s release as a "matter of urgency". Why then is Shaker still in Guantánamo? The Save Shaker Aamer Campaign has called a protest vigil for Friday 14 February opposite MI6 from 1pm to 3pm to ask if our UK security services are blocking Shaker's return. Are they briefing against his release to silence public awareness of the part played by the UK in his torture and rendition to Guantánamo? Is MI6 acting...
Cuban leader rallies Latin American leaders to show political in tackling inequality but event marred by stifling of planned protests ...
Public given first glimpse into president's inmate review board touted as key step in closing notorious detention centre Spencer Ackerman ...
s difficult for conservative candidates to move forward because inequality is such an entrenched issue," said Ana Quintana, a Latin America expert at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. "And it's hard to implement free-market, institutional reforms when you need to make sure a significant portion of the population can get enough to eat." Latin America's right could once identify itself as pro-business...
s house had disappeared, leaving only the floor intact; on it stood the family's sole remaining possession, their fridge. Misael Avila, his partner Dailin and their young child had a wooden house in the small town of San Andrés. When they returned on the morning after the first storm, their house and about 30 others not resistant to winds had been destroyed. They salvaged what remained, built a small...
welcome mat' for investment to drive Cuba's economic liberalisation The road to reform in Cuba is still being mapped out by President Rául Castro, but the direction can be seen on the 30-mile stretch of coast between Havana and Mariel. The journey starts in the capital, cradle of Latin American revolutionary fervour, and ends an hour or so west in a quiet port. It is here that Cuba is betting its economic...
s political and economic swings have had an effect on the sex life of the population, but lovers and entrepreneurs have learned to adjust – and appear to be enjoying something of a golden age. Countless private pousadas have sprung up in recent years to offer rooms – often charged by the hour – for couples seeking a place for a tryst. Many started illicitly, but have been licensed as part of official...
s glory guerrilla days; with Marxism-Leninism sidelined, they are benefiting from an opening up of the economy and a mood of cautious optimism lThere's a buzz in the air in Havana. Since the new year dawned, economic reforms have been piling up almost daily as the president, Raúl Castro, steps up his attempt to drag his becalmed nation towards modernity and prosperity. In streets and squares across...
Former president photographed at opening of Havana art studio after last being seen in public in April 2013 The former Cuban president Fidel Castro made his first public appearance in nine months, attending the opening of an art studio in the capital, Havana. Official newspapers and websites on Thursday carried a photo showing a seated, gray-haired Castro from behind, pointing at a work of art while...
recent willingness to engage in areas of mutual interest. The meetings are supposed to be held every six months to discuss the implementation of accords reached in the 1990s under which the US agreed to issue 20,000 immigration visas a year to Cubans. But the latest round of talks are unlikely to herald a thaw in relations. "Under the accords, both governments pledge to promote safe, legal and orderly...
s conquering rebel and the living symbol of release from a brutal dictatorship. Batista, too, was honoured in his time, till the cliques ganged up against him New York, January 7. Cuba is unlikely to recognise the Soviet Union "or any other dictatorship" as long as it is busy, which it seemed to be to-day, creating a provisional dictatorship of its own. It was Fidel Castro, the conquering rebel, who...
Dutch foreign minister signs agreement with his Cuban counterpart and urges EU to adjust its relationship with Havana The Dutch foreign minister signed an agreement on Tuesday with his Cuban counterpart to engage in political consultations, breaking ranks with the EU, which limits high-level visits and talks with the island nation. On the second day of a two-day visit, the Dutch foreign minister,...
s achievements in the fields of education and health are the envy of the western world. It would be foolish to suggest that the republic is some sort of tropical socialist paradise, but anyone who has been there or has even the most rudimentary knowledge of its history would recognise that Mr Wallace...
s deeply distasteful that we prefer to admire an Oldsmobile than consider the communist dictatorship that led to its survival Most western travellers visiting Cuba will have come across the island's cars long before their plane lands. They appear in every travel guide, and you can buy calendars and posters of the 1950s classics that still drive through the streets of Havana. They've become an...
The military justifies its actions by claiming to protect the US – but it is also violating the constitution it is meant to uphold The language that they use here at Guantánamo reflects how they treat us prisoners . Just the other day, they referred to me as a "package" when they moved me from my cell. This is nothing new. I have been a package for 12 years now. I am a package when en route to Camp...
s council of ministers abolishes tight controls that forced most people to refit cars made before 1959 One of Cuba's most distinctive anachronisms – roads full of classic cars from the 1950s – looks set to fade into history following the most sweeping relaxation of vehicle imports since the revolution. For most of the past half century, Havana's traffic has been jammed with Pontiacs, Studebakers, Oldsmobiles,...
The nine-passenger aircraft departed 90 minutes after US customs and border protection gave the final approval for the 10am flight ...
Former Guantánamo detainee says his campaign against state complicity in torture and rendition is real reason for move The former Guantánamo Bay inmate Moazzam Begg has been stripped of his UK passport after visiting Syria. Begg, 45, from Birmingham, says he was stopped by police at Heathrow airport on his return from a trip to South Africa and told that his passport was being confiscated as it was...
s land in their twos and threes, desperate to surrender. The British were well prepared: there were large stockpiles of bottled water, tents and waiting vehicles. Occasionally something went wrong, there were misunderstandings – especially at dawn or dusk – and people were hurt, but, by and large, what I witnessed was a humanitarian operation. The Iraqis were brought under shelter, rehydrated, given...
critics pick the 10 finest • Top 10 silent movies • Top 10 sports movies • Top 10 film noir • Top 10 musicals • Top 10 martial arts movies • Top 10 biopics • More Guardian and Observer critics' top 10s 10. Don't Look Back DA Pennebaker's 1967 documentary is significant because it may be the first serious attempt to show what was actually happening in rock'n'roll as it struggled to find maturity. The...