Gerard Dion's Blog, page 3
November 7, 2017
U.S. planned a 261,000-troop invasion force of Cuba, newly released documents show
U.S. planned a 261,000-troop invasion force of Cuba, newly released documents show
Ray Locker, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — U.S. military planners estimated they would need 261,000 troops and between 10 to 15 days to invade Cuba, oust its dictator, Fidel Castro, and take control of the country, an Aug. 8, 1962, memo for the John F. Kennedy administration shows.Clueless on Cuba’s economy
October 29, 2017
Scrappy Cuban clothing line exemplifies ingenuity with U.S. online store opening
Scrappy Cuban clothing line exemplifies ingenuity with U.S. online store opening
Sarah Marsh, Reuters
HAVANA (Reuters) – Hip Cuban clothing brand Clandestina is not waiting to see how tighter U.S. restrictions on travel to the Caribbean island affect visits of Americans shoppers. Instead, the line is taking its apparel to the United States through e-commerce.
October 24, 2017
Miami Cuban American faces long sentence in Havana under alleged espionage charges
Miami Cuban American faces long sentence in Havana under alleged espionage charges
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald
The parents of Alina López Miyares left Cuba in 1969 to escape Fidel Castro’s revolution. But that did not keep her from falling in love and marrying a former Cuban diplomat years later, and then traveling frequently to the island to be with him.
October 24, 2017
Cuban Art Outshines Politics
Cuban Art Outshines Politics
Abby Ellin, New York Times
Cuba is like a giant Ping-Pong, caught in the cross hairs of United States foreign policy. One minute President Obama is relaxing restrictions, making it easier for tourists in the United States to visit the tiny island. Blink, and President Trump is rolling back some of the administration’s changes. Another blink, and the state department is advising Americans not to travel to Cuba after mysterious medical attacks on diplomats at the American Embassy in Havana.
October 22, 2017
Two more U.S. officials confirmed injured by mysterious attacks in Cuba
Two more U.S. officials confirmed injured by mysterious attacks in Cuba
Carol Morello, Washington Post
Injuries have been confirmed to two more State Department personnel stationed in Havana, bringing to 24 the number of verified cases linked to mysterious and unexplained attacks on U.S. Embassy staff in Cuba.
October 18, 2017
Cash-strapped Cuba makes debt payment to major creditors
Cash-strapped Cuba makes debt payment to major creditors
Marc Frank, NASDAQ
HAVANA, Oct 18 (Reuters) – Cuba paid the second installment on a renegotiated $2.6 billion in debt to 14 wealthy creditor nations this week, diplomats from a number of the countries said, as some creditors prepare to swap debt for an equity stake in local development projects.
October 16, 2017
The Trouble With Cuba’s New Economy
The Trouble With Cuba’s New Economy
William M. LeoGrande, Americas Quarterly
When Raúl Castro steps down as Cuba’s president in February 2018, he will hand off to his successor the unfinished task of reforming the economy. It is Cuba’s most urgent need and, at the same time, an increasingly controversial one.
October 10, 2017
November 6, 2017
America should strengthen, not abandon, relationship with Cuba
America should strengthen, not abandon, relationship with Cuba
Mark Feierstein, The Hill
The drawdown in personnel from the American embassy in Havana and the Cuban embassy in Washington in the wake of mysterious attacks on U.S. officials is a setback to the efforts begun by President Obama to reverse a five-decade policy of isolation that failed to advance U.S. interests. But whether the perpetrators of the alleged attacks, be they rogue elements of Cuban security forces or perhaps a third country like Russia or North Korea, are successful in damaging ties between the United States and Cuba will depend on how the U.S. government and American businesses, travelers and civil society respond.
Reckless hostility toward Cuba damages America’s interests
Reckless hostility toward Cuba damages America’s interests
Harold Trinkunas and Richard Feinberg, The Hill
In an escalation of hostilities toward Cuba that is rapidly dismantling the Obama era détente, the Trump administration on Tuesday expelled 15 Cuban diplomats. The administration has also sharply drawn down the staff of the U.S. Embassy in Havana. The administration argues that the Cuban government has failed to provide safety to U.S. diplomats, 22 of whom fell victim in a mysterious rash of illnesses, even as the precise causes and perpetrators have yet to be identified. The U.S. government does not accuse the Cuban government for the unexplained illnesses.
October 4, 2017
U.S. considering closing its embassy in Cuba
Carol Morello, Washington Post
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday that the United States is considering closing the U.S. Embassy in Havana in response to mysterious hearing problems that have left at least 21 employees with serious health issues.
“We have it under evaluation,” Tillerson said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” when asked about calls by some senators to shutter the diplomatic mission. “It’s a very serious issue, with respect to the harm that certain individuals have suffered, and we’ve brought some of those people home. It’s under review.”
