http://www.alliancealert.org news from the frontlines of the culture war Thu, 24 May 2012 23:12:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/05/23/mariela-castro-tops-us-visit-with-transgender-talk/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/05/23/mariela-castro-tops-us-visit-with-transgender-talk/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 15:49:17 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=134420 ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/05/23/mariela-castro-tops-us-visit-with-transgender-talk/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/18/cuba-rebukes-obama-over-summit-talk-of-democracy/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/18/cuba-rebukes-obama-over-summit-talk-of-democracy/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:56:56 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=131417 AP: The Cuban government is criticizing U.S. President Barack Obama for calling for democratic change in Cuba. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/18/cuba-rebukes-obama-over-summit-talk-of-democracy/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/05/43-arrested-in-post-papal-visit-cuba-crackdown/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/05/43-arrested-in-post-papal-visit-cuba-crackdown/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:59:20 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=130499 AFP on Yahoo: At least 43 Cuban dissidents have been arrested in areas near where Pope Benedict XVI visited last week, dissidents said Tuesday, as the United States urged their immediate release. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/05/43-arrested-in-post-papal-visit-cuba-crackdown/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/03/cubas-christians-struggle-even-after-papal-visit/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/03/cubas-christians-struggle-even-after-papal-visit/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:21:46 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=130273 Sacramento Bee: After two papal visits, support is growing for the Roman Catholic Church among long-suffering Cubans. Yet support from the Communist Party that rules the island nation . . . ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/03/cubas-christians-struggle-even-after-papal-visit/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/28/cuban-americans-cheer-us-archbishops-call-for-an-end-to-marxist-rule/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/28/cuban-americans-cheer-us-archbishops-call-for-an-end-to-marxist-rule/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:50:29 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=129866 Catholic Culture: "However, as Cuba transitions, the Pope and the Church want a transition that is worthy of the Cuban's aspirations, a transition worthy of man," the archbishop quickly added. "To go from the ideological materialism of Marxism to a practical materialism such as that of many Western societies would not be worthy of man." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/28/cuban-americans-cheer-us-archbishops-call-for-an-end-to-marxist-rule/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/28/pope-wraps-cuba-visit-with-mass-fidel-meeting/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/28/pope-wraps-cuba-visit-with-mass-fidel-meeting/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:23:42 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=129786 AP: Pope Benedict XVI demanded greater freedom for the Catholic Church in Cuba during an unusually politicized Mass before hundreds of thousands of people Wednesday . . . ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/28/pope-wraps-cuba-visit-with-mass-fidel-meeting/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/23/pope-says-communism-does-not-work-in-cuba/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/23/pope-says-communism-does-not-work-in-cuba/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:51:00 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=129479 ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/23/pope-says-communism-does-not-work-in-cuba/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/14/dissidents-occupy-cuba-church-seek-papal-audience/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/14/dissidents-occupy-cuba-church-seek-papal-audience/#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:11:55 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=128669 AP: Thirteen Cuban dissidents have holed up in a Roman Catholic church in Havana to press for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI when he visits in two weeks . . . ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/14/dissidents-occupy-cuba-church-seek-papal-audience/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/01/30/miamis-cuban-vote-shifting-but-still-strongly-republican/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/01/30/miamis-cuban-vote-shifting-but-still-strongly-republican/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:19:25 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=124340 LaTimes.com: Members of a younger generation care less about Castro and are more liberal, but many are disappointed in President Obama. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/01/30/miamis-cuban-vote-shifting-but-still-strongly-republican/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/01/17/raul-castros-daughter-cuba-eyes-same-sex-unions/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/01/17/raul-castros-daughter-cuba-eyes-same-sex-unions/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:02:47 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=123318 Boston.com: Cuba's first daughter says island lawmakers will consider legalizing same-sex civil unions this year. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/01/17/raul-castros-daughter-cuba-eyes-same-sex-unions/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/08/cubas-raul-castro-says-government-should-welcome-religious-believers/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/08/cubas-raul-castro-says-government-should-welcome-religious-believers/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:00:48 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=110209 Religion Clause: Cuba's president, Raul Castro, gave a speech (full text) to Cuba's Parliament (Legislature of the National Assembly of People's Power) on Monday, reviewing economic and other developments in recent months. A lengthy section of his speech was captioned: "A Painful Indictment Caused by Errors in the Implementation of the Cadre Policy and Attitudes Toward Religion." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/08/cubas-raul-castro-says-government-should-welcome-religious-believers/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/05/13/protestant-pastors-interrogated-by-cuban-authorities/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/05/13/protestant-pastors-interrogated-by-cuban-authorities/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 16:02:36 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=103597 Christian Today (May 6th): Christian Solidarity Worldwide has expressed concern over the detention and interrogation of three Protestant pastors by Cuban authorities over the weekend. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/05/13/protestant-pastors-interrogated-by-cuban-authorities/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/04/20/hopes-of-reform-fade-as-veterans-take-control-of-cubas-communist-party/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/04/20/hopes-of-reform-fade-as-veterans-take-control-of-cubas-communist-party/#comments Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:18:52 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=101564 The Independent: That 79-year-old Raul Castro, who has effectively run the country since late 2006 because of a stomach infection that nearly killed Fidel, was appointed as first secretary of the party surprised no one. However, the choice of Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, who fought alongside Fidel to overthrow the US-backed Fulgencio Batista in 1959, as his deputy and Ramiro Valdes, 78, as his number three quashed hopes that a new generation of Cuban leaders could take on senior roles. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/04/20/hopes-of-reform-fade-as-veterans-take-control-of-cubas-communist-party/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/03/01/fidel-castro-expected-to-resign-as-cuba-party-chief/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/03/01/fidel-castro-expected-to-resign-as-cuba-party-chief/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:36:27 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=96818 Reuters: "The Cuban Communist Party has moved forward the election of new leadership to a congress in April where longtime party leader Fidel Castro is expected to step down, sources close to the party said over the weekend." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/03/01/fidel-castro-expected-to-resign-as-cuba-party-chief/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/02/17/cuban-pastor-denounces-state-levelled-persecution/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/02/17/cuban-pastor-denounces-state-levelled-persecution/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:21:57 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=95802 Christian Today: "A Baptist pastor has accused the Cuban government of deliberately targeting him and his church." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/02/17/cuban-pastor-denounces-state-levelled-persecution/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/14/obama-to-ease-cuba-travel-restrictions-for-students-and-church-groups/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/14/obama-to-ease-cuba-travel-restrictions-for-students-and-church-groups/#comments Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:08:14 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=91591 Associated Press: "President Barack Obama plans to loosen Cuban travel policy to allow students and church groups to go to the communist country, the administration announced Friday." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/14/obama-to-ease-cuba-travel-restrictions-for-students-and-church-groups/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/05/cuba-iran-blast-u-s-human-rights-at-u-n-forum/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/05/cuba-iran-blast-u-s-human-rights-at-u-n-forum/#comments Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:18:33 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=80707 Reuters: "The United States defended its human rights record on Friday from criticism from foes including Cuba and Iran, who called for it to close Guantanamo prison and investigate alleged torture by its troops abroad." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/05/cuba-iran-blast-u-s-human-rights-at-u-n-forum/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/02/cuba-catholics-to-open-first-new-seminary-in-decades/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/02/cuba-catholics-to-open-first-new-seminary-in-decades/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:35:59 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=79830 Vancouver Sun: "The Roman Catholic Church will open on Wednesday its first new seminary in Cuba in more than half a century in a further sign of its improving relations with the island's communist-led government." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/02/cuba-catholics-to-open-first-new-seminary-in-decades/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/28/cuba-set-to-open-new-seminary-first-religious-building-built-in-half-a-century/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/28/cuba-set-to-open-new-seminary-first-religious-building-built-in-half-a-century/#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 21:31:42 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=79182 Catholic.net (zenit.org): "The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will send a delegation of its Church of Latin America Subcommittee to Cuba in recognition of the new seminary to be opened in early November." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/28/cuba-set-to-open-new-seminary-first-religious-building-built-in-half-a-century/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/08/02/the-catholic-church-in-cuba/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/08/02/the-catholic-church-in-cuba/#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:40:27 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=67067 National Catholic Register: "Welcome to Cuba and the careful existence of the Roman Catholic Church. It’s a healthy Church — functioning in a terribly unhealthy country . . . 'The Catholic Church in Cuba is absolutely the only national institution functioning independently from the regime. No other organization survived the revolution,' observed a 30-year-old seminarian in Havana." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/08/02/the-catholic-church-in-cuba/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/21/spain-predicts-thaw-in-us-and-eu-ties-with-cuba/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/21/spain-predicts-thaw-in-us-and-eu-ties-with-cuba/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:38:29 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=66196 Associated Press: "Spain's foreign minister predicted Wednesday that Cuba's release of dozens of political prisoners could eventually lead to a thaw in U.S. relations and the lifting of a decades-old embargo against the Communist-run island." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/21/spain-predicts-thaw-in-us-and-eu-ties-with-cuba/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/19/jobless-in-cuba-communism-faces-the-unthinkable/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/19/jobless-in-cuba-communism-faces-the-unthinkable/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:22:47 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=65807 Associated Press: "President Raul Castro has startled the nation lately by saying about one in five Cuban workers may be redundant. At the work site on Obispo street, those numbers run in reverse. It's a common sight in communist Cuba. Here, nearly everyone works for the state and official unemployment is minuscule, but pay is so low that Cubans like to joke that 'the state pretends to pay us and we pretend to work.' Now, facing a severe budget deficit, the government has hinted at restructuring or trimming its bloated work force." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/19/jobless-in-cuba-communism-faces-the-unthinkable/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/church-cuba-agrees-to-free-52-political-prisoners/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/church-cuba-agrees-to-free-52-political-prisoners/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:49:55 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/church-cuba-agrees-to-free-52-political-prisoners/ Findlaw (AP): "Cuba has promised the Roman Catholic Church it will free 52 political prisoners, slashing the number held by nearly a third in what would be the communist-led island's largest release of dissidents since Pope John Paul II visited in 1998." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/church-cuba-agrees-to-free-52-political-prisoners/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/07/cuba-to-free-political-prisoners-catholic-church-announces/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/07/cuba-to-free-political-prisoners-catholic-church-announces/#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:13:16 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/07/cuba-to-free-political-prisoners-catholic-church-announces/ BBC: "Cuba's communist authorities are to free at least 52 political prisoners, say Catholic Church officials in Havana. ... Agreement to release the prisoners came after talks between Mr Castro and Church leader Cardinal Jaime Ortega." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/07/cuba-to-free-political-prisoners-catholic-church-announces/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/16/cuba-vatican-say-talks-on-dissidents-continuing/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/16/cuba-vatican-say-talks-on-dissidents-continuing/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:18:25 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/16/cuba-vatican-say-talks-on-dissidents-continuing/ AP: "Cuba and a top Vatican official expressed optimism Wednesday that landmark negotiations between the church and Raul Castro's government will continue and indicated they could produce more breakthroughs on the treatment of dissidents and political prisoners." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/16/cuba-vatican-say-talks-on-dissidents-continuing/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/14/us-puts-nations-on-notice-for-trafficking/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/14/us-puts-nations-on-notice-for-trafficking/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:16:07 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/14/us-puts-nations-on-notice-for-trafficking/ AP: "The Obama administration is warning more than a dozen states, including perennial rogues Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Myanmar, of possible sanctions for failing to do enough to fight human trafficking." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/14/us-puts-nations-on-notice-for-trafficking/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/10/report-china-cuba-more-peaceful-than-us/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/10/report-china-cuba-more-peaceful-than-us/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:02:47 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/10/report-china-cuba-more-peaceful-than-us/ AP: "Cuba and China are more peaceful than the United States, according to a global peace index published Thursday. The report, which says the world is becoming a more violent place, was prepared by the Sydney, Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace . . . " ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/10/report-china-cuba-more-peaceful-than-us/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/05/27/castro-negotiates-with-catholic-church-over-political-prisoners/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/05/27/castro-negotiates-with-catholic-church-over-political-prisoners/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 16:26:23 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/05/27/castro-negotiates-with-catholic-church-over-political-prisoners/ Miami Herald: "Raúl Castro's talks with the Catholic Church on political prisoners have sparked hopes, skepticism and assertions he's taking a risk by recognizing the church as a mediator in Cuban affairs." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/05/27/castro-negotiates-with-catholic-church-over-political-prisoners/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/04/19/cubas-catholic-cardinal-says-country-in-crisis/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/04/19/cubas-catholic-cardinal-says-country-in-crisis/#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:26:49 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/04/19/cubas-catholic-cardinal-says-country-in-crisis/ Breitbart (AP): "Cuba's Roman Catholic cardinal says the country is in one of its worst crises in recent times, with its people demanding political and economic changes sooner rather than later." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/04/19/cubas-catholic-cardinal-says-country-in-crisis/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/03/25/cuban-leader-applauds-us-health-care-reform-bill/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/03/25/cuban-leader-applauds-us-health-care-reform-bill/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:26:55 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/wordpress/2010/03/25/cuban-leader-applauds-us-health-care-reform-bill/ Yahoo News (AP): "Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Thursday declared passage of American health care reform 'a miracle' and a major victory for Obama's presidency, but couldn't help chide the United States for taking so long to enact what communist Cuba achieved decades ago." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/03/25/cuban-leader-applauds-us-health-care-reform-bill/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/03/10/in-paying-for-sex-changes-cuba-breaks-from-past/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/03/10/in-paying-for-sex-changes-cuba-breaks-from-past/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:50:00 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/wordpress/?p=54854 AP: "Gonzalez is living proof of a small but remarkable transformation for the rugged revolution of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and a band of ever-macho, bearded rebels, who long punished gays and transsexuals - but now are paying for sex changes." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/03/10/in-paying-for-sex-changes-cuba-breaks-from-past/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/03/08/law-review-sanctioning-faith-religion-state-and-u-s-cuban-relations/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/03/08/law-review-sanctioning-faith-religion-state-and-u-s-cuban-relations/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:31:37 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/wordpress/?p=54529 Sanctioning Faith: Religion, State, and U.S.-Cuban Relations (2009). Journal of Law and Politics, Vol. 25, p. 179, 2009. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1562014 "What explains the Cuban government’s sudden accommodation of religion? Drawing on original field research in Havana, I argue that the Cuban government has strategically increased religious liberty for political gain. Loopholes in U.S. sanctions policies have allowed aid to flow into Cuba from the United States via religious groups, tying Cuba’s religious marketplace to its emerging economic markets. The Cuban government has learned from the experience of similar religious awakenings in post-Communist states in Eastern Europe and has shrewdly managed the workings of religious organizations while permitting individual spiritual revival. By allowing greater public expression of religious faith, the Cuban government has opened the door to religious pluralism on the island while closely monitoring religious groups to prevent political opposition. As the Obama Administration has already begun to ease U.S. sanctions on Cuba, these recent changes in Cuban law may allow the U.S. to promote political change in Cuba through religious civil society institutions." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/03/08/law-review-sanctioning-faith-religion-state-and-u-s-cuban-relations/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/01/22/unesco-official-cuba-a-paradigm-for-sex-education/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/01/22/unesco-official-cuba-a-paradigm-for-sex-education/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:27:14 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/wordpress/?p=49447 Escambray: "Mary Guinn Delaney, advisor of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Regional Office on HIV/AIDS Education for Latin America and the Caribbean, said today in this capital that Cuba is a paradigm in sexual education." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/01/22/unesco-official-cuba-a-paradigm-for-sex-education/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/01/19/cuba-performing-state-sponsored-sex-change-surgery/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/01/19/cuba-performing-state-sponsored-sex-change-surgery/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:22:16 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/wordpress/?p=48919 Washington Post: "The operations are covered by Cuba's universal health care system, even though some have protested the decision to allow them - either because of general opposition to the procedure or due to its high costs for a developing country with economic problems." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/01/19/cuba-performing-state-sponsored-sex-change-surgery/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2009/12/22/cuba-lets-cardinal-give-christmas-message-on-state-tv/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2009/12/22/cuba-lets-cardinal-give-christmas-message-on-state-tv/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:56:38 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=46134 Associated Press: "Cuba's Roman Catholic cardinal will read a Christmas message on state television for the second straight year, another small sign the once officially atheist communist government is warming to religion." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2009/12/22/cuba-lets-cardinal-give-christmas-message-on-state-tv/feed/ 0