europe is fading; it’s difficult to find dancers who can respond to music well or who have musicality,” she commented.

Once again, Anderson will work with composer Steve Blake, who will make an exclusive musical version of the text and will create the structure of the dance phrases.

“When renowned classical music is used, people have a predetermined reaction to the piece, because they have experienced it before. I prefer thus to use a new piece, especially made for dance, because it gives something special,” said the artist.

According to the choreographer, costume and stage designers will provide a modern and strong view, so that the crew and the dancers’ work will round off the way the document is re-imagined.

The audience will perhaps consider the work a series of love stories, a universal topic; however, Anderson insists on trying to show it in a rather modern way.

Anderson explained that the staging of the piece represents a mutual learning for her and the company, characterized by its distinct style and philosophy. The company has been directed by Miguel Iglesias, National Dance award winner in 2018, 33 years.

Anderson will return to Cuba for four more weeks to tune up the premiere of The Loves of Mars and Venus.

British Choreographer in Cuba Translates Mythological Text into Dance

10 CULTURE

By MarthaSANCHEZ

Stone Zoo: Nature & Art Combined in Cuba’s Eastern Mountains

Text & Photos by YadiraCRUZ

PHOTO FEATURE 11

GUANTANAMO.- A unique art exhibit, resembling a zoo, welcomes visitors to the mountains of the Guantanamo province in Cuba´s easternmost region. Those who come to spend a day in this paradise enjoy a rare experience--observing stone busts of many different animals in their natural habitat, an impressive display of artistic and zoological understanding.

The Stone Zoo, the only of its type in the world, is located in the Yateras mountain range, about 24 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital.

Over 400 pieces made by a Cuban farmer turned sculptor are exhibited among bushes and ferns.

The artist, Angel Iñigo Blanco (1935-2014), started to sculpt his first work, a lion, on December 21, 1977 as a hobby. Since then, with the use of a chisel, different animals gave life to this zoo.

Rage, pain, the fight for survival, the endless conflicts between men and nature, native populations, nothing escaped from the hands of this self-taught artist, who created new pieces and built passable paths for those who dare to visit the place to appreciate his work.

Forty years later, the Stone Zoo is a charming park where visitors can also enjoy the beauty and the majesty of the Guantánamo valley, in addition to tasting a Cuban lunch with typical dishes of the region, or delicious coconut water to quench their thirst; all this, under a nice canopy of leafy trees, escaping the heat of the eastern province.

UNITED NATIONS.- Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs, María Fernanda Espinosa, will soon be the first Latin American woman to preside over the UN General Assembly, a position she was elected for in June, with 128 votes.

Next September Espinosa will take on the post of the main UN organ, currently occupied by Slovakian diplomat Miroslav Lajcak.

Although the candidacy of the Ecuadorian official was launched a few months ago and caused a lot of friction with Honduras –whose proposal had been announced with plenty of time in advance–, Espinosa’s experience and command in the interactive dialogue held in May convinced many to back her.

The transition process is now underway, and Espinosa is starting to discern the challenges and priorities of her mandate during the 73rd session.

In remarks to The Havana Reporter, the Ecuadorian minister said that topics such as gender equality and women empowerment will be the main points of her agenda.

“One of my responsibilities in the next period of sessions will be guaranteeing the constant empowerment of women’s political and economic rights,” she said.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be the first Latin American woman to preside over the General Assembly, but it’s also a great responsibility. It’s essential that women in decision-making positions have an added-value performance,” she noted.

“It’s not only about doing what we have to, but to prove that women in power positions can make the difference,” Espinosa added.

According to the official, the topic of gender equality should be at the core of the General Assembly’s agenda, even though specific debates will be conducted in this sense. The important thing in this regard, she said, is that these topics are always at the center of attention.

It has been confirmed that women and girls are included among the most vulnerable groups in situations of conflicts, and as the Ecuadorian minister said, their protection should be guaranteed.

Espinosa also stated that Ecuador now has the privilege to represent all the Latin American and Caribbean countries during the 73rd session, which entails a great challenge.

Different aspects of the UN reform process are essential for Latin America, including the establishment of peace and security, as well as the new design for development, she mentioned.

Another reform that is still to take place and is creating expectations among the UN member States is the topic

of the Security Council. In this sense, the Ecuadorian official explained that such an endeavor has taken more than 20 years and is still slow.

A resolution related to an intergovernmental process on such a reform was adopted 10 years ago, but analyses will have to be conducted to evaluate its progress and the way these actions are moving forward, said Espinosa.

Climate change will also be included among the priorities of the 73rd session – three years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement. Being aware of the achievements attained and the challenges ahead are essential for small insular countries, such as those of the Caribbean.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is also essential for the Latin American region. In this sense, the official looks forward to a successful negotiation, and to its ultimate adoption next December.

The topic of Palestine, a conflict that has taken decades to solve and demands higher political will by the member States, is also at the core of Espinosa’s agenda.

As she explained, this issue has been dealt with both at the Security Council and the General Assembly. Dozens of resolutions have been adopted, but attaining its fulfillment and implementation is the major challenge.

“The political will of most of the countries is needed to deal with this issue, because without the commitment of all the parties, it won’t be possible to find a solution,” she added.

Espinosa, Ecuador’s first female ambassador to the United Nations in New York and also in Geneva, has over 20 years of experience at the international level, and a lot of energy too.

She will take on the post of president of the General Assembly at a time considered critical because of the lack of consensus and growing international conflicts.

HAVANA.- U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial policy to separate immigrant families has been rejected by almost every Latin American and Caribbean country over the past few weeks, along with many European nations.

Several regional governments, both leftist and rightist, strongly condemned the measures recently adopted by the White House, after children and relatives who were trying to cross the border illegally were taken to different detention centers.

Chile’s rightist President Sebastián Piñera –Washington’s unconditional ally- rejected the U.S. president’s polemical decision saying that migratory policies are no excuses to stop caring, protecting or keeping families together, because that is a universal right.

Venezuela, Chile, Guatemala, Ecuador and Honduras voiced their rejection of the U.S. government’s measures, while Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray called them cruel, inhumane and a violation of human rights.

“Mexico by no means encourages illegal migration; however, in line with

our constitutional laws, we cannot remain indifferent to an act that clearly violates human rights and puts children in a vulnerable situation,” said Videgaray.

Amid the electoral campaign for the July 1st presidential elections, the candidates José Antonio Meade (for the ruling party), Andrés López Obrador (leftist National Regeneration Movement) and Ricardo Anaya (centrist wing) urged Trump to stop separating children from their parents on the border.

This zero tolerance policy was likewise strongly criticized by congressmen from 11 Latin American countries, who said that the detention conditions affect the children physically and psychologically, with irreparable damage to their health.

Despite the almost unanimous rejection of his immigration policy, on June 24th Trump once again launched a harsh attack on the people who enter U.S. territory illegally by calling them invaders and demanding they be deported back to their countries without any legal procedures.

Moreover, on June 20th the White House chief signed an executive order to eliminate those procedures. Many experts have voiced doubts over his directive, particularly that it is limited in scope.

Ever since he came to power in January 2017 and honoring the promises he made during the electoral campaign, Trump has adopted severe anti-immigration policies, a key element in his administration. These actions include the controversial project to build a wall along the Mexican border and have Mexico pay for its construction.

The differences with regional countries have also been aggravated in recent months due to Trump’s intention to militarize the border with Mexico

to stop the arrival of immigrants and his determination to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Trump’s decision not to attend the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru was another element that has brought the two sides further apart. His “America First” slogan and related actions have tarnished Washington’s already deteriorated image in the region and threaten to harm their own strategic interests in the hemisphere significantly.

A Latin American Woman to Preside Over the General Assembly

Trump’s Immigration Policy Undermines U.S.-LatAm Relations

12 REGIONAL AFFAIRS

By RobertoGARCIA

By IbisFRADE

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ECONOMY 13

HAVANA.- Attracting foreign investment and boosting businesses are main goals for Cuban industry in order to foster the country´s development.

In particular, the growth of the food industry plays an important role in the island’s economic plans. According to specialists, over 30 projects and investments worth millions of dollars have been identified.

During a tour of the exhibition ground of the International Food, Drinks and Food Technology Fair – recently held in Havana -Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel said that the country is currently striving to increase the productive capacities in order to meet the national demand.

According to the president, this year the country plans to conduct the largest investment process in the last 10 years in this particular field.

As part of the country’s opening to direct foreign investment, the Ministry of the Food Industry is implementing the 2030 development program, which is endorsed by foreign sources of financing, either through credits or foreign investment, official sources indicated.

The Food Industry’s Deputy Minister Yanosky Calderín recently told the press that such an investment process demands about 2.5 billion dollars.

The food industry’s business portfolio includes 32 new investment projects amounting to over 760 million dollars.

Of these projects, five are pending approval, which will allow the reduction of imports and an increase in Cuba’s exports, Deputy Minister of the Food Industry Betsy Díaz noted.

Getting long-term foreign financing, boosting industrial

development to increase exports, and increasing access to technology, are included among the food industry’s priorities, Díaz commented. In pursuit of this, accommodations are been made for businesses all over the world.

At present, there are 10 joint ventures operating in the national territory – which were endorsed prior to the implementation of the Foreign Investment Act or Act 118. Three

other businesses were certified after the implementation of the legislation - all of them are undergoing the set-up or investment phase.

The industrial sector is trying to boost production chains, reduce imports and increase exports, as stated during the third Cuban Industry International Convention and Exhibition (Cubaindustria 2018), held in June.

In addition to exhibiting new products and technology,

the event was an appropriate occasion for the exchange of experiences between national and foreign business people.

As part of the Convention, a business forum was held at the capital’s PABEXPO showground. The objective of this was to form strategic alliances, provide opportunities for investment in the sector and boost exports, the Ministry of Industries’ Deputy Director for Investment and Cooperation, Ana Cabrera, said.

The proposal of the ‘Decorarte’ cooperative, whose new items and colors attracted the attention of the participants, stood out at Cubaindustria. The entity, run as part of the new ways of management of the Cuban economy, is the only non-agricultural cooperative on the island that makes graphic printing, decorations and personalized items, the entity’s chairman, Ariel Balmaseda, told The Havana Reporter.

Cuban Industry Fosters Foreign Investment

By MasielFERNANDEZ

HAVANA.- The flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin America and the Caribbean might come to a standstill in 2018 – to about 140 billion dollars – or might suffer a marginal decline, according to United Nations estimates.

Last year, FDI in the area increased by about eight percent – to 151 billion dollars – as a result of the economic recovery and the rise in the prices of basic export products, such as soya bean, metals and oils, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimated.

According to the source, that was the first increase in six years, although the influx of FDI continued to be lower than the average reached in 2011 during the boom in the commodity prices.

In normal conditions, the recovery of both the FDI and the biggest economies of the region would indicate positive perspectives. However, UNCTAD Director for Investment and Company Division, James Zhan, alerted to the presence of “considerable downward risks,” including those related to the international financial markets.

According to the projection, the influx of FDI rose by 10 percent in South America in 2017 in comparison to the previous year, as a result of the end of the recession in two leading economies of the area: Argentina and Brazil.

The influx of FDI in Brazil grew by eight percent – up to 63 billion dollars – as a result of important flows to the energy sector. In Argentina, for its part, this increase amounted to 12 billion dollars, the study indicated.

In the case of Colombia, the country saw a five percent annual rise, by totaling over 14 billion dollars, while in Central America the rise was marginal – of about 42 billion dollars for the whole region.

Despite uncertainties in relation to the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the influx of FDI in Mexico saw a stable performance, of about 30 billion dollars, according to the report.

In the Caribbean region, the rise amounted to only five billion dollars, mainly because of the situation in the Dominican Republic, which attracted 3.6 billion in areas such as commerce, telecommunications and energy.

Meanwhile, the outflow of FDI from Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to about 17.3 billion dollars in 2017, as multinational companies restarted their international investment activities.

According to experts, investments today are characterized by attracting the Chinese presence, as the area has become the second destination for Chinese FDI.

Chinese public and private companies are making investments in infrastructure, mining, agriculture,

industries and services, including the bank and financial services, according to a report by the International Labor Organization.

A recent study by Moody’s Investors Service highlighted that Chinese investments in the area amounted to 110 billion dollars from 2013 to 2016, and will continue to grow in the next few years, as a result of the high quality of the raw materials, the infrastructure needs and the favorable demographic tendencies.

Through FDI and money loans, the flow of resources from China continue to increase, the agency noted.

“From 2005 to 2016, China granted credits for a value of about 222 billion dollars to the Latin American and Caribbean governments. About half of them were allocated to infrastructure projects and a third to energy programs,” Moody’s director, Marianna Waltz, noted.

Investment Projections in Latin America & the Caribbean

14 ECONOMY

By MariaJuliaMAYORAL

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HAVANA.- Several centuries after being targeted by pirates and buccaneers for its resources and important geographic position, Barranquilla, Colombia, will once more have sights set on it from around the continent.

This time the visitors will not arrive to this Colombian port looking for trouble but representing different Central American and Caribbean countries. From July 19 through August 3rd, they will compete to have their nation’s flag hoisted during the final ceremony.

There are many countries who have a shot at winning, especially Cuba, who will regard these games as an aptitude test for the 2019 Pan-American Games in Lima, Peru, and then the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020.

Cuba’s sports are still recovering from the setback suffered during the Toronto-2015 Pan American Games when, contrary to the majority of predictions by the specialized media, the Caribbean island was pushed back on the medal table by the United States, Canada and Brazil.

However, it’s worth recalling that the Cuban delegation to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro retook the road a little bit and accomplished many of the goals set. This allowed them to take note of the elements they have to work on in order to succeed in the upcoming games.

In Barranquilla, Cuba will come up against the strength of the host nation who, in addition to adjusting the sport program in their own interest –something that host countries normally do- with the inclusion of some sport disciplines where they have become leaders, they seem to be further polishing their skills with excellent training to meet their fans' expectations.

The potential of the Mexican athletes and the progress attained by countries such as Venezuela and the Dominican Republic are other factors that the Cuban delegation must take into consideration.

In order for Cuba to have a successful performance during

the Central American and Caribbean Games, all of its teams must excel. It’s understandable that the highest expectations will be placed on combat sports and athletics, though it should be noted that the latter has struggled recently to be competitive.

This comment is not only based on experts’ opinions but also on careful analyses by the National Institute of Sports.

Cuba’s intention to be the number one in Colombia is realistic, but we cannot forget that the Cuban sport sector is victim of economic shortages that have weakened its opportunities to further develop.

However, optimism prevails among the Cuban sport movement. There are many reasons to be hopeful. In the Central American and Caribbean Games of Veracruz-2014, for example, the hosts were leading the medal table, but a few days before the closing day, Cuba foiled the Mexican attempt by winning competitions traditionally won by the island. Being an honorable and strong rival in the history of sports, the Cuban delegation to the Barranquilla Games should lead the medal table.

The challenge hangs in the air already and, as usual, they are ready to counteract the ambitious proposal of their rivals who, today more than ever, aim at winning one of the oldest sport competitions in Latin America.

SPORTS 15

Barranquilla-2018:Will Cuba Defend Its Glory?

By DanielMARTINEZ

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