Negative Impacts of the Blockade
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YEAR XI NO 6 JUN 5, 2021 HAVANA, CUBA ISSN 2224-5707 Price: 1.00 USD / 1.20 CAN Cuba Negative impacts of Prensa Latina the blockade Resists and Grows P. 9 P. 3 Health & Science Latin America Social Outbreak Has Colombian Steps toward Immunization Government on the Rack P. 5 P.12 2 TOURISM Holguín Tourism Potential TripAdvisor Awards Cuba’s Santa Lucía Beach Resort By María de LourdesLEGRA Club Amigo Atlántico, Brisas Guardalavaca and Gran Muthu Almirante hotels, located in the main tourist resort of this eastern Cuban province. HOLGUÍN.-The province Holguín's Tourist Observatory The Islazul group also provided a characterization (OT), in eastern Cuba, promotes the potential of of its five facilities, which welcome city and event hotel chains in that area, renowned as an adventure, tourism in the Holguín and Moa cities and beach entertainment and recreational location. tourism in the Rafael Freyre municipality. As part of the OT actions, the Cubanacán group The province’s tourism resort, about 700 km east of recently launched its catalog of tourism facilities, Havana, is a mixture of sun-and-beach experiences, located in the cities of Holguín and Gibara as well as nature tourism, history, culture, health and other Guardalavaca beach. modalities, which are widely accepted among foreign The Gran Muthu Almirante hotel – the first five star sun- and local tourists. and-beach resort of the Cubanacán group in Cuba’s The Holguín Tourist Observatory, opened last April 16, Gran Club Hotel in Santa Lucía Beach Resort. PHOTO: Prensa Latina. east – will be inaugurated on July 1 in Guardalavaca. intends to highlight the presence of this destination Officials of the tourist group also note main on different digital platforms, as well as providing up- By FidelMANZANARES highly of the hotel in their reviews attractions that tourists can enjoy next summer at the to-date information on the area. and recommend others to visit. Santa Lucía Beach Resort has CAMAGUEY.-Santa Lucía Beach experienced a decrease in the Resort currently stands as one of number of foreign visitors due to Cuba’s leading tourist destinations, the reduction of operations at the increasing after the Gran Club Hotel international airport, both due received the Travellers’ Choice Award to the pandemic and restrictions granted by TripAdvisor website. imposed by the U.S. government Despite COVID-19 and its negative since the end of 2019. consequences on Cuban tourism, the TripAdvisor has been promoting recent recognition proves that this Santa Lucía’s facilities over the past kind of facilities are well accepted, five years, posting photos and videos as corroborated by clients’ positive that showcase the potential of this reviews, being one of the most sunny Caribbean destination, located recommended destinations in the some 540 kilometers east of Havana. world. Gran Club Santa Lucía, which According to Ivonne Montejo, operates as an all-inclusive, has 252 Business Manager of Gran Club, frontline beach rooms surrounded which belongs to Cubanacán Group, by the beautiful natural landscape the award makes them very happy that characterizes the northern Guardalavaca, the main tourist resort in Holguín. PHOTO: Prensa Latina. because it reveals that guests speak coastline in this Cuban region. 25 CUP, For 4 News Headlines per day for just $25.00 CUP / month, Send an SMS with the letters PL to 8100 SOCIETY.HEALTH & SCIENCE.POLITICS.CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT.PHOTO FEATURE.ECONOMY SPORTS.AND MORE President: Luis Enrique González Art Direction: Anathais Rodríguez Publisher: Agencia Informativa Latinoamericana Information:Vice President: Moisés Pérez Mok Graphic Designers: Fernando Fernández Tito Prensa Latina, S.A. Editorial:Vice President: Lianet Arias Chief Graphic Editor: Francisco González Calle E, esq. 19 No. 454, Vedado, La Habana-4, Cuba Editorial Director: Mariela Pérez Valenzuela Assistant Staff: Yaimara Portuondo Telephone: (53)7838-3496 / 7832-3578 Chief Editor: Ilsa Rodríguez Santana Advertising: René García Fax: (53)7833-3068 E-mail: thr@prensa-latina.cu English Editor: Mitra Ghaffari Circulation: Commercial Department Translation: Dayamí Interian/ Yanely Interián Printing: Prensa Latina CUBA 3 Prensa Latina Resists and Grows By JorgeLUNA HAVANA.- The Prensa Latina News Agency (PL) was born out of the need for Latin American journalism to challenge the information monopoly of the United States, when alternative media was scarce. Against all odds, it still goes strong and continues to grow, soon to celebrate its 62nd anniversary. On June 16, 1959, when an announcement was made about the foundation of Prensa Masetti interviewed Fidel Castro Latina – the region’s first alternative media in the Sierra Maestra. agency – Washington officials declared that PHOTOS: Prensa Latina. the agency would only last one month and interposed several obstacles to prevent its broadcasts 400 news segments 24 hours a day creation and development. in six languages, prints about 20 publications Argentinean Ricardo Masetti – the first (including The Havana Reporter) and has a director of the agency – and his team valuable patrimonial, photographic library, managed to open, in less than a year, the first in addition to an online radio station and TV 16 offices around the region. The first were service. located in New York, Mexico, Caracas, Buenos With an increasing presence on the Internet Aires, Bogota, Lima, Santiago de Chile, and social media, PL has signed over 70 Panama, La Paz, Río de Janeiro and Quito. agreements on information exchange with “We have to compete with incompetence,” foreign agencies and news media, as well as Masetti told the U.S. information agencies UPI several collaborators all over the world. and AP. At the same time, he urged editors At present, the agency and many of the Prensa Latina headquarters in Havana. to make “objective while biased” journalism region’s journalists and communicators face (because unbiased is an impossible stance huge challenges, such as the large amount against). of fake news, misinformation, distortion, Several generations of Prensa Latina manipulation, censorship and the large journalists have covered the main political, concentration of the media in few hands. economic, scientific, technological, cultural According to recent studies, five or six and sports events over the last 60 years. global media monopolies own thousands Military coups, wars and aggressions were of newspapers, magazines, publishing widely featured on the PL editorial agenda. companies, radio and television stations, Throughout its history, its journalists have controlling 90 percent of the news and 70 had to face raids, closures, fund freezing, percent of the information market in the world. imprisonment and even murder. At present, In spite of the complex scenario at present, some face visa restrictions in certain countries, there is an increasing spirit of resistance are prohibited from making bank transfers among Latin American communications and are the victims of maneuvers aimed to teams and importantly, alternative media prevent their hiring in Latin American news continues to emerge, thus joining Prensa media. Latina’s fight. In spite of the current economic difficulties When opening Prensa Latina’s services, the resulting from the U.S. blockade on Cuba and agency’s founders described it as “the agency COVID-19, Prensa Latina has 38 offices in most that was needed,” because of its strategic continents and a great deal of experience. Latin American imprint. Today, with 62 years The agency, an active multimedia institution of experience, the agency continues to resist and Cuba’s most read media on the island, and grow, in more needed than ever. Agreement between Prensa Latina and Sputnik, signed in Havana in 2017. 4 CUBA-U.S.A Calls to End the Blockade Increase By IbisFRADE not included among the priorities of the “Let us stop U.S. attacks on the right to Government. travel and family visits for residents of both Although the Democrat president promised countries,” said the New York-New Jersey HAVANA.- Calls to the end the blockade during the electoral campaign that he Cuba Sí Coalition, which represents dozens imposed by the United States on Cuba would move away from the path traced by of activists and groups. increase on the digital platforms and as former president Donald Trump, the over The Sao Paulo will put off a campaign with part of other initiatives worldwide, such as 200 measures taken by the Republican the slogan "Blockade No, Solidarity Yes - the solidarity caravans. magnate against Cuba are still in effect. Our America Forever" the voted at the UN. On May 30, another edition of these caravans Leader of the New York-New Jersey Cuba Sí toured the streets of several U.S. cities, such Coalition, U.S. activist Ike Nahem, stated that RESOLUTION AGAINST THE BLOCKADE as Miami, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Washington’s hostility and sanctions are In this context, on June 23, the UN General Seattle and Minneapolis, promoted mainly particularly criminal amidst the COVID-19 Assembly will hold a vote on the resolution as part of the Bridges of Love project. pandemic. project that calls for the end of the U.S. The Secretary of the Foundation for the In the meantime, the island continues to set blockade – a text similar to the one endorsed Normalization of U.S.-Cuba Relations a good example of how to face the health on 28 previous occasions by the multilateral (FORNOM) Julio V. Ruiz told The Havana crisis and shows international solidarity by forum. Reporter that these types of actions sending its health brigades, he added. Since 1992, the international community has are essential and have widespread Chairman of the Cuba Study Groups Carlos In this scenario, Nahem considers that stated its rejection of this mechanism at the international repercussions. Saladrigas. PHOTO: Internet. he has the obligation of urging the General Assembly, Washington has remained Ruiz also stressed that U.S. President Joe government of his country to put an end to deaf to this call and for over 60 years, has Biden, his legal advisor, the U.S.