Word: havanas
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Raśl Castro a reformer or a reactionary? Now that Fidel, 81, has officially resigned as President, leaving Raśl, 76, to most likely be named his successor, that question has gained greater significance than ever--in Havana, Miami and Washington. The elder Castro's exit barely registered in those cities; a half-century after he arrived on the world stage with a bang, Fidel left with a whimper. There was no overwhelming sense of sorrow in Cuba nor exultation across the Straits of Florida. There was only a collective shrug. "It's O.K.," said Yanelis, a young Cuban woman in Marianao...
...establish the kind of diplomatic relations Washington has with other ironfisted regimes, like those in China and Saudi Arabia. The Bush Administration has steadfastly refused to even consider ending the embargo, a policy that may sway elections in Florida but has failed utterly to dislodge the regime in Havana. If the U.S. hopes to get more results, the President who takes office next January will need to change course and engage Cuba, allowing Washington to exert some direct influence on the island's economy and politics...
...Lech Walesa of Cuba. In December, Cuban security agents stormed a church in Santiago, beating and arresting a group of human rights activists who had gathered to protest the imprisonment of three other pro-democracy dissidents. It is unclear if Bertone will raise this subject, which officials in Havana have tried to explain away as a local police action gone awry...
Back in October, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone penciled in his calendar what promised to be an important six-day trip to Cuba. That promise has suddenly multiplied, with the Catholic Church's No. 2 official set to arrive in Havana on Wednesday night, just a day after Cuban leader Fidel Castro announced the end to his 49 years in power. It is perfect timing for the Vatican, which is aiming to play a central role in the island nation's transition into what many hope will be a post-communist future...
...Churches were never shuttered and diplomatic relations with the Vatican never interrupted, even as Cuban authorities closed Catholic schools and silenced Catholic dissidents. John Paul II's visit to Cuba in 1998, which Castro used to demonstrate his supposed openness, is credited with renewing religious sentiment across the island. Havana officials say today that the country now counts 520 Catholic parish churches, two seminaries, 1,000 priests and 1,500 Catholic missionaries. Bertone, who was invited by both civil and church authorities, is arriving in part to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of John Paul II's momentous visit...