YEAR XNO 12DEC 7, 2020HAVANA, CUBAISSN 2224-5707Price: 1.00 CUC / 1.00 USD / 1.20 CAN

CubaPeople’s Response to

San Isidro’s Farce

SportsMaradona

in Our Hearts

Cuba - U.S.ATrump Ruthless against

Cuba in 2020

P. 4 P.14

New Economic Strategy

Underway

P. 9

P. 3

3CUBA2

President: Luis Enrique González.Information Vice President: Moisés Pérez MokEditorial Vice President: Lianet Arias Chief Editor: Ilsa Rodriguez SantanaEnglish Editor: Mitra GhaffariTranslation: Dayamí Interian/ Yanely Interián

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

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

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

SPORTS.AND MORE

TOURISM

HAVANA.- Big challenges lie ahead for the Cuban tourist industry due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19 and the pressures exerted by the U.S. government for more than 60 years, now tightened by the Trump administration, as local authorities have reiterated.Consequently, the sector has been working hard amid the pandemic, with maintenance and restoration works at hotels and other facilities, always complying with the requirements and protocols established by the Public Health Ministry and signed by the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur).Cuba opened up international tourism on July 1, to the keys in the central-northern region of the archipelago and Cayo Largo del Sur (key) in the south-eastern region, with the objective of protecting tourists and the Cuban population as well.Those destinations also have available recovery packages for visitors that in the case that they get infected with the virus. While enjoying their vacations, foreign tourists can be seen by doctors, epidemiologists and nurses that now form part of working teams in each of the hotels that were allowed to reopen.The Cuban government also reopened camp sites and beaches for families to enjoy the summer season, mainly the young population that was so affected by the necessary isolation entailed by the pandemic.In this sense, the tourist industry welcomed with joy the government’s announcement to undergo three gradual stages during the post-COVID-19 recovery phase, carefully followed by local authorities.The leading hotel chains also opened some of their facilities, both for national tourism now and international tourism in due time.

Bookings at camp sites in the interior of the country and some hotels opened on June 18 for national tourism.PCR tests will be conducted on all foreign tourists upon arrival in Cuba to identify possible infection. This measure is the result of the efficient health control on the island, local authorities said.Cuban hotel chains such as Cubanacán, Gran Caribe and Islazul, have already announced the hotels that are ready to begin operating, as did the Gaviota Group and foreign hotel chains such as Meliá.The new promotional campaign “Suyo y Seguro” (Yours and Safety) highlights the values of the Cubanacán resorts, their safety measures and compliance with the protocols adopted by the Public Health Ministry. In the meantime, Meliá Hoteles Cuba declared that this is an ideal destination in the Caribbean, because it is safe and enjoys high levels of protection against the pandemic.Although no statistics have been revealed yet as to specific bookings, it was announced that Cuba is one of the countries that most welcomes Russian tourists. Meanwhile, some airlines have already announced upcoming flights, such as Canada’s OWG (OffWeGo), with direct flights to Cuba beginning on November 1.The association between Hola Sun Holidays tour operator and OWG will facilitate direct flights to leading Cuban destinations such as the island Cayo Coco, the cities of Holguín and Santa Clara and the Varadero beach resort.In addition, Air Transat, Canada’s third most important airline, announced the resumption of Cuba flights beginning on July 23, 2020.All these efforts and enthusiasm over Cuban tourism could have fruitful results in the near future, depending on how the fight against COVID-19 progresses. According to local authorities, the steady control of the disease in the country may have a strong impact on the reopening of the so-called lazy industry.

Tourism in Cuba: Challenges and Hard WorkBy RobertoCAMPOS

HAVANA.- In a year were world trade has come to almost a total halt, the Trump administration continues to worsen the blockade and the health crisis caused by COVID-19 affects everyone, Cuba hopes to boost its economy with a new socio-economic strategy.The initiative takes into consideration the complex global scenario caused by the pandemic and focuses on fostering national finances by overcoming the main obstacle to its development: the U.S. blockade, which according to estimates of the Cuban Executive added 120 new measures against the island from 2019 to present day.The strategy’s main objectives include increasing facilities to the non-state sector; expanding imports and exports by the state and private sector; moving forward in the reordering of monetary duality, and promoting agricultural production, territorial development and technological advancements in Cuba.The actions of this new strategy are a challenge for the country’s leadership, in particular, the monetary and foreign exchange unification, which is one of the main objectives of this document, as stated by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. “Monetary and foreign exchange unification will not solve the economic problems as if by magic, but will no doubt increase labor productivity and create more efficient performance,” the president said during the presentation of the project.On the whole, the strategy is structured in 16 key areas related to economic and social fields that have a high impact on the national economy, Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Alejandro Gil affirmed.The measures identified are related to the progress of the approved guidelines at the VII Congress of the Cuban Communist Party, as well as addressing the obstacles and analysis

conducted in the three phases of the first stage of recovery from the pandemic, said Gil, Minister of Economics, at the Cuban Parliament’s most recent session.The program’s key areas include, among others, food production, the sugar agribusiness and its by-products, the tourism industry, the health sector, the pharmaceutical, biotechnological and biomedical production industry, telecommunications, construction, and energy.The strategy is also intended to boost the manufacturing industry, foreign and domestic trade, the financial system, and the national policies of employment, salary, security and social care.According to Gil, the strategy calls for a faster-paced economy, which is favored by a better epidemiological situation in several Cuban provinces since last October, with the reactivation of productive and service activity and the incorporation of state and private workers.During the presentation of the project, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero described the document as essential in the transition to new normality and coexistence with the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus.Thus, “productive and service activity is re-established, strengthening epidemiological surveillance, sanitary measures and a responsible participation of the people, with the adoption of new lifestyles,” he said.The strategy takes into consideration fundamental principles of the economic model’s functioning, which strengthens the socialist character of the Cuban process, based on aspects such as centralized planning and the defense of national production over the import mentality.It also complements different economic actors; provides higher autonomy to the business sector; fosters competitiveness, and acknowledges the revitalizing role of domestic demand.

New Economic Strategy Underway

By ElizabethBORREGO

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Giraldilla, a symbol of Havana.

Sanitary controls at airports. Santa María Key, in the Villa Clara province. PHOTOS: Prensa Latina.

PHOTOS: Internet.

Production of food. PHOTO: Prensa Latina.

5HEALTH & SCIENCE4 CUBA-U.S.A

HAVANA.- Cubans that used to receive remittances from the United States through Western Union have been unable to get that aid since November 23, when its 407 offices on the island were forced to close.That was the result of a series of measures adopted by the Trump administration to limit money sent to the Caribbean country during an electoral year when the U.S. president tightened the blockade imposed by Washington against Cuba for nearly six decades.Although the entire world has been hit by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic this year, the White House chief wouldn´t mitigate sanctions against the island, even when numerous voices in his country and abroad urged him to stop the punishments due to the health crisis.In addition to constantly attacking money transfers, the Republican government continued its Cuba travel prohibitions and campaigns against Cuban medical brigades.Last February, Western Union suspended money transfers to Cuba from any place other than the United States, as a result of Washington’s escalating sanctions.On June 12, the Department of State enlarged the controversial list of more than 200 Cuban entities and sub-entities proscribed to U.S. citizens by including three new hotels, two scuba diving centers, one dolphinarium and FINCIMEX financial institution.The inclusion of FINCIMEX in particular called people’s attention, because it was the company that had acted as

Western Union’s counterpart in Cuba, with the feeling that greater restriction of remittances could come next.The suspicion became true on October 23, when the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a final regulation to hinder certain general authorizations connected with sending money to Cuba, directly affecting the companies on the list of prohibited entities and forcing the end of Western Union services on the island.Several legislators, organizations, solidarity groups and Cubans living in the United States condemned the harsh blow on remittances and called for the measures to be revoked. But Trump turned a blind eye to those calls, as he was trying to please the most conservative sector of Cuban-American voters in Florida.Also with that electoral goal in mind, on January 10 his government had announced the prohibition of charter flights to all Cuban destinations but Havana. Similar measures had been adopted at the end of 2019 for commercial airlines.

Likewise, on August 13 it was announced that private charter flights would also be suspended to Cuban airports, with the exception of public ones authorized to and from the Cuban capital.The actions aimed at depriving Cuba of financial resources in the middle of the pandemic would not end there. On September 23, Trump implemented new restrictions such as the prohibition for U.S. travelers to stay at government-owned accommodations.That same day the U.S president banned Cuban rum and cigar imports and canceled general licenses for certain travel categories, such as those on the participation and organization of professional conferences.While Cuba was fighting COVID-19 within its borders and in countries around the world, Washington increased its

defamatory statements against Cuban medical brigades. In June, it used them as pretext to keep the island on the list of nations that violate the least possible laws to eradicate human trafficking.That month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened the Pan-American Health Organization for its role in the agreements of the More Doctors Program between Brazil and Cuba. Meanwhile, three Republican senators introduced a draft bill to punish countries that would hire Cuban medical services.Together with these and other measures, Trump increased his hostile rhetoric against Cuba in an attempt to win votes in Florida, which were finally insufficient because he was defeated by democrat Joe Biden in the November 3 elections.Due to the reinforcement of the blockade this year and in spite of limitations imposed by the pandemic, organizations of solidarity with Cuba in the United States developed a busy agenda to demand the end of the siege, with different cities approving resolutions in favor of medical collaboration with the island.

By MarthaANDRÉS

Trump Ruthless against Cuba in 2020

HAVANA.- The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global challenge, a pressing battle for scientists, health professionals, governments and the whole population.The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 has upended regular social and economic dynamics as to avoid its transmission and expedite research in search of a substance or compound to immunize humans.On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the state of pandemic for COVID-19 and that same day, the first infected people were detected in Cuba.The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world so far total nearly 60 million people from 186 countries, with more than 1,400,000 reported deaths.In Cuba, that number exceeds 8,000, with over 100 people dead and some 8,000 others recovered.The treatment applied on the Caribbean island includes active population inquiries, self-queries on digital platforms, and the development of local medicine such as Heberferón, Juzvinza (CIGB 258) and Itolizumab, among others successfully developed by Cuban biotechnology, together with the active role of doctors and the organized work of health services.The country is currently going through the new normality stage; however, calls continue for the population to act responsibly and comply with hygiene and health measures to avoid new outbreaks.In the meantime, scientists continue working towards the cure and national protocol is enforced with the objective of keeping the

population healthy and that those infected do not worsen their condition.In August, Cuba was the first country in Latin America and the 30th in the world to get authorization to begin clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate known as Soberana 01.At the beginning of November, WHO included a second vaccine candidate (Soberana 02) on the official list of projects at the clinical trial phase.Developed by the Finlay Vaccine Institute, the two of them are on the list of 47 candidates registered in the world, and their clinical trials with humans have attained positive results so far.In parallel, the Cuban scientific community is working on two other projects to fight the pandemic, developed by the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center (CIGB) and with the green light to begin their clinical trials.One of them is known as Mambisa (CIGB 669) and will be administered via the nose, while the other, known as Abdala (CIGB 66), will be given via the intramuscular route.Cuban health authorities announced that in December they will present version 1.6 of the national protocol to fight COVID-19, focused on learning to coexist with the disease.Doctor Ileana Morales, the Public Health Ministry’s Director of Science and Technological Innovation, sustained that it will be a stage aimed at stopping its transmission, reducing the number of patients in serious condition and focusing the attention on those recovered.According to experts, Cuba has maintained a favorable scenario in the fight against the disease; however, the battle continues to be waged relentlessly from all governmental sectors and the society so as to preserve the advances achieved so far.

By RosmerysBERNAL

The Global Fight for Life

Cuba Strengthens Epidemiological SurveillanceHAVANA.- COVID-19 provides several lessons in Cuba at present and on the road to strengthening epidemiological surveillance against this disease and other potential epidemics.National Director of Epidemiology at the Cuban Ministry of Public Health, Francisco Durán, confirmed the interest that national authorities have in strengthening care protocols and increasing the number of clinical labs.At present, the country has 17 labs whose facilities are not only dedicated to studying COVID-19 but many other diseases too. “We hope to have more entities of this type,” said the director, one of the most visible faces in Cuba in the fight against the so-called ‘silent enemy.’The spread of COVID-19 in Cuba last March was not a surprise to anyone, as a series of measures had been implemented to contribute to control the pandemic since January, based on scientific development and existing expertise.On March 11, when the World Health Organization identified the SARS-CoV-2 as the agent responsible for the pandemic,

Cuba announced the first positive cases and already had a National Plan to fight the disease.Since then, the protocol has been improved with the best experiences gathered at the national and international level, emphasizing social distancing and preventing patients from getting seriously ill or dying.As part of the health strategy, detection and virtual self-detection played an essential role in avoiding the collapse of medical services, especially at intensive care units.The country increased the number of hospital beds by 7,710, while capacities at the ICU rose from 202 to 861 and ventilators to 701.In addition, 61 centers were equipped for quarantine; 286 to monitor contacts and 73 to isolate travelers, a practice that allowed the country to largely contain the infection.The three components that define the fight against COVID-19 are the epidemiological area, the organization of the health services and the handling of the situation based on science and innovation.Cuban experts designed protocol to fight COVID-19 upon the basis of two scenarios: prevention and therapeutics, with a gradual progression of the services’ level of complexity.

Similarly, the Science Group was created, with an Innovation Committee as the executive body, an initiation that contributed to the approval and implementation of over 700 researches, including observation and clinical studies.In the fight against COVID-19, the Biotechnological and Pharmaceutical Industry created preventive-therapeutic products such as national interferon, used in the treatment of suspicious and confirmed cases.It is worthwhile mentioning that the fight against this disease includes three preventive types of medications: three antiviral drugs, two anti-inflammatory drugs and four serological medications, in addition to three ventilator prototypes to be used at the ICU and an impedance tomography.Many citizens and institutions benefited from the use of Biomodulina T and PrevengHo-Vir, homeopathic products indicated as preventive medication, while other people received the Anti CD6 (Itolizumab) monoclonal antibody and Jusvinza peptide, also known as CIGB 258.The two latter, in combination with the plasma of recovered patients, allow for an index of survival of over 90 percent of the seriously ill and critical patients. The ventilation techniques for the treatment of seriously ill and critical patients, the result of the expertise of Cuban Intensive Medicine specialists and technicians, were also improved.Cuban science is proud of having four vaccine candidates, including Soberana 01.Undoubtedly, there is a huge difference between the pandemic in Cuba and the rest of the world, as indicators and numbers here are lower than those exhibited at the international level.Until now, no child or adolescent has died, nor has a pregnant woman or any member of the Cuban health staff involved in the fight against this pandemic.

By JoelVARONA

PHOTO: Internet.

Two Other Project to Fight the Pandemic.

Doctor Ileana Morales, the Public Health Ministry’s Director of Science and Technological Innovation. PHOTOS: Internet.

PHOTOS: Internet.

7CULTURE6 SPOTLIGHT

HAVANA.- The Latin American New Film Festival will have to be adapted this year to the context imposed by COVID-19; however, it will still showcase a comprehensive panorama of the seventh art, said Iván Giroud, president of the film festival.In order to hold the most important film event in the region, instead of the usual 10-day screening, the festival will last 20 days in order to provide more opportunities and still hold sessions, lectures and debates over a couple of months, when the epidemiological situation is to be better controlled and there will be more possibilities of traveling.According to Giroud, for the first time, works will be exhibited on two different occasions: from December 3 to 13, with the screening of 98 titles, and from March 11 to 21, with over 100. In the latter, the Coral awards – the distinctive prize of the event – will be granted and talks will be held on the topic of the event: young cinema in Latin America.During the first period, the audience will be able to enjoy the Latin America in Perspective and International Contemporary Panorama categories at the 23 y 12, Riviera, Yara, La Rampa and Acapulco movie theaters in Havana, under strict health measures and with limited capacity.The promotional image of the 42nd edition of the Film Festival, Lo que recetó el doctor (What the doctor prescribed), references medicine and health staff, in appreciation of their work against COVID-19, as they make social gathering possible again, as Giroud stated.

For that reason, when talking about the two different periods of the festival, reference is made to two doses of medicine, each one of them with exclusive and modern proposals.“In March, we will launch the contest and other works of the International Contemporary Panorama. We will also conduct the theoretical session, seminars, and workshops, because we always avail of the people who come to the event,” affirmed the president of the festival.Giroud also added that on that occasion, the San Antonio de los Baños International Film and Television School will be active, as the academic course starts in January and life in the city will be more normal. “The energy that is created with the schools, the students and the festival is very important to us,” he commented.The audience will then have two moments to better appreciate the works that interest them.The International Contemporary Panorama section will exhibit about 10 titles in the first screening, while the productions to be screened in the second period will depend on the acknowledgments granted during the world famous festival.As the festival’s president noted, because of the current situation, it is natural to restrict the schedule and have less titles selected in order to have more screenings at the movie theaters.The Havana Film Festival has never been canceled and their filmmakers try to defend its continuity, although aware that the effects of COVID-19 will be felt throughout the world for several years.In a context marked by the pandemic, the organizers of this annual event in Cuba recall that it is not only important to cure the body but also the soul, and in that sense the cinema is a means to preserve a healthy spirit.

Havana to Host a Unique Latin American Film Festival

By MarthaSÁNCHEZ

Edesio Alejandro Nationally Screens Mambo Man

HAVANA.- Cuban composer and filmmaker Edesio Alejandro presented his film Mambo Man, winner of numerous awards at international events, at the 42nd International Festival of New Latin American Film.But aware that this event had to limit the number of audience members due to COVID-19, the director is planning several screenings so that his first work can be made known all over Cuba in 2021, starting with Havana.By mid-2020, Italy’s Florence Film Awards and New York’s Dumbo Film Festival announced that his film would be nominated in the Best Film category.Co-directed by Edesio Alejandro and British-Iranian filmmaker Mo Fini, in May 2020 Mambo Man was granted the Festigious International Film Festival award for Best Direction and the Best Fiction Film prize at the event held in Los Angeles, California.It was also awarded prizes for Best Feature Film at the Florence Film Awards and Best Foreign Fiction Film at the Moody Crab Film in India.

The Cuban filmmaker told The Havana Reporter that he was very happy because these big awards are never expected.“We did our best to make a beautiful film, but I’m very happy with all the nominations and awards and cannot wait to make other films,” Edesio said.The Cuban director worked relentlessly for two years from the time the film was being shot in the Cuban cities of Bayamo and Santiago de Cuba until its premiere.“The fact that my first feature film has been so widely recognized makes me very glad, also because it was made so that the entire family can enjoy it,” he added.The independent film was produced by Tumi Music, the English company that has recorded a number of Cuban artists that promote traditional music.The main characters are performed by actors Héctor Noas, Alejandro Palomino, Idolka de Erbiti, David Pérez, Yudexi de la Torre and Camila Chile; with special performances by the musicians Cándido Fabré, María Ochoa, Arturo Jorge, David Álvarez and Julio Montoro.Luis Alberto Gonzales was the director of photography, with production by Julio Cesar Llamos and Zadoc Nava, editing by Edesio Alejandro himself and music by various artists with the Tumi Music label. Edesio Alejandro is an active member of the Hollywood Film Academy and of the Latin Grammy Academy, as well as cultural ambassador of the Latin Music Institute. He is precisely making a documentary about that institution to celebrate its 100th years of founding in 2021.As a composer, he has made music for numerous Cuban films such as Clandestinos, Hello Hemingway, Madagascar, Caravana, Adorables mentiras, La vida es silbar, Suite Habana, Madrigal, Kleines Tropicana, Hacerse el sueco, Nada and Bailando Chachachá, among many other feature films.In addition, Edesio has composed music for more than 40 plays, a dozen TV series and has several national and international prizes to his credit, such as the Batuta International Award granted last year in Mexico.Mambo Man tells the story of “JC, a local music producer and promoter, farmer and hustler that makes his living from his talent and imagination. In order to support his family and keep his local status, he lives beyond his means. An unexpected phone call gives him the possibility to make a fortune and change his life forever. That situation provokes a frenzied search for money and a fateful and mysterious date.”

By MarthaSÁNCHEZ

Press Conference in Havana.

Premio Batuta de San Leopoldo, in México. PHOTOS: Internet.

Edesio Alejandro, 2020 National Music Award winner. PHOTO: Cubadebate.

The promotional image of the 42nd edition of the Film Festival, Lo que recetó el doctor (What the doctor prescribed). PHOTOS: Internet

9CULTUREARTS & ENTERTAINMENT8

BUENOS AIRES.-‘He is the people incarnate in a soccer ball,’ everyone says in Argentina, a country deeply moved by the death, on November 25, of one of the greatest players in the sports’ history, Diego Armando Maradona, whose passing has been a great loss for the South American nation.

A few weeks have passed since the celebration of his 60th birthday, when his fellow countrymen joined him in the festivities. He then looked tired and walked slowly. It was his last appearance on the soccer field, in Lobo, the venue of Gimnasia La Plata, the team he directed these last years and where an emotional party was given in his honor.His passing represents the death of a part of the Argentinean soccer. Hundreds of fans from both sides of

the Atlantic Ocean cry for his loss, especially in Villa Fiorito, in the fields where little Diego started down the road that made him achieve glory.Maradona was a passionate man who spoke freely and always said what he though. He knew how to bring together the beauty of soccer and his love for his people and social justice.He always helped the most humble and one of his most recent initiatives was ‘Las 10 del 10,’ a match conducted in La Matanza, Villa Palito (Buenos Aires) in coordination with the Argentinean Red Cross to collect funds for infrastructural work in 10 Argentinean cities.He didn’t even care to face FIFA and as he used to do, he openly criticized the performance of former Argentinean president Mauricio Macri. He also rejected the granting of an award to the former president and his election, at the beginning of this year, as chairman of the FIFA Foundation.Maradona defended the region’s integration projects and other social issues, such as the solidary contribution of large fortunes, which is under debate at Congress these days.“In this time of crisis, we need the help of those who, like me, have more resources. I lost my brother-in-law because of COVID-19 and I know how hard it is not to be able to say goodbye to our loved ones. I know how hard it is not to have anything to eat. That’s why I am at your service, President Alberto Fernández. Go, go, Argentina,” he said last September 1.God’s hand travels to eternity while many in his homeland refuse to say goodbye to him, because men like him are always present and never die.

Maradona in Our HeartsARTS & ENTERTAINMENTthr@prensa-latina.cu

By MaylínVIDAL

The exhibition-contest Post-it 7 will be open to the public until January 10, 2021 at Galiano and 23 y 12 Galleries. The contest has been organized by Collage Habana Art Gallery of the Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets since 2014.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The first two weekends of December, at Bertolt Brecht Theater on Calle 13 Esquina I (Corner of 13 and I Streets), Vedado neighborhood, Plaza de la Revolución Municipality, Havana.

Coffee Time, the personal exhibition of prominent Cuban painter Luis Enrique Camejo Vento will be on display until January 30, 2021 at Collage Habana Gallery of the Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets, Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00p.m.

SPORTS

With the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, during a visit to Havana. PHOTO: José Meriño.

11PHOTO FEATUREECONOMY10

CAMAGÜEY, CUBA.- Considered a jewel of Cuban architecture and funerary heritage, the General Cemetery of Camagüey is undergoing a series of restoration works that enhance its condition as one of Cuba’s tourist attractions.The Historian’s Office of Camagüey, a city located some 538 kilometers east of Havana, plans to highlight the cultural values of the place close to the city’s historic district, where different places earned recognition from Unesco.The projects include the creation of the Interpreting Center, where visitors interested in knowing the history of Camagüey will have the chance to get in-depth information about it, with two halls comprising more than two centuries of the cemetery’s history.The neoclassic-style graveyard, one of the places included in tourist tours, began functioning in 1863, after the City Hall gave permission to bury members of noble families and relevant personalities there.Its patrimonial attractions make it one of the most-visited places in the city, which

was one of the first towns founded by the Spanish in Cuba on February 2, 1514, under the name of Villa de Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe, today Camagüey.Office of the City’s Historian Researcher Arisleida Ruffín explained that the hall previously used for autopsies and as a morgue was inaugurated on October 20, 1887, thanks to the contribution of Monserrate Canalejo and Hidalgo Gato.Monserrat was the widower of Gaspar Betancourt and Cisneros, one of the most influential personalities in Camagüey’s sociopolitical life, and the main person behind the efforts that introduced the railroad in this central Cuban region.According to the specialist, the remains of Major General Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz (1841-1873), one of the most important heroes in Camagüey and the country, were partially incinerated in the cemetery, where Carmen Zayas-Bazán, the widower of Cuba’s National Hero, José Martí, was buried.The Camagüey cemetery, the oldest still functioning in Cuba, is considered one of the architectural jewels of the island, as evidenced by its sculptural and monumental value.

HAVANA.- After a vote count that proclaimed democrat Joe Biden winner, the United States put an end to the four-year administration of Donald Trump who, according to experts, worked hard to undermine his country’s prestige and damage international cooperation.With a margin of six million ballots and an advantage of 74 votes at the Electoral College, the voters decided that Biden will be the 46th President of the United States.But on the days following the November 3 elections, the world shockingly saw a show in which nobody actually knew what was going on.Was it a loser throwing a fit? A coup d’état attempt? The last trap intended to keep his entire operation afloat? Those are some of the questions experts and the public have made about Donald Trump. Those that have followed him more closely these four years warn that they possibly are rhetorical questions: the republican tycoon does not plan, he just acts.The truth is that Trump has basically spent weeks trying to magnify every tall story of alleged conspiracy he finds on social media.“A mass electoral fraud will be proven!” He wrote recently on Twitter. “Unprecedented mass fraud!” “The election is a farce!”Members of his administration say it is impossible to have serious conversations these days about concrete policies with the President of the United States without ending in denunciations and weird theories.Deprived of the immunity he enjoyed during his presidency, from January 20 on he will be a citizen facing at least six judicial processes, including one on the falsification of documents hiding payments to silence

women, another on tax evasion, a third for defamation and another for fraud, filed by his niece.“The president has lost the elections but achieved a resounding victory in what has been his fundamental goal since the very beginning: to destroy political order. There lies the final legacy of Donald Trump’s four years (in power),” Spanish analyst Pablo Guimón said.According to experts, that panorama is taking place amid a volatile environment marked by increased polarization resulting from the COVID-19 crisis and protests against racism.“The United States is in a delicate moment. Unfortunately, we are returning to an earlier era in our democracy, an era less marked by the power of our institutions,” stated Rachel Kleinfeld, a researcher of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.The elections increased the division prevailing in U.S. society, according to a poll published by the Pew Research Center.However, the controversial debates between Biden and Trump’s followers don’t end with the elections and have greatly politicized the coronavirus pandemic.So, 66 percent of Biden’s voters are in favor of toughening restrictions, while only 16 percent of the people that voted for Trump are in favor of new measures.In fact, 44 percent of them call for a less rules against the spread of the disease.Still, Biden continues to generate more hope among U.S. citizens in the way he will handle the Coronavirus crisis.With regards to the future, voters from both parties are pessimistic about the peaceful transfer of power.Nearly three quarters of voters (73 percent) said they were not sure that the transition of power will be carried out without problems.

By RichardRUÍZ By FidelMANZANARES Photos By AlejandroRODRÍGUEZ

Polarization as Trump Scrambles Post-Election Camagüey’s Cemetery, a Patrimonial Jewel

PHOTOS: Internet.

U.S.A

13ECONOMYLATIN AMERICA12

Cuba’s Necessary Monetary AdjustmentHAVANA.- Cuba is dealing with a very complex monetary panorama that prevents its economy from functioning efficiently, caused by a complex dual monetary and currency exchange system that affects the state-owned sector and individuals.It is no secret that the current conditions have resulted in price alterations, serious wage problems, inefficiencies in the entrepreneurial system and a lack of motivation to increase export.Macroeconomic imbalances in the economy (big assignments of the state budget to enterprises), high institutional burden and poor economic comparison between Cuba and the world also add to this situation.The national panorama gets ever more complicated and prevents the economy from growing further, even more so amid the current global crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the profound changes needed to attain progress in the Cuban economic model cannot be postponed.It is very clear that the monetary reordering is not only necessary but inevitable and will be implemented with an interdisciplinary and transversal nature, as it includes monetary and exchange rate unification, the elimination of unwarranted subsidies and free-of-charge provisions, and the transformation of wages.But the most important thing is that no one will be left unprotected during the process. Basic products and mass services will be subsidized to reasonable degrees, because the objective is to protect the most vulnerable people.Faced with such complex challenges, Cuban authorities have warned that although the elimination of the monetary and exchange rate duality will not magically solve the problems accumulated by the Cuban economy, it is the most significant decision to achieve progress in all socioeconomic spheres of the country.

PROTECTING PEOPLE AND NOT PRODUCTS

Salary reform is the most important of the four elements contained in the monetary restructuring strategy in Cuba, because devaluating the currency and increasing salaries is synonymous with price hikes, which causes inflation.Therefore, Cuban authorities warn that the increase of prices should not exceed that of wages; otherwise, it would result into unforeseen inflation.The basic concept is that a worker’s salary must cover the cost of his/her own consumption and that of the family. Hence, the minimum wage scale must be a little higher than the value of the family of reference.In this regard, retail products will continue to be centralized, some of them subsidized,

such as children’s milk and others as a means to ensure equal distribution.Any price increases will ultimately exert pressure on people’s income, which is why wage reform is important. The objective is that they will be in a better position once the monetary adjustment is complete.These measures will be for the good of all, in line with the Cuban social system for the distribution of wealth. Once the measures are implemented, it will be very hard to live without working, said Marino Murillo Jorge, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), and head of the Permanent

Commission for the Implementation of the Guidelines adopted by the PCC Congresses.“Those of us working with the State will be thankful for the salary increase and that our work is our main source of income. In this context, it will be difficult to live in Cuba without working, but we’ll support those who are vulnerable or unable to work,” he sustained.The monetary adjustment will produce important benefits and, although the money unification will not be a long process, it will entail strong devaluation, with the objective of encouraging competitiveness within the business sector, according to experts.

In this sense, a strategy that subsidizes losses for some time has been foreseen for the least efficient entities, with the objective of avoiding their closure, unemployment and the interruption of productions and services that are essential for the population.In this regard, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned that, “this is a task of great importance; it’s integral, comprehensive work with a profound concept that has taken years of study and takes into consideration multiple economic interrelations.” “It should result in greater productivity and more efficient performance of productive forces,” he stressed.

By CiraRODRÍGUEZ

HAVANA.- The unfulfillment of the Peace Agreement signed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) and the government of then President Juan Manuel Santos is one of the causes for the new outbreak of violence in the South American country.According to experts and politicians, the agreement has been implemented since November 24, 2016, but its full implementation by the current government of Iván Duque hinders many of the measures to attain peace in the country.In an online interview with The Havana Reporter, Senator Antonio Sanguino of the Green Alliance analyzed what has been achieved and what’s yet to be accomplished after the agreement was reached in the Cuban capital, after four years of dialogue and negotiations.“In spite of difficulties in its implementation, the agreement has managed to defend life. Violence has declined in the country, together with the humanitarian impact caused by the conflict over the years,” he said.Sanguino commented that the number of kidnappings decreased by 70 percent from 2012 to 2019, as well as the guerrilla actions and attacks against State infrastructure.The Humanitarian Demining achieved 20 municipalities free of antipersonnel mines and unexploded ammunitions in 2015, with operations totaling nearly 720 in 2020, he stressed.Likewise, 8,894 weapons were laid down and the disarmament process was followed and certified

by the United Nations, noted the Colombian politician and sociologist.In this regard, of the 13,360 guerilla members that accepted the Havana pact, 12,642 go on with the process for their reintegration into civil life and are willing to contribute to truth, justice and reparation, the senator stated.However, of the over 700 that are no longer in the government records, 230 were assassinated, according to Common Alternative Revolutionary Force, a faction that resulted from the Agreement. Others died naturally, while the Reincorporation and Normalization Agency does not know the whereabouts of the rest, Sanguino sustained.According to the Colombian senator, there are two factors that pose an imminent risk to the Peace Agreement: the intention of the president and his ruling party to destroy it, and the escalation of violence in conflict-ridden zones.Referring to the first factor, he commented that since Iván Duque took power two years ago, he has spared no efforts to attack the Special Peace Jurisdiction, cut the budget assigned to implement the Peace Agreement and ignore the unsafe conditions in which former fighters and signatories of the agreement live.“A total of 241 have been killed so far. We’ve seen an increasing number of massacres in the country in the past year, with the Institute of Development and Peace recording 74,” he stated.The intensification of violence occurs as the current Colombian Minister of Defense, Carlos Holmes Trujillo, remains impassive but occupied with his presidential aspirations, the senator pointed out.

Colombia: Violence over Peace

By OdalysTROYA

LIMA.- The Peruvian capital is living a relatively calm phase following the repudiated and ephemeral regime of conservative Manuel Merino, who was forced to resign because of the social indignation the people, particularly the youth, stated in mass demonstrations.Merino was replaced by legislator Francisco Sagasti, considered to be a man of great charisma, which has helped restore peace after several days of citizen protest in the streets.Revisar si hay elementos de peso sobre la posición adoptada por el presidente de Perú.

According to leaked information, Merino pretended to ignore the condemnation of the people for being the beneficiary of an agreement with minority congressional factions, which on November 9 triggered the conflict as a result of the dismissal of President Martín Vizcarra against public opinion.With that purpose in mind and according to the Hildebrandt weekly, he summoned the military authorities to demonstrate their support and eventually used them to break up the strikes that demanded a new constitution to substitute the neoliberal one in force since 1993.According to other accounts, the military never arrived and Merino was forced to resign just five days after taking

on power. Pressure was also exerted by the groups who took him to the throne and who stepped back as a result of the death of two young demonstrators.Resignation was not going to be enough, as the spontaneous and peaceful mass of demonstrators who improvised ways of self-defense against the police, warned that they would continue fighting if any of the legislators who dismissed Vizacarra was appointed to replace Merino.The Congress had no other option but to elect the new president of the Legislative Power among the center and left wing legislators, who shared the criteria that Vizacarra’s term should end on July 2021 and answer for the accusations of corruption in a court of law.The first proposal that reached consensus was that of environmentalist legislator Rocío Silva-Santiesteban, who was rejected for her pro-McCarthyism ideals in spite of being a member of the conciliatory sector of local progressivism.The street roared again when the left-wing minority mosaic seemed to be maneuvering a new attempt to take the presidency. However, because of the magnitude of the strike, there was no other choice but to elect 76-year-old Sagasti, a former International official and a renowned academic, as president.The elected president's sober style and his first actions -including the start of police reform because of the existing corruption and the waves of repression - finally eased the situation.As a result of the crisis in which Peru had three presidents in over a week, the call for a new Constitution is under discussion.

PHOTOS: Internet.

Francisco Sagasti, New Peruvian Presidet. PHOTOS: Internet.

Cuban agricultural products. PHOTO: Prensa Latina.

PHOTO: Internet.

By ManuelSOSA

Fundamental Issues Persist in Peru

15SPORTSECONOMY14

After several months of impasse because of COVID-19, Cuban sports returned to the international arena and judo had the honor of boosting the reputation of the country at the Pan-American Championship, held in the Mexican city of Guadalajara.Cuba finished third as a country after achieving two gold, one silver and three

bronze medals, in addition to two fifth places, thus escorting Brazil (4-6-4) and Canada (4-0-3).The gold medals went to the hands of Iván Felipe Silva (90 Kg) and Andy Granda (+100), who maintained their qualification to the Tokyo Olympic Games, foreseen to be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021.Silva, world runner-up in 2018, was up in the first round after defeating Mexican player

Víctor Ochoa and Peruvian Yuta Galarreta, in that order, thus guaranteeing his presence in the final match.For the championship, he faced Brazilian judoka Rafael Macedo – the main opponent in that category – and defeated him with a wazari technique, thus sealing his fifth consecutive victory against the South American player.Granda, for his part, gave Cuba the second gold medal in the bout against Brazilian

Rafael Silva, who didn’t show up to the semifinal phase due to an injury.In previous rounds, the Cuban defeated Canadian Marc Deschenes and Brazilian David Moura, thus accumulating 700 points for his Olympic ranking, a result he should soon improve in order to better his current position of 20th in the ranking.The other male representatives of the Cuban delegation, Osniel Solís and Orlando Polanco (both 66 Kg), won silver and bronze, respectively. On the female team, the defeat of Maylín del Toro (63) in her second bout against Venezuelan Anriquelis Barrios took everyone by surprise. Del Toro, placed sixth in the world ranking, losing in the bout for the bronze medal against Brazilian Ketleyn Quadros, thus finishing fifth.Nahomys Acosta (52) and Arnaes Odelín (57) won bronze medals against Ayelen Elizeche (Argentina) and Kristine Jiménez (Panama), respectively. Both Cuban judo athletes concluded their participation in the event with two victories and one defeat, while young Ayumi Leyva (48) finished fifth.It is worth mentioning that many of Cuba’s main figures stayed home, including Olympic winner in 2012 Idalys Ortiz (+78) and world medalist Kaliema Antomarchi (78).Those were the results of the Cuban judo team in its first international event since the restart of activities amid the context created by the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus.The event, which was a resounding success in spite of the difficulties caused by COVID-19 in Mexico, was attended by 125 judo athletes from 17 nations, including 18 from the United States, 17 from Mexico and 16 from Brazil, as the countries with the most represented.

Cuban Judo Shines in MexicoBy AlexisPÉREZ

High rivalry characterized the All-Star Games of the 60 National Baseball Series in Cuba, whose organization included a new competitive format with the fight between young prospects and well-known figures. Without leaving room to chance, the rookie team – composed of players under the age of 25 – defeated 8-6 the squad made up of experienced players, although this result doesn’t say much considering the magnitude of the event, organized last November at Santiago de Cuba.Excellent catches, defensive plays and three home runs marked the match, decided by a home run by second baseman Santiago Torres, who told The Havana Reporter that he was really happy with his performance.According to Torres, elected MVP of the winning team, the National Commission’s initiative “is very good, as it allows youngsters to show their talent to the most experienced players, including several of my childhood idols.”First baseman Lisbán Correa, MVP of the senior team, described the activities organized as part of this event – in which he hit a home run with loaded bases - as positive.“I am pleased with my performance; it is the result of my efforts at training and I hope to continue like this in order to help my team as much as possible, because it needs it,

considering the number of players that are injured,” Correa told our publication.The game concluded with the holding of the skill matches, which were a real show even though not all tests were conducted.According to National Baseball Commissioner Ernesto Reinoso, the event met expectations as both teams fought for victory and put on a nice show.

CUBA WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH MLBThe All-Star weekend also ratified Cuba’s willingness to restart contact with the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB), in order to insert its talents in this circuit’s franchises, Reinoso highlighted.

The official affirmed that the island is willing to hold exchanges with the MLB and enter into safe negotiations. “We have always been ready to restart talks and strengthen ties, in order to increase the level and the quality of our baseball players,” he added.He also recalled that two years ago, MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) reached an agreement so that players residing in Cuba could play in that circuit without arbitrary conditions; however, the agreement was rejected by the executive of U.S. President Donald Trump.Reinoso also stressed that other leagues are also possibilities, such as the Caribbean, the Asian Confederation or any other, as what matters most is to provide Cuban players with competitive training.

Local Stars Illuminate Baseball DiamondBy ReinaldoSILVA

HAVANA.- San Isidro, the name of a neighborhood located in the oldest part of the Cuban capital, is perhaps the prevailing reference in the U.S. actions against Cuba at present. What started as an alleged hunger strike by a group of 14 people, has grown with attention from the U.S. government as part of its attempts to destabilize the Cuban government, starting to take the form of a ‘soft coup.’On November 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the support given by the U.S. Business Attaché in Havana, Timothy Zúñiga-Brown, to the protestors.According to General Director for U.S. Affairs at the Cuban ministry, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Zúñiga-Brown visited San Isidro on several occasions. His embassy knew about the development of the political and social provocation and he offered himself “to personally carry and support” those involved.As Fernández de Cossío said, that represents “a serious violation to his duties as a diplomat,” and also “a defiant interference in Cuba’s domestic affairs,” which, as the experienced official added, “isn’t the first time.”Cuban authorities are aware of the fact that Washington finances, guides and incites groups and individuals to defy authority and supports the machinery present in the social media to spread defiance and divide the population, he affirmed. Recent announcements have revealed other anti-Cuba actions planned in the United States in 2019, including the derailment of a raw material-loaded train going from the Mariel Port to the city of Matanzas, together with attacks against some state-owned and private businesses and service centers using incendiary bottles.The government of the United States has stated that from 1990 to the present day, 261 million dollars have been addressed to subversive projects against Cuba. According to

the Cuba Money Project portal, over 124 million dollars were allocated to “democratic participation and civil society,” 38 million to “human rights” and 25 million to “media and free flow of information.”On November 29, President Miguel Díaz-Canel stressed on his official Twitter account that Cuba “does not tolerate interference, provocations or manipulations” in its domestic issues, neither from the United States nor any country.He stated that “there is a group determined to hurt our country,” doing everything in their power so that this year, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the strengthening of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the White House, comes to a bad end for Cuba.Political analyst Enrique Ubieta highlighted that the so call San Isidro Movement responds to a media strategy aimed at the destabilization of the Cuban government.He noted that there are blogs financed by the United States that gradually built the news on what was happening in the Havana neighborhood with the purpose of building readers and reaching the attention of international media.In relation to this, after the detention of Cuban rapper Denis Solís – sanctioned to eight months in prison for the crime of contempt of a police officer– the so call San Isidro Movement started an alleged hunger strike to demand his release.Solís admitted publicly that he has relations with people in the United States who finance acts against Cuba.Ubieta explained that the term ‘movement’ is used to give the idea that there is something structured and thus establish a political stance.According to the expert, “we are witnessing the execution of a soft-coup script” which is the result of a cultural and media battle where the social media plays an essential role.In this sense, the local newspaper Granma recalled that soft coups are in many cases a mechanism of indirect foreign interference, created by the Central Intelligence Agency to create a change in the social system of those countries that are a strategic objective for the United States.In light of this, students, artists, intellectuals and athletes showed their support of the Cuban socialist democracy by gathering at a concert held at the Trillo Park, in the capital’s municipality of Centro Habana, which was attended by President Díaz-Canel.At that gathering, the President said: “those who designed the San Isidro farce chose the wrong country, history and armed forces,” because, “the people have the courage and the moral authority to sustain a fight for Cuba’s heart.”

People’s Response to San Isidro’s Farce

By ClaudiaGONZÁLEZ

PHOTO: Internet. National Baseball Commissioner Ernesto Reinoso. PHOTO: Prensa Latina.

Iván Felipe Silva (90 Kg). PHOTOS: Internet.

Those who designed the San Isidro farce chose the wrong country..., the President said. PHOTOS: Prensa Latina.

Andy Granda (100 Kg).

CUBA

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