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Circles Robinson

Circles Robinson

Havana Times

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Francis, the prophet with a toothbrush

A voice from above can help but it cannot replace the collective processes that unite activists and multitudes in search of alternatives. The post...

yesterday 40

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Are Basic Democratic Standards Possible in Chile?

Justifications for dictatorship as they attempt to defend the indefensible—legitimizing tyrants and the brutal concentration of power. The post Are...

previous day 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Nicaragua: Surviving the Beatings in Ortega’s Prisons

Nicaragua: Surviving the Beatings in Ortega’s Prisons

Stories from "In April I Was Still Alive": Interrogations in the prisons of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo's dictatorship. The post Nicaragua:...

sunday 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Cuba Has Become a Country of Empty Houses

Sometimes I wonder at what moment it stopped being a house. In Cuba, shuttered houses have become a metaphor for absence. The post Cuba Has Become a...

19.04.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Nicaragua: Organized Rebellion or Hopeless Resignation

The key to Nicaragua’s liberation rests on a strategy of cohesion and cooperation among the opposition groups. The post Nicaragua: Organized...

19.04.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

A Free Hand for Repression in Cuba

A Free Hand for Repression in Cuba

The independent press raises the alarm over the arbitrary detention of two journalists by Cuban State Security. The post A Free Hand for Repression in...

17.04.2025 20

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

The Door That Closes with the Passing of Mario Vargas Llosa

With his death, Mario Vargas Llosa has closed the door on the most splendid era of our literature. The light, however, will remain on. The post The...

16.04.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Cuban Gov. Moves to Freeze Foreign Company Accounts  

We are still waiting for an official statement, but the uproar is important—perhaps enough to shame them into reversing the decision. The post Cuban...

13.04.2025 8

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Celac Summit in Honduras: Another Lost Opportunity

Amidst the tariff wars, the regional body opted for belligerent rhetoric instead of practical proposals. The post Celac Summit in Honduras: Another...

13.04.2025 20

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Runoff Election in Ecuador This Sunday, April 13

Runoff Election in Ecuador This Sunday, April 13

Electoral campaigning ended on Thursday April 10th, as did the publication of polling data. Now comes a tense wait until election day. The post Runoff...

12.04.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Is Jamie in Adolescence a Psychopath or Son of Patriarchy?

Is Jamie in Adolescence a Psychopath or Son of Patriarchy?

This is a much more structural issue than we tend to believe and far more difficult to reverse if we want to prevent situations like Jamie’s. The...

12.04.2025 20

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Trump’s Dilemma with Venezuela

The strategy of “maximum pressure” via sanctions is unlikely to overthrow Nicolas Maduro; negotiating with him inevitably confers legitimacy. The...

09.04.2025 20

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

What Does April Mean to Nicaraguan Youth Who Were There?

What Does April Mean to Nicaraguan Youth Who Were There?

April 2018 marked the starting point of an unprecedented self-organized social mobilization in Nicaragua. The post What Does April Mean to Nicaraguan...

09.04.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Cuba and Crossed Wires

During the President’s tour of economic entities, social institutions, & neighborhoods the most touching moment was the children’s reactions......

01.04.2025 20

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Tourism, Cuba’s Economic Engine, Remains in Decline

With great fanfare, Cuban media celebrated this week the arrival of the first flight of the spring 2025 season carrying Russian tourists. The post...

30.03.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

What Sustains Us in Cuba Through the Dark?

I was in such a hurry to grow, and that was the stupidest wish I ever made in my early childhood. I had no idea how much I would lose. The post What...

26.03.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Archiving the Cold War

The contradictory interpretations sparked by the 64,000 declassified files on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The post Archiving the...

25.03.2025 20

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

US-Cuba: Radio and TV Marti Off the Air

The sudden shutdown of Radio and TV Martí broadcasts came as a surprise, a move that was widely celebrated by the Cuban government. The post US-Cuba:...

24.03.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Should There Be Streets Named After Pinochet in Chile?

In the context of a far-right resurgence in Chile and around the world, we shouldn’t be surprised by such outrageous proposals... The post Should...

21.03.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Canadian Woman Detained by ICE Tells Her Harrowing Story

I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation, eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky. The post...

21.03.2025 9

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Three Zombie Empires

The 21st Century is heading for a rearrangement of global hegemonies that promises to put the brakes on globalization as we’ve known it. The post...

20.03.2025 8

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Pepe Mujica and the Difficult Task of Forgiveness

Pepe Mujica spent 13 years in military dungeons, much of it in solitary confinement. Far from demanding revenge, he advocates for clemency. The post...

18.03.2025 9

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Cuba Goes Completely in the Dark… Again

The brand-new Torre K-23 hotel was fully illuminated, a glaring reminder of the gap between the Cuban people and the government’s priorities. The...

18.03.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Why Many Cuban Exiles Support Trump and the Extreme Right?

In the heart of Miami’s Little Havana, the echoes of a painful past still shape the political beliefs of a fanatically loyal voting bloc. The post...

18.03.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

The Price of Opposing Maduro’s Power in Venezuela

“I’m the elected president... but I’m also just one more Venezuelan, with a family member abducted by the Maduro government.” The post The...

12.03.2025 9

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Paramilitary and Terror in Nicaragua

The riot squads and the hooded “voluntary police” are the shock forces of the regime to squash any internal dissent. The post Paramilitary and...

11.03.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

First Vietnam, Then Afghanistan: Is Ukraine Next?

With US and Russian leaders in direct talks over the future of the conflict, many ask: could Ukraine become another Afghanistan or Vietnam? The post...

11.03.2025 20

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

The Catharsis of Cuban Singer/Songwriter Silvio Rodriguez

This week, a critical article by singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez about the situation in Cuba sparked intense debate on the island. The post The...

10.03.2025 5

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

When Politics Becomes a Couple’s Project

Latin America has been fertile ground for power couples exercising power together, from autocracies or succession in the presidency... The post When...

05.03.2025 9

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Donald Trump’s Authoritarian Threat

Liberal democracies can take different forms, but all require that individuals be able to live without fear of government. The post Donald Trump’s...

04.03.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

“Bridges of Love” Controversy & a Deported Cuban Influencer

Social media heated up this week in Cuba over the controversy surrounding Carlos Lazo, leader of the Puentes de Amor (Bridges of Love) project The...

03.03.2025 7

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

The Hour Has Come for US Civil Society

It’s civil society’s turn to take a step forward, as at other times, to curtail the regressive tendencies now afflicting the United States. The...

02.03.2025 9

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Likes & Dislikes: Cuba and Trump Part II

Disapproving of Trump isn't sympathizing with the Democrats or subscribing to the Communist Manifesto, it's hating a style of doing politics. The post...

27.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Prohibiting Indefinite Reelection, a Milestone in Inter-American Law

The ruling challenging Nicaragua’s allowance of indefinite reelection sets a precedent for the defense of democracy in the region. The post...

27.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

When Havana Was on the Posters for Tours by Great Musicians

In the vast circuit of world music venues, Cuba no longer competes. It lacks any material attraction. The post When Havana Was on the Posters for...

27.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

The Crypto-Scandal & the Political Survival of Javier Milei

On February 14, Javier Milei, the eccentric president of Argentina, promoted a new cryptocurrency on his social media account. The post The...

25.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Severe Crisis in Cuba Doesn’t Stop Tourism Investment

It doesn't seem to matter much that Cuba ended 2024 with fewer foreign visitors; in this battle to earn dollars, no resources are spared. The post...

24.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

When Blackouts in Cuba Were Fun

When I was a child, power outages were picturesque, extraordinary events that were received with shouts of surprise, excitement, and play. The post...

23.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

From Selling Out Czechoslovakia to Surrendering Ukraine?

As if Trump’s colonial appropriation plan for the Gaza Strip weren’t enough, he now wants to hand Ukraine over to Putin. The post From Selling Out...

20.02.2025 7

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Policy Turnaround in Venezuela during the Trump Era?

The movement on the chess board signifies, at least immediately, Trump's acknowledgment that Maduro in power is a valid interlocutor. The post Policy...

19.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Putin’s War and Trump’s Peace

The coming weeks and months will show how deeply the cohesion between Trump and Putin goes, beyond their mutual sympathy for each other. The post...

19.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Call to Former Latin American Political Prisoners in Exile

The topic of my research and study is “Understanding the Experience of Former Political Prisoners from Latin America Living in Exile." The post Call...

18.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Back to Power Outages in Havana

Until last year, in Havana the planned schedules were mostly adhered to. However, in 2025, the situation has turned into complete chaos... The post...

17.02.2025 20

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Nicaragua’s Conjugal Dictatorship

Condemnation isn’t enough; diplomatic pressure is urgently needed and decided support for those fighting for the country’s freedom. The post...

15.02.2025 6

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

President Trump and the Palestine Question

Trump’s plan for Gaza has drowned any attempts for now of a negotiated solution to the Palestine question. The post President Trump and the...

14.02.2025 8

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

A Vision for the Pan American Health Org for Latin America

Let's welcome the opportunity to decentralize the PAHO from the USA to better address priorities of the countries where it is most needed. The post A...

13.02.2025 8

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Consider a Valentine’s Day Gift to Havana Times

Dear Readers, I know many of you are constantly bombarded with donation requests and that’s why I rarely make our plea. The post Consider a...

11.02.2025 9

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

They Took Everything from Me, My Entire Life

Evelyn Pinto: "They took away my right to have rights in my country, but they have not silenced or broken me." The post They Took Everything from Me,...

10.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

From the Balfour Declaration to the Final Solution in Gaza?

If Trump's plan is accepted, it could lead to a new Final Solution against the Palestinians, just as with the Jews during World War II. The post From...

10.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson

Dollarization in Cuba, the “New” Invention

At the beginning of last week, the announcement that the US dollar would begin circulating freely in Cuban businesses surprised some... The post...

10.02.2025 10

Havana Times

Circles Robinson