YEAR XNO 4APR 15, 2020HAVANA, CUBAISSN 2224-5707Price: 1.00 CUC / 1.00 USD / 1.20 CAN

Cuba

Cuba Challenges Covid-19 Pandemic

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Covid-19 vs. World Economy Mijaín López, the Champion

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President: Luis Enrique González.Information Vice President: Moisés Pérez MokEditorial Vice President: Lianet Arias Chief Editor: Roberto García HernándezEnglish Editor: Mitra GhaffariTranslation: Dayamí Interian/ Yanely Interián

Art Direction: Anathais RodríguezGraphic Designers: Fernando Fernandez TitoChief Graphic Editor: Francisco GonzálezAssistant Staff: Yaimara PortuondoAdvertising: René GarcíaCirculation: Commercial Department.

Printing: Imprenta Federico EngelsPublisher: Agencia Informativa Latinoamericana, Prensa Latina, S.A.Calle E, esq. 19 No. 454, Vedado, La Habana-4, Cuba.Telephone: (53)7838-3496 / 7832-3578 Fax: (53)7833-3068 E-mail: thr@prensa-latina.cu

SOCIETY.HEALTH & SCIENCE.POLITICS.CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT.PHOTO FEATURE.ECONOMY

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TOURISM

HAVANA.- Tourism is one of the main economic sectors affected by Covid-19 around the world due to the suspension of most of the air and sea travel, hotels and travel agencies, which now encourage people to stay at home. Currently, many sit at home daydreaming about travel once the pandemic is over, to visit more attractive places and live more enriching experiences, after this period of reflection and recognizing the value of life, friends and culture.When this article was drafted, 182 countries were affected by the pandemic, with almost two million cases had been confirmed positive, with 114, 000 deaths.Several cruise ships are still sailing, some with sick guests onboard, left without a safe port to dock. However, most of the people that are aware of this situation and don’t have essential work, stay at home to protect themselves and decrease the spreading of the virus.In solidarity, Cuba authorized the British MS Braemar cruise ship –with five confirmed cases of coronavirus– to dock on the island, from where its passengers were taken back to the United Kingdom by plane, as part of an operation that London and the cruise ship passengers highly appreciated.Cuba is not alien to the situation the world is now living. Until now, there are 350 confirmed cases and the social isolation measure is one of the first regulations adopted by the country, in addition to the suspension of tourism.Nevertheless, the country is still working to improve the tourist industry. In fact, authorities stated that this period of closure will allow establishments to make repairs and other developments in order to be ready to reopen their doors when the outbreak is over.However, many hotels are still providing shelter to tourists stuck in Cuba and sell food to go, among other initiatives that are also taking place globally. When tourist activity was closed in Cuba, as a safety measure to combat the spreading of Covid-19, there were about 60,000 tourists on the island, who have gradually left the country depending on flight priority.

Officials of the Cuban Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) say that we have to set our sights on the future, stay at home and for now, just think about traveling.They stated that 44 percent of the hotels in Cuba have total Wifi connection, while 62 percent – four and five star hotels – operate this service in all areas, as part of the development taking place in the sector.In 2019, Mintur added 2,981 new rooms – bringing Cuba to over 70,000– in hotels such as Prado y Malecón, Internacional de Varadero, and Kempinski and Muthu, in Cayo Guillermo

(central-northern region), among others.The country annually welcomes over 4 million foreign visitors, and before the outbreak of the pandemic, our destination was still included among the first choices by travelers from all over the world, despite the blockade imposed by Washington on Cuba, which has greatly impacted the arrival of visitors.Last year, Cuba received 4,275,561 visitors, which represented a decrease of 9.26 percent in comparison to the previous year, because of the negative U.S. pressures that the island increasingly faces.

Russia was the market that experienced the highest growth in the number of visitors, growing 30 percent, thus placing itself as the fourth country with the most visitors. Canada continued in the first place, followed by Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain.The pandemic and following suspension of tourism give the industry a reason to focus on the quality of services, and actions taken before and after the virus, as according to experts, this sector is going to experience a strong resurgence.

Stay Home and Plan Future TravelText & Photos RobertoF.CAMPOS

TOURISM & COVID-19

CUBA

HAVANA.-The triumph of the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959, threw the United States off balance, as the imperialist power had never conceived of such a process only 90 miles from its territory.The U.S. government had not predicted an event of that kind due to its particular history with Cuba: an economically, socially and culturally dependent country. Therefore, the U.S. scrambled to destroy this kind of outcome at all costs, even if it meant direct military intervention.Many historians agree that Washington learned its lesson and, although it underestimated the revolutionary movement until the Bay of Pigs victory. The eventful change to the course of history, led by Fidel and Raúl Castro and other brave commanders such as Camilo Cienfuegos and Argentinian Ernesto Che Guevara, made the United States change its stance.The extremely radical position it has maintained up to present day included sabotages in response to nationalization during the first years of the Revolution, the training of mercenary troops using other Latin American countries like Guatemala and even direct military intervention.It was then that the U.S. government sent mercenaries of Brigade 2506 to take Cuba militarily from the south, through Playa Girón (Giron Beach or Bay of Pigs), in the province of Matanzas. According to historic documents, the Assault Brigade 2506 was led by US Marine Corp. Colonel Jack Hawkins, pen name Frank. The mercenary brigade, largely made up of exiled Cubans, had been funded and equipped by the United States and trained in Guatemala.The military attack began on April 17, 1961, but two days earlier war planes had simultaneously attacked the San Antonio de los Baños Air Base (in Cuba’s west), the Ciudad Libertad runway and the Antonio Maceo International Airport in Santiago de Cuba.The objective of the operation, which the Pentagon and CIA called Pluto, was to land, isolate the zone, take over an airport and introduce “a government in exile” into the country that would later ask for Washington’s support.However, the operation was defeated in less than 72 hours by brave men and women commanded by Fidel Castro, who personally led the defense of the territory.April 19, 1961 went down in history as the first military defeat of Yankee imperialism in Latin America. Several years later, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution said in a speech that the invasion of the Bay of Pigs certainly marked the radical course toward socialism.“It not only translated into a great victory for the Cuban Revolution and great defeat of imperialism, but it was also when the socialist character of the Cuban Revolution was proclaimed,” Fidel recalled on April 19, 1991.Today, 59 years later, the United States pursues the same objective but with different methods. The lessons of the failed mercenary invasion of Bay of Pigs are kept in the collective memory of the two countries. Some analysts agree that this was the most crucial stage of the historic confrontation and an example of the United States’ desperation to achieve its goal of attacking Cuba by any means possible.Bay of Pigs was for Cubans the confirmation that the Cuban people could defend itself to a foreign attack. Likewise, it revealed the strength of the Revolution’s leadership and international solidarity.

Playa Girón: A Lesson for the U.S.By LauraBECQUER

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HAVANA.- The enforcement, by the United States government, of the prohibition of charter flights to Cuba - with the exception of Havana- is one of the most recent measures taken against the island, of a long list the U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed.This new prohibition violates the human rights of the Cuban people as well as U.S. citizens’ right to freely travel, denounced Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez on Twitter.Over 600,000 U.S. people traveled to Cuba from 2017 to 2018, in addition to a half million Cuban-Americans, a figure that in 2019 reached 552,816 persons, the Cuban minister highlighted. He also added that those figures show the strengthening of ties between the island and nationals living abroad.The suspension of charter flights between any air terminal in the United States and Cuba, with the exception of the José Martí International Airport, affects nine international airports on the island.This new action was added to the list of 190 retaliation measures enforced by Washington against Cuba since 2017, which includes the closing of consular services at the U.S. embassy in Havana, the suspension of cruise ship travel and the persecution against ships carrying oil to the island.Since he came to power in January of 2017, Trump has intensified U.S. hostility against Cuba and strengthened the blockade Washington has imposed on the island for over 60 years.The expulsion of diplomats from the Cuban

embassy in Washington and the Cuban mission to the United Nations, in addition to the calling-off of agreements in the field of sports and culture, are some of the additional examples that show the recent pressure exerted from the White House. In the last years, Washington issued more sanctions against Cuban companies and increased the prohibition of transactions between U.S. companies and Cuban entities.In addition, it enlarged the list of government officials and Cuban citizens who cannot get visas and remittances, and allowed the possibility for certain Cuban companies to be sued by the U.S. courts under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act.On June 20, 2019, the government of the United States included Cuba on a list of countries that, according to Washington, violate the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, in spite of the zero tolerance policy the island has declared against that phenomenon.At the end of February of this year, the Western Union Company had to suspend financial transactions to Cuba, except those issued from the United States.The company also warned that, “because of peculiar challenges of the service that operates the remittances to Cuba from countries except the United States,” Western Union can lose its capacity to operate transactions to the island.This new regulation on remittances violates the sovereignty of third-party countries and strengthens the extraterritorial nature of Washington’s inhuman policy against the island, the Cuban minister affirmed.

In this way, Cuban families become even more vulnerable despite pretending to help the people, he added.The hypocrisy of the U.S. government, which strengthens a terrible economic war against Cuba, has no limits, he wrote on Twitter.The restrictions on travel and trade, exports and re-exports of goods to Cuba, family remittances, and sanctions against ships and companies related to the oil sector, have had a strong impact on Cubans’ daily life.Transportation, family finances, the circulation of basic products and

medicines, and even important medical services, are affected due to the unilateral, coercive measures taken by Washington.Cuba has repeatedly denounced the many millions in economic damages due to the 60-year U.S. blockade, as the main obstacle for the country’s economic and social development.This criminal policy keeps working today, with even more restrictions, amid the impact on the Cuban people of the Coronavirus Sars Cov-2 that provokes the Covid-19, a disease that has killed thousands of people worldwide, including the United States.

U.S. Determined to Impose Sanctions on CubaHAVANA.- The world is under distress due to the rapid and deadly spreading of the coronavirus SARS-COV-2. So far, pandemic has claimed 114, 000 human lives, with altmost two million confirmed cases in 182 countries.Amid this situation, Cuba reinforces its preventive measures to control the spread of the pandemic within the country, which records 726 confirmed cases, 121 of which has recovered, and 21 deaths.Official statistics reveal that 2 305 patients remain hospitalized under clinical-epidemiologic observation in isolation centers created in Cuba for this purpose.“As a country we do not have a special antidote to fight the virus but we do have a strong health system, grassroots organizations, scientific community, as well as an effective civil defense system and government willing to put the public at the center of attention,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said recently.The government has adopted a number of measures to fight Covid-19, such as TV classes after the closing of schools, the control of public transportation and the suspension of air travel.Cuban medical brigades are helping coronavirus-hit countries fight the disease in Italy, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Surinam, Grenada, Jamaica and Belize.The Cuban government decided to keep the medical cooperation in the 59 countries where this aid existed before the spread of the coronavirus, so as to turn them into a stronghold against the pandemic.On the other hand, a number of countries have asked Cuba to supply them with recombinant Interferon Alpha 2B (IFRec), a therapeutic medicine of antiviral action used by China, together with other medicines, to cope with the new coronavirus outbreak.“Cheer up Cuba, we will beat this and live on,” the Cuban President told the people.

By RosmerysBERNAL

Cuba Challenges Covid-19 Pandemic

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Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in a meeting of the Council of Ministers

Cuban Minister of Public Health José Ángel Portal

HAVANA.- The Cuban Medical Brigade that has been providing medical aid to the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) since 1978 in the Refugee Camps in Tindouf, Algeria, is working in the desert area of Hamada (lit. 'hell'), in the Sahara.Currently made up of 13 specialists (nine doctors, three nursing graduates and one EKG specialist), the Cuban health personnel provide medical care for 263,000 inhabitants, according to data from the United Nations Refugee Agency, in five camps distributed in five provinces, in a very arid and sandy area of the Western Sahara'Our main function in the camps is to provide medical care to the refugees, which we carry out mainly at the Martir Brahim Saled National Hospital,' Dr. Hector Aurelio Mendez, head of the Brigade, wrote in an email to Prensa Latina.Mendez explained they have adopted protection and safety measures to prevent contagion and spread of the coronavirus.

The doctor, who has vast experience in internationalist cooperation in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Venezuela, and now in the SADR, wrote that in addition 'we went to prepare conditions of the premises assigned for the isolation and care of the patients who might become infected.'Mendez answered a question about the situation of the epidemic in the camps saying that 'luckily, we have no cases so far', and they are carrying out the training regularly, in order to keep both aid workers and the Sahrawis updated.In addition to attending the Covid-19 emergency situation, the Cuban Medical Brigade has been fulfilling the 'very important' task of training the first specialists in Comprehensive General Medicine in the camps since last year.This task is shared by 'the faculty of Brigade professors and three Saharawi specialists who joined', and it is chaired by the Postgraduate Department of the Cuban Ministry of Health and the Medical University of Havana. (Prensa Latina)

Cuban doctors work in the Algerian desert

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COVID-19 and Harmful U.S. Blockades

PARIS.- Throughout history, imperial countries have ignored the fundamental sense of humanity that global tragedies demand, a position the United States has proved to astounding limits in these hard times of COVID-19.The Trump administration seems determined to impose its control through blockades and unilateral actions, repeatedly breaching sovereignty and independence of other countries.Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea are included among the countries

attacked by economic, commercial and financial measures. Even though each has its own particularities, each holds a common position: resisting the foreign pressure without giving up.This week, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Joseph Borrell, stated that it is absolutely necessary that those nations can receive medical equipment and materials to fight the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which is impossible under the siege imposed by the United States.“In the case of the UN and UE, it is clear that our sanctions don’t represent a problem from the point of view of facilitating humanitarian aid; for that reason, we urge others to do the same,” the official said on Monday at a meeting of Defense Ministers on COVID-19. However, he didn’t mention the country or countries he was referring to.At the end of March, both the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, urged the U.S. to lift or reevaluate the measures that can have a negative impact on the battle against COVID-19.Guterres issued his call through a letter addressed to the G-20, in which he warned that these are not times of exclusion but solidarity.Bachelet also alerted in her statement that such actions could have a negative influence on the health and human rights sectors.“It is essential to avoid the collapse of the national health systems, considering the explosive repercussion this

could have in terms of death, suffering and spread of the infection,” she noted.The response of the United States should be judged by the actions of the last weeks: an escalation of the aggression against Venezuela, including the announcement of the deployment of warships near its coasts; a donation that couldn’t reach Cuba because of the blockade, and further implementation of the sanctions against Iran.According to French social organizations, Washington’s stance is easily interpreted, as they are trying to divert attention from domestic problems amidst the scourge of COVID-19 in their country –the nation with the highest number of cases (over 557,590) and recent deaths (about 22,000) in the world.Trade unionists of the French National Chemical Industries Federation (FNIC) said that in the face of the dire situation, the U.S. health system is facing a current health crisis, but the Trump administration is trying to distract electors, as there are only a few months until the presidential elections in November.Other organizations stated that the hostility of the U.S. government at a time of global tension reveals its inhuman nature, as the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba has proven for over 60 years.“It is time for us to join together against this murderous blockade and the shameful attitude of the United States government, whose objective is no other but to subjugate the Cuban people to its will, in an attempt to harm women, men, and children who have committed no crime,” the French-Cuban Association highlighted.

PHOTO: Fidel A. Manzanares (PL)

By IbisFRADE

By WaldoMENDILUZA

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HAVANA.-While closing the 5th International Salsa Festival held in Havana, Puerto Rican singer Víctor Manuelle recognized the influence that Cuban musicians have had on all salsa artists around the world.Salsa music enthusiasts from several countries met in the Cuban capital to dance and sing until very late at night with famous Cuban bands and the Puerto Rican salsa performer, who delighted the audience by singing several of his greatest hits.On March 1, Club 500 of the José Antonio Echeverría Recreational Complex, the festival’s main venue, was packed with people that challenged low temperatures as they were waiting for the clock to strike 1:00am to welcome the interpreter of songs like “Tengo ganas,” “Cómo se lo explico al corazón” and “Dile a ella.”Many seized that opportunity to continue dancing, as the crowd had danced already to the rhythm of bands such as Haila María Mompié, Lazarito Valdés y Bamboleo and El Niño y la Verdad.Víctor Manuelle pleased the audience with both lively and rather slow songs such as “Si la ves,” “Qué habría sido de mí,” “He tratado” and “Si tú me besas,” among others.Since the very beginning, the artist expressed his gratitude for singing in the cradle of salsa music and said that the similarities between Cuban and Puerto Rican people made him feel like home.He also thanked Cubans for the affection towards the Puerto Rican artists and pronounced in favor of cultural exchanges, especially those developed in the field of music.Victor performed songs by Cuban authors that he has included in his repertoire, such as “El águila” by Manolito Simonet, “Que suenen los tabores” by Osmany Espinosa and “La vida es un carnaval” by Celia Cruz, which closed the 2-hour concert in high spirits.The audience raised their hands in joy and Cuban and Puerto Rican flags flew overhead almost the whole night. Overwhelmed by emotion, Víctor Manuelle sustained that the two countries carry the salsa music in their blood, and confessed that he has been listening to Cuban music since he was a child.Likewise, he paraphrased Puerto Rican poet, journalist and revolutionary activist Lola Rodríguez de Tió by saying: "Cuba and Puerto Rico are like the two wings of a bird.”Led by Cuban musician Maykel Blanco, the International Salsa Festival held in Havana for six days brought together 19 top-notch local bands including Adalberto Álvarez y Su Son, Alain Pérez, Los Van Van and Alexander Abreu y Havana D' Primera.Like every year, the festival included workshops on different Cuban dance genres and visits to places linked to music production on the island such as recording studios and conservatories, among other places of interest.

CULTURE SPOTLIGHT

By MaríaMARTÍNEZ

Víctor Manuelle Praises Cuba’s Influence on Salsa Music

HAVANA.- The main Cuban theaters have suspended all artistic shows as part of the measures to prevent and face COVID-19.The regulation, in tune with those adopted in other countries, led to a kind of standstill among Cuban companies, because even though their creative processes don’t stop, the fact that artists cannot share their work with the audience worries many.When the measure was announced, the Alicia Alonso Grand Theater of Havana was about to host the closing gala of the second International Spanish Dance and Flamenco Festival, while the Symphony Orchestra was preparing Ludwig van Beethoven’s Third Symphony – aka ‘Heroic’ – at the National Theater.The concert was part of a program to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the immortal German composer’s birth.There are theaters that have their own essences, inviting artists to make unique performances for each audience, as in the case of ballet.Because of the intensity of that feeling, a decision was made in 2006 to add the name of Alicia Alonso to the Grand Theater of Havana. The fact is that even though the legendary ballerina exhibited her gift on several international stages, Cubans used to go to the Grand Theater of Havana to worship her, and seeing her in the roles of Carmen, Giselle, Odette and Odile captivated all generations.Alonso was one of the founders of the Cuban National Ballet (BNC), now directed by prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés, that was getting ready to delight the audience with a new season of the classic Coppelia, at the said theater.Several young artists of the BNC had to postpone the dream of their debut, while the Cuban Contemporary Dance Company had to delay the world premiere of a work inspired by the novel Pedro Páramo, by Mexican writer Juan Rulfo.In efforts to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, the Cuban government is maximizing measures through an inter-sectorial plan which involves all institutions around the country.For the moment, Cuban theaters remain silent and everyone is feeling the absence of their shows. The Revolution of 1959 has

created a unique system of artistic teaching that facilitates easy and affordable access to those cultural centers.As a matter of fact, in many Cuban theaters the price of the tickets is around one dollar for Cuban nationals. However, as some playwrights would say, crises are also productive for the arts and quite a few of the creators of all fields have proven such.The current situation, resulting from the novel coronavirus that threatens most of the world, doesn’t paralyze culture, which becomes an expression of human beings’ feelings. For that reason, this period will go down in history.For example, many have shared videos on social media of Italian towns in which people, confined to their homes, listen to music and sing as a way of consolation; others publish poetry or song lyrics with messages of solidarity and affection.In times of crisis, culture offers consolation and spreads love, which is always needed.

By MarthaSÁNCHEZ

COVID-19 Silences Main Cuban Theaters

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BOGOTA.-The Colombian National State Crime Victims Movement (MOVICE) has been fighting for the last 15 years against impunity and in favor of the recognition of State crime as a pressing issue.The Havana Reporter (THR) spoke to Luz Marina Hache (LMH), MOVICE member and victim of enforced disappearance for 33 years, about the work the movement conducts and the persistence of violence in the country.-THR: Why was MOVICE created 15 years ago?-LMH: At that time, the negotiation of the government, headed by Álvaro Uribe (President from 2002 to 2010), was being discussed.Then, victims like me, each with their own stories and representing different organizations, decided to get together and state our disagreement with the way those dialogues were brought forward.On October 2004, we held a meeting with the participation of 400 delegates and decided to create an organization to include all the people who had been victimized due to actions or omissions on the part of the State.

On June 2005, in a national meeting with about 2,000 delegates from different areas of the country, MOVICE was created. International delegates from about eight countries and victims living abroad also attended the meeting.- THR: In a country like Colombia, what are the main obstacles a movement like MOVICE faces in the execution of its work?-LMH: The ignorance on the part of the State of its responsibility as the perpetrator of those crimes. The Colombian Constitution establishes the obligation of the State to protect the life, honor and wellbeing of each citizen.The State has not protected its people, but rather those with economic value; it has not protected the majority of the people. That means that the State is responsible.That is the reason why selective murders are conducted in the country, including massacres, enforced disappearances, displacements, threats, false positives –which are nothing but extrajudicial executions or legal set-ups against people who don’t agree with the State.Those who defend the status quo have no reason to worry, but those like me, who think and act differently, have a lot to worry.- THR: The shortcomings on the part of the State that you talk about, what are they attributed to?

-LMH: That shortcomings date back to over 60 years ago. The theory of the domestic enemy is deeply rooted in the Colombian State. That theory, which comes from the United States School of the Americas, played an important role in the leadership of the National Army that has been passed on to following generations.The theory implies that you don’t have to look for the enemy on the outside but rather, on the inside. The State has committed itself to persecuting the people who think and act differently in order to defend their hegemonic values.The State fails to comply with the right to life, to freedom, to health, to education, to a job, or to a dignified home. In this movement, we demand the right of the people to life and freedom.That’s why the crimes against humanity, the war crimes, have to do with MOVICE. When genocide against the Unión Patriótica and enforced disappearances started, victims were nearly always trade union leaders, student or social leaders who opposed defending the status quo and demanded a transformation of the way the State is conceived.- THR: Even though the Peace Agreement between the State and the former FARC-EP guerrilla movement was signed

more than three years ago, many voices agree that it was followed by a resurge of violence, as almost every day a social leader, human right advocate or former guerrilla member returning to civil life is murdered.In your experience in MOVICE, based on what you have seen and lived as a Colombian woman, do you really think that this country can move toward stable and lasting peace?-LMH: The violence that people are living today is the same the people lived in the 1980s, with one major difference: today, mass media and technology have allowed the world to know what is happening in Colombia.In the past, murders and disappearances happened more quietly and only a few knew about it. That difference makes me believe that it is possible for Colombia to have a different future.That’s why I am convinced that it is our obligation to sow the seeds of difference, so that the hatred and polarization that they have preached don’t bear fruit; to have something different, to have the right to laugh and live without fear.I know it is not easy, but hope is all we have and we have to fight to overcome structural violence.

A Fight Against Impunity in Colombia

By MassielFERNÁNDEZ

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HAVANA.- The Cristina Station, in Old Havana, gathers the railroad history of Cuba. This station was named after the street on which it is located: Avenida María Cristina de Borbón, in honor of the Queen of Spain.Opened in 1861, the station was part of the Western Railroad Company, which was founded in 1859. When the Central Railroad Station was opened, in 1912, the Cristina Station stopped its transportation operations and became a locomotive and automobile repair shop and warehouse.With the passing of the years, the station was used to move boarding students to countryside schools. About 5 thousand students made use of that service every week. On November 2000, the station was declared a National Monument.Today, the building is home to the Railroad Museum, a tribute to the 500th anniversary of Havana. Visitors can appreciate a variety of equipment, instruments and documents covering different periods of the Cuban railroad system.Steam, diesel and electric locomotives are exhibited at the museum. However, one of the main attractions is ‘La Junta,’ the oldest locomotive kept in the country which is

166 years old and still preserves almost all of its original pieces.The full name of this locomotive is ‘La Junta de Fomento,’ in recognition of the Count of Villanueva. It was bought in 1843 by the Matanzas Railroad Company, at the cost of 6,700 dollars. Its manufacturer, Thomas Rogers, was an important steam locomotive constructor of the 19th century.Other pieces treasured at the museum include the locomotive known as Manning, the name of the English factory where it was built, in 1873. This is the second oldest locomotive currently in Cuba and the only English steam locomotive made by that factory that has been preserved worldwide.Other collections exhibited at the museum include communication equipment and road signs, as well as photos and other pieces related to the railroad’s labor movement.There is also an area that reproduces the operation room of a railroad station as if it were the beginning of the 20th century, in addition to a steam crane, passengers’ coaches and freight cars.Similarly, there’s a rail-modeling room with models and equipment of many sizes made with different materials. The museum also includes a specialized library and newspaper library that gather materials and documents about the history of railroad in Cuba.Visitors can also enjoy the 1112 steam machine used in the shooting of the Cuban film “José Martí: el ojo del canario” (2011), and the area that portrays the operation center of a station chief, with the telegraph, phone and weight.Other areas include a technical-scientific room (multiple purpose hall) and the typical waiting room, with clocks and benches, and a classroom for kids and adolescents to learn more about the history of railroad, on which a drawing contest is conducted.All these options allow visitors to go back in time and know more about the origin of this important means of transportation.

History and Culture on Display at Havana’s Railroad Museum

HAVANA.- The level of dance technique and methodology in the United States is very high, but Cuba’s is on par, the artistic director of the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theater, Charlene Campbell, said in Havana.The distinguished dancer, who gave a lecture at the headquarters of the Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba (LADC) Company on her first visit to Cuba, spoke highly of Cuban dancers and said that their work enjoys international recognition.“I am the president of the Ballet Beyond Borders Festival in the United States, an organization that receives artists from more than 30 countries and aims to accomplish global communication and understanding through dance,” she noted.“We want to materialize projects with this company and its school because it has a unique way of approaching dance, not only taking from classical or contemporary ballet but from all forms of art. This is perfect for my organization,” said Campbell.During the meeting at the LADC headquarters in the historic district of Havana, Campbell was accompanied by the executive director of Ballet Beyond Borders, Karen Carreno, and dancers Piper Leistiko and Naomi Bryne.Leistiko and Bryne came to Havana after winning a scholarship granted by Professor Lizt Alfonso during the Ballet Beyond Borders Festival held in January 2020 in Missoula, the United States.Once in Cuba, the two students performed two of Lizt Alfonso’s choreographies for the Cuban public, together with the LADC School during the spring gala performances at the Avellaneda Hall of Teatro Nacional de

Cuba (Cuba’s National Theater).The new experiences and exchanges were important because they enriched the mind, spirit, and way of thinking and, therefore, the way you move on the stage, Lizt Alfonso sustained.The Cuban dance teacher talked about the collaboration with Ballet Beyond Borders and Charlene, which started a year ago when she attended the latest two editions of the festival (in Los Angeles and Missoula).It is a unique and beautiful event that goes far beyond human borders and gives opportunities to people with disabilities or that are marginalized because of their ethnic or religious beliefs and are not within the unjust standards of society, she noted.“My participation in this project has allowed me to confirm that this cliché phrase is true: a better world is possible; but only if people behave the way they do at this festival,” she added.The Good Will Ambassador of the UN Children’s Fund extolled the influence of the Cuban Ballet School and the work of Alicia and Fernando Alonso in the United States through the creation of the American Ballet Theater.Charlene, precisely, danced with that company, her preparation apparent in her way of teaching, training, and in the execution and timing of every movement, she said.“I also recognize details from the school in Fernando, Alicia and Alberto Alonso. Those common elements are like signs of gratitude to their legacy and show that the language of dance is both unique and universal, the professor concluded.

U.S. Ballerina Exalts Cuban Dance

By YelenaRODRÍGUEZ

Text & Photos YaimaraPORTUONDO

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Members of Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba Company during a training session

Locomotive La Junta de Fomento (1842)

13LATIN AMERICA ECONOMY12

SANTIGAGO DE CHILE.- President Sebastián Piñera finished his first two years in office amid the worst social crisis recorded in the last 30 years in Chile, and with less than ten percent support, which makes his government unsustainable, according to many.It is with this burden that he just began the second half of his term, which seems like a marathon to make it to the finish line. However, his already damaged leadership will cope with a new and huge challenge: the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, where Chile stands as the country with the secondhighest number of confirmed cases in Latin America.The President spoke at a ceremony held on March 11 at La Moneda Palace, where, surprisingly, no representatives of the opposition were in attendance. His speech didn’t provide any new information and called for the Chilean people to create “democratic coexistence.”Making no reference to the general criticism of human rights violations in the country, Piñera once more advocated his so-called security agenda and urged the National Congress to pass a series of projects aimed at strengthening the repressive corps.He also spoke of his social agenda in response to the people’s demands and, even though he admitted that it does not solve everyone’s problems, he noted: “never before in Chilean history has such a comprehensive program been made.” Piñera thus ignored the great achievements attained by the Salvador Allende government, interrupted by the coup d’état on September 11, 1973, and the progress made during Michelle Bachelet’s last term in office.The ceremony contrasted with the atmosphere on the Chilean streets, where demonstrations were held all day in the capital and many other cities.The day was characterized by a standstill in public transportation, subway closures, demonstrations, over 100 people arrested and an unknown number of others injured.It was another day of protests in a month known as super March, due to the revival of popular demonstrations calling for social improvements. The government has responded with insignificant measures and solutions that fail to get to the root of the issues.The call urging Piñera to resign has increased since the social uprising on October 18, 2019, not only during marches andprotests but also within the political circle, as the President is clearly unable to solve any of the country’s problems.

The idea of bringing the general elections –both parliamentarian and presidential- forward, initially launched by the Coalition for Change (grouping the Communist, Progressive and the Social Green Regionalist Federation Parties), has found more support, even from more central factions of Chilean opposition.The same day of the half-term ceremony, Fuad Chahín, president of the moderate Christian Democratic Party (DC), said the possibility of bringing the presidential and parliamentarian elections forward would not be ruled out, due to the lack of governability in the country under the Piñera administration. Independent Senator Alejandro Guillier was even more critical, saying that the country lives in complete uncertainty as to what the future has in store for them. According to Guillier, this situation is the result of “the lack of governability in the country, the lack of leadership and the inability to solve public security issues or foster a true reform program.”Senate President Jaime Quintana even sent a request made by parliament deputies of the SocialGreen Regionalist Federation to the Senate Constitution Commission in order to analyze the possibility of disqualifying the President due to physical and psychological factors.The parties that make up the governmental coalition called those arguments “contrary to democracy” and closed ranks. However, the topic is already a matter of political debate, even when Piñera highlighted in an interview that his duty as president is to finish out his term and even noted that he hoped the people could recover faith during his remaining time in power.But the second half of his term began as an uphill battle, because of all the serious problems caused by the coronavirus around the world -badly hitting the Andean country- now adding to the socio-political crisis and economic setbacks in Chile.Although the President has reiterated that his government has adopted all measures advised by the World Health Organization and remains active against the disease, the increase of COVID-19 cases in Chile, as rapid as in Italy, gives room for doubt.Hence, criticism increases and many people poorly rate the adopted national policy. The secretary general of the Medical School of Chile, José Miguel Barnucci, has even called the messages sent from La Moneda contradictory and urged Piñera to “exercise true leadership” before it is too late.

A Rough Start to Chilean President Piñera’s Half-Term HAVANA.- Like a tsunami, the impact of Covid-19 has

destroyed global economic prospects while putting stock markets is on their knees.With unprecedented falls and amid the uncertainty of the uncontainable spreading of the virus, the world’s main stock markets have collapsed due to the slowdown of the tourist and manufacture industries and the price of raw materials.This dire panorama led the UN Conference on Trade and Development to estimate that the world economic growth this year is likely to shrink 2.5 percent due to the impact of coronavirus, the prelude to an economic recession.A preliminary analysis forecasts a $2 trillion shortfall in global income, with a $220 billion deficit for developing countries (excluding China).The most badly hit economies will be those that rely on the export of oil and other basic goods-with predictions estimating more than a one-percent economic fall- as well as the countries with strong commercial ties to the nations first hit by the virus, the organization noted.Another projection is that economic damage caused by Covid-19 could reduce global foreign direct investment five to 15 percent.The pandemic’s negative impact on investments will be most heavily felt by the automotive, airline and energy industries.In the case of the aviation industry, a downfall of up to $252 billion has been predicted in annual passenger revenue, a 44 percent drop compared to 2019, as result of the severe travel restrictions and predicted world recession, according to the International Air Transport Association.

However, the worst impact will be on the labor market, where nearly 25 million people are estimated to become unemployed due to the reduction of global economic activity.The youngest workers, older adults, women and migrants will be the most-affected sectors of the labor market, the International Labor Organization sustained.Amid this context, the fuel sector will be another victim of the uncertainty caused by Covid-19. At the beginning of March, oil losses were comparable to those recorded during the 1991Gulf War.Oil prices will plunge the following days with the WTI, the benchmark for oil pricing, recording its lowest price in 17 years due to the very low demand, at less than $25 per barrel.Although this sector was supported by the U.S. Federal Reserve decision to launch an economic stimulus worth two trillion dollars, the huge consequences of the virus in the U.S. are still unclear, as the number of coronavirus patients continues to grow.Not in vein the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast a negative panorama for world economic growth in 2020, with a recession as bad as or worse than the 2008 world financial crisis.The example used by IMF General Director Kristalina Georgieva to illustrate the unusual and difficult situation couldn’t have been better; foreign investors have withdrawn $83 billion from emerging markets in the recent days, the largest capital outflow on record so far, she sustained.

Covid-19 Bringing Down World Economy

By RafaelCALCINES

By IvetteFERNÁNDEZ

MAS Leads the Polls in Bolivia

HAVANA.- All polls conducted in Bolivia, official or not, reveal that the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) is likely to win the general elections initially scheduled for May 3, but now postponed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemia.The political party’s candidates for the country’s presidency and vice presidency, Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca, respectively, have won wide-spread support, as corroborated by the latest survey conducted by the Ciesmori polling firm.According to the study, MAS is supported by 33.3 percent of those polled, nearly two percent more than in the survey conducted less than a month ago.The most interesting element is that MAS is over 15 points ahead of its closest rival, the Citizens Community party led by former President Carlos Mesa, thus getting closer to the 40 percent minimum of valid votes, with an advantage of at least ten points to win the first round.The tendency is clear. The results of a poll by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, a German think tank, reaffirmed MAS’s advantage, with the Arce-Choquehuanca ticket leading the statistics. However, there are people that suspect that the Bolivian rightwing will not give up the ground won last November, when a coup d’état broke the constitutional line forcing President elect Evo Morales to resign.The forceful results of the polls have triggered those in favor of eradicating social policies for the majority of Bolivians and the State’s rolein the country’s economy, while also wanting to privatize the natural resources nationalized by the Morales government.Rightwing organizations whose participation in the coup has been confirmed, such as the ProSanta Cruz Civic Committee, have spared no efforts to bring the anti-MAS political parties together to prevent it from winning the elections.

Cunning arguments, political persecution, judicial processes without legal protection and warnings of possible electoral fraud are some of the tactics used to hinder the MAS campaign leading up to elections.Despite this, the political platform with solutions to the country’s main problems continues to win support, advocated for by the Arce-Choquehuanca pair and the rest of the MAS candidates to become senators, deputies or to occupy other public posts.“We have a governmental program that represents the Bolivian people and ensures the continuation of economic growth with the redistribution of income,” Arce said in one of his campaign messages posted on his twitter account.The text reiterates the need to recover the economic achievements attained in Bolivia during the Evo Morales government (2006-2019), now ruined by the de facto government.Official statistics reveal that the Bolivian economy grew considerably during the Morales period. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) alone rose from $9.5 billion at the end of 2005 to $42 billion at the end of 2019.Arce and his electoral pair defend the historic campaign program advocated for by MAS, known as the 2025 Agenda, aligned with Bolivia’s 200th anniversary of independence to be celebrated in five years.That program, previously defended by former President Morales, contains the 13 points needed to attain what MAS calls “a dignified and sovereign Bolivia.”The eradication of extreme poverty, socialization and universalization of basic services and sovereignty in science, technology, finances, production, natural resources, culture and integration are some of the pillars of the 2015 Agenda.With such large goals it is not surprising that the majority of Bolivians support MAS. However, the political party needs a crushing victory in the first round, whenever it takes place in the near future; otherwise, the rightwing could join forces and bet it all on one candidate.

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HAVANA.- The Helms-Burton Act, the main tool for the internationalization of the blockade against Cuba, arrived today 24 years after it was signed by the then President of the United States, William Clinton. Officially named as the Cuban Freedom and Democratic Solidarity Law, this instrument contemplates the denial of credits and financial aid to countries and organizations that favor or promote cooperation with the island.Since its entry into force, the Department of State notifies by investor letters to companies investing in the so-called confiscated properties, a result of the recovery of companies and private land to state property after January 1, 1959.Washington insists on that excuse despite the legality established during the nationalizations in Cuba, confirmed in the compensation agreements then proposed by Havana and denied by the White House.In contradiction with international law, the law establishes among its articles the deprivation of foreign investment in the largest of the Antilles, while granting

authority to owners or relatives of owners of said assets before 1959.On July 16, 1996, the controversial Title III of the Helms-Burton came into force; however, Clinton himself simultaneously issued an order for temporary suspension for six months of part of the section.After the succession of presidents who postponed it, Donald Trump opened in 2019 for the first time the possibility of lawsuits in the United States courts against Cuban companies included in a list drawn up by the State Department.In this way, it established the permission for US nationals to sue Cuban people and companies or third-country companies that 'traffic in US property' nationalized on the island.The activation of Title III was described by the Cuban authorities as'blackmail to the world', for codifying the economic, financial and commercial blockade against Cuba, now with an international character.To date, several North American companies have been the target of lawsuits, among which stand out the technological giant Amazon, the North American airline American Airlines and the cruise company Carnival Cruise Lines.

Helms-Burton Law, internationalization weapon to blockade Cuba

Mijaín López, the Face of a ChampionHAVANA.-Mijaín López, 37, was born in a rural town named Herradura in the Cuban westernmost province of Pinar del Río. Since he was a child, he dreamed of standing out as an athlete, and Greco-Roman wrestling made his dreams come true. With the passing of the years, Mijaín has achieved that his name will go down in history. Today, he is the face of the Cuban delegation for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.Mijaín, a three-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion of the 130 kg division, comes from a family that is not daunted by unexpected obstacles.Mijaín will again lead the Cuban delegation in the multiple sport event after crowning his undisputable talent in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Río de Janeiro 2016. In Tokyo, his goal to become the first gladiator to win four Olympic titles: a chimera in the past, a strong possibility at present.The “Giant of Herradura,” as people call him, will be the head of the Cuban wrestling squad that for the moment includes 12 qualified wrestlers. After the qualifying event in Ottawa (Canada), Cuba molded its team to shine in one of its favorite sports and stormed the North-American city.

Greco-Roman wrestlers Ismael Borrero (67), Luis Orta (60), Yosvany Peña (77), Daniel Gregorich (87) and Gabriel Rosillo (97), and Free-Style wrestlers Yusneylis Guzmán (50), Lianna Montero (53), Yudaris Sánchez (68), Alejandro Valdés (65), Geandry Garzón (74) and Reineris Salas (97), will accompany Mijaín, also working for victory.Mijaín, who will most likely be the flag-bearer of the Cuban delegation, will show his greatness, which has become a synonym of victory for this 1.96 m tall, 290 lb wrestler.Indeed, he is an iron mass of muscle; a steel image with a molten smile.In this panorama, Cubans will try to match or exceed the two crowns and second place reached four years ago in this discipline, and to continue witnessing the epic achievements of the great Mijaín López.

HAVANA.- Cuba’s participation in the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games currently consists of some rays of hope as well as many doubts. If we look back, Cuban history in the Games seems very bright from any angle, with the Barcelona 1992 Games as the climax.The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, originally scheduled for July 24 to August 9, had to be postponed due to the advance of the new coronavirus pandemic across the globe. Now they were scheduled from July 23rd to August 8th, 2021.The Cuban delegation first started winning gold medals with the outstanding performances of Ramón Fonst. That Cuban fencer won the individual épée title in

Paris 1900, thus becoming the first Latin American athlete of all times to reach the Olympic podium.Four years later, his legend grew with another two titles at the San Luis (United States) Olympic Games, as he made history as one of the most renowned sport icons in Cuba and around the world.It is a little known fact that Cuba was placed third in the general medal table of the 1904 Olympic Games’, with 4 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals –following behind the host country (79-83-80) and Germany (4-4-5).After that outstanding performance, Cuba didn’t win an Olympic medal again until London 1948, when sailor Carlos Cárdenas reached the silver in Star Class.

With the triumph of the Revolution on January 1, 1959, sports became one of the main objectives of the new social ideals promoted by Fidel Castro.In Tokyo 1964, Enrique Figuerola won the silver medal in 100 m sprint and opened a path of success to rising Cuban sports and athletes.An additional four second places were reached in Mexico 1968, and in Munich 1972, Cuba again won gold medals thanks to boxers Orlando Martínez, Emilio Correa and the legendary Teófilo Stevenson.Beyond those three Olympic titles, Téofilo represented such a grand figure that Muhammad Ali even showed respect towards him; the fight between Stevenson and Ali never came to fruition, although several attempts were made.Cuba continued its success and achieved six titles in the Montreal 1976 Games: two of them by the legendary Alberto Juantorena in 400m and 800m sprint.No other athlete in the history of the Olympic Games has ever received two gold medals in both distances. In fact, experts affirm that this has no precedent and was impossible to be achieved because these races – and their training – are totally different.In 1980, Cuba reached the fourth place on the medal table, with 8 gold medals, 7 silver and 5 bronze. It is important to highlight the performance of María Caridad Colón, who won the javelin competition and became the first Latin

American woman to win a gold medal in the history of the Olympics.Afterwards, in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Cuba reached the pinnacle of its Olympic performance. That year, 1992, is recalled as a once-in-a-lifetime event: 14 titles, seven of them in boxing.It was then when Javier Sotomayor also won the high jump competition; Félix Savon won the first of his three Olympic titles, and the women’s volleyball team, headed by coach Eugenio George and player Mireya Luis, earned gold. Mireya also won the title in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, thus becoming a legend.After Barcelona, Cuban sports continued to grow with outstanding performances in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens 2004. However, in the most recent Games – that is, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016 – the number of gold medals started to decrease, as well as the number of qualified athletes, which have gone down significantly.Projections for Tokyo 2021 are modest. However, considering the presence of the exceptional Mijaín López alone gives rise to all kinds of hope, to the point that other star athletes, such as wrestler Ismael Borrero and boxer Andy Cruz are pushed into the background.On Japanese soil, Mijaín (37 years old) will try to win his fourth Olympic title in the Greco-Roman, super heavy division, something that has never been done before.

Cuba’s Olympic History

By ElizabethBORREGO

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