Odds and ends

• Reuters: Cuba’s top independent human rights monitor reports that the Cuban government is using more intimidation and harassment, and less long-term detention, against political opponents. The number of political prisoners dropped from 208 in mid-2009 to 201 now.

• Magnitude 5.9 earthquakes shook Haiti and the Cayman Islands today, with some vague press reports indicating that the latter one was felt in Cuba. The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of the past week’s many quakes in the region is here.

• “Russians Affirm that U.S. Caused Haiti Earthquake:” Cuba’s Radio Reloj runs a story on its website from a news service in Ecuador, claiming that Russia’s navy is linking Haiti’s earthquake and others to “shock wave bombs” developed by the U.S. Navy. This poorly written story refers to “these reports” and “the report” but doesn’t cite anything. It would be interesting to know if any such statement or report from the Russian military really exists. Sounds like Moscow’s old disinformation department, and its network, are still in business.

• The U.S. travel industry and Cuban officials will meet at a March conference in Cancun, just announced.

• A discussion of information technology and social media in Cuba was held in New York last week; here are comments from two participants, Ted Henken and Irving Wladawsky-Berger.