#cuba and hector especially

[lkluvsu]

guys i might miss them a little (SO MUCH.)

[ikram1909]

https://www.tumblr.com/ikram1909/765793000017330176/httpswwwtumblrcomikram1909765516163333685248?source=share

the way you know gavi is everyone’s safe space 😔 for cuba hector dembele felix and fermin especially when they first started here

He's always one of the first guys the newbies warmup to like he must be a very welcoming person in general hence why everyone loves him so much

[huitzilinthebudgie3]

Amor del Bueno (Love of the Good Kind)

Rating : Explict : Cursing , and Adult talk and talks about divorce and other adult themes . Talk of Miscarriage (Please let me know , if i missed anything )

Summary : Reader and the boys experince pregnancy .

Note: Thank you for taking the time out of your day to click on , hope you like it . I know the boys are a bit ooc , i don't have DID and if i offend anyone , please let me know where and how i can change it or so i can take it out of my story completely . I've also never been pregnant so let me know if i got something wrong . I tried to make it as accurate as i could This story is just something random and angst that i've written . I'm sorry for not updating as often but , i got busy with school 😅. I hope to have the next part out soon but , i don't have a set time or date . But it will be soon 😊.

Month 5 …..

Happiness and Joy… their all complicated feelings but …

Y/n sat silently as Marc lectured her about her sense of safety and recklessness , the conversation itself wasn’t uncommon. This very conversation had gotten her here in the first place, well …it had been the line of conversation that led her here.

The same cult that had tried breaking in a few weeks ago , had tried once again .

She knew why the cult was hunting her , and refused to share . She refused to let it happen . So …today she sat silently staring at nothing in particular listening to Marc’s rant that only served to remind her of her faults and failures .

And to think that all of this started because she’d wanted some freedom ….because she craved a life away from her past and to start a new beginning somewhere she’d always read about .

London was located inbetween all her childhood books , she’d loved reading of Heracles, Achilles and Hector the Trojan hero . All of those heroes had inspired her to move a bit closer to all their history , and the ability to visit Cairo and visit the Pyramids and learn the culture ….as a Mexican-American these things were wonders she’d only heard about but had never fandomed having the ability to do because she’d never met anyone that had …. It was expensive and often times was cheaper and more convenient to visit Mexico , Canada , Cuba or somewhere in the States .

But she’s deviating , Today she’d had a small amount of freedom to go to the quick check up and grab lunch before meeting Marc and possibly Layla for a consult on their latest mission . When she actually took a break enjoy the park after a doctor appointment . ….and it was all fine until her attention focused on the small ducks that waddled around wondering if it was true . If she’d actually waddle around like one soon, not being aware of the waters reflection and nearly being captured .

The cult leader- a priest of Coyolxāuhqui , sat beside her nonchalantly explained that she was of a special bloodline that was born of her deity which made her much more powerful than other avatars… Something she’d known already .But they explained He were going to sacrifice her to his goddess on the altar of god knows what . She'd snapped when a dagger was held against her belly , they'd threatened her unborn child , and blacked out honestly. And was unable to remember what happened , when she woke up she’d promptly ran and called Jake for help in the safety of a store .

However Marc had appeared and was currently lecturing her , about self-preservation. She blinked numbly as her chest tightened impossibly , tears pricking at her eyes. The Adrenaline rush was dissipating and with it her mask . Pregnancy hormones didn’t mix well with death threats from a cult .

Her will to not cry cracked a smidge more as Marc flipped , she had no idea why . He still refused to acknowledge or address the subject , however here he was lecturing her about her own safety and the babies safety. Which was unusual especially because he didn’t speak about the baby . The baby was Jake’s or Steven’s , the irony struck her each time he said it but she only ignored it . Jake and Steven were excited and attended most of the appointments when they were able, and seemed content . However Marc seemed more distant than ever . Which led her to her current predicament.

She glared at his face and searched his eyes . Her expression hopefully projected her own thoughts . The distress , panic and fear she felt ,"I Fucking know Spector ! My baby's my fucking top priority !" Marc snorted , she let go of his face "And you ? What's a baby supposed to do without you ?! You're not seriously more worried about a baby ! I get it but , aren't you more important !?" She looked him in the eyes "I'm not. my baby's top priority . Steven or Jake can help the baby or my parents can take care of the baby !" she said growled “I’m glad a baby is more important than your own fucking life ! You can’t seriously leave a baby with Steven or Jake ! Thats fucking selfish ! I don't think that’s very productive or healthy either !” he snarled back “Well then my Dad can have the fucking baby since it bother you so much ! And should anything happen to me , the baby will go to my fucking family ! And they can decide what fucking happens, spector !! And don’t act like you fucking care ! You can’t even acknowledge our baby ! You keep saying it’s Jake or Steven’s baby ! I didn’t f*ck Jake or Steven last time we talked about this shit !” she snarled back , the look on his face paused briefly before shifting from Anger to panic momentarily and then to blankness .

…. Before an expression of pure confusion …. "You alright , darlin' ?" She couldn't explain it . But this was the first time the appearance of Steven angered her, because Marc was a coward ….no he was overwhelmed. 'And you are being a bitch !' Inhaling and counting she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before sighing "Yeah , why ?" He opened his mouth briefly before shutting it and mulling over his word . Then shaking his head "No reason , love . We headin' I just don't know how to drive, " she hummed “It’s alright , we’re a block away . We can walk, “ she said softly .

Month 5 1/2

She sat silently in the annoyingly cold and uncomfortable stir-ups , her attention on anything but the person beside her who decided she wasn’t able to go alone anywhere anymore . The doctor was running late , she’d come in to check up on the baby since she had a few concerning cramps and spotting . Miscarriage and pregnancy complications were common in her family medical history . The nurse had reassured her that it wasn’t uncommon but , she decided to check on her little bean instead of waiting it out and it being an issue later on .

Steven and Jake were even on the appointments they’d attended and decided to let Marc have a shot at it . To say she was on edge was kind or putting it lightly . So Marc was only stressing her out more , reading off a few symptoms of very serious and potentially dangerous diseases and Illnesses , which only caused the pit in her belly to grow . So she’d snapped at him to shut up , which in hindsight hadn’t been the best but she was picking at her fingers and had caused a small bleed . But he shut up and read them silently , but was now humming along to 'Here we go again' by Whitesnake that was an ear-worm to her . So she glared silently which encouraged him to rebelliously hum a few words , while smirking deviously her way . It lead to a full on staring contest .

The doctor's knocking distrubed their staring contest before she turned to the doctor who hummed along to the song briefly before typing away on her computer . Marc quirked a brow at this “Good Afternoon , you're here for a check-up ?” she nodded "Yup" she added awkwardly as the doctor hummed …a new doctor she might add . One that she’d never seen before as the doctor booted up the ultrasound machine before lubing up the wand and asking her to reveal her belly . Her belly was a bit on the larger side now according to the doctor , the baby was growing normally but they had no explanation as to why her belly was so large “Mum , remember your eating for 2 but not 3 “ the doctor said in a sardonic tone , the comment made her pause briefly before shrugging , comments were always made about her figure pregnant or not . “Actually , I'm here to check on the baby . I’ve had cramps and my hips ache really bad . I also have some bleeding “ she explained before the doctor scoffed “I’m not surprised , at 105 kilos …..Perhaps a gym is needed ?” Her Usual doctor had mentioned avoiding the gym , especially with her pain tolerance. It was concerning should she tweak or hurt herself , she might not feel it . So she was forbidden , and she’d gained a normal amount . Having been at 90 kilos , she paused briefly before Marc interrupted …or Jake maybe ? She wasn't entirely sure , focusing instead on her response .

“Excuse me, but that’s a bit out of line isn’t it ?” the woman rolled her eyes “Is it ? Who are you ?! “ Whoever it was seemed annoyed "The father ! " the doctor rolled her eyes "Small amounts of bleeding are normal" the doctor grumbled "Not like this . I want to see my doctor please ! I'm concerned" The doctor was annoyed before her doctor walked on silently "Excuse me ! but you seem to have the wrong room , Ms. Shigaraki ! Being rude to a patient and brushing off concerns ! If you knew the patient you'd know that her threshold of pain is high . She's also very fit and normally is at 80-90 kilos" Before the other lady left embarrassed .

Her doctor sat down annoyed , shaking her head . "I'm sorry dear " she nodded "I just wanna know how my baby is and if everything's alright" the older lady smiled softly “Alright , let us see ! “ she said softly before dragging the probe across her belly . “Do you know the gender ? Do you want to hear their heartbeat ?” she smiled and nodded softly, seeing and hearing the baby's heartbeat “Any names for him ?” she smirked at the small screen that showed the growing baby axolotl and heard his little heartbeat “I’ve been thinking on it , and i think i have one “ she forgot Marc was there until she felt his hand grab her tightly “A boy ?” the doctor hummed showing the clear evidence “Sure is , he isn’t at all shy either . What name were you thinking mama ?” she chuckled softly “I was thinking about Hector “ the doctor chuckled adding it to the ultrasound before as she continued to scan frowning explaining that the baby was fine but , due to high stress her body was trying to deliver early on .

However at 5 ½ months the baby wasn't developed much but should it happen technology could step in . But she was on bed-rest until further notice ....

6 months

Marc was a bit more involved and laid with her when he could in her room with Achi . Jake was trying to convince her to get a house , which she didn't object to . But was hesitant to do so , because she owned a house . It was just back in the states , it was a nice house but it was in California. Which might disturb the boys as it'd uproot them , she explained that she didn't have the money to help as most of her income depended on her work . And she wasn't allowed to do much now , both Jake and Steven brushed it off with "We've got it handled , darlin' "'s or "Ya mi estas haciendo mi hijo , mi familia . Deja me garar te una casa para nosotros , Mamacita!" (You're already making my son ! Let me get you a house for us , doll !!).

So she only blinked, overwhelmed by pregnancy and emotions. And stubbornly brushed the conversation off . However Marc brought up the conversation again a week after she'd told Jake and Steven she didn't want to talk about it .

Marc was insistent and kept bringing up the conversation , so she’d stopped talking to any of them . Her stubbornness and overall leading her to ignoring the boys , she knew it was self-destructive and that it wasn’t fair but , her heart ached . Jake kept bringing up the conversation of marriage , as did Steven which ultimately led her to this situation .

Steven brought up the idea again , for the upteenth time . And for the life of her she couldn’t fight the annoyance on her face as she typed away on her laptop . Looking back , it wasn’t Steven’s fault and she acted like this because she’d talked to her parents . The situation had nothing to do with Steven , her mother who had started a new family somewhere had called her and announced that she was pregnant . Which shouldn’t have disturbed her as much as it did , but she was an asshole like that . Her mother was currently pretty far along , and wanted her to be involved as an older sister with the baby ….she wasn’t sure she could and had called her sister to confirm the news . Her sister confirmed and said that she’d be a normal amount of involved , and explained her reasoning .

She had issues and they weren’t Steven’s to bear so she ignored him “Darlin’ , didja hear me ?” she continued typing to her sister who was listening to her rant at the moment “I’m talking to my little sis , Steven . I had a rough day , I have some news“ however Steven wasn’t satisfied it seemed “I did some research , and it would be better to….um… to ya know ….tie the knot . A lot of benefits …. The baby wouldn’t grow up as different… “ she paused , her current issue at the moment was something she’d always known would happen . And it caused her chest to ache , and Steven continued to push on and before she knew it . He was kneeling beside her with a simple ring with an obsidian stone set in the center . She blinked in surprise at that before her mind literally and completely crashed , her mind and emotions numbing instantly “Whatcha say ? Marry me… well us ?” she paused at that gulping and praying that this moment would be a joke and that it was Marc pretending to be Steven . Recording a tik-tok or prank that they’d later laugh at because it gave them millions of views . There were 2 options 1. She either said yes and had a breakdown later on … or 2. She said no and possibly lost all contact with her baby daddy’s . She brushed his hair back and grabbed his face in her hands gently “Steven , can we talk about it … i-I had a bad day ….i love you …” she made eye-contact and she wished there was a way to kick her own ass , the tears that gathered in the corners of his eyes… she briefly wondered if she was the worst human being in the existence of mankind … she figured Jake was pissed ,Marc was probably celebrating honestly and pissed at her too .

She frowned as he stood up again “Guess , it’s a no ..aye ? I’m gonna go grab some take-out …do you want anything ?” she felt horrible …the way he refused to look at her . Her heartache and she honestly had no excuse as she pursed her lips “Steven ,babe…. can-” and Steven ignored her attempts “I’m going to grab some take-out. See you later, love !” she frowned deeply as he left .

Fighting the urge to scream , yell and cry , she walked to her room and closed the door .

6 ½ months

Y/n sighed tiredly as she did most of her own things , she tried not to depend too much on the boys . Saving potty breaks and allowed walks to be as frequently as possible when they were home , to let them have breaks from her . Steven still hadn’t fronted …or talked to her actually ..she couldn’t blame him she’d be pissed too . Jake kind of talked to her , but she could tell he was just as upset and stopped bringing up anything about the future . She was an asshole and she knew it , she didn’t deserve them …she knew that and deep down they had to have known that . She stared silently at Marc .. who fronted more often and only offered help when prompted ….well …what could she say ? It was Marc …he probably hated her more now . She hated herself too , what kind of asshole does that ?!

So ….here she laid in a stupid position and probably dangerous position , she’d slipped in the old shitty shower , trying to reach a bar of soap (Yes , laugh it up . Lol) and had ended up slipping on said bar of death . And landed on her ass …however her pumpkin sized bump enabled her from standing straight up . She was unable to get up , so she sat silently trapped …the boys had just left to work and she didn’t feel like wasting anymore of their time or to bug them for something so stupid . She debated on calling Layla or a friend to come and help her but she noticed she lacked her phone and couldn’t crawl out .

Later

She gasped , and screeched when she woke up again to being violently shaken from the shoulders . She blinked up at a terrified looking Jake … she honestly didn’t know because they were babbling so fast that her language comprehension crashed and rebooted “Are you okay ?!!” it was Marc and she sighed “Yeah , just fell . Freaking Bar of Death !” she grumbled “No…Are you okay ? How long have you been here ?! Your ass has a big ass bruise!!” she hummed “I fell on my ass . Uh… i think when Steven left for work this morning “ she said , watching the unreadable expression on Marc’s face “Y/n that was 9 hours ago ! You didn’t call us ?! The baby ?! Hows-Fuck !” he hissed before picking her up and carrying her to the bed . She would've preened had it literally been any other situation , but decided against it . And doing it once over , before she pointed at her phone “I was just gonna rinse off , kinda pulled a turtle on their shell move “ she muttered .. Marc only stared “What’s going on ? First you turn Steven down … now this ....Are you okay ?” she glared silently , tears pricking at her eyes “i-no “ she said stubbornly “Pregnancy brain ..or somethin’ “ she said hopeful that he’d take the bait , trying to cover herself with her blank “Y/N Colibri !!!” he said sternly , she jumped at that before sighing “Steven or Jake, here ?” Marc frowned at that “They are , why ?” she shook her head “Could you block them out ? I want to talk to just you “ she muttered .

He sighed “Fine , they're gonna be upset with you“ she snorted “Aren’t they already ?” Marc frowned “No , opposite actually . Jake messaged your sister to ask her about the situation …she said something happened" he said turning his gaze down at her “I was an asshole , i shouldn’t have… he was so sad .” she said whimpered …tears dripping down her cheeks “At first but , you told’em . We all talked about it …and you seemed blindsided …but just to ask .. why don’t you want to get married ?” she sighed and chuckled .

She looked up at him and leaned against him “I was our baby . My parents got married because of me . And it fucking sucks …” she said before pursing her lips “I’m not saying it’s gonna happen . But , last time I checked we were all at different spots . You hated me …Steven was awkward ..and Jake wanted to marry me “ she said softly “I would but , i-I don’t want to put the baby through the fallout of this . I was a product of such a relationship …i’d rather not relive my childhood . I didn’t suffer to your level but , ….” she blinked back tears “Both of my parents wanted out …when i was a little kid . And I don’t want my baby to grow up and find out … that .. I don’t want to do that ” she sobbed … and Marc rubbed her back softly “I get it ..and we won’t rush . We'll talk about it later on , okay ? We thought you didn’t want that with any of us …” Marc reassured , pulling her closer

She sighed softly and drifted off to sleep .

Note : Sorry for all the angst !!! But i know you guys love it lol :) Like i said earlier , i've been busy with life and school but i'll be updating soon , or when i can . I'll be uploading a Bucky Barnes Story in a minute . I hope to have Month 7-9 (birth lol) done in the next chapter , but we'll see . I'm don't really have a set in stone path but , i won't leave them or you guys hanging . Let me know if you guys liked it or have any questions . Or If it should've stayed in the drafts or is to much and i should delete it jk lol . Anyways , Thank you for reading , love ya guys . Bye !!!

Taglist : @erstyganestyara @lily-toxicity @kingtwhiddleston @mymarvelmasterlistblog @hell-is-mine098 @stevenandmarcslove

[jigenshat]

Ok Jigen Headcanons I have:

This man is part cuban. I fully believe in this. He is pretty proud of both of his heritages.

I saw this one already but am affirming that he plays guitar as well as Spanish guitar. He likes to softly sing the songs he's playing if they have lyrics but if Lupin says anything he denies it

On the topic of his voice: he has a really nice singing voice. His usually voice is kind of gravelly but he just clears his throat and his singing is pretty clear. Don't get me wrong it still has the rough edges, especially with lower notes, but it's pleasant to hear. (My voice claim for his singing is Hector from Coco when singing Remember Me lullaby)

Jigen likes to find good guitars and has a collection of high quality ones in a safe somewhere (he never discloses the location)

oooh cuban is an interesting one. i can see it. i have a bit of a personal interest in cuba so i enjoy this idea a little extra.

guitars definitely make sense because like you said i can imagine him having a collection of something, in the same vein that he collects guns or suits (apparently). ive also considered piano because of the whole dexterity thing, but the collection part wouldn't work so well. then again, maybe he plays both.

i wonder when he sings, who if anyone he sings to or in which situation of if its just something he does himself in his alone time?

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Chondrohierax

Hook-Billed Kite by Hector Bottai, CC BY-SA 3.0 

Etymology: Coarse Hawk

First Described By: Lesson, 1843

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Afroaves, Accipitrimorphae, Accipitriformes, Accipitridae, 

Referred Species: C. uncinatus (Hook-Billed Kite), C. wilsonii (Cuban Kite) 

Status: Extant, Critically Endangered - Least Concern 

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Hook-billed Kites are known from Cuba, Central, and South America, primarily in more humid habitats such as the Amazon basin 

Physical Description: These kites range from 38 to 51 centimeters in length, making them fairly large for flighted birds (but not the largest amongst birds of prey by any means, in that respect they’re middle-of-the-road). They are named for their most distinctive feature - a large, heavy, hooked bill. This bill goes well over the underbill, though it varies extensively across individuals in this genus. The birds have strong feet with sharply curved claws, and somewhat short tails. Their wings are ovular in shape, and interestingly enough the females have more interesting color schemes than the males - while all have grey heads with yellow eye patches, the females have brown backs and reddish-brown stripes across their white bellies, while males continue to be grey, with grey stripes. Some morphs of this genus are very dark in color all over. The juveniles are typically dark brown on top and white underneath, with very few stripes. 

Diet: These birds feed primarily on tree snails, interestingly enough, which they break apart with their strong beaks. They also will eat some reptiles, frogs, salamanders, craps, and insects, depending on where they live and the food available in that local. 

Hook-Billed Kite by Cláudio Dias Timm

Behavior: These are fairly sluggish raptors, all things considered, spending most of their time in the leafy canopy when not flying around. They do fly extensively, though, and are often seen soaring above the rainforest. They will fly until they find a suitable patch of rainforest, go down into the undergrowth, find a snail in its shell, and break the inner whorls of the shell by cracking it with its beak towards the apex of the spire. It will also swallow some smaller snails whole. It will also sit in a perch in the lower canopy to look for snails, or hop between trees. It usually hunts throughout the day, especially during the nesting season. Fairly silent birds, they only tend to make musical chuckling calls to their mate while perched and flying together. They will also make shrill alarm screams in response to danger, and chattering noises to their babies. 

When it comes to breeding, they tend to breed whenever the rainy season starts, based on their individual locations. The two birds will circle each other in courtship, low above the canopy, making those noticeable laughing calls. They then build a flimsy stick nest together, between five and seven meters up in the trees or close to the top of the trees - usually precariously placed on thin branches away from the trunk. They lay up to three eggs, usually two, which are incubated for a little over a month. The male will bring food to the female while she incubates, but when the eggs hatch both parents will feed the young. The chicks then fledge in the early to middle rainy season to take advantage of more plentiful snails. These birds are fairly nomadic - with no distinct migratory pattern, they will move in response to availability of food. 

Hook-Billed Kites by Mike Ostrowski, CC BY-SA 2.0 

Ecosystem: Hook-Billed Kites will live primarily in rainforests, especially in lower canopies and dense understory, as well as in more temperate zones in the Andes mountains. They can also be found in forest edges and clearings, and while they can get up to higher elevations in the Amazon, they are found in lower elevations in more northern locals. The Cuban Kite will be found in more montane gallery forest with extremely tall trees. The young tend to be preyed upon by jays, but the adults don’t have many predators. 

Other: These birds are usually very common, but the Cuban species is very much threatened with extinction due to a limited habitat and excessive human hunting. The mainland species may be rarer in some regions, but overall very common and extending its range northward in response to climate change. 

Species Differences: The Hook-Billed Kites, as opposed to the Cuban Kites, have dark bills with only slight yellow patches on the lower bill. Meanwhile, the beaks of Cuban Kites are entirely yellow. The Cuban Kite has a much more limited range (in Cuba only), while Hook-Billed Kites are found all over Central and South America. This limited range, in addition to persecution by humans, has led to the critical endangerment of the Cuban Kites. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Bierregaard, R.O., Jr, Kirwan, G.M. & Marks, J.S. (2019). Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. 

Bond, James (1999). A Field Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 55. 

del Hoyo, J., Collar, N., Marks, J.S. & Sharpe, C.J. (2019). Cuban Kite (Chondrohierax wilsonii). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. 

Johnson, Jeff A.; Thorstrom, Russell; Mindell, David P. (2007). "Systematics and conservation of the hook-billed kite including the island taxa from Cuba and Grenada" (PDF). Animal Conservation. 10: 349–359. 

[deepweboutlxws]

{ headcanon.nicknames

// calling Dmitry |Dima| will make him completely unresponsive. He hates the nickname for all of the awful memories it brings back of his ex-wife.

// Joseph’s legal name is |Josephine| [see Cast Page for more details]. Calling him it will result in him not even hesitating to punch the shit out of you and cry.

// Michael is the Breather’s middle name. His first name is |Hector|, but he hasn’t gone by it in years because of how cruelly the kids at the orphanage would call him |Defector| while they abused him. He also really like Michael Myers.

// |Javier| is legally Lucas’s middle name. If he’s close to people or has feelings for them he will actually melt when they call him it because he takes it as affection. He despises strangers addressing him by it though and finds it disrespectful it they do. The only one who calls him Javier is his brother really, which scares him, because if he hears it [especially his full name; Lucas Javier Kumiega], he knows he’s about to be beaten to hell. He also goes by |Koda|, which is his most widely recognized name on the streets of Cuba and in the club.

// Eva is short for |Evangeline|. Mrs. Noir doesn’t like Evangeline because she thinks it’s a mouthful. Mr. Noir goes by his middle name, Richard, rather than his first name, |Charles|, because he thinks it makes him sound snooty and snobby.

[radiobaixadasantista]

Reposted from @tassia_sauda Repost @culturasantos_ #osmsrockbr40 No próximo dia 18, às 20h, Secretaria de Cultura celebrará, em grande estilo, os ‘40 anos do Rock Brasil’, que celebra geração de artistas que marcaram a década de 1980. 🩺⚕️Mas as homenagens não vão parar por aí, a apresentação que marca a volta da sinfônica santista será dedicada aos profissionais da área de saúde da Cidade. 🎻🎸No palco do Teatro Municipal Braz Cubas, a Orquestra Sinfônica de Santos, regida pelos maestros Guga Petri e José Consani, terá a companhia especialíssima de Cristopher Clark e Carol Germano no vocais, Bruno Silveira na bateria, Mauro Hector na guitarra e Paulo Faria no baixo, para relembrar clássicos do BRock que marcaram época. 🎵 Sucessos de Cazuza, Legião Urbana, Blitz, Titãs, Kid Abelha, Ritchie entre outros serão executados numa roupagem especial, em arranjos que vão emocionar a todos que amam música. 🎟 *Retirada de ingressos* Os profissionais da saúde da prefeitura de Santos que desejarem assistir ao show deverão se dirigir ao Museu da Imagem e do Som de Santos, no térreo do Teatro Municipal (Avenida Pinheiro Machado, 48, Vila Mathias), nesta quinta (11) e sexta-feira (12), das 9h às 17h, para retirar o ingresso. No ato de retirada do convite - limitado a dois por pessoa -, o profissional da saúde deverá apresentar um documento funcional da prefeitura de Santos ou holerite. 🎥 E para todos aqueles que não puderem estar presencialmente no Teatro Municipal, uma novidade: o show será transmitido ao vivo no www.youtube.com/culturasantos. #secult #cultura #rock #sinfonica #santoscity #santos013 (em Radio Baixada Santista) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWKcL4sAyPl/?utm_medium=tumblr

[kendrixtermina]

So, “Coco”

One of my sisters was visiting and suggested we watch it

First I wasn’t overly hot on a children’s movie but the point was to do something fun together with my sister and BF, and he likes CGI stuff

My sister pulled out a quick documentary video about “Dia de Los Muertos” and the whole symbolism & aesthetic of it; That’s when I genuinely started thinking that this may have potential... It’s kinda like goth but also the total opposite of goth

The movie delivered. The Aesthetic was top notch, thorough & unapologetic in the music, the cultural references, & the visuals 

In itself it’s very straightforward, archetypical & simple without ever veering into overdone. Very basic fantasy (if taken from a different pool of myth than the usual castles & dragons), classic hero’s journey and a well executed Hegelian Dialectic where the apparent false dichotomy between following your dreams or sticking with your loved ones is crushed in t5he end because, family is supposed to support you & your loved ones can be your greatest inspiration

I kind of called it from the start that Hector was Miguel’s real ancestor (My sister, of course, got the “how” right) - an early hint that he’s a Dad shows up when he suddenly & unexpectedly turns all “reasonable adult-ey” when it turns out Miguel’s family is looking for him. And all along, he just wanted to see his daughter. Awww. 

Lets just aknowledge that the idea of having an epic adventure with your ancestors and meeting all those people your parents and grandparents told you about is just really, really cool; Every family has some branches they know less off than others

Let’s appreciate the Derpy Dog Spirit Guiude with the ludicrous pidgeon wings

It had a neat little political commentary without being ham-fisted and staying within the boundary of “good life lessons for kids”, but there was a certain #MeToo subtext there... like, you can’t put something like molestation in a childrens movie, but the basic point of how your heroes can turn out to have done awful things is prolly a good message to show to little boys, especially with how it didn’t stay a secret in the end but got outed to the world by the old ladies’ words

How deep is it that it’s named for the old granny; Also, how in the epilogue you saw the baby cousin, kinda implying how the family tree/ history continues to grow

When the great-great-grandma sang it sounded just like my mom’s old records

The physical humor with the bones was neato. (as my sister pointed out, there was not a single lame fart joke, the humor was very organic rather than forced or annoying)

So pretty! I mean in the end film is a visual medium. My sister lost it over the look of the afterlife/purgatory place

With trump out there and so much hate mongering, its really good for Latin American kids to see their culture in a cool and awesome light

So, 8/10, but I like to reserve 10 for mindblowing stuff - If 10 is not “best movie imaginable” but “it did everything a [genre] movie is supposed to”, it would be more like 11/10. It’s good that this exists, especially in these times.  

Bonus: Here are some impressions from my littlest sister, an actual grade schooler and hence in the actual target demographic: 

music very catchy

She liked/ found relatable how the MC has a big family just like herself, which isn’t common around here; Same for them speaking Spanish (our parents grew up in Cuba so they speak it at home sometimes)

She thought it had a really cool adventure story (not something that occurred to me)

She went to the cinema 3 times to watch it, and now they’re gonna buy it on amazon, too. The other 2 sisters both stressed how much she loved it

[marcoshassanlevy]

By

Marcos Hassan

January 04, 2021

Ismael “Maelo” Rivera’s impact on salsa can’t be overstated. The legendary singer was one of the first soneros, a type of vocalist within the genre who delivers fast, energetic, and often improvised verses to get the crowd going, making up stories, punchlines and even nonsensical words that fit with the rhythm. Rivera also helped put Puerto Rican salsa on the map. His work with Rafael Cortijo’s combo uplifted Puerto Rican music at a time when Cuba’s son, guaracha, and mambo were still the most popular forms of Caribbean music. This came at a time crucial to Puerto Rico’s history; in 1952, the island officially became a United States commonwealth, and there were a number of uprisings against colonialism throughout the early 1950s. Rivera brought in heavily percussive Afro-Latinx rhythms like bombas and plenas to the fore of salsa, accentuating the black influence on Latin rhythms early on. As an Afro-Latinx person himself, Rivera didn’t shy away from lyrics about social injustice, racism, Black spirituality, and Black pride.

Rivera was born October 5, 1931 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He started his career singing in San Juan dive bars, often with his friend Cortijo, as a young teenager—when he was not working as a shoeshine boy, carpenter, or on construction sites. After being drafted and then discharged from the U.S. Army for not knowing the English language, Rivera dedicated himself to music, fronting Orquesta Panamericana until he was kicked out. Soon enough, he and Cortijo moved to New York, gaining notoriety by playing venues like the Palladium and the Manhattan Club alongside stars of the era like Tito Puente and Tito Rodríguez. Unlike their Cuban contemporaries, they dispensed with sheet music, tight arrangements, and melancholic feelings, replacing them with wilder, off-the-cuff, fast and loose rhythms. They rode their fame to the top until Rivera was jailed for drug possession in 1962.

Rivera was released after spending almost four years in jail; during this period, he found himself trying to recapture the magic of his musical career. Suffering a backlash from club owners for his criminal record, Rivera reunited with Rafael Cortijo y Su Combo, trying to fit in with the boogaloo wave to a lukewarm reaction. His influence, however, had only gotten bigger. Artists from the Fania label—Puerto Ricans who played vibrant salsa with an edge—looked up to Rivera and adopted him as their own. Hector Lavoe asked Rivera for advice on being a good salsa singer, pianist Charlie Palmieri handled the arrangements on his records in the late ‘60s, and he became a regular on the label’s All Star live performances.

Rivera made inspiring albums with his own group Los Cachimbos for the Tico label in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, adopting newer sounds into salsa, emphasising improvisation, and making the music more sophisticated without diluting it. Yet he couldn’t translate this brilliance into commercial success. Reunited once again with Rafael Cortijo, he became a career musician on the touring circuit, occasionally collaborating with younger artists like Rubén Blades and making exploratory yet exciting solo albums.

The ‘80s saw Rivera gradually retiring from the stage due to health issues, religious beliefs, and after the death of Cortijo in 1982, depression. Rivera died in 1987 due to a heart attack. His life inspired songs like Bobby Capó’s “Las Tumbas,” about Rivera’s time in prison. Although not a prolific songwriter, he authored such salsa classics like “El Incomprendido,” “Arrecotín, Arrecotán,” and “El Que No Sufre No Vive,” recorded by many Latin music stars. As a vocalist, his influence can’t be overstated; he set the bar for delivery, energy, skills, and charisma. There’s no doubt about his status as El Sonero Mayor. Here are a few selections from Rivera’s timeless discography.

El Sonero Mayor

Ismael Rivera

San Juan, Puerto Rico

FOLLOW

El Sonero Mayor

Ismael Rivera

BUY

GO TO ALBUM

Composed of songs recorded between 1955 and 1959, this is perhaps the best document of Ismael Rivera’s early style. The music here is raw but festive, rhythmically simple, and easy to sing along with. Yet it’s also intricate in its arrangements, as heard on some of the oldest tracks, like “Maquino Landera,” which references Cuban rhythms but clearly has its own flavor. Rivera’s voice booms with an almost nervous energy as he spins tales of love and tragedy in the streets of San Juan. “El Negro Bembón” tells of the framing of a young Black man and his subsequent murder by the police. “Besito De Coco,” later covered by Celia Cruz, has a romantic festivity to it, while cuts like “Chóngolo” are desperate to get the crowd moving. It’s easy to hear, listening to this compilation all the way through, the evolution of the genre from the more simple and fast style of the older recordings to the reassured and intense sound of the later ones. This is an essential historical record, with plenty of standards like “Déjalo Que Suba” and “Calypso, Bomba y Plena.”

Bienvenido!

Bienvenido!

Ismael Rivera

BUY

GO TO ALBUM

After his time in jail, Rivera struggled to make his comeback, and on Bienvenido!, with Rafael Cortijo y Su Combo, he was aiming for reinvention. While songs like “Simbad El Marino” and “Fuerza E Cara” hark back to his early energetic sound, boogaloo’s shadow looms large here, from the smooth production and performance to the easier-paced tracks like “Bomba Ae.” It doesn’t always mesh well with Rivera’s intensity. But he gave the challenge his all, demonstrating a newfound control over his voice without sacrificing its power—incidentally, this stylistic shift paved the road for later stars like Hector Lavoe. In the end, the tension between the easy-going arrangements and Rivera’s singing style fuels the heat of songs like “Borinquén” and “El Que No Sufre No Vive,” real precursors to the classic Fania sound.

Controversia

Controversia

Ismael Rivera

BUY

GO TO ALBUM

Controversia opens with one of the rawest, minimalistic yet explosive salsa songs of all time, which bears the album’s title. The first half of “Controversia” reduces the genre to its bare elements: hard-hitting percussion and Rivera’s melodic howling give way to an explosion of horns to announce the beginning of the party. Produced by Tito Puente, Controversia is perhaps Rivera’s most intense album; he plays to all of his strengths here, and it’s no surprise that it found a revered spot in the Nuyorican musical revolution taking place during the time. Intense yet inventive songs like “Jala Que Jala,” “Guliver,” and “Tambores Africanos” showcase arranger Charlie Palmieri’s talent for the craft while slower numbers like “Lo Que Dijo La Gitana” and “Amá” establish a sound away from son. Controversia should truly be considered an essential salsa record.

Traigo de Todo

Traigo de Todo

Ismael Rivera

BUY

GO TO ALBUM

Four years after Controversia and a year before his next reunion with Rafael Cortijo y Su Combo, Rivera surprised fans with an album that makes its first statement a religious one. Opener “El Nazareno” reflects Rivera’s new found devotion—and it’s one of his greatest lyrical narratives, delivered as no one else could. The sonero mellows a bit throughout Traigo Con Todo, finding power in other parts of the music. There’s more improvisation here, and the songs get longer than on previous records, giving the music a different kind of intensity. Indeed, Rivera’s verses sometimes don’t sound so far from rapping, a vocal style that was forming contemporarily not far from the studio where the album was recorded. Thanks to the inventive arrangements of Javier Vásquez, virtuosic trumpet playing from Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros, and just plain great songs like the title track and “Ya No Quiero Piedras En Mi Camino,” Traigo de Todo remains a landmark.

Esto Sí Es Lo Mío

Esto Si Es Lo Mío

Ismael Rivera

BUY

GO TO ALBUM

After years of playing on his own as well as with the reunited Rafael Cortijo y Su Combo, Rivera was still honing his solo sound, continuing the quest for inventive music fueled by improvisation. Opening Esto Sí Es Lo Mío with the seven-minute epic “Las Caras Lindas,” Rivera makes a strong statement of Black pride; it’s an anthem that brims with hypnotic joy. The album is a masterclass in jamming. Rivera produced Esto Sí Es Lo Mío himself with arrangements by Vasquez, helping make a transition to an uncomplicated sound that’s still plenty fiery, especially with the integration of influences like Cuba’s son montuno, which is subtly incorporated to aid the underlying boricua rhythm. After many years on the road, Rivera’s voice resonates with more character than ever, adding subtlety to the melodic shouting of the past. Lyrically, there’s more melancholy than ever, as on songs like “Comedia” and “A Medias No.” This is the sound of a veteran artist finding new depths.

Maelo

Maelo

Ismael Rivera

BUY

GO TO ALBUM

One of Rivera’s final albums, Maelo is a confident one; he sounds as if he’s brimming with happiness to perform on record one more time. Rivera brings his intensity a few notches down here to settle into a familiar and enjoyable groove (arrangements are by longtime collaborator Javier Vásquez). Featuring a roster of legends in the backing vocal department (Hector Lavoe, Adalberto Santiago, Ismael Quintana, Nestor Sánchez), Maelo doesn’t strive to reinvent salsa but to celebrate it. In turn, it gives us historic performances from El Sonero Mayor, featuring some classic songs like “Suena El Bongó,” which he originally recorded in the 1950s. Revisiting his roots, Rivera sounds effortless and full of charisma, and Maelo remains a joy to listen to.

[poipoi1912]

Carisi-centric thoughts on Eps 18x20, 18x21

I'm glad that's over.

Overall Thoughts

This was an intense but unnecessarily convoluted episode. This case could have been solved in fifteen minutes, not two hours. At least it wasn't another "rich white people he said/she said," and all the characters got their moment to shine, but I can't say I enjoyed it. It wasn't bad, it just kind of dragged. There was no need to stretch this over two episodes. The squad had to track down about twelve different witnesses to the same crime. Eliminate a couple of those witnesses, a few of the racist rants, and a Hallmark moment or three, and you'd have one tight finale.

Benson's Dilemma

I have to start here.

The characters kept saying it, but I don't see what was so different about this particular case (other than the fact it was not about rich white people). Hate crimes happen every day. So do rapes and murders. Why would Barba suddenly decide to urge Liv to lie on the stand? That wasn't just random and out of character, it wasn't supported by the script.

If they needed Barba to do that to create tension between himself and Liv, if they wanted to make Liv look better by comparison, and more ethical than Barba, they needed to set it up better. I mean, it didn't even make sense. When Barba was trying to convince Liv, he effectively said "I'm not saying lie, I'm saying maybe the witness was confused," but what does that have to do with anything? Liv could only testify to what she personally heard. If the witness says, "I told Benson," Liv can't say, "oh, I don't know, maybe she's confused". Liv can only say "yes, she told me," or "no, she didn't tell me." Liv can only tell the truth, and she's certainly not confused, so what was Barba's point?

Also, we're supposed to believe Barba would jeopardize his own career (which is already in the shitter, so maybe I'd buy that, actually), but also Liv's career, and for what? So he wouldn't lose? For justice? If so, why this case, and not last week's case? Why not next week's case? (thank God there's no next week) Why not every case? Is this something he's done before? Is this something he'll do again, if he thinks he can't win? What are his standards for lying? (probably “is it the season finale?” lol) Does he even have any standards? Where's the line? Is Barba okay with perjury now? And from now on? Or was it a one-time thing?

Dodds Thoughts

I wish the writers had chosen Dodds Sr. as the only character to gently goad Liv into lying. That would have been enough. I don't see why Barba had to compromise his own ethics. As a matter of fact, I loved the Dodds Sr./Olivia scene. It's worth noting that Dodds Sr. didn't actually try to sway her directly, not like Barba did. Dodds Sr. just offered her some perspective, and shared his own experiences. I loved that he said he had played it both ways, in the past. That was believable, for a cop in his position. It was subtle, and beautifully played, and well-written.

Bottom line, Dodds Sr. still let Liv make up her own mind. Barba tried to be cute, all "lol she was confused, Liv, can't you say you were confused too? Pretty please?" which kinda rubbed me the wrong way. And Liv clearly felt the same. Compare her reaction to Barba ("are you kidding me, sis?" and then a hilarious rejection) to her reaction to Dodds Sr. (she legitimately asked for his advice, in the end, with that quote about Mike lol whos' mike?, and she genuinely smiled at him).

I don't know. The whole thing reeked of "omg you guys it's the season finale and we need some drama". I'm glad Liv decided not to lie.

But let’s get to Sonny:

Sonny's Temper

Finally, the writers found a way to make Sonny angry in a believable way. In a way that wasn’t out of character. In a way that made sense in context, and didn’t come out of nowhere. Seriously, out of all the instances in which Sonny has lost his temper this season, this is the one and only time I felt for him, and thought he was justified. I mean, was it necessary to have him body slamming people left and right, throughout the episode? No. Was it necessary to have him (and everybody else) yelling in every other scene? No. But was it too much, or too violent? Also no.

This wasn't random anger for no reason, this wasn't just, "OK guys let's all SHOUT all our LINES because it's the season FINALE!!!!" (though that totally happened, too. They even got the usually very whispery Kirk Acevedo to yell, which made me laugh).

Sonny had a real reason to be mad, and that made a difference. Roughing up a perp is one thing, and it still makes me uncomfortable because I'm a SJW oops, sorry, I thought I was an SVU writer for a second, and I started using buzzwords :D

But shoving ICE agents, because they're detaining a key witness, and they're practically sending him to his death? Making Sonny break his promise, in the process? And letting rapists and murderers go free? That’s anger I can get behind.

I also appreciated the way Sonny and Barba argued without either of them losing their temper. They disagreed (and they didn't even really disagree, because Barba was only suggesting to use the threat of deportation as a bluff sort of), but they just expressed their opinions as professionals, and as equals, without any yelling or finger-wagging. And they both (sort of) had a point. That's the type of argument we might have seen in a previous season, and I enjoyed it watching it play out.

Sonny and Empathy

Finally, we got to see Sonny's love for children, shining through. That was always one of Sonny's main characteristics, and we never got to see it this season (aside from Great Expectations, a rare highlight). The way Peter conveyed Sonny's dismay at busting in on a couple of little girls with a gun in his hand? It was only a two-second reaction, but it said it all. Same for the way he tried to be there for Hector's poor daughters, kneeling in front of them at the hospital, trying to keep them away from their rightfully furious mother.

It was also interesting how Sonny was the only character who had strong feelings about threatening a woman using her children as leverage. Amanda and Liv, both mothers, had no such qualms (Rollins threatened multiple people's kids, like five times, and Liv was fine with literally calling ICE). Barba also had no qualms, but then Barba isn't exactly the most emotional person, lol.

I have to say, I didn't enjoy those threats. Every time, I'd side with the mother (even the racist one, who otherwise made me shudder). Leave kids out of this (didn’t Liv and Amanda go through this themselves, in Real Fake News?). And don't use shitty and scary immigration laws to threaten innocent people. It should be said, Soledad's husband was certainly complicit, but Soledad herself was just lying to keep her family together. Yes, murderers would go free as a result, but her motives weren't evil. Did she deserve to be separated from her kids?

And, the real question here, the one Liv and Barba ignored: did Soledad’s kids deserve to be separated from their mother?

That was my main issue (and also the main reason I loved Sonny’s reaction). I did agree with Barba in having little sympathy for Soledad, because ultimately she was lying, but what about her children? Barba had no sympathy for them, either. Sonny did (and Fin and Amanda seemed to agree). Sonny even sweetly said, "it's late, her kids are asleep," which was a wonderful detail. Liv and Barba were like, "Round 'em up! Right now! Traumatize those kids for life! Coercion! Fuck yeah!" but Sonny actually stopped to consider the emotional implications for those kids. That one line, and the way he said it, it moved me. It was perfectly consistent with Sonny's personality. He cares. He sees the big picture, but he also thinks about the little things, and how they affect others. Especially children. 

That’s why that was my favorite Sonny moment in the entire finale. It showcased his empathy, and his idealism, and his conviction in his beliefs. Sonny has always been unafraid to speak his mind, even if his superiors disagree.

Speaking of Sonny's superiors, I wonder if this stunt made Sonny respect Liv and Barba a little less. Because that happened to me. And Fin, who totally called Liv out :D

Morality Thoughts

I may joke about it, but I loved how Sonny and Fin clearly didn't approve of that stunt, of threatening a mother of two small children with deportation, and I appreciated the fact they were "allowed" by the writers to express those opinions to Barba and Liv, respectively. I also liked that Liv didn't answer Fin's question. That's the type of "grey area" writing which was sorely missing this season.

This was the rare instance when the audience wasn't expected to think Liv is 100% right, for a change, and the writers even had a beloved character like Fin call her out. They had an idealistic and sincere character like Carisi call out a more pragmatic and underhanded character like Barba. That was actually good writing (what???). Letting the audience draw its own conclusions. I wish the writers hadn't waited until the finale to start doing that.

Stray Thoughts

This season didn’t give us much on the Barisi front (or on any front), but it did give us this:

YOU’RE GONNA DEPORT ME TO CUBA? AND TAKE HIM TO ITALY? :DDD

Peter Gallagher is so handsome. And so talented. He brings so much to all his scenes. How does he do it? And why can't the rest of the SVU cast do it too, lol? No one came close to his nuanced performance, last night (from the regulars, I mean. The guest cast was mostly fantastic). And his lines weren't even that great. Honestly, how does he do it? I love him.

I also love not Eddie Kirk Acevedo. Were they trying him out as a potential new squad member, pairing him up with Sonny, and having him participate in an interrogation with Amanda, or is that wishful thinking? And does it even matter, now that we'll get a new showrunner? I mean, they probably needed guest stars to fill the airtime, because the finale was 2 hours long and the show only has like 3 characters left :D

Fin still has a detective's badge, right? Did I blink and miss him actually making Sergeant? And did I also miss a reference to his twitter-grandson?

Rollins, after shoving and practically headbutting that woman in front of her small son: "Honey it's okay, your mommy's fine! I'm just about to punch her in the face, but it's all good! Go play with your Xbox!"

I liked Yusef's reactions to Sonny's naive remarks about America. "I get it." "No you don't." Damn straight.

Did Sonny kick down that door literally ON that woman's face? The hell? She was standing right behind the door as he kicked it! Sonny, sweetie, you're no Derek Morgan. Leave the door-kicking to the experts.

Barba keeps getting swerved by Liv, lmao.

I won't get into the politics of it all. I don't have the time or the inclination. I'll just say the script was way too heavy-handed. I mean:

random guy, for no reason whatsoever: "What is happening in this country? This is America, right?"

Sonny (and me): "...yeah okay thank you we'll call you if we need anything else bye"

I am GLAD that's over.

[efrondeur]

so i was thinking how much people seemed to overlook Lance listening to music in season 1 may or may not be because i always do the same and then this popped out. This takes place sometime during season two. (WC: 1208)

Keith lays down in bed, curling himself against Lance’s side, who is putting on Pidge’s headphones. He breathes in, relishing in the scent of pure Lance. 

They’re in “Lance’s” room, but in all honesty, it’s both of theirs. Their clothes are both here, they both sleep here, they both brush their teeth and shower here. It’s theirs, and that little word change has never made his heart flutter so often.

But there’s only one thing that Keith is really thinking about. The one thing he always thinks about before they go to bed.

“Hey, Lance?” says Keith, wrapping an arm around Lance’s bare waist.

Lance pauses mid-motion. “Yeah?”

“Why do you always wear those in bed?” asks Keith. He lifts his head, resting his chin on Lance’s chest to face him.

Lance shrugs, eyes flicking around as he takes a deep breath, body tensing before relaxing. “I don’t know, I just...” Lance sighs. “I grew up in a small house and six siblings, and the quiet around here, it’s - it’s freaky, y’know?”

No, Keith doesn’t know. Sounds had only ever been a nuisance to him, especially when he first joined the Garrison. Having not only a roommate but people on every side of every wall at all times, be it a passing guard or another dorm room always kept him up at night; there was always something else going on. It’s like that annoying ass neighbor who always mows the lawn at six in the morning, just with talking or running and at every single point in the day. But Keith nods his head anyway.

“It’s just really... I don’t know the word for it, but, uh, I guess lonely. I miss them, and the silence just makes it worse. It lets my head think about how they’re doing, about how much they might miss me or that they’ve had my funeral. Lets my brain tell me I’m never seeing them again.

“And then when I’m not thinking about that, there’s always that split second of: ‘it’s too quiet, what is Rosa getting herself into’ or ‘why is Hector already asleep, is something wrong’ and then I get worried about them only to realize I’m not actually home.

Keith opens his mouth, only for Lance to continue, “Or I start to think you guys all left me on the ship, and I start to panic. I try to figure out what would make you guys leave, or if the Galra took you, but then I usually hear Shiro making his rounds and have to pretend to be asleep.”

Keith presses a kiss to his shoulder. “You’ll see them again.” Another. “They’re all safe.” Another pressed to his neck. “You don’t need to worry about them.” He nuzzles into his neck. “We’ll never leave you.” A kiss to the juncture of his jaw. “Ever.”

“How do you know that?”

Keith hums questioningly. 

Lance starts to sit up; Keith moves off of him, sitting up as well.

“How do you know we’ll see them again? Or that one day I might wake up and all you are dead? Or that you’ll get sick of me and break up with me and convince the others to leave without me?”

Lance hangs his head, brows pulling together, eyes closing. Resignation resides on his face as a weight pulls on his body, slumping him over. His breaths are small, barely making his chest rise.

Keith’s heart breaks for him. His face softens as he reaches out, placing his hand on Lance’s thigh, running it up and down. There are goosebumps on his thigh.

“You’ve heard the alarm, Lance. If there is anyone in the castle, you’ll know it. And I’m never going to get sick of you or turn the others against you. And you will see them again, Lance. I’ll make sure of it,” says Keith firmly.

Lance’s eyes open, slowly rising to meet his gaze.

“Once Shiro can keep Zarkon away from the Black Lion, all of this will be done before you know it. We’ll defeat him, all of us, together, and when we’re done, go back to earth. Then you surf, spend time with your family, anything really.” Keith smiles, but it’s forced. Fake.

Keith has thought about this a lot. How they’ll all be splitting up when they return. Undoubtedly, Lance will be going back to Cuba; Pidge will probably stay with Allura and Coran in the Castle to find her family; Shiro will be going to a fucking masseuse whether he likes it or not; Hunk will probably also be going home, if not going with Lance; And then all that’s left is Keith. The one with nowhere to go and nowhere to belong. 

It’s not like it’s unusual, just... different now. His dad abandoned him a while back; he was used to not having a family, but now he does. Now he has a crazy uncle, a space mom, two fantastic brothers, a sister, and a boyfriend, all of which he is completely undeserving and unworthy of, yet he has them. When everything’s done, they all have somewhere to go, people more important than him to return to.

“But what about you?” asks Lance, voicing Keith’s thoughts.

“I have my shack,” says Keith nonchalantly.

Lance looks down to his lap where he’s been wringing his hands together.

“Or you could come home with me?”

What?

“What?” asks Keith, incredulously.

“I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” says Lance, quickly backtracking. “It was just an offer.”

“No!” says Keith, far too loudly. Lance’s eyes shoot back up to him, surprised. Keith clears his throat. “I just... I thought you wouldn’t care about me once we got back.”

Lance’s head cocks.  He looks like someone told him that stripes and polka dots are now in fashion. If this hadn’t been such a serious conversation, Keith would’ve laughed, but instead, it makes him hang his head, similar to Lance had earlier. 

“Why would you think that?”

Keith bites his lip, giving the smallest of shrugs. “Well, you have your family, and it’s not like you liked me at all when we were back on Earth, so...”

“Keith, look at me.”

He does. Lance puts both hands on either of his shoulders.

“I was dumb then. I couldn’t keep up with you, so I blamed you for everything that happened to me, which wasn’t fair to you at all.” Lance’s eyes flick between his own. “But then you let me get to know you; you let me see who you really are outside of being a damn good pilot. And I fell in love with you. Keith, I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much that I dread going into battle because I know that means that you’re going into battle, too. No change in scenery is going to change my feelings for you, not in the slightest.”

Keith’s face heats as he finally drops his gaze. Lance’s hand glides up from his shoulders, over his neck, resting on his cheek. Keith leans into it, his own hand coming up to cover it.

“I love you, too,” he whispers. He turns his head, placing a kiss to the center of Lance’s palm.

[misslucia-blog1]

Meet Lucia

Part 1: The Basics

What is your full name? Luciana de Costas 

Where and when were you born? Havana, Cuba, October 19th 1998

Who are/were your parents? (Know their names, occupations, personalities, etc.) Viviana Marquez de Costas ( hotel maid ) & Hector de Costas.( mechanic ). Her mother is who Lucia was closer too. They were each others best friend and was quicker to forgive her daughter for getting pregnant at a young age, her father however held the teenage pregnancy over her head till the day he died. He considered Lucia a disgrace more often than he praised her.

Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like? N/A

Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people. Astoria, Oregon with Sidney Unknown last name. As Sidney described it to her, it’s like a cabin from a summer camp, but they have a separate bedroom and bed they share as well as a kitchen and a designated living room. 

What is your occupation? Survivor ( Registered Nurse )

Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks. Lucia is petite in almost every sense of the word. She’s short standing at about five foot two five foot three, she’s a full blooded Cuban woman, currently she had grown out dyed blonde hair that reaches the middle of her back it is normally styled in a braid or it down naturally with waves. Her eyes are her most striking feature they are a hazel yellow but they shift to a green when she has a strong feeling about something. She typically dresses in jeans and whatever tee shirt she can find, with it being what most consider the end of the world she isn’t all that picky about the way she looks, sometimes as she’s discovered was looking uglier was better.

To which social class do you belong? Impoverished 

Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?Lucia suffers from allergies but lately nothing has been triggering them for her

Are you right- or left-handed? Right handed 

What does your voice sound like? Lucia’s Voice

What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently? “Hmmm.”

What do you have in your pockets? Currently she carries other clips for her handgun in her pockets

Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? Chewing her lips and playing with her fingers.

Part 2: Growing Up

How would you describe your childhood in general? Happy content up until she moved to Los Angeles

What is your earliest memory? Playing soccer in the back alleys of Havana

How much schooling have you had? graduated from a nursing program

Did you enjoy school? Sorta, it wasn’t all that... difficult the biggest obstacle was the language barrier

Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities? At home mostly. And the other Cuban ladies from the neighborhood in Miami as well as the Mexican ladies from her neighborhood in Los Angeles.

While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them. She didn’t really have a role model. She did however decided to become a nurse after she went to the hospital for the first time and the nurses were being kind to her and her family.

While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family? Lucia got along much better with her mother. Her father always wanted a son and he couldn’t really connect with his daughter.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A princess for maybe six years, then a mermaid after her family made the swim to Miami, and then a nurse.

As a child, what were your favorite activities? playing soccer and dolls with the kids

As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display? Happy, energetic, playful

As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like? Lucia was moderately popular. She had the mean girls that thought she was too boyish and the boys that thought she should be more girly like most children have

When and with whom was your first kiss? Her first kiss was when she was fourteen and she met Juan Carlos Pena.

Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity? No she is not a virgin. in 2013 she lost her virgintiy to Juan Carlos, nine months later she had a baby girl.

If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities. If you are just a normal human, describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.

Part 3: Past Influences

What do you consider the most important event of your life so far? There are two important events in Lucia’s life. the first is the birth of her daughter and the second is the murder of her daughter.

Who has had the most influence on you? Her mother

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Maria Ivy de Costas

What is your greatest regret? The death of her child

What is the most evil thing you have ever done? Killing her child

Do you have a criminal record of any kind? Before the world ended no she had no criminal record

When was the time you were the most frightened? The day the outbreak happened and all the death in the hospital that day she was lucky to make it out alive.

What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you? She can’t really remember

If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why? Letting Maria explore on her own

What is your best memory? Maria saying Mama

What is your worst memory? Killing her child

Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions

Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic? Optimistic but much more reality based optimism

What is your greatest fear? Killing someone she loves after she becomes a walker

What are your religious views? Catholic but not nearly as strong

What are your political views? She typically stayed out of politics

What are your views on sex? If it happens it happens but be wary of the possible outcomes that you could receive

Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable? Yes she is able to kill.

In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do? Harm a child

Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love? Yes

What do you believe makes a successful life? Knowing your self worth it doesn’t matter your economic standing if you know your self worth you are good to go.

How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)? Not very honest she likes to live in the moment and not ruin them

Do you have any biases or prejudices? Not currently

Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it? She refuses to have another child... though she wants one she cannot in her mind convince her self that having one would be a good idea

Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)? Maria Ivy

Part 5: Relationships With Others

In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how? Lucia is prone to being almost to polite though she has been known to be rude. Especially when threatened. And no her behavior doesn’t change after she’s known them.

Who is the most important person in your life, and why? Though they are dead the most important person to her is Maria though Sidney is currently worming his way into her heart.

Who is the person you respect the most, and why? N/A right now

Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people. Everyone’s she’s come across at the moment she considers allies.

Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person. Currently no she does not have a significant other

Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened. She thought she was in love but she wasn’t.

What do you look for in a potential lover? Someone who can make her smile. Someone that she can talk to.

How close are you to your family? Vaguely close

Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not? Yes she started her own family though her child is no longer alive.

Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help? Herself.

Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why? She trusts herself to protect herself and then she’s working on trusting Sidney.

If you died or went missing, who would miss you? Unknown

Who is the person you despise the most, and why? No longer an issue for her.

Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict? She avoids conflicts when she can

Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? She doesn’t really like being in the leader type role

Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? No she doesn’t like interacting with large groups.

Do you care what others think of you? Not really.

Part 6: Likes And Dislikes

What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?Lucia loves gardening. She had a dream at one point she owned a flower shop with Maria and they had the best flowers. She also enjoys that she can plant seeds and have vegetables and fruits with out having to depend so much on others to find things to eat.

What is your most treasured possession? Her most treasured possession is a photograph of her and her daughter.

What is your favorite color? Lucia really loves pastel shades. Like baby pink and lilac.

What is your favorite food? Any Cuban food.

What, if anything, do you like to read? Cheesy romance novels that would embarrass her if she was discovered reading them.

What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)? Dancing the night away.

Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit? She's a social drinker and that's about it.

How do you spend a typical Saturday night? Typically before the mass infection she would spend the weekend working the few days off she had she would play with Maria and they would watch movies.

What makes you laugh? Lame jokes. She's a sucker for a bad joke and she often tells them herself.

What, if anything, shocks or offends you? People wearing socks with sandals.

What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself? She would probably read or use the internet but she's a pretty decent sleeper though she sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night from fear.

How do you deal with stress? Before she would cook and just have a necessary recipe to follow. Now she kinda bottles it all up.

Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan? More recently she has been spontaneous.

What are your pet peeves? People who take themselves far to seriously.

Part 7: Self Images And Etc.

Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted? Wake up, stretch, check traps, walk around and explore, come home, do some housework, start a fire, eat her one meal, and then re organize her things before sleeping again. She isn't really bothered when her routine is disrupted she likes taking life as it comes.

What is your greatest strength as a person? Her ability to love people.

What is your greatest weakness? Her ability to love people.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Have larger breasts as ridiculous as it sounds.

Are you generally introverted or extroverted? She's an ambivert she likes both people and solitude.

Are you generally organized or messy? Generally she is very organized.

Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at. Good: Cooking gardening and taking care of others. Bad: trusting, taking care of herself and singing.

Do you like yourself? She hates herself for what she had to do. But before that she liked herself.

What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons...) Her reasons for doing anything heroic is so she will survive.

What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime? Become a mother again.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Hopefully living. She survived five years after 2016 whats another.

If you could choose, how would you want to die? Quickly.

If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left. Have lots of sex and live for every moment that she didn't before.

What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death? Her kindness.

What three words best describe your personality? Caring, affectionate, motherly.

What three words would others probably use to describe you? Affectionate, motherly, cautious.

If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character? (You might even want to speak as if he or she were sitting right here in front of you, and use proper tone so he or she might heed your advice...) Keep your chin up you'll get through this and survive.

[mrbobgove]

The World’s Best Marine Life Aggregations

“I want to go diving and I want to see big things – lots of them.” Sound familiar? Nothing is as thrilling underwater as encountering a whale or shark on a dive. Nothing, that is, unless it’s encountering tens or even hundreds of them at once. Here we’ve created the ultimate dive-destination list to help fulfill your big-species bucket lists. The world’s best marine life aggregations range from hundreds of hammerheads to dozens of dolphins. And while the list below contains the areas where you’re most likely to find these creatures, they are wild animals and their location at any particular time can vary, so do your research before buying that plane ticket. Happy hunting!

    Sharks

Manta rays

Dolphins

Whales

Whale sharks

Australia

Western and Southern Australia: great whites

When: April to August

Exmouth, Western Australia and Byron Bay, NSW

When: May to Nov. in Exmouth and Dec. to March

  Hervey Bay, Queensland: humpback whales

When: July to Nov.

Great Barrier Reef: dwarf minke whales

When:  and JuneJuly

Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

When: March to August

Azores

Bottlenose, common, Risso’s, Atlantic spotted and striped dolphin

When: year-round, especially May to September

Sperm whales year-round;

blue and fin whales mid-March to mid-June.

sei whales mid-March to mid-July;

pilot whales mid-April to October

Bahamas

Tiger sharks May to July; great hammerheads Dec. to February; reef sharks year-round; bull sharks February and March; and oceanic whitetips between March and June  

Seven different species of dolphin live in Bimini and Grand Bahama year-round

    Bimini and Grand Bahama: sperm whales from Dec. to Feb.

humpback whales from Dec. to March

  Belize

Ambergris Caye’s Hol Chan Marine Reserve: nurse sharks

Year-round

Ambergris Caye from April to June

Sapodilla Cayes from March to June

Colombia, Panama

Malpelo Island: January to March large schools of

hammerheads and silky sharks

Costa Rica

Cocos Island: hammerheads and whitetip reef sharks

When: Year- round with hammerheads in larger numbers from June to November.

Cuba

Gardens of the Queen: silky sharks and Caribbean reef sharks year- round Gardens of the Queen from July to November

Dominica

Sperm whales

When: year-round, especially Nov. to March

Ecuador

Galapagos: hammerheads, silky sharks and Galapagos sharks

When: year-round in varying numbers

Isla de la Plata

When: July to Sept.

Galapagos

When: Dec. to May

Galapagos, especially Wolf and Darwin Islands: Bottle nose dolphins.

When: Year round.

    Galapagos: Humpback whales.

When: June to October.

Galapagos: Especially Darwin Island

When: June to November

Fiji

Beqa in Viti Levu: Bull sharks

When: July to September

  Yasawas, Kadavu, Namena Marine Reserve, Wakaya and Taveuni

When: year-round

French Polynesia

Tahiti: hammerheads

When: Dec. to March

Ranginoa: hammerheads

When: January to March

Reef sharks, whitetips and blacktips year-round

Tahiti

When: June to October

Ranginoa

When: July to Sept.

Tahiti: Humpbacks

When: July to Nov.

Indonesia

Raja Ampat: Wobbegong sharks

When: Year- round

Komodo, Flores, Bali, Raja Ampat

When: year-round

Cenderawasih Bay

When: year -round

Maldives

Gray and whitetip reef sharks

When: May to November

Baa Atoll and Ari Atoll

When: February to November

South Ari Atoll

When: February to November

Male Atoll

When: May to November

Mexico

Socorro: hammerheads

When: November to January and April to May

Socorro

When: November to January and April to May

    Socorro: Bottlenose dolphins

When: year-round but especially April and May

Baja California: Gray whales

When: mid- January to mid-March

Socorro: humpback whales

When: December through March

Yucatán Peninsula

When: June through mid-September

Baja Peninsula

When: October to February

Socorro

When: April to June

Micronesia

Yap: Blacktip reef sharks

When: mid-May to mid-August

Palau: Oceanic whitetips, black tips, whitetips, bull sharks and hammerheads year-round

Yap

When: December to April

  Palau

When: December to March

  Palau

When: January to April

Mozambique

Ponta do Ouro: Bull sharks

When: November to mid- May

Hammerheads, oceanic whitetips, white and blacktip reef sharks, tiger sharks and reef sharks

When: November to April

Tofo Beach: white and black tips year-round

Tofo and Zavora 

When: year-round

Humpback whales

When: June to Nov.

  Tofo Beach

When: October to March

New Zealand

Species include Māui, Hector’s dolphin, bottlenose, dusky, and common dolphins.

North Island: Bottlenose April to January

Common dolphins March to June and October to April

Kaikoura: sperm whales year-round

North Island:

Orcas April to October

Bryde’s whales May to July

  Norway

Lofoten Islands: orcas

When: snorkeling from late December through mid-Feb.

Philippines

Malapascua:

Thresher sharks year-round and hammerheads in April

Malapascua:

When: December to May and September

Donsol Bay

When: January to February

Red Sea

The Brothers Islands and Elphinstone Reef: hammerheads and oceanic whitetips May to June

Thresher sharks November to January

Marsa Alam, Egypt

Eight species in total

Samadai for spinner dolphins

Shaab el Erg for bottlenose dolphins

Between Tiran and the Sinai mainland for Risso’s dolphins

When: year-round

  South Africa

Aliwal Shoal: Tiger sharks

When: mid-January to May

Cape Town: blue sharks

When: November to June

Cape Town: Great whites

When: April to October

              Bottlenose, common and humpback dolphins

When: year-round

                          Hermanus: Southern right whales

When: June to Nov.

Cape Town: humpback whales

When: August to November

Aliwal Shoal: humpback whales

When: July and August

Sodwana Bay: humpback whales

When: June to mid-October

      Sodwana bay

When: December to March

                            Tanzania

Mafia Island

When: Nov. to Jan.

Thailand

Similan Islands: whitetips, blacktips and leopard sharks

When: year- round

Koh Bon

When: November to April

Similan Islands

When: mid- October to mid-May.

Hin Daeng and Hin Muang

When: February to April

Koh Tao

When: mid- March to mid- June

Koh Phi Phi

When: January to April

Hin Daeng and Hin Muang

When: February to April

Tonga

Humpback whales

between July and October

U.K. and Ireland

Connemara coast, Ireland: Blue sharks

When: mid-June through Sept.

  Oban and Inner Hebrides, U.K: Basking sharks

When: mid-May to August

  Plymouth, U.K.: Basking sharks

When: June-July

Common and striped dolphins common year-round

Oban and Inner Hebrides, U.K.: minke whales

When: July through mid-August.

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"De Qué Van Van" es un documental dirigido por Hector David Rosales que resalta el legado de nuestra banda y del Maestro Juan Formell. Con la especial participación de La Colmenita de Cuba. No te pierdas los testimonios de Samuel Formell Alfonso, Pupy Pedroso, Pedrito Calvo, Silvio Rodríguez, Kelvis Ochoa, Issac Delgado, entre otros. Compártelo y deja tus comentarios que estaremos al tanto...!!! . 📽️📽️📽️ DOCUMENTAL EN EL LINK DE LA BIO 👆👆👆" ...

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Exclusive: As Venezuelans suffer, Maduro buys foreign oil to…

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Venezuela’s state-run oil firm PDVSA has bought nearly $440 million worth of foreign crude and shipped it directly to Cuba on friendly credit terms – and often at a loss, according to internal company documents reviewed by Reuters.

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the Amuay refinery complex which belongs to the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA in Punto Fijo, Venezuela November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

The shipments are the first documented instances of the OPEC nation buying crude to supply regional allies instead of selling them oil from its own vast reserves.

Venezuela made the discounted deliveries, which have not been previously reported, despite its dire need for foreign currency to bolster its collapsing economy and to import food and medicine amid widespread shortages.

The open-market oil purchases to subsidize one of Venezuela’s few remaining allies underscores its increasing global isolation and the disintegration of its energy sector under socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

The purchases came as Venezuela’s crude production hit a 33-year low in the first quarter – down 28 percent in 12 months. Its refineries are operating at a third of capacity, and its workers are resigning by the thousands.

PDVSA bought the crude for up to $12 per barrel more than it priced the same oil when it shipped to Cuba, according to prices on internal documents reviewed by Reuters. But Cuba may never pay cash for the cargoes because Venezuela has long accepted goods and services from Cuba in return for oil under a pact signed in 2000 by late presidents Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro.

PDVSA, the Venezuela government and the Cuba government did not respond to requests for comment.

Venezuela’s government has previously said it only imports oil to blend with its own tar-like crude to improve quality and create an exportable product, or to feed its refinery in Curacao. But hundreds of PDSVA documents examined by Reuters detailing imports and exports, dated from January 2017 to May of this year, show the company is now buying crude at market prices to deliver to allies – in shipments that never pass through Venezuela.

The subsidized deliveries are aimed at maintaining political support from Cuba, one of a dwindling group of Venezuela allies, according to diplomats, politicians and PDVSA executives.

“Maduro is giving away everything he can because these countries’ backing, especially from Cuba, is all the political support he has left,” said a former top Venezuelan government official who declined to be identified.

Caracas has come under increasing international pressure as the United States, the European Union and Canada have sanctioned Venezuela for what they see as Maduro’s attempts to cement a dictatorship.

As Venezuela spends on oil imports, it has imported less of everything else its citizens desperately need. Venezuela’s spending on non-oil imports plunged from nearly $46 billion in 2011 to $6 billion in 2017, according Venezuela Central Bank data and Ecoanalitica, a Caracas-based economic research organization.

The oil PDVSA procured for Cuba was Russian Urals crude, the documents show, a variety well-suited for Cuban refineries constructed from Soviet-era equipment.

PDVSA bought the crude from Chinese, Russian and Swiss firms – not for cash, but a pledge that PDVSA would deliver other oil shipments later, the documents show.

That adds to Venezuela’s already towering debts of oil to state-owned firms in Russia and China, which together have extended Venezuela’s government more than $60 billion in oil-for-loan deals that have propped up its budget amid declining exports and lower oil prices.

“It’s nonsense to import oil to keep subsidized exports flowing,” said Ecoanalitica President Asdrubal Oliveros.

PETRO-DIPLOMACY

Venezuela’s socialist government has long used oil for domestic and international political ends, subsidizing goods and services at home and currying favor across the region with oil deliveries on generous terms.

FILE PHOTO: A worker walks past a mural with a PDVSA logo at its gas station in Caracas, Venezuela August 29, 2014. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

Venezuela’s oil supply arrangements have helped soften international political censure of Maduro’s government.

The Organization of American States (OAS), which includes most Western Hemisphere nations, last year took up a motion seeking to pressure Venezuela to hold free elections, liberate political prisoners and declare a humanitarian crisis.

The effort was defeated when 12 countries that have received regular oil shipments from Venezuela in recent years – about a third of the OAS membership – opposed it or refused to vote. Eventually, the OAS passed a watered-down motion urging free and fair elections.

Venezuela has avoided formal OAS condemnation “thanks to the support of the bloc of Caribbean nations that have benefited from its subsidized oil and development programs for years,” said Michael Fitzpatrick, deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said on April 30 during a talk at the Atlantic Council, a foreign policy think tank in Washington.

Most of those countries are members of Venezuela’s Petrocaribe trade pact, launched in 2005, which has granted up to 16 Caribbean and Central American states with oil supplies on favorable terms.

OAS President Luis Almagro declined to comment through press office representative Monica Reyes.

El Salvador’s Economy Minister, Luz Estrella Rodriguez, said Petrocaribe and other pacts promoted by Venezuela had played an important role in her country’s development.

“Our country is very grateful,” she said. “The government of El Salvador, of course, is a friend and an ally of the Venezuelan government.”

El Salvador refused to vote last year on the OAS motion to condemn Venezuela.

Venezuela also supplied fuel last year to Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Dominica, the documents show.

In total, members of oil trade pacts with Venezuela last year received at least 103,000 bpd of crude and refined products from PDVSA, the documents show, or about 6 percent of Venezuela’s exports.

FALLING OUTPUT, SHRINKING IMPORTS

The falling output of Venezuela’s refineries has also left the country increasingly dependent on fuel imports to meet domestic consumption.

The internal PDVSA data reviewed by Reuters shows Venezuela last year purchased some 180,000 barrels per day of foreign crude and refined products from PetroChina, Rosneft, Lukoil, Reliance Industries and other suppliers, 17 percent more than in 2016.

Those companies did not respond to requests for comment.

The purchases totaled more $4 billion, according to PDVSA records.

Last year, total oil-industry purchases, including equipment and services, consumed 45 percent of Venezuela’s total import spending, up from 13 percent in 2011, Ecoanalitica data shows. Energy imports totaled $5.4 billion out of $11.9 billion.

The resulting scarcity of food, medicine and employment has caused thousands of citizens to flee Venezuela. The pay of PDVSA workers now can’t cover the barest essentials because of the collapse of its currency, the bolivar.

“A worker’s salary is not even enough for a box of eggs,” said Hector Bertis, a PDVSA worker and union leader. “We go to the bank, and they give us 10,000 bolivars – less than what a transportation fare costs.”

Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Houston and Jeanne Liendo in Calgary; additional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in Washington, Paula Rosales in San Salvador and Gary McWilliams in Houston; Editing by Gary McWilliams, Simon Webb and Brian Thevenot

The post Exclusive: As Venezuelans suffer, Maduro buys foreign oil to… appeared first on World The News.

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Exclusive: As Venezuelans suffer, Maduro buys foreign oil to…

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Venezuela’s state-run oil firm PDVSA has bought nearly $440 million worth of foreign crude and shipped it directly to Cuba on friendly credit terms – and often at a loss, according to internal company documents reviewed by Reuters.

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the Amuay refinery complex which belongs to the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA in Punto Fijo, Venezuela November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

The shipments are the first documented instances of the OPEC nation buying crude to supply regional allies instead of selling them oil from its own vast reserves.

Venezuela made the discounted deliveries, which have not been previously reported, despite its dire need for foreign currency to bolster its collapsing economy and to import food and medicine amid widespread shortages.

The open-market oil purchases to subsidize one of Venezuela’s few remaining allies underscores its increasing global isolation and the disintegration of its energy sector under socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

The purchases came as Venezuela’s crude production hit a 33-year low in the first quarter – down 28 percent in 12 months. Its refineries are operating at a third of capacity, and its workers are resigning by the thousands.

PDVSA bought the crude for up to $12 per barrel more than it priced the same oil when it shipped to Cuba, according to prices on internal documents reviewed by Reuters. But Cuba may never pay cash for the cargoes because Venezuela has long accepted goods and services from Cuba in return for oil under a pact signed in 2000 by late presidents Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro.

PDVSA, the Venezuela government and the Cuba government did not respond to requests for comment.

Venezuela’s government has previously said it only imports oil to blend with its own tar-like crude to improve quality and create an exportable product, or to feed its refinery in Curacao. But hundreds of PDSVA documents examined by Reuters detailing imports and exports, dated from January 2017 to May of this year, show the company is now buying crude at market prices to deliver to allies – in shipments that never pass through Venezuela.

The subsidized deliveries are aimed at maintaining political support from Cuba, one of a dwindling group of Venezuela allies, according to diplomats, politicians and PDVSA executives.

“Maduro is giving away everything he can because these countries’ backing, especially from Cuba, is all the political support he has left,” said a former top Venezuelan government official who declined to be identified.

Caracas has come under increasing international pressure as the United States, the European Union and Canada have sanctioned Venezuela for what they see as Maduro’s attempts to cement a dictatorship.

As Venezuela spends on oil imports, it has imported less of everything else its citizens desperately need. Venezuela’s spending on non-oil imports plunged from nearly $46 billion in 2011 to $6 billion in 2017, according Venezuela Central Bank data and Ecoanalitica, a Caracas-based economic research organization.

The oil PDVSA procured for Cuba was Russian Urals crude, the documents show, a variety well-suited for Cuban refineries constructed from Soviet-era equipment.

PDVSA bought the crude from Chinese, Russian and Swiss firms – not for cash, but a pledge that PDVSA would deliver other oil shipments later, the documents show.

That adds to Venezuela’s already towering debts of oil to state-owned firms in Russia and China, which together have extended Venezuela’s government more than $60 billion in oil-for-loan deals that have propped up its budget amid declining exports and lower oil prices.

“It’s nonsense to import oil to keep subsidized exports flowing,” said Ecoanalitica President Asdrubal Oliveros.

PETRO-DIPLOMACY

Venezuela’s socialist government has long used oil for domestic and international political ends, subsidizing goods and services at home and currying favor across the region with oil deliveries on generous terms.

FILE PHOTO: A worker walks past a mural with a PDVSA logo at its gas station in Caracas, Venezuela August 29, 2014. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

Venezuela’s oil supply arrangements have helped soften international political censure of Maduro’s government.

The Organization of American States (OAS), which includes most Western Hemisphere nations, last year took up a motion seeking to pressure Venezuela to hold free elections, liberate political prisoners and declare a humanitarian crisis.

The effort was defeated when 12 countries that have received regular oil shipments from Venezuela in recent years – about a third of the OAS membership – opposed it or refused to vote. Eventually, the OAS passed a watered-down motion urging free and fair elections.

Venezuela has avoided formal OAS condemnation “thanks to the support of the bloc of Caribbean nations that have benefited from its subsidized oil and development programs for years,” said Michael Fitzpatrick, deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said on April 30 during a talk at the Atlantic Council, a foreign policy think tank in Washington.

Most of those countries are members of Venezuela’s Petrocaribe trade pact, launched in 2005, which has granted up to 16 Caribbean and Central American states with oil supplies on favorable terms.

OAS President Luis Almagro declined to comment through press office representative Monica Reyes.

El Salvador’s Economy Minister, Luz Estrella Rodriguez, said Petrocaribe and other pacts promoted by Venezuela had played an important role in her country’s development.

“Our country is very grateful,” she said. “The government of El Salvador, of course, is a friend and an ally of the Venezuelan government.”

El Salvador refused to vote last year on the OAS motion to condemn Venezuela.

Venezuela also supplied fuel last year to Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Dominica, the documents show.

In total, members of oil trade pacts with Venezuela last year received at least 103,000 bpd of crude and refined products from PDVSA, the documents show, or about 6 percent of Venezuela’s exports.

FALLING OUTPUT, SHRINKING IMPORTS

The falling output of Venezuela’s refineries has also left the country increasingly dependent on fuel imports to meet domestic consumption.

The internal PDVSA data reviewed by Reuters shows Venezuela last year purchased some 180,000 barrels per day of foreign crude and refined products from PetroChina, Rosneft, Lukoil, Reliance Industries and other suppliers, 17 percent more than in 2016.

Those companies did not respond to requests for comment.

The purchases totaled more $4 billion, according to PDVSA records.

Last year, total oil-industry purchases, including equipment and services, consumed 45 percent of Venezuela’s total import spending, up from 13 percent in 2011, Ecoanalitica data shows. Energy imports totaled $5.4 billion out of $11.9 billion.

The resulting scarcity of food, medicine and employment has caused thousands of citizens to flee Venezuela. The pay of PDVSA workers now can’t cover the barest essentials because of the collapse of its currency, the bolivar.

“A worker’s salary is not even enough for a box of eggs,” said Hector Bertis, a PDVSA worker and union leader. “We go to the bank, and they give us 10,000 bolivars – less than what a transportation fare costs.”

Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Houston and Jeanne Liendo in Calgary; additional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in Washington, Paula Rosales in San Salvador and Gary McWilliams in Houston; Editing by Gary McWilliams, Simon Webb and Brian Thevenot

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