Citgo goes to Havana

If those Citgo stories over the past couple weeks didn't make you sufficiently sick, here is something that will: A Venezuelan perspective on why castro's Big Dumb Houseboy over in Caracas is moving his oil company's Caribbean headquarters to castro's hostage-city, Havana. Our friend blogger Miguel Octavio, in searing terms, outlines just how stupid that is. What's worse, it is likely to entrench castro in power for years to come, maybe even after his ignominous death. If that isn't the worst thing you've ever heard, you need to wipe the drool off the che tee shirt you must be wearing.

Now, I'll warn you there are photos to Miguel's story, so only open it if you have a strong stomach. If you do, read it here.

UPDATE: Daniel writes about this travesty, too, making other points, and has a strikingly good map. Read it here. And Val's excellent analysis of what this disgusting thing is really about is here.

castro fined $198,000 for rape

Can you imagggggginnnne something like this happening to you? You meet a nice Cuban guy in Miami, he tells you he hates castro, and somehow he doesn't look as ugly. Then he says he likes you, he loves you and eventually you fall in love with him. You marry him and he gets busted and hauled off to jail. For espionage against the United States of America. Only then do you learn he was using you and your bonafides in the community as his uhhh 'beard' so he could get around Miami and inform to castro's deadly agents about all of your family and your friends.

That's what castro is capable of! Communists don't see people as human beings! For him, people like you and me are not people, but mere mud in his socialist Marxist materialistic dialectic. We are there for the using. Not even the KGB did that back in the bad old days! Back in Soviet times, if there were two commie spies busted, rest assured both were always two commies in it together. But castro does! for him, whatever 'serves' his revolution (read: himself) is the guiding moral force determining what he does. Tell me if this doesn't give you a picture of his inhuman character - that he can do this to another person, while the heirs of Stalin would not?

So when this vile castro punk (and you have got to be a real freak to live in and experience the freedom of Miami and still reject it, for the sake of castro) got arrested and put in jail where he belongs, he left behind more than just a trail of destruction against the United States. He also mentally damaged this lady and took years from her life. And she called his using of her and her affections rape. And a US judge took one look at that and he agreed with her.

Given the enormity of the act, and given the comparable lawsuit payouts against US corporations, I would argue that the payout was too low. Still, it was a right ruling. President Bush was happy to pay castro's fine out of castro's own frozen funds. Justice has been done.

The Reuters article is here.

El Bravo

Is this a cool image for some swag or what?

Reader CB made this up for me - along with a couple others that are just as cool - using the graphics from old Cuban cigar labels. They totally rock. Unfortunately, getting them printed on tshirts and stuff is expensive as they are full color. I could have them made up on CafePress, but I certainly dont want to give those lefty proponents running that place any more cash.

If anyone knows of a place on the net or elsewhere that can have some swag made from this image at a price that wont break anyone's bank, drop me a line.

Peanut vendors

The internet is rife with news over the couple hundred ir so numbnuts that met in Washington yesterday to lobby for the lifting of the embargo and there's also a slew of editorials and stories about different states wanting to remove trade barriers with the communist island nation.

I dont really feel like getting into that recycled argument today but I will say one thing to those that want to sell fidel castro their wares:

You will be selling your soul to the man that at one point in time had nuclear missiles pointed at you and that vehemently lobbied his Soviet friends to use them to annihilate you. And who has in his 46 years in power done everything he could imagine to destroy your country and its culture. But, you know, go ahead, trade away. Line your fucking pockets and prove to the world that the US really is all about money. The ideals that this country were founded on be damned.

The NYT and PBS can kiss my ass, too.

Here's the latest editorial from Agustin Blazquez, via NewsMax, which takes on the recent New York Times Fil Festival, PBS and a few other morally abject castro cultists:

'Miami-Havana' a Misguided Trip

Agustin Blazquez with the collaboration of Jaums Sutton

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Dedicated to Reed Irvine

The New York Times, the creator of Castro's myth (thanks to the famous series of articles by Herbert Matthews that began in February 1957; according to the tyrant himself, "I owe my job" to that newspaper), was one of the sponsors of the 6th Havana Film Festival. On April 18 this pro-Castro-propaganda film festival showed the documentary "Miami-Havana" by Estela Bravo.

While talking to a Cuban defector, I mentioned that I had seen on the local PBS station in Washington, D.C., the 1992 documentary "Miami-Havana." To my surprise she said: "Oh yeah, Estela Bravo. She is a Castro collaborator."

Being Cuban also, and knowing the different outlook and perspective that firsthand experience inside a totalitarian communist society brings, I thought that this defector – who was involved in the performing arts in Cuba – might have a point. At the same time, that statement worried me, since our perspective as anti-Castro has been so harshly criticized and misunderstood by the U.S. media and so many in the U.S.

So I decided to get some information from the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), the Washington, D.C., distributor of Estela Bravo's documentary.

What I received from Arwen Donahue, the documentary publicist at the IPS, was revealing. It was Estela Bravo's curriculum and an article by Andres Viglucci published by the Miami Herald on September 24, 1993, about the showing of her documentary on PBS.

Almost everything in this curriculum, and details in the article, fits the profile of what the defector implied when calling Bravo a "collaborator."

It's going to be difficult to explain what the defector meant, unless you come from the inside and are acquainted with the mechanisms of a communist society. According to my experience in the U.S., it's very difficult for Americans to comprehend or relate to the complex daily survival routine of people trapped inside a regime like the one Castro imposed upon Cuba. As a friend of mine still in Cuba hinted in a letter, it's "totally surrealist."

In my attempt to understand where this documentary came from, I found that Bravo, an American born in New York City in 1933, has, since 1963, been dividing her time between Havana and New York.

In the early 1960s many so-called "true believers" of the Castro revolution began arriving in a sort of pilgrimage to Cuba. Castro gave his true believers coveted jobs, expropriated houses and apartments in exclusive areas, access to foreigner-only stores and schools for their children and other privileges not allowed to ordinary Cuban citizens (the beginning of apartheid in Cuba).

That explains Estela Bravo's privilege of commuting between Havana and New York since 1963, in contrast with Cubans who lost that simple freedom under Castro.

I learned that Bravo briefly had a folk music radio show in Cuba and that she worked for the Cuban government in a cultural institute. Also, her Argentinean husband, Ernesto Bravo, a biochemistry professor she married in 1956 and who collaborated on all her films, was given a job in 1963 at the University of Havana as professor of medicine.

There is nothing wrong with any of this in any free and democratic society, but Castro's Cuba is neither. If you are a Cuban and you know the mechanism behind all these shenanigans, you understand perfectly what the defector meant.

With the knowledge I have of the Cuban situation under Castro I ask myself, where are the sympathies of this foreign couple? They joined the herd of true believers and went to work for Castro's regime. Therefore he awarded them with privileges and desirable jobs. Never mind all the freedoms and human rights Castro castrated.

Apparently Castro became the leader of their new cult. That's the only way I can explain joining something like that of your own accord. The defector's comment seems not so far-fetched after all.

Then I remembered that the defector also said that Estela Bravo is very well known in Cuba and that her documentaries are shown regularly on government-controlled Cuban TV. That means a lot, since in that heavily censored propaganda machine (the Cuban media), when something is shown regularly it means that it is beneficial to Castro's goals.

In Estela Bravo's list of documentaries I see a lot of familiar far left militant themes. She has been reviewed and recognized by the official Cuban Communist Party newspaper, Granma. Commented leftie American folk singer Pete Seeger, "Deep down is her wonderful internationalist outlook." I must clarify that in communist jargon, "internationalist" means a person who goes to other countries to work and fight for the advancement of the communist cause.

She received glowing comments from Castro's official filmmaker, the late Tomas Gutierrez Alea, and official national poet, the late Nicolas Guillen. You don't get those kinds of official accolades unless you belong to Castro's fan club and serve his goals.

I also found good comments by leftie American writer and filmmaker Saul Landau, who because of his pro-Castro views has been referred as "an incurable Fidelista" by analyst Don Kowet.

In The Miami Herald article Estela Bravo wouldn't discuss her specific political views or sympathies for Castro's regime. That also fits the profile of the true believer or collaborator. They invariably duck the question and dive away through a tangent line. She said, "I believe I was honest in making this documentary." If she is really "honest," why does she duck this most relevant question?

"We didn't want to be political," she said. However, "Miami-Havana" is very much a pro-Castro, anti-U.S., politically left-leaning documentary.

"We want to show the human cost of this terrible war." What war? Perhaps she is referring to the war Castro has been conducting against the Cuban people since 1959! But somehow I doubt very much that is what she meant. I think she meant – echoing Castro – the war that the Yankees declared on Cuba. Again, what war?

I must point out that the slogan featured in this documentary, "Cuba Si, Yankees No!" was created by Castro for the Communist International parade on May 1, 1960, just 15 months after he took control in Cuba and three months prior to his appropriation of all American properties in Cuba.

Even prior to that, Castro had already declared his own war against the U.S. to "fulfill his destiny," as he wrote to his secretary, the late Celia Sanchez, in June 1958. Now we know what war.

Estela Bravo made "Miami-Havana" as a privileged foreigner in Cuba, with the freedom of traveling between Havana, Miami and New York pitching Castro's survival scheme: to lift the U.S. embargo. That is the political message and objective of her documentary – and, conveniently, Castro's current goal. So it is a political documentary after all.

In this 1992 anti-U.S. embargo and pro-relations-with-good-old-Castro documentary, Bravo also conveniently ignores the fact that Castro has been circumventing the U.S. embargo for years. Castro has been buying through Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, Italy, Japan and other capitalist countries.

I'm sure that Estela Bravo and her husband didn't experience the same scarcity in Cuba as the typical Cuban citizen has for 46 years. Don't they feel any guilt about this peculiar duality? This documentary doesn't explain that before Castro, Cuba produced its own food for consumption and even export. Can Estela Bravo explain what happened to pre-Castro productivity?

The problem obviously is not the U.S. embargo, as Castro's propaganda has been claiming for decades. Estela Bravo, through her "honest" documentary, keeps reinforcing ad nauseam Castro's repetitive claim in order to dupe American audiences yet again.

The clear political objective this documentary pursues is to appeal to the uninformed American audience at the grassroots level so they start lobbying the U.S. government to lift the embargo and allow Americans to visit Cuba as tourists and investors - just what Castro needs to continue his reign of terror. Never mind the real feelings and desires of the oppressed little Cuban people.

Estela Bravo even asserts, speaking for over a million exiles in the U.S. alone (about 3 million worldwide) that "I believe the majority of people want to normalize relations." Somehow I don't think so, in Estela-Fidel terms. We want to see our loved ones living with dignity, human rights and freedom in a democratic society, but those are anathema to Castro.

Echoing Castro's claims, Estela Bravo's documentary portrays the Cubans as being lured from their island paradise by the bad exiles and U.S. propaganda. That has to be a joke! Estela, in your zeal I think you went a tad too far. In the years I have been out of Cuba in Canada, Europe and the United States, I have never met a Cuban who was lured in the fashion this "honest" documentary implies.

All the Cubans I know have left everything and risked their lives to escape in shark-infested waters in search of freedom (about 77,824 documented deaths trying to escape through the Florida Straits). Those escapes and defections are symptomatic of all communist tyrannies around the globe. Historically, human beings can't stand to live under so much oppression. That is a fact of life.

All throughout this "honest" documentary - selected as one of the 10 Best Documentaries of 1992 by the PBS-POV (Point Of View) series – we are "tricked or treated" with the multiple incursions of "expert" Wayne Smith (the Dean of American apologists of Castro from the IPS) espousing the message of lifting the U.S. embargo.

And we are forced to see and hear Wayne Smith, wearing his promotional T-shirt of the Pan American Games (an event Castro happily used to advance his propaganda), asserting, "If elections were held today he probably still would win." "Still"? Castro has never been democratically elected to anything in Cuba!

"He probably still has the support, it may be resigned support, but the support. Another thing is that the Cuban people see no alternatives." Facing such speculation from "expert" Wayne Smith, I would like to pose the question: If Castro is so popular, why did he announce on April 9, 1959, that there would be no elections – a time when he supposedly was at the peak of his popularity?

And why do "the Cuban people see no alternatives"? I think I can answer that: Because Castro has made sure there are none.

Another characterization we have to sit through in this documentary, again from Wayne Smith's World (now referring to pro-Castro Cubans) is that "Cubans morally are very sensible, moderate people. You don't have these extremes." And referring to Cuban exiles, "But what you have in Miami, I think, is a very extreme, ultra-right group who want no kind of improvement on relations between the two countries."

Well, well, well, Wayne and Estela, for your information – as if you really care – the only thing Cubans have ever wanted since 1959 is a return to a democratic form of government, as originally promised by Castro, with respect for law, order, freedom and human rights for all and respect for family, private property and private enterprise. We also want the reinstatement of our 1940 Constitution, one of the most modern and progressive in the world, which Castro discarded on February 7, 1959 – when his regime was just 38 days old!

For these simple desires, we have been chastised, vilified, accused of being reactionary and "extreme ultra right." I guess the majority of Americans can be classified that way, too.

Why do Estela and her husband live and work in Cuba, a country whose un-elected ruler formed an illegitimate Mafia-like government, discarding the Constitution?

I don't think I have enough space to continue dissecting all the inaccuracies, misinformation and propaganda contained in this documentary on an issue that it so obviously misrepresents. I don't even think that it qualified for the PBS-POV TV series, because according to Marc Weiss, co-executive producer of POV, in the Miami Herald article, the documentaries in that series "are supposed to carry a strong point of view."

He explains that it doesn't have to be "journalistically balanced in the traditional sense." However, in the same article Estela was quoted saying, "We represented all views as much as we could." So, how can the documentary represent "a" point of view and "all views" at the same time?

As a friend of the late Oscar-winning cinematographer, filmmaker and writer Nestor Almendros, I am familiar with his trials and tribulations in his attempt to get financing and airtime on PBS for his documentaries "Improper Conduct" and "Nobody Listened."

The first one, while shown and praised all over the world, was aired by just a few local U.S. PBS stations but not by PBS nationally.

The second one, which also received international acclaim, was finally aired by PBS in August 1990, after a lot of hassle, in a truncated hourlong edition (contrary to what its creator intended), in tandem with a Saul Landau pro-Castro documentary.

It is very revealing that when PBS has to choose between documentaries ridden with misinformation and propaganda covering up Cuba's tragedy (the "charismatic" Castro version) rather than those exposing the true nature of the facts, the fantasy always wins.

Even PBS's "Frontline" rejected "Nobody Listened," stating, "Frontline doesn't produce anti-Communist programs." Apparently, "Frontline" is not "journalistically balanced" either.

Nestor Almendros said in 1990 that he believed, when it comes to documentaries, the taxpayer-funded network leans unashamedly toward the political left. "The only country that resisted [showing his documentaries], the only place where was still strong pro-Castro sentiment, was the U.S."

When Nestor Almendros tried to get "Nobody Listened" on the PBS-POV series, after a lot of back-and-forth games, it was rejected for one reason or another. Marc Weiss noted, "I never supposed I'd get such a strong negative response from the committee."

In reference to the last rejection of PBS to include "Nobody Listened" because or was "too late" for POV's upcoming season, Almendros said, "There is something very wrong somewhere when PBS, founded by American people, who are the world's greatest enemy of communism, refuses to broadcast by itself a film about Cuba's communist dictator."

PBS appears to be not so finicky when dealing with documentaries of Estela Bravo's political persuasion – even though she doesn't want to talk about it and claims her documentary is apolitical.

And literally finishing off "Miami-Havana," I must not overlook the incredible ending sequence of the returning Mariel "excludables." Estela doesn't even mention that one of the demands following riots in the U.S. jails, where they were in detention, was that they REMAIN IN U.S. JAILS RATHER THAN BE RETURNED TO CUBA. How conveniently forgotten! Brava, Estela Bravo!

In her myopic vision she interviewed some of these people on their ominous trip back to Cuba. Cubans, very much aware of what they have to say in order to save their skins, blamed everything on the U.S. and had to express relief at finally being on the way back to their beloved Castroland.

After landing on the real promised land, they are shown being liberated from the U.S. shackles by friendly Cuban police at the airport while Estela uses on the sound track a known-to-be-Castro-official Cuban singer setting the mood. Then the happy ex-excludables (whom Castro forced to the U.S. in 1980) are shown leaving the Combinado del Este prison east of Havana while the same happy music plays.

Then incredibly, and to my astonishment, Estela showed them going inside police cars and being delivered to their individual families for a happy reunion!

As a Cuban accustomed to these kinds of displays of "humanity" from Castro's authorities, I started laughing.

But should I be cynical or thankful? Probably thankful, because if it had not been for the opportune presence of friendly Estela's camera, I could not have witnessed this "realistic" staging of the facts. Estela strikes again! Bravo, PBS-POV, certainly a transparent and honest documentary about Estela's beliefs!

Estela had the right to make her documentary, and taxpayer-funded PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts had the right in 1993 to sponsor the POV broadcast and now this New York Times pro-Castro film festival in New York City to show it. But being free in the U.S., I also have the right to criticize this dishonest piece of pro-Castro political propaganda.

There is nothing like freedom. One day, not far in the future, I hope, Cubans will enjoy freedom in Cuba in spite of the efforts of collaborators like Estela Bravo.

Kiss my ass, Citgo!

Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., which happens to own Citgo, has moved it's primary base of operations for the Caribbean to Havana.

Fausta has the more than disturbing details.

You can bet your behind I wont be gassing up at any Citgo anytime soon.

Cuba Nostalgia Update III

Well folks, the Cuba Nostalgia convention is getting ever so close now with only about 21 days until it officially begins. I thought Id give you guys an update on what's been happening.

First and foremost, I managed to get enough in donations to purchase two laptops, received one donated laptop and have borrowed another two. I had been offered the loan of another 4 laptops but that seems to have fallen through. I originally wanted at least 8 computers but at this stage in the game it looks like Ill have to make do with 5. The reason for wanting to use only laptops is simple: Im not sure about the security of the place and putting together a bunch of standard pc's every moring and then taking them apart every night at 11 pm after having been convention blogging is just too much work.

The DSL line is in already, having had Bellsouth connect to their distribution panel and tag the line yesterday. Now all I need is the convention center's electrical and communications contractor has to run the line to my exhibit space.

Speaking of the exhibit space, I just learned on Tuesday exactly where Ill be located. I have been given a 30'x30' space, right by the entrance to the second building in a corner which for me is perfect as I was concerned of having traffic coming in and out from all sides. Here's a quick sketch of the plan for the exhibit space as well as a typical elevation of the frame my father is making out of, of course, steel. It's a basic frame, no frills, made out of 1" tube steel. Each L-shaped column will have four canvas banners with a Babalu Blog post graphically depicted almost exactly as you see them on your browser.

I have a local audio/visual company donating a large projection screen where I will be running a couple of Powerpoint presentations and showing numerous Cuba related videos.

T-shirts are in the works including one with the Babalu header which I hope to have set up to be able to sell here next week to help offset the costs of the convention. I'm also hoping to have a couple of anti-commie t-shirts including the "Che? Still dead!" tshirt that Plains Feeder designed a few months back. We are working on some bumper stickers and some tote bags and will hopefully be able to get some of those printed up if the economics permit.

Jim of Smoke on the Water contacted his friend and owner of Cuban Crafters Cigars (Gracias Jim!!) and not only will they be offering up a cash donation, but will provide us with some excellent cigars to enjoy and hand out during the event.

We have also purchased a couple of webcams so that we'll be able to bring you the event live, through cyber blogdom.

This still a bunch of stuff to coordinate, including the purchase of a new router and modem and procuring the 5' diameter table I want to have as the central blogging area as well as chairs and other necessities.

It's been alot of work and I could not have done it without the support and donations from those of you that have sent in what you could. You guys really rock. A big thanks goes out to George of the Universal Spectator for all of his leg work, Robert of 26th Parallel for his help and support, reader CB for his tireLESS efforts with the artwork for the banners, Agustin Blasquez for his documentaries, the Real Cuba for help with photos, graphics and more; reader KillCastro and Mar for their help with that unprecented and highly secret project, and a special thanks to you guys that come here everyday and see me butcher the English language.

Aint no white smoke in Cuba.

Keep 'em deaf, dumb and blind

That's the only way fidel castro can stay in power: keeping the Cuban people unaware of what's going on outside the island.

HAVANA, Cuba - April 26 (Richard Roselló / www.cubanet.org) - Police raided two homes early on April 17 in the San Miguel del Padrón municipality of Havana and confiscated equipment that enabled the reception of satellite TV signals.

Possession of the equipment is forbidden in Cuba to private citizens, but people nevertheless take the risk of owning it.

"It's the only alternative Cubans have of watching anything of quality on TV," said one man who chose to remain unidentified.

Sonia Beltrán, a housewife, and Aurelio Estévez, a seaman, not only lost the equipment, but each received fines in excess of 5000 pesos.

The raid was carried out jointly by a patrol of the local police, a vehicle from the Cuban telephone company, and a car from the Technical Investigative Department of the Interior Ministry. They zeroed in on the two homes, presumably acting on prior information, and searched them, confiscating the equipment which has a street value of about 700 dollars, or 17,500 pesos, due to the relative difficulty of obtaining it. Typically, it can be brought in by the relatively few Cubans who travel abroad, such as professionals or technical personnel, or seamen, or it can be home built.

Today's must reads

There are three incredibly good Cuba related posts that are today's must reads and all three are over at Quid Nimis.

First, there's probably the only article, essay, story, item, blog post or editorial that I've read on the five year anniversary of the return of Elian Gonzalez that remembers the name of the mother who died attempting to free her son.

Then there's this post about fidel and his island paradise.

And this scathing editorial on Cuba's free health care, the fidel doting media and HIV.

Three excellent posts well worth reading and the writer - a real babe from what Ive heard - deserving of an addition to the old blogroll.

Gracias, bbmoe!

Way to go Kendrick!!! (Updated)

I havent always seen eye to eye with U.S. Florida Rep. Kendrick Meek, despite the fact that he is a personal and family friend, but after reading this article in today's Miami Herald about the newly formed Cuban Democracy Caucus, I appreciate his friendship that much more.

The Cuban Democracy Caucus is a bipartisan group of legislators formed to promote Cuba's civil society and pro-democracy movement and further weaken the totalitarian grip of fidel castro upon the Cuban people.

Conversely, I was a bit disappointed this morning when I read this post at Paxety Pages, hilighting the US-Cuba Trade Association:

A group of 30 companies and organizations from 19 states wants to open trade with Cuba and plans to fight Bush administration rules tightening trade. The Sun Sentinel reports The U.S.-Cuba Trade Association includes well known companies such as ADM, Cargill, and Caterpillar, plus some groups that are no surprise, such as The U.S. Rice Federation and the Louisiana Department of Economic Development.

The group organized after the Treasury Department decided in February that sales to Cuba must be cash only.

"This action has already disrupted and directly hurt the smooth trade which in three years produced over $1.2 billion in sales by American firms," Association President Kirby Jones said in a statement.

Folks who still believe there is an embargo, take a look at that number - $1.2 billion. I'll admit being conflicted by this topic. On the one hand, I'm bothered by the quote - it seems to show a crassness - a sense that only money is important.

On the other hand, I'm convinced that the Cuban people will never be able to overthrow fidel so long as they have to spend most of their waking days worrying about how to feed their children. I think fidel knows this and purposely starves the petulance. After all, 1958 was a pretty good year, economically, in Cuba.

Juan goes on to suggest that maybe its time to rethink the US policy towards Cuba and lift the embargo, thus flooding the island with US goods.

And he may be correct, but... given fidel castro's history or oppression; given the fact that Cuba has been and does trade with all other countries in the world; given the fact that new regulations were imposed upon the Cuban people to restrict their contact with foreigners; given the fact that dollar stores are already chock full of goods - from the US and otherwise - while stores with goods available to ordinary Cubans remain empty; given the fact that the avergae Cuban makes a whopping $20 a month; given the fact that tourism is run bythe Cuban Ministryof Defense; given the fact that fidel castro has imposed even more taxes on US dollars upon his people; given the fact the regime castigates those Cubans who take it upon themselves to better themselves; given the fact that without individual freedoms there can be no progress; given the fact that Cuban dissidents themselves have stated, to Congress no less, that the lifting of the embargo will only serve to prolong thier punishment; and not to mention that the proponents of lifting the embargo cannot prove that anything would change in regards to the complete and total oppression the Cuban people face...I hardly believe that lifting the embargo at this stage in the game is the prudent thing to do. Yeah, it may work, but it may also be catastrophic.

So I say, go ahead and let this US-Cuba trade group meet and make their suggestions in the hopes of lining their pockets. Because that's what it's all about for them: money. Sure, they'll take on a couple of token Cubans and Cuban-Americans with them for effect, just to tug at the heartstrings a bit. Just to sell the "the embargo is hurting the Cuban people" line and the "restrictions are dividing families" propaganda, but make no bones about it, it's all about selling goods to Cuba. And the Cuban people be damned because those sellers know, absolutely and from the onset, that the average Cuban can't afford to purchase a damn thing. They know, going in, that they will be dealing with the castro regime and the castro regime alone.

As long as we have politicians in office like those of the Cuban Democracy Caucus, who understand the nature of fidel castro's regime, politicians like Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., U.S. Reps. Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz, D-Weston and of course President George W. Bush - who has stated in no uncertain terms that he will veto any bill calling for the lifting of the embargo and the easing of sanctions, there is a better chance for political change in Cuba.

And, IMHO, if you want to really help foster democracy and create a different political climate in Cuba a little faster, put some fucking teeth into that embargo. No more fucking travel at all, by anyone, be they students, priests, rabbi's, politicians, whatever. Not a single gottdamn red American cent to Cuba and not a single gottdamn cent to any company or country trading with the bearded bastard. Ni un centavo. Put some damn teeth into it an bite down hard. Masticate. Lock the jaw and ferociously hold on until fidel castro has no other choice but to scream Uncle.

Update: I want to make clear that the preceeding rant was aimed at those making an effort to either lift the embargo or ease restrictions and not at Juan of Paxety Pages, whom I consider a friend and fellow blogger and brother in arms.

The World's Greatest T-shirt Salesman

You know who it is, don't you? His t-shirts are found all over the world. On college campuses, at protests, at Union halls, even at rap concerts and Oscar Awards.

Yes, that's right. Che Guevara is the World's Greatest T-shirt Salesman. So much so that he's opened up a new chain of superstores to rival those capitalist hegemons like WalMart and Big-K.

Yes! You read correctly! Look for the new Che-Mart opening soon in your local bourgeois shopping mall.

Not only will Che-Mart be carrying all of the World's Greatest T-shirt Salesman's wearables and merchandise, but the World's Greatest T-shirt Salesman is a marketing genius. It's not just about the clothes, you see. It's all about the lifestyle:

To be like Che we must:

1. Disassociate ourselves from our trust-fund money and middle-class parents.

2. Attain the "I've been in the Amazon jungle for six weeks" look. Those clean clothes from Old Navy aren't going to cut it. Rush out and buy a Che T-shirt first. A bedraggled combat jacket is also essential. Heavy boots are a must.

3. You've had your last wash buddy! From now on all forms of personal hygiene are to be abandoned. Haircuts are a thing of the past.

4. Induce Mom and Pop to buy an old, beat-up Volvo (something from the mid 80s should do). Your fellow revolutionaries dare not see you in the Lexus or the Infinity.

5. If you have to leave the revolution (campus) for a trip home to Mom and Pop (capitalist pigs), try sleeping in the basement or outside with the trash. Your revolutionary look must be kept up at all costs.

6. Endear yourself to your fellow revolutionaries by making up tall stories of a hard life under capitalist oppression. Something along the lines of "my father was small turd farmer in Nebraska until the Republicans ruined everything."

7. Visit Starbucks not more than once a week. That stuff is expensive; you're supposed to behave like a common peasant.

8. Never be seen leaving or entering the bank.

9. Diss America.

10. Develop a mild dependence on recreational substances.

11. Exhibit utter disdain for large corporations, such as, McDonalds (until you seek employment from one, in about five years). If Che were alive today he would be actively fighting against such an "enemy."

12. Your Internet access is strictly for gathering information on the revolution.

13. While on spring break, practice revolutionary skills. Try to collapse the local government with your band of revolutionaries (drunken buffoons). Remember to bring MasterCard or Visa in case of bail.

Make sure to drop by your local Che-Mart, and bring plenty of yanqui imperialist capitalist dollars.

Rice Dictator II

It's come to my attention that the photo on yesterday's post about fidel's rice cookers for the people, the actual rice cooker shown in the picture is actually a homemade one. Im not sure exactly where I picked up the photo from the net yesterday, but Reuters ran the photo along with one of fidel holding a new rice cooker on April 21.

Of course, new rice cooker or old rice cooker, it's neither here nor there. The photo I posted is just another example of the Cuban people's ingenuity. El resolver. And below is just another example of how fidel castro stifles that ingenuity.

SANTA CLARA, Cuba - April 25 (Rafael Castillo, Cubanacán Press / www.cubanet.org) - Police carried out a raid in the environs of the Santa Clara bus terminal April 22, confiscating merchandise from several vendors, mostly elderly, who work in the area.

The confiscated wares were mostly household items.

"They have no respect for anything," said one vendor referring to the police. "They want us to starve. They took from me six gaskets for pressure cookers, several spools of thread and some parts for coffee makers."

The vendors are usually retirees trying to supplement their meager pensions.

A little bit o' fiction...

I'm not really sure how I first learned about Chantel Acevedo, a Cubanita-Amercan writer - and blogger - who grew up here in Miami very much the same way I did, but, boy, I am glad I did. Not only will she be helping out with Cuba Nostalgia by submitting some of her excellent prose, but she has a new work of fiction forthcoming titled "Love and Ghost Letters" from St. Martin's Press, which, from the few excerpts I have read, promises to be an excellent journey.

Below is a short excerpt I have shamelessly lifted from her blog to give you all just a small sample of her delicious writing. It's like a pastelito de guayaba with un cafe con leche in prose.

LOVE AND GHOST LETTERS
from Chapter 1

The night before he left for the Sierras, a mountain range he knew as a young boy, when he and his brother first arrived from Spain and were handed rifles, prepared to fight in the war for independence, he stood in the doorway of Josefina’s room for a long while. She watched him through sleepy eyes in the bright light of the hallway, his tall figure like a resplendent apparition that pulsed and threatened to disappear. She finally called out to him, “Papá, come in,” and he did, sitting on the edge of her bed so that the mattress tipped and Josefina had to shift to maintain her balance.

“Would you like to hear a Tío Francisco story?” the Sergeant asked her, his voice timid in the dark. It was the same voice he had used when she was a child and he told her funny stories of her lost uncle’s antics as a boy. The muted way her father spoke of his brother was tender, and Josefina remembered now, in the dark, how well those stories calmed her during tropical thunderstorms that lit up her room like a bursting camera flash, how her stomach hurt from laughter, and how the Sergeant never seemed to run out of stories to tell. They were happy, brightly painted stories, but Josefina sensed, even as a child, that there might be more to them, an element of danger, of romance, that her father was leaving out.

“Sí, papá,” Josefina said and put her hand into her father’s.

He began, “I’ve always said your uncle was a Wednesday boy, always in the middle.” The Sergeant cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with the back of his free hand. “There was this one time when we were about nine years old, back in Spain. There was a hill behind the house with a paved path on it, lined with jonquils that Francisco loved to trample. He had an idea--to ride down the hill on a wheelchair that belonged to our grandmother.”

You can read the rest of this excellent excerpt here. And, if you like what you've just read, you can pre-order the book through Amazon here.

Gracias, Chantel, for giving us this beautiful glimpse into a time and place almost forgotten.

King of the Banana Left

Hi everyone - Val sent me a note that he was feeling a little out of sorts and asked me to fill in while he recovers. I told him I'd get something out before work but Amanda's got some super topics already posted.

So, I'll add just a little item - since this is Tuesday, it's Carlos Alberto Montaner day, and he didn't disappoint. The terrific Cuban writer who lives in Spain has a new nickname for the emulators of fidel out there in the region - the Banana Left. And fidel, naturally, is their baboon king.

It's a very good essay. Montaner discusses how countries like Eastern Europe that have shaken communism and renounced it forever in all its forms are now economically well ahead of the countries like Latin America that still admire and worship the banana king. Even though the former got a much later start.

That means castro doesn't even have to take over a country to spread his calling card: grinding poverty, absent institutions and hopeless misery. All he needs to do is find stupid countries, stupid voters, and stupid politicians to admire him in some way. Just doing that will turn any country into a banana republic almost as poor as fidel's. When is Latin America going to wise up?

Read Montaner's wonderful essay here.

That reminds me: this new pope we have seems to see it the same way. Take a look at what he has to say to some banana-left schmuck who tries to litter his banana peels at him:

During dinner, (the banana-leftist) recalled, there was a freewheeling
conversation. "As we talked," he said, "(Ratzinger) expressed doubts about
whether everything had gone right with the return to traditional
values."

But his qualms did not mean his views about the 1960's had mellowed.
The cardinal fixed his old nemesis with a wry gaze and said, "Your
Marxist revolution has come to nothing."

No kidding, banana king.

The rest is here.

Rice Dictator

Submitted without commentary:

HAVANA, Cuba - April 21 (Ariel Delgado Covarrubias / www.cubanet.org) - Housewives in Mayarí, in the eastern Cuban province of Holguín, await the recently announced availability of electric rice cookers with mixed feelings; it will be nice to have a new rice cooker, they say, but will there be electricity available to use it?

Most households in the area cook with kerosene, made available for sale by the government in rationed quantities. What will happen to that supply when it presumably is no longer necessary because the rice cookers have been widely distributed, is another question worrying housewives.

"I really don't know what we are going to do when we have the rice cookers and they don't release any more kerosene," said Mariela, who didn't want her last name used. "With the constant blackouts, we won't be able to cook."

Electric blackouts are frequently scheduled in the area as an energy conservation measure. They usually happen from 5:45 in the afternoon to 11 in the evening.

"It is absurd. If they say the problem with electricity will go on for several more months, what sense does it make to sell us electrical equipment now that we won't be able to use?" asked another housewife. "Of course, they will take away the kerosene, and the State will save all the money, but we will not be able to cook with the blackouts."

She finally added: "If that happens, we will have to go into the bush to collect firewood to cook."

I'm still suffering from some dizziness so please, bear with the lack of posting . Thanks.

This is what hell looks like

This is what hell looks like.
Or at least, the little corner of it where cagastro is going to burn inside a vintage pressure cooker, eternally, while watching his own speeches. And from there, well, he can take a break by cutting some sugar cane, digging trenches, manipulating toxic waste and sleeping in a cell modeled after the ones he uses to keep the political prisoners in isolation and darkness while denying that torture is an institution in his penitentiary system.
Now I understand why in the last "mesa redonda" cagastro was singing praises to the use of electrical energy (didn't they have "apagones") as the main cooking fuel...
He seems to be kind of scared of flames!

HT: CB

(Picture below the fold)

Cuba and Spain, etc.

From National Review's irreplaceable Jay Nordlinger (in today's Impromptus):

Frank Calzón is a man who has to put up with a lot — he is the (invaluable) executive director of the Center for a Free Cuba, in Washington. On his website, you will find this note:

Dear Friends,

King Juan Carlos I of Spain met with Fidel Castro’s foreign minister recently in Madrid. Castro’s envoy presented his government’s views to the King. In a plea now circulating, a thousand supporters of human rights in Cuba ask the King to meet with five Cuban former political prisoners to hear the Cuban people’s aspirations.

Please sign this petition to King Juan Carlos of Spain.

For more information, please go here.

And one more:

When I write about Cuba, I tend to receive nasty mail, much of it from university people. Something about oppression in Cuba touches a nerve — a lot of people don’t want to hear about it. Many of these want to hold on to their dreams about Fidel, and Che, and island socialism.

And I am continually amazed — although I shouldn’t be — by the abuse directed at the Miami exiles. (Last year, I wrote a piece for The Claremont Review of Books, touching on this topic.) Of course, the hard Left in America uses the Cuban Communist party’s word: gusanos, meaning worms. That’s what they call the exiles, the anti-Castroites, the democrats — the troublemakers, refusing to get with the program. Once, when I wrote about René Montes de Oca, a left-wing website denounced him as a “Batista stooge.” This is par for the course — René was born in 1963; Batista was deposed in 1959.

Just last week, I had a letter blasting me for being in league with the “sugar barons” — the letter was from a university, of course. That’s another term you hear, in this line of work: “sugar barons.” Barons, as you know, are businessmen you don’t like. And “barons” is a handy Communist word, used to connote the filthiest capitalism. You can almost see the top hats, tails, and diabolical grins.

Anti-Communists have had to put up with this abuse right from the beginning — from (at least) 1917. You will find it in R[obert] Conquest, A[lexander] Solzhenitsyn, and other aware [!] sources.

Posted by George L. Moneo via Amanda 'cause I forgot my login!!!

All Hail the Queen!!

It's Rosemary Esmay's birthday. Go wish her a happy one.

Vertigo Strikes Again

Val is feeling under the weather again, another vertigo relapse.
Please wish him well.

And, no, the festivities yesterday at ManCamp were pretty mild, so this is unrelated. Or so I am told.

Mora and George, if you could help me man the fort, I'd really appreciate it.

Up in Smoke

It's a little after 5 AM on Sunday. In a few minutes, I will be injected the hell out of a pork butt Steve brought over yesterday using one of his concoctions made with who knows what. (I dont ask, they are usually pretty good.)

Of course, the marinade injection takes place only after I have lit the smoker so that it's nice and hot when I stick the pork butt in there.

At 5 AM. On a Sunday. 5 AM.

Happy F#*&@%^*# Birthday, Steve and Tommy.

Good Hair Day

Fausta of Bad Hair Blog has a great collection of links on Cuba's back and forth with the UN Human Rights Commission as well as a translation of the video I posted this week featuring Elsa Morejon describing her husband's, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, jail cell.

You may also want to check out this post at Vcrisis, where Alek Boyd rips fidel, etal, a new one.

Fontova smacks the NYT, etal.

Via NewsMax, here's a great article on the NYT and the Bay of Pigs by Humberto Fontova:

'Bay of Pigs, 40 years After' Conference Humberto Fontova Friday, April 22, 2005 Humberto Fontova is the author of "Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant."

I had to laugh – out LOUD – while reading the New York Times story "Bay of Pigs, 40 years After" about a "conference" held in Havana, Cuba, on March 23, 2001.

The chummy event was attended by participants from both sides of the Florida straits. The Best and Brightest were represented by Richard Goodwin and Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Other disinterested and impartial parties from the U.S. included former Fair Play for Cuba Committee member Saul Landau, also famous as an Emmy-award-winning "filmmaker" for his Castro Infomercials.

Landau once referred to his Cuban host as "a new force of nature! Here is a man so filled with energy he is almost a different species! Power radiates from him!"

"Bay of Pigs Enemies [italics mine] Finally Sit Down Together," crowed the New York Times article headlining this historic Oprah moment. Castro's commanders were all on hand –the few who hadn't jumped on chunks of Styrofoam and hit the Gulf Stream by then, that is. Of the ten Castroite pilots who fought at the Bay of Pigs, gallantly flying their T-33 jets and Sea-Furys against unarmed and lumbering B-26s, valiantly strafing and rocketing unarmed supply ships and men without a single AA battery to defend themselves – of these ten Galahads, NINE had disappeared from the ranks by the time of the 40-year anniversary of their glorious victory.

They'd either paddled off on rafts or scurried out of sight on restroom breaks during diplomatic missions abroad. Most then pleaded for political asylum from the same "Yankee Imperialists" they'd combated so gallantly in April '61.

"Patria o Muerte!" (Fatherland or Death!) they'd all thundered during the battle. "Patria o Muerte!" They yelled again while Castro pinned their medals afterward.

"POR FAVOR,Yankee Imperialists! … POR FAVOR! Please let us in!" They wailed a few years later.

Anyway, the precious few officers still available to "President" (as Dan Rather calls him) or "Premier" (as Barbara Walters, Peter Jennings and Ted Turner seem to prefer) Castro on April 2001 strutted around slapping backs with their medals clicking and clanging on their breasts. For photos they jutted their chins and affected frowns to shame George Patton himself – all this to commemorate a battle where they received one of the most humiliating, inglorious and grotesque stompings in the annals of military history.

Here's a summary of the Battle of the Bay of Pigs: 41,000 Castro troops with limitless Soviet arms, including tanks and planes and batteries of heavy artillery meet 1,400 mostly civilian exile freedom- fighters carrying only light arms and one day's ammo. The Castroites hit them, immediately halt, then flee hysterically.

They probe again, get mauled and retreat in headlong flight again. A few almost reach the sea on the OPPOSITE side of Cuba. They march back, often at gunpoint, and roll in battery after battery of Soviet 122 mm Howitzers. They rain 2,000 (that's TWO THOUSAND!) rounds of heavy artillery into lightly armed men they outnumber 40 to 1. They strafe them repeatedly with unopposed air support. They probe again – and retreat again in hysterical headlong flight.

They eventually stop, look around sheepishly, and bring in reinforcements. (40-to-1 odds aren't enough, you see) They rain another Soviet artillery storm on abandoned men outnumbered about 50 to 1 by now, without any air cover and only light arms.

Finally they move in and overwhelm the freedom fighters – after THREE DAYS of effort, and only when the freedom fighters, who hadn't eaten, drunk or slept in three days, were completely out of ammo. Castro's forces took 2,200 casualties in the process. The freedom fighters took 114 casualties.

These Castroite Caesars and Bonapartes went on to pen several books and articles showcasing their military prowess. Even more exciting, at the 40-year anniversary conference these crackerjack Castroite Comandantes promised to spread out maps and – the Ivy Leaguers could scarcely believe their fortune! – reveal the tactical secrets of their stunning victory!!

The gaping Best and Brightest quivered like tuning forks in anticipation of this unanticipated TREAT! Not West Point, not even Sandhurst offered anything like THIS!!

Cuban college and high school kids, laborers, lawyers and insurance salesmen, most with barely a month's military training by U.S. World War II veterans, gave these Russian-trained Castroite imbeciles a thrashing that rivals the Redcoats' thrashing at the Battle of New Orleans by Andy Jackson's raggedy bunch.

Castro's generals at the Bay of Pigs made Nasser's generals in the Six-Day War look positively Rommelesque. They made Sadat's army in the Yom Kippur war look like Patton's 4th armored blasting its way into Bastogne on Christmas of '44.

I can't resist quoting from a book written by Castro's Patton/Rommel/Hannibal himself, Jose Fernandez, especially as most history professors in the U.S. regard his book as gospel and the mainstream media rely on it almost exclusively for their authoritative articles on "Imperialism's Defeat!"

Indeed, for articles on the 40th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs Time, Newsweek, CNN, Yahoo!, MSNBC, AP, UPI and even The Wall Street Journal all used Castro's own figures for his crackerjack army's losses. He told them, and with his usual straight face, that they'd suffered 151 casualties.

Half of Miami roared over that one, especially the members of the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association. They're easy to contact, by the way. And, as you might imagine, quite knowledgeable on these matters. Here are hundreds of men who were also on the spot and now live in a free society with no compulsion to lie.

So, might one of those "passionate crusaders for the truth" (as the Columbia School of Journalism hails its graduates) endeavor to contact them? Might one of these diligent Woodward and Bernsteins venture to obtain a second opinion on a claim made by one of the most outrageous proven liars in modern history?

You know better. Hey, why go through the trouble? Instead let's all rely on the solemn word of the man who claimed: "I'm am NOT a Communist! I am a democrat! A humanist! I'll hold elections in four months!" (He said this on January 9, 1959.)

"I am not interested in power nor do I envisage assuming it at any time." (Same speech.)

"My revolution will shed no blood! (Same speech. 110,000 deaths by 1990, according to Scholar Armando Lago.)

"I had nothing to do with the JFK Assassination." ("Kennedy tried to get Castro but Castro got him first," Lyndon Johnson said after viewing classified info in 1965.)

"Don't worry, Mariano. In the hills I learned to love your brother, Humberto. He is now in our custody, but completely safe from harm. Absolutely nothing will happen to him. Please give your mom and dad a big hug and big kiss from me and tell them to please calm down." (The next day Mariano collapsed in shock at the sight of his brother's mangled corpse in a mass grave. Castro's firing squad had pumped over 40 shots into his brother's body that very dawn. Humberto Sori Marin's head was obliterated, his face unrecognizable. Fidel Castro always went the extra mile for his former comrades.)

But as I said, why bother fact-checking this guy? To quote Castro's hero, Hitler: "The victor will never be asked if he told the truth."

Now watch the same MSNBC, Time, Newsweek, CNN bunch treat the claims of a Swiftvet! Stand back for the cynical snorts! Flinch at the snappy rebuttals! All before the poor guy can even finish his sentence.

But just let a communist psychopath, serial liar and mass assassin claim something! Then it's all reverential "ooohs!," deferential "aaahs!"… "Yes, of course, Mr. President! How true, Mr. President! How insightful, Mr. President! How brilliant, Mr. President!"

Had any of these journalistic Torquemadas and Sherlock Holmeses slipped up and fact-checked, they'd have learned that the figure published in America's most prestigious journals about one of the hemisphere's most pivotal battles was off by a multiple of almost TWENTY. As I said, the abandoned Brigadistas inflicted 2,200 casualties on Castro's forces.

So let's go ahead and quote from the authoritative (published by the Castro government's own press. What more do you want!) "Playa Giron; Derrota Del Imperialismo!" (Bay of Pigs, Imperialism's Defeat!) so beloved of the mainstream media and "respectable" scholars.

"We were like Hernan Cortez! We were being attacked. But there was no retreat! – NO retreat! And no return!" (Here the breathless Castroite officer referred to his troops, not the exiles, who were literally like Cortez's men, utterly abandoned on a foreign beach with no way out.)

It gets better.

"What brave men I lead! We ran into a wall of explosions! The Yankee mercenaries had opened up on us with all their artillery! It seemed like the world itself was blowing up in front of us – like a beast with one hundred mouths was spouting death!"

(In this engagement on the western end of the beachhead, 450 Castroites backed by ten Stalin Tanks and air support from jets, faced two mortars, two 50-caliber machine guns and a grand total of 12 (that's 12, 10+2) totally abandoned exiled freedom fighters with almost empty M-1 carbines.)

"Get up, Comrade!' continues the Castro commander's soliloquy, "It's hand-to-hand now!" He was right on the last point. After three days of relentless combat and after relying on the solemn word of the Best and Brightest for support, their hands were the only weapons the betrayed Brigadistas had left. And they used them.

Naturally, at this historic conference "to finally compare notes and get at the truth" of this historic military engagement, none of the diligent scholars, investigative reporters and fervent truth seekers – none of these representatives of the Best and Brightest, from academia to the Fourth Estate to the diplomatic corps – mentioned these touchy matters.

None of the American group even laughed, except when Fidel would crack one of his howlers and indicate unmistakably to all that it was such. Then "Ha-ha-ha! Tee-hee-hee!" these cheeky intellectuals and courageous iconoclasts would all chime in on perfect cue.

Standard operating procedure for U.S. "scholars" and "diplomats" at a Castro "conference" and especially at any "educational exchange," I'm afraid. They open wide, Castro shovels in his bovine excrement, they gulp, rub their tummies deliriously and open their mouths for more.

Az'ucar!... en el Smithsonian!

By Julio C. Zangroniz

The National Museum of American History will showcase in our nation's capital the talent and times of legendary Cuban superstar Celia Cruz, with the exhibit "Az'ucar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz," set to open May 18, 2005 and highlight the life of the Queen of Salsa from her humble beginnings in Havana through her award winning days as a world-renowned international professional entertainer.

The exhibit at the Smithsonian facility will showcase Celia's career, which spanned six decades, though her powerful voice and larger-than-life personality, according to a news release issued this week by the museum. It will include photographs, personal documents, costumes, rare footage, music videos and music beginning with her childhood and earliest appearances with La Sonora Matancera in Cuba until the end of her career at her death in the United States 2003, including the very dress she wore at her last public appearance.

Celia's husband, Pedro Knight, is expected to attend a special press preview in Washington scheduled for May 17 --and Babalú will be there!

Watch for exclusive photos of that press preview and the exhibit in Babalublog.com during the three days of CubaNostalgia from Miami, Florida (May 20-22).

The Smithsonian is also developing a traveling exhibition of the Celia Cruz exhibit that will begin a national tour in 2007. At this point, the museum has not revealed what cities the traveling exhibit will visit or the exact schedule.

Next week, Babalú readers will have the opportunity to read exclusive details of an interview at the Smithsonian with Maurette Perez, the curator of the Celia Cruz exhibit.

If you could pose a question to the exhibit's curator about Celia or the Smithsonian exhibit, what would it be? Send it in! All questions we receive at Babalú by the end of Sunday, April 24 will be considered for possible inclusion during the interview with Ms. Perez.

Here's YOUR chance to ask what the mainstream media won't dare ask!

Elian (part 1)

Five years ago this morning, Elian Gonzalez was kidnapped by Clinton/Reno goons to prepare him for his trip back to the Socialist Worker's Paradise of fidel castro. I am still very angry about it, and I do not think I will ever get over it. (No, I can't "move on.") This was written on June 28, 2000 as Elian's plane took off. I feel exactly the same today as I did that day...

"...but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"

The Elian saga is over.

At 5:00 P.M. EDT, he is on his way back to the tropical worker's paradise. For those of us who love and cherish freedom and who truly know what this country stands for, it is the final nail in the coffin made board by board since April 22, 2000, at 5:15AM. It is a sad day indeed.

For some, it will be a relief not to hear another word about the little kid. Still others are very happy at the result. Bill Clinton, Janet Reno and their stormtroopers are happy—sig heil, Bill and Janet! Keep those safeties on! Ruby Ridge, Waco, Miami: one more victory for the omnipotent state!

—The communists and their fellow travelers, hiding behind Oprahized touchy-feely, liberal hypocrisy, are happy.

—The Useful Idiots—the misguided and moronic left—are happy. Lenin was right.

—The infamous Christian (?) “reverend” Joan Brown Campbell is happy. Joan, Jesus is so proud! He's got a special place reserved just for you...

—Greg Craig is happy—and a little richer thanks to the aforementioned “reverend.”

—Kendall Coffey is happy—the albatross is finally off his back. That pepper spray you smell is the aroma of your failure.

—Fidel Castro is very happy (one more victory for La Revolución—socialismo o muerte, venceremos! It is a superior system, damn it!) And he continues to rule Cuba, continues to imprison, continues to murder and continues to silence dissent 41 years and counting...

—Juan Miguel is really, really happy—he won't be losing his neck in a sugarcane field or in a prison thanks to what he's done to his little boy.

But in all this happiness and elation, is Elian going to be happy?

Does he even know that he won't be able to watch Batman on TV anymore? Or play with all the toys he's been given? They'll surely be taken away as they are “dangerous capitalist symbols” after all. Will he be happy in the transition from the ironic Amerikan leftist-sponsored luxury of Georgetown to his temporary, little re-education house in Cardenas, Cuba? Will he ever be able to say goodbye to Marisleysis, who cared for him as a mother for five months while his father didn't even bother to visit? To Uncle Lazaro, who sacrificed his privacy and a lot more to fight for him?

Does Elian know he doesn't have a future anymore? No. I don't think he's even been told he's going back to Cuba.

Elian is the innocent lamb for the sacrifice. The sacrifice on the vile and egomaniacal alter of Bill Clinton's “legacy” and whatever deal he's made with Fidel Castro. Proof positive that freedom, liberty and justice are only relative concepts in Clinton's Amerika. Where the freedom of a six-year old boy is an inconvenience to a president making a deal with a butcher! Where “Elian” becomes a rallying cry for every leftist that's ever defended Castro.

Amerika the unjust, Amerika the cruel. Tom, James, Ben, Sam, George—you may roll over in your graves now!

Good luck Elian, and may God protect you. And may God help us all.

(Editors note: Gracias, Ice Scribe, for your support and for not forgetting.)

Elian (part 2)

I am posting a response to the execrable Leonard Pitts and his racist and insulting column written about Cuban Americans, as well as a piece I wrote (above) when Elian was flown from Miami.

Mr. Pitts:

Usually I read your column with the bemused detachment of one who is reading the "party line" he has read over and over again, ad nauseum. Today, however, your column in The Miami Herald ("Elian saga on a course for collision," March 30, 2000) so angered me that I had to respond directly to you.

How dare you compare the Cuban-Americans in Miami protesting the Federal government over Elian to Gov. Orval Faubus, that intolerant racist in Arkansas over 40 years ago, simply because he defied the Federal government as well? Are you such an advocate of "the state above all" that you cannot abide our protests and civil disobedience over the freedom of a six-year old? Are you such an elitist that you believe that the people should not dare express their dissent against injustice, regardless of the source?

You, and the rest of the so-called "free" press, insist on focusing a bright light on what happens in Miami and not on what happens in Havana. I have never read your "criticisms" of Castro's communist regime expressed as ferociously as your criticisms of us for protesting the Federal government and Fidel Castro. And, as an added bonus, you have the gall to compare us to Jim Crow racists!

With your indiscriminate brush you painted the Cuban-American community as comparable to the vilest racists: your race-baiting is reprehensible. You owe us an apology for this slander. You also restated an "opinion" that we are "intolerant of dissent" and that we "use violence and coercion as means of cowing disagreement." This is a pretty broad and inaccurate generalization you added to make your point. The organizers of the Elian protests have always called for non-violent protests and civil disobedience, if necessary. It is the right of every American to disagree with laws that are unjust and to protest those laws, if necessary -- short of violence.

Castro's Cuba is hardly the place where the very values you allegedly cherish would be taught to Elian. We do not want Elian to be sent back to Communism; we do not want to traumatize him any further. We want him to grow up free and loved and fed and cared for; we want him to learn how great freedom is. We want to him to know that the death of his mother was not in vain; we want to him to honor his mother’s memory by enjoying his new-found freedom; we want him to make the best of the opportunities he now has that she gave her life for. We want him to love the U.S. for what it truly is and not for what it has become. We want what is best for this child.

Simply stated, this is a fight for what is right.

Mr. Pitts, we have the rights we have today because many, many people did the very thing you criticize us for doing. You should turn that bright light you have shined on us with such maliciousness and mendacity and shine it on yourself and your hypocrisy.

Sincerely,

George L. Moneo
Miami, Florida

(This letter may be be published in its entirety without editorial changes and with attribution.)

The letter was never published. His original column can be found here: Leonard Pitts, "Elian saga on a course for collision," The Miami Herald, March 30, 2000, Page 1E.

On Sen. Chris "Mo' Money" Dodd

The following is an excellent article on Senator Lift the Embargo Dodd by Agustin Blazquez and Jaums Sutton:

"Senator Dodd is not concerned about the hardship of the Cuban people, he is just interested in business." This quote does not come from the Cuban American exiles but from the Human Rights Lawton Foundation in Havana last May 11, 1999, after Christopher Dodd's visit to the communist ruled island.

In a document replying to Senator Dodd‚s recommendations for the lifting of the US embargo signed by Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, Migdalia Rosado Hernandez and Rolando Muñoz Yyobre addressed to the people of the US --but not reported in the US media -- the directors of the human rights foundation expressed their consternation about Dodd's statements.

The document says "the lifting of the embargo has to be conditioned to respect the human rights of the Cuban people, the freedom of all political prisoners, a multi-party system and free elections, because these principles must take precedence over business."

What the Lawton Foundation expresses is the overwhelming desire of all pro-democracy organizations inside Cuba and the majority of the Cubans, as well as the exiles not only in the US but in other countries.

While opinions differ as to the means to achieve the goal, it is unquestionable that the vast majority of Cubans are united in their democratic desires. After all, four decades ago Castro stole what many believed to be a renaissance of democracy in Cuba.

Cubans in general --based on their first hand experience--are better informed about the Cuban reality and can make a better assessment than a foreigner who, quite naturally, is not as well acquainted with the history and the mechanisms at work within Castro's Cuba. The opinion of the ordinary Cubans should be the primary consideration before adding mistakes to the many already made by the US during this 40-year example of the failure of communism.

According to the Lawton Foundation and the judgment of better-informed Cuban sources, Senator Dodd twisted the Cuban reality to favor US businessmen who are willing to exploit the cheap semi-slave labor that Castro is offering in order to enrich themselves. They stated that Dodd's intention as well as the ones of other US politicians recalls those of the "Nazi-communist pact signed by Ribbentrop and Molotov."

Dodd said that the lifting of the US embargo would be "good business" for Americans. But the human rights foundation says, "Christopher Dodd and his followers are showing their disdain for the principles of freedom. The communist system is the origin and cause of the dire situation of the Cubans."

Echoing what others on the island have been saying for years, the Lawton Foundation states, "the humanitarian aid donated to relieve the Cuban people is being sold at the stores and pharmacies for US dollars only," to benefit Castro‚s regime.

"The Cuban people are hostages of the Castro-communist dictatorship," and they urge the "support and solidarity of the American people and the international community." The document points out that "Castro voted in favor of the embargo against the government of South Africa," and question, "Why lift the US embargo of Castro while in Cuba there reigns an ethnic, political, economic, social and informational apartheid?"

The Lawton Foundation document was not newsworthy to the US media, and was obviously ignored by Dodd and his followers who treat Cubans as a nuisance to be dismissed.

Senator Dodd - who later claimed he only was responsible for the reservation of the room - was involved in the reception to honor Maria de Ia Luz B‚Hamel, the Director of Trade Policy for North America from Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Igor Montero Britto, the Vice President and Chief Commodity Buyer for ALIMPORT, both agencies of Castro's regime. This "people-to-people" contact with Castro's cronies was shamefully held on July 21, 1999, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill and was sponsored by the anti-US embargo Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy, the American Farm Bureau Federation and several grain commodity groups.

This inflammatory action by Senator Dodd and the American farmers prompted protests from Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Bob Menendez, the three Cuban American members of the House of Representatives and a demonstration championed by Cuban Americans in front of the Dirksen Senate Office Building held on July 21, 1999.

The peaceful demonstration was organized by Israel Moya of NoCastro.com and the Mothers & Women Against Repression for Cuba (M.A.R.) based in Miami. A delegation of women dressed in black for the event flew from Miami, headed by its president, Sylvia G. Iriondo. Also present were members of the Alliance of Young Cubans.

What is phony about the rush to establish business arrangements with Castro‚s regime at the end of the Clinton Administration is that the ordinary Cubans are left out. This is not free enterprise. Ordinary citizens are forbidden to participate in business ventures with foreigners.

The supposedly non-governmental companies in Cuba that are authorized to make business are front companies owned and operated by Castro's regime and his cronies from the army and security forces. in charge of repressing the people. Therefore, all business that Dodd and his followers want to do in Cuba directly benefits Castro's regime helping him to stay in power against the will of the people. In fact, they would be supporting a tyranny. Ordinary Cuban citizens stand to gain more repression from these business deals. Nothing more.

Anybody who really knows the mechanisms at work in Castro's Cuba knows that fact. But Dodd and his followers apparently are playing with the ignorance of the misinformed American people. And who is responsible for this ignorance? The US media, who for decades has been avoiding to expose the reality of Castro's regime. Cubans and their suffering seem to be inconsequential to many.

Rolando Muñoz Yyobre, one of the signatories of the Havana-based Human Rights Lawton Foundation‚s document says, "The embargo is not against people, but against the government." Also Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet added that, "the embargo is one of the arms of non-violent civic resistance" against Castro's tyranny.

On June 7, 1999, Dr. Biscet and five others began a 40-day hunger strike "one for each year of tyranny" at Migdalia Rosado Hernandez‚ humble apartment at Tamarindo 34 in Havana asking for the respect of human rights and the liberation of all political prisoners in Cuba. Hundreds of people throughout Cuba and abroad joined in that effort.

Unfortunately, silence was the rule of the US media and Cubans once more were deprived of the solidarity that would have helped to make a difference. Also, the publicity would have served to alert Dodd and his followers that business with Castro's Cuba would not be morally acceptable. Those politicians and businessmen who play in the uncharted muddy waters with the tyrant, eventually will pay a price.

You can contact Senator No' Money here.

fidel strikes out

fidel castro's resolution to the UN Human Rights Commission was shot down.

In a resolution (E/CN.4/2005/L.94/Rev.1) on the question of detainees in the area of the United States naval base in Guantanamo, rejected by a roll-call vote of eight in favour to 22 against, with 23 abstentions, the Commission would have requested the Government of the United States to authorize an impartial and independent fact-finding mission by the relevant special procedures of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of detainees at its naval base in Guantanamo.

The result of the vote was as follows:

In favour (8): China, Cuba, Guatemala, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Against (22): Armenia, Australia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Finland, France, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mauritania, Netherlands, Peru, Republic of Korea, Romania, United Kingdom and United States.

Abstentions (23): Argentina, Bhutan, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Togo and Ukraine.

The US response was as follows:

LINO PIEDRA (United States) in an explanation of the vote before the vote, said the United States opposed and would call for a vote on the resolution. It was a blatant retaliatory act for the adoption of L.31 and had nothing to do with human rights. It was a mirror highlighting the contrast between a country like the United States, and a country like Cuba. It was ironic that the country sponsoring the resolution had denied access to Special Rapporteurs and the Red Cross. Cuba had long lost the high ground when it came to Commission mechanisms. Countries should reject this resolution, which called for an impartial investigation in Guantanamo. This was already occurring, and was being done by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which had had repeated and regular access to the detainees, monitoring that they were being treated acceptably, and had met with officials of the United States Government at the highest levels. The issue raised difficult issues that could raise passions and criticisms, but the international community had been witness to unimaginable situations in Cuba, including it refusing access to detainees to monitor their situation. Both American and international media continued to provide comprehensive coverage and analysis of this issue.

Regarding the substance of the resolution, the United States had maintained a dialogue with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteurs on this issue, and had provided written information and responses, and provided briefings. The question of access was one that continued to be under serious consideration and review. The resolution was based upon a false premise. Even the totality of these factual considerations did not justify this resolution, which was out of order, out of place, and unworthy of consideration by the Commission, and it should be rejected.

Game over, fidelito. You lose.

H/T Miguel.

fidel castro's Inhumanity

For all those that have no problem with traveling to Cuba.

For all those that fool themselves into believing Cuba is an oasis of human rights and dignity.

For all those that sign on to and further castro's propaganda.

Below is a video of Elsa Morejon, wife of black prisoner of conscience Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, describing his living conditions with an exact duplicate of his cell in one of fidel castro's jails. It is only in Spanish and without subtitles, but you really wont need to understand the words.

If youre having trouble with the video above, here's a download link:

Elsa Morejon describes Dr. Biscet's jail cell.

Via Cuba Democracia y Vida via Eloy G.

Dumbasses

From an article on Cuba and the UN in the Final Call, "Minister" Farrahkan's official cyber soapbox, we get the following: (Dont click the previous link if you dont have a strong stomach.)

Black nationalist, activist and researcher Bob Brown, who signed a petition in support of Cuba, wrote: “Cuba is an oasis and beacon for human rights in the Americas and in every corner of the world! As a friend of Cuba, we unconditionally and uncompromisingly denounce and demand an end to all forms of U.S. aggression against Cuba! We further denounce the United States government as the greatest violator of human rights, from slavery and the slave trade to neo-globalism and slave-like conditions and practices, the world has ever seen!”

Oh. My. Lord.

I cant believe there are actually people out there either this completely moronic or so totally devious and self-serving that they would actually try to make others believe this shit.

Message for Bob Brown: You're an idiot. Un tremendo comemierda.

El Blogueo (Updated)

Ever seen a blog originating from Cuba?

Claro que no.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba - April 19 (Jorge Ramón Castillo, ICDPress / www.cubanet.org) - All navigation through the national Intranet has been suspended since Saturday due to the municipal elections held on Sunday.

An employee at the only Intranet parlor in the province explained that the service provider cuts off the service to the population every time there are elections or any politically-important event in the territory.

Cubans pay 4.50 convertible pesos (4.50 dollars) for three hours of connectivity. For that, they may access the Cuban Intranet and may send e-mail abroad. Only foreigners may access the wider Internet and have access to other-than-Cuban web sites, usually from a terminal set up in a hotel.

Full access to the outside world? For Cubans? Never.

UPDATE: I just received the following via email from reader CB:

By nine thirty I will be receiving my usual string of messages from Cuba. There are more categories of acces to e-mail and the internet (restricted, very restricted version)

For artists: name@cubarte.cult.cu

For physicians: name@infomed.sld.cu

For college professors: name@xxx.xxx.edu.cu

And also there are government owned enterprises which "assign" e-mail addresses (but not internet access) to their employees. All e-mails are monitored, and they are used also to get a glimpse of the real mind of the users. Also, official institutions "give" work related e-mail addresses that use the controlled intranet on the island and not all of them are able to communicate with e-mail addresses based abroad.
Another type of e-mail / internet access is through foreing owned business in Cuba or joint ventures. The employees surf and e-mail at their own risk and they usually have their "work" e-mail address plus several ones always in free services. I firmly believe that they are monitored too.
Babalublog is being read, printed and passed around.
But obviously, I cannot post how it's done or how I know it....

Miami Park to honor Operation Peter Pan

by Julio C. Zangroniz

Some great news from Miami!

Local authorities are in the early stages of turning old Camp Matecumbe into a park to honor the history of Operation Pedro Pan, which brought to the United States over 14,000 Cuban children during the first few years after the triumph of fidel castro's revolution, when the decrepit dictator started to turn Cuba's dreams of freedom into a Communist nightmare.

This writer, himself, was one of the thousands of boys who lived in Camp Matecumbe, staying there from July-December 1962

In an article in today's edition of the Miami Herald reporter Susan Anasagasti details how the then-remote outpost on the outskirts of Miami became a haven for thousands of the unaccompanied children. Today, the relentless march of "progress" has left the 22 acres now known as Boystown surrounded by unending urbanizations and a small airport.

The park could also become a home to a monument that will honor those who have died fighting castro's Communist regime.

"This park is unusual because of all the history on the land. It won't be a traditional neighborhood park. This one is special," said Barbara Falsey, chief of planning and research for the Miami-Dade Parks Department.

The design process is estimated to take about a yea