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Cuba Changing But Only Slowly Since Obama apos;s Policy Shift

2020-07-07T01:44:26Z

AstridBaughman7: Created page with "Cuba changing, but only slowly, since Obama's policy shift By [/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Reuters Reuters] Published: 11:01 BST, 17 March 2016 | Updated: 11:0..."

Cuba changing, but only slowly, since Obama's policy shift By [/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Reuters Reuters] Published: 11:01 BST, 17 March 2016 | Updated: 11:01 BST, 17 March 2016 [ ] [ ] [ ] </a> By Daniel Trotta HAVANA, [https://momcheap.pageride.com/importance-of-home-depot-kids-workshop/ momcheap.pageride.com] March 17 (Reuters) - Saul Berenthal has waited for decades for a chance to do business in Cuba. Despite the astonishing breakthroughs in U.S.-Cuban relations under President Barack Obama, he must wait some more. Berenthal and business partner Horace Clemmons of Alabama are close to becoming the first U.S. businessmen to manufacture in Cuba with a plan to build low-cost tractors designed for Cuban farms, largely run by private cooperatives. Their project has U.S. approval and Cuba's Communist government has given positive signals about the proposed plant but has yet to bestow permission. "It's a little bit of a test of loyalty. Are we willing to go through obstacles to achieve what we believe is a good thing for the Cubans and ourselves?" said Berenthal, who was born in Cuba in 1944 and left for the United States as a student in 1960, a year after Fidel Castro's revolution. After more than half a century of antagonism between the two countries, Obama has redefined relations with Cuba in the last 15 months, and Cuba is changing. But its leaders are wary of moving too quickly. "What is perceived on the outside as slow progress is really the way of Cubans assuring themselves of the trust that is necessary to be built," Berenthal said. Obama arrives in Havana on Sunday for a historic visit that seals a rapprochement he and Cuban President Raul Castro agreed in December 2014 after 18 months of secret negotiations. Since then, Havana has changed noticeably. The number of U.S. visitors soared 77 percent in 2015, swarming hotels and restaurants that have been booked to capacity. Obama this week issued sweeping regulations to promote even more U.S. travel and trade to Cuba. It was the fifth time he has used executive powers to boost ties with Cuba, sidestepping the Republican-controlled Congress which has refused to lift a 54-year-old economic embargo against the island. Cuba's government has yet to fully reciprocate. Cuba did agree to roaming deals with U.S. telecommunications operators and restoring scheduled commercial airline service, two deals that bring more revenue to the government. When it comes to Obama's overtures to the Cuba's small but growing private sector, however, the government has been more deliberate. It has yet to accept U.S. sales of farming equipment and construction materials to private businesses, which were authorized by Obama. Market-style reforms, introduced by Raul Castro in 2011 to "update" Cuba's socialist model, have been implemented haltingly, even reversed in some areas. The government recently attempted restoring price controls on fresh food markets in Havana. Many traits of communism remain. Political dissent is repressed, commercial property cannot be bought and sold and the government still controls imports and exports. There is no wholesale market for most private enterprises, forcing shopkeepers to buy inventory at state retail prices or resort to trickery or the black market. "Cuba has already changed, but needs more," said Niuris Higueras, owner of the Atelier restaurant, one of the trendiest spots in Havana's dining scene. She said business grew 50 percent over the past year. "We need to link up with the U.S. market," Higueras said. "There needs to be more access to U.S. products here in Cuba. We need Home Depot, a Walmart, a Costco. A Restaurant Depot would be fabulous." OBAMA: TRADE NOW, POLITICS LATER While the ice has been broken on commerce, Castro insists there will be no change to one-party rule. U.S.-backed dissidents are still detained for attempting unauthorized political demonstrations and opponents of Obama's opening to Cuba say he has rewarded Castro without receiving concessions in return. The White House counters that helping stimulate a vibrant private sector is good for ordinary Cubans and offers a more promising path toward political change than the decades-old policy of isolation. While the date of Dec. 17, 2014, marks the most significant turning point in U.S.-Cuban relations, the Obama policy that has so far had most impact on the lives of ordinary Cubans was implemented in 2009, just three months into his presidency. It was then he ordered the lifting of travel restrictions on Cuban-Americans visiting relatives in Cuba and the removal of limits on remittances to relatives on the island. Cuban-Americans can now come and go freely and send as much money as they want to their families. That has financed a boom in small businesses and home repairs and jolted the nascent real estate market. Castro's own reforms have also helped grow the private sector. Today some 500,000 Cubans, or 10 percent of the workforce, are registered to work in private businesses, including restaurants, car repair workshops, homes rented out to tourists, beauty parlors and English language schools. Some 70 percent of the 1-million-strong agricultural workforce is private with many Cubans working on state farms that have converted into cooperatives and owning equal stakes in the business. John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, which has been tracking Cuba for more than 20 years, says the changes have lifted expectations, especially inside the budding middle-class. "There is now additional pressure from within for structural changes to the ideological foundation of the country. Cuba must do more than reform the commercial and economic sectors of the country. It must aggressively redefine the revolution," Kavulich said. While Cuban dissidents and Obama's critics at home prioritize the issue of human rights, others are more concerned about economic growth and better living conditions. "No one is talking about the visit in terms of democracy, human rights or the opposition. There is still no culture around freedom of expression," Anaida Gonzalez, a retired nurse in central Camaguey province, said in a telephone interview. "People have too many problems in their daily lives. What they want is for their lives to improve and they associate that with the embargo," she said. Most Cubans live on state salaries that average $25 a month plus a monthly ration card that provides about a week's worth of food and household supplies. "It would be a mistake to assume most Cubans prioritize political questions and are scared to express themselves," said Carlos Alzugaray, a retired Cuban diplomat and professor specializing in U.S.-Cuban relations. "They hope to live better. Change, political and economic, is coming to Cuba anyway, but on our own terms." (Reporting by Daniel Trotta, Marc Frank and Nelson Acosta; Editing by Kieran Murray)

Two Brothers Behind Notorious Graffiti Gang Jailed For 12 Months

2020-07-03T22:13:50Z

AstridBaughman7: Created page with "Two brothers behind a graffiti gang have been branded 'common vandals' by a judge after they waged a six year campaign of wanton damage on trains and public buildings across t..."

Two brothers behind a graffiti gang have been branded 'common vandals' by a judge after they waged a six year campaign of wanton damage on trains and public buildings across the world. Dominic Leach, 25, and his 24-year brother Niall were leading figures in a group of self styled 'street artists' named the SMT Crew which spray-painted slogans and motifs on the sides of rolling stock, bridges and other property. Between 2011 and 2017 members of the gang struck hundreds of times across the UK, Belgium, [/news/italy/index.html Italy], the Czech republic and even [/news/south-korea/index.html South Korea] and posted footage of their 'tagging' attacks on social media. Dominic Leach, left, and his brother Niall, right, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester were both members of a graffiti gang which defaced public buildings and trains across the globe In one incident, Niall was seen opening a bottle of champagne in celebration outside a graffiti-bombed train in Southport, Merseyside whilst Dominic marketed 'System Tumours' - a DVD of their activities - to fans of the underground 'graffiti' scene. Computer technician Dominic - whose mother is a senior NHS manager at the world famous Christie cancer hospital in Manchester - had earlier agreed to assume control of the gang after its leader was jailed in London. RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/news/article-5970289/Shocking-moment-lorry-driver-takes-hands-wheel-13-ton-truck.html Shocking moment lorry driver takes both hands off the wheel...] [/news/article-5970007/Teenager-called-friends-moments-accidentally-stepped-railway-line.html I don¿t know where I am': Teenager¿s desperate final phone...] Share this article Share The leader - a talented fashion photographer - sent Dominic a message from prison urging him and his brother a cricket club groundsman not to get caught adding: 'I trust your judgement - I want quality pieces, rather than mass damage. I want style and full colours.' But police first began rounding up the gang in 2013 after Dominic was stopped and searched by police on the London Underground network in 2013 and subsequently found a trail of texts and messages implicating his SMT Crew accomplices. British Transport Police found evidence of the damage caused by the brothers' gang The court heard the gang operated across the UK and much of world The pair had previously jailed and deported from South Korea after vandalising In April 2017 the brothers were both jailed over a £340,000 vandalism spree but were released early for good behaviour. Just three months later they were rearrested in Seoul over another graffiti attack. They were subsequently jailed in Korea then deported to the UK. On Wednesday the Leach brothers both of Middleton, near Rochdale, Greater Manchester were each sentenced to another 12 months jail over involvement in graffiti damage costing up to £77,000. But the pair who admitted conspiracy to cause criminal damage were freed due to time spent on remand. Three accomplices were also freed. Judge Hilary Manley told them: 'You have displayed pointless, mindless, self-indulgent behaviour and have caused inconvenience and expense to many people. Going around causing this kind of unsightly mess causes a lot of problems. It is just common vandalism. At the age that each of you are, it should be plain embarrassing for you to be standing in that dock.' Manchester Crown Court heard graffiti attacks cost councils £270 million each years Manchester Crown Court heard graffiti attacks cost councils in England £270m and train operators £100 million each year in paint removal. It was claimed damages caused to railway services from vandalism cause 115,000 hours of delays per year. British Transport Police began an operation to tackle the SMT Crew after it targeted rolling stock and other property belonging to Virgin Trains, Chiltern Railways, Merseyrail, Northern, London Midland, London Underground, Manchester Metrolink and Arriva Train Wales. Dominic had began his criminal career in 2008 then was arrested in 2015 with his brother in Milan having been captured while in an underground rail depot. He was convicted again for vandalising Manchester Piccadilly rail station then jailed for a year in 2017 before being held in Korea. Niall who trained as a groundskeeper at Old Trafford cricket ground, and has had contracts in Belgium and New Zealand first became involved in graffiti vandalism after taking part in designated places at skate parks. He was first convicted in 2007 for theft of spray paint cans, was jailed in 2017 then arrested in Seoul with his brother. The court heard that each group has their own special tag to identify their own work William Donnelly prosecuting said: 'This was a subculture with its own rules - all writers have their own tag which allows other writers to identify them. These tags are written with a marker type pen or a spray paint. 'Each graffiti writer is usually part of a group with their own tag, for a dedicated graffiti writer danger is often part of the thrill. It is places like trains, bridges and tops of buildings which are particular popular amongst writers. 'Writers will often practise their graffiti at home and keep practise artwork. Often images of their work is found on home computers where they can easily be sent to others involved. That perhaps is why graffiti is unusual as a crime because the person who commits the crime wants to be recognised. Graffiti writers often want to compete with their rivals. Accomplice Elliot Scott, pictured, received a 12-month suspended sentence 'But graffiti can also lead to the decline of an area and is a lack of respect to where people live and play, graffiti may create no-go areas prejudicing interest in that place. The 'SMT crew' were a 'family' of graffiti taggers behind a nationwide campaign of criminal damage The money spent simply of restoring the property such as the trains to their original condition is in excess of £77,000. 'Photos and videos were recovered from all of the defendants homes from phones and computers. Some of these show the defendants committing the crimes and some have GPS links tracing them to the crimes. The police even used GPS data to link Dominic Leach and his accomplices to the crimes 'There is also evidence of phone contact between each other and some previous convictions linking them. Letters were found between some of the defendants allowing attribution to particular tags.' He added: 'In August last year, the brothers were serving a sentence in South Korea for similar offences. Niall and Dominic were deported from South Korea and were arrested at Heathrow Airport for these offences. They were recalled to prison in respect of a previous matter and have been in custody ever since.' In mitigation for the brothers defence lawyer Dan Gaskell said: 'It is a great shame that two intelligent men find themselves in custody for an offence of this nature. But they are confident they will both find work again. I do not think it would be proper to call Dominic Leach a ringleader n terms of encouraging others as these offences seem to happen quite independently..' Events company worker Elliot Scott, 23 a university graduate who lives on a farm in Greenfield, Oldham was sentenced to 12 months jail suspended for two years and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work. Ukranian-born Maksym Tyshkul, 20, from Prestwich near Bury was sentenced to ten months in prison suspended for two years and was ordered to complete,180 hours unpaid work. Plumber Christopher Uthmen, 24 of Chorlton, Manchester, was sentenced to 14 months in prison suspended for two years and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. All three men will pay £500 in costs and all admitted conspiracy A judge who previously sentenced the Leach brothers in 2016 warned graffiti was 'not a victimless crime' and said it added to an 'air of general lawlessness.' Maksym Tyshkul, left, and Christopher Uthmen, right, also received suspended sentences 'It's about the danger of getting caught': Inside the underground world of graffiti artists - where middle-class youths try to out outdo each other with increasingly daring tags posted on Instagram The burgeoning new generation of graffiti artists are wealthy, middle class young people who often have professional jobs and get an 'adrenaline rush' from working in the most dangerous places, MailOnline can reveal today. Harrison Scott-Hood, 23, Alberto Carrasco, 19, and Jack Gilbert, 23, who were known as 'Lover', 'Trip' and 'K-Bag' respectively, were found dead on a south London railway line on Monday where they had 'no chance' of escaping trains. Graffiti is back on the rise in London as police concentrate on other crimes and the problems cost the railway network £3.5million-a-year in clean up costs alone. Friends of the three dead men have used social media to show them painting trains - dubbed the 'holy grail' - and one photograph shows victim Harrison Scott-Hood riding a bike along a railway line apparently carrying his spray cans. The burgeoning new generation of graffiti artists are wealthy, middle class young people who often have professional jobs and get an 'adrenaline rush' from working in the most dangerous places, MailOnline can reveal today. Pictured is a graffiti artist painting a Tube train in London Leeds Trinity University criminologist Nicola Harding, who has spent years studying graffiti artists in Britain and around the world, has said that street art is increasingly becoming a pursuit for the wealthy using social media like Instagram to gain notoriety. She told MailOnline: 'Graffiti writers aren't generally the 14 year old delinquent school boys we imagine, but older people working full time jobs, university students, or from more affluent backgrounds'. On the perilous spots some choose she said: 'Graffiti writing is as much about the danger of getting caught, the adrenaline of trespass and the danger of the situation, as it is the graffiti writing itself'. The three young men killed at Loughborough Junctions were spraying graffiti on a bridge where they had no hope of escaping trains. All were from respectable homes and either worked full time or were students. A new photograph shows Loughborough Junction victim Harrison Scott-Hood riding a bike along a railway line apparently carrying his spray cans (left). Criminologist Nicola Harding (right) says graffiti artists are now using social media like Instagram to gain notoriety Nicola Harding said: 'From my research it does appear that those who are engaging in graffiti are increasingly now from more affluent backgrounds, as they have the money and time to devote to perfecting their skills. 'In the 1980-90s graffiti writers would have usually started by stealing paint from car workshops. Spray paint is now kept caged if on the high street, and is more often than not sold online. This is quite expensive and requires a certain level of disposable income to be graffiti writing regularly'. She added: 'Instagram is a good way for graffiti writers to show off their graffiti skills, and identify with the culture. By using wild style graffiti or showing spray cans and masks, they can hone the craft of graffiti without getting arrested, but are still part of the graffiti culture'. MailOnline revealed today that their final piece of work was 350 yards from where they died, and involved them hanging over a bridge to paint their names. Nicola Harding said today that the risk of working in dangerous spots or being chased by police can be the most thrilling aspect for graffiti artists. She said: 'Graffiti writing is as much about the danger of getting caught, the adrenaline of trespass and the danger of the situation, as it is the graffiti writing itself'. Leeds Trinity University criminologist Nicola Harding, who has spent years studying graffiti artists in Britain and around the world, has said that street art is increasingly becoming a pursuit for the wealthy middle classes using social media like Instagram to gain notoriety Speaking about the Loughborough Junction case she added: 'It may be that they misjudged the time that they had to paint in that spot, or that they were in as much danger as they actually were. 'Whilst these artists may have painted there for the rush of adrenaline, they also may have painted their because it was a spot available for them to do so'. One street artist, known only as John, has said that painting on trains is considered the 'holy grail' in his community and doing it while one moves - known as a 'runner' is the ultimate thrill. He told Vice: 'Truth is, if you didn't go to jail for it, I'd be out painting trains now, but I don't wanna go jail. The thing writers go to jail for is trains, so you're seeing a lot of people up on the street now'. MailOnline today revealed the final piece of graffiti painted on the night the so-called 'Three Musketeers' died just 350 yards from where they were all run down. The friends walked along a stretch of line close to Brixton Station and did a 'hang over' on a bridge - where you lean over the side to paint - in what friends have called their 'final mission' hours before they died. Paying tribute to his friend Harrison a former schoolmate said: 'He was an amazing human being, a kind-hearted and generous person, someone with an infectious laugh and smile, and a man with infinite wisdom, who worked hard and paid his dues to society. There is so much more to him than the catastrophe that ensued on Sunday night, and this, first and foremost, must be remembered'. He added: 'Graffiti is an infectious and often untreatable bug, for some, no matter how much you try to shake it, it remains a part of your life no matter how many run-ins with the law. Those in the graffiti community do not seek for you to understand why they do it, but simply to comprehend that there is far more to these "graffiti artists" than meets the eye'. British Transport Police said last night they believe the trio were struck by an out-of-service commuter train at Loughborough Junction at around 1am on Monday. Tensions between London's graffiti community are running high at the nearby shrine where friends of the three men visited to lay flowers and cards. Three black hearts and RIP were sprayed on shutters outside the station as wellwishers also left bottles of spray paint in pink, yellow and orange with the nozzles removed. They daubed slogans including 'f*** BTP' [British Transport Police] and 'f*** TfL' [Transport for London] and called for justice for the three dead men. Yesterday a Transport for London board member provoked fury last night after branding the three dead men as 'common scum and criminals'. One of Harrison's former classmates told MailOnline: 'Calling them 'common scum' is an insult to all that they did in their lives. And more importantly, an insult to truth itself'. Another friend said: 'I hope families get some sort of investigation. How come the 3 of them got hit? How come none of them managed to jump on another track? I doubt the traffic is so busy at night. How come none of them heard or saw the freight train coming? Those trains are so big and noisy and they can't run full speed in town. And how come the driver didn't even realised he knocked 3 people off?' A privately educated fine arts student and a teenage photographer were among three graffiti artists killed by a train. Privately-educated fine art student Harrison Scott-Hood (pictured left with mother Susie), 23, who was known as 'Lover' in the graffiti community, died along with Jack Gilbert, 23, (right) and Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, 19, when they were hit by a train The body of Harrison Scott-Hood, 23, known as Harry, was found close to those of his two friends on a busy South London railway line on Monday morning. The budding artist from Muswell Hill, who attended £7,000-a-term Hampstead Fine Arts College, was a well-known figure in the capital's underground graffiti scene. Known by his tag 'Lover', he had been commissioned to undertake professional graffiti murals for firms. The 'Three Musketeer' graffiti artists killed by a train at a notorious and 'dangerous' vandalism hotspot were named by their 'heartbroken' parents on Tuesday. Mr Scott-Hood, whose mother Susie is a successful painter and art agent, was found dead alongside 19-year-old Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, who was known as Trip and also lived in north London. The final victim was Jack Gilbert, a 23-year-old nicknamed K-Bag, and all three friends are believed to have been hit by an out of service passenger train shortly after 1am as they painted on walls in south London after dark. Alberto's father Carlos is the UK correspondent of Spanish daily and his parents said today that they had last heard from their son, a keen Everton and Sevilla fan from Hampstead, on Sunday night at 10pm saying he would be coming home for dinner - but he never arrived. They said he was a talented graphic designer and football fanatic who was born in New York but moved to the UK in 2011, adding: 'They were painting graffiti late at night in a particularly dangerous place. His absence has left a deep hole in the family'. Mr Scott-Hood's parents Perry Hood, [https://momcheap.pageride.com/importance-of-home-depot-kids-workshop/ https://momcheap.pageride.com/importance-of-home-depot-kids-workshop/] 71, and Susie Begg, 64, were too upset to speak at their £750,000 home in Muswell Hill, North London, last night. But in a statement, they paid tribute to their 'intelligent and wonderful' son who they described as a 'beautiful artist'. The couple said: 'We are completely heartbroken by the loss of our only son, Harrison. 'He was the love of our life, a kind and beautiful young man and we were beyond broken by this news. Harrison was loved by everyone, he was an intelligent and wonderful boy who had so many close friends. Harrison completed us.' Mrs Begg, an artistic agent who runs her own agency, had recently shared a painting by her son of their pet cat with the comment, 'Think it's rather lovely.' Mr Scott-Hood was a student at Hampstead Fine Arts College for two years until June 2012, studying A-levels in media, graphic design and photography. Principal Candida Cave said: 'He was a very individual and talented student who created unusual and vibrant images, often influenced by contemporary 'street art'. 'He was very popular with his fellow students and had a good sense of humour. He went on to study art and design at a London Art School.' Three black hearts and RIP were sprayed on shutters outside Loughborough Junction yesterday and wellwishers also left flowers and three bottles of spray paint with the nozzles removed - in pink, yellow and orange. One fan of their work wrote on Facebook: 'Sad news today, The Three Musketeers! RIP' and others posted photographs of them spraypainting all over London, including on its railway network and trains. Another wrote in tribute: 'When I see new tags and graf track side I'm pleasingly reminded that we don't all live in a boring servile society. Among the adverts spoonfed to us are small reminders that there are thrills to be had. RIP K-Bag, Lover and Trip'. Mr Carrasco's family read about the Loughborough Junction incident on the news yesterday morning but didn't think he would have been in south London so didn't connect it to 'Alby'. In the afternoon police informed them of his death. They said in a statement released via British Transport Police: 'With great pain we have received the news of the death of our son, Alberto, in the incident in which two other young people also lost their lives in the vicinity of Brixton station. The British Transport Police informed us on Monday afternoon. We believe the three were hit by a train when they were painting graffiti late at night in a particularly dangerous place. Youths are seen in this video painting a Tube train in London in footage posted on YouTube 'Alberto had left home at five o'clock on Sunday afternoon. His last message was at ten o'clock that evening announcing his intention to return home for dinner. Our concern grew after many hours without hearing from him. From early in the morning we learned of the accident in which 'three men' had died in Brixton, but at first we did not establish the connection. 'From a very young age, his passion was to draw. He was ready to study graphic design at the London College of Communication (LCC) from September. He is survived by his parents Isabel and Carlos and his brothers Miguel, 21, and Julio, 14. The family of Jack Gilbert, who died after being hit by a train at Loughborough Junction on Monday, have said he 'lit up everyone's world just by being in it', in a statement issued through British Transport Police. The parents of Alberto Fresneda Carrasco (pictured left and right) said today that they had last heard from their son, a keen Everton and Sevilla fan, on Sunday night at 10pm saying he would be coming home for dinner - but he never arrived Mr Gilbert, 23, from Bush Hill Park, Enfield, was one of three graffiti artists killed. His family said: 'There are no words to describe the devastation we feel. He was a wonderful son, brother, uncle and boyfriend. 'His generosity was endless and he would help anyone who needed it. 'He lit up everyone's world just by being in it and never failed to put a smile on people's faces. 'The hole he has left in our hearts will never be filled. 'His talent for art even from an early age was exceptional. 'Everyone loved Jack and the only solace we have is he died doing something he loved.' Three suspected graffiti artists killed when a train struck them at a notorious vandalism hotspot have been named as 'The Three Musketeers' including a young man named 'Trip' (pictured in a tribute, whose real name is Alberto Fresneda Carrasco)

User:AstridBaughman7

2020-07-03T16:57:12Z

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