Claudia4Libertad

Freed Independent Journalist Manuel Vazquez Portal to speak in NYC

Mark your calendars, New York area Cubaphiles.

Thursday, MARCH 13

Manuel Vázquez Portal, one of 23 Cuban journalists jailed during a crackdown on press freedom in 2003 will deliver the keynote speech at the 19th Annual National Association of Hispanic Journalists Scholarship Banquet in New York City. He is a poet and author in addition to being a journalist and has won many international prizes for journalism and literature. 

The crackdown took place in March, 2003 in what has become known as "la primavera negra" (the black spring) and journalists were sentenced to prison terms up to over 25 years for reporting information that the castro regime did not want to get out. Vásquez spent sixteen months in a rat-infested cell before being freed. Nineteen other journalists arrested in the crackdown remain imprisoned in Cuba today.

The Executive Director of NAHJ, Iván Román, stated:

“This repression against some of our colleagues in Cuba should be cause for deep concern among Hispanic journalists and all journalists in the United States. As believers in freedom of the press, we must stand with our brothers behind bars and call for their release.”

 

If you are in the area and you'd like to hear this brave man speak, click here for ticket information.

Cuba in 1954

Last night I received an email from Julio P. who was born in Cuba during the revolution. He wanted to share these photos (and hundreds more) of Cuba during the Batista years.  He wanted to show that everything wasn't that bad under Batista, and that the country prospered.

He was never taught in that in school- nothing about streets, roads, parks or hotels having been built during that time, or that blacks and whites worked side by side. Take a look at how clean the streets and buildings were and how the people dressed. You'll see stores and shoppers and parades, beaches and hotels and a lot of progress being made with new construction.

In these photos you can see the opposite of what he was taught- something very different to what today's Cuba is like.

That's not to say the Batista government was not corrupt or didn't commit its share of crimes- but take a look what Cuba looked like in 1954 and then look at today's dilapadated country.

You can look at some 200 more photos here.  If you recognize anyone, let me know. Click on any of the photos here for a bigger image.

Today's Cuba:

Czech Republic Stands in Solidarity with Cuban Political Prisoners

Jorge Ponce, Director of Policy & Evaluation at the Department of Commerce, sent me this press release info today about US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez's meeting with Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek in Washington to discuss bilateral trade. Secretary Gutierrez (who was born in Cuba) today also addressed the plight of the political prisoners in Cuba. The Czech Republic stands in solidarity with them, having been under an oppressive communist regime of their own. He gave a CAMBIO bracelet to Topolanek, which I am proud to say came from me!
Secretary Gutierrez's remarks:

."...I especially want to thank the Prime Minister, and really the Czech Republic and the president for their leadership in their stance for human rights and for freedom, and very importantly what they have done to shine a spotlight on the plight of the Cuban people. And we believe that this is very much a time to shine a spotlight on the plight of political prisoners in Cuba. The fact that there are political prisoners right now who are starving to death in jail under very difficult conditions who don’t have medical attention simply for having spoken their mind and for having had a different view than the regime. We also know that the plight of Cuban people is very difficult they live under oppression; they live in constant fear, something that our friends in the Czech Republic know well because they too lived through the tyranny of communism. So, I want to thank the Prime Minister again and his country for their leadership, they have provided. I think they have provided great courage and they are a great role model for the rest of the world, and we stand with them in our support of the Cuban people in their quest to gain freedom and to gain human rights that some many people around the world deserve and enjoy.

Mr. Prime Minister, thank you and I would like to give the Prime Minister something that I wear, which is a “cambio” bracelet, which also Cuban dissidents on the island wear and I should say that there have been students who have been arrested for wearing this bracelet which simply says “change”. Quite incredibly that someone can be arrested for believing in the word change but Prime Minister I hope you wear this and thank you very much.

Prime Minister Topolanek's response:

"...And just to follow up on what has already been mentioned by the Secretary, we were discussing the situation in Cuba, also we were discussing the Czech Republic’s involvement in promoting the values of human rights in Cuba and also the Czech Republic’s participation in the strife or fight against Castro’s regime, be it Fidel’s or Raul’s, which I have clearly explained for me it is all the same. We believe that we should clearly distinguish between trading of commercial or corporation and issues of such high importance as the protection of human values, human lives and human rights."

You can read the rest of the exchange at the department of commerce website here.

Raul- A Warm and Jocular Man- and his Raulistas

Well, for the past 49 years we have heard about the Fidelistas, the top, uber-loyal  followers of fidel's regime and ideaology, who have been helping fidel to keep Cuba under his thumb.  Well, now fidel is semi-but-not-officially-kind-of-sort-of-retired-but-freelance-consulting from his hospital bed, and the fidelistas will have to share or switch their allegiance with the Raulistas, the followers of raúl.  Anita Snow calls the Raulistas "top military men who manage and much of Cuba's economy and populate the upper reaches of power."  Their job is to make sure raúl keeps control over the country.

 

Since fidel and raul are brothers, many of the raulistas are also fidelistas and so they will, indeed, share their allegiance. Because the military is full of fidelistas/raulistas, this ensures raul will almost definitely never suffer a military coup, which fidel has avoided his entire time as Cuba's comandante because of the loyalty of the members of the military.

The raulistas also have a lot to lose if they break from the clan.  They stand to lose their status,  a status which includes access to a life that the average Cuban will never see.  Raul will keep them loyal by giving them big roles in defense and the economy, securing their perks and status.

But enough about that.  The real meat of the article is who Raul is-

"He is known as a warm and jocular man who dotes almost as much on his troops as he does on his family," according to Snow.

(I can't help but wonder how warm and jocular the men he put to death thought he was?)

Read all about the warm and jocular guy here.

The One Semester of Spanish, Spanish Love Song

:::We interrupt the coverage of the new, old Cuban dictator to bring you something fairly unrelated to Cuba.::::::::

I'm sure most people who visit here know I am a high school Spanish teacher.  So, when some of my students repeatedly told me to watch this video on You Tube I finally did.  I don't know if you can appreciate it like I do, but if you know Spanish I think you will find it a hoot.  Enjoy!

Fidel Neglected to Mention He's Still in Charge of the Communist Party. OOOPS!

So he resigned as commander-in-chief and today Cubans get a "new" leader, (surprise!  It's Raúl!) but when fidel resigned he neglected to also resign from his position as First Secretary of the Communist party, a post that the Cuban Constitution calls "the top leading force of society and the state." Although fidel stated in his resignation letter that 'neither aspire to or accept'' the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief, he did leave out this very important position.  Was it intentional?  Well, has castro ever done anything that wasn;'t very carefully calculated and orchestrated? Why not let go of the First Secretary position (which was provisionally given to Raúl when fidel became ill in 2006)?

''What's evident is that Fidel Castro is going to continue influencing the circles of power in Cuba,'' Alcibíades Hidalgo, a former Cuban ambassador to the United Nations, told El Nuevo Herald.

So, fidel will keep writing his letters, spewing propaganda against John McCain and the United States in general and you know, just keep on keepin' on.  I told you I wasn't excited about the news.

Read the whole calculated mess here.

ONE YEAR OLD!

Dear Readers:

One year ago today I began blogging about the reality of Cuba and the plight of the Cuban exile community with the intent to contribute in some small way to educating the public about the evils of fidel castro and his regime. 

It has all been more than I had expected for a little blog run by an Italian-American who has no connection to the Cuban community.  Correction- HAD no connection.  For in this year I have met many people that I am proud to call my friends and I have become acquainted with many others. Through them I have felt the pain of their family separations, the torture of a relative or the trials and tribulations of adapting to life in exile. I have never failed to contemplate my own good fortune when I read stories about the longing that exiles feel to be able to return to their once free and beautiful country.

So I will continue to blog and try to open the eyes of those who won't see, who refuse to acknowledge that fidel castro is not a hero, not someone to be lauded and upon whom no praise should be heaped.  It is small comfort to know that in death he will suffer a just punishment. And the same goes for his brother.

I want to thank someone who, in January of 2005, accepted an article I wrote when I began to experience my "Cuban awakening" and angrily penned "Debunking the Che Myth." It took me a year, in spite of his encouragement, to have my second awakening and get angry enough with apathetic people to write "Cuba: Why I Care," which was also on his site.  The positive reaction to it made me start my blog and continue learning and educating.  So, Mr. José Reyes of Cubanology.com, thank you for the kick in the pants last year and for all the help you have provided me along the way. 

Thank you to those bloggers who link to my blog from theirs. A special thank you to the gang at Babalú who have welcomed me into the fold and and consider my opinion valuable. To Alberto De La Cruz, thank you for the lessons in cubanía, information, friendship and for the past year of encouragement. Thank you to Marta Darby and Professor Tony de la Cova who have recently become my personal cookbook and encyclopeda, respectively, and Jorge Barroso for the support and Blog Talk radio co-hosting- both completed and planned. Thank you especially to those who visit my blog.  I hope to continue to shed light on the evils of castro, inc. until it is no more.

¡QUE VIVA CUBA LIBRE!

Agradecida,

Claudia Fanelli

Late Night Fidel Jokes

Well, I don't know about you, but I just can't get enough castro jokes. Apparently, the late night talk show hosts have been having a field day with the castro brothers all week- this is what I get for being a teacher and having to go to sleep early- I missed all of it!  Well, if you go to sleep early like I do, here's a recap.

From David Letterman:

“Well, here’s some sad news coming from Havana, ladies and gentlemen. Fidel Castro has resigned. A lot of people thought it was because of his health,” but Castro is actually “resigning because he wants to spend more time with his beard.”

Castro’s “retirement will not change the relationship Cuba has with the United States. Cubans still will not legally be allowed to enter the United States unless they have an overpowering fastball.”

“Experts believe that now that he has resigned,” Castro “will either be succeeded by his brother, Raul, or by his idiot son, Fidel W. Castro.”

From Conan O’Brien:

“This morning, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro announced that he is stepping down, ending five decades of rule. … But the biggest…surprise was when Castro announced that he’s going to retire in Miami.”

David Letterman’s Top Ten Reasons Fidel Castro Is Retiring

10. He has accepted the role of Dr. Ramon Vazquez on "General Hospital.”

9. Achieved his goal of getting Cuba’s unemployment rate under 83%.

8. Wants to spend more time interrogating his family.

7. Just got Season One of “Gilmore Girls.”

6. Caught injecting human growth hormone into his wife, Debbie Castro.

5. Too many tacos.

4. He was adopted by Angelina Jolie — honestly, how crazy would that be?

3. Always promised himself he’d quit torturing when it stopped being fun.

2. Jane Fonda called him a "________."

1. 49 years at the same job? Who am I, Letterman?

From Jay Leno:

“I have an announcement to make before I begin the show. When I leave the show, my younger brother, Raul Leno, will be taking over.”

“You all know that Fidel Castro resigned today as president of Cuba. But don’t worry; you’ll still be able to see him on ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars.’”

“God, he ran Cuba for almost 50 years. The political analysts are now debating what kind of changes the Cuban people will hope for. I’m going to guess maybe term limits?”

“Do you realize when Castro came to power in 1959, John McCain was only 61 years old?”

“Actually, Fidel Castro was the most powerful socialist in the world not living in Malibu. Did you know that?”

"And in Cuba, Fidel Castro has resigned, and people in Miami haven’t been this excited since the Dolphins stopped playing."

"Hard to believe Fidel Castro is gone. See? So, the embargo worked; 49 years later, he is out of there.In fact, to mark the end of his almost 50 years in power, the Cuban people today gave Fidel Castro a golden raft."

"Well, according to Forbes magazine, Fidel Castro is one of the world’s richest men. He has almost a billion dollars, which could explain why “he spent the whole day fending off calls from Heather Mills. “No, I don’t want a date. No, I’m sorry.”

McCain: "Raul Castro is Worse Than Fidel."

Yesterday in Indianapolis, John McCain told a crowd that he is not willing to enter into talks with the castro regime- be it with now "retired" (yet still foaming at the mouth about the United States) fidel castro or his baby brother, raúl. He also wished fidel a speedy exit from the planet:

"Fidel Castro announced that he would not remain as president -- whatever that means, and I hope that he has the opportunity to meet Karl Marx very soon," McCain said.

"But the point is, the point is that apparently he's trying to groom his brother Raul. My friends, Raul is worse in many respects than Fidel was. Raul Castro gets an audience with an American president, and all the prestige such a meeting confers, without having to release political prisoners, allow free media, political parties, and labor unions, or schedule internationally monitored free elections."

"Meet, talk, and hope may be a sound approach in a state legislature, but it is dangerously naive in international diplomacy where the oppressed look to

America

for hope and adversaries wish us ill."

You know what? I like it. I really do like it. McCain isn't stupid. He's not one of these “embrace your enemies and send tourists there so they can be exposed to democracy types. (Yeah, because that really worked in so many other countries.) He's been there.  He's been imprisoned by commies, he knows how it works.  If I was lukewarm about voting for him earlier, I may have gone up a few degrees.

In contrast, Mr. Obama, for whom I have never been inclined to vote and now think is more dangerous than Hillary, had this to say:

"John McCain would give us four more years of the same Bush-McCain policies that have failed US interests and the Cuban people for the last 50 years, he said.

The United States failed the Cuban people? Really?  I kind of thought it was the despotic, totalitarian regime that had been choking the life out of the Cuban people. My bad.

"My policy will be based on the principle of liberty for the Cuban people, and I will seek that goal through strong and direct presidential diplomacy, and an immediate change in policy to allow for unlimited family visitation and remittances to the island. "

Bullcrap. YOU CANNOT NEGOTIATE WITH A TERRORIST STATE

Doesn't he read the news? Nothing less than the complete and total freedom for every single political prisoner in the entire country of Cuba, nothing less than the total establishment of human and civil rights for every Cuban and the elimination of the tourist apartheid system should be the conditions that precede ANY talks with raúl castro. Period. He also has said he believes it is important for the

United States

to have contact with its enemies. YES!! This has worked so well with our enemies in the past!

And finally, here is the biggest load of dung- Obama quotes JFK- the man who, although he was very anti-Communist, nontheless promised a free

Havana

and then snatched the dream right from the hands of the Cuban exiles:

"I recall what John F. Kennedy said: we should never negotiate out of fear, but never fear to negotiate. This opportunity that Fidel Castro has finally stepped down I think is one that we should take advantage of."

Well, if he didn't shoot himself in the foot by not sufficiently addressing the che guevara flag flap, he surely reloaded and did it this time.  I hope he wasn't counting on the majority of the Cuban-American vote.

Read the rest of Obama's verbal diarrhea <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080222/ts_alt_afp/usvote2008republicansmccaincuba_080222215916">here.</a>

The "New" Dictatorship in Cuba

Cartoon by Pong