HavanaReporterYEAR IXNº 3FEB 15, 2019HAVANA, CUBAISSN 2224-5707Price: 1.00 CUC1.00 USD1.20 CAN

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

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Cuba’s True Test

The Cuban Town of Trinidad: As dynamic as it is historic

The New House of Representatives & Cuba

Sports

Photo Feature

Cuba-U.S.

The Cuban Cigar Industry & the Habanos Festival

Cuba is Ready for Constitutional Referendum

A Welcome Successor

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

HavanaReporterTHE

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2 TOURISM

HAVANA.- Tourism and the Cuban capital go hand in hand in a special way this year, as Havana celebrates 500 years of foundation.

Although November 16th is the exact day that the city will turn 500, the celebrations will be taking place all year round.

“There is a revolution in Havana. All of the various institutions and companies have plans to recognize this anniversary,” Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said during the International Tourism Fair, FITUR 2019, held in Madrid January 23-27th.

The ministry will undertake many investments, several hotels will be inaugurated and a significant amount of recreational and tourist facilities will be created. “It will be a year filled with many cultural events,” he added.

Marrero and the president of the Spanish airline Iberia, Luis Gallego, met during FITUR.

Iberia will contribute to the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of Havana and will largely promote Cuba as a destination in its magazines, Ronda and Excelente, as well as on social media.

The Spanish airline offers daily direct flights between Havana and Madrid and has excellent connections to the rest of Europe. In May, it will open its new Premium Tourist cabin.

“In 2019, Iberia is celebrating the 70th year of operating flights to the Cuban capital, which reaffirms its affinity to Cuba as a tourist destination,” Gallego stressed in a release.

CUBAN TOURISM SHOWS POSITIVE RESULTS

According to Marrero, the tourist sector in Cuba continues to show positive impacts.

“So far this year, the country has recorded a major increase in the number of Canadian tourists,” the minister said in a meeting with tour operators, travel agents, airlines and representatives of Spanish businesses during FITUR 2019.

The Minister mentioned a new generation of five-star hotels in Havana and Varadero, such as Gran Hotel Manzana

Kempinski La Habana, Iberostar Grand Packard and Hotel Meliá Internacional Varadero.

The Cuban tourism industry is introducing a new variety of hotels that will stand out from the rest. It is part of a strategy aimed at developing competitive products that meet or exceed clients’ expectations. “Little by little, positive improvement of quality is being achieved,” Marrero noted.

Likewise, a noteworthy process for renovating hotel chains is underway. “We are not only building new hotels but also investing in thousands of rooms that are already available,” he added.

“We are immersed in a digital transformation process of Cuba as a tourist destination, through a governmentally approved and spearheaded process,” the minister highlighted.

Marrero said that all of these conditions are being pursued to achieve a new record and exceed five million visitors this year, stressing that of the tourist visits in 2018, 42 percent were repeat visitors. “This is a very high indicator of the reliability of the people who visit us.”

High Tourist Activity Marks Havana’s 500 Years

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HAVANA.- Cuba is awaiting the referendum on February 24, when electors will vote on the new Constitution of the Republic, endorsed by the People’s Power National Assembly on December 22.

The national and local electoral colleges responsible for organizing, running and validating the process at the polls are already activated.

According to president of the National Electoral Commission (CEN), Alina Balseiro, about 420,000 Cubans will be involved in the referendum vote, either as members of the electoral colleges or as part of the logistics groups.

Balseiro explained that this figure includes over 200,000 students of primary and secondary education, who are responsible for overseeing the ballot boxes – a peculiarity in Cuba, as opposed to other countries where the military are mobilized to do this task.

A pilot test, an exercise that’s usually held a week before the voting, is expected to take place on February 17.

“Everything is prepared for this process, which will take place in 1,051 electoral colleges in about 120 countries,” noted president of the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Special Electoral Commission Marcos Rodríguez.

The constitutional process started on July 22, when the Parliament met at Havana’s Convention Center and gave the green light to the draft proposal, which was submitted for popular consultation from August 13 to November 15.

In that period, different sectors of Cuban society voiced their opinions on the document, which ratifies Cuba’s socialist character and the leading role of the Communist Party.

The draft constitution proposes changes in the structure of the State, including the creation of the posts of president and vice-president of the

Republic and the position of prime minister – thus removing the current post of president of the Council of State and Ministers.

The text also extends people’s right to include topics such as guarantees in due process; Habeas Corpus; presumption of innocence, and social reincorporation of inmates.

It also includes several forms of properties - such as socialist, mixed and private – and changes in the institution of marriage – which is now defined as the union between two people, as opposed to the implemented definition that describes it as the voluntary union between a man and a woman.

The document also promotes foreign investment and the strengthening of public institutions from the grassroots level, giving more authority to municipalities.

Cuba is Ready for Constitutional Referendum on February 24

By CossetLAZO

For 4 News Headlines per day for just $1CUC / month, send a SMS with the letters PL to 8100.

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4 CUBA-U.S.

WASHINGTON.- “The opportunity to have legislations approved in favor of a rapprochement with Cuba arises with a new democratic leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives,” said James Williams, president of Engage Cuba, a coalition in favor of lifting the blockade against the island.

In an interview with The Havana Reporter, James highlighted that the midterm elections last November were historic in many senses, particularly because the democrats have won control of the Lower Chamber as of January 3rd.

“We know we have had the support of a bipartisan majority in the Lower Chamber for some years now, but the previous leadership had prevented topics linked to the lifting of anti-Cuba sanctions from being put before the plenum for approval,” he noted.

According to Williams, whose coalition focuses on advocating laws that help put an end to the almost 60 year blockade, the priorities this year will be to stress the need to expand agricultural trade, eliminate travel restrictions and have diplomatic staff return to their embassies.

At the end of 2018 and as part of the Agricultural Law, the previous U.S. Congress approved an amendment on Cuba included in a draft bill on improving agricultural exports, with the objective of fostering agricultural trade between the two countries.

“It was the first time since 2001 that a law related to the rapprochement with Cuba would receive the green light at the Capitol building in Washington DC,” Williams said.

“The Agricultural Law facilitates a new financing mechanism that allows U.S. agricultural producers and

representatives of trade associations to travel to Cuba in order to build relations and promote their products,” he explained.

However, he recalled that the rest of the articles proposed by the Agricultural Exports Legislation are yet to be approved. Hence, a significant part of his work in coming months will be focused on that topic.

The possibility of credit funded trade is one of the demands made by those who wish to expand agricultural trade between the two countries, as the restrictions imposed by the U.S. government force the island to pay upfront and in cash.

According to the president of Engage Cuba, this topic enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support. “We know this has the support of the president of the Lower Chamber, Nancy Pelosi, but many republican members have also stated approval in the past.”

Likewise, the coalition and many other U.S. sectors and groups advocate the lifting of the restrictions that prevent U.S. citizens from visiting the island as tourists.

“The Free Travel to Cuba draft bill will continue to be a top priority,” explained Williams, who noted that U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to further increase travel restrictions to Cuba have a negative impact on the Cuban private sector.

Williams commented that he believes more efforts would be made

By MarthaANDRES

The New House of Representatives & Cuba

in Congress to exert pressure on the administration for staff to return to the embassies and have a stronger diplomatic presence.

In Fall of 2017, the U.S. Department of State decided to significantly reduce the U.S. diplomatic representation in Havana and that of Cuba in Washington DC.

The Trump administration adopted that decision due to the alleged health incidents reported by U.S. officials. The causes or the people responsible for such incidents have remained unknown. In the meantime, different sources have agreed that the topic has been politicized with the objective of worsening bilateral relations.

HEALTH & SCIENCE 5

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HAVANA.- Recovery is perhaps the word most frequently heard these days after a tornado ravaged several municipalities in Havana on January 27.

This word has a special meaning amid mobilization efforts in the Cuban capital ever since, accompanied by a strong affirmation made by President Miguel Díaz-Canel: “No one will be left unprotected.”

Díaz-Canel called to speed up the recovery efforts and to work under the principle that what will be rebuilt must be better, stronger and more beautiful than before.

More than 1,200 houses were damaged –many of them destroyed- by the event that devastated areas in Regla, Guanabacoa, Diez de Octubre and San Miguel del Padrón municipalities, where signs of solidarity quickly manifested.

The natural disaster left six people dead and nearly 200 injured, and health services have remained working tirelessly since the tragedy hit.

Cleanup efforts, the resumption of classes at damaged schools and the distribution of mattresses and food to the victims are a few of the tasks that thousands of people from different sectors of society have been involved in.

At one of the meetings held by the Cuban Council of Ministers after the tornado, Economy and Planning Minister

Alejandro Gil reiterated that the country is in condition to support the recovery and has the necessary materials such as tiles, wood and steel.

In the meantime, the Minister of Finances and Prices, Meisi Bolaños, announced that the State Budget will fund half of the price of the construction materials sold to the people whose houses were partially or totally destroyed.

The meeting also agreed on other price reductions and the possibility of credit and subsidies for low-income families.

Among the alternative measures adopted to facilitate means of communication, the minister of that sector, Jorge Luis Perdomo, said that public telephones were distributed out for the people to make calls free of charge for up to three minutes.

Meanwhile, Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Rodrigo Malmierca explained that international organizations such as the World Food Program, the UN Development Program and the UN Children’s Fund have donated rice, beans, water tanks, roofing canvas products, school supplies and toys, which are already in Cuba.

As for the aid offered both by countries and individuals, he said that Cuba has developed a mechanism for support and relief actions must be coordinated through the Foreign Trade and Investment Ministry.

By MarinaLORENZO

Timely Relief Efforts After Devastating Tornado in Havana

6 CULTURE

HAVANA.- Viengsay Valdés’ recent appointment as deputy director of Cuba’s National Ballet Company (BNC) was not at all surprising, with an avalanche of opinions by the press and social media applauding her designation of the position.

At 42, Valdés not only stands out as a dancer but as a teacher as well, and she is still studying at the Higher Institute of Arts.

It’s no secret that her high technical and performance level entailed many sacrifices, commitment, endurance and discipline.

Therefore, tears of joy fill her eyes whenever Valdés talks about her career, because her accomplishments have been received with positive reviews, increasing public endorsement, and invitations to galas and international festivals.

“I’m very grateful for the trust they have in me; I think I can help the dancers a lot throughout their training and professional growth. I hope to instill confidence and inspiration in them, so that we can all share a common dream of a strong and united company,” she told The Havana Reporter.

According to the official designation by the Cuban Culture Ministry, the legendary Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso will continue to be the BNC director, but Valdés will be in charge of the artistic decisions. Hence, the path for replacing one of the most prominent figures in the country and the world dance is being paved.

“I have the best possible relations with Alicia, based on respect and admiration. She always gave me good professional advice for my career and was an example to be followed,” commented Valdés, whose latest performance specifically honored the mentor.

Due to health issues, Alonso could not attend the 26th International Festival of Havana held from October 28 to November 6, 2018. During the closing gala, Valdés paid tribute to her by performing a piece choreographed by Tania Vergara with music by Frank Fernández and entitled it “ParAlicia.”

“I hold great value to preserving and defending the historic legacy of our company, so that it continues to receive international recognition,” Valdés stressed.

According to the artist, one of her greatest satisfactions in recent years has been the opportunity to work closely with the Fernando Alonso National School of Ballet.

The BNC, founded by Alicia, Fernando and Alberto Alonso, turned 70 last year. Together the three form the perfect trilogy of the great dancer, the extraordinary teacher and the original choreographer, whose joint work resulted in the prestigious Cuban ballet school.

“I am proud to be a member of the BNC and, above all, privileged to have had such great teachers,” mentioned

Valdés, the pupil of Alicia and Fernando Alonso, the so-called Four Jewels of the Cuban Ballet (Josefina Méndez, Loipa Araújo, Aurora Bosch and Mirta Plá) and many other distinguished teachers.

Considered one of the leading figures of Cuban ballet, Valdés has been invited to the Washington Ballet of the United States, the Ballet Concierto of Puerto Rico, Ukraine’s Donetsk Ballet, the Joburg Ballet of South Africa and the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Ballet of Russia, among other companies.

The Cuban Culture Ministry bestowed her with the Distinction of National Culture (1999), the Alejo Carpentier Medal (2003) and the Raúl Gómez García Medal (2014).

Moreover, the Association of Performing Artists at the UNEAC (Union of Cuban Writers and Artists) gave her the Female Performing Prize in 2009 and the Lorna Burdsall Award in 2015.

Valdés was chosen among the top 100 dancers in the world by Dance Europe Magazine in 2010-2011. She has taken her art to stages in all five continents, thanks to the commitment with the BNC, along with numerous invitations to galas and international festivals.

By MarthaSANCHEZ

A Welcome Successor

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HAVANA.- The new edition of the Habanos Festival in the Cuban capital is a clear indication of the development and sustainability of the cigar industry on the island, attracting people to the halls of Havana’s Convention Center every February.

Splendor, elegance and quality: those are the adjectives applicable to the XXI edition of this cigar celebration, taking place from February 18 to 22 and dedicated to the most important Cuban cigar brands – a major attraction for people from at least 70 countries.

But if that were not enough, this year Havana is celebrating the 500th anniversary of its foundation (November 16, 1519) and all of the events are dedicated to commemorate that special date.

This year’s edition will allow participants to get familiar with the most recent products of Habanos S.A., in addition to enjoying a dynamic program of Cuban cigar activities.

One of the most important Habanos brand participating is San Cristóbal de La Habana, paying tribute to not only the 500thanniversary of Havana but also the 20th anniversary of the brand. Another brand taking part is Hoyo de Monterrey Trinidad, one of the most attractive Habanos brands – which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

As in previous editions, the Habanos Festival will include activities that make this annual event so famous and attractive for participants.

These initiatives include visits to cigar plantations in the Vuelta Abajo region; tours of the most renowned Habanos factories, and the International Seminar, which offers interesting lectures and practical sessions.

The festival also features Alianza de Habanos (Habanos Alliance) – Protected Denomination of Origin– and the Habanos World Challenge Contest, which will be held again due to its success in 2018.

The XXI Habanos Festival will finish in style on February 22, in an evening full of glamour, exclusivity and passion for cigars. As usual, the perfect end of the event will be the traditional auction of humidors - made by experienced Cuban artisans – the proceeds of which will be donated to the Cuban public health system.

As part of the event, an exclusive concert is performed by an internationally-renowned band, whose identity is kept secret until a few hours before the start.

The Habanos S.A. Company, a world leader in the Premium (hand-made) cigar market, is the entity that commercializes these products both in Cuba and abroad. To this end, the company has an exclusive distribution network in about 150 countries throughout five continents.

The Habanos Festival was first held in 1994, on the occasion of the H.Upmann

Text & Photos by RobertoF.CAMPOS

SPOTLIGHT 7

The Cuban Cigar Industry & the Habanos Festival

150th anniversary. At the time, the party only lasted two days (September 20-21) but was very successful nonetheless.

The meeting was held at the Las Ruinas restaurant, in the outskirts of Havana. The dinner was made by the late Cuban chef Gilberto Smith Duquesne, who made lobster the highlight of the night.

During that event, three H.Upmann brands were sampled: Preciosa, Mareva and Sir Winston. Then, a panel evaluated the cigars that would later emerge on the market as "Upmann No.4" and "Petit Corona".

A year later, from September 19-21, 1995, the Partagás brand – one of

the cigars which is in great demand all around the world – celebrated its 150th anniversary.

On that occasion, the dinner was held at the Cetro Hall of the recently opened Meliá Cohiba Hotel. The event was attended by 300 personalities from 30 countries, including Hollywood artists Matt Dillon, Seymour Cassel and Joe Pantoliano, among others.

That was the first time that the ‘Habanos Man of the Year’ award was granted, which went to the then Tabacalera española S.A. CEO, Pedro Pérez (in the Trade category) and to the editor of the US magazine Cigar Aficionado, Marvin Shankeen (Communication

category). Ever since, the award is known as the ‘Habano Award of the Year.’

It wasn’t until 1999 that the event was finally turned into a festival – at the time, the I International Habano Festival, whose growth has resulted in its current relevance.

An outstanding fact about these events is that the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, attended several of these editions and exchanged views with other participants.

Accordingly, the Habanos Festival is at present one of the world’s most important events in the field of Premium or hand-made cigars, as the Cuban habanos are considered the best in the world.

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

8 CULTURE

Fiesta del Tambor

(Drum Festival)Havana,

March. 4-10

UPCOMING EVENTS

Havana World Music Festival

(March. 21-23)

Havana´s 13th Biennial

(Apr. 12- May. 12)

HAVANA.- The Jamaican government is fostering a project to design and expand a National Security Policy intended to reduce violence, the crime rate and its impact on the country.

The island nation has a high homicide rate: 47 for every 100,000 inhabitants, almost three times the average number in Latin America and the Caribbean which stands at about 16 for every 100,000, Prime Minister Andrew Holness regretted recently before the House of Representatives.

According to Holness, the initiative aims at reducing the homicide rate and throughout the next ten years, working towards a figure below that of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Although 2018 was a rather positive year for Jamaica in the reduction of violent crimes due to the implementation of strategic measures, “we are not out of danger,” the Prime Minister noted.

It will take time to determine the best strategies and methods to fight crime in certain localities of the country, Holness commented recently.

Poverty, increasing yet unfulfilled expectations, class antagonism, social awareness of the marginal classes and drug trafficking are some primary issues behind the wave of violent crime that Jamaica has been facing since 2018.

For over a year now, the country has been going through constant states of emergency in different cities, given the high crime and violence rates reported by the time new measures took effect.

On January 20, 2018, following the noticeable increase of street violence, a state of emergency was imposed in the Saint James Parish, where the Montego Bay tourist destination is located.

The state of emergency allowed police to do unannounced searches of business establishments, vehicles and pedestrians.

In addition, recreational areas in the region were under a temporary curfew until February 15, when the government asked to extend it there as well as enforce it in other cities, including the capital, due to the significant influence on the reduction of violence and crime.

In spite of the insecurity situation in the country, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett told the press that Jamaica was, and still is, a safe destination for foreign

visitors, because the military operations do not put tourists at risk.

“The multiple states of emergency decreed in Jamaica since 2018 have proved to be effective: the death toll has decreased 68 percent,” the Jamaican Prime Minister told the House of Representatives when requesting prolonged implementation of that measure.

Montego Bay, Holness explained, is the country’s second largest city and the city with the highest tourist activity. During one state of emergency (March 18 to September 2), 27 assassinations and 22 shootings were reported there, as compared to the 82 assassinations and 72 shootings registered before the measure was adopted.

This cannot be the long-term solution, but the government is working to have more intelligence units and build cooperation networks in different communities. “This would reduce crime more sustainably,” commented Holness.

The country is experiencing less violence today thanks to the various states of emergency, and the tourist sector does not escape this situation. The tourism minister ordered to audit the sector’s security systems with the objective of strengthening the safety that the country offers as a tourist destination.

2018 was not the first time that this kind of measure was implemented in the country, as the government had to enact a similar policy in 2010 due to the serious disturbances and clashes between the police and violent gangs in the capital.

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By ClaudiaGOMEZ

National Security Strategy Aimed at Reducing Violence

THE CARIBBEAN

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10 CULTURE

NEW YORK.- While relations between Cuba and the United States are experiencing another tense chapter, art transcends politics once more through its universal power to bring people closer together. That’s what took place at the New York Joyce Theater, where the Irene Rodríguez Company won the admiration of the audience with its flamenco performance.

The Cuban company’s performance ran for the whole weekend – January 18 to 20 – in an art venue that’s renowned for bringing the best international dance groups to the stage.

The group successfully met the challenge of performing five times in three consecutive days, and the debut of their show ‘Más Que Flamenco’ (More Than Flamenco) moved the audience to standing ovations time after time.

Irene Rodríguez impressed the audience with the strength of her feet and energized heelwork.

One audience member, visibly moved, praised the technique of the dancer and her company and expressed admiration for the number of performances conducted – even two in a day. “It’s so strenuous that it would leave anybody exhausted,” the woman said.

Prior to the start of the show, the company’s director told The Havana Reporter that she hoped to gratify the audience present at the Joyce Theater once again – their first performance there having been in 2016.

“On that occasion, we got an excellent review in The New York Times; the group was praised for the technique, complexity and intensity of the dance,” she recalled. The newspaper also praised Irene Rodríguez’s dedication to dance and movement.

The audience, mesmerized by their performance: they felt pain with each gesture of the dancers’ slow movement in ‘La pena negra’ (Black grief ) and rocked with the rhythm of ‘Zapateao’ (Tap Dancing).

But things went hog wild with ‘Amaranto’ (Amaranth), a solo in which Irene sensually stared into the audience, and challenged the musicians using the powerful strength of her slight body, her passion and the skill of her hand and footwork.

As the audience was getting up to leave after the final bow, improvisational and self-directed movement took everyone by surprise.

Irene promised to end each performance differently, so that the musicians and the dancers could freely express their artform and feel a unique

connection to the audience. And they succeeded in doing so.

She also made it quite clear that every member of the company can dance flamenco, including the musicians.

As she had hoped since they arrived in New York - in the middle of the freezing January temperatures - they were given many standing ovations at the Joyce Theater and left behind a piece of Cuba’s warmth and culture in the city.

“I am deeply touched and happy for the positive response and applaud of the audience,” the dancer, professor and choreographer said. “We wanted to show a part of Cuba’s culture through flamenco, its vocabulary and the company’s style,” she added.

Irene Rodríguez founded her own company in January of 2012, driven by the same passion she felt since she was a child- when she used to escape the classical ballet classes to take part in Spanish dance classes.

A year after founding the group, she opened a Professional Spanish Dance School near Havana’s famous Malecón (sea wall).

In addition to captivating the audience in the Joyce Theater, Irene has performed in other prestigious U.S venues – such as the Kennedy Center for Stage Arts and the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

Her performances in the United States prove the power that art possesses to break barriers and maintain ties despite difficult relations.

HAVANA. The 4th edition of the International Salsa Festival will take place February 19-24 in Havana, where the great aficionados of salsa music from the island and other parts of the world are welcome to participate.

The festival’s objective is to publicize and promote the best salsa music produced in Cuba, together with celebrating the dance and other artistic manifestations. Its main coordinator is Maykel Blanco, a Cuban pianist and director of the band Salsa Mayor.

According to Blanco, an objective of the festival, on top of offering the public a high quality festival to enjoy, is that, “it is an opportunity to showcase the work of Cuban bands to an ever-increasing foreign audience that attends,” he said.

Taking place at Havana’s Parque Metropolitano (Metropolitan Park) and considered one of the most attractive events of its kind in Cuba, the festival provides salsa music enthusiasts with a comprehensive program of activities, with live concerts as the main feature.

Its dynamic program captivates thousands of people every year, this time featuring the participation of Cuban bands such as José Luis Cortes and NG la Banda, Haila María Mompié and band, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, Alexander Abreu and Habana D’ Primera, and Los Van Van Band, to whom the festival is dedicated this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band’s founding.

The newest generation of salsa musicians will participate as well, including the Cuban band El Noro y Primera Clase and famous DJs from both the island and other countries like Spain, Germany, Italy and Slovakia.

Irene Rodríguez Delights New York with Flamenco

Salsa Festival: A Showcase of Cuban Music

By IbisFRADE

By YanisbelPEÑA

The Cuban Town of Trinidad: As dynamic as it is historic

By TinoMANUEL

PHOTO FEATURE 11

HAVANA.- Trinidad, a city located in Cuba’s central-southern region, recently celebrated its 500th anniversary. In this old yet dynamic village, which is visited by people from all over the world, modernity is juxtaposed with its colonial architecture.

Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero recently announced that the foundations for two five-star hotels have already been laid in the Ancón peninsula, about 12 km south of Trinidad.

Marrero made this announcement in his Twitter account, where he also referred to the presentation that Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel made on the city of Trinidad’s Development Plan for 2030. The President toured the city earlier this year.

According to the Government´s plan, there will be about 2,000 hotel rooms in the area, and in pursuit f this goal, the construction of two hotels is already in the final stage.

Lonely Planet describes Ancón Beach as, “the finest arc of sand on Cuba’s southern coast,” adding that, “while it can’t compete with the north-coast giants of Varadero, Cayo Coco and Guardalavaca, Ancón has a trump card: Trinidad, Latin America’s sparkling colonial diamond, which lies just 12 km to the north.”

Trinidad stands out as one of the best preserved colonial towns in Cuba, which compliments its long tourist tradition. In addition to its close proximity to the mountains, the city has six beaches, 23 diving areas and several patrimonial institutions.

Last year Cuba began the construction of a four-star Meliá hotel near the María Aguilar beach, and the Italian building company T.O.MA. signed an $80 million contract for the construction of a new Iberostar hotel in the city.

The village is said to have been founded in 1514, although the exact date is not registered. Since 1673, sugarcane plantations and mills started to develop in the region due to the growth of the sugarcane industry. The Manaca-Iznaga Tower and Valle de los Ingenios are symbols of that era.

In addition to being one of the towns where colonial architecture and traditions are best preserved, Trinidad is also the perfect town for outdoor excursions and coastal day trips.

Cobblestone streets are a noteworthy aspect of the town’s historic area, which allow visitors to go back in time and take a trip into the past. PH

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12 LATIN AMERICA

BOGOTA.- The number of social leaders killed in Colombia is increasingly alarming.

The most recent report presented by the Marcha Patriótica Social Coordination Group and the Institute of Development and Peace Study (INDEPAZ) shows that from January 1, 2016 to the first days of this year, 566 social leaders were killed in Colombia.

Moreover, the Institute of Political Studies and International Relations of the Colombian National University has warned that the crimes committed against the human rights defenders are not at all accidental: they are invariant and systematic.

The Research and Popular Education Center, INDEPAZ and the Colombian Lawyers Commission have also asserted that aggressions and murders have been reported in 27 of the country's 32 departments.

The departments affected the most include Cauca and Nariño in the southern-western region, as well as Antioquia and Norte de Santander in the north-east region.

Deputy Director of the Colombian Peace and Reconciliation Foundation

Ariel Ávila noted that the State must act immediately in order to cease what’s become a systematic massacre of leaders.

“A social leader is murdered in Colombia every four days,” warned Ávila, referring to the concern expressed by the UN Special Rapporteur for Colombia, Michael Frost, last December. In this regard, the official said that the situation at hand is terrifying.

Frost indicated that there’s a systematic pattern in the attacks that the social leaders have suffered, which has recently been acknowledged by the Colombian General Attorney’s Office.

The UN rapporteur spent ten days touring various regions in Catatumbo, La Guajira, Antioquia, Norte de Santander and Cauca for to evaluate the condition of the human rights defenders, which he described as serious and dramatic.

The United Nations senior official stated that he witnessed the fear that social leaders feel in many of the areas hit by the armed conflict and where, ironically, insecurity has increased.

He also warned of high levels of impunity present in the country, which favors homicide.

In most cases, neither the perpetrators nor the instigators of the crimes are known, although responsibility is

mostly attributed to the paramilitary structures and illegal armed groups that are mainly connected to drug trafficking.

The situation is so extreme that 91.4 percent of the murders of social leaders in Colombia - from 2009 to 2017 - have remained unpunished, the Somos Defensores Human Rights Organization indicated.

Since the signing of the Peace Agreement in November 2016, the social organization that has suffered the highest number of attacks and murders against its members is Marcha Patriótica. According to this organization, from 2012 to July 2018, 169 of its members were murdered.

The newly-appointed Head of the UN Peace Verification Mission in Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, voiced his additional concern for the murder of former FARC-EP fighters about one hundred since the signing of the Peace Agreement.

In sight of this appalling reality, in November 2018 Colombian president Iván Duque announced a new strategy to guarantee the protection of social

leaders and human rights defenders in the country.

The president signed a decree that allows the establishment of the so called Appropriate Action Plan during a ceremony held at the Nariño House (presidential palace), which was attended by the former Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, French Jean Arnault.

“It’s unacceptable that incidents of violence, threats, assaults and serious danger to the lives of social leaders, human rights defenders and journalists continue to occur in Colombia,” Duque said the night of the event.

According to a study conducted by social organizations, 80 percent of the crimes are linked to claims for land possession and the protection of natural resources.

By TaniaPEÑA

The Plight of Social Leaders in Colombia

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HAVANA.- The development of nature, adventure and rural tourism is enjoying a boom in Cuba thanks to a unique travel agency: Ecotur.

This tourist entity, which is very dynamic and covers all the Cuban archipelago, searches for exclusive sites to offer them to travelers from all over the world.

Ecotur Commercial Director Francisco Longino Franki Domínguez; specialist Aliana Ponte, and tourist development expert Telmo Ledo, talked with The Havana Reporter about this agency.

The abovementioned officials are part of a larger group that put all their dedication to nature and adventure tourism in the country.

Ecotur is a travel agency that’s part of the Tourism Ministry (MINTUR) and the Viajes Cuba Company.

The agency’s mission is to promote the management of nature tourism on the island, as well as ecotourism, adventure and rural tourism (agro-tourism).

The agency has developed a brand, Econatuaventura, which summarizes the activity and the wishes of many travelers who visit the country, and of those who live here.

Ecotur was created 22 years ago, on August 13, 1997. At the beginning, it was attached to the Agriculture Ministry (MINAGRI) but it has been attached to MINTUR for the past five years.

As a specialized agency, it is headquartered in Havana and operates several branches in the rest of the country.

The officials indicated that though the entity is small – 366 workers all over Cuba, including tourist guides, executives, directors, commercial specialists and others – they are all very committed to the company´s goals.

The tourist guides are the heart of the agency. They are highly specialized and have an extensive knowledge of the Cuban nature and the areas they work in.

Ecotur also offers its services to all the Cubans interested in knowing and learning about the country, including families, youths and children.

In relation to foreign visitors, the main markets are Australia, Canada, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the United Kingdom and Mexico.

In 2018, Ecotur welcomed more than 200,000 visitors and this year it expects to receive about 250,000, with an annual income of 19 million CUC (one

CUC is equivalent to one dollar according to the official exchange rate).

Ecotur commercial director stressed that the mission of the agency is to attract nature lovers; ecotourism promoters; birdwatchers; photographers and other specialists interested in seeing new and exciting sites.

HAVANA.- The Cuban agenda for the 49th edition of the World Economic Forum held in the Swiss city of Davos from January 22 to 25, was characterized by active meetings and panel discussions.

Cuba’s Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Rodrigo Malmierca highlighted the work the island has done to attract foreign investment for the country’s technological development.

At a panel on this topic, the official referred to the strategies conducted as part of the Tarea Vida (Life Task) program, a government plan aimed at fighting climate change, the Foreign Investment General Director at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment, Déborah Rivas, said in her Twitter account.

During the meeting, Malmierca stressed the need to attract foreign investment for Cuba’s technological development, linked to the work at the universities and the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution.

He also noted that Cuba promotes projects on garbage recycling as a means of attaining sustainable development and protecting the environment.

The updating of the technology by using renewable sources of energy, and recycling in all the areas are other lines of

work the country is conducting to attain sustainable development, he explained.

In Davos, Malmierca met with the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena.

As the official indicated in his Twitter account, the meeting was fruitful and the future activities of ECLAC – Cuba is holding its pro tempore chairmanship – were coordinated.

The minister also held talks with the Executive Director for Latin America at the World Economic Forum, Marisol Argeta, about the region’s economic situation.

He also met with the Secretary General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, Rebeca Grynspan, who highlighted Cuba’s role in South-South Cooperation.

The Cuban official also met with UN Secretary General António Guterres.

Malmierca arrived in Switzerland from Belgium, where he fulfilled a work visit in which he analyzed the progress of bilateral economic relations with Kris Peeters, who is the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Economics and Employment Minister.

He also met with the General Director of International Cooperation and Development at the European Union executive body, Stefano Manservisi. Both officials talked about the feasibility of

several new projects, especially those linked to the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the Cuban capital.

As a result of his talks with the European commissioners for International Cooperation and Development, and Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management, Neven Mimica and Christos Stylianides, respectively, Malmierca announced that a dialogue on sustainable development would be held in Havana next March.

He was also welcomed by the President of the Belgian Chamber of Commerce, Bernard de Gerlache, and shortly afterwards he held talks with businessmen to promote Belgian investment in Cuba.

Before concluding his work visit to this European nation, the Cuban minister met with the Habanos S.A. distributors, who far exceeded the sales plan to Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands, he said.

Econatuaventura: Ecotur’s Dynamic Brand in Cuba

Cuba at the Davos Forum: Fruitful Meetings

ECONOMY 13

Text & Photos by FranciscoMENENDEZ

MarielaPAZ

HAVANA.- The economic reality of Latin America and the Caribbean was broadly described at the recent 49th edition of the World Economic Forum, held in the Swiss city of Davos.

Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, told the participants of the situation facing the region- the most unequal area in the world.

A definite statement was part of the debate: equality is an essential requirement for sustainable development.

“ECLAC’s figures show that economies are inefficient without equality and reach lower levels of productivity and investment,”Bárcena said in her speech to the Forum, held from January 22 to 25.

“Equality, productivity and democracy are strategic additional goods and not substitutes, especially in a world with strong economic, political and environmental tensions,” she added.

In her opinion, inequality is inefficient, reproduces and has an influence on the productive system. Equality, on the contrary, is not only an inevitable ethic principle but also a variable that explains the efficiency of the economic system in the long term.

Bárcena also highlighted that inequality prevents increasing lower-income people’s consumption capacities and thus of goods and services demand, all of which makes economies less dynamic. She also noted that inequality is the seed of dissatisfaction and social and political instability, which ultimately affect the economies.

The United Nations senior official stressed that the existence of an inverse correlation between productivity and inequality - in which the low levels of salary participation in the income

are associated to lower investment rates – proves that inequality prevents development.

Another evidence is the unequal distribution of wealth, which in Latin America and the Caribbean reaches alarming figures.

In this sense, she made reference to Chile, Mexico and Uruguay, where the accumulation of wealth benefits 20 percent of the population (in the first two countries) and 30 percent (in the other).

Bárcena stressed that social expenses as well as policies aimed at fighting tax evasion, -which costs the region 320

billion dollars annually– are effective tools for the redistribution of wealth.

“Equality and inequality are associated to the elite and the culture of the privileged people; that is, they are linked to those who are tax-exempt or evade taxes; those who can evade the law. That naturalizes inequality,” she warned.

The official also highlighted the need to urgently change the development paradigm by moving to sustainable patterns of production and consumption, with decent jobs and rights ownership, as suggested in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Inequality: A Worrying Aspect of

Latin America’s Economic Reality

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HAVANA.- The Cuban baseball will return to the Canadian Can-Am League this year to strengthen its preparation for the Lima Pan-American Games to be held from July 26 to August 11, according to the JIT weekly.

The agreement for the return of the Cuban players to this event which is organized by the Canadian-American Professional Baseball Association was reached during a visit to Havana by executives of that organization.

Headed by Can-Am Managing Director Kevin Wim, the Canadian delegation had talks with the main baseball authorities in Cuba and with senior officials of the National Institute of Sports (INDER) in order to define the terms of the agreement and other details.

The executives of both nations said they were pleased with the talks, thanks to which a Cuban team will play again

in the above mentioned league starting June 13 in Ottawa.

The possibility that the Cuban players can be hired by Can-Am league teams was also ratified by the president and owner of Quebec Capitales, Michel Laplante and Jean Tremblay, respectively.

A dual match in the 15-17 category is also foreseen to take place in the first quarter of 2020, based on the

experience gained by the players of this category who traveled to Cuba.

President of the Cuban Baseball Federation Higinio Vélez; National Baseball Commissioner Yovani Aragón, and INDER International Relations Director Martha Lidia Ruiz participated in the talks with the Canadian delegation, which included Operations President of the New Jersey Jackals, Gregory Lockard. (PL)

HAVANA.- The Lima Pan-American Games, to be held from July 26 to August 11, will be the main international sporting event for Cuban athletes in 2019. Many are optimistic about Cuba’s results in these games, while others a good few are rather skeptical and uncertain. But in reality, only the craziest athletes dream of first place, the rest fight it out in hope of placing in the top five.

There’s no doubt that Cuba is no longer the sport superpower of yesteryear. Not even close! The era of the Havana 1991 Pan-American Games, when the Cubans defeated the United States in the medal count and won the Games, is recalled as if it was science fiction, while the latest Toronto 2015 Pan-American Games were regarded as shameful.

But we have to hope for the best. That’s nonnegotiable. The Cuban delegation will go to Lima well-prepared and will try to recover the eminence of the glory days. Young but outstanding athletes such as long jumper Juan Miguel Echevarría, triple jumper Jordán Díaz, wrestlers Lianna de la Caridad Montero and Milaimys Marín, judoka Idalys Ortiz or boxer Andy Cruz, give us great hope.

As of early January, 337 Cuban athletes had already qualified for these games and according to national sport authorities, about 125 additional athletes could win tickets for the Lima competition before opening day.

Cuba has guaranteed its presence in 22 sports, including athletics, boxing, rowing, wrestling, gymnastics, shooting

and fencing – the sports that contribute most to the highest number of medals. But it’s a well-known fact that fans’ eyes are largely drawn to baseball.

Other team sports that will try to reach a medal in Lima include water polo, handball, field hockey, softball and volleyball.

In addition, judo and taekwondo players who usually contribute medals to the Cuban delegation and bring happiness to their fans will soon compete for qualification. Karate, sailing and diving athletes will participate in qualification tournaments next March.

The bad taste that the Barranquilla 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games left in people’s mouths when Cuba wasn’t able to retain the lead it had held since 1970, losing to Mexico still makes sport fans feel discouraged.

However, President of the Cuban Sport Institute, Antonio Becali, insists that the Cuban delegation will go to Lima focused on beating the record attained four years ago: that is, to exceed 36 gold medals and place in either second or third position.

“The ultimate goal of the Cuban delegation is, first of all, to take part in the games with a large number of athletes, meeting the quantitative as well as the qualitative objectives in order to improve upon the results reached in Toronto and be placed in a better position compared to the Canadian games,” he stressed.

Cuba has the second most gold medals in the history of the Pan-American Games (875), only surpassed by the region´s superpower, the United States (1948), but ahead of Canada (456), a first-world, developed nation.

The main opponents the island will face in Lima in its fight to place among the top countries include Brazil, Mexico and Colombia.

Whatever happens in Lima will be a defining moment for Cuba, as many of the opportunities for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will be identified there.

Cuban Baseball to Return to the Can-Am League

Lima 2019: Cuba’s True TestBy YasielCANCIO

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