Wristband Revolution?

The much ignored dissident movement in Cuba has gotten quite a bit of press in the last week thanks in part to President Bush awarding the Medal of Freedom to Oscar Elias Biscet.

The other issue that has made some headlines is the “Cambio Wristband” story.

Interestingly, the minute a story about the opposition in Cuba manages to hit the free press, the chorus chimes in, in the background, singing the familiar tune about the Cuban dissident movement being financed from the States. The disclosures, are of course done in the spirit of fairness. Here’s an example from the Miami Herald’s reporting on the Wristband arrests:

The bracelets were sent to Cuba as part of a Miami-based initiative to foster dissent, and appear to have become a fashion trend.

Really? Anti-regime paraphernalia had to be smuggled into Cuba? Why, you mean that the regime, who owns ALL industry and the means of producing EVERYTHING in a country where private property and private enterprise are outlawed, didn’t have a government owned wristband factory in Pinar del Rio make the wristbands for the opposition? NO WAY!

So now, the “wristband revolution” is tainted with Miami’s dirty money? And no doubt, the anti-exile crowd out there will be playing “follow the money” to de-legitimize the efforts of these young “wristband revolutionaries” trying to make a better life for themselves and their country.

As if the monetary disclosure wasn’t fair enough, it appears that the efforts of the young Cubans, who are risking being thrown in one of Castro’s dungeons by wearing the subversive bracelets, are being discounted as a “fashion trend.” Talk about Fashion Risks!

When you start reading about “the money trail” of the latest fashion trend in the island, which will no doubt be coming to an internet page or blog near you, it might make you wonder about the motivation of these individuals in light of an article that appeared on Sunday in the very same Miami Herald about the similarities to and ties of the Cuban secret Police, (MINIT) and the infamous West German Stasi:

From how to bug tourist hotel rooms to an intriguing mention of the hallucinogenic LSD, the degree to which the Stasi trained and provided material and technical support to the security arm of Fidel Castro's regime had a sweeping and harsh impact on Cuba.

Hmm…? Castro supporters on LSD…kindda makes sense.

There’s also this interesting tidbit about the Stasi:

By the time the Berlin Wall collapsed in 1989, the Stasi had 91,000 employees and 350,000 collaborators in a country of 17 million.

Hopefully when the “wristband revolution" is successful, we’ll have some information on the collaborators in and out of Cuba and begin connecting some dots.

Posted by Gusano at November 5, 2007 01:27 PM

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Posted by: LaConchita at November 5, 2007 02:44 PM

Posted by: Claudia at November 5, 2007 03:39 PM

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