Uvas

From December 31, 2004:

Cuban Grapes

Grapes are probably scarce in Miami today as they are every New Year's Eve. During the last week of the year you can go to any supermarket here and find the produce section invaded by grapes. All kinds of grapes. Red seedless, green seedless, big old red seeded grapes. Yet today, the 31st of December, they are hard to find. Where are all the grapes going? you may be asking. Well, I'll tell you.

On New Year's Eve, while most of us are all celebrating the end of the year and the coming of the new year, there is one person in each Cuban household in charge of grapes. The Grape Keeper. People will be dancing and drinking and laughing and enjoying the end of year merriment and one person will be in the kitchen laboriously counting grapes. You'll walk into the kitchen for a few ice cubes and find the counter covered with little plastic cups or some other small container filled with grapes.

Twelve grapes to a container, to be exact.

The grape keeper's job is very important to Cubans. It could be the difference between a good year and a bad year.

A few minutes before midnight tonight, the grape keeper will hand each person at the party their own little container with the twelve grapes. "No te las comas todavia" they'll say. Dont eat them yet. You may be hungry and the grapes may look deliciously juicy in thier little container in your hand, but you can't eat them. You have to wait.

Until midnight.

At the stroke of midinght, while everyone else in the world is screaming and toasting and singing Auld Lang Syne and hugging and kissing, we Cubans are eating grapes. Twelve grapes counted and prepared specifically for you to be eaten precisely at the stroke of midnight, one after the other.

Each grape represents one month and they are eaten on New Year's because it is our tradition. Some say each grape represents luck for each month, some say it is so you always have food to eat in each of the coming twelve months.

It is hard sometimes to eat all the grapes, being a Cuban. Some times there will have been a death in the family the preceding year and as always, that person will be remembered at the stroke of a new year. Other times, there may be a person or two celebrating with you who still have their mother or father or gradparents or siblings still on the island. And at that precise moment in time, with a fresh New Year in sight, a new future upon them, they'll remember those left behind on their beloved Cuba. And remember, possibly, the struggles those family members may face in Cuba just to find their own twelve grapes. It's hard to eat grapes, however delicious they may be, when you are crying.

Twelve grapes, one for each month, every new year.

I'll gladly eat my twelve grapes tonight, and be thankful for having them and having everything else their twelve predecessors from last year afforded me. And for a moment, in between kissing the wife and hugging the parents and kisses on the cheeks from my tias, Ill think about Cuba and hope these twelve grapes she gets this year are different from the 540 she's already had.

Feliz Año Nuevo, everyone!!!! May the coming year bring you all health and smiles and prosperity!

And may it see the shackles of bondage removed from that little island somewhere in the Caribbean.

Oh, and dont forget to eat your grapes. All twelve of them. At the stroke of midnight. One after the other.

My best wishes to all for a happy and prosperous New Year filled with love, passion, good health and freedom. And a huge thank you to all for being part of our family.

My New Year's Resolution

I know there's millions of people making their New Year's resolutions today. Some will promise to stop smoking. Some will promise to lose weight. Some will promise to get more exercise. Take better care of themselves. Be kind to strangers. Spend more time with their families.

I never make New Year's resolutions. Never seen them as practical. You make a promise to yourself and then when you dont keep it, you've only lied to yourself. Why disappoint yourself in the first place?

But today I feel compelled to join the rest of the world and make a promise to myself as the new year is ushered in:

I will continue to do my damndest to be a thorn in the side of one fidel castro. I will continue to expose the truth about Cuba even if noone listens. Even if it's a cause of much and great frustration. Even if it's a cause of much pain and heartache. Even if I feel like Im battling windmills every day. Even if it takes and inordinate amount of time from my family and work and other pursuits.

This coming year, every single day of every single week of every single month, I will cagarme en la madre de fidel castro, cagarme en fidel castro y cagarme en su fucking revolucion. And I will proudly stay and keep my place in line to piss on that bastards grave.

Counting (c)astro's Victims

By MARY ANASTASIA O'GRADY
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Page
December 30, 2005; Page A17

"On May 27, [1966,] 166 Cubans -- civilians and members of the military -- were executed and submitted to medical procedures of blood extraction of an average of seven pints per person. This blood is sold to Communist Vietnam at a rate of $50 per pint with the dual purpose of obtaining hard currency and contributing to the Vietcong Communist aggression.

-- InterAmerican Human Rights Commission, April 7, 1967

This weekend marks the 47th anniversary of the triumph of the "26th of July Movement," which many Cubans expected would return their country to a constitutional government. (f)idel (c)astro had other ideas of course, and within weeks he hijacked the victory, converting the country into one of the most repressive states in modern history.

Waiting for (f)idel to die has become a way of life in Cuba in the past decade. Conventional wisdom holds that the totalitarian regime will hang on even after the old man kicks the bucket. But that hasn't stopped millions from dreaming big about life in a (f)idel-free Cuba.

Cuban reconciliation won't come easy, even if (f)idel's ruthless, money-grubbing little brother Raul is somehow pushed aside. One painful step in the process will require facing the truth of all that has gone on in the name of social justice. As the report cited above shows, it is bound to be a gruesome tale.

The Cuba Archive project (www.cubaarchive.org1) has already begun the heavy lifting by attempting to document the loss of life attributable to revolutionary zealotry. The project, based in Chatham, N.J., covers the period from May 1952 -- when the constitutional government fell to Gen. Fulgencio Batista -- to the present. It has so far verified the names of 9,240 victims of the (c)astro regime and the circumstances of their deaths. Archive researchers meticulously insist on confirming stories of official murder from two independent sources.

Cuba Archive President Maria Werlau says the total number of victims could be higher by a factor of 10. Project Vice President Armando Lago, a Harvard-trained economist, has spent years studying the cost of the revolution and he estimates that almost 78,000 innocents may have died trying to flee the dictatorship. Another 5,300 are known to have lost their lives fighting communism in the Escambray Mountains (mostly peasant farmers and their children) and at the Bay of Pigs. An estimated 14,000 Cubans were killed in (f)idel's revolutionary adventures abroad, most notably his dispatch of 50,000 soldiers to Angola in the 1980s to help the Soviet-backed regime fight off the Unita insurgency.

The archive project can be likened to the 1999 "Black Book of Communism," which documented the world-wide cost of communism, noting that "wherever the millenarian ideology of Communism was established it quickly led to crime, terror and repression." The (c)astro methodology, Cuba Archive finds, was much like that used in Poland and East Germany, less lethal than Stalin's purges, but equally effective in suppressing opposition.

In the earliest days of the revolution, summary executions established a culture of fear that quickly eliminated most resistance. In the decades that followed, inhumane prison conditions often leading to death, unspeakable torture and privation were enough to keep Cubans cowed.

Cuba Archive finds that some 5,600 Cubans have died in front of firing squads and another 1,200 in "extrajudicial assassinations." (c)he (g)uevara was a gleeful executioner at the infamous La Cabaña Fortress in 1959 where, under his orders, at least 151 Cubans were lined up and shot. Children have not been spared. Of the 94 minors whose deaths have been documented by Cuba Archive, 22 died by firing squad and 32 in extrajudicial assassinations.

Fifteen-year-old Owen Delgado Temprana was beaten to death in 1981 when security agents stormed the embassy of Ecuador where his family had taken refuge. In 1995, 17-year-old Junior Flores Díaz died after being locked in a punishment cell in a Havana province prison and denied medical attention. He was found in a pool of vomit and blood. Many prison deaths are officially marked as "heart attacks," but witnesses tell another story. The project has documented 2,199 prison deaths, mostly political prisoners.

The revolution boasts of its gender equality, and that's certainly true for its victims. Women have not fared much better than men. In 1961, 25-year-old Lydia Pérez López was eight months pregnant when a prison guard kicked her in the stomach. She lost her baby and, without medical attention, bled to death. A 70-year-old woman named Edmunda Serrat Barrios was beaten to death in 1981 in a Cuban jail. Cuba Archive has documented 219 female deaths including 11 firing squad executions and 20 extrajudicial assassinations.

The heftiest death toll is among those trying to flee. Many have been killed by state security. Three Lazo children drowned in 1971 when a Cuban navy vessel rammed their boat; their mother, Mrs. Alberto Lazo Pastrana, was eaten by sharks. Twelve children -- ages six months to 11 years -- drowned along with 33 others when the Cuban coast guard sank their boat in 1994. Four children -- ages three to 17 -- drowned in the famous Canimar River massacre along with 52 others when the Cuban navy and a Cuban air force plane attacked a hijacked excursion boat headed for Florida in 1980.

The horror of that event cost one more life: After visiting survivors in the Matanzas hospitals, the famous revolutionary guerrilla Haydée Santamaría, already in despair over the massive, inhumane boat exodus from the Port of Mariel, killed herself. That was a tragic admission of both the cost and failure of the revolution. The only riddle left is how, 25 years later, so-called "human rights" advocates like Argentine President Nestor Kirchner still embrace the (c)astro regime.

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113590852154334404.html

Hyperlinks in this Article:
(1) http://www.cubaarchive.org

The Sad Statistics

Now that the end of 2005 is upon us, we are being inundated with end-of-the-year recaps, summaries, etc. One such example is today's Miami Herald article on migration to the U.S. in 2005.

The sad statistics in the article are there for everyone to see: over 10,000 Cubans either made it to the U.S. or were interdicted at sea. That's the highest number since 1994, and it probably doesn't include the most recent detaining of Cubans and Haitians. It also mentions increasing number of Dominicans being interdicted at sea, but lesser number of Haitians.

By looking at the increasing number of Cubans leaving the island, it's obvious that conditions are worsening on the island, no matter what castro apologists might think.

Here's the Herald article in its entirety. Focus on the comments of people such as Estrella Fresnillo, a Cuban journalist who entered the U.S. via Canada. They tell the truth.

Migration to U.S. soared in '05

The number of migrants heading to the United States from Cuba and the Dominican Republic was unusually high in 2005. Experts say both the economy and political policies fueled the upsurge.

BY OSCAR CORRAL ocorral@MiamiHerald.com

The constant blackouts, the dismal economy, the messages of false hope from Fidel Castro. It was all too much for Estrella Fresnillo, a well-known Cuban journalist.

Fresnillo left Cuba behind this year to come to the United States, joining a growing wave of immigrants from across the Caribbean taking to the seas -- or sneaking through U.S. land borders -- in search of a new life.

This year, the Coast Guard interdicted almost twice as many Cubans at sea than last year -- more than any year since 1994, when a rafter crisis of 37,000 prompted the United States and Cuba to strike up a rare dialogue to implement a controversial new immigration policy.

The Coast Guard also intercepted almost four times as many Dominicans at sea but caught fewer Haitians trying to reach Florida this year than in 2004. Interdictions of Haitians last year set a record for the past 10 years.

Although Fresnillo did not enter by sea, she is part of another fast-growing group of Cuban migrants who entered the United States illegally by land. Fresnillo crossed from Canada to Buffalo, N.Y., in September.

As many as 7,610 Cubans entered the United States through its southern border in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The Coast Guard interdicted 2,866 Cubans at sea in 2005, up from 1,499 in 2004. Many more also made it to shore in South Florida than last year. Border Patrol spokesman Steve McDonald said 2,530 Cubans were detained in South Florida in 2005, up from 955 the year before.

''The situation in Cuba is worse than ever,'' Fresnillo said. ``I've never seen so many blackouts, and the hurricanes coming through were horrible. I am part of a generation of people that is disillusioned.''

The U.S. State Department said several factors have contributed to the uptick in migrants. Aside from widespread blackouts, the Cuban government is taking a much bigger bite -- up to 18 percent -- of every dollar sent by relatives. And new U.S. rules imposed in 2004 restrict the amount of remittances U.S. relatives can legally send to their families to $100 a month.

''The crackdown on dissidents is also a major factor,'' said a State Department official who asked not to be named. ``This year, the Cubans were promised more than in the past, especially with [Fidel Castro] saying they are coming out of their special period. But the average Cuban looks around and realizes it's just not getting any better.''

U.S.-Cuba immigration policy took center stage this year after several high-profile incidents involving clashes between the Coast Guard and Cuban migrants at sea. In one incident, a go-fast boat smuggling Cubans capsized following a chase by a Coast Guard vessel, and a 6-year-old boy drowned.

''From what we've seen and heard here, the latest trend in migrant smuggling from Cuba is the go-fast boat,'' said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Chris O'Neil. ``For those that go the route of migrant smuggling, they leave themselves at the mercy of smugglers who don't have an interest in their safety. They are interested in the cash.''

After the 1994 crisis, the United States implemented the controversial ''wet-foot, dry-foot'' policy, which generally allows Cubans who make it to U.S. shores to stay in the country but mostly guarantees repatriation to Cuba for those interdicted at sea.

In a report earlier this year, the State Department accused Cuba's government of refusing to comply with the 1995 migration accords, which were designed to prevent another exodus. The report said Cuba's government doesn't try to stop migrants on vessels while they are still in Cuban territorial waters, and it refuses to issue exit permits to many citizens who receive U.S. travel documents allowed by the accords.

U.S. Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart said the 1995 accords should be ``abrogated. It's fundamentally flawed and immoral. . . . I would eliminate the migration accords. But I haven't been able to convince President Bush of that.''

Cubans aren't the only ones taking to the seas in a growing tide. The number of Dominicans interdicted by the Coast Guard has grown more than fivefold from about 801 in 2002 to 4,388 in 2005.

Eduardo Sanchez, a representative of President Leonel Fernandez's Dominican Liberation Party, blamed, in part, a global economy for the exodus. He also said the higher number could mean the Coast Guard has stepped up its efforts to intercept Dominicans -- most of them heading for Puerto Rico.

''Although the economy is growing, the distribution of that wealth is much slower,'' Sanchez said. ``The poorer people, who risk themselves to come to the U.S., always have an incentive.''

Despite the turmoil in Haiti, the number of Haitian migrants interdicted by the Coast Guard in 2005 -- 1,828 -- is less than last year's 3,078. Most of them are taken back to Haiti.

Activists in Miami's Haitian community warn that the lower number should not be interpreted to mean that conditions in Haiti are improving.

''Things have never been worse than they are now in Haiti -- the violence, the misery, the poverty. It has been called a failed state,'' said Steven Forester, policy advocate for Haitian Women of Miami. ``It is simply wrong that anybody should be returned to Haiti at this point.''

Conditions also seem to be getting worse in Cuba, according to Cubans who left this year.

''Popular rebellion and discontent have increased in the last two years, and at the same time government repression is increasing,'' said dissident Manuel Vasquez Portal, who left Cuba with a visa in June. ``Life for us in Cuba had become impossible.''

From the Babalú mailbag

Mere words can never describe some of the emails I get. Here's a mere sample:

Ola,Val read your bio very interesting.i happened upon your site by accident.howeve you might be able to help me.I dont speak spanish very well.I grew up in Harlem NYC.and served time im prison with Assata Shkur whos in exile in CUBA and wrote amemoir called Assata hip hop an me. as i was 17 yr old 'pup''at thetime.and wanted to have it published in CUBA to show them that its not ''all''..milk and honey here.Im a black woamn. and maybe you have a few ideas on publishing there.It has a fair amount of poetry in itas that is how ive beenn published in the states as. thank you for your help. sincerly carolyn baxter.

Alabao caballeros...

Proof is in the pudding, comrades

One of the things I find most disturbing about castro apologists - the non-Cuban kind - is their inability - or self-imposed blindness - to see the truth when it's staring them right in the face. They quickly promote the rhetoric - Free Healthcare!!! 100% literacy!!! Low infant mortality rate!!! - and tell all who would listen just how great castro's Cuba is and how successful the revolution is and just what a utopian society exists on that little island. But they dont, or wont, dig a little deeper. If someone mentions the plight of the Cuban people they quickly, and like good little soldiers, blame the US for all of Cuba's ills.

Take this post at Harry's Place sent to me by reader Adriene. The entry is a condemnation of fidel castro's Cuba via a link to an Argentinian Indymedia website that uses the photos of Cuba from the Real Cuba to show the reality that is Cuba. The comments section is chock full of castro apologists ranting on, ad nauseum, on the triumph of la revolucion.

But there's a problem with all of those pro-fidel comments. None of them comes from a Cuban, specifically, from a Cuban living in Cuba. An average Jose from Cienfuegos. Every single pro-castro comment in that thread comes from someone, some self-proclaimed intellectual beacon, that has never had to live in castro's Cuba. Never had to deal with ration cards and CDR's. Never had to see his little sister or brother sell him or herself to some fat tourist for a few bucks. Never had to live like a second class citizen in their own country. Never had to live in a place where there are no New York Times or Washington Posts or CNNs, only state run media. Never had to live without internet access, completely sheltered from the rest of the world. Never had to live deaf, dumb and blind. Never had to live without opinions. Never had to live as part of a collective instead of as an individual.

So all those Viva fidels! and Viva La Revolucions! in the comments of that thread are pointless because the commenters know not of what they speak. They lack the basic and underlying understanding of what being a Cuban living in Cuba really is.

To make this even more disturbing, the majority of these castro apologists, along with a good number of people who dont really give a shit about Cuba, depict the Cuban exile community as some crazy malcontent whiners. In their eyes, the opinions and histories of almost three million people are moot. They prefer to be taught by professor fidel than by experience. Not only are they complicit in the silencing of the people of Cuba, but they refuse to listen to those Cubans who have the freedom to speak freely.

I could be wrong, of course (all evidence to the contrary). The people of Cuba could very well be happy with their lives and with fidel, but until I hear it from them, en masse, instead of from your typical Alarcon, or from some guy living in a typical suburban house in a typical suburban neighborhood in Boise, Idaho, I will continue to do what I do here. Until I read a million blogs eminating from Cuba telling me Im wrong, Ill sleep soundly, knowing full well what is just and right.

Fuera de jodedera...

...how do you all feel about a Cuba Nostalgia exhibit in 2006?

It's Beisbol, Wayne

Staying true to his castro-apologist form, Wayne Smith once again opts to miss the point entirely with this piece from the Baltimore Sun. Do read the whole thing and find one mention, just one, of the Cuban people.

His rhetoric is as stale as week old pan cubano and follows the same tired old propaganda bullet points that every single castro apologist signs on to.

Because, you see, according to Wayne, its all about America, Americans and baseball. The Cuban people are but an afterthought, if that.

Hat tip Mike Pancier.

Moral idiots in New York

The American Thinker is flagging a story in today's New York Sun, warning of a castroite photo display in New York that glorifies che guevara. Lost in the photographers' whitewashing of the Cuban realities brought on by the Argentine brigand and others, The Sun and The Thinker set the record straight. The whole story of these moral zeroes is here.

Morales not improving any

Fresh from a very uncastroite democratic electoral victory, something castro could never accomplish, Morales has announced that his first visit will be to hug beastly Cuban dictator fidel castro.

Morales had 124 nations to choose from and castro was chosen to be his Number One. Sounds like Morales is rewarding his campaign contributors.

The wretched story is here.

UPDATE: Morales has decided to turn his presidential inauguration into a foreign Sandalista-fest. Oh man, the garbage! The stench! What a repulsive guy:

Morales wants inauguration to be gathering of social activists

La Paz, Dec 28 (EFE).- Bolivia's President-elect, leftist Evo Morales, wants to make his inauguration an "international gathering" of grassroots organizations, his spokesman said Wednesday.

Alex Contreras said groups already receiving invitations include Brazil's MST Landless Movement, the Argentine jobless activists known as "piqueteros," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's Bolivarian Circles, the Zapatistas of Mexico and the two largest entities representing Indians in neighboring Ecuador.
Morales also hopes to see at his Jan. 22 swearing-in three Nobel Peace Prize winners - South Africa's Nelson Mandela, Argentine Adolfo Perez Esquivel and Guatemala's Rigoberta Menchu - as well as Nobel literature laureates Gabriel Garcia Marquez of Colombia and Jose Saramago of Portugal.

Alongside the usual lineup of presidents, Cuban musician Silvio Rodriguez, Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano and Argentine soccer icon Diego Maradona, who has already confirmed his attendance, according to Contreras, will be in the stands.

"Our idea is for this inauguration to be a meeting of the world's social-action movements," Contreras said.

Contreras added that though many guests have "busy schedules," he is confident most will attend "this event, which is going to be historic." Morales won his country's Dec. 18 presidential election with just under 54 percent of the votes, the most comfortable victory achieved by a candidate in Bolivia's modern history.

He will also be the first Indian president in a nation where indigenous people make up roughly 60 percent of the population of 9 million. EFE rac/mp

Comida Cubano Atlanta

When my daughter and her husband moved to Atlanta and I was ready to pay them a visit, I went online in search of local Cuban restaurants. It turned out there were several.

Based on a couple of recommendations we went to Las Palmeras, it was very good. Located in a quiet mostly residential neighborhood, they have a full menu, and great service. I ordered the chicken special, my daughter, being a light eater ordered a few sides, while my son-in-law ordered a Pan Con Bistec. My meal was delicious as were the assorted sides my daughter ordered. Son in law Joe however, while insisting that his sandwich was good, said it didn't compare to the Cuban place where he ate lunch on a regular basis. I promised that on my next visit that's were we would go.

So, last week my daughter and I had lunch at the Havana Sandwich Shop on our way to the airport and my flight home. It's a family place, a warm inviting hole in the wall. You place your order at the deli-style counter, are given a number, you find a seat and wait. They were very busy; both with the late lunch crowd and people picking up take out orders. While we were waiting for our food I found one of the owners, the very gracious Debbie Benedict, introduced myself, and obtained permission to take photos.

There is nothing like a good Cuban sandwich, full of flavorful filling, on authentic Pan Cubano, golden and toasty, just the right amount crunch. One of my favorite dishes is Picadillo, so I couldn't resist ordering the combo plate, a half sandwich, served with black bean soup and yellow rice. I also ordered a turkey sandwich for later on the plane. Joe was right, it was wonderful. The Picadillo was bursting with flavor inside the perfectly toasted bread, made fresh on the premises. The yellow rice was just the way I like it, peas included.

While not a full service Cuban restaurant, you can get almost any traditional dish here you would like. Besides about 15 different sandwiches including the traditional Cuban, Turkey, Pan Con Lechon, even Medianoche on sweet egg bread, you can also get a number of dinner plates, Arroz Con Pollo, Milanesa, Boliche, Bistec, and every side dish imaginable. The only thing missing that I would have liked is La Frita, why are they so hard to find? All in all, pretty good for Atlanta. If you find yourself in this great Southern City and want some good down home Cuban food check out the Havana Sandwich Shop, located at 2905 Buford Highway, 404-636-4095. Bring your appetite, portions are very generous.

Location courtesy Yahoo Maps

Thanks to Scott, the correct phone number is 404-636-4094.

I am full

Ive been wanting to sit down and post an entry on Noche Buena and Christmas since yesterday morning. Something spectacular, something heartwarming, something to let everyone know ust what a beautiful couple of days they were for me and my family.

But I think that sometimes, when we have had a few splendid days as the past few have been for me, we need to keep those memories with us for a little while. Let them sink in, savor them, let the memories live in you for a spell. I want to keep this Noche Buena and Christmas all to myself for a little bit. A purely selfish move, I know, but I just want to hold this Noche Buena close to the heart for a few days.

Despite all the hard work and preparations, despite my old man's accident and my uncle's stroke, and despite another tremendous bit of bad news about my Godfather who was supposed to fly down for Christmas from up North, God granted me and my family a couple of days of beauty. A couple of days together. A couple of days where we are all bound by love of family and close friends.

I truly hope you all experienced something similar this Christmas. Something you can try to put into words and nothing but smiles come out. I hope you all lived another one of life's little gems.

I did, and I can still feel it sparkle.

"I Am Not An Archaeologist"

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas filled with love, presents, and lots of lechon, turkey, ham, yuca, frijoles negros, etc.

The Miami Herald today ran an interesting interview by Frances Robles of Michael Parmly, the new head of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.

I won't comment on the interview since it pretty much speaks for itself. Of course, any man who compares the castro regime to the Nazis, gets called a "ruthless guardian of the anti-Cuba Bush policy" by castro parrots, and a "little gangster" by the bearded bastard himself can't be too bad of a guy, right?

'MY INTEREST IS THE FUTURE'
THE NEW HEAD OF THE U.S. INTERESTS SECTION IN CUBA DISCUSSES THE ISLAND, ITS PEOPLE, AND WHAT'S TO COME

BY FRANCES ROBLES frobles@MiamiHerald.com

Michael Parmly arrived in Havana in September as the new chief of the U.S. Interests Section. He succeeds James Cason, who had many public confrontations with the Fidel Castro government.

A career diplomat, Parmly has served in a number of countries emerging from conflicts, such as Afghanistan and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

He spoke to The Miami Herald last week. Here are excerpts from that interview.

Q: What were your first impressions of Cuba? Any surprises?
A: I go for long walks and go to places where Cubans are going to be. I stop at newsstands, paladares, walk out on a beach and talk to fishermen, talk to young people, talk to folks at baseball games. . . . I have actually been surprised by the extent of the creativity and spontaneity of the Cuban people. If you talk to people, they talk back to you. I talk not just to Cuban artists, musicians or independents.

It's the Cuban mind that's lively. That's going to come in handy when the (post-Castro) transition comes. They can think for themselves.

Q: Do you meet many people who vehemently defend Castro?
A: There is a certain number of people that believes in the system. To give you an example, I met a person who expressed skepticism of . . . dissidents, because they threaten the accomplishments of the revolution. . . .

She said everything she is and has accomplished is a product of the revolution. I didn't say it like this, but I thought, ``How about giving yourself some credit, girl! You're a single mom who put herself through school . . . Your energy, your drive brought you to where you are.''

I enjoy hearing those views. The back and forth is interesting. I'm intrigued that

I have those conversations -- I don't have many.

Q: Do you think you'll be the chief of the U.S. Interests Section during the transition?
A: If you operate with that mindset, you do a disservice to the people on the island today. We need to play for today while being concerned for tomorrow. That's what I think about every morning when I wake up: What can I do for people today? We stand ready to help them.

Q: Do you think your past diplomatic postings make you uniquely qualified for this job?
A: I don't know about uniquely qualified. I have come from a number of post-conflict societies engaged in long periods of difficultly. If there is one thing I came away from in Afghanistan it's to get as close to people as you can, because they are going to be the ones with the answers.

I don't come with prefabricated ideas of what needs to be done. I remember in Kandahar sitting on rugs in tents of tribal leaders. I used to say: If there's a chair in the room, it's not a legitimate conversation. If the guy has teeth, it's not a legitimate conversation.

Q: What is the thread that links all of these recent economic changes, from pay raises to electricity rate hikes?
A: Fear of change, trying to lock in a legacy that has never existed -- only apparently existed in somebody's mind. That's to me what this is about: fear of one's own population.

Q: Are you seeing an increase in attacks against dissidents? Why now?
A: I can't explain pathological behavior. One seeks an explanation . . . . Are we seeing this because people are aware of their own mortality? I don't know, and I don't choose those words lightly.

I suppose it's to get people to think they are the only ones that have those thoughts that oppose the regime. It's to get people to think, ``You must be weird. You're all alone. No one thinks like that.''

Q: Fidel Castro mentions the prisoners at Guantánamo every chance he gets. Doesn't the detention of prisoners there hurt U.S. credibility?
A: I don't accept the lies as version of reality -- as opposed to legal procedures, the International Committee of the Red Cross' ability to monitor on a regular basis, ability of foreign governments to visit there. If anything, it's a statement for rule of law.

Q: I notice you never speak Fidel Castro's name.
A: I never met the man. When I see the senior leadership performing on TV, I scratch my head, because it's surreal. The logic is very hard to follow. The logic is from another place. The logic is very harsh and cruel. My interest is the future, and the Cuban people.

I am not an archaeologist.

Merry Christmas!

From all of us at Babalu Blog to all our readers, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Whose idea was this Noche Buena party anyway?

Ive been up since 5 AM. Pig is in Caja China and cooking away. Yard is almost at 100% party mode. GirlCamp is complete. Christmas lights are up. Tables are set, chairs in place. Pool deck pressure cleaned. Sod laid down. ManCamp is ready and open to the public.

It's ten in the morning on Christmas Eve day and Im already beat. Im running on pure cafe cubano sin azucar.

Noche Buena. The biggest party of the year and the biggest source of work for the hosts.

Iffin ya dont hear from me for the rest of the day, it's either because I'm busy with the lechon or I'm plumb exhausted.

But do know this: you guys that come by hear everyday and every week and hang out at this cyber home are family, and while you all may not be here physically, I carry you with me today in spirit.

And I feel I must say this: One of these days...One of these Chistmases...Noche Buena en Cuba.

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. I hope you have the pleasure of spending today and tomorrow with friends and family and the people you love. I am, and it couldnt get any better.

castro talks comemierda

This out-of-control bearded beast, by the way, is accepted by some nations as an actual head of state. The EFE story is here:

castro calls Rice "crazy"

Havana, Dec 23 (EFE).- Cuban leader fidel castro made fun of the U.S. government's plans for Cuba's "transition" to democracy and called Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "crazy."

"Can there be anything more befuddled than having this crazy woman speak of transition (in Cuba)?" castro told the National Assembly. "They are stark raving mad. It's pitiful." On Dec. 20, Rice spoke in Washington of the need to hurry along transition in Cuba, and announced that a plan to that effect.

castro used an insult combining the verb "to eat" and a vulgar word for "feces" in referring to members of the U.S. Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, made up of high-ranking Bush administration officials.

castro, who has ruled the one-party state for 47 years and whose government is one of the few in the world that requires of its citizens official permission to leave the country, said his revolution is "the sanctuary of universal ethics."

He also made mention of the U.S. Treasury Department's veto of Cuba's participation in the baseball "World Classic" scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico, Japan and the United States in March.

The Bush administration cited the U.S. trade embargo against the Communist regime in denying Major League Baseball a waiver that would allow Cuban participation in the event.

"Right now, regarding baseball, they have said, almost everybody, that if Cuba is excluded from the classic, they will withdraw...(The U.S. government) has gotten into another big jam, this time political and sports-related," castro said.

He appeared to have exaggerated the degree of support for any eventual boycott of the event. Puerto Rico has said it might not host its part of the tournament if the ban on Cuba stands, but has not said it will not play, and neither has any of the other 16 scheduled participants. EFE rmo/mp

***

My reaction?

Eeeeeuw.

UPDATE: Al Jazeera has an appropriate picture of the bearded bastard here.

UPDATE: Speaking of comemierda, Granma, if you can stand to open it, has got a massive buttload of oderiferous lies and slander against Marta Beatriz Roque, claiming she 'shops' at Havana - that's right, Havana - 'luxury' stores - as if such things even existed for dissidents like her, and not castro's nomenklatura.

After that, this human garbage writing this piece makes up new tripe against Armando Valladares, Mario Vargas Llosa, Vaclav Havel and Carlos Alberto Montaner, all people who know this bearded monster all too well. Notice the slimey slur on Valladares, whom the castroites call 'the famous paralytic poet.'

Valladares, of course, became 'paralytic' because of his years of torture by at the hands of castro's henchmen, who tried to kill him slowly for many years. Damn right he is paralytic - he's paralytic by their bloodstained hands. And my blood is starting to boil.

castro is really full of it this time - this must be lies and slander day on Noche Buena eve for these slimey castroites. This makes me so repulsed I almost want to take this link down, but I think people should take a good look at that 'paralytic' reference and note that they used it as a slur. They are in top form. Desperate, evil bastards, the real thrashing spawn of Satan.

We must be winning.

Here's a thought for OFAC

Since Major League Baseball and the Puerto Rican Baseball association feel compelled to use strong arm tactics to force the Office of Foreign Assets Control into granting visas to allow the Cuban National Baseball team to play in the World Baseball Classic, I have a suggestion. OFAC should grant visas to the members of the Baseball team - players, coaches and managers only - without granting visas to the Cuban State Security personnel - and there's plenty of them - the Cuban government has to send along.

This is, of course, wishful thinking on my part, as OFAC will most probably sucumb to the pressure from MLB, etal, and change its decision. Or, should they follow my suggestion, the Cuban Government will cry foul and threaten to back out themselves. fidel castro will not allow his prized babeball slaves to defect, en masse, in full view of the public eye.

Once again, folks, it's the Cubans who get screwed - those on the island and those in exile - with the likes of an elite American like Bud Selig kissing fidel castro's ass and succumbing to his every demand.

America's pasttime is no longer baseball, played on beautiful clay and grass fields of dreams, now that pasttime is coddling a dictator, played in backroom meetings behind closed doors before even the first pitch is thrown. The game of baseball is but an afterthought.

As for me, my relationship with Major League Baseball is done. I will never watch another MLB game again nor will MLB ever see a dime of my hard earned money as MLB's actions in this issue are a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of freedom loving Cuban-American baseball fans.

More on this from that bastion of love for fidel The New York Times below the fold.

Hat tip RaySand and Scott G.

New Effort by M.L.B. for Cuba to Take Part
By JACK CURRY
Major League Baseball renewed its effort yesterday to have Cuba participate in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in three months by resubmitting an application for a license with the United States Treasury Department. Last week, the Treasury Department denied the Cubans permission to play because they would have received revenue in violation of the Cuban embargo.

Paul Archey, baseball's senior vice president for international matters, said the revised submission would guarantee that Cuba would not receive money from the United States for playing in the 16-team tournament. Archey said baseball and Cuban officials were investigating ways to distribute the money that Cuba would have made. It will probably be donated to charity.

"I'm very optimistic that we've addressed the concerns that the Department of Treasury had given us," Archey said. "We believe we've addressed them to fall within the guidelines they asked."

Archey said the application was delivered yesterday to the Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Molly Millerwise, a spokeswoman for the Treasury Department, said in an e-mail response that it was against policy to comment on individual applications.

In revising its application, baseball officials explained how they would pay for travel and lodging costs for the Cuban team but that the Cubans would not receive financial benefits. Archey noted that the arrangement would be the same as when other Cuban athletes had competed in the United States. For instance, the Cuban soccer team played here under similar conditions last July. "We certainly think that by doing this and based on the history with other sports, we have addressed the areas they indicated were problematic," Archey said.

Israel Roldan, the president of the Amateur Baseball Federation of Puerto Rico, was quoted yesterday in the newspaper Primera Hora that he had sent a letter to the International Baseball Federation saying that Puerto Rico was renouncing its decision to be a tournament host because Cuba was being excluded "for reasons not regarding sports or Olympic spirit."

Archey said he had read the report, but he added, "I haven't heard anything directly from anyone in Puerto Rico that they're not going to host the games."

Aldo Notari, the president of the International Baseball Federation, told The Associated Press that it would be Major League Baseball's responsibility to remove Puerto Rico as a host.

Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a Republican from South Florida who implored the Treasury Department to deny a license for Cuba, is trying to help assemble a team of Cuban players who are currently in the United States to represent the country.

Yesterday in Miami, Rene Arocha, the first Cuban player to defect, and a few others, spoke of their desire to play for Cuba in the tournament. Liván Hernández, Orlando Hernández and José Contreras, three pitchers who all defected from Cuba, may be recruited as well.

But Archey said that a Cuban team comprising players who are living in the United States would not be permitted to compete because it would violate tournament rules.

The International Baseball Federation, which is sanctioning the tournament, has said that baseball federations must pick teams in each country or commonwealth. The Cuban federation would choose its national team, not an independent team of Cubans who had left the country to play here.

Under the tournament rules, the national federation of each team is guaranteed at least a 1 percent share of net revenue. That percentage increases as teams advance, with the champion receiving 10 percent. In baseball's new application, Cuba would not receive anything, not even the 1 percent. Archey declined to discuss the financial arrangements or estimate how much money the percentages could be worth.

Because every team was guaranteed money, baseball officials planned to give the Cuban team proceeds, too. But they quickly learned that that was a serious gaffe. During discussions with Cuban officials on changing the license, Archey said, the officials were familiar with the process and understood why it needed to be amended.

"They view themselves, rightfully so, as world champions and the Olympic champions," Archey said. "They want every opportunity to play in this tournament. They don't want this to deny them."

Cuba announced that it would donate its revenue to Hurricane Katrina victims, according to Reuters.

Although Archey said he would like a speedy resolution of the latest application, he was unsure how long it would take the Office of Foreign Assets Control to review it. It took more than a month for baseball officials to learn that Cuba's original application was denied.

In an e-mail message, Millerwise wrote, "O.F.A.C. turns around all license requests as quickly as they are able to."

The tournament is scheduled for March 3-20, but 60-man rosters are due Jan. 17, so there is some urgency to determining Cuba's fate. Cuba is in Pool C in the tournament and is scheduled to play its first game March 8 against Panama in San Juan, P.R.

Wiwichu a Merri Cri'ma

I think it was Pototo who suggested that we post something on our fondest Christmas or Noche Buena memories the other day. Since then I've been recollecting on Christmas times past, trying to come up with one time in particular that stands out but there's just too many.

It could be the year my Madrina bought me the drum set, which you could obviously see stashed in the back seat of her car when she arrived for Noche Buena, and my friends kept asking her who the drums were for. Man, was she pissed.

Or the time I got up in the middle of the night and walked out to get a glass of water only to find a slightly tipsy Dad in the living room with a half-built new bike in front of him and tools and parts scattered all over the place.

Or the one year where Mom had me wrap all these presents, the latest and most coveted toys, telling me they were all for the poor orphan kids only to learn on Christmas morning that I had actually wrapped my own Christmas gifts.

Or the year my Goddaughter Amanda was born and my cousin Alex unknowingly gave me Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" album which had the song I heard when she had just been born.

Or the year I became the official family lechonero by default because it was so cold outside that no one wanted to tend to the pig. So my Godfather handed over the gloves and a bottle of Black Label and basically said you're in charge of the pig. I dont really remember much after that.

Or the year I proposed to my wife, where I hung her ring on the Christmas tree with a little red ribbon and it hung there for almost two weeks without her seeing it. Every day Id tell her the tree looked crooked, please straighten it out. Or Honey, did you water the tree? or Babe, I think there's a broken ornament there but she just wouldnt see the darned thing. It wasnt til Noche Buena that one of our friends actually pointed it out to her. Screams, tears, hugs and kisses all around ensued.

There's just so many fond memories of Christmas and Noche Buena that it's difficult to pick just one.

I guess the one thing that stands out for me about Christmas, throughout my childhood, is my grandparents. My grandfather had a saying "El que tiene hija, cena en navidad." Roughly translated it means He who has daughters, dines at Christmas time. They had seven daughters.

Every year Noche Buena was at our house as it was the only one con un buen patio. Every year my grandparents came over early and spent the day with us. La Prima, my grandmother, always sat there in the Florida room in her balance with her manta on no matter how warm it was. She loved to help mom cut los turrones and set them up on the turron tray. Many a piece never found its way to that tray.

And El Primo would sit on the front porch with his little transistor radio on, doing his crossword puzzles. If it was cold he'd bundle up and have a steaming cup of cafe con leche next to him. He was our Noche Buena sentry, always there to be the first person to greet anyone who arrived. El que tiene hija, cena en Navidad.

I think was stands out the most, at least for me now that I'm older, was my grandfather dancing with his daughters. We'd clear the Florida Room floor of tables and chairs, put on some old Beny More or Aragon, son, paso doble, cha cha cha. El primo would dance a little with each once, always chest out, chin up, proud. My mom or my aunts smiling from ear to ear as he led them through the dance. My grandmother sitting there on her balance, rocking steadliy to the music, her lips sometimes mimicking the words being sung, with a look of undeniable pride and joy.

El que tiene hija cena en Navidad.

Every Christmas was great when my grandparents were still here with us. I cherish each and every one and I know that this coming Noche Buena, as Im running around getting stuff set up, keeping coals on the lechon, wrapping last minute gifts, cutting los turrones, theyll both be there with us. Dancing and smiling at the beautiful family they created.

El que tiene hija cena en Navidad.

So, what's your favorite Christmas memory?

Cherry Mistmas

Cookie Recipe

1 cup of water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup of brown sugar
lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality. Pour one level cup and drink. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still OK, Try another cup...just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the frigging fruit off floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who giveshz a sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.

CHERRY MISTMAS

(Thanks, Angie!)

Adventures in an escualida beauty parlor

We're in Caracas, of course, and I was going in to get my hair done. All the ladies there, old and young, were cubanitas, vivacious and resolute. The Thug ruling Caracas was as odious to them as the Beast they'd escaped 40 years earlier. But beast or no beast, there was still the need to get one's hair done, so this was a busy parlor nestled quietly in the leafy middle class neighborhood, not a fancy neighborhood, just a nice older one that reminds one of being home.

And with this parlor, the cubanitas get together and discuss the newest outrages from the dictator gripping Venezuela. It's a girl thing, and this goes on in Caracas every day.

At the beauty parlor, the television was set to Channel 14, or, Globovision, which is the fearless objective-news station Hugo Chavez cannot stand. It's better than CNN, lively, intelligent and on the mark. Truth freaks Chavez out, so he's trying to throw the journalists from that TV station all in jail. Chavez can't do that immediately, though, so to black out their hated broadcasts, he breaks into all the TV stations at once from time to time, making and reading his own news, in something called a 'cadena.' This is a gross abuse of the emergency broadcasting system of Venezuela, but he does it anyway, just so he can be on television braying and so he can conveniently black out any news he doesn't want to see reported with his own news, as delivered by him. He does it a lot. Sometimes he talks for hours.

The cubanitas and here they come in all colors and ages, have seen this show before.

Chavez's name for his opposition, Cuban and Venezuelan, is escualidos, or, squalid ones. He uses it ironically, because it's an attack on what he claims are rich people. They are not rich here, but never mind. Lacking imagination, the Thug projects his own household grossness onto people he wishes to destroy. It's no different from castro, who calls anyone who doesn't want to be near him a 'gusano.' These communists reveal what's in their minds this way.

I am introduced to a lady I'll call Alicia, and she is getting her short dark hair done by Anamaria, the hairdresser, who - she is recognizable, I just have to think - she reminds me of Celia Cruz - long nails, cafe au lait skin, blonde hair and a huge ready smile. Like Celia, she's sharp and witty, not a wilty daisy.

Alicia told me she was now a Venezuelan, but had been born Cuban. She came to Venezuela in the 1960s, when it was still possible to escape. She married shortly after that, and had lived a peaceful life in the leafy old neighborhood, always coming to get her hair done at this beauty parlor every few weeks. She was a grandmother, and very proud of her three grandchildren, showing me the pictures. And she had some sisters in Miami.

I asked how she got out of Cuba. She said it was not as conventional as many had done, because she had peculiar problems with the castro regime back in 1966 when she escaped.

Alicia had been a guerrilla girl in the Escambray mountains, resisting the murderous onslaught of fidel castro. She carryied a weapon and fought the likes of che guevara and his army of dupes and frauds. When the Soviets came castro's aid, the Cubans knew they were outnumbered and had to get out. So the guerrilla girl against fidel eventually moved to Venezuela, living for many years, for Venezuela is a friendly and welcoming place, where everyone immediately falls in love with the culture. Alicia did.

When Chavez came to power, she understood more swiftly that something was wrong. She had seen the monster before and it was back. She had heard from the Cuban doctors from time to time, the 30,000 'slaves of the white coat' that castro had sent to Havana, and once again, resumed helping them, for they too had to get out. When she was not working to rid Venezuela of Hugo Chavez - and this had gone on for five long years - she had devoted her time to helping Cuban doctors get out of there, so that they too could eventually experience freedom.

What did I think of castro, Alicia asked.

As my hair was being shampooed, I told her he was ... and I thought of the words of the great KillCastro.com blog .... sumo hijo de puto, mangling my Spanish a bit, not exactly getting it right.

But somehow it was funnier that way, and Anamaria, Alica, Marisela and all the other cubanitas in the escualida beauty parlor laughed their heads off, asking me to repeat it for them one more time.

My hair looked marvelous after that. I love the escualida beauty parlor nestled quietly on a street in Caracas.

Tonto Morales

Evo Morales is rapidly showing himself to be a rube. He's joined the tonto club alongside fidel castro and Hugo Chavez, who once tangled with a Miami deejay. Apparently, you have to be Marxist, arrogant, stupid and full of yourself to get such an honor. It didn't take long for Morales.

This time a Spanish deejay, pretending to be Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the pinhead prime minister of Spain, managed to call Morales and invite him to Spain and Morales believed it. Spain denied it, and Morales wondered what the deal was. Morales is apparently going to be easy for Chavez and castro and anyone else to jerk around. He better wise up fast or Tonto will be his real name by the time he's overthrown.

The EFE story is here:

Zapatero congratulates Morales, says prank "unacceptable"

Madrid, Dec 21 (EFE).- Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero called Bolivian President-elect Evo Morales to congratulate him on his election and wish him the best, government sources told EFE.

The telephone conversation was cordial, and in the course of it Rodriguez Zapatero told Morales that the call he received from an impersonator on a show on Spain's COPE radio was an "unacceptable" prank.

The radio network itself admitted one of its staff had pulled the stunt.

The Bolivian Embassy in Spain lodged a formal complaint against the station, saying it had "exceeded the limits of humor" and become "an offense" on the Bolivian people. It also asked Spain's Foreign Ministry to "take the proper steps to make reparation" for the prank. The Ministry said it was "in total agreement" with the embassy's request that COPE apologize and, according to diplomatic sources, is looking into how it can help the embassy with the matter.

Morales was the object of a radio prank by a Spanish broadcaster who telephoned the president-elect and impersonated Spain's prime minister, a "joke" that put the winner of last weekend's election in an awkward spot.

The Bolivian president-elect found himself in something of a quandary Tuesday after saying that Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero telephoned to congratulate him on his election victory and to invite him to Spain, then seeing that claim denied by officials in Madrid.

Rodriguez Zapatero did not engage in any telephone conversation with Morales, Spanish government officials said soon after Morales made the claim in Bolivia.
The matter was cleared up Wednesday when Spain's COPE radio network acknowledged that one of the members of its "Grupo Risa" (Laugh Group) show had carried out the prank.

In a communique, COPE downplayed the seriousness of the incident, describing it as "just another joke" by Grupo Risa. It did not offer an apology.

The station's managers said Morales was overly credulous, and that there were sufficient "hints" in the exchange for him to have realized that it was a joke.
Morales, a Socialist like the Spanish premier, told a press conference Tuesday that Zapatero had called him to say he was "very pleased" by the leftist's win on Sunday.

The future Bolivian president remarked that Zapatero invited him to travel to Spain "as soon as possible." Morales also said he invited the Spanish leader to his Jan. 22 inauguration. EFE nac/dgm-mp

UPDATE: The radio station has since apologized. What is vivid is that it was owned by the Catholic Church! The story is here.

UPDATE: Miguel Buitrago at MABB has much more interesting background here.

UPDATE: Eduardo Avila at Barrio Flores has the whole MP3 transcript (and a link to the live version) written out here.

Pelotero a al bola

After reading this article from Mike Bauman at MLB.com on the World Basbeall Classic and the US denial of entry tothe Cuban team, I felt compelled to respond:

Mr. Bauman,

I have to assume you have taken this stance on the Cuba/WBC issue because you are part and parcel to MLB and are therefore beholden to them. Yet there are major fallicies in your argument and omission of facts.

First, you imply that the administration is bowing to political pressure from South Florida. Yet it is not an election year. Why would the US administration risk such a public backlash when they basically have nothing, politically, to gain? Surely, as a "journalist" intent on telling the truth you must have thought of this. Why make such an implication in your article?

I am a Cuban-American from South Florida and I can assure you, nothing would please me more than seeing the Cuban National Baseball team play in the US. But there are moral and ethical implications to this issue that must take precedence to a publicity coup for MLB.

Fact: There are Cuban baseball players in MLB right now that either rsiked their lives at sea to get to the US or that defected by some other means. The families of these players have suffered dire consequences as a result of their defection to play for the "imperailist capitalists" at MLB. From losing their jobs to losing their homes to losing their ration books. Yes, you read correctly, ration books. As in you get a pound of rice a month for a whole family.

Fact: There are Cuban baseball players that attempted to defect, by whatever means, and were either repatriated or caught by Cuban state security. The punishment for these is that they are no longer allowed to play baseball. This isnt along the lines MLB and Pete Rose, this is retaliation against people who simply wanted better lives. Freedom. Who wanted to be individuals and not part of a collective. Who just wanted to play baseball in the heart of baseball.

Fact: In the eighties, the whole world stood in solidarity against apartheid in South Africa . Yet there is apartheid in Cuba. Ordinary Cubans are second class citizens in their own country, not allowed to enter tourist areas, not allowed to swim in tourist beaches, not allowed to purchase goods in tourists shops. Not allowed to even mingle with tourists. By allowing the Cuban baseball team entry to play here in the US, our own government becomes complicit in this apartheid.

Fact: The Cuban contingent would consist of just as many, if not more, Cuban state security agents as baseball players. This isnt simply to prevent defections, as you yourself boasted about fidel's boast that for every one Cuban baseball player that defects, 10 more show up to play his position. This is about curtailing negative publicity for the castro regime. He could not allow a few defections to mar such a huge public relations, read: propaganda, coup for his revolution.

Fact: The Cuban government has prevented "The Ladies in White" a group of wives of dissidents currently incarcerated in Cuba for simply speaking their minds, political prisoners, to travel to France to receive the Sakharov prize for human rights they have been awarded. Ask yourself why it is that one group is allowed to leave Cuba and not the other.

Fact: Baseball was a part of everyday Cuban life, part of Cuban culture way before fidel castro came into power. My grandfather umpired in the Cuban leagues in the fifties. To say that fidel castro "runs a a baseball playing nation," making the implication that it is he who is responsible for Cuban's love of baseball is myopic and incorrect.

It's not about partisan politics. It's not about bowing to political pressures from anti-castro exiles. It is about taking a stand and doing what is right and just. And if that means MLB loses a little advertising money, so be it. If the WBC is a little less dramatic then so be it. If baseball loses in the long run, then so be it.

This isnt about a few baseball games. It's about the intellectual and personal freedom of 11 million people. Eleven million people whose daily life is much more dramatic, much more difficult and much much more important than a few dollars for Bud Selig and MLB. I know, from experience, that Americans tend to think the world revolves around them. It doesnt. And while allowing the Cubans to play in the WBC may be good for baseball, it is nothing but a detriment to the Cuban people who long for their basic and human freedoms and, consequently, bad for America .

If you are truly interested and vested in the American ideals, then you must live by them. You must stand in solidarity with the downtrodden and with the oppressed. And you certainly dont give the oppressors an international soapbox to decry those very American ideals.

Sincerely,

Valentin Prieto
MLB baseball fan since November 1968 when my grandfather took me to my first Orioles spring game months after arriving from Cuba at the age of 4.
www.babalublog.com

Last Call

Inventor Of Light Beer Dies

A solemn day for many.
Rest in peace, Mr. Owades. Without you, there'd be a lot less people getting together.

Todo se paga

The castro regime mouthpieces have already begun parroting their masters rhetoric vis-a-vis new US Interests Section chief Michael Parmly, via Reuters:

Cuba launches verbal assault on top US diplomat

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba launched a blistering verbal attack on the top U.S. diplomat in Havana on Tuesday and on dissidents it accused him of organizing to overthrow the government.

A daily state-run television talk show dedicated its 90- minute broadcast to accusing U.S. mission chief Michael Parmly, who arrived in the country in September, of being the new point man for the Bush administration's declared goal of ousting President Fidel Castro from power.

"Michael Parmly has quickly begun to carry out his job as the ruthless guardian and springboard of the anti-Cuba Bush policy, having frequent contacts with his mercenaries, guiding them, supplying them and exhibiting them to the press," program moderator Randy Alonso said.

The United States and Cuba, bitter foes since President Fidel Castro led a revolution to power in 1959, do not have diplomatic relations but maintain lower-level Interests Sections in each others capitals.

The Cuban government labels all opponents as charlatans in the employ of the United States and on Tuesday various official journalists accused them of receiving support from a foreign power, a crime under Cuban law.

Parmly succeeded James Cason, now U.S. ambassador to Paraguay, whose confrontational style and open support for dissidents was given as the reason for the imprisonment of 75 dissidents two year ago on charges of working with Washington to overthrow the government.

The show, called the round table, features local journalists and officials presenting the government's positions on various topics. It will also dedicate Wednesday's broadcast to Parmly and the dissidents.

On Tuesday, four journalists took turns detailing Parmly's and other U.S. diplomats' meetings with dissidents and in some cases the computers, televisions, copy machines, cameras and other items given to specific individuals.

"They are the same pig with different suits" said journalist Arlene Rodriguez of Cason and Parmly, the latter considered by other diplomats as far more diplomatic than the former.

"The pig is Bush's policy and they are the suits," she said.

The journalists also criticized Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's decision this week to form an inter-agency group to recommend measures to tighten the four-decades-old trade embargo and increase aid to dissidents in order to speed a transition to democracy in Cuba.

Lazaro Barrero, editor of the Communist Party daily, Granma, charged talk of transition was a cover for "using mercenaries to provoke a situation justifying invasion and occupation of the country."

Of course, the truth will one day be known in Cuba and Cubans, for the first time in over 40 years will be alllowed tothink for themselves. To think freely. To think as individuals.

And those like these reporters mentioned in this article, those that have furthered the oppression, that have willingly manipulated truth to suit the needs of "the revolution" will be remembered. And they will undoubtedly pay for their complicity in the crime.

Todo se paga.

Morales makes an ass of himself

Less than one day out the gate, castro's new mini-me, Evo Morales of Bolivia, is making an ass of himself. He wasted no time praising and thanking his 'godfather,' none other than the Bearded Beast of Havana. He mouthed ignorant blather about Cuba 'defying imperialism.' And how's this for a whopper?

"I want to tell the Cuban people, its government and its leaders: thank you, for showing how to govern, to Latin America and the rest of the world, and for defending its dignity and sovereignty. A special and revolutionary greeting to all the Cuban people," Morales said.

Total ignorant jackass, obviously someone who can be fooled easily. If you can stand to read more, CubaNet has the whole story here.

Operation Pedro Pan at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

By Julio C. Zangroniz

A Monday column in The Washington Times, penned by John McCauslin and called "Inside the Beltway," contained the following item:

Church and state

It's not easy being the president's preacher.

Inside the Beltway has written numerous times about the Rev. Luis Leon, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, a Lafayette Square landmark overlooking the White House and where, on most Sunday mornings, you will find President Bush seated quietly, hands clasped in front of him, in pew 54.

Mr. Bush and Mr. Leon, a Cuban immigrant, have become close friends in recent years. Not only has the rector been Mr. Bush's White House dinner guest, the president honored him earlier this year by having him deliver the inaugural prayer.

In a sermon earlier this month, Mr. Leon was discussing the importance of experiencing God beyond simply attending church and following ritual. Certain churchgoers, he noted, apply political "checklists" to their faith, with questions such as "Are you for same-sex marriage or not?" (Word is Mr. Bush chuckled along with the rest of the congregation.)

Reading that column took me back to the evening of October 27, when I attended a special presentation of Operation Pedro Pan Inc. at the National Archives in Washington, DC.

The Rev. Leon was one of three panelists, led by moderator Elly V. Chovel, who brought into sharp focus for an American audience the experience of over 14,000 Cuban children who had left their island home in the early 1960s, alone, as their families, which had to remain behind, desperately tried to keep them out of the clutches of the impending Caribbean Communist tide then taking over the island.

Operation Pedro Pan was a multi-layered, well-organized and highly efficient effort to get as many children, particularly males, out of Cuba under dire circumstances. Many of those young refugees, now responsible and productive adult men and women, have reunited under the banner of Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc., a charitable organization whose goals are to help needy children, as well as to preserve and make known the history of the Pedro Pan Exodus.

The October presentation in the William G. McGowan Theater was part of the Hispanic Culture Month festivities. Chovel, a South Florida real estate entrepreneur who is also the founder and chairperson of Operation Pedro Pan Group, and three distinguished Pedro Pan alumni gathered in the nation's capital to share their experiences with an eager --and for the most part, fairly young-- audience, which of course was peppered with many a salt-and-pepper-tinged "Pedropanes."

The panel included:

--the Rev. Luis Leon, rector of St. John's Church on Lafayette Square, directly across from the White House.

--Maria de los Angeles Torres, a professor of Political Science at DePaul University in Chicago, and author of "The Lost Apple: Operation Pedro Pan, Cuban Children in the US" and "The Promise of a Beter Future," as well as "In the Land of Mirrors: The Politics of Cuban Exiles in the United States."

--Eduardo Aguirre, Jr., who currently serves as Ambassador to the Kindgom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra after he was named by President George W. Bush to the post.

The panel's presentation was preceeded by a screening of a 28-minute black and white film called, fittingly enough, "The Lost Apple," which featured instantaneous English translation as it presented an overview of the experiences lived by slightly over 14,000 (the "official" figure is 14,048) Pedropanes who escaped from Cuba unaccompanied in their search for freedom.

The 1963 release, written by Allan Sloane and directed by David Suskind for the United States Information Agency, illustrates the experience of children such as 8-year old Roberto, 5-year-old Serafina and a teenager named Barbara, who breaks into tears as she speaks with relatives in Cuba by telephone. "I'm crying for happiness, honestly!" she declares, in a feeble attempt to keep her real emotions from her family.

The name of the film is allegorical of a Cuban nursery rhyme that talks about a child who is crying, ostensibly because he has lost an apple ("Se~nora Santana, por qu'e llora el ni~no? Por una manzana, que se le ha perdido...). And even though the child is offered another apple as a replacement, he insists that he doesn't want another one, or even two... he only wants the one that he lost.

Other scenes in the film include some children at play, wrestling on a "ring" improvised with mattresses on the floor, and participating in a talent contest, where a young girl recites a poem about her lost country. One girl, Dulce Mar'ia Sosa, sings a patriotic song.

Chovel, who admits that she has seen the film dozens of times, concedes that it always tugs at her heartstrings. And many in the audience were visibly affected and tears flowed freely.

For the Reverend Leon, originally from Guantanamo, it was the first time he had seen "The Lost Apple," which he called "a hard movie to watch," because his family sent a total of seven "Pedro Panes" to the U.S., he said. He himself arrived on August 13, 1961. "I remember that day as if it was yesterday," he stated.

Maria de los Angeles Torres, the university professor, recalled that "less than 700 youths had come (unaccompanied) to the U.S. before the Bay of Pigs invasion" (which took place on April 17, 1961).

The political climate on the island continued to worsen, she explained, through many factors, including mass arrests, firing squads, the closings of private schools. Most parents would have travelled to the U.S. with their children, if given the opportunity, she noted, but the totalitarian regime already entrenched in power would not allow them to exercise that right.

The final speaker, Ambassador Aguirre, emphasized that each Pedro Pan had been "unceremoniously uprooted from their environment in Cuba," so each one had to learn how to cope, and many did thanks to the values instilled in them by their families in Cuba: respect for others, a love of God, honesty, hard work.

Aguirre remembered that he was all of 15 when he had to leave Cuba and became a resident of Camp Matecumbe, then little more than a clearing with a few wooden cabins and Army tents on the outskirts of the Everglades in South Florida. "The pain of withdrawal from family and friends was very intense," he said.

After he became reunited with a younger brother, Aguirre added: "I gave up my childhood... in Cuba (he and I) fought like cats and dogs... but in Matecumbe, he became my best friend." When he reunited with his family, "I was almost 17 and I had discovered freedom, women and beer." In his own words, paraphrasing popular American comedian Steve Martin, he ventured: "I was some kind of wild and crazy guy!"

Though there were many conflicts with his family after they reunited, Aguirre said he persevered to graduate from Louisiana State University and become a successful banker. Eventually, he ran the Export-Import Bank for the United States, before he was elevated to diplomatic status.

"In America, we have no second-class citizens. That's one of the lessons that we as Pedro Panes have learned," he continued. And the Ambassador closed with a very simple assessment: "I'm still in awe of it all."

A short question an answer session covered such topics as how long it had taken for the unaccompanied children to reunite with their families; where the Pedro Panes had gone after they left the refugee camps in Florida; what their favorite food was (usually, ice cream) as well as their least favorite (the universal winner in this category seems to have been peanut butter).

Moderator Chovel termed the program "a major breakthrough" for the Cuban exile experience, which will now occupy a place of honor in American history. A formal, permanent exhibit on immigration is currently in preparation by the U.S. government facility. "It's always Divine Providence that is opening the doors for what we do," declared Chovel during an exclusive interview after the presentation at the National Archives.

The Operation Pedro Pan Group Inc. is, therefore, raising funds for the permanent exhibit, as well as looking for donations of material artifacts that have survived the Unaccompanied Children's Program, such as photos, suitcases, clothing, letters, films and videos.

For more details about the organization, simply log onto Operation Pedro Pan

Julio C. Zangroniz is one of those 14,048 unaccompanied children who left Cuba through Operation Peter Pan. At 15 years of age, he lived in Camp Matecumbe, in South Florida, from July 1 through Dec. 6, 1962, when he was sent to an orphanage in Staten Island, New York, where he would remain until his family was able to abandon the island nearly four years later, in June 1966.

Stalin and ape-warriors

Nothing should surprise me anymore. This is one of the strangest stories I have come across about the mass-murderer Josef Stalin: He was trying to cross humans with apes to create a "super-warrior" class!

Moscow archives show that in the mid-1920s Russia's top animal breeding scientist, Ilya Ivanov, was ordered to turn his skills from horse and animal work to the quest for a super-warrior.

According to Moscow newspapers, Stalin told the scientist: "I want a new invincible human being, insensitive to pain, resistant and indifferent about the quality of food they eat."

In 1926 the Politburo in Moscow passed the request to the Academy of Science with the order to build a "living war machine". The order came at a time when the Soviet Union was embarked on a crusade to turn the world upside down, with social engineering seen as a partner to industrialisation: new cities, architecture, and a new egalitarian society were being created. [Did ya notice the little "positive twist" by the author of the article? --Ed.]

And, there's a Cuba angle, to boot!

Yo no creo en eso...

...pero lo respeto.

"I dont believe in that but I respect it." I cant tell you the number of times I've heard that in my life, specifically, from Cubans when referring to some of the old Afro-Cuban religious customs. And it's not that they, or I for that matter, are afraid of un trabajito being done, a hex, or scared of offending the dieties like San Lazaro and others, but it's just a respect for a fellow Cuban's (usually from the older generation) personal religious beliefs.

Yesterday, when I wrote the post "La Vispera" about a rather odd moment where two worlds collided, the new and the old, a couple people got the impression that I may have been a follower or believer in the Afro-Cuban religion called Santeria. So, for the record, I want to say that I and my family are not practitioners of Santeria or any other Afro-Cuban religion. We are all Catholics.

Which brings up an interesting quandary. If my family is Catholic, and the worshipping of idols is considered a sin by the Catholic church, why is it that my grand parents and grand uncles and some aunts and other family members always had a San Lazaro in their home. Or an Hermita de la Caridad. Or some other personal favorite "saint."

So I went straight o the best source for more information. I emailed Carlos Eire, author of Waiting for Snow in Havana, Pedro Pan kid and professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University.

Here's his response:

Oye, Val, tremendo cuento....

Merry Christmas to you too, and Happy New Year. Yes, next year in Havana. Or Jerusalem.

Merri cri'ma y japi niu yia, como se dice en cubingles.

Oh man, there's a book in this...maybe several books. I have done my best to keep it short, but couldn't do it. Here is what I know, off the top of my head, with some help from the Catholic Encyclopedia on line.

What a wonderful story, and wonderfully told. I hope no one takes real offense at the deference you show to Cuban lore without being a santero.

But I have learned a few things in my study of religion. Nothing offends more readily and deeply than religion. Anthropologists are fond of speaking of religion as social glue. And they are right about that. But they tend to ignore that religion is also very powerful social dynamite. Nothing binds people together closer than religion; nothing divides them more deeply than religion.

Back to your story: Strange and impossibly coincidental events such as this don’t happen very often, but they do happen. And they leave you wondering for the rest of your life.

Of course, a materialist would say we project the coincidences on purely random events.

Maybe you had sprinkled some cologne on yourself that the dogs love? Maybe they smelled another dog on your shirt or coat? Maybe you spilled some food on yourself that evening? Maybe you reminded them of someone else?

I say that doesn’t matter.

It’s still a marvelous tale, and very Cuban. Believing that such coincidences are more than coincidences is woven into the fabric of Cuban culture.

Of course, a materialist would say this is mere superstition.

And a strictly orthodox Catholic would say: stay away from santeria. No kidding.

The official teaching of the Catholic church is this: venerating any deity other than God (such as Babalu Aye or Chango), in any way shape or form is nothing but pure devil worship. Santeria is therefore demonic and no different from witchcraft. It is a sin and can only bring one misfortune in this life and in the life to come.

That’s the official line.

The history of the church’s position in Cuba has not always been in accord with its official teaching. The Catholic Church in Cuba was very willing to accommodate the syncretist tendencies of African Cubans, hoping to bring the slaves into the church and turn them into good Christians. This happened everywhere in the Spanish empire, with African slaves and American natives. The Spanish allowed and even encouraged their conquered non-Christian subjects to cover over their deities with Christian identities. It was believed to be a good first step towards the Christianization of subject peoples. The assumption made was that it would take generations for these people to become good Christians, so any first step towards that goal was a good step.

Besides, this kind of missionary activity had deep, deep roots. This is the way Europe was Christianized between the 4th and 13th century, piece by piece. The European pagans–including the ancestors of all white Cubans: the Gallegos, Asturianos, Catalans, Basques, Castellanos, etc...– were allowed to make the change gradually. It was quite common for pagan shrines to be turned into churches, and for ancient holy places to remain sacred, and for ancient deities to turn into Christian saints. Only under a different guise.

One French historian, Jean Delumeau, has argued that Europe was not fully Christianized until the sixteenth century, with the Protestant and Catholic Reformations. (See his book Catholicism Between Luther and Voltaire).

When the Spanish conquered the New World, they destroyed all the ancient shrines and sacred images. They did not teach the natives or slaves a lot of doctrine, but simply exposed them to Catholic ritual and symbols, and hoped that would get them going in the right direction. The results were what one would expect. A lot of confusion. Especially because of the images. One example: in Mexico some Spanish missionaries were surprised to discover that the natives were very attracted to images of Santiago (St. James). Santiago was the patron saint of Spain. Santiago Matamoros: he was the patron of warfare against the Moors. He is always portrayed on a white horse, in armor, with a sword in his hand and a few decapitated Moors beneath the horse.. Well, it turns out the Mexican natives were attracted to the horse, not to Santiago, and that it was the horse that they were venerating. When the missionaries found out this was happening, they were surprised. We might say: DUUHHHHH. What would you expect?

Santeria is exactly the same kind of thing. A huge ball of confusion and mingling of Christian and African symbols and rituals.

So, if you take the Old World history into account and then see how devotion to a saint developed there and in the New World, you will find layer upon layer of confusion.

Now, for Lazarus himself. Here is the story: And notice all the confusion in the Old World, before the Spanish brought this

The name "Lazarus" is a Latinized form of the Greek Lazaros, a contraction Eleazaros ("God has helped"), in Hebrew: Eleazar. In Hebrew, the Egyptian god Osiris (whose name in demotic/hieroglyphics is thought to have been pronounced Aser) is also translated Elaser (from "El" meaning god and "Aser"). There are several elements that link the episode of Lazarus with the story of Osiris being raised from the dead. In the Bible the raising is placed in "Bethany" (which in Hebrew can also be "Beth-Anu", "Beth" meaning "house"), whereas in the Osiris legend, it is placed in the house of the dead (which in demotic is a place named "Annu"). This similarity is used by some scholars to suggest that the Lazarus story is part of a general body of motifs shared among mystery religions in the Mediterranean, which became absorbed into the Jesus story.

Then there are the two Lazarus characters in the New Testament: (Entire passages lifted from the Catholic Encyclopedia). My commentary in Italics.

I. LAZARUS OF THE PARABLE

(1) The Story

The dramatic story of the rich man and the beggar (only in Luke 16:19-31) is set forth by Christ in two striking scenes:

* Their Condition Here: The rich man was clothed in purple and byssus (D.V. fine linen), and spent each day in gay carousing. The beggar had been cast helpless at the rich man's gate, and lay there all covered with sores; he yearned for the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, but received none, and was left to the dogs.
* Their Condition Hereafter: The early banquet is over; the heavenly banquet is begun. Lazarus partakes of the banquet in a place of honour (cf. John 13:23). He reclines his head on Abraham's bosom. The rich man is now the outcast. He yearns for a drop of water. Lazarus is not allowed to leave the heavenly banquet and tend to the outcast.

(2) The Meaning

Catholic exegetes now commonly accept the story as a parable. It is also legendary that the sores of Lazarus were leprous. The purpose of the parable is to teach us the evil result of the unwise neglect of one's opportunities. Lazarus was rewarded, not because he was poor, but for his virtuous acceptance of poverty; the rich man was punished, not because he was rich, but for vicious neglect of the opportunities given him by his wealth.

But since this Lazarus is mentioned in a parable –which Jesus meant to instruct, allegorically – no one knows for sure how it is that the character came to be venerated as a real person and a saint.

Yet, this is the Lazarus represented in Catholic icon