All posts by: Jorge Olivera Castillo

Olivera Castillo is a former political prisoner. He published number of books. He lives in the old part of Havana.

When the Only Thing that Matters is Emigrating

As the main interest of an average Cuban has narrowed down to leaving the country as soon as possible, the pro-democracy movement in Cuba has found it increasingly difficult to find new supporters. To be more specific, there are very few of those who really choose to join an opposition group. A significant part of […] Read more

Captives

How many Cubans have been put in jail at least once or even several times since 1959 for trivial offences, based on arbitrary decisions of public prosecutors and police officers, or after having committed crimes due to their lacking means necessary for survival? How many of them are still serving sentences in prisons with inhuman […] Read more

Fidel after Fidel

In his last public appearances, Fidel Castro has been hardly able to hide the marks of old age. His manly look has become a memory of the past. With his languid movements and whispering, the once strong man seemed to be coming close to the threshold of death. It is not uncommon to hear people […] Read more

London 2012: The Door to Freedom

Thousands of Cubans are dreaming of becoming elite athletes these days. Yet, their desire to join the ranks of the best athletes of the planet is not motivated by the ambition to win a gold medal or to set a new record, leaving half the world drop-jawed. In fact, their longing could be better described […] Read more

Hostages

Over again, the equation has failed. Once and again, there will be no swap or anything like that. The five Cuban spies will continue serving their long sentences in North-American jails while the American businessman Alan Gross, arrested in Havana on December 3, 2009, will have to find new strength to keep alive the hope […] Read more

Cuba and Europe: Affinities and Disparities

“This is the most beautiful land that human eyes have ever seen.” These were the first impressions of the Italian admiral Christopher Columbus when he beheld the land, which is now known as Cuba, from the deck of his ship in his first journey, whose purpose was to discover new lands. The paradise-like vegetation made […] Read more