Our Cuba Policy: A Failure at 50

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Jan 2, 2009 President-elect Obama will have more urgent matters to deal with after he takes the oath of office. But somewhere on his long to-do list, he should make a note to finally bring five decades of counterproductive American policy toward Cuba to a definitive end. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Get Milk

Sheerly Avni / Truthdig Nov 26, 2008 Gus Van Sant’s "Milk" is a movie to be thankful for. Go see it, tonight if you can, and in a crowded theater. Then open up some merlot and watch the documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk," by Robert Epstein -- because these two films belong together. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Russia and Cuba, Together Again

Staff / Truthdig Aug 5, 2008 Forty-six years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he wants "to rebuild our positions in Cuba" by strengthening economic cooperation with the island nation. The push could be a retort to America's resolve to build a missile shield on Russia's doorstep. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

America’s Insane Cuba Policy

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig May 27, 2008 Other than providing Fidel Castro with a convenient antagonist to help him whip up nationalist fervor -- and thus prolong his rule -- the U.S. trade embargo and other sanctions have accomplished precisely nothing. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Castro Slams Obama

Staff / Truthdig May 27, 2008 Semi-retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro thinks Barack Obama is "the most-advanced candidate in the presidential race," so he must have been disappointed to hear that Obama would continue an embargo against the island nation. That policy, Castro wrote in a column that appeared in state newspapers, is "a formula for hunger for [Cuba]." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Che’ Goes to Cannes

Staff / Truthdig May 23, 2008 One of the most hotly anticipated contenders at this year's Cannes Film Festival is "Che," Steven Soderbergh's lengthy biopic of iconic Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara, featuring Benicio del Toro in the title role. However, whether the excitement surrounding the "Che" screening at the French film fest is any indication that moviegoers will flock to the (currently) 4-hour-plus production remains to be seen. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

McCain’s Cuba Policy: The Same Old Stuff

Staff / Truthdig May 22, 2008 In keeping with his image as a president for yesterday, John McCain promised a crowd in Florida he would do nothing to upset the policy of isolation that has proved so ineffective in regard to Cuba. "Florida will be yours!" shouted a grateful foe of the Castro regime. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Food Crisis Leads to Opportunity in Cuba

Staff / Truthdig May 5, 2008 Raul Castro would like to see his island produce more food. Currently, Cuba imports the vast majority of its basic food products, at increasing expense, despite plenty of arable land. Private farmers and collective growers are hoping new reforms make it easier to produce food more efficiently, and that's not just good news for Cuba. With rice rationing at Costco, that's good news for the world. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Steve Wasserman on Fidel Castro

BLANK Apr 11, 2008 What will history say about the implacable anti-imperialist and unrepentant revolutionary who has held power in Cuba for nearly 50 years? The publication of Fidel Castro's and Ignacio Ramonet's "My Life: A Spoken Autobiography" helps us understand the man and his myth. Dig deeper ( 24 Min. Read )

Calling All Cubans: Cell Phones, Gays OK!

Staff / Truthdig Mar 28, 2008 Be it through changes in cell phone restrictions or proposed legislation recognizing same-sex unions and transgender rights, Cuba's political future is looking up for many of its citizens . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Chronic Fatigues

Mr. Fish / Truthdig Feb 26, 2008 Dig deeper

Cuban Government Makes Raul Official

Staff / Truthdig Feb 25, 2008 Cuba's National Assembly has named Raul Castro president and successor to his brother Fidel. Raul has essentially been running the country since Fidel had major surgery in 2006. Although he was expected to throw a bone to a younger generation of leaders, Raul named another septuagenarian veteran of the revolution his vice president. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )