Casa particular

(Cuba Twitter)-Casa particular (Spanish for "private house"; plural casas particulares) is a phrase meaning private accommodation or private homestays in Cuba, very similar to bed and breakfast although it can also take the form of vacation rental. When the meaning is clear the term is often shortened to simply casa.

Origins of the term

Casa particular literally means "private house" but it started to be used to mean “private accommodation” in 1997, when the Cuban government allowed Cubans to rent out rooms in their houses or apartments to tourists, providing Cuban families with new sources of income. As any other type of accommodation in Cuba such as hotels, camping and motels were owned by the government, the term “casa particular” stated that this kind of paid lodging was privately operated.

Varieties

A casa particular is basically a private family establishment that provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. In general under this term you can find full apartments and houses, rooms inside people's homes, mini-apartments or rooms with separate entrance (studio or efficiency type rooms).

It is also considered a type of boarding house typically operated out of a single family residence where guests can be accommodated at night in private bedrooms (which may or may not be equipped with private baths) and where breakfast, sometimes continental and sometimes the full English variety, is served in the morning. The business may be operated either as a primary occupation or as a secondary source of income, and the staff often consists of the house's owner(s) and members of their family who live there.

Services and facilities

Rooms are generally clean and upgraded to tourist standards. It ranges from basic accommodation of a room with a bed, a closet, a small table to full furnished independent apartments upgraded to western standards. Other features found may be a telephone, an alarm clock, and a TV. Food and drink may be supplied by a mini-bar (which often includes a small refrigerator) containing snacks and drinks (to be paid for on departure).

In keeping with the similarity to B&B's, breakfast is usually included in the price, although one should ask first. Dinner is often also served, but not included in the price. However, if it becomes clear that one plans to generally eat out, the price may go up because this is an important second source of income.

Casas particulares have several advantages over other types of lodgings:

The guest can quickly develop genuine Cuban relationships and become deeply involved in the culture of the country. Before he/she knows it, the guest will be part of the family. In a big resort one may only meet hotel workers and other tourists.

The guest will, probably, enjoy the usually free and easy atmosphere, feel at home in the casa particular and will be able to invite friends over. Current regulations for state-run hotels don’t allow Cuban guests to be invited to hotel rooms.

It is almost always cheaper to stay in a private room than in a hotel.

By renting a casa particular, the guest will be directly contributing to a person or family's standard of living. This is often obvious through the fact that casas particulares are freshly painted. This has been heavily criticised in Cuba as it is evidence of the reemergence of class divisions, since the early nineties special period (where tourism was used to compensate the drop in trade due to the collapse of the socialist bloc), that the Cuban revolution did away with.

Tourism in Cuba

(Cuba Twitter)-Tourism in Cuba attracts over 2 million people a year, and is one of the main sources of revenue for the island. With its favorable climate, beaches, colonial architecture and distinct cultural history, Cuba has long been an attractive destination for tourists. Having been Spain's last, oldest, and closest colony until 1901, in the first part of the 20th century Cuba continued to benefit from big investments, creation of industries, and immigration. Its proximity and close relation to the United States also helped Cuba's market economy prosper fairly quickly. As relations between Cuba and the United States deteriorated rapidly after Castro's abrupt expropriation (without pay) of all private property following a strong Soviet model, the island became cut off from its traditional market by an embargo and a travel ban was imposed on U.S. citizens visiting Cuba. The tourist industry had already declined to record low levels within two years of Castro's accession to power. By the mid 1960s Havana's Soviet backed communist government had banned and eliminated all private property, outlawed the possession of foreign currency, and eliminated the tourist industry all together. Internal movement within the island was also restrained.

Until 1997, contacts between tourists and Cubans were de facto outlawed by the Communist regime. Following the collapse of Cuba's chief trading partner the Soviet Union, and the resulting economic crisis known as the Special Period, Cuba's government embarked on a major program to restore old hotels, remaining old pre-communism American cars, and restore several Havana streets to their former glory, as well as build beach resorts to bolster the tourist industry in order to bring in much needed finance to the island. To ensure the isolation of international tourism from the state isolated Cuban society, it was to be promoted in enclave resorts where, as much as possible, tourists would be segregated from Cuban society, referred to as "enclave tourism" and "tourism apartheid. Until 2008 Cubans were not allowed to enter such tourist only stores, hotels, restaurants, beaches, etc. By the late 1990s, tourism surpassed Cuba's traditional export industry, sugar, as the nation's leading source of revenue. Visitors come primarily from Canada and western Europe and tourist areas are highly concentrated around Varadero, Cayo Coco, the beach areas north of Holguin, and Havana. The impact on Cuba's socialist society and economy has been significant. However, in recent years Cuba's tourism has decreased due to the economic recession, escalating foreign investment conflicts and fears, and internal economic restrictions. Since its reopening to tourism in the mid 1990s Cuba has not met the projected growth, has had relatively little restoration, and slow growth due in major part to the fact that many foreigners don't feel secure investing in Cuba under its current regime and Cubans are still forbidden by the state from owning private property or participate in any development. Since then, the Dominican Republic has surpassed Cuba in tourism, new development, and investment.

Cuba protests inclusion on list for tougher airline screening

Cuba is protesting its addition to a list of 14 nations that will be forced to undergo tougher security screening for flights heading to the US.

The island nation has never been connected to al Qaeda, but it has been added to a list of 14 nations whose passengers have been designated for tougher security checks before boarding flights to the US.

Director of the Cuban Foreign Ministry in North America, Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, said that the nation categorically rejects the new hostile action by the United States against Cuba.

She described the new security controls as discriminatory and selective and has lodged a protest with US diplomats on the island, and that the Swiss Embassy in Washington delivered a similar complaint to the state department.

The two nations have been at odds soon after Fidel Castro assumed power in 1959, and the US has maintained a trade embargo on Cuba for 47 years.

Cuba has remained on the State Department’s list of sponsors of terrorism since the 1980s, even though it always maintained its inclusion had more to do with the US’s antagonistic policy towards the communist-governed state than evidence that it supports terrorism.

However, State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley said Cuba deserved to be included on the list, as it is believed that it is a prudent step to their assessment of the current threat to US interests and particularly the aviation system around the world.

Travellers from the 14 countries included in the list for extra screening must undergo full-body pat-downs and their carry-on luggage checked. The other countries are: Iran, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. Iran, Syria and Sudan are on the terror sponsor list with Cuba. Cuba is the only country of the 14 that is not predominantly Muslim.

Source:fly.co.uk/

Angry Cuba demands removal from U.S. terrorism list

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba angrily rejected on Friday U.S. accusations that it supports terrorist groups and demanded its removal from a U.S. list of "state sponsors of terrorism."

In the communist-led island's latest public criticism of the Obama administration, Cuba's government issued a statement disputing U.S. charges that it backs Basque and Colombian groups engaged in terrorist activities and that it illegally harbors fugitives from U.S. justice.

Cuba demanded its "immediate exclusion" from the U.S. terrorism list, calling it an "unjust, arbitrary and politically motivated designation that contradicts the exemplary conduct of our country in confronting terrorism."

It accused the United States of harboring "hundreds of criminals, murderers and terrorists" it said had acted against the Cuban government since Fidel Castro took power in a 1959 revolution. Fidel Castro, 83, handed over the Cuban presidency to his younger brother Raul Castro, 78, in early 2008.

Cuba has long chafed at being on the U.S. "state sponsors of terrorism" list, where it was placed in 1982 during the administration of President Ronald Reagan.

But its latest reaction signaled growing anger and frustration in Havana with U.S. President Barack Obama, who had raised expectations for an improvement in U.S.-Cuban relations when he said early in his administration last year that he wanted to "recast" long-hostile ties.

Cuba reacted angrily earlier this week when Washington said U.S.-bound air passengers from 14 nations including Cuba would receive extra security checks, including a pat-down search.

The new measures followed the botched bombing attempt of a Northwest Airlines flight into Detroit on Christmas Day by a Nigerian believed to be an operative for al Qaeda.

The 14 countries include the four on the State Department's terrorism list - Cuba, Iran, Syria and Sudan -- and 10 "countries of interest": Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.

On Tuesday, the Cuban government summoned the United States' top diplomat in Havana to protest its presence on the list, which it called a "hostile action" aimed at justifying the U.S. trade embargo imposed against the island since 1962.

MUTUAL ACCUSATIONS

Obama has slightly eased the embargo by lifting curbs on Cuban-American travel and on sending of remittances to Cuba and he has initiated talks on migration and postal service.

But in recent weeks, Cuban leaders have bitterly criticized Obama for failing to do more to change U.S. policy toward Cuba, including refusing to take Cuba off the terrorism list.

Obama has said Cuba must improve human rights and release political prisoners if it wants relations with the U.S. to move forward, but Cuban leaders say these are internal matters.

The U.S. has justified Cuba's characterization as a state sponsor of terrorism on grounds that it harbors members of ETA, the Basque separatist movement in Spain, and supports violent Colombian leftist rebels.

Cuba said a small number of ETA members had lived in Cuba for years under an accord with the Spanish government and that they had conducted no terrorist activity while on the island.

It said it had been requested by all sides in Colombia to take part in a formal peace process there and had done so, with Cuba at times serving as host for negotiations.

Washington also accused Cuba of providing refuge for airline hijackers and U.S. criminals seeking to escape prosecution for crimes including murder of police officers.

Cuba countered that the hijackers had been tried in Cuban courts and served jail sentences. The accused criminals, it said, were receiving "political asylum on the island as "fighters for North American civil rights."

Source:reuters.com/

Noel Arguelles Gets $7 Million plus

HAVANA TIMES, Jan. 8 - While the bidding war continues to try and sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman, a lesser known exile, Noel Arguelles, also a southpaw, has signed a five year major league contract with the Kansas City Royals for US $7 million, plus $2 million in further incentives.

Arguelles was the star left handed pitcher on Cuba’s 2007 18-and-under team. He reportedly has a 94 MPH fastball as well as a curveball and good change-up.

Like Chapman, Arguelles -who turns 20 next week- will need to improve on his control to reach potential in the highly demanding US Major Leagues.

Arguelles is expected to begin the 2010 baseball season in the Class A minor leagues.

He abandoned his Cuban team to pursue a professional career after winning the gold medal game at the July 2008 Junior World Championships in Canada.

Meanwhile the bidding war for Chapman, 21 and known for his up-to-102 MPH fastball, continues with several MLB teams still in the race including the Los Angeles Angels, who have budding star Kendry Morales of Cuba and a friend of Chapman on first base.

The Cuban press does not report on the island’s nationals who abandon their country’s amateur teams to play professional sports in foreign countries.

Source:havanatimes.org/

Cuba Protests Its Inclusion on US List of Terrorist Countries

WASHINGTON.— The Cuban Interest Section in Washington protested the inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries that, according to the United States, promote terrorism, reported EFE.

The spokesman of this office, Alberto Gonzalez, said that his country has complied, is complying and will continue to comply with the applicable international safety measures regarding terrorism," and said that the Cuban people "does not recognize the moral authority of the US government to certify the inclusion of Cuba and the Cuban people on such a list."

Gonzalez pointed out that "the Cuban territory has never been used to organize, fund or carry out terrorist attacks against the United States or any other country," and suggested that this new attack on the island was political.

"Cuba is rather a victim of terrorism and violence," he said, and noted that the perpetrators of those attacks against Cuba, such as Luis Posada Carriles, live freely in the United States and are not being prosec

Source:periodico26.cu/

Yemenis Comprise Half of Prisoners Held at Guantanamo Bay

President Barack Obama this week announced the suspenion of future transfers of prisoners to Yemen from a U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Nigerian man accused of trying to bomb a U.S. airliner December 25 reportedly was trained in Yemen.

U.S. officials say at least two of the prisoners once held here at Guantanamo Bay are now leading al-Qaida efforts in Yemen. About 90 detainees, nearly half of those remaining, are from Yemen.

But after the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner, allegedly by a man trained in Yemen, the U.S. is reconsidering its release policy. President Obama says America will suspend future detainee transfers to Yemen. Republican Senator John McCain, on a visit to Iraq, applauded the president's actions. "Others who have left Guantanamo and gone to Yemen have not only gone back to the fight, but have also been suicide bombers and leaders. This has got to stop," McCain said.

The move complicates the president's timetable to close the prison by January 22. But he claims it won't affect the goal. "Make no mistake, we will close Guantanamo prison," he said.

"Now Obama is sailing into a very strong head wind politically." said Peter Beinart of the New American Foundation who says the president's move assures him public support, but at the prisoners' expense.

"Whenever people become more afraid, there's an attack or a threatened attack and lots of people were fanning fear on TV, the balance between civil liberties and security shifts away from civil liberties, particularly when it's not the civil liberties of Americans, but of non- Americans who most Americans don't identify with," Beinart said. He recommends sending the remaining Guantanamo detainees to maximum security prisons in America, rather than returning them to their countries.

James Phillips of the Heritage Foundation warns a return of prisoners to their homelands would require more work. "It has to be much more close supervision of them once they are released," he said.

But right now, the U.S. has little confidence that Yemen can offer that type of supervision, with the president calling the country unsettled. Yemen is rocked by civil war in the north and possible succession in the south. Detainee tracking would add to the list of obstacles the country faces

Source:voanews.com/