More Progress In Cuba!!!!

4/03/2008 4:05 PM ET | Filed under: Latinolicious • Politik

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Que emocionante!

This is truly overwhelming - ALL the changes that Raul Castro has been making in Cuba recently. It's progress. And we're shocked!

According to new reports, Cuba's state-run television broadcaster will start a 24-hour channel with mostly foreign content in a move to provide Cuban audiences with more variety. It's assumed that about a dozen countries will provide the content. Government officials have not disclosed exact details.

Awesome!!! Freedom of choice!

For many Cubans, foreign TV (like the Spanish-language channels in Miami) have been accessed via illegal satellite dishes.

Cuba's new President, Raul Castro, has kept himself busy lifting what he has called "excessive prohibitions" in the country these last few weeks. Cubans are now able to buy cellular phones, DVD players and computers, and stay at tourist hotels reserved for foreigners.

We hope Castro the younger continues on this positive path.

Democracy is next!!!!!!!!!

[Image via WENN.]

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82 comments to “More Progress In Cuba!!!!”

BBBBBBBB says – reply to this

1

UNO!
jennifer says – reply to this

2

yaaaay. this is awesome
swimmerchic00 says – reply to this

3

That is truely awesome!
yah! says – reply to this

4

Viva la Raul!
Americans RULZ says – reply to this

5

wHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK! We're Americans, Perez don't you know all we care about are OURSELVES?
skeletor says – reply to this

6

dios mio!
p says – reply to this

7

blah
rayne says – reply to this

8

oh cuba
storey says – reply to this

9

DOS!
RR says – reply to this

10

1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIRD! says – reply to this

11

Good for cuba!
VIVA LA FREEDOM!
mrs. luna says – reply to this

12

wooow great progress!!!!
Kelsey says – reply to this

13

WOOO one of the first!
Bruce says – reply to this

14

Air conditioning would be progress.
Mariah says – reply to this

15

30 second clips from all the tracks from my album E=MC2

youtube . com/watch?v=MslqQaGGrMQ
ching ching says – reply to this

16

$100 to me, for EVERY PERSON WHO MENTIONS THE WORDS
"castro" and "dead" in their comment.
viva cuba says – reply to this

17

!!!
Pepe says – reply to this

18

Tres?
lili says – reply to this

19

Brilliant political ploy on Raul's part to gain the peoples' "trust."

Tread lightly on claiming victory, democracy is still far, far, far, far, far FAR away.
hillary says – reply to this

20

yay!
fu cuba says – reply to this

21

the mob should run cuba again
perez is dumb
sam says – reply to this

22

WOW!!!!!!!!! AND FIDEL CASTRO WAS DEAD!
scabby says – reply to this

23

3rd, and i have a nice rack
Ricky J. says – reply to this

24

*Please forward to Perez*

Hola Chico!

I would first like to state how I feel that a positive Cuban mass media outlit is nessasary. Being Cuban and in college (Senior Year at Boston University) I would also like to say that while it might seem that what Raul is doing might be positive signs, I would warn that they might be political smoke screens. While it seems great that he is lifting "excessive prohibitions," the problem lies in the common Cubans ability to afford such luxaries. So realistically, unless he plans on lowering the cost of these new products and services for Cubans I would say we should not throw caution to the wind about these news stories. It is a very good attempt by the Cuban government to seem as though a new regime is instilling sweeping changes towards a less nationalistic government.

I would be more than happy to become part of the Perez team on topics relating to Cuba, Cuban exciles in Miami and around the world, and even famus Cubans in American Celebrity (yourself and Mikey Lowell included).
courtney says – reply to this

25

TOI
MAGELA says – reply to this

26

FINALLY….

THANKS PEREZ FOR POSTING OTHER NEWS NOT ONLY RELATED TO STUPID CELEBS.
dumbo says – reply to this

27

poop
OBAMA 08 says – reply to this

28

sounds good!!
kk says – reply to this

29

I was in Cuba last month and this summer, these changes are great but it's not what it seems, most of them can't afford a tv or dvd or cell phones again it's just the wealthy and the officials that will benefit from this, they can't even cross into Varadero of they don't work there!!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX says – reply to this

30

ONCE AGAIN PEREZ:
HERE IN AMERICA WE DON'T CARE.
WHY DON'T YOU AND ALL YOU'RE "FRIENDS" WHO DO CARE GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM?
USA HAS ENOUGH PROBLEMS, MOST STEMING FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU.
Gorbi says – reply to this

31

Sweet. The rapid transition sure helped Russia. Won't be long until Cuba is Florida Jr. Maybe Havana can be the new Miami?! I wonder if they got starbucks yet.
Cuba Libre!! says – reply to this

32

Raul's daughter is an activist for LGBT rights is Cuba! VIVA Mariela!

I think while these latest developments in Cuba are a good sign, I have a feeling Raul is doing this to ease growing tensions on the Island. Do you think Fidel is dead?? Is that why Raul feels comfortable relaxing the some the restrictions?
Mama says – reply to this

33

Hopefully, this is all done with good intentions … thank heavens there is even a little taste of freedom for the Cubanos! I'm hoping that these moves won't pacify the populus, but urge them to want more freedom!
bathog says – reply to this

34

cuba is desperate to become a state. we should take them over. whether they want it or not. they have great beaches and good culos.
sourdoggie says – reply to this

35

I doubt democracy will be next. Well it depends on what the people want. Communism is good in theory but when it comes to getting material goods it totally sucks.

I hope thought that non-violent political prisoners will have their day soon.
RAUL CASTRO IS THE MAN!!!! says – reply to this

36

right on mr. castro, keep on bringing in the freedom- it will only make you more popular & enrich your country & it's people!!!!!!!!!
Stella says – reply to this

37

Let them eat…American Idol…or at least watch it…
Just Wondering says – reply to this

38

Do they speak Mexican there too?
bathog says – reply to this

39

Re: sourdoggie – good in theory? not quite. we need to put some capitalism in a missile and blast it right down castratos throat. they have been patiently waiting for us to liberate them for decades. lets go
aby says – reply to this

40

This is just great news. But it's true that they can afford buying all this material things, only few of them can do it, and just because they work on CUC, and those who earn CUC's live in Havana or near the tourist hotels. Those can afford this and more. But, what happens to the rest of them? Most of all -on the rural areas- prefer one of your t-shirts before money (I came back to Spain with less than a half of my luggage)
Nancy says – reply to this

41

Hi Perez-

I really enjoy your site, but I rarely comment here. This story grabbed my attention.

These changes are positive, but they can also be viewed in a negative light on a larger scale. It seems as though Raul Castro is being very politically savvy by lifting minor restrictions. Raul is being portrayed in a positive light by the media for allowing Cubans to buy cell phones and DVD players, but this is obscuring the big picture. Raul Castro is still a Communist dictator! Until there are free elections, there is no true freedom of choice in Cuba.

By the way, I am sure that the "foreign content" on the state-run television channels will be heavily censored and hand-selected by the government. What good are cell phones and DVD players if the people have no money to buy them? Please do not forget that Raul Castro is still a dictator and a barrier to political and economic freedom in Cuba. It seems to me that Raul Castro is making minor changes to distract the general public from seeing the big picture. I know that your heart is in the right place, but please do not feed into Raul Castro’s PR campaign!
aby says – reply to this

42

I hate reading people talking about liberate cubans. Please, don't believe you're better than they. CUBA NEEDS DEMOCRACY, not other "Castro" who told them how to live. Let them choose their way to freedom, from both sides, Miami's cubans too.
Ody says – reply to this

43

Perez,
how about mentioning that no Cubans can actually afford to buy any of these "luxuries", as it would take 8 months (at best) of a cuban citizen's salary to afford a one night stay at one of these hotels. As a Cuban you should understand that what Raul Castro is doing is not progress and saying that its so is an insult to all the political prisoners sitting in Cuban prisons for fighting for true changes in the island.
Unacubiche says – reply to this

44

WTF! Perez how can they buy cell phones, DVD players or anything when the avg. income if $40 a month. Get real, that's just a ploy!
Nancy says – reply to this

45

I really enjoy your site, but I rarely comment here. This story grabbed my attention.
These changes are positive, but they can also be viewed in a negative light on a larger scale. It seems as though Raul Castro is being very politically savvy by lifting minor restrictions. Raul is being portrayed in a positive light by the media for allowing Cubans to buy cell phones and DVD players, but this is obscuring the big picture. Raul Castro is still a Communist dictator! Until there are free elections, there is no true freedom of choice in Cuba.
By the way, I am sure that the "foreign content" on the state-run television channels will be heavily censored and hand-selected by the government. What good are cell phones and DVD players if the people have no money to buy them? Please do not forget that Raul Castro is still a dictator and a barrier to political and economic freedom in Cuba. It seems to me that Raul Castro is making minor changes to distract the general public from seeing the big picture. I know that your heart is in the right place, but please do not feed into Raul Castro’s PR campaign!
Ya Era Tiempo!!! says – reply to this

46

Que Bola Perez?

Good Post!! Cuba Libre Amigo, Cuba Libre!!!!
Nancy says – reply to this

47

Oops, sorry for re-posting- I'm having internet connection problems.
MORONS says – reply to this

48

OH GREAT SO NOW THE CUBANS CAN WATCH THE HILLS AND BECOME AS MATERIALISTIC AND MINDLESS AS US AMERICANS. WOOHOO WHAT A GREAT DAY.
Go Cuba Go says – reply to this

49

Bring on the prono
highlander says – reply to this

50

Whatever it takes to send your effeminate a**hole back to Cuba, you fat rump ranger.
KK says – reply to this

51

It's good that Cuba is finally getting some liberties. Yay for them
Sandi says – reply to this

52

I think this all awesome….

just one thing you are forgetting, more than half the population in Cuba makes far less than $100 a week. Do you think many of them have cable? or maybe even a TV? and the fact that he allowed cell phones is great, except again, can they afford them, let alone a bill?
VICTORIA DE ROCOVARELA says – reply to this

53

wohooooooooooooooooo that is awesome concidering that cubans only have 2 CHANNELS
QueenOfTrashin' says – reply to this

54

Esta muy bueno por los Cubanos.
Dani says – reply to this

55

There's nothing wrong with the fact that Cuba has not had a democracy. In fact, under Fidel, all Cubans have had amazing health care and education services- they are among the most literate and educated in Latin America. Had it not been for the US's unnecessary embargo, Cubans would have had a much greater experience under Castro. Let's not forget that living under the fascist Batista regime (that the US had backed) that Castro overthrew was not exactly great for Cubans either.
Lo says – reply to this

56

it would be nice if the U.S had a democracy…
kamilalila says – reply to this

57

KEEP GOING RAUL CASTRO!!! ONE SIGNATURE AT TIME!!! But no more DICTATORS RAUL CASTRO NO MORE!!!!!
Silvia says – reply to this

58

Perez - Are you really Cuban! You must know the REAL struggles of Cuba Raul is a Dictator like many said this is a ploy. Not to mention the people of Cuba don't have any money to buy even the basics how will they have money to buy a cell phone. PLEASE…. I'm not a huge fan of yours and seeing this today I'm so irritated that you make it seem like WOW Raul is doing something good. Give me a Break!
Mo says – reply to this

59

Re: Dani – "There's nothing wrong with the fact that Cuba has not had a democracy."Tell that to the people who were killed, imprisoned, forced to flee, or had their property confiscated by Castro's regime. This is typical white, liberal rhetoric.
Walter Lippmann says – reply to this

60

And there's not a single commercial on any Cuban television channel!

It's too bad that most people living in the United States don't have the right to go and see Cuba for themselves. What is Washington afraid of? Recently the New York Philharmonic went to North Korea, but no one who wanted to see the concert needed a permission slip from the federal government to check it out. Cuba is the only place on the planet where people from the U.S. need a permission slip from the federal government to go for a visit.

Walter Lippmann
Los Angeles
dani says – reply to this

61

There's nothing wrong with a country not being a democracy, and most importantly, don't be too quick to forget that under the COMMUNIST rule of Fidel, every citizen had health care (by some of the best doctors in the world) and educational opportunities. Cubans are the most literate and educated in all of Latin America. It was only the US blockade on Cuba that has prevented the country from being prosperous, and the fascist, American back regime of Batista that Fidel overthrew was not exactly a great place for Cubans to live.
dani says – reply to this

62

Re: Mo – Re: Mo –
I'm sorry, but really "Mo" it was Batista's regime that was executing dissenters, and the "stealing" of property by Castro was really just distributing it equally amongst all citizens, rather then concentrating it in the hands of the few rich people. I think America would be a little better off 60% of the countries wealth wasn't in the hands of 20% of the population.
rebeca says – reply to this

63

perez
weve spoken before ( family of raul esparza)
although these changes are 'better'
it is not true freedom to be ALLOWED to buy cell phones.. etc.

still sucks. big time. raul castro is still a piece of shit.
rebeca says – reply to this

64

oh ps to dani #55
if you arent cuban and your parents arent exiles that were imprisoned and kicked out of school and came here in the 50s-present, you can shut the fuck up. democracy, while not perfect is a great thing. universal healthcare, when there arent barely any doctors or any hospitals that arent run down.. is pretty much an oxymoron. im not some crazy republican either, but i am a cuban, and when people like aubrey from lame ass danity kane say they want to have dinner with fidel, it pisses me off, knowing what my family and thousands of cubans have gone through just for freedom. do some research.
Billy Bob says – reply to this

65

Hey dumbass Perez, I thought a few months ago you said Fidel was dead? Who's the f@%&ing idiot - oh yea, it's you!!!!!!
HURRAY! says – reply to this

66

NICE!!!!! GOOD JOB! SHIT…I'M SHOCKED…HAD NO IDEA THIS GUY WAS EVEN GOING TO DO A THING! WOW!!!!
Comunist says – reply to this

67

Yes, maybe they need DEMOCRACY, like yours AMERICAN s….t DEMOCRACY??!! BRAVO!!! Just follow America and you'l go far, far away!
4sher says – reply to this

68

i really must say that you ,"perez hilton", keep reaffirming what a total and complete retard you can be. You really say obliviously stupid shit all the time.As a cuban-american, the fact that u can say raul castro and freedom in the same sentence just proves how studying other peoples lives so intensely can fuck with a person intellect.Do you really believe that because cell phones are now allowed and a measley news channel is bieng broadcasted that CUBA is on a path towards democracy under RAUL CASTRO??!! You're more fucking stupid than you look and that is tough to accomplish. BY giving these oppressed people these very LIMITED luxeries, he's simply attempting to gain their approval for the sole purpose for the oppression and ignorance to continue. DEMOCRACY NOR TRUE FREEDOM WILL EVER EXIST UNDER THE CASTRO REGIME, BE IT FIDEL OR HIS FRUTA-BOMBA BROTHER RAUL DICKHEAD. FUCK THIS WEBSITE
criminallyfugly says – reply to this

69

Evidently, Raul has been harboring these(and possibly more) progressive concepts for quite some time. For sure, he has been patient to a fault, waiting for his bro Fidel's Iron Fist to sufficiently rust away. No doubt Raul ought keep up the good work.
ms says – reply to this

70

all of these changes he is making are SO Superficial. There are no cell phone towers in cuba, so having cell phones really doesn't make that big of a deal. I have been there many times.

This "progress" is insulting to the people of Cuba
Alix says – reply to this

71

NO WAY FIDEL IS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!
Walter Lippmann says – reply to this

72

Cell phones in Cuba - They have had them for YEARS. Nothing is new about that, and Cubans have had them for years as well, but without permission. Now they can have them without getting some foreigner to buy the phone for them. Now they can have them legally, a modest but positive step.
jude says – reply to this

73

Re: bathog –
Fuck you filthy imperialist
Jen says – reply to this

74

So not democracy. Everything he is allowing people to buy still needs to be paid with American dollars, and the government pockets the money.
bob says – reply to this

75

Don't forget that the United States is not a democracy, it's a Republic and with good reason. The founding fathers specifically avoided making us a democracy. Let's hope Cuba becomes a Republic with elected representatives.
nana rox says – reply to this

76

Perez… where are the Cubans going to get the money for the cell phones and the dvd players??? HOW are they going to get the money to stay at a hotel??? Don't u see that this is all mockery in the face of Cubans?? Although it is good news that all those excessive restrictions have been lifted and the opportunity has been given to the Cubans, they have no money to utilize these new freedoms!! Raul Castro is just as f*cked up as his brother Fidel…. God forgive me, but may they rot in hell..

Let us not forget what Raul Castro stood next to and suppoprted for all these years..He backed up his brother Fidel, the man who separated our families and killed our people…Just remember that..
jad says – reply to this

77

Re: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX – you stupid you said it right ,usa has enough problems,one of them is to have people like you living here,if you dont care for people tha has done not harm to you, then you dont care for nothing.if you think like that respect cuban people im sure of the insensitive and mean person you are.
jad says – reply to this

78

Re: Nancy – nancy you say that "WHAT GOOD ARE CELLPHONES AND DVD PLAYERS if the people have no money to buy them?"
now think about this,can you buy a private jet here? can you go shooping every day and spend thowsands of dollars? can you buy a flat screen tv for every room in your house?,can you purchase the expensive gas for your car without thinking"when will go down?
maybe you can ,maybe don't and that's what and trying to say ,every where in the world there is people that can do things diferently to others,nothing is perfect,not even you,not even me,and for those amazing cubans those changes are a big thing,bc although some of them can't not buy those goods,they finally have the idea and the freedom to know that they can .
Marek says – reply to this

79

Someday, in the distant future, when the Bushies are gone and Fox News has faded into oblivion, maybe, just maybe, you yanquis will get a friggin' clue. A half-century of propaganda from your own government and media combined with the oh-so-American lack of any inclination to educate yourselves about the world at large have left you wholly unable to see reality beyond the sparklies of Hollywood.

Cuba's government restrictions on foreign television networks have not been the work of evil communist bureaucrats. There are legal frameworks within which all countries must operate. In no country is it legal to steal satellite television signals. Just as it is illegal for the USA to be broadcasting its hateful propaganda via Radio & TV Marti into Cuban airspace. But why let a little thing like the law get in the way of an imperialist state extending its domination of the world….
lisa says – reply to this

80

DON'T GET TO EXCITED DUMMY
DMAN says – reply to this

81

what the hell is this CONAN's LAX (TNA)
VIVA LA RASTA
aww. says – reply to this

82

Aww. That's cute Perez, you think democracy exists.

I also ADORE how everyone looooove Che, and hates Castro. You think Che would've done things differently?

Cute guys. Y'all are real cute.