Cuba's Santeria priests foresee turmoil in 2010

HAVANA — Cuba's high priests of the Afro-American Santeria religion announced their visions for 2010 Saturday, predicting big social changes and internal conflicts that should be handled with "sincere dialogue" and mutual respect.

"We can reach all we aspire to, but we can also destroy it all. The possibilities in 2010 are greater than last year's. It all rests in our hands," babalawo -- Santeria priest -- Lazaro Cuesta said on presenting his group's "The Letter of the Year" report.

Put together by some 1,000 babalawos in the country, the annual predictions for Cuba and the world include "coup d'etats," "sudden changes in political systems," "betrayal and usurpation" among top government officials, as well as falling farm and livestock production, and the "breakup of agreements... wars and military interventions."

As antidotes to these problems, the babalawos recommend "sincere dialogue," respect for "the decisions of the majority and the opinion of the minorities," and "new reforms" in the political, economic and social orders.

While they make no specific references to Cuba's government, the predictions seem to point to the aging Cuban leadership of President Raul Castro, 78, and his ailing brother and Communist Party head Fidel Castro, 83.


The soothsayers recommended people heed the saying, "the young palm trees grow taller and thicker than the old ones," which Babalawo Victor Betancourt interpreted as meaning: "making an overhaul, which is what's needed at the moment and is not taking place."

The babalawos also forecast "serious environmental pollution problems" on a global scale and "rising sea levels."

And regarding human health, they warned about an increase in cerebral-vascular diseases and in problems of the eyes, lungs and bones.

Santeria was brought to Cuba by African slaves and has many followers among the island's 11 million people.

"We're not critics, We're spiritual counselors," said Betancourt about his brotherhood.

Source:AFP

Seasonal Flu Vaccination Campaign Concludes in Cuba

More than 895, 500 Cubans were immunized against the seasonal flu during the recently concluded vaccination campaign that covered 99.5 percent of vulnerable cases.

All those vulnerable groups will be vaccinated again next year.
“Very few people presented side effects and in those cases they were minor effects, nothing serious,” Dr. Maria Josefa Llanes Cordero, coordinator for the Acute Respiratory Infections Group of the Public Health Ministry, told Granma newspaper.



The doctor extolled the work carried out by the health experts with the vaccination centers across the country and noted that they were very careful in handling the expensive vaccine. The campaign was aimed at people over 75 years old, youngsters between 20 and 24 years old who suffer from severe asthma, diabetics or chronic renal insufficiency under dialysis or hemodialysis treatment.



Also those living in nursing homes for the elderly and physically disabled received the shot as well as workers in poultry and pig farms. All those vulnerable groups will be vaccinated again next year before the beginning of the winter season in Cuba.

Source: escambray.cu/