Cuba Sparks ALBA-TCP Tourism Momentum with Focus on Multi-Destination Packages and Airline Integration

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Anthony Brenner

Sunday, May 4, 2025 – Travel and Tour World

Cuba has ignited a fresh wave of tourism cooperation within the ALBA-TCP bloc by championing multi-destination travel packages and pushing for stronger airline integration among member nations. This strategic move aims to enhance regional connectivity, attract more international visitors, and position the alliance as a unified tourism corridor. By focusing on shared branding, sustainable development, and streamlined air travel, Cuba is driving a collaborative agenda that seeks to transform the bloc into a seamless, multi-country travel experience.

In a strategic push to revitalize regional tourism, Cuba is taking a lead role within the ALBA-TCP (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty) by spearheading initiatives aimed at enhancing travel connectivity and destination integration across member nations. A high-level tourism-focused meeting concluded on Friday with a renewed commitment to forging a unified tourism identity, advancing sustainable tourism, and coordinating airline partnerships to enable seamless regional travel.

The gathering brought together key stakeholders from ALBA-TCP member states, who examined several mechanisms to accelerate tourism development in the region. The initiative underscores Cuba’s role as a tourism pioneer within the bloc, helping catalyze shared economic benefits while adapting to the evolving global travel landscape.

Regional Integration Through Tourism: A New Strategic Roadmap

At the center of the dialogue was the development of multi-destination tourism products, designed to attract international travelers interested in exploring multiple countries in one seamless itinerary. By leveraging the cultural, natural, and historical richness of ALBA-TCP member nations, the bloc is building packages that appeal to both leisure and business travelers.

Delegates worked on defining a comprehensive roadmap to bring this vision to life. The roadmap includes timelines, technical recommendations, and collaborative action points that will align national tourism policies with broader regional goals.

Creating a Collective Identity: The Tourism Brand for ALBA-TCP

One of the central initiatives introduced at the meeting involved crafting a distinct tourism identity that would represent ALBA-TCP nations collectively on the global stage. This unified brand aims to position the region as a unique, interconnected travel corridor offering distinctive experiences across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The brand would not only elevate the international visibility of lesser-known destinations but also establish a strong regional narrative built around themes of culture, nature, wellness, and social harmony. This effort is expected to resonate with global travelers seeking authentic, multi-layered experiences in emerging travel markets.

A robust communications campaign will accompany the branding initiative. This campaign is expected to include promotional videos, social media engagement, joint participation in international travel expos, and digital marketing strategies aimed at both traditional and non-traditional source markets.

Strengthening Sustainable Development Goals in Tourism

In line with global travel trends, sustainable development emerged as a core pillar of the discussions. ALBA-TCP member states reiterated their commitment to developing tourism that preserves natural resources, respects local cultures, and generates inclusive economic growth.

The strategy places particular emphasis on:

  • Eco-tourism and green infrastructure
  • Community-based tourism models
  • Carbon footprint reduction efforts
  • Education and training in sustainable practices

By integrating sustainability into the broader tourism agenda, the bloc aims to enhance long-term resilience while meeting rising consumer demand for responsible travel.

Expanding the Air Connectivity Network

A critical component of the proposed integration is the flexibilization of aeronautical policies and the creation of regional airline interconnections. Participants outlined several strategies to support this, including:

  • Coordinated route development among national carriers
  • Shared investment in regional airports
  • Open skies agreements within the bloc
  • The introduction of inter-bloc air passes and code-sharing arrangements

This push toward enhanced air connectivity is intended to lower travel costs, reduce transit time between destinations, and increase the accessibility of multi-country tourism packages.

In a forward-looking move, representatives from various airlines are set to participate in upcoming workshops and consultations, aimed at aligning operational capacities with tourism objectives. This collaboration is expected to produce a more integrated flight network that connects both major cities and remote attractions across the bloc.

Corporate and Social Tourism on the Agenda

The initiative also places renewed focus on corporate and social tourism, recognizing the untapped potential of business and institutional travel within and beyond the region. This segment includes:

  • Conferences and trade events
  • Educational exchange programs
  • Cultural and sporting events

ALBA-TCP countries plan to enhance infrastructure and services geared toward hosting such events, which often lead to high-value tourism and foster intergovernmental cooperation.

Proposals include:

  • Dedicated business tourism zones
  • Joint event calendars
  • Cross-border event incentives
  • Streamlined visa processes for business travelers

Interest From Non-Member Operators

Notably, the ALBA-TCP initiative has started attracting attention from tourism operators outside the bloc, particularly those already active in Cuba. Their interest lies in the growing potential for regional market expansion through partnerships that align with the bloc’s new vision.

While formal accession is not on the table, these external operators may participate in joint promotional campaigns or serve as strategic collaborators in implementing new tourism products and interconnection plans.

This widening circle of engagement signals increasing confidence in the bloc’s capacity to offer a compelling and coherent tourism proposition.

Strategic Objectives and Implementation Milestones

The momentum sparked by Cuba’s leadership is set to translate into tangible actions over the next 18 months. The agreed-upon roadmap includes key deliverables, such as:

  • Launching a pilot multi-destination package by the end of the current year
  • Finalizing the ALBA-TCP tourism brand and visual identity
  • Holding aviation policy workshops with key airline partners
  • Launching joint digital marketing campaigns targeting Europe, Asia, and the Americas
  • Hosting a regional tourism summit to present the integrated offering to global stakeholders

These milestones are designed to lay the groundwork for long-term tourism growth and provide a replicable model for other regional blocs.

Opportunities and Challenges Ahead

The ALBA-TCP nations acknowledge that while the integrated tourism framework holds significant promise, several challenges must be addressed:

  • Regulatory harmonization across borders
  • Infrastructure development in under-connected areas
  • Currency exchange limitations
  • Aligning private sector expectations with public policy goals

However, the commitment demonstrated at the recent meeting—and the interest from external tourism entities—points to a growing consensus that the bloc’s collective tourism potential outweighs individual limitations.

With Cuba at the helm, ALBA-TCP is charting a course that could redefine how regional tourism functions in Latin America and the Caribbean—through cohesion, cooperation, and connectivity.

The Broader Economic Impact

Tourism remains a vital economic engine for most ALBA-TCP countries. By combining efforts and presenting a shared destination portfolio, the bloc is aiming to:

  • Boost tourism revenues
  • Diversify national economies
  • Enhance cultural diplomacy
  • Reduce reliance on single-source markets

This collective push is expected to increase inbound visitation numbers, create new jobs in hospitality and transport, and stimulate foreign direct investment in the tourism and aviation sectors.

Furthermore, the shared marketing of diverse attractions—from Cuba’s beaches to Bolivia’s highland culture and Nicaragua’s volcanoes—offers travelers a compelling and varied regional experience.

Cuba is driving a new phase of tourism growth within ALBA-TCP by promoting multi-destination travel packages and enhancing regional airline connectivity. This approach aims to unify member nations under a cohesive tourism strategy that boosts accessibility, sustainability, and international appeal.

Cuba’s leadership in this renewed tourism strategy for the ALBA-TCP bloc is igniting a transformative vision for regional travel. Through multi-destination offerings, strengthened airline connectivity, a unified tourism brand, and sustainable development goals, the bloc is preparing to position itself as a competitive, cooperative, and culturally rich tourism region on the global stage.

As new frameworks take shape and pilot projects are launched, the ALBA-TCP’s tourism integration could serve as a model for other regions seeking to harness collective strength in a rapidly evolving global travel industry.

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Mexico is preparing a campaign: “An oil ship for Cuba”

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Anthony Brenner

Mexico City, May 4 (Prensa Latina) The José Martí Association of Cuban Residents in Mexico is preparing a campaign to send an oil tanker to the island in support of the electrical system, the organization’s vice president, Olivia Garza, reported today.

In a conversation with Prensa Latina, he said the initiative will be officially presented on August 13, and will run until the same date in 2026, the centenary of the birth of Fidel Castro, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution.

As detailed, the association has been working, with greater emphasis since the COVID-19 pandemic, on material contributions to the Caribbean country. While not very large, they contribute in some way to supporting the nation, especially its healthcare system.

“We want a greater effort and impact that will help the national energy system, which is so necessary for the development our people deserve. That’s why we decided to launch this campaign, resuming a previous initiative that took place during the Special Period,” he explained.

The Caribbean nation’s National Electric System, which has suffered significant damage in recent months, is suffering the consequences of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba for more than six decades, a policy that has been intensified in recent years.

We plan to send a 400,000-barrel ship, which will require a significant effort and work, said Garza, announcing the invitation to the Mexican Movement of Solidarity with Cuba to join the initiative, so that both organizations can participate.

The campaign, he specified, is part of the activities of the Fidel, Eternal and Undefeated project, a tribute by the Association to mark the 100th anniversary of the Commander in Chief’s birth, which will begin on May 19 with the launch of a blog of the same name.

This weekend, Garza participated in the 29th National Meeting of Solidarity with the island, organized by the Movement and attended by 280 delegates from Mexico, as well as diplomatic representatives from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Vietnam, in addition to various organizations.

npg/las

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Norwegian Songwriter Trio Teams Up with Latin Artists from Chicago and Cuba to Release the Summer Anthem ‘VAS A CAER’

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Anthony Brenner

May 02, 2025, 1:02 AM ET

Cover Art

Everyone brought a piece of their own culture to the table. ‘VAS A CAER’ is a true testament to collaboration, love, and friendship.”

— Tomas from Popkanon

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, May 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — Popkanon, an innovative songwriter trio from Norway, has teamed up with talented Latin artists RarriQUESO and MoodSWANG, both from Chicago, along with Cuba’s rising star Alejandra Tabita, to release their highly anticipated summer track, “VAS A CAER.” Adding depth and character to the track, the experienced producer Jack Flash has infused his unique touch, making this song an explosive hit.

“VAS A CAER” is already making waves on Scandinavia’s biggest Latin station, Radio Latin-Amerika (FM 105.8) in Oslo, Norway. It’s expected to dominate radio, clubs, and streaming platforms worldwide. Popkanon and RarriQUESO previously collaborated on the Latin hit “Bar Colombia,” which earned praise from music journalists and curators around the world and received heavy rotation on major radio stations during the summer of 2023.

This track is a perfect fusion of Pop Latino and Electronic Dance Music, featuring a pulsating beat and catchy, playful vocals that will keep listeners moving. It’s a track made for the dance floor.

The song represent cross-cultural and trans-Atlantic collaboration. The cover art reflects the cultural influences as well, incorporating the colors of the artists heritage and national flags — red, white, and blue from Norway, the United States and Cuba, and the centerpiece is a decorative poncho from Mexico.

Produced and mixed by Jack Flash at Rockwell Studios in Chicago, and mastered by the award-winning Slavic Livins from Chicago Audio Mastering, the song’s production quality is top-notch. Additionally, a music video for “VAS A CAER” is set to drop soon, filmed by Chicago-based filmmakers Tripp the God from 432 Production Studio and JBow tha Camera God. The video beautifully captures the urban landscape of Chicago alongside the scenic fjords of Oslo.

“VAS A CAER” is available for streaming on Spotify, iTunes, and all other major platforms. Click here to listen to the track.

About Popkanon:
Popkanon is a songwriting and production collective founded in 2020 by Paal Bay Braathen, Morten Collier Gabrielsen, and Tomas Jensen. Their mission is to inspire and excite fans through their music, working with both emerging and established artists to create songs that transcend cultures and genres.

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Popkanon Sounds LLC
sounds@popkanon.com
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EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.

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Solidarity event in Mexico: For Cuba and against the US blockade

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Anthony Brenner

Mexico City, May 3 (Prensa Latina) The 29th National Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba opened its doors today in Mexico, with calls to take action against the blockade imposed by the United States and to highlight the achievements of the island’s medical brigades.

At the opening of the two-day event in this capital, convened by the Mexican Movement of Solidarity with Cuba, Nelson Ocaña, Counselor at the Havana Embassy here, considered these events to be spaces for the articulation of solidarity at the regional level.

They also allow for impactful actions to be projected in response to the Washington-led siege against the people of the Caribbean nation and the island’s inclusion on “the arbitrary and unilateral list of state sponsors of terrorism.”

The diplomat referred to the complex situation currently facing President Donald Trump, who during his first administration implemented a policy of maximum pressure, reinforcing the blockade with 243 additional measures, following his return to the White House for his second term.

“Since January 20, 2025, it has reversed previous easing of sanctions and reinstated economic and immigration sanctions. The new US approach seeks by all means to cut off sources of financing and intensify the genocidal blockade,” he noted.

Among the new measures are the updating and expansion of the list of restricted Cuban entities, the reactivation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, and the maximum limitation on the granting of visas for cultural, sports, academic, scientific, and other exchanges.

In addition, it decreed the restriction and suspension of visas for people linked to Cuban international cooperation programs, particularly those related to health.

“By threatening to deny visas to foreign officials, the United States government is trying to sabotage these Cuban medical missions. That’s why we cannot give up on our efforts to highlight the achievements of our wonderful army of white coats,” he emphasized.

During the opening ceremony, Julio Gerardo Padilla, a member of the Mexican Movement of Solidarity with Cuba, reaffirmed his rejection of the blockade imposed by Washington for more than six decades and the inclusion of Cuba “on the spurious and nefarious list of state sponsors of terrorism.”

“Showing solidarity with Cuba means showing solidarity with the countries of the world. These are just causes,” he emphasized.

For her part, Idania Ramos, head of Mexico at the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), reaffirmed her immense gratitude toward the North American nation.

She considered the event, which began this Saturday at the Futurama Cultural Center, to have special significance as it is the prelude to the IX Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, to be held from October 9 to 12 of this year, also in this capital, within the framework of the 65th anniversary of ICAP.

The event, which concludes tomorrow, is being attended by more than 230 delegates, including diplomats from Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Vietnam, and representatives from organizations such as the Popular Socialist Party of Mexico, the Communist Party, the Communist Youth Front, and the Association of Cubans Residing in Mexico.

jcm/las

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Cuba Project Brings to the Forefront the Joy of Volunteer Service to U.S. Adventists

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Anthony Brenner
Group of volunteers who served in Havana, Cuba, in April, together with student interpreters from the Adventist seminary and Maranatha leaders, at the foot of the famous Christ of Havana monument. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

Marcos Paseggi,  Adventist Review – May 3, 2025

Marvin Wray was in his mid 20s when he thought he would die of a heart attack. After years of smoking and drinking, his health was in tatters. But one day Wray met a Seventh-day Adventist young woman who eventually led him to a new life in Jesus and the Adventist Church.

Now, at 78 and after more than a half century in Adventist ministry in the U.S. and overseas, on April 18 Wray was the first to volunteer to be lifted 15 feet up on the working platform of a skylift. From up there Wray, who pastors the Carmichael Seventh-day Adventist Church in Sacramento, California, United States, helped sweep and scrape the walls of one of the buildings at Cuba Theological Adventist Seminary in Havana before repainting them.

“If I hadn’t met the Lord, I would probably be dead,” Wray said. “Now I have retired five times but keep going back to pastor as needed. And I can even volunteer for Maranatha!” he added, referencing supporting ministry Maranatha Volunteers International, which repairs and builds churches and schools around the world and was organizing the seminary repainting project in Cuba.

  • Volunteers move boxes with donated Bibles around inside the seminary cafeteria before applying wall putty, then sanding and repainting the building. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • John Thomas, retired General Conference associate secretary and the leader of the repainting of Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary, shares the work plan with Maranatha volunteers on April 17. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • A group of Maranatha Volunteers International arrives at the working site on the campus of Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary on April 18. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • A volunteer checks the inventory of tools that Maranatha and its donors brought for the seminary repainting project in Cuba. Almost every tool has been purchased abroad and sometimes sent in containers months in advance. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • Volunteers move boxes with donated Bibles around inside the seminary cafeteria before applying wall putty, then sanding and repainting the building. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • John Thomas, retired General Conference associate secretary and the leader of the repainting of Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary, shares the work plan with Maranatha volunteers on April 17. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

John Thomas, retired General Conference associate secretary and the leader of the repainting of Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary, shares the work plan with Maranatha volunteers on April 17. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]


Meeting the Challenges

Marvin Wray and his wife, Ingrid, were two of approximately 30 Adventist lay professionals and retired church workers who volunteered in two projects in Havana April 17-27. In one of those projects they helped to give a new face to the seminary, which Maranatha built in mid-1990s in partnership with Adventist leaders and Cuba government officials.

Through the years Maranatha purchased a plot of land to enlarge the Adventist campus; built dorms, classrooms, and a cafeteria; and provided a state-of-the-art church building inaugurated by General Conference president Ted N. C. Wilson in 2011. Now, as an acute economic crisis sweeps the country, Maranatha has gone beyond their usual mandate and has shipped containers with food to feed the 90 young men and women who are preparing to pastor Cuba’s growing congregations. “We figured that since we had invested millions on this campus, we’d better help to keep it open,” said Maranatha president Don Noble. “And the only way of keeping the school open was to make sure students had food to eat.”

The crisis has not subsided. A recent shortage of natural gas across Cuba has forced the school cooks to resort to firewood and charcoal to cook the daily rice and beans that, together with some fresh produce, comprise most of the students and faculty diet. “Occasionally we get some gas,” a cook shared. “But most of the time we have to get up very early to get the fire going so students can have lunch.”

  • A Maranatha volunteer rolls paints one of the interior walls of the Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary cafeteria. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • Two Maranatha volunteers, including Marvin Wray (right), scrape and sand the wall of one of the seminary buildings before repainting them. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • Every student at Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary has mandatory hours of work. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • Because of a nationwide shortage of natural gas, often the seminary cooks are forced to prepare meals in an open firewood fire so students and faculty can eat. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • A Maranatha volunteer rolls paints one of the interior walls of the Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary cafeteria. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • Two Maranatha volunteers, including Marvin Wray (right), scrape and sand the wall of one of the seminary buildings before repainting them. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

Two Maranatha volunteers, including Marvin Wray (right), scrape and sand the wall of one of the seminary buildings before repainting them. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]


The Volunteer Model

Maranatha, which is donor-based and not part of the corporate Adventist organization, regularly invites volunteers to get involved in various kinds of mission trips around the world. Some initiatives are called “group projects”—a local Adventist church or school, for instance, gets together and lets Maranatha work on the logistics.

Other Maranatha initiatives cater to specific age groups. The popular Ultimate Workout projects take scores of 14- to 18-year-olds with chaperones to build churches and serve churches in India, Peru, or Zambia. Now in its thirty-fifth edition, it’s planning to take teenagers to build a church in Paraguay in July. Then there’s Catalyst, for 18- to 28-year- old volunteers. And popular family projects, which enlist grandparents, parents, and children in service initiatives around the world, usually around vacation times. Open projects, finally, create “impromptu” groups of volunteers who sometimes meet at the mission site for the first time. “There are different ways of getting involved,” Maranatha leaders said. “The model is not as important as the willingness to serve.”

  • La Víbora Seventh-day Adventist Church in Havana is one of more than 200 Adventist church buildings that Maranatha built or remodeled across Cuba. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • A Maranatha volunteer power washes an exterior wall at the Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary on April 21. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • A senior man who lives by the Adventist seminary campus in Havana, Cuba, tries reading glasses that Maranatha volunteers brought to distribute. The man, who lives alone, receives three free hot meals a day at the school. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • Seminary staff and other neighbors could also access the free eye tests and reading glasses that Maranatha volunteers brought to distribute. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • La Víbora Seventh-day Adventist Church in Havana is one of more than 200 Adventist church buildings that Maranatha built or remodeled across Cuba. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • A Maranatha volunteer power washes an exterior wall at the Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary on April 21. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

A Maranatha volunteer power washes an exterior wall at the Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary on April 21. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]


Volunteering in Cuba

Serving in Cuba, however, demands specific logistical considerations. Even basic working tools are very hard to come by, so every step must be carefully considered before arriving in the country. But Maranatha has built a sound reputation after decades of organizing volunteer service trips to the most challenging places. “The key in any mission project is flexibility,” Maranatha vice president Kenneth Weiss said. “There are always ‘surprises’—things that don’t go as we had planned them. But we must adapt and go on.”

And what about volunteers? “It depends,” Weiss explained. “Every group is different. But through the years mission trips have helped develop lifelong friendships, and even some lifetime marriages.”

In the case of Cuba, the Maranatha-led initiative in April combined a group of mostly veteran volunteers for 10 days of service, led by John Thomas, retired General Conference associate secretary and former director of Adventist Volunteer Services. Some of the volunteers commented they had served in multiple Maranatha projects in four continents. (“This is my 29th volunteer project with Maranatha!” a volunteer and donor proudly announced on his first day in Cuba). Others had been in that Caribbean Island nation a dozen times since Maranatha arrived in the country in the mid-90s.

Still, there are those, including Wray and his wife, who were visiting Cuba for the first time, or volunteers who were not as acquainted with the “Maranatha model” until they arrived in Havana. “Don’t worry about how much you know about the rest of the volunteers, or your practical skill levels,” a Maranatha leader tells the group on the first organizing meeting on the eve of launching the initiative. “By the end of the project you will all know each other better. Some of you might have even become friends.”

  • Marvin Wray (left), pastor of the Carmichael Seventh-day Adventist Church in Sacramento, California, United States, preaches the Word as Maranatha vice president Kenneth Weiss translates in Havana, Cuba, April 19. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • Visiting Maranatha volunteers attend worship at La Víbora Seventh-day Adventist Church in Havana, Cuba, on April 19. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • A church member sings a special item together with a choir during the April 19 worship service at La Víbora Seventh-day Adventist Church in Havana, Cuba. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • Marvin Wray (left), pastor of the Carmichael Seventh-day Adventist Church in Sacramento, California, United States, preaches the Word as Maranatha vice president Kenneth Weiss translates in Havana, Cuba, April 19. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
  • Visiting Maranatha volunteers attend worship at La Víbora Seventh-day Adventist Church in Havana, Cuba, on April 19. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

Visiting Maranatha volunteers attend worship at La Víbora Seventh-day Adventist Church in Havana, Cuba, on April 19. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]


The Joy of Volunteering

The following day the seminary campus suddenly became a beehive of activity as volunteers started scraping and power-washing the exterior walls. Inside the cafeteria, volunteers moved boxes around before applying putty to holes and prepping the hall pillars for repainting. In a congenial mood, volunteers, some of them in their late 70s, seemed energized as they used masking tape to protect doors and windows, climb on the school chairs and ladders, and moved up to work closer to the ceiling junctures.

Outside, Thomas called for two volunteers to go up in the skylift working platform. It was then that Wray volunteered. Only hours later, when the tropical sun had reached its peak and volunteers were called to lunch, that he and his partner on the platform finally went down for a well-deserved break.

After a simple meal of rice, beans, and salad, the 78-year-old church pastor who seems unable to retire was ready to go on. “Where would I be if I hadn’t met the Lord?” he reflected. Then, giving the skylift operator a thumbs-up, he said to him, “Take me back up.”

Maranatha Volunteers International is a nonprofit supporting ministry that is not operated by the corporate Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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The Race Question in the Cuban Revolution – Thursday, May 8 at Portland State University

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Anthony Brenner
Posted in Cultural | Leave a comment

Cuba: International Solidarity Meeting condemns US economic blockade

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Anthony Brenner
The event brought together more than 900 delegates who condemned the sanctions and also supported the Palestinian struggle and global peace, demanding Cuba’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Photo: Cubadebate.

The president of the Caribbean nation, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, emphasized that they were gathered there not only “for Cuba, but also for all the just causes of the world.” “Despite the challenges, the Cuban people will not allow themselves to be dominated, they will never kneel, they will never be defeated,” he added.

May 2, 2025 — teleSUR

During the International Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, held in Havana, Cuba, hundreds of delegates reaffirmed their stance against the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States for more than six decades.

With 969 delegates from 39 countries , the event condemned the sanctions and also supported the Palestinian struggle and global peace , demanding the exclusion of Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. 

In this context, the president of the Caribbean nation, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, emphasized that ” they were gathered there not only for Cuba, but also for all the just causes of the world .” “Despite the challenges, the Cuban people will not allow themselves to be dominated, they will never kneel, they will never be defeated,” he added.

International solidarity May 1st 5.jpg

Photos: Cubadebate.

The dignitary also indicated that he remains firmly confident that “we (Cuba) will emerge from the current situation, and we will do so with the effort and talent of the Cuban people.”

“We must continue to demand the lifting of the blockade imposed by the United States , as a priority for all those who feel Cuba’s struggle is their own,” he insisted.

The event also served as a platform to reject the inclusion of Cuba on the US list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism , a measure declared by the previous US administration as unfounded to apply it , however and evidencing the inconsistencies of Washington, the exclusion decision issued by former President Joe Biden, almost at the end of his term, was arbitrarily revoked by the current administration of President Donald Trump.

For two hours, attendees raised their voices against hatred, discrimination, and the resurgence of fascism, the Cuban Presidency detailed on the social network X.

“For two hours, voices of solidarity were raised. There was support for Palestine and world peace , and especially condemnation of the U.S. government’s blockade of Cuba ,” the post reads.

Delegates also demanded an end to sanctions that limit the country’s economic and social development, which have been intensified by 243 additional measures in recent years. 

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The Case for Studying Abroad in Cuba

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Anthony Brenner
By Victoria Chen

 I remember being afraid of two things as I left Cuba: that the language would leave me and that, as I attempted to convey the last four months to people gnawing at the bit for answers to the questions about this mythical place, I would fail to do the island justice.

By Anya Sesay May 1, 2025 The Harvard Crimson

Cuba is a myth to too many of us. We’ve made it a fictitious island, corroding at the hands of wicked communists-in-training, rung with poverty, and spitting out young people who’ve grown to despise this place that raised them. Or, we’ve idolized it as one of the many heroic tragedies to come out on the other side of the United States’ neo-colonial factory. Either way, there’s a curious presumptuousness in the questions that roar in our throats when we think of Cuba.

We think we have an answer to their problems. We’re just waiting on the evidence to confirm our theories.

When I tell people I studied abroad in Cuba for four months, I’m met with the same perplexed and even awe-filled reaction. Most people’s bodies respond before they have the words to form a reply, and I’ve grown to believe that is emblematic of how we see Cuba. It’s as though they don’t have the language — which most of us don’t — to articulate the notion of Cuba that has been spoon-fed to us. So, a strange air of overcompensation surrounds their reaction — their curiosity pointed with pity or contempt.

When we came home in May, the questions came flooding, brazen and invasive. My Puerto Rican tío and Bolivian tía asked me first about the people. Were the conditions they lived in terrible, were they happy — could they be?

I was tasked with succinctly interpreting the nuances of life and money in Cuba. Others in my program were met with similar questions, the details of their days subsumed by the worries of their families and friends. Have you lost any weight? Do you eat enough?

Some, overhearing our conversations or listening to our stories, would interject — Did you say you were in Cuba? Wow, that’s amazing. Can I ask, are you a communist now?

These questions were often snuck in like a guilty pleasure, evidence of a craving that could not be silenced. Sometimes we could sense they felt like they shouldn’t be asking these things, like they should care about the totality of our experiences and that of the Cuban people. But the legend of Cuba seemed to swallow totality whole — leaving behind a flattened fantasy of poverty, communism, and desolation.

I don’t think we’re apathetic academics, inquisitive simply for the sake of collecting information. In fact, I believe that our fascination and bewilderment with Cuba often stems from a deep sense of compassion. We know about the blackouts, the disappearances of dissenters, the food shortages. But beyond this, we know so very little. And if we’re not careful, our tenderness can shift ever so subtly into a kind of condescension or callousness.

Kenny Daici, a senior at Brown University, studied in Cuba with me. He was one of the most adventurous and curious among us, and often, in his free time, he went out into the neighborhoods, talked with people, and asked them if he could take their picture. By the end, he was asked to curate his photographs and exhibit them in Cuba and at Brown.

While installing the exhibit at Brown, a stranger took interest in his photos. Daici told him about the exhibition, how he had lived in Havana for the spring semester, how he had taken these photographs to honor the rich cultural tradition and resiliency that whisper in the lives of Cubans on the island.

And the first question out of the stranger’s mouth was rather disquieting.

“He was like, ‘oh, were you on a mission trip?’” Daici says. “And he was very serious.”

Despite our sympathetic proclivities, sometimes we lead with pity regarding Cuba, as though it signals strong moral character or some kind of contemporary geo-political prowess. Citing the long-standing U.S. trade sanctions against Cuba, the fallacy that there is no private sector on the island, and the onslaught of political protests against the government, we can relegate the island to a destination for our commiseration.

Or, on the other hand, we scold the Cuban government and their history in some saviorist attempt to fight for the Cuban people; to squeeze their government into capitalist submission and finally free the population from the bleak lives we believe they lead.

Perhaps because the embargo is at the heart of our contemporary relationship with Cuba, we resign ourselves to only having philosophies regarding the socio-political bones of the island, rather than exploring experiences with it and its people.

I wish everyone would go to Cuba the way that I did.

Live there for months, under the care of a loving host family who, receiving a call at 5 a.m., would rearrange their entire day to drive their elderly neighbor to the hospital, since her ride canceled on her last minute due to the gas shortage. Take classes with internationally-renowned Cuban scholars, both through a program and at the University of Havana to ground yourself in the vast complications that lie at the foundation of our relationship with Cuba. Go to the Feria de Libros and purchase 25 books for less than a dollar.

Tour Trinidad with el profe, who everyone expects to stop the blackouts from robbing them of their food and their peace. Whatsapp message a taxi driver to take you to visit the medicine man, and listen as he teaches you how to cure every ailment with something growing in his garden. Learn la rueda, salsa basico, y la rumba in El Vedado, and proceed to kiss your dance partner as the sun rises over the Atlantic.

Listen to Cuban students call their professors liars and slander the revolution. Then hear their classmates call them weak, conformist, and the very reason the island is struggling. Take a car to Guantanamó, and watch your friend go door-knocking until he finds his last living relatives in Cuba. Eat níspero by the river while you wait, and have lunch at their house even though they didn’t know you were coming. Make a ritual of sitting at the Malecón to watch every sunset sink into the horizon and listen to the music the waves make as they crash against the esplanade.

Learn to understand that having much does not equate to giving much. That in fact, sometimes, being stripped down to very little materially creates unfathomable bonds of mutual aid and a resilient kind of contentment. Learn to conceptualize Cuba as more than a communist wasteland of poverty and pain.

Perhaps if I were writing to another audience, in another time, I would concede that there are insurmountable barriers to traveling to Cuba in the way that I did — a visa, justification, access to scholars and institutions providing nuanced and restorative activities, opportunities, and tours. But, when Harvard opened its doors to you, it also opened the doors to Cuba. Please, please walk through them.

The flyer for Daici’s exhibition features one of my favorite photographs in the series — a group of Cuban men, steel drums in hand, wistful and taken by the music and the sun. I’ll never forget the day this photograph was taken, as these men led us in a beautiful procession through Los Hoyos in Santiago de Cuba.

I remember when they started beating the drums and chanting the cyclical lyrics, as people began poking their heads out the window. First dancing in their homes, doing the steps from behind their windows, watching from the sidewalks, until they couldn’t hold it in anymore. They came to us, their bodies called by the conga music, and they danced. Vendors, neighbors, and families alike flooded the streets to join us. We moved by dancing, as the conga uniquely allows. And they taught us, without burden or restraint. Once strangers, they became our educators, and together we learned to move as one, in the distinctly Cuban sense.

By the end our group spanned a few blocks, the drums and chanting echoing far beyond that. I can only imagine what we would’ve looked like from above — American and Cuban together, celebrating and preserving.

I remember being afraid of two things as I left Cuba: that the language would leave me and that, as I attempted to convey the last four months to people gnawing at the bit for answers to the questions about this mythical place, I would fail to do the island justice. I was afraid I would forget; afraid that I would become just another voyeuristic traveler exploiting my unique privilege to explore this supposedly uncharted territory. And in so doing, I would make Cuba all about me — about how I had seen the light, I could solve the problem, I knew revolution in a palpable way.

So whenever I’m asked, I tell people I left Cuba with more questions than answers. I tell them about my family, about the friends I made there, about the conga and the jazz and the salsa. I tell them about the Ropa Vieja, the beach days, the electric class debates. I tell them about the art exhibits, the performance pieces, the cafecitos.

And when the other questions do come — brazen and invasive — I don’t always feel equipped to answer them. And perhaps that’s the point. I’ve learned that Cuba cannot be distilled, and it’s certainly not my job to try. Cuban people don’t need our pity, and they certainly don’t need our disdain. They need our partnership.

—Magazine writer Anya Sesay can be reached at anya.sesay@thecrimson.com. Her column “The Islands That Shape Us” explores how our personal relationships with the Caribbean are entangled with its cultural erasure.

History of The Crimson

The Harvard Crimson, the nation’s oldest continuously published daily college newspaper, was founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. The newspaper traces its history to the first issue of “The Magenta,” published on Jan. 24, 1873, and changed its name to “The Crimson” to reflect the new color of the College on May 21, 1875. The Crimson has a rich tradition of journalistic integrity and counts among its ranks of editorship some of America’s greatest journalists. More than 40 Crimson alumni have won the Pulitzer Prize; many of their portraits line the walls of The Crimson.

The Crimson is proud of its legacy of alumni active in journalism, business, public service, and politics. Past editors include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Class of 1904, John F. Kennedy ’40, J. Anthony Lewis ’48, David Halberstam ’55, Michael Crichton ’64, Don Graham ’65, Linda Greenhouse ’68, Steve Ballmer ’77, Jim Cramer ’77, Mark Whitaker ’79, Susan Chira ’80, and Jeff Zucker ’86. More than 140 years after its founding, having grown from a fortnightly newspaper to a daily, The Harvard Crimson continues to flourish with a strong body of undergraduate staff volunteers.

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U.S. brigade members spoke with young Cubans

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Anthony Brenner

Santiago de Cuba, May 2 (Prensa Latina) The U.S. solidarity brigade Levántate por Cuba spoke today with students and professors from the Universidad de Oriente, in what was its first visit to the country.

Led by Family Medicine Specialist Howard Ehrman, the brigade members, mostly from Chicago, aim to collaborate in the areas of solar energy, public health, agriculture, and culture, showing particular interest in interacting with key figures in these activities.

The Universidad de Oriente provided a space where young students and recent graduates from several neighboring provinces came together to share life experiences, alongside the image of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and his Concept of Revolution.

The Americans discussed their struggles for civil rights and an end to the genocide in Palestine, the police brutality and racial segregation suffered by people of African descent, and the pressure exerted by the government to prevent expressions of solidarity with other causes and their own compatriots.

They were also interested in learning how university autonomy works when it comes to addressing their needs and interests, the relationship with the university administration, the relationship between students from different social strata, and how the special needs of some young people are addressed.

The hosts explained the role of the Student Council and the Federation of University Students, the support they receive from the university administration, and the collaborative work between the government, the Union of Young Communists, and the Communist Party of Cuba to ensure the comprehensive training of graduates.

In addition to Dr. Howard Ehrman, the participants include Juan Carlos Vaillant, the delegate of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples in Santiago de Cuba; Diana Sedal, the rector of the Universidad de Oriente; and Amika Tendaji, executive director of the Black Lives Matter movement in Chicago.

lam/yvg

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Renowned Cuba scholar examines legacy of Cuban-American community in South Florida

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Anthony Brenner

Andy Gomez, former director of the University’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, taught his first class for the Osher Lifelong Learning Center, on US-Cuba relations, in the fall.

By Amy Ellis 03-07-2025 – University of Miami

On the first day of his inaugural course on U.S.- Cuba relations for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), Andy Gomez said he set a few parameters for his students.

“I want you to leave your political biases at the door,” said Gomez, former senior advisor to the President’s Office on Cuban Affairs. “In this class, we respect different points of view, but we deal in facts.”

Setting aside personal feelings is not easy when the subject is Cuba, he acknowledged.

“When you talk about Cuba, it stirs a lot of passion,” Gomez explained. “I believe you have to study the past to understand the present and prepare for the future.”

Considered one of the top scholars on Cuba and Cuban-American relations, Gomez will teach a new course at OLLI this semester on the influence the Cuban-American community has had on South Florida–politically, economically, and socially.

The six-week course will also examine the challenges and struggles various waves of Cuban immigrants faced in the U.S.

“There is no question that we created an economic and political powerhouse here in South Florida,” said Gomez. “And, from 1959 on, each wave of refugees faced very different difficulties in how well they adjusted to their new country.”

Gomez said he won’t shy away from challenging topics or perceptions faced by Cuban Americans in Miami.

From the Mariel boat lift in the 1980s to violent images in the movie “Scarface” and the long-running television show “Miami Vice,” the perception of Cubans in Miami was not always positive, he said.

“These things didn’t really paint a pretty picture,” he said. “And at least some of it was based on the reality that was happening at the time. This class will look at the good with the bad and see what we can learn to apply for a better future.”

As a Cuban American who left the island nation when she was 5 years old, Vivian Maza said she knew very little about Cuban history. Though family members often reminisced about the “good old days” in Cuba, they never discussed what happened later in Cuban history, she said.

“My mom passed away three years after arriving in the U.S.,” she said. “How Cuba came to be was not something we discussed. I (wanted) to understand what my parents and relatives lived through and how Cuba became what it is today.”

Maza described Gomez as a “Cuba encyclopedia.” Although the class was supposed to cover 1959 to the present, she said, “he took us way back to the 1900s so we could really understand (how) the revolution started.”

“He took what he normally teaches in a full semester and did a phenomenal job condensing it into six weeks,” she said. “The class really gave me a clearer understanding of the sequence of events which led some of my family members to leave Cuba and why many decided to stay. He also keeps politics out of it, which is refreshing.”

Gomez said the students at OLLI were among the best he has had in more than 30 years teaching master’s and Ph.D. students at the University.

“I’m only as good as my students are,” he explained. “For my first time teaching at OLLI, I found the response from the students re-energized me in preparing for each lecture. I was very pleased.”

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