Reviews the books "Economies of Desire: Sex and Tourism in Cuba and the Dominican Republic," by Amalia L. Cabezas and "The Industrial Vagina: The Political Economy of the Global Sex Trade," by Sheila Jeffreys.
A range of economic dimensions is examined, including trade in goods and services (notably tourism), direct foreign investment, international migration, and development assistance. Following a brief review of the evolving relationship from 1959 to 1990, the nature of the economic relationship between Canada and Cuba is analyzed in more detail for the 1990 to 2009 era.
Explores the association of altars with religious practice known as Espiritismo or Spiritism in the Caribbean culture, particularly the Indians and Congo. Attributes of Espiritismo; Distinction of an Espiritismo altar from other non-Christian altars assembled in observance of the Caribbean religions; Relation of Espiritismo with the religion Palo Monte Mayombe in Cuba.
"The first article by Keith Ellis, Caribbean Identity and Integration in The Work of Nicolás Guillén, uses examples of Guillén's works to demonstrate that in his poetry, his essays, as well as in his personal relations, he demonstrated a desire to build throughout the Caribbean the kind of consciousness that would facilitate its meaningful integration." (foreword);
"When Fidel Castro came to New York in 1960 for the 18th General Assembly at the United Nations, he was flushed with his victory over the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and he had signed the first land-reform bill expropriating land from foreign monopolies to redistribute among landless peasants. That, of course, was a challenge to the United Fruit Company and the United States, and for it he was painted red. When he arrived in New York, he was insulted at the Shelbourne Hotel in midtown, and so he took all of his group and went up to Harlem, to the Hotel Theresa." (author)
Cubans are wildly optimistic about the transformations that will occur once the United States lifts its long-standing embargo on Cuba. Overlooked in these discussions, however, is how Cuba's health-care industry may be harmed by any serious easing of trade and travel restrictions between the two countries.
Reforms proposed at the Sixth Communist Party Congress represent a new, third phase of social policy in post-revolutionary Cuba. This new stage has the potential to strengthen social equity in Cuba, improve the socio-economic situation of disparate social groups, and overcome the old limitations of social policy. Yet it could also increase inequality, and at least in the short term, its predicted impacts will be contradictory and ambivalent.
