A November 15 protest in Mexico – driven by a right-wing social-media operation – has been miscast as a mass uprising against President Sheinbaum. In reality, the march was small, elite-backed and part of a wider attempt to sow unrest, argues DAVID RABY
TRAVELLING from Edinburgh to London, London to Madrid, Madrid to Havana, I was full of anticipation. Once I stepped off the plane and was reunited with my guitar, that anticipation ratcheted up all the more.
Supported by Unison Scotland, FBU Scotland, Unite Hospitality Scotland, BFAWU, PCS Scotland and the Peace and Justice Project, I travelled to Havana from November 19-29 as the only Scottish musician taking part in the 40th edition of the Havana Biennial.
I dived headfirst into the vibrant cultural scenery of the Biennial — literally, three hours after leaving the airport, I was on stage in El Antonia in the heart of Old Havana. I was part of a delegation that included artists and musicians from Ecuador, France and Switzerland — including German rock and blues band Keimzeit.
While ordinary Americans were suffering in the wake of 2005’s deadly hurricane, the Bush administration was more concerned with maintaining its anti-Cuba stance than with saving lives, writes MANOLO DE LOS SANTOS
During visits to Cheney School and Oxford Brookes University, Ismara Mercedes Vargas Walter highlighted how Cuba devotes half its budget to education, health and social security despite the US blockade, reports ROGER McKENZIE



