Topic: Cuban Politics

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Sixth Summit of the Americas: 8 things to watch

Yes, the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena will debate drug policy and Cuba. Here are eight other topics to be discussed at the Summit.
Catholicism in Latin America: 5 key facts

Pope Benedict XVI began his second trip to Latin America on March 23, with stops in Mexico and Cuba. Here is a brief history of the Catholic church in the Americas.
8 reasons America is not in decline

As many as 70 percent of Americans believe that the United States is in decline. And who can blame them? High unemployment. Crushing debt. Political gridlock. For all the unrelenting gloom, Old Dominion University political science professor Steve Yetiv explains that America remains strong in key areas, unlikely to be superseded by another country anytime soon. He urges readers to consider these 8 facts:
5 countries with the longest ongoing US sanctions

Sanctions are once again leading the news with trade embargoes tightening around Iran and debates over whether to loosen US restrictions on Cuba and Myanmar.
Thirty ideas from people under 30: The Change Agents

They are explorers and activists, artists and educators, farmers and faith leaders – even mayors. And they have trenchant suggestions on how to improve the world.

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Latin America Monitor
Look who got a US visa: Raúl Castro's daughter

Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban President Raúl Castro, will travel to California this week on a US visa to attend a conference. But many Cuban scholars were denied entry, writes a guest blogger.
Heartland Institute's digital billboards make bombastic comparisons (+video)

New billboards designed by the Heartland Institute compare climate scientists to the Unabomber, and other mass murderers. Climate scientists and other writers respond.
Latin America Monitor
Nicaragua divided over death of revolutionary leader

Tomás Borge was the last living founder of Nicaragua’s Sandinista Front for National Liberation (FSLN).
Backchannels
The hawkish bits of VP hopeful Marco Rubio's foreign policy speech

Senator Marco Rubio's foreign policy speech yesterday, taken by many as part of a campaign to be Mitt Romney's running mate, points to a politician who favors foreign interventions.
Marco Rubio: America must lead world, and Obama doesn't get it

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, said to be on Mitt Romney's list of possible running mates, said Wednesday the US must exercise strong leadership, for the world's sake. Overall, his eagerly awaited speech on foreign affairs treaded lightly on Obama's policies.
Latin America Monitor
Has nothing changed in Cuba?

In a New York Times op-ed, a Cuban blogger writes that nothing has changed on the communist island, but guest blogger Melissa Fortner disagrees. Individual freedoms are expanding, she writes.
Imagining Cuba after Chávez

Venezuela provides Cuba with up to $15 billion a year, which helps offset the US embargo. But there is the real possibility Chávez may not win or survive another six-year term as president.
Drug policy and Cuba headline Summit of the Americas (+video)

The Sixth Summit of the Americas saw what Mexico's Calderón called a 'radical' change: candid conversation about differences over drug policy and Cuba.
Latin America Monitor
Americas Summit: Will there be consensus on Cuba?

Cuba, as always, was not invited to the Summit of the Americas in Colombia this weekend. But its participation at future meetings could become a major issue.
Sixth Summit of the Americas: 8 things to watch

Yes, the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena will debate drug policy and Cuba. Here are eight other topics to be discussed at the Summit.
Can Colombia's Santos unify the Americas?

Building consensus is important as the Americas struggle with high crime and violence. At this weekend's Summit of the Americas in Colombia, all eyes are on President Santos.
Decoder Wire
What Ozzie Guillen got right about Fidel Castro

OK, Ozzie Guillen was undeniably insensitive to the Cuban-American community when he said he respected Fidel Castro as a survivor. But he didn't get the facts wrong.
Ozzie Guillen Fidel Castro comments: Is it fair to suspend him? (+video)

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen praised Cuban leader Fidel Castro. For a club based in Little Havana and desperate to get back in the city's good graces, it was a massive mistake.
Ozzie Guillen suspended five games by Marlins for Castro remarks (+video)

The outspoken Miami manager received the club penalty Tuesday before speaking to reporters about his comments on Cuba's Fidel Castro.
Ozzie Guillen to address pro-Castro remarks Tuesday

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen expressed his love for the former Cuban dictator in an interview with TIME magazine, upsetting the Cuban-American and expatriate community in South Florida.
‘Spring’ delayed as Cuba follows China's model

Pope Benedict XVI’s call for 'authentic freedom' during his recent visit to Cuba is unlikely to spur democracy. But other factors suggest economic changes are under way, patterned after the Chinese example, namely creating a market economy under an authoritarian, communist political system.
Latin America Monitor
The pope in Cuba: a reporter's notebook

Beyond the frustrations of reporting in Havana lies the real story: Cuba, for all its romance and beauty, remains an authoritarian state, writes Girish Gupta.
Latin America Monitor
Pope in Cuba: Trip shows how church playing balancing act (+video)

The pope did not meet with dissidents. But his trip was about building on gains the church has won in Cuba, says guest blogger Anya Landau French.
Fidel Castro, excommunicated in 1962, meets with Pope Benedict

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who once outlawed religion, met with Pope Benedict XVI today. Benedict's visit is part of a new Catholic strategy in a changing Cuba.
Global News Blog
Why an Italian lawmaker's phone call trumps Obama's speech

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's decision to take a call from an Italian lawmaker during President Barack Obama's speech highlights the tentativeness of his claim to authority.
Pope schedules last-minute meeting with Fidel Castro

Pope Benedict XVI's decision to meet with the former Cuban leader angered Castro critics because, they say, it gives the Cuban government legitimacy.
Latin America Monitor
Pope in Cuba: Will he raise case of jailed American?

Many are watching to see if the pope mentions the case of imprisoned US aid worker Alan Gross. But the delicacy of his trip to Cuba makes it unlikely, writes guest blogger Girish Gupta.
Catholicism in a communist land: Pope Benedict XVI travels to Cuba

Cuba was declared an atheist state after the 1959 revolution, but many dissidents are looking to Pope Benedict XVI to help bring more political reform to the island.
Catholicism in Latin America: 5 key facts

Pope Benedict XVI began his second trip to Latin America on March 23, with stops in Mexico and Cuba. Here is a brief history of the Catholic church in the Americas.
Why the pope wants stronger ties with Mexico and Cuba

While the Catholic church is bolstering the faithful in Mexico and Cuba, it is also seeking closer ties with national governments during Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to these countries.