Odds and ends

• The Los Angeles Times on the worries of Cuba and others in the region as they contemplate the possible loss of Venezuelan assistance.  Yesterday, Venezuelan officials said Chavez’ medical state has worsened (Reuters).

• Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart tweets his outrage over an IRS television studio that costs $4 million per year.  Congressman, while you’re at it, how about a government studio in Miami that produces broadcasts that don’t reach their audience?

• A Cuban government statement in Granma complains about lack of consular access to one of the Cuban Five prisoners, Rene Gonzalez.  The State Department says that Gonzalez, serving the final part of his sentence on parole, has been able to visit Cuban diplomats in Washington (AFP).  AP story here.

• A new study on gender equality in Cuba by the Center for Democracy in the Americas; New York Times review here.

• The New York Times on a “challenging moment for Cuban baseball.”

• Herald columnist Fred Grimm on Operation Spring Break, or the complete end to U.S. travel restrictions.  He points out that the Cuban government has benefited over the years from emigration, in which “those most likely to challenge the regime left. The counter-revolution emigrated to Miami instead.”

Odds and ends

·         The Herald has an unusual story on an unusual campaign tactic apparently employed by Rep. David Rivera in his re-election bid: funding of an unknown Democratic candidate in the Democratic primary election with “$43,000 in secret money.”  The candidate, Justin Lamar Sternad, was defeated by Joe Garcia, who will now face off against Rivera in November.  The story is unusual in that those involved, in this case direct mail vendors, spoke on the record about Rivera’s role.  This will be the second Rivera-Garcia contest and the first in a redrawn district less favorable to Rivera.  Garcia, a former official of the Cuban American National Foundation, would break the unanimity among Cuban Americans in Congress.  He supports President Obama’s Cuba policy and would be the first to support that part of the community that fills dozens of flights to Cuba each week.  More here from the the Wall Street Journal.

·         Granma reports on the degree of womens’ participation in politics and government on the occasion of the 52^nd anniversary of the founding of the Cuban Women’s Federation, one of Cuba’s quasi-official organizaciones de masas.

·         Nick Miroff at NPR on Bollywood, one of Havana’s new paladares.