HavanaReporterYEAR VIIINº 16AUG 31, 2018HAVANA, 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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Photo Feature

World Ballet Stars to Dance at Havana Festival

Cubans Abroad Invited to Comment on Draft of New

Constitution

Havana’s Cannons

Summer Baseball in Cuba: Playing through the Heat

P. 4

P. 11

P. 15

Society

Sports

Cuban Tourism Looks Towards a Promising Future

P. 2

P. 7

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

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2 TOURISM

HAVANA.- The announcement that Cuba welcomed three million foreign visitors as of August 9, undoubtedly attracts the attention of tour operators and travel agents who see the island as a significant tourist destination.

The report published by the Cuban Tourism Ministry (MINTUR) corroborates the latest opinions by experts in saying that the local leisure industry is recovering despite the decreases earlier announced.

The storms that hit the country at the end of 2017, anti-Cuba campaigns and other issues well-known by the tourism industry staff led to a decline in tourists arrivals; however, the sector continues to be very dynamic.

Upon revealing that the country welcomed tree million foreign visitors as of August 9 this year, MINTUR also envisaged better results for the upcoming winter season (November-April).

Tourist arrivals have continued to increase in 2018 despite campaigns organized and led by the U.S. government to discourage U.S. citizens from travelling to the island, the Cuban ministry reiterated.

The main issuing markets of tourists to Cuba are Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Chile, in that order, the MINTUR report reads.

There are certain aspects that keep Cuba’s tourism afloat: people’s safety, natural attractions and environmental protection, infrastructure and, above all, its people.

During the 38th International Tourism Fair, FITCuba 2018, held in May in the keys north of central Cuba, the authorities disclosed a series of statistics that anticipate the increasing trend of the sector.

Cuba currently has 69,041 hotel rooms. As many as 63 percent of them are four and five star-category, and 74 percent are located by the beach.

A total of 110,416 Cubans are presently working in the tourist industry- 41.2 percent are women and 48 percent are under 45 years old.

Last year, 4,689,896 foreign tourists visited the island, representing an 11.6 percent increase, but a 26 percent rise had been recorded in the first eight months of that year. That pace slowed down with the arrival of Hurricane Irma in September.

A total of 17 cruise ship companies are operating in Cuba, with 25 liners. The first quarter of 2018 witnessed a 28.6 percent rise in that modality.

Moreover, 70 airlines are flying to Cuba from 73 major world cities while 27 joint ventures are operating in the country with more than 5,000 hotel rooms, and the investment portfolio features 140 projects.

Text & Phtos by Roberto F.CAMPOS

Cuban Tourism Looks Towards a Promising Future

3CUBA

HAVANA.- The Cuban Revolution’s humanist and social justice principles are a source of inspiration for thousands of people from all over the world, who come to the country as part of the solidarity movements that offer their support to the government and the people of this Caribbean island.

Activists from all five continents have come to Cuba for over fifty years now to corroborate the pro-Latin American and altruistic spirit of the process the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, started on January 1, 1959.

This year, members of the 13th International Primero de Mayo Solidarity Brigade ratified their support for the cause of the Cuban people at the Julio Antonio Mella International Camp, in the western province of Artemisa.

As if they were all native to the same country, about 300 activists from Latin America, Europe, Asia and the United States stayed in Cuba for over two weeks and had a full agenda that included productive activities and visits to historical sites in the provinces of Havana, Villa Clara and Camagüey.

“It’s really important that we have the chance to meet each other from people to people. We can communicate and have brotherhood relations with people from all over the world,” U.S. activist Aida Horwitt told The Havana Reporter.

After talking about the importance of unity among all the peoples of the world, Horwitt lamented the effects of the blockade the government of the United States has imposed on Cuba for over 50 years.

Horwitt added that as a result of the blockade, the Cuban people have grown stronger, because they have had to overcome a lot of obstacles, and mentioned that one of the most negative effects is that it makes it difficult to acquire certain medications.

For his part, Peruvian activist Juan Sandoval was eager to know about the resistance of the Cubans to the siege

imposed by Washington on Havana for about five decades.

“Cuba has taught us about its strength during all these years,” said Sandoval when highlighting the work conducted by the Cuban farmers, who humbly work the land and defend values such as honesty, equity and justice.

According to the Peruvian activist, values like these favor the development of inclusive societies in a world in which injustice affects the poorest sectors.

In July, members of the José Martí European Solidarity Brigade visited Havana and urged to increase international activism in favor of Cuba and Latin America in view of Washington’s intensification of its hostile policy.

Young Italian journalist Niccola Matellini, one of the organization’s 90 members, insisted on the need to increase activism and spread their work in order to strengthen support to the resistance of the Cuban people to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on the island by the United States.

As usual, the activists - from Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain, France, Russia, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Belgium – toured places of economic, social and historical interest; did agricultural work, and had conversations with people in communities and towns.

At the beginning of August, the 25th Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Brigade celebrated in Cuba the 92nd anniversary of the birth of Fidel Castro (1926-2016), the architect of the fights for the defense of the country’s sovereignty and independence.

Also this summer, the Peace Boat members arrived to the capital’s port to send a message of global solidarity and promote the existence of a world free from nuclear weapons.

The ship, which is part of the non-governmental organization with the same name, left Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on May 8, on its 98th international tour.

HAVANA.- Cuba’s economic development is inevitably linked to the development of agriculture, and in order to develop successfully, the country has to benefit from the available land in order to increase the production of export items and reduce imports - which amount to 1.6 billion dollars.

To reach such an objective, in the last decade the government has introduced a number of legal norms aimed at granting idle land to make a better use of it and thus develop this sector’s productivity.

The most recent norms include Decree-Law No. 358/2018 and its Regulation, Decree No. 350/2018, published in the Gaceta Oficial. These norms rule the policy for granting state idle lands through usufruct.

These documents also include the amendments approved to solve issues that limit production in this sector.

The said norms are a follow-up to the enactment of Decree-Laws 259 (2008) and 300 (2012), in compliance with the measures approved to revive the farming sector and foster the incorporation, permanence and stability of the workforce and the family’s final settlement.

According to the Agriculture Ministry’s legal advisor, Orlando Díaz, the main changes include the following: authorizing individuals who are granted or were granted a plot of land to join farming, sugar and forest companies.

In accordance with the document, the maximum area to be granted in

usufruct to those who apply for a plot of land for the first time – for the farming and forest production – has been increased from 13.42 to 26.84 hectares.

One of the most novel features of this norm includes the authorization of up to three percent of the area granted for farming and forest production for the construction of facilities.

RESULTS SO FAR

Since its implementation, the

process of granting idle lands in usufruct has resulted in the productive increase of items such as root vegetables, vegetables, corn, beans, rice, milk and meat, among others. However, these results are far from meeting the needs.

According to Soil and Land Control Director Eddy Soca, 289,474 applications have been made. Of these, 244,851 have been approved - 241,604 to individuals and 3,247 to legal entities (cooperatives and other companies).

Based on the applications made, 2,102,454 hectares have been granted – 12 percent of these to women.

This constant process of granting plots of land in usufruct follows two principles: these plots of land are a non-transferable property of the State, and they should be exploited, avoiding the misuse of the land and the loss of its productivity.

Soca emphasized that in order to use such plots, it’s necessary to keep in mind the Cuban soils’ productive characteristics; that is, the most appropriate crops for such soils, because only 23.5 percent of the farming areas have favorable productive conditions.

Cuba: Source of Inspiration for International Solidarity

Movements

Cuba Aims to Increase Farming Potential

By CossetLAZO

By RobertoSALOMON

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HAVANA.- As part of an unprecedented process, Cuban residents abroad will have the possibility of commenting on a draft bill that will replace the Constitution in force on the island since 1976.

The nearly 1,400,000 Cubans currently living in some 120 countries, according to the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry’s (MINREX) statistics, have been invited to express their opinions on a total reform of the Constitution, which will preserve the country’s socialist character and the Communist Party’s leading role in the society.

On July 22 the People’s Power National Assembly approved a constitutional draft bill to be debated in the country’s 15 provinces through November 15.

The Cuban residents abroad will be able to comment on the aforementioned document in the first week of September, once the technical conditions are created for their participation.They will have access to a form available on the Foreign Ministry’s website http://www.nacionyemigracion.cu/.

For the first time all Cubans alike, regardless of their geographical location, will join the debate on the drawing up of the Constitution that Cubans want, said Ernesto Soberón, the MINREX Director of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad.

In remarks to the press, the official praised the historic step taken by the Cuban government to strengthen relations with the Cuban community abroad, a policy started in 1978.

According to Soberón, the Cubans living abroad have the chance to help develop a socialist and democratic society guided by principles such as humanism and solidarity, which are elements reflected in the proposed Constitution.

The invitation extended to the Cuban community abroad is in line with the recent updating of the migratory policy, which “has resulted in an increasing

number of Cuban residents abroad traveling to their country of birth,” the diplomat said.

Ever since the constitutional draft bill was approved by the National Assembly, hundreds of Cuban residents abroad have used websites to post their opinions on a document including a preamble and 224 articles (87 more than the current Constitution).

The text reveals changes in the structure of the State including the creation of the posts of president and prime minister of the Republic, and grants constitutional status to several principles on foreign policy defended by the Cuban Revolution for decades.

In this regard, it advocates world peace, Latin American and Caribbean integration and environmental protection, protects human rights, condemns terrorism

and interference in the States’ internal affairs and aggressions, and calls for disarmament and the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Likewise, it recognizes the role of the market and of new forms of property in Cuba, including private property, and expands people’s rights in a section on nondiscrimination because of gender, sexual orientation, ethnical origin and disability.

The document also envisages the possibility for people to go to courts to demand the restitution of their rights or compensation for the damages caused by the action of State organs, executives or officials.

With regards to marriage, it defines it as the union between two persons and not between a man and a woman, as the current Constitution reads.

4 SOCIETY

HAVANA.- Thousands of schools, including universities, will open their doors in Cuba on September 3 to welcome over 1,600,000 children, adolescents and college-aged students. The 2018-2019 school year will begin in the middle of a process to further improve education on the island.

Given that schooling in this country is universal and free of charge, the different education levels, together with healthcare, receive more than half of the State budget assigned to the social sector. These resources are used to repair and modernize teaching centers and provide students with books, computers and other essential items.

The new school year was preceded by efforts in several Cuban provinces to have facilities affected by the rains in May and June ready, as well as to overcome the effects caused by devastating Hurricane Irma a year ago, local authorities stressed.

At the end of April, President Miguel Díaz-Canel attended a national seminar

on the preparations for the school year. He then mentioned some of the challenges facing education in Cuba, a country that has been suffering the impact of the U.S. economic blockade for six decades.

Díaz-Canel called for an active collective role in the third process for

enhancing education, which includes transformations in working methods and styles, the creation of new learning plans and syllabuses, textbooks and methodological guidelines.

In this sense he reiterated that education not only involves the family or schools, but the entire society as well.

One of the sector’s challenges is to have one hundred percent supply of teachers (compared to today's 93 percent). The government hopes to attain this goal within two or three years at primary and special education schools, taking into account the tenths of thousands of students in pedagogical schools and the new graduates.

Cuba’s Education Minister Ena Elsa Velázquez advocated the collective commitment to continue enhancing the quality of teaching in a country whose achievements in this sector have been recognized by the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO).

Even though Cuba is an example of excellent education, it is committed

to keep improving it successfully, as is the case of the upgrading process that is being carried out in more than 100 schools of the country, UNESCO representative Katherine Müller Marín stressed.

Cubans Abroad Invited to Comment on Draft of New Constitution

Cubans Back to School in September

By WaldoMENDILUZA

By MendiRODRIGUEZ

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HAVANA.- With a strong investment program, the Cuban government’s plan to fight climate change is considered vital for the country’s environmental protection policy.

“Tarea Vida” (Life Task) is the name of the megaproject to be implemented on the short (2020), mid (2030), long (2050) and very long (2100) terms in the priority zones.

A result of a process involving scientific studies and technological innovation projects in recent years, the initiative consists of five strategic actions and eleven tasks aimed at counteracting the climate change effects in Cuba’s vulnerable zones.

The estimated average sea level rises (27 centimeters by the year 2050 and 85 cm by 2100) would entail a slow reduction of the archipelago surface and salinization of underground waters.

According to studies, 574 Cuban settlements would be considered vulnerable. Of them, 119 would be in a more unfavorable situation and 20 would disappear in the coming 80 years.

Faced with this reality, the Tarea Vida program has been closely followed by local authorities after the Council of Ministers approved it as a strategy in 2017.

In fact, that top executive organ recently analyzed the progress of enviromental goals, especially those for the western province of Pinar del Río, which is vulnerable to rising sea levels in the low southern areas.

The authorities verified the relocation of houses in the localities of Punta de Cartas, San Juan y Martínez Municipality; La Bajada, Sandino Municipality; and Guane, a tobacco growing region.

Likewise, some ten hectares of mangrove will be replanted to protect the coast from rising sea levels.

At the meeting, the Cuban Minister of Sciences, Technology and Environment, Elba Rosa Pérez, called the attention on the occurrence of irregular events in the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, a Biosphere Reserve located in Cuba’s westernmost region and home to many endemic flora and fauna species.

Among the most striking events she mentioned the emergence of new invasive exotic species, the effects on turtle nesting sites and the migration of the white pelican and the red crab.

“Tarea Vida” gives priority to 73 of Cuba’s 168 municipalities; 63 of them in coastal regions and 10 others in the interior of the country.

HEALTH & SCIENCE 5

Keeping an Eye on Climate Change Vulnerabilities

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Havana has many interesting statues, some of them classical and emblematic such as that of Jesus Christ on one side of the bay and another of Jose Marti at the Revolution Square.

Walking in search of vivid statues of famous personalities may be quite fascinating indeed. Some of those sculptures go almost unnoticed to passers-by, but the history around them is quite interesting.

Many of these statues can be found in Havana, from different origins and periods. Let’s mention a short but symbolic list. Very close to the Havana Malecón (Sea Wall avenue), passers-by can appreciate a statue of Cuba’s National Hero José Martí, wearing his classic frock coat and carrying a child in his arms.

On Avenida del Puerto (Port Avenue),close to the bay’s commercial zone and Paula Church, the celebrated Mexican composer Agustin Lara stands out elegantly. The statue was donated by the people and government of Veracruz in November 2000, and reminds us of his love songs.

Statues of gods such as Neptune can be seen as well. Erected close to the Malecón, the marble-carved Neptune is pointing to the entrance of the Havana bay with his trident.

Also near the Malecón there are other less interesting and somewhat unknown figures such as Pierre Le Moyne 0'Iberville. He was a famous officer from New France, today Canada, who was admiral of Louis XIV and died in Havana in 1706.

Donated by the Quebec government, the statue was erected by the Office of the Havana City’s Historian on November 14, 1999.

Even lesser known is Japanese Hasehura Rokuemon Tsunenaga, hero of Sendai City and the first Japanese to come to Cuba, in 1614. His statue is located in a park in Havana, with plaques both in Spanish and Japanese indicating the 11,850 kilometers between Havana and Sendai.

Another important sculpture is that of Don Francisco de Albear y Lara, erected on October 24, 1887 right after he died, in the park across the famous Floridita Restaurant. He was the designer of the aqueduct system of Havana, a masterwork that is still in operation.

Meanwhile, Cuban artist Jorge Villa has played an active role over the past few years with his sculptures of rock musician John Lennon, who is seated on a bench in the park on 17th Street in Vedado neighborhood; the Ernest Hemingway leaning on the Floridita bar; Mother Teresa of Calcutta in the backyard of the Saint Francis of Assisi Church; and the Gentleman of Paris, as though he were a passer-by walking in front of the San Francis of Assisi Church.

In the meantime, other still and anonymous figures of beautiful naked women also attract the attention of passers-by, amid the hustle and bustle of

Cubans and tourists. Some other statues have disappeared already but are often remembered, such as that of Strauss.

Those sculptures, figures, busts and cultural symbols stand out to those attentive to the details of a city that will turn 500 years old on November 16, 2019.

Vivid Statues Captivate Tourists in CubaText & Photos by Roberto F.CAMPOS

6 CULTURE

World Ballet Stars to Dance at Havana Festival

SPOTLIGHT 7

HAVANA.- The Alicia Alonso International Ballet Festival of Havana stands as an exceptional opportunity for ballet lovers from around the world.

As organizer of this festival, Cuba’s National Ballet Company (BNC) recently announced that the event will be held from October 28 to November 6.

The upcoming 26th edition will mark the 70 years of the BNC founding by Alicia, Fernando and Alberto Alonso, on October 28, 1948.

The festival’s program will feature the season marking the 75 years of Alicia Alonso’s debut in Giselle, which is expected to be performed by first dancers from Cuba and other countries.

Dancers with the prestigious Cuban Ballet Company will alternate with artists and companies from other countries during the shows. Some of them will premiere pieces in Cuba.

The main venues for the biennial festival will be the Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso, the Avellaneda and Covarrubias Halls at Teatro Nacional and Mella and Martí Theaters. The Ballet Company of the Grand Theater of Geneva, Switzerland; the National Ballet Company of Prague, Czech Republic; and the Danish Dance Theater of Denmark are among the foreign companies expected to perform in the festival.

Moreover, dancers of the New York City Ballet will bring the show “Stars of American Ballet,” featuring names such as Daniel Ulbricht, Teresa Reichlen, Ask la Cour, Sterling Hyltin, Adrian Danchig Waring, Indiana Woodward and Gonzalo García.

HeeSeo, Isabella Boylston, Alban Lendorf and Cory Stearns will come for the American Ballet Theater, while Camila Bocca, Juan Pablo Ledo, Macarena Giménez and Maximiliano Iglesias will represent the Buenos Aires Colon Ballet Theater of Argentina.

The lead dancer of the New York City Ballet, Spanish Joaquin de Luz, will return to the Cuban festival, while U.S. Rasta Thomas will perform for the first time in the event presided over by Cuban Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso.

Other dancers who have confirmed their attendance are Rainer Krenstetter, of the Miami City Ballet, USA, and Marian Walter, of the Munich Ballet, Germany.

With more than 50 years of history, the International Ballet Festival of Havana favors the exchange between internationally renowned lead dancers, personalities, critics and businesspeople.

In order to honor Alicia Alonso, British choreographer Cathy Marston is preparing a ballet piece inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

The choreographer will turn the play’s original male protagonist, Prosperous, into an equivalent female character to honor Alonso, Cuba’s most important

By MarthaSANCHEZ

ballet dancer and one of the greatest legends of dance in the world.

“Prosperous is a magician that creates everything in that place surrounded by sea, like a small island full of music and dance. I rapidly pictured Alicia, who has created a sort of magic around the BNC and its dancers,” Marston told The Havana Reporter.

Different activities will be held in parallel to the festival such as exhibitions, theoretical conferences, book launch, and film and video seasons.

The Havana festival, which is one of the oldest of its kind in the world, will offer a special choice this time: a course on ballet technique for professionals, teachers and advanced-level students.

The long list of ballet stars who have participated in the Cuban festival includes Russian Maya Plisétskaya, French Sylvie Guillem, Italian Carla Fracci and Alexandra Ferri, Spanish Tamara Rojo and José Carlos Martínez, Argentinean Julio Bocca, Maximiliano Guerra and Paloma Herrera and U.S. Cynthia Harvey.

The BNC organizers always insist on turning the festival into a party of choreographic art that claims a phrase by outstanding Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier as its own: “The spirit of dance is inseparable from the human condition.”

The Cuban Ballet Company has covered the country and Latin America with glory ever since it was founded. The Cuban Culture Ministry this year issued a decree declaring the company Cultural Heritage of the Nation. PH

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

8 CULTURE

The International Festival of New Latin American CinemaDec. 6-16

Havana Mozart Festival Oct. 25-28

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PORT AU PRINCE.- On December 4, the Cuban Medical Brigade in Haiti, one of the many examples of the constant support the island has given this sister nation, will celebrate 20 years of presence in this territory.

The first doctors, paramedics and specialists arrived here in 1998 after the passage of hurricane George, which brought heavy rains and caused mud avalanches and catastrophic flooding for the country’s infrastructure, in addition to the death of about 400 people.

The Henry Reeve Contingent also arrived in the country in 2010, when the Haitians suffered one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes as a result of the earthquake that registered 7.3 on the Richter scale –, killing over 300,000 people and displacing about 500,000. On that occasion, the Cuban specialists helped fight the cholera epidemic resulting from the earthquake, which caused the death of an additional 10,000 people.

According to data provided by the Cuba Coopera site, the Cuban specialists have conducted about 626,100 surgeries to date, in addition to assisting over 178,107 births and giving about 1,649,700 vaccines.

“As a person responsible for the Cuban cooperation, I have witnessed the results, and I can affirm that this is the most important technical cooperation Haiti has received from any country,” Planning and Foreign Cooperation Minister Aviol Fleurant told The Havana Reporter.

In 2005, the first group of Haitian students graduated from the Latin American School of Medicine, and the first steps were taken for the formation of another 1,000 doctors in a decade, who would help the Caribbean nation palliate the primary care deficit.

Moreover, cooperation has expanded to other fields, such as construction, hydraulic resources, fishing, veterinary medicine and the environment. The micro-reservoir construction projects and the literacy program are still in place.

Last June, about 700 citizens received their certificates after taking lessons as

part of the Cuban teaching methods ‘Yo Sí Puedo’ (Yes, I Can) and ‘Aprann,’ which have been implemented in Haiti for almost 20 years.

This figure comes on top of about 448,339 students who learned to read and write with the educational programs--which Cuban specialists help advise--and which are aimed at incorporating the participants into the country’s socio-economic life.

According to the minister, Cuba is assisting Haiti in the fields of medicine, agriculture and construction of reservoirs.

Water is one of the major problems in Toussaint Louverture’s land. Recent studies have revealed that half of the rural population doesn’t have access to drinking water or must pay more than 600 gourdes (about nine dollars) for it.

The initiative devised by Haiti and Cuba foresees the creation of micro-reservoirs that will allow supplying water to the population and agriculture and generating power, in addition to exploring other projects for the use of this resource in different facilities. This will have a positive impact on the country’s economic and social development.

Other fields have also been included in the cooperation between both countries. In 1999, Cuban experts on freshwater fishes’ reproduction arrived in Pont Sonde, in the Artibonite department, and started working in an area of about one hectare built by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Other contributions Cuba has made include the strengthening of the hydro-meteorological surveillance through the transfer of tools that help improve monitoring and forecasting meteorological phenomena. The Haitian center now has a numerical model that allows predicting a hurricane’s potential path in a period of 48 to 72 hours in advance.

Almost 20 years later, solidarity between both countries keeps getting stronger and a commitment the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, made remains intact: to be together with this nation under any circumstances.

SAN JUAN.- A combination of different factors including the low birth rate and a constant exodus that has intensified for almost one year with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, has led to a dramatic decrease in the Puerto Rican population.

The report that the Multi-sector Committee for Demographic Challenge presented recently before the Puerto Rican Chamber of Deputies’ Commission for Economic Development and Planning revealed that in 2017, there were 1,065 more deaths than the number of births in this Caribbean island, which is going through an economic crisis.

The economic situation is a factor for the country´s lower birth rate. It should also be noted that the population is aging rapidly.

“The death rate is relatively constant while the birth rate keeps decreasing,” reads the document.

The reduction in the number of births largely owes to a family planning policy aimed at avoiding pregnancies, malnutrition in pregnant women, babies and children in their first years of life.

Adding to this situation are the high costs of fertility treatments, obstetrics, C-sections and medical services, together with the high number of births in poverty situation and the lack of prenatal education.

All this takes place in a country where, after 120 years of U.S. colonial domination, per capita income is estimated at 11,394 USD annually. Puerto Rico is half the size of Mississippi, the poorest U.S. territory.

Between 2010 and 2017, Puerto Rico recorded 388,980 less inhabitants.

In that period, nearly 432,000 persons migrated to other countries, mainly to the United States.

Deputy Víctor Parés of the governmental New Progressive Party (PNP) is fostering a draft bill seeking a partial solution to this situation, in order to make it mandatory that the health insurances controlled by private companies cover all kinds of fertility treatments and related procedures and medicine.

According to the survey, the Puerto Rican population is now estimated at 3.4 million people, while 5.4 million Puerto Ricans are living in the United States.

The exodus situation gets worse because 52 percent of the young people who leave the country are university graduates, while the economically active population between 20 and 59 years old is decreasing, the report noted.

However, there is this peculiar element: second and third generations of Puerto Ricans born in the United States recognize themselves as Puerto Rican-born and proudly defend the flag that preserves the Caribbean island’s national identity.

Some sectors fear that the annexationist policy of the Ricardo Rosselló Nevares administration may result in the replacement of the Puerto Rican population by Anglo-Saxon population by privatizing public education and importing skillful construction workers from the northern country; due to the shortage of workforce after Hurricane Maria destroyed the infrastructure upon hitting the country in September 2017.

LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN 9

Cuba and Haiti: 20 Years of Cooperation

Puerto Rican Population Shrinking

By AnelíRUIZ

Text & Photo by NéstorROSA-MARBELLL

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HAVANA.- Amidst all of the new construction, the traffic, the street lights and general hustle and bustle in Havana, Quinta de los Molinos (The Windmill Estate) stands as an excellent escape and opportunity to enjoy both history and nature.

Located on Salvador Allende Avenue, also known as Carlos Tercero, in the Cuban capital, the ecological park promotes rescuing natural treasures through a call for preservation.

Declared a National Monument in 1981, the Quinta de los Molinos Garden owes its name to two windmills that were set up there to grind tobacco and obtain snuff.

When the King’s windmills disappeared, the Botanical Garden of Havana was founded and the construction

of a rest home for the General Captains began.

Some interesting information: the house served as the residence of General Máximo Gómez, one of the main military chiefs during the Independence wars in Cuba.

One of Quinta de los Molinos’ many treasures is Cuba’s first butterfly garden, where the visitors can observe the life cycle of butterflies and their benefits for the ecosystems where they live.

Commenting on this peculiar place, the Sociocultural Department expert, Isys Marisol Contreras, told The Havana Reporter that the metallic structure has two kinds of wire netting.

“One of the wire nettings is more closely woven to protect the butterflies from their main predators, while the other is darker because, even though they are cold blooded insects, they need some shade,” she explained.

“The long-term goal is to have an overpopulation of butterflies in the park,” the expert added.

The Quinta de los Molinos Garden has also provided a space for educational workshops, cultural events, clubs and numerous community actions that involve children, youth and Cuban families in general.

Also in the summer, the park is included in the Rutas y Andares tour program organized by the Office of the City’s Historian.

The environment in the ecological park exhibits one of the most attractive settings in the city, reminding us of how important it is to preserve the treasure that nature offers to mankind.

HAVANA.- Like in many other parts of the world, urban music in Cuba has an important place in the music scene, especially among the newer generations.

The main exponent of this musical genre in Cuba is Gente de Zona, which is undoubtedly the local band of greatest international renown nowadays, and which is enjoying the success of its newest album: Visualízate.

Founded in 2000 and originally made up of Alexander Delgado and Jacob Forever –the latter was later replaced by Randy Malcom-, the duet is doing an interesting and celebrated work that also involves other Cuban artists and world stars.

Cuba is not only a prestigious tourist destination but also a musical one. For years, the greatest musical attraction was what is known as traditional music and timba. But the delight found in music has “been democratized” today with genres such as rumba and urban music, thanks to Gente de Zona’s impact.

Needless to say the duet has grown in 18 years of work, and their discography is the best example to illustrate those changes. Nevertheless, the sonority exhibited by the band after Malcom joined Alexander is the seal that now characterizes the duet, whose music finds no border or language barriers.

An element to be taken into consideration when referring to Gente de Zona’s success is the joint work with other artists, even with performers of different musical genres. All those collaborations have been great hits.

The list is long, but we can’t leave out the album where the duet performs together with Cuban Descemer Bueno and Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias. “Bailando” is the name of the song that brought the attention of the international music market to Delgado and Malcom, marking the golden start for future works.

Shortly afterwards, Gente de Zona captivated the world once again with pieces performed together with Puerto Rican Marc Anthony, with the songs “La gozadera” and “Traidora” establishing their reputation as world stars.

From then on, the career of the Cuban duet began experiencing major changes for any artists: signing with important international recording companies, endless tours of a dozen countries, increasing number of fans and a series of important awards.

The joint productions have become consolidated in the working dynamics of Delgado and Malcom, who sang a new version of “Macarena” together with Los del Río, the Spanish duet made up of Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruiz Perdigones. In addition, they recorded the song “3 A.M.” together with Mexican brothers Jesse & Joy.

Later on, they shared the recording studio with U.S. singer Jennifer López to sing “Ni tú ni yo,” with Australian Kylie Minogue in the song Stop Me From Falling, and with Italian Laura Pausini “Nadie ha dicho”.

However, the busy international agenda of Gente de Zona, winners of four Grammy Latino awards, has not interfered in the duet’s commitments with the Cuban public.

The Delgado-Malcom duet has performed several times in Cuba in recent months. The best remembered of those shows are the mega concert given in June at Havana’s Ciudad Deportiva (Sports Hall), with Pausini and Puerto Rico’s duet Zion y Lennox as guests, and their performance in July at the Josone Varadero Jazz & Son Festival.

Urban music enthusiasts have a new destination in Cuba because of Gente de Zona, a name of world reference when speaking about the fusion of all the good music that is made on the largest island in the Caribbean.

Quinta de los Molinos: A Butterfly Garden in Cuba

Gente de Zona Duet: Good Urban Music from Cuba

10 CULTURE

By RachelPEREDA

By YanisbelPEÑA

Havana’s CannonsText & Photos by TinoMANUEL

PHOTO FEATURE 11

HAVANA.- Nearly 500 years after its founding, Havana is an interesting medley of curiosities, interesting details and historic sites, particularly the attractive old cannons scattered throughout the city.

The city is a constant attraction for curious travelers. Colorful settings, a well-preserved colonial architecture and the warmth of the locals are some of the features visitors feel attracted to the most, in addition to the ancient cannons that can be found all over.

An interesting piece of information on this topic, according to some historians, is the list the El Morro and La Punta fortresses used to keep by the time. These two fortresses were a bastion against the pirate attacks and invasions.

On August 14, 1762, when Havana was stormed by the English, both fortresses had 104 cannons; nine bronze mortars; two iron mortars of several calibers; 4,157 rifles; 460 empty bombs; cannon balls; the equivalent to 3,000 kg of bullets, and 125,000 cartridges.

But all these pieces have a higher attraction if we take into consideration that according to some historians, the world’s biggest cannon, nicknamed Ordoñez, is located at Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

The Santa Clara Battery was positioned there (part of it can be still seen), as part of the third and last defensive system of Havana.

The Krupp and Ordonez cannons - the latter inspired by the 1870 French naval piece- were placed there between 1895 and 1898.

Made by Salvador Ordóñez, the cannon was considered the biggest at the time - caliber: 30.5 centimeters, length: 10 meters, weight: 48,300 kilograms.

In June 1898, during the naval blockade of Havana in the course of the Spanish-Cuban-American War, Ordóñez shot the USS cruiser Montgomery. Tourists can now take photos of a plaque set up there to remember the event.

UNITED NATIONS.- Latin American women will play an important role at the UN when Chilean Michelle Bachelet assumes the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights this September and Ecuadorian María Fernanda Espinosa starts as president of the General Assembly.

The former Chilean president was appointed in August at the suggestion of UN Secretary General António Guterres, and her appointment was unanimously approved by the General Assembly.

The United Nations Secretary General expressed his satisfaction with Bachelet’s appointment to the post.

In her native country, Chile, Bachelet was the first woman to hold the post of president, and she’s also a survivor of the violence used by the authorities, who went after her and her family several decades ago, as she said.

She was a forerunner at the United Nations, as she was the first leader of UN Women, Guterres added.

During the Pinochet dictatorship, Bachelet lived in the dark, and as a doctor, she got familiar with the trials of people in need of healthcare and eager to enjoy other key economic and social rights.

Guterres also noted that she will take on the post at a critical time for human rights, as hate and inequality continue to increase.

Meanwhile, in a video posted on Twitter, Bachelet appreciated the trust people have in her and reiterated her commitment to this “great task whose goal is to contribute to the wellbeing and the dignity of all people.”

The Latin American and Caribbean Regional Group (GRULAC), which gathers 33 UN member countries in the

area, expressed its pleasure for the election of the former Chilean president for this post.

According to GRULAC, Bachelet is very experienced and played an important role in the defense of women’s rights and genre equality. The group also recalled the work she did as President of Chile (2006-2010 and 2014-2018), Health Minister (2000-2002) and Defense Minister (2002-2004).

Bachelet will take on the post next September 1 – for four years – when United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid RaadAl Hussein will end his term.

SANTIAGO DE CHILE.- Next September 11 will mark the 45th anniversary of the bloody coup d’état in Chile led by Augusto Pinochet, who overthrew President Salvador Allende and left a trail of crimes, missing people and tortures.

Although it may be hard to believe, the incident has not been condemned by the entire society. Politicians and parliamentarians from the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) rightwing faction openly praised Pinochet.

Rightwing extremists are even happy to have had a military junta in power for 17 years that left nearly 3,200 people dead, 1,300 missing and 33,000 victims of torture.

The panic then spread still has its consequences. The contrasting opinions of the population about the topic become accentuated every September 11. Some victims of cruel tortures even prefer to avoid talking about the issue and, faced with pressures, they rather forgive and forget.

This is the only possible explanation to the controversial decision by the Supreme Court in grating parole to seven people who committed crimes against

humanity, on the grounds of loopholes that contravene international law.

The wave of violence and inquiring looks from abroad in particular, have forced certain central-rightwing figures to condemn the Supreme Court ruling. Meanwhile, the leftwing is planning to take the case to all instances possible.

CURRENT PARNORAMAVictims of the Pinochet dictatorship in

Chile (1973-1990) asked that the Supreme Court decision be annulled.

“The Group of Family Members of the Politically Executed (AFEP) feels it is our moral and historic duty to voice our sense of indignation and condemn this new sign of impunity,” the institution said in a release.

They also ratified their willingness to take part in all the causes for the protection and support for the prisoners in Punta Peuco (prison with special privileges). They are 'murderers and torturers who have provided no backgrounds to the processes nor have expressed their remorse.'

In recent days, the Supreme Court was forced to revoke one of its decisions over seven criminals after knowing that there were other human rights charges against them.

“Both the past and present work of the AFEP is closely linked to the fight for truth and justice, and (the group) is currently involved in most of the juridical processes for executions committed by the State agents,” the document reads.

The impunity enjoyed by many torturers, murderers and all those responsible for the repression lived during the dictatorship will end with the due enforcement of appropriate sentences, according to the crime committed, it noted.

The AFEP members will not be mere spectators as “the assassins of our relatives are trying to enjoy the impunity that began with the lack of justice during the dictatorship and continued during a significant part of the transition,” the group stated.

Upon knowing that one of the judges that granted the parole to the criminals is connected with a former police officer –lawyer of murderers and torturers during the dictatorship- “we ask that the sentences ruled by the Supreme Court be annulled,” the group stressed.

Bachelet: Another Latin American Woman in a Senior UN Post

Chile, Nightmares of the Never Again

12 POLITICS

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HAVANA.- Cuba’s strategy to open up to foreign investment is getting stronger with the decision to streamline the procedures prior to approving the projects.

The changes to the complementary regulations of Law No. 118 will speed up the paperwork needed to approve businesses funded with foreign capital, the official of the Cuban Foreign Trade and Investment Ministry (MINCEX), Deborah Rivas, said in a press conference.

The former regulation requested a complete feasibility study with several analyses attached to the proposal, she noted.

The decree now accepts a prefeasibility study with a lower level of analysis, thus simplifying the assessment process and the reception of the files by MINCEX.

Therefore, all those entities that already have a prefeasibility study will be able to present their investment project beginning in September, when the regulation will take effect.

At the same time, the changes made to this process enhance the methodological bases for the projects and provide consulting agencies with

tools to better draw up the feasibility studies, the director said.

The new rule aims at attracting more foreign investment and successfully, above all in sectors that are top priorities for the country’s economic and social development in the mid and long terms, Rivas explained.

“Speeding up the steps needed to approve the associations does not mean that the parties involved will not abide by all the directives in force in Law 118 or Foreign Investment Law,” she stressed.

Referring to the changes made to the law, Rivas revealed that a resolution by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security that updates the directives on the use of the workforce for that kind of economic association was included.

The approval of the norms is in line with a decree issued by the economic, juridical and constitutional commissions of the people’s Power National Assembly (Parliament) to go through and adjust the procedures established for the correct course of the investment processes, particularly those for foreign investment.

According to statistics previously provided by the MINCEX sources, the estimated amount of the projects contained in the 2018 Cuban Investment Portfolio exceeds $10.7 billion.

Cuba Simplifies Foreign Investment Procedures

By IvetteHERNANDEZ

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HAVANA.- The development of tourism in Cuba is focused on the expansion of the offerings currently available and the provision of a wide-ranging number of recreational activities, without giving up the sun and beach modality.

This is precisely the case of recent announcements linked to golf, a kind of active holiday that attracts several people from all over the world and bets for the expansion of multiple destinations.

A golfer, be it a professional or an amateur, looks for multiple destinations and golf courses when travelling abroad, and until now, Cuba only has one top-quality golf course: the Varadero Golf Club, in the country’s most important beach resort, in western Cuba.

For this reason, an ambitious plan that could include 19 golf courses is currently in progress, according to official announcements.

A recent report on the topic stated that on May 2017, the joint venture Punta Colorada S.A. was set up at the eastern Guardalavaca beach.

In line with that, on July 18, the executives of that group met at the Havana’s 1830 Restaurant with businessmen, diplomats and Cuban authorities to support a new initiative: the Punta Colorada Golf and Marina project, which is getting underway.

During the presentation of the project, entitled ‘Cuba y Punta Colorada, creciendo juntos’ (Cuba and Punta Colorada, growing together), Cubagolf Executive and Deputy Chairman of the Punta Colorada S.A. Joint Venture, Raudel García, referred to the beginning of the works related to different golf resorts.

The Cubagolf and associates portfolio includes 13 projects, of which Punta Colorada is the biggest and the one in which the most progress has been made.

At the meeting, Alberto Domingo, Technical Director of GOREC Corp. – the project’s management company – launched an international campaign aimed at carrying out the recreational complex, located in Pinar del Río, Cuba’s westernmost province.

An intensive calendar that will start this September with the creation of the so-called Amigos de Punta Colorada Club was announced, as well as the launch of other international campaigns.

Among the companies interested in the project, Accor and Minor, international hotel chains; Sener, Univergy International and Assyce, from the energy field, and Vinci, world leader in the airport sector, were included.

Other corporations include Progolf, a golf course construction company; IPG, world leader in golf engineering; Comsa and Lena, construction companies; Porcelanosa, a company that designs, manufactures and supplies building materials, and Vifesa, leader in construction machinery.

Marina 92, one the world’s three most important companies that manages marinas and large-format facilities for boats’ refitting, also expressed its interest in the project.

Golf courses, marinas and real estate agencies will be included in the development plan that will no doubt add a touch of distinction to the Cuban tourism sector.

Golf in Cuba: A Near Future Project

By Roberto F.CAMPOS

HAVANA.- The European Union (EU) is the third largest trading partner of Latin America and the Caribbean, with bilateral links increasing in different sectors. However, this cross-regional cooperation could be more dynamic and comprehensive based on multilateralism.

Foreign Affairs Ministers of the EU and country members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) analyzed the topic during a meeting held in Brussels, Belgium, in the middle of July.

Amid current global tensions, the two blocs have the opportunity to renew their cooperation policy in order to advance “towards more modern, productive and inclusive societies, in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change,” The Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) noted.

In 2017, bilateral exchange registered 231 billion dollars, representing a nine percent increase over the previous year, according to ECLAC.

As for investment, the European bloc occupies the top position: from 2010 to 2017, 39 percent of the total value of the new projects in Latin America and the Caribbean belonged to EU companies.

More than one fourth of those initiatives were connected to renewable

energy strategies, which is beneficial in terms of environmental protection and the proposed goal of building a sustainable electricity network, the UN agency commented.

The European experience is a reference for developing micro, small and medium enterprises and the institutions needed for their promotion.

Similarly, commercial agreements have been signed between Latin American countries and the EU. This leads to a sensitive reduction of taxes, although a big disparity between industrial and agricultural products still exists.

While industrial products are tax free on the community market, the agricultural products are taxed in average between four percent (in the case of Peru) and 8.9 percent (in the case of Chile).

The only exception is the agricultural produce of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, which are practically tax free in the EU.

According to ECLAC, the EU maintains medium taxes especially high for dairy products (36 percent), sugar (27) and meats (19).

This situation prevents Latin American countries from fully using their strengths in the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors, and limiting the EU exports to only a few products, the UN entity explained.

The EU presently has commercial agreements with 26 Latin American and Caribbean countries, being the non-regional partner with the biggest number of these kinds of agreements.

If the negotiations between the Southern Common Market and the EU are successful, the latter would have trade deals with 30 of the 33 CELAC member countries, ECLAC noted.

Nevertheless, the relations should go far beyond the commercial sphere and foster the creation of a true productive integration that allows the transfer of technology and innovation and the inclusion of the micro, small and medium enterprises, ECLAC executive secretary Alicia Bárcena said.

It would be useful if those bonds contributed to “achieving a progressive structural change with greater productive levels, better jobs and higher salaries,” she commented.

EU-LatAm Links Aim to Expand in the Future

14 ECONOMY

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HAVANA.- It is very difficult to play baseball in the summer, at least in Cuba, where the temperature in August makes it very difficult and challenging to play outdoor sports. However, the international league calendar requires it, and so they endure the heat for the love of the game.

Therefore, for a third consecutive year the baseball series was inaugurated amidst the heat of the first days of August. It is scheduled to close at the end of January, when the national champion of the 58th edition will be decided. That same team will represent Cuba during the Caribbean Baseball Series at the beginning of February.

Also competing in those games, known as Little World Baseball Series, will be the teams that will have just won the titles in Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Mexico (The Pacific League).

There is plenty that could be said about what has been the number one sports attraction in Cuba.

In the meantime and like any cosmopolitan city, Havana needs some new elements including the latest innovations in technology. A modern

electronic scoreboard donated by Samsung was inaugurated upon the opening of the baseball league at the Latin American Stadium of Havana.

Together with the new scoreboard, the public welcomed the return of Rey Vicente Anglada, a star of Cuban baseball, as manager of the Havana team: the Industriales.

The 58th National Baseball Series kicked off with the bitter taste left by the recent Central American and Caribbean Games of Barranquilla 2018, where the Cuban lineup ranked second.

Except for the Havana-1982 edition, Cuba had been the big winner of the games since 1966, when they were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The silver medal won this time was finally well accepted because it means the ticket to the 2019 Pan-American Games in Lima.

But the Peruvian capital is far from being the highest goal for the Cuban baseball program in the coming months. Anyone who looks at the panorama without going from one extreme to the other may well agree to say that it will be very difficult for the Cuban baseball to return to the Olympics for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

In the meantime, the games are held in the 15 provinces and the Special Municipality of the Isle of Youth with the same format as in recent years: one first round where all 16 teams will be competing against each other and a

cut after the 45th game, with six teams advancing to the next round, beginning in mid-October.

This time a new element is marking the transition from one phase to the other: for the first time those who make it to the six-team round will only add the wins they achieve against the other five teams. This new modification may lead to changes in the ranking once the last phase begins.

It’s worth saying that the series will be the acid test for 98 new players, while four managers will be coaching their teams for the first time: Eduardo Paret (Villa Clara), Heriberto Rosales (Santiago de Cuba), Alaín Álvarez (Cienfuegos) and Eduardo Pavo (Guantánamo).

The eastern teams of Granma and Las Tunas, the champion and the runner-up of the previous series, respectively, are the favorites to continue to the next phase. Historically, the Industriales, Villa Clara, Pinar del Río and Santiago de Cuba teams frequently survived after the 45th game.

The designation of the National team´s manager is one of the topics most debated by baseball fans in Cuba.

Anglada, a gold medalist at Central American and Pan-American Games, is already receiving votes for the position.

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Summer Baseball in Cuba: Playing through the Heat

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