Cuba

Contractor Freed By Cuba Will Get $3.2M From U.S.

12:18pm December 24, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

A USAID official confirmed the payment to Alan Gross, who spent five years in a Cuban prison. It's part of a settlement with the Maryland-based company for which he worked at the time of his arrest.

National

Jailed Cuban Spy's Wife Is Pregnant — With A Little Help From The U.S.

5:29pm December 22, 2014

by Scott Horsley

The U.S. helped Gerardo Hernandez and his wife conceive through artificial insemination while he was in prison for spying. Hernandez was released last week as part of a prisoner swap.

Cubans try to connect to the ETECSA server during a May 9 service outage as they wait with other customers outside the offices of the state telecom monopoly in Havana, Cuba. Cuba's government has blamed technological problems on a U.S. embargo. Critics of

World News

For An Island Trapped In The '50s, An Instant Digital Revolution

2:55pm December 22, 2014

by Aarti Shahani

Cuba is one of the least connected countries on Earth, with 5 percent of residents online. But it could become the Caribbean's largest market if the Castros open the nation up to the Internet.

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A member of the activist group Women in White is arrested during a demonstration to commemorate Human Rights Day in downtown Havana, on Dec. 10. Members of the opposition movement say they feel betrayed by the U.S. decision to restore ties with Cuba's com

Cuba's Jews, Catholics Have Very Different Takes On The U.S. Thaw

1:33pm December 22, 2014

by Carrie Kahn

The country's tiny Jewish community is embracing the breakthrough. But some Catholics feel betrayed by President Obama's overtures to Cuba's communist government.

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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the son of Cuban immigrants, expresses his disappointment in President Obama's initiative to normalize relations between the U.S. and Cuba, on Wednesday.

GOP Sens. Rubio, Paul Square Off Over Cuba Policy Shift

2:47pm December 21, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Rubio, appearing on ABC's This Week, lashed out at Paul, who has expressed support for opening trade with the island nation after a decades-long embargo.

Cuban President Raul Castro (left) talks to his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro at a summit in Havana on Oct. 20. The two countries are close allies that have been highly critical of the U.S. But with the U.S. and Cuba now planning closer ties, Cuba

In Latin America, Not Everyone Is Thrilled With The U.S.-Cuba Thaw

4:11pm December 20, 2014

by John Otis

Cuba and Venezuela are close allies that often seemed to speak with a single voice when it came to bashing the U.S. But now they may be out of sync.

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In 1959, Fidel Castro imposed a law forbidding the import of foreign cars, so many Cubans drive and maintain older models.

World News

Despite Its Beauty, Cuba Isn't Quite Ready For Tourists

11:39am December 20, 2014

by Scott Simon

When NPR's Scott Simon has visited Cuba, he saw two economies — one for tourists and one for residents. He reflects on whether the thaw between the U.S. and Cuba can really transform that country.

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Administration Won't Rule Out Raul Castro Visit To White House

7:54am December 19, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

The remarks come a day after President Obama announced the U.S. and Cuba would begin talks to normalize relations and open embassies following more than five decades of hostility.

A tourist takes a cab ride in a classic American car as the driver takes him past the Capitolio in Havana, Cuba on Thursday.

What's Next For Cuba? The Headlines That Tell The Story

7:10am December 19, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

The State Department says a delegation of diplomats will visit the island next month. The formal restoration of diplomatic ties is expected to be as easy as the two countries writing each other notes.

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President Obama speaks with President Raul Castro of Cuba from the Oval Office on Tuesday. A day later, both men announced plans to normalize relations between the Cold War-era foes.

5 Defining Moments In The U.S.-Cuba Relationship

7:32pm December 18, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

President Obama says the U.S. and Cuba will normalize relations, which were severed in 1961. Here are images that highlight the decades of tense relations.