Skip to main content

Cuba’s Santeria priests wax positive as transition from Castros begins

Santeria followers perform a holy drum beat after reading the annual Letter of the Year in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Priests from Cuba’s Afro-Cuban Santeria religion forecast on Tuesday that the upcoming retirement of President Raul Castro would signify “a moment of change” that accelerates the pace of reform on the Communist-run island.
The ritual-filled religion, which fuses Catholicism with ancient African beliefs brought to Cuba by slaves, is practiced by millions of Cubans, many of whom eagerly await guidance from its annual forecast.
Víctor Betancourt, a babalawo or Santeria priest, and member of the commission that writes the “Letter of the Year” containing prophesies and recommendations for followers, was upbeat at a news conference following the release of the letter.
“I am sure this is a moment of change, a moment that can favor us, first of all because it is under the divinity of Yemaya, the Orisha (goddess) of feeding,” he said, “and really that is what we need.”
In a broader sense, Yemaya is goddess of the seas and of water, and is considered one of the most powerful and positive deities.
Castro, 86, said last month he would step down as President in April. He took over in 2008 after his brother Fidel Castro, who had governed Cuba since leading the 1959 revolution, became seriously ill. Fidel Castro died in 2016.
“We hope that the new leader will bring new reforms,” Betancourt said. “We are betting on reforms of the laws, in the food and health system, in social education that is contaminating the minds of the youth.”
First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, 57, is widely seen as Castro’s successor. “It is a moment of change … to make changes. A time to change schemes that really do us harm,” Betancourt said.
Cuba has been immersed for a decade in efforts to transform its Soviet-style economy in hopes of improving the country’s sluggish performance.
But bureaucratic resistance has slowed progress toward a more market-oriented system and the crisis in ally Venezuela has left Cuba hard-pressed to pay for imports and recapitalize infrastructure.
The Letter of the Year prophesied “health in the complete sense of the term,” and urged followers to “maintain a good social and moral conduct.”




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meryl Streep wants to trademark her own name

Meryl Streep has won three Oscars, three Emmys and six Golden Globes during her 40-year long career on stage, screen and television. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP, File) Meryl Streep, the most celebrated actress of her generation, has filed an application to trademark her name. The application was filed with US Patent and Trademark Office on January 22, records show. It requests that the name Meryl Streep be trademarked for “entertainment services,” movie appearances, speaking engagements and autographs. Streep, 68, last week extended her record to 21 Academy Award nominations, this time for her role in “The Post.” She has won three Oscars, three Emmys and six Golden Globes during her 40-year long career on stage, screen and television. It is not clear why Streep would file a trademark application at this stage in her career and her attorney and publicist did not return a request for comment on Monday. Many celebrities trademark their names or catch phrases to pro...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hillary Clinton surprises with Grammy ‘Fire and Fury’ spoof

Hillary Clinton (AP) Bruno Mars beat Jay-Z for the top Grammy Awards on Sunday, but the surprise star of the night was former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reading from Michael Wolff’s controversial book “Fire and Fury.” A pre-taped parody sketch saw Grammy Awards host James Corden audition celebrities, including John Legend, Cher, Cardi B and Snoop Dogg. They read excerpts from the deeply critical book about President Donald Trump’s first year in office, ostensibly as contenders for a spoken word Grammy prize. Clinton, who lost the 2016 election to Trump, read an excerpt from the book about Trump’s eating habits. “One reason why he liked to eat at McDonald’s: Nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely pre-made,” Clinton read. Corden then praised her, saying “The Grammy is in the bag.” The president’s family and members of his administration immediately criticized the segment. His son Donald Trump Jr. tweeted: “Getting to read a #fakenews book e...
Post a Comment
Read more

Over 1 lakh illegal immigrants arrested in US in 2017

On January 25, Trump issued an executive order to set forth the Administration’s immigration enforcement and removal priorities. (Representational Image) The US authorities have arrested 143,470 illegal immigrants this year, according to a latest report. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in its annual report that it has made 143,470 administrative arrests in fiscal year 2017, increasing 30 per cent Year-on-Year, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. An administrative arrest is the arrest of an alien for a civil violation of the immigration laws, which is subsequently adjudicated by an immigration judge or through other administrative processes. Of the total arrests, 110,568 occurred after January 20, which is a 42 per cent increase over the same time period last year, according to the report. US President Donald Trump took the oath of office on January 20 this year. On January 25, Trump issued an executive order to set forth the Administration’s immigrat...
Post a Comment
Read more