Latin America

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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Panamanian tamales stuffed with chicken and wrapped in bijao leaves — one of hundreds of interpretations of the dish found throughout Latin America.

Pride And Prejudice: For Latinos, Tamales Can Taste Of Both

1:05pm December 22, 2014

by Maria Godoy

Tamales are a Christmas Eve tradition throughout Latin America, but there are hundreds of different versions. Whose is best? That's a question likely to elicit a fiercely partisan response.

A couple walks on the beach in the resort area of Varadero, Cuba. Varadero is home to upscale hotels and resorts that cater to foreign tourists, but there aren't yet enough to handle a potential influx of Americans.

Ready To Hit The Cuban Beach? Americans Still Have To Wait

12:12pm December 22, 2014

by David Schaper

Travel to Cuba for business or education will be much easier as the U.S. eases restrictions, but until the embargo is completely lifted, going to Cuba simply for tourism still won't be allowed.

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'Rum, Rumba, And Romance': A Book On Cuba's Enduring Mystique

5:24pm December 21, 2014

by Richard Blanco

This week, President Obama announced that he will begin to normalize relations with Cuba. Cuban-American writer Richard Blanco recommends a book about Cuba's imprint on the American imagination.

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Still Few Answers In Disappearance Of 43 Students In Mexico

5:24pm December 21, 2014

In September, 43 students disappeared in Mexico and were assumed dead after an alleged attack by police. NPR's Arun Rath talks to John Gibler about his continued reporting from Iguala, Mexico.

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World News

For Cuban-Americans, A Mixture Of Hope, Betrayal

5:24pm December 21, 2014

by Greg Allen

The announcement to normalize relations with Cuba stunned Miami's Cuban-American, upending a policy that for 50 years that helped define their identity and relations with the island.

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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.

World News

What Do Cubans Think Of Renewed U.S. Relations?

6:40pm December 20, 2014

After President Obama's announcement of dramatic changes to U.S. relations with Cuba, NPR's Arun Rath speaks with correspondent Carrie Kahn in Havana about how that country has reacted to the news.

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World News

Renewed U.S.-Cuba Ties Could Mean Big Things For Cigar Market

6:40pm December 20, 2014

As the U.S. opens up to Cuban exports, David Savona of Cigar Aficionado magazine tells NPR's Arun Rath how it will affect the market for Cuban cigars.

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