|
|
AfroCubaWeb
|
|
|
| On November 17th 2005, President Fidel Castro pronounced a dramatic speech at the University of Havana, in which he pointed out that the Revolution could not be defeated from abroad, but the people in Cuba could, if measures were not implemented to correct failures, shortcomings and corruption that had encroached into the process and became part of many of the government apparatus. He further said Revolution is precisely that, the ability to “Change Everything that must be changed”. Shortly after, he suffered a severe intestinal ailment that led him to relinquish his post and transfer authority to his brother Army General Raul Castro. During the 26 of July commemoration in Bayamo this year, Raul reiterated his frustration with widespread apathy, administrative mismanagement and hinted to the need of opening a profound dialogue among the population, to search for and find structural solutions for these entrenched problems. Propelled by a plethora of news, rumors and speculations following these important developments, I embarked on a visit through the Caribbean that lead me to Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Lucia and Antigua. Previously, I had visited Jamaica, Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago. It was my hope, that the empirical observation and analysis of the different experiences and approach used by these countries to solve many of their social problems that are common to our nations with a shared cultural, historical and geographical background, could help me decipher the origins, root cause and corrective measures, for many of the intractable, irritating and woeful lack of material goods, that have plagued the Cuban society for decades. With a partial exception of those territories under the jurisdiction of the United States, the first and most striking example of what Cuba stands for hits you like a tidal wave when you ask the average person on the street, in a market, restaurant or driving a taxi, what he/she thinks about Cuba and if they know of any Cuban working in their country. Then suddenly, it becomes difficult to change the subject, as you are bombarded with expressions of gratitude for having tens of Cuban doctors working in remote regions of their country, where for the first time in their lives, peasants are having access to a physician, or for those physicians staffing public hospitals in towns and villages, who brought with them specialized diagnostic or treatments procedures that were previously unknown in their country, which may have prolonged or saved the lives of their loved ones. Similar sentiments are expressed for those assisting in the development of agricultural projects, water purification systems, road building, construction, restoring industrial capabilities, sports trainers or by learning to save energy under the guidance of young social workers. Still, teaching the locals to read and write, restoring the eye sight of thousands and training their children as physicians, nurses, educators or computer science and a myriad of other educational skills free of charge in Cuba, seems to have created the greatest sense of respect and gratitude in the general population. But knowing at the same time, that this incredible human endeavor is not afforded only to people and countries with which Cuba has a respectful and friendly relation, confers upon it, an even greater significance. When an earthquake devastated Peru in the 70‘s, Cuba had no diplomatic relations with that country yet, hundreds of healthcare professionals offered their expertise, while hundreds of construction workers built roads, hospitals and schools. When hurricane Mitch nearly wiped Honduras off the map, Cuba had no diplomatic relations with that country, still hundreds of Cuban healthcare personnel were sent to help and are still there, many years after. Recently, Pakistan was ravished by a monstrous earthquake that killed and wounded tens of thousands of its citizens. Hundreds of Cuban healthcare professionals who came to their assistance, were greeted by the most hostile geographical environment they had ever seen, with freezing temperature and a near insurmountable language barrier, only to excel and earn the respect and gratitude of that nation. In the year 2004 and with the financial support of the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela, Cuba started a massive eye surgery project throughout the Caribbean and Latin America known as Operation Miracle. So far, over 900,000 people have had their eyesight restored, of a goal of millions through 2016. Among the thousands of Bolivian citizens who have benefited from this project is Andres Teran, a retired sub-officer with the Bolivian Army who was blind, living in abject poverty and hiding a horrendous personal history. While acting under the instruction of Felix Rodriguez, a Cuban-American CIA operative in charge of hunting down guerilla leader Ernesto Che Guevara, who was ambushed, wounded in battle, captured and held prisoner in a school in la Higuera, Bolivia, where Teran was ordered to murder him in cold blood, by riddling his body with bullets. These examples, which are less than the tip of the iceberg of Cuba’s 45 plus years of giving, helping everyone in need, irrespective of their geographical location, race, religion, ethnicity, political or social orientation, would pre-suppose coming from a wealthy country, in which, all of its people basic needs were addressed. For decades, the Cuban people endured all sorts of unsatisfied material and social needs, while they found solace in their enormous sense of giving, volunteering for the most difficult tasks, the furthest assignment from home and even the riskiest of chores. In so doing, many suffered physical harm or paid the ultimate price. A diploma, a certificate, a medal or a public acknowledgement, was all that was expected. Money or any other personal material reward was out of the question. Those were the beautiful, honest, idealistic and altruistic years of 60 and 70s, full of Revolutionary fervor, when milk crates and bread bags were left before dawn in front of the grocery store and no one dared to touch it. Those were the years when the first 2100 university students from across the country receiving scholarships, moved into three, twenty story apartment buildings with no locks on the doors or closets…. and nothing ever got lost. Those were the years when most professors at the University would hand out their exams, ask if there was any question that was not clear, would leave students by themselves, return three hours after at the end of the allotted time, pick up all exams, knowing, that no one had dared to cheat. Those were the years when passengers at all bus stops, asked for the last in line, would not enter through the back door, but if they felt compelled to do so, they would kindly ask those on board to pass on their coin and drop it into the collection bin. Those were the days, when every administrator having to distribute an insufficient amount of a given item among his workers, had to be prepared for a heated discussion among workers, trying to determine those who needed it most. That was then. Further on, I will speculate a bit and give my own assessment of how and why got to where we are today. To be continued….. |
| In a tightly coordinated effort between the administration of President George W. Bush and his neo-cons handlers, an intense barrage of diversionist tactics was unleashed after the tragic events of 911, geared to lay the groundwork and earn world support for their pre-planned invasion to overthrow the Iraqi government and replace it with a docile, demoralized puppet regime, whose authority barely goes beyond the walls of the green zone. Saddam Hussein was repeatedly depicted as a bloody dictator worst than Hitler, who had gassed his own people, had stockpiles of WMD, was actively procuring yellow cake in Africa, his agents were meeting secretly with Al Qaida operatives in the Chech Republic, had developed long range missiles and drones capable of transporting nuclear warheads, which created mass hysteria after Condoleezza Rice's outrageous "mushroom cloud" statement. Still the President and all of his war planners knew, that in order to carry out their longstanding plans of decapitating that regime, they needed to legitimize their actions, which was placed in the hands of their affable, willing liar and later disgraced secretary of state Collin Powell, who skillfully extracted a number of UN resolutions and with a masterpiece, repulsive speech in the UN general assembly, presented all the missing pieces that were necessary to set in motion the now infamous "Shock and Awe", billions of dollars in senseless destruction, hundreds of thousands dead or maimed and a level of hatred against us, that may require generations to be erased. Ironically, it was in that same UN hall where the United States sought legitimacy five years ago for its illegal war in Iraq, that for the seventeenth consecutive year, the United States government suffered on 10/30/07, another resounding defeat for its cruel, inhumane embargo against Cuba. Of the 192 member nations of the UN, 184 voted against the embargo, 4 voted to uphold it (United States, Israel, the Marshal Islands and Palau) with Micronesia abstaining, although most people in the world, do not have a clue where the three last countries are located. Once again and contrary to the world clamor for the US to change its deranged policy towards Cuba, an isolated, arrogant and presumptuous US diplomat re-affirmed his country's decision to stay the course, confirming the shameful perception of increasing amount of nations around the world, who question the relevance of an institution in which resolutions are trampled and its moral authority is selectively used by powerful nations to impose their will, slaughter innocent people and inflict pain, suffering and despair on those countries not of their liking. Cuba may have to endure another 46 years of this devastating embargo, but justice, peace and friendship among nations will eventually prevail. |
| During the 1963-64 commencement speech at the Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences of the University of Havana which took place at the Quinta de los Molinos, the keynote speaker, Dr. Carlos Rafael Rodriguez expressed, that Cuba was an anemic nation in natural resources, for which reason, the future of our country would depend on the massive development of the Grey Matter of its people.
Although everyone present at this solemn act understood the message, it was not until many years
after that we captured the magnitude, depth, and validity of this statement.
As I read the article “The racial issue and the antiCuba subversion” (El tema racial y la subversión anticubana), written by Dr. Esteban Morales Dominguez in La Jiribilla, VI, September 8-14, 2007, one captures in its full extension, the vision and importance of that speech forty four years ago without which Dr. Morales would not have been able to denounce and unmask a horde of salaried white, black and mixed race Cubans living in the United States, Cuba and around the world, who have bowed their spine and actively promote the anti-Cuba project that is directed by the US State Department and the CIA, under the close supervision of the US-AID, front foundations, centers for Africa, Latin-America and the Caribbean studies, some universities and all class of delinquents. It may have been during the 90’s, when the US intelligence services detected an important demographic change in favor of blacks in Cuba,
that they decided to intensify their efforts to identify, recruit and train blacks that were opposed to the Cuban government and who could potentially become leaders focusing on diversionists tactics on the black population in Cuba. |
| En el acto de inicio del curso escolar 1963-64 de la Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias de la Universidad de la Habana efectuado en la Quinta de los Molinos, al hacer uso de la palabra el Dr. Carlos Rafael Rodriguez expreso, que Cuba era un pais anemico en recursos naturales, por lo que el futuro de nuestro pais dependeria del masivo desarrollo de la materia gris de sus ciudadanos. Aun cuando todos los presentes en ese acto solemne entendimos el mensaje, no fue hasta muchos anos despues, que captamos la magnitud, profundidad y la validez de ese planteamiento. Al leer el articulo “El tema racial y la subversion anticubana” escrita por el Dr. Esteban Morales Dominguez, publicado en La Jiribilla, ano VI, Setiembre 8-14 del 2007, se capta en toda su extension, la vision e importancia de aquel discurso cuarenta y cuatro anos antes, sin el cual, el Dr. Morales no hubiera podido denunciar y desenmascarar a una jauria de negros, blancos y mestizos asalariados, residentes en los Estados Unidos, Cuba y el resto del mundo, que se han plegado y promueven la actividad anti-Cubana dirigida por el Departamento de Estado y la CIA, bajo la cuidadosa supervision del US-AID, fundaciones fantasmas, centros de estudios de Africa, America Latina y el Caribe, universidades y delincuentes de toda laya. Podria haber sido en la decada de los 90, cuando los servicios de inteligencia de los Estados Unidos detectaron un cambio demografico importante en Cuba en favor de los negros, por lo que intensificaron sus esfuerzos por detectar, reclutar y entrenar a negros opuestos al gobierno con capacidades potenciales para ser formados como lideres anti-Castristas, dirigidos a este sector de la sociedad Cubana. Cubana. Esta ciudad es conocida ademas por su virulento racismo, segregacion y abuso, que ha diezmado a la comunidad Afro-Americana y ha explotado brutalmente a los emigrantes centro Americanos. Subitamente, a mediados de esa decada, se desata una intensa campana para situar a negros en cuantos cargos de direccion o de alta visibilidad que surgian en decenas de grupusculos contrarrevolucionarios y terroristas del sur de la Florida. Este dramatico cambio de postura capto la atencion de muchos, ya que durante anos, el recien fallecido Agustin Tamargo y otros, acusaban abiertamente a los negros en Cuba, de ser la fuerza que sostenia al gobierno en el poder, por lo que ellos pidieron abiertamente en sus editoriales, Tres Dias de Licencia para ajustar cuentas con esos negros, cuando derrocaran al gobierno. Convencidos de la imposibilidad de derrotar al gobierno de Cuba mediante invasiones mercenarias, la intervencion directa del gobierno de los Estados Unidos, el fracaso del diversionismo sistematico a traves de sus medios masivo comunicacion o su bloqueo fosilizado, encontraron un eslabon debil dentro de la sociedad Cubana, consistente en la marcada desigualdad social que afecta e intenta asolar a decenas de miles de negros en Cuba. Uno de los primeros decretos de la Revolucion triunfante en el ano 1959, fue abolir todas las formas legales de discriminacion, abriendose las puertas de los centros asistenciales de salud, trabajo, recreacion y sobre todo educacion, para cientos de miles hombres y mujeres negros, lo que nos permitio al cabo de 40 anos, haber avanzado mas, que en los anteriores 450 anos de existencia del pais. Este extraordinario desarrollo social creo dentro de la comunidad negra, un codigo de lealtad silente hacia el gobierno, en el cual, cualquier acto de debilidad o intento de abandonar el pais, era visto como un acto de traicion. Con el advenimiento del Periodo Especial, la dolarizacion de la economia, la formacion de empresas mixtas, corporaciones y el desarrollo del turismo, afloraron nuevamente manifestaciones de segregacion y racismo que se suponian erradicados del pais. La falta casi absoluta de familiares y amigos negros en el exterior que pudieran ayudar con remesas y el empleo selectivo con la exclusion de negros en muchas areas con acceso a moneda convertible, contribuyo decisivamente a resquebrajar los valores morales dentro del seno de la familia negra, estimulando la emigracion, facilitando la aparicion del jineterismo, tolerancia de algunas manifestaciones de raterismo y otras expresiones de fragilidad social, sobre las que han tratado de capitalizar estos mercaderes del imperio, mediante el uso criminal de su negritud para sembrar la duda, estimular la frustracion, exacerbar los problemas existentes, a la vez que promueven en forma solapada, la opcion de rendirse, cambiar el curso y aceptar la transicion, como unica solucion viable de los problemas actuales. Con ese proposito, estos lidercillos al servicio del Departamento de Estado, han formado en Cuba grupusculos identificados en forma pomposa, como sindicatos, bibliotecas o periodistas independientes, fanaticos en contra del aborto, mujeres vestidas de blanco, proselitismo religioso fundamentalistas, promocion de juegos electronicos deformantes y peliculas pornografica, tendientes todas a debilitar los principios morales y la integridad social. Durante los ultimos 15 anos, hemos observado como este proyecto repulsivo se ha desarrollado con impunidad, simulando representar investigaciones academicas, derechos humanos, promocion de la libre empresa o actividad humanitaria. Organizan con regularidad ferias del libro, festival de cine, simposios, poseen emisoras de radio y TV a traves de los cuales, incitan y resaltan las deficiencias materiales existentes en Cuba e instigan la intolerancia y confrontacion racial, con miras a sentar las bases para re-editar la tragica masacre de 6000 negros en Cuba en el ano 1912. Sin embargo, a poca distancia de sus guaridas, ya sea en Liberty City en Miami, Cabrina Greens en Chicago, Parramore en Orlando, Centro-Sur en Los Angeles, el Bronx en Nueva York, Newark, New Jersey, Camden, Filadelfia, pueblos del Caribe, Africa y barrios marginales de Europe, devorados por la masiva drogadiccion, hambruna, prostitucion y violencia, carecen de opinion o solucion. Comprendiendo el peligro de sus acciones y los riesgos que se ciernen sobre nuestro pueblo, he participado en numerosos seminarios, conferencias y encuentros, publicado decenas de cartas al editor y en el internet, tomado parte en conversatorios en universidades, grupos pacifistas y congregaciones religiosas, para impugnar su vil conducta. Los entes aludidos y desenmascarados por el Dr. Morales, no pueden alegar ignorancia ante la desgarradora historia del negro en este continente. Todos hacen gala de haber viajado y cursado altos estudios alrededor del mundo, lo que lamentablemente parece haber sido insuficiente para formar su conciencia de clase y amor patrio. Cuba, lamentablemente ha cometido serios errores que han favorecido el trabajo de zapa, divisionista y anti-Cubano que estos asalariados, comprometidos con la destruccion de nuestro pais, promueven las 24 horas del dia. Para corregir estos errores, Cuba no necesita nada similar a la Ley de Los Derechos Civiles de los Estados Unidos, que ha destruido los valores familiares de grandes sectores de la familia negra, acabado con la autoestima, pervertido a los jovenes, estimulado el sentido de dependencia y favorecido la delincuencia y la drogadiccion. Los negros en Cuba, que han alcanzado un nivel educacional/tecnico/cientifico envidiable y superior a la mayoria de otros conglomerates de negros en el mundo, solo necesitan que se nivele el terreno de oportunidades y competencia. Los logros obtenidos y triunfos alcanzados hasta hoy, no debera ignorar el doble o triple esfuerzo que ello ha requerido, ya que el punto de partida en este maraton social, siempre estubo cientos de metros por detras de los demas competidores. Uniformar el punto de partida y mantener la meta en el mismo lugar para todos, pudiera ser quizas, el truinfo social mas grande de la Revolucion en el siglo XXI. Algunos politologos y cientificos asumieron erroneamente, que los 50,000 estudiantes universitarios de Africa, Asia, America Latina y el Caribe que se han graduados en Cuba, o las decenas de millones de personas que han tenido acceso a consultorios medicos, cirugia, partos, ortopedia, rehabilitacion etc., o las decenas de miles personas que han sido provistos de agua potable en el tercer mundo, o la erradicacion de enfermedades endemicas, o las decenas de miles de personas salvados durante disastres naturales, o los miles de Cubanos que regaron su sangre o entregaron sus vidas luchando en contra de el Apartheid, por la independencia y soberania de numerosas naciones, constituiria la coraza moral capaz de enfrentar y demoler el infame barraje propagandistico anti-Cubano que han desplegado alrededor del mundo. Error grave, al subestimar su habilidad, capacidad para presentar y diseminar sus mentiras en los lugares mas reconditos del mundo, que estan totalmente a merced de su programacion simplista, escapista, color rosa. A pesar de esto, Cuba introdujo en la decado de los anos 60’s, radicales regulaciones sociales en favor de la mujer, la madre y esposa, situando a nuestro pais a la cabeza de todos los demas paises de nuestro hemisferio. Multiples reconocimientos otorgados por organismos internacionales confirman esta epopeya social, conocida en Cuba como una Revolucion dentro de la Revolucion. Es por ello que, cualquiera que hayan podido ser los errores, fallas o limitaciones, Cuba no puede faltar o sucumbir! Si Cuba dejara de existir, quien atenderia el dolor y las aspiraciones de 225 millones de hijos de Africa y los 600 millones de mestizos, viviendo en condiciones infrahumana, sin esperanzas en nuestro hemisferio.? Que decir de la otra tercera parte de la humanidad, devorada por el hambre, enfermedades, desolacion, ignorancia y muerte, frente a poderosos gobiernos indolentes, responsables directo o indirecto de estos males, dispuestos siempre a derrochar sus recursos en medios de opresion y destruccion. La extraordinaria contribucion que Cuba ha aportado al desarrollo social de la humanidad, no tiene antecedentes historicos, ni quien pudiera sustituirla. Si el enorme avance de la mujer en Cuba merecio ser descrita como Una Revolucion dentro de la Revolucion, como describira el mundo el proyecto que comience a enfrentar y revertir la desgracia que aflige a la tercera parte de la humanidad? La magnitud y urgencia de esta calamidad, exije que cada uno de los paises y personas preocupadas con el futuro de la humanidad, aporten su contribucion moral y material, aunen fuerzas, coordinen acciones y sincronizen voluntades, a fin de detener esta injusta e innecesaria inmolacion social. Por fortuna, Cuba puede contar hoy con el apoyo de otros paises, lo cual hace un tanto mas facil, agil y efectivo este masivo proceso de transformacion social. De igual manera, enormes recursos potenciales capaces de duplicar o triplicar el PNB de Cuba, han permanecido latente, sin explotar, que podrian complementar significativamente este plan, estrechando grandemente los vinculos fraternales entre las naciones del tercer mundo. En manos de la direccion del gobierno de Cuba, su pueblo y cientos de organizaciones solidarias, humanitarias y pacifistas en todo el mundo esta la decision de aunar esfuerzos, unir los recursos materiales y coordinar las estrategias que propendan a un mayor y mejor aprovechamiento del enorme caudal de recursos tecnicos/profesionales existententes en el pais, lo que pudiera permitir la creacion de 500 pre-universitarios para estudiantes extranjeros, 50 escuelas de medicina/odontologia y otras 50 facultades de ciencia, humanidades, tecnologia, cultura y deportes, para asi, comenzar un proceso verdadero, real de erradicacion del lastre que arrastramos hace mas de 500 anos y el subproducto humano carente de principios que esto ha generado. Descanse en paz Dr. Carlos Rafael Rodriguez. Su mensaje fue escuchado y se esta cumpliendo! |
|
As millions of people around the world sat glued to
their TV sets, waiting for what was supposed to be, the most important
public affairs event in Columbia University’s recent history, where the
most vilified head of state since Saddam Hussein was bombed out of office
would be on trial, the simple analysis of how the podium was arranged,
clearly indicated that we were in for much more than what was publicly
announced. But nothing could have prepared most viewers for the
jolt, sneak, treacherous, unprovoked and vicious attack that Mr. Lee
Bollinger, President of one of the world’s most renowned institution of
higher learning, unleashed in a revolting barrage of offensive epithets on
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, trapped and literally hostage of
the most hostile, un-protocol and disrespectful environment I have seen in
my life. After inviting Ahmadinejad to make use of our Freedom
of Speech at Columbia University, important political, religious,
financial and social personalities in the United States, began exerting
enormous pressure on Mr. Bollinger to reconsider and withdraw his
invitation to the man many equated with Adolph Hitler. Canceling Ahmadinejad’s invitation to speak, would
have been a valid and explainable option that would have been far better
than the cowardly, disgraceful attack by Bollinger, which may have
appeased his critics but at the same time created hundreds of angry people
around the world who may not be quick to forget the humiliating disrespect
inflicted upon their country. Such outrageous, long-term damage to all possible
efforts to reduce the distrust and resentment that the Iranian people have
accumulated against us since we overthrew their democratically elected
government in 1953 has been validated with this regrettable action by
someone who should know better. |
| The bold decision taken by the Miami-Dade County Democratic Executive Committee in defense of the Cuban American family values, is without any doubt, the most courageous political decision taken in this city since 1959. The arbitrary and cruel decision of the White House, that pretended to dismember, redefine our family structure and restrict our visits to only once every three years, have brutally backfired on the miniscule, isolated gang of senile, vindictive, ultra-right wing Cuban-Americans, masterminds and proponents of this monstrosity. This valiant decision taken in the belly of the anti-Cuba monster, deserves a massive and public Thank You from all of us, defenseless victims of a few sick minds. Justice have prevailed with this resolution, but the Spade of Damocles continue to hang over our heads and the wellbeing our families. It is imperative, that this first step be followed by more decisive actions, until this social aberration is wiped out of our society. We have been bought, sold and duped by all Presidential hopeful in the past, by dining an black beans at a known joint, saying a few words in Spanish and promising if elected, our triumphal return to Cuba. In this new Presidential era, all or most candidates will be coming, especially to Miami in search of money and political support. We know and have identified who are with our families and who are against them! They must be challenged publicly on this moral issue. No hair splitting, double talk, sound bites or ambiguity can be accepted from anyone seeking our support. We know where the most evil candidates live and sleep. It will be an absolute betrayal to our mothers, fathers, sisters and siblings, not to vote them out of office as we can. We have had enough of the Ros Lethinen, Diaz Balart, Mel Martinez, Bob Melendez, most of those State and County elected officials and those who they represent, to be fooled once again. All of those who rejoiced over the pain and suffering of our families, all of those who have clamored for the perfect storm to wipe Cuba off the map, must be remembered when casting our vote. Although it was used for a macabre purpose, President George W. Bush said it before, you are with me or with the terrorists. Those named above and many more, actively terrorized our family with their political and legislative actions. History will be taking note of them and us. With this, Joe Garcia has done more than his rightful share. It is up to each of us, to decide on what side of history we want to be on the day of judgment. |
|
This morning as I read in the News-Journal, “US
Government tightens International Trade Sanctions on Cuba”, I wondered,
what else is there to be tightened? Then I came to realize, that this
article is just an accurate description of the level of stupidity,
ineptitude and vindictiveness that characterize so many members of
President George W. Bush administration. Contrary to other governments around the world, in
which political pundits are rewarded with administrative positions, in
this one, it seems that a precondition to be hired and placed in an
important position, ought to be an innate desire to hurt, kill and
destroy. To create, to appreciate beauty, to love, is just another
liberal, lefty or extremist weakness. Thanks to the wonders of technology, millions of
people around the world were treated to the embarrassing spectacle of
seeing US Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez lying shamefully in front of
TV cameras during his Senate hearings, unable to defend his dirty work of
authorizing prisoner’s torture, illegal eavesdropping, firing
prosecutors who disagreed with the administration corrupting practices and
acting as the President errand boy. And then, when many hoped that Mr. Gonzalez would be
the last impostor, pharisaical Hispanic occupying a government position
that far exceed his educational level, we are introduced to US Attorney
Alexander Acosta of Miami, intimidating and threatening 80 year old
grandparents with huge fines or prison sentences, for committing the
unforgivable crime of visiting their homeland for their last time in life. These specimens have no sense of limits. For years
they have got their “high” from the hunger, pain and suffering that
they have inflicted on defenseless women, children and elders living in
Cuba, they make fun of the crumbling buildings and rejoiced when the
country was without electricity for 10-12 hours, especially in the summer
months. One thing is clear, they are incapable of learning
Cuba’s HIS 101. If they did, they would not have been so hurt,
frustrated or disappointed to see the country they love to disparage and
to describe it as the most backward nation in this hemisphere, rise
repeatedly to the pinnacle of the Pan American games, claiming their hard
won Gold Medals, demonstrating to the world their sports superiority,
notwithstanding the herd of piranha, hyenas and vipers hiding in the dark
with bags stuffed with millions of dollars, ready to buy their conscience,
their technique or the honor of their country. These hate-filled minds, blinded by revenge, are
unable to accept that a tiny third world country that have lived under
siege from their masters for half a century, can actually win the first
place, if medals were computed against the number of inhabitants of each
nation, or if it would be factored against individual country GNP. But what makes the behavior of Attorney Acosta and
others totally incomprehensible, is the time and efforts that they are
willing to invest, chasing and harassing 80 or 90 year old grandparents
visiting their country of birth for the last time, while they live
comfortably in the most politically corrupt, bribe ridden, pervasive kick
back and violent community in the nation, they seem petrified and unable
to track down and prosecute, the impenetrable Cuban Mafia that controls
and governs every aspect of life in that city. It is not easy for those living outside this
subculture to understand these outrageous behavior of people entrusted to
preserve the county or state social fabric. Instead, thousands of these
individuals have learned an easy way to make a quick buck, by either
writing revisionist books that questions what happened during the assault
of the Moncada Barracks, others, presenting strands of hair to discredit
and question if it is the Che who is in the Mausoleum in Cuba or Mr.
Humberto Fontova Michael Moore’s newfound enemy. What type of genetic structure can be common to all of these individuals, who uniformly rejoice by defaming, destroying or demoralizing others, while they are incapable of creating anything positive for future generations. |
| Every four years and as a prelude of the Olympic games, amateur sports fans in our continent celebrate with great enthusiasm the Pan American games which is hosted in different countries of our region, providing each of our nations with the pride and glory of seeing the best and brightest of their athletes, compete fairly, honestly, in the selection process of the stars that will represent them two years after, in that magnificent world sport gathering that was born in Olympia, Greece, 776 BC. Cuba, a very poor, underdeveloped country in our hemisphere, that have had to live under siege for half a century, have devoted since 1959 a substantial amount of its GNP to education, health, culture, sports and other fields of human development. Each of these fields have yielded incredible results, which have placed this small island of less than 12 million inhabitants on the world map and have earned it the respect, love and admiration of millions of people around the world. Still this unparallel human achievement, that is an example and guiding light for all other poor and underdeveloped nation in the world, has not been greeted and celebrated by some rich and powerful nations, instead, they have dedicated substantial human and financial resources, to undermine and disrupt the fruits of these efforts. To fulfill their reprehensive tasks, hundreds of modern pirates, corsairs and buccaneers, are once again sailing the waters of the Caribbean, assaulting, slaughtering and destroying everything in their path, just as Henry Morgan, Francis Drake, Blackbeard and other well known murderers, terrorized defenseless ships, crews and those living on the shoreline of their respective countries. But contrary to those easily identifiable one-eyed pirates brandishing their sword and dirty bearded face, today’s buccaneers looks like respectable CEO’s, cruising in expensive sports cars, donning only designer garments and living in secluded, gated communities without ever having to hold up a schooner at gunpoint. Instead, like hyenas, viper and most other animal of prey, they lurk in the dark, cowardly waiting to strike by surprise, with their bulging bags of ill gotten money, ready to buy the conscience of every Cuban Doctor, Musician or Sportsman within their reach. Ironically, these are the same monsters that have spent a lifetime belittling everyone living in Cuba, who have encouraged the US administration to impose greater draconian measures on their country of birth, rejoiced during the special period when Cubans were literally starving, have openly questioned the Bush administration about, why Iraq and not Cuba and who proudly exhibit as victories of their making, the Torricelli Bill, the Helms-Burton Act and the abominable 500 pages of the Commission For a Transition to a Free Cuba, that have had a devastating effect on the Cuban family. Yet, instead of working with and salvaging millions of school children in the United States that are threatened by a sea of drugs, relentless violence, early pregnancy, illiterate high school graduates, their focus is an every outstanding individual that Cuba have educated or trained in each of life’s endeavor. But this monstrosity of depriving the poor of their best minds and abilities is nothing new. Millions of the best and brightest from around the world, fill every vacancies in the United States and the rest of the developed world, at the expense of their own nations. There ought to be far more Physicians from Pakistan and India working in the England, Australia, United States and Canada, than in their countries of birth. Thousands of Filipino nurses constitute the backbone of most medical centers in the US. Professional Baseball teams in the US, looks increasingly like a Latin America match. This outrageous commercialization of sports boosting salaries in the millions, have become an overwhelming magnet that have corrupted the minds and replaced all sense of community or nationhood in thousands of athletes. This environment and its strong dose of anti-Cuba politics , have hatched a formidable flock of bird of prey, that can be found marauding around every event where Cubans sports, cultural or medical professionals are present. So far, these human excretion must feel rewarded, after luring away Rigondeaux and Lara, two of Cuba’s top boxers and sure medalists at the Pan American games in Brazil. This repugnant behavior may be news for others, not so for Cubans. It is just more of the same! These criminal actions were instituted during the Central American Games in Jamaica in 1962, when Cuba’s only hope was a potential Silver medal, ironically in the arms of another boxer, who they enticed to defect. Tens of others have since followed a similar path in search of wealth. Since the year 2000, these pirates have centered their attention on the Cuban National Baseball team, from where they successfully pried away, the best and most promising players. Blinded by money and devoid of all moral principles, these pirates have failed to reflect on a striking irrefutable fact. No matter how many sportsmen or physicians they lure away from Cuba, the greater the number of graduate the country will produce to replace them, the better the next team will be and the greater the amount of medals they will continue to win. A case in point has been the longstanding duel between the United States and the Cuban National Baseball teams. After suffering its greatest loss of its most promising players at the hands of the Morgan’s and Drake’s of our times, most assumed that the Cuba-US match at the Pan American games in Brazil was a sure win for the US. Surprise, surprise, the US team ended up with a consolation Silver medal! A quick review of the most outstanding and best known players, musicians, physicians and others that have abandoned our country -myself included-, some have found material goods or achieved wealth, but all are acutely aware that we will never be a master in another person’s home and as the original pirates did, once our productive life have ended, we will be thrown overboard. Cuba will continue to develop, advance and share its programs with the rest of humanity. We selfishly will continue on the sidelines, trying to enjoy those rewarding but unsatisfying material goods, that will always be incapable of filling the moral vacuum that will live within us forever. May all the newcomers be prepared for the longing, bitterness and tons of tears that lies ahead, incapable of forgetting the land that we so desperately wanted to leave behind and which cruelly reminds us of the green lawn of our neighbors.lay now! |
| A front page article in the Daytona News-Journal on 6/22/07 suggested that Gitmo detainee facility in Cuba may close. This article also provided a limited amount of benign “Fast Facts” that denied its readers the real, hard and ugly history of this enclave. Some irrefutable facts: As a result of the unsolicited entry of the United States into the war of Independence that was waged in Cuba against the Spanish occupying forces and with victory at arm length, the Spanish-American War took place, defeating an exhausted Spanish army in a three months skirmish, forcing Spain at the bargaining table to hand over the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico and Cuba for all legal purposes. After occupying Cuba (1898-1902) the United States demanded the “lease” of three coaling stations (Naval Stations) as a pre-condition to withdraw its forces from the island. Two naval stations, Bahia Honda and Cienfuegos were closed shortly after, but Guantanamo, which occupies 40 square miles at the entrance of one of the world’s best natural deep water port, has remained in the hands of the United States against the will of the Cuban people for the past 119 years. The US government generously offer to pay $4000.00 a year for this benefit. In addition to providing jobs for approximately 2000 civil service employees which the Cuban Government discontinued as of 1959, the downside of this military installation was vivid and tragic. Southern type racism was rampant, threats, back room deals, widespread prostitution and massive sexually transmitted diseases was the end result. Another hallmark of this installation was its ability to corrupt most individuals who came in contact with its environment that was rife with illegalities. A case in point, was the richest and most powerful individual in the small village of Caimanera outside of the Naval Base, who through his close personal relations with every commanding officer and possibly CIA connections, was granted a lifelong, non-bid distributorship for 4 brands of soft drinks, one brand of beer, three brands of rums, seven brands of cigars and cigarettes, fuel, oil and dry dock services on the base, in exchange among others, for high ranking US officers on the base, the use of his summer house at the Uvero beach. The Base later became a CIA beach head from where tens of military trained Cuban counterrevolutionaries were infiltrated into Cuba to execute an auto-aggression on the Base with unpredictable consequences; for becoming a nationwide safe haven for every common criminal sought by the Cuban authorities, who needed only to jump the security chain fence or swim across the bay, where they were sure to receive food, shelter, authorization to work (I-94) and a free airplane ride back to the US. In 1964, 1800 loyal civil service employees who had faithfully provided their services during WW II, the Korean War and the Viet Nam conflict, were given until the end of their work day, to decide either to stay on the Naval Base with all of their prerogatives or return to their families in Cuba and be on their own. Those who decided to stay on the Naval Base had to wait 15 years to see their loved ones in Cuba. Those who stayed with their families in Cuba, are for the most part “on their own”, old, hungry, sick or dead, with their retirement funds frozen in Pennsylvania. And finally, for those who can be surprised or incredulous about reports of torture taking place at camp Delta, camp Iguana or camp X Ray as denounced by David Hicks, other detainees and in notes left behind by so called enemy combatants committing suicide? Suffice to know that in 1954 Lorenzo Salomon a Naval Base employee was brutally beaten and tortured for 15 days at that facility. In January of 1961, Manuel Prieto, another Naval Base employee, was detained, tortured and forced to take poisonous pills. In September of the same year, Ruben Lopez Sabariego was arrested by the Military Intelligence personnel, tortured and beaten to death for 18 days, then his mutilated body was turned over to his wife. In 1962, Rodolfo Rosell Salas, a fisherman was kidnapped, tortured and brutally murdered on that enclave. Ramon Lopez Pena and Luis Ramirez Lopez were two border guards that were shot and killed, while Luis Ramirez Reyes and Andres Noel Larduet, were shot and wounded while performing their border guard duties. The presence of the United States Naval Base in Guantanamo, have created during the past 50 years, the most dangerous, volatile, heavily armed military installation, and until recently, the second largest mine field in the world; which serves no strategic purpose, except for the possibility of miscalculation by either side that could lead to a conflagration that would make Iraq look like a walk in the park. Removing the Taliban and enemy combatants from Guantanamo and acquiescing to the Cuban people’s 50 year old request to the US government to return this portion of their country that is illegally occupied, could contribute like nothing else to confidence building, peace and friendship, while bringing to an end, the gruesome stories of violence, torture and death that applies equally to Abu Ghraib, Khandahar and Gitmo. Nothing could be more rewarding for myself and my family, who contributed 200 years of service to this military garrison, to see the image, perception and function of this facility, transformed into an enclave of peace, human development and hope for a better world! |
| Around the world, cities, plazas, streets, schools and other public facilities are named in honor of their outstanding citizens or of foreigners, who have made substantial contributions to the fields of science, ethics, culture, health, religion, sports or military affairs. Not so in the Popular Republic of Miami, where individuals who have been caught depleting funds from public institutions, who have made millions of dollars ripping-off Medicare/Aid, who have been indicted and found guilty of all sorts of criminal behavior or have committed heinous crimes, are honored as respected citizens, by giving their names to buildings, streets and city squares. Although most of their political predictions and promises have not materialized, their prescriptions are still embraced by this desperate community, like any shipwrecked person hanging on to all floatable materials. This irrational behavior can be seen in an article written in the Miami Herald by retired Major General Erneido Oliva, “Armed Forces Lead Cuba to Democracy” on 3/27/07. In any other reasonable community outside of the stifling anti-Castro atmosphere that governs South Florida thinking, no one would bother to publish or read anything coming from this unburied political corpse, who calls on the Cuban Armed Forces to rescue Cuba from its dreadful future. This harangue could have a different social, moral or political impact on this captive, aging and homesick community, that has waited and dreamed for the past 45 years about their triumphal return to Cuba to recuperate their loss properties and the social standing they have never regained in the US. Instead, this humbug is willing to put out a laundry list of demands for the Cuban government, knowing that he does not have the military, political or moral authority to float this placebo, willfully deceiving and instilling false hopes in the desperate community he purport to defend. But who is Major General Erneido Oliva? In his biography in CAMCO or Cuban American Military Council, another of the hundred or so counterrevolutionary organizations in the United States, he says and I quote:
What General Oliva fails to include in his carefully crafted biography is that he studied and graduated in a military academy in Cuba during the Batista regime and,
presumably for very good reasons, he prefer not to disclose his
activities - he was selected to go to the School of the Americas, better known around the world as the School of Assassins. This infamous institution holds the distinguished pennant of being the Alma Mater of every outstanding Latin America military torturer, murderer and criminal, be it in Central America, South America or the Caribbean, where they displayed its magnificent curriculum by plucking out the eyes and finger nails of their victims, cutting off their tongues and testicles, inserting hot instruments into female genitalia, dropping prisoners from helicopters into the sea, throwing others into volcanoes or taking away babies from their mothers and dispersing them around the world. |
A Monstrous and Wicked Worldwide Attack on the Poor,
3//07
| Before believing my eyes, I had to read twice “US program for defecting Cuban doctors a success”, written by Mr. Pablo Bachelet and published in the Miami Herald on 3/11/07. Anyone else around the world, except the ultra-right-wing Cuban-American community in Miami, the neo-cons in the United States that got us into the Iraq quagmire and those that are part of President George W. Bush administration, would be sickened to their stomach, by the simple thought of such a monstrous conspiracy, not aimed against their hated Cuba, but against the poorest individuals in the world, that for the first time since the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, have a physician take a look at their ailment, treat them and save them from a potential deadly pathology. Months ago when the US State Department concocted this brutal plan, geared to encourage Cuban physicians working in poor neighborhoods in third world countries around the world to leave their patients, defect and share the wonders that the United States had to offer, most people in the health field dismissed the idea, as too inhumane, too morbid and cruel to be true. And today, the Miami Herald shamefully displays and article written by one of their hired pens in this increasingly immoral and undignified world, where, rather than denounce and reject such a treacherous act, they praise and joyfully encourage more of the same. Ironically, this abominable aggression is taking place as most of us are glued to our TV sets, horrified by the revolting spectacle of another monster, punching a defenseless 100 year old lady outside her apartment and stealing her money. This gruesome spectacle remind us of many others; be it Jeffrey Dahmer dining on his victims, Ted Bundy or the Son of Sam killing and dismembering their victims and the never-ending list of pedophiles, raping and killing their innocent victims, leaving us to ask why? Still, contrary to what most of us are made to believe, these known criminals that are caught, hauled off to jail and sanctioned accordingly, pail in comparison with the real criminals and mass murderers among us, disguised as moralists, educators, clergy, business people, social workers or political leaders in our communities, who devote the best of their intellect to devise these destructive methods of silently killing, thousands and thousands of people they have never seen, have done them no harm and whose only crime is not to adhere to their deranged, philosophical views of the world. The great tragedy of these sick minds, is that these monsters knows, they cannot change the course of history, that their abuses and crimes against the majority of the world is coming to an end and their only hope is to raise the price, increase the suffering and attempt to slow down an irreversible social change, which is no different than the one that was waged hundreds of years ago by Spartacus and many more. They know, that by bribing 100, 1000 or 10,000 Cuban doctors to defect, will have no effect Cuba or alter this humanitarian program that the entire world should applaud and support. The only things they are capable of doing, is to hurt the victims, increase hunger and hasten death of the sick. As someone who lived through a similar bestiality, to which these individuals seems to be genetically predisposed, I can attest to what life was like in Banes, Cuba, for thousands of emigrants from the English Speaking Caribbean Islands and Haiti, lured to Cuba by the United Fruit Company as cheap labor. In charge of implementing and enforcing vicious racist and segregationists laws, was Dr. Rafael Diaz Balart, recently honored by the US Congress and Florida International University, by giving his name to one of their buildings. His meritorious curriculum was later followed by his son, Dr. Rafael Diaz Balart, father of Florida US Congressmen Mario and Lincoln Diaz Balart, both born again humanists and staunch supporters of these cruel measures. In our community, “on the other side of the tracks”, we were forced to live in thatched shacks without electricity, running water, jobs, schools or their preferred weapon of subjugation: Healthcare! What we did have, was rampant infant mortality, hunger, hundreds of deaths through preventable diseases and the infamous gully with its putrid effluent, running through our community spreading disease and deaths. With the mass media at their disposal, they will continue to do what they have practiced since time immemorial. They will attempt to discredit this and other factual statements about their murky past and repugnant present. Everyone who reads this testament is invited, not to believe it, but to visit the cemeteries in Banes, Naranjo Dulce, Marti, Baguanos, Chaparra, Baragua and tens of others Cuban Soweto’s, large and medium size cities across the country and please, take the time to read what is engraved on the crosses and headstone, all of which are mute indictments of their horrendous past. The world needs to know them!. They assume that all of those they abused, vilified or caused the death to their family members or neighbors, are still illiterate, unable to speak for themselves and remind them of their deeds. Wrong! I remember and denounce, when mothers with children knocked on doors every night, asking for your left over, as their only meal . I remember when a family member was ill, you did not go to the hospital, you went to the home of one of these “powerful” individuals and pleaded for a note written by them, if you were to be admitted to the hospital. I still remember when we were branded at birth, our future decided and were not allow to work in department stores, office settings or drive a Greyhound-type bus, while boys at the age of 12 or 13 went to the fields and girls the same age, became maids. I remember when the Public School System in Cuba provided a hot cup of chocolate, a couple of crackers and a bonus on Fridays, consisting on a slice of white cheese, knowing that most students had nothing to eat except this hand-out. Shortly after Batista’s coup d’etat, the cheese disappeared, the chocolate followed suit and one day, they came by collecting our aluminum cups! Some of the executioners of this brutal violations of children rights and their descendents, are now leaders in many anti Castro Human Rights, Religious and Social groups in south Florida, tearfully decrying the plight of those living in Cuba. What a bunch of hypocrites!! The criminal actions that we see taking place today against the poor, forgotten and ignored around the world, be it in Venezuela or Bolivia, South Africa or Angola, Pakistan or East Timor, are propelled by the same anti-human forces of destruction, that were committed against the natives when the Spaniards, English, Dutch or Portuguese arrived on these shores. We saw what they did to the enslaved and after “freedom” was granted, we saw their segregationists and racist policies. We saw it against the government of Arbenz in Guatemala in 1954, Cuba after 1959, Ghana, Congo, Egypt, Panama and even tiny Grenada, with less guns than any neighborhood in Miami. If these individuals were honest in their beliefs, if they were really preoccupied about the wellbeing of anyone in need of healthcare and/or they realized their system was incapable of producing the personnel they need; stealing healthcare professionals from the poorest, most vulnerable people on earth, could never be explained or forgiven. But this heinous, horrendous and criminal act gets even worse, if we knew, that prior to the State Department enacting this monstrous regulation under the guise of the “Cuban Adjustment Act“, which allows Cubans residing in the United States to claim family living in Cuba, over 500 Cuban physicians had already defected and wore doing all sorts of menial jobs in Florida and elsewhere, in order to survive. Why did the US State Department not hire these same Cuban physicians that are in the country and have them take care as Nurses, Nurses Aide, Therapists or in whatever healthcare capacity they could fit and put them in the now infamous Building 18 across from Walter Reed Hospital, where those who gave their limbs, minds or charred bodies to an unjustifiable war of choice, were left in leaky and moldy rooms, shared with roaches and rats. Why have we not relocated some of these physicians and some of the ones we are now enticing to defect, to offer their services in Ward Nine in Louisiana or Mississippi devastated by Katrina and who are still without Medical care? Why not create a Healthcare Peace Corps and send them to offer adequate healthcare in Overtown in Miami, Cabrina Greens in Chicago, Parramore in Orlando, NW Jacksonville, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, where millions of people are deprived of this basic means of survival? Forty five years ago, the US State Department devised a similar plan, that successfully encouraged 3500 or 50% of Cuban physicians to abandon their country, creating a healthcare emergency, suffering and deaths of hundreds of victims, when Cuba had only one University to train their replacement. Unfortunately for Mr. Mc Carry, Mr. Shannon, Dr Condoleezza Rice and the rest in the chain of command of this despicable act, that for them to achieve the same results of 1964, they must now encourage to defect 40,000 Cuban physicians, destroy 22 Medical Schools and Cuba would still have a higher ratio patient/physicians than Washington DC. The advantage that the State Department, the Cuban American National Foundation, terrorist organizations in Miami specializing in putting bombs in airliners, hundreds of counterrevolutionary groups bent on the destruction of Cuba, the Helms-Burton and Torricelli Bill and the Embargo itself will always have, is a horde of hired minds and pens, willing to distort the facts, lie to the American people and the world, millions of dollars at their disposal and tens front organizations attempting to divide and corrupt the Cuban people, a small army of salaried “dissidents” in Cuba under the guidance of the US Interest Section sending bogus e-mails and talking on Radio and TV Marti that is heard and listened to by a handful of Cubans and thousands of individuals in Miami and elsewhere, that are shamefully making millions of dollars on services that are 30, 40 or 50 times more expensive for our families, thanks to a moribund embargo that will never achieve its goal, that has been with us for half a century. |
| Having failed in most domestic politics, depleted the national treasury, alienated all European countries, sunk the nation into its worst military quagmire in modern history, presided over a massive governmental corruption and generated an absolute loss of respect for his administration, President George W. Bush is hoping to find respite and solace, in an area of the world, that was never part of his vocabulary. Because of the President dismal understanding of Latin American His 101, he can only wonder without a clue, why so many countries in that region have chosen to elect liberal left-leaning governments during the past years, while the few countries that have sided with his policies, are all on the verge of an unprecedented social explosion. In 1958, when social conditions in Latin America were far better than they are today, then Vice President Richard Nixon motorcade was not allowed to reach the University in Lima, Peru where he was supposed to deliver a speech. In Caracas, Venezuela, thousands of people surrounded his motorcade, spat on him, rocked his car back on forth trying to overturn it, while chanting “Death to Nixon”, from where he was barely able to escape alive. Since, the anger have reached geometrical proportions, social disparities are at its highest level, we have aligned ourselves with the most repressive and notorious murderous regimes in the region and provided shelter in the US to hated torturers and well documented terrorists, while we euphemistically proclaim to be in a war against terrorists. The next seven days of the President tour to Latin America, may well be remembered as a textbook X-ray image, of a terminally ill political experiment. |
| As I watched ABC on Saturday night and Ms Oprah Winnfrey walked us through her dream Academy of Excellence for poor girls in South Africa, I could not resist asking myself, how could such a wonderful idea, ignore some basic principles and run the risk of defeating its own intended purposes? Africa, as the rest of the third world, do not need one, two or a hundred luxurious, extravagant schools for two hundred fortunate, rigidly selected girls. Most individuals concerned with the future of children around the world knows, that what is urgently needed are 10, 20 or 50 thousands ordinary schools with well trained educators, food, clothing and educational resources, capable of producing hundreds of thousands of highly educated, conscientious professionals in every walk of life, willing to confront the intractable lack of health, education, culture and science that have plagued and stifled the development of 4/5 of the world. For myself, who had the privilege to live and study with hundreds of students from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America in Cuba and later found myself behind a desk, sharing my limited knowledge with the most avid, disciplined and inquisitive students I have ever known, some of whom are occupying important positions in their countries or around the world, allows me to attest to the value of this concept. But these same simple facts permits me also, to preclude the need of glamorous facilities to educate our children. Knowledge, discipline, respect and a clear understanding of who they are, where they came from and where the should be heading, are the critical imperatives for this project to achieve its goal. Like many other “so called” charitable children organizations, who excel in images of babies with runny nose, distended abdomens and disproportionate heads in order to break our hearts and solicit our material support, this morally right, historical debt and human disgrace, do not need to parade our children in front of TV cameras to validate its righteousness or our commitment to change. Another unforeseen, undesirable end result that such elite academies engender in their graduates, is a culture of being different, above others, as part of the fortunate few, that are frequently far removed from their social responsibilities to their communities, widening the social divide that is devouring our world. My honest assessment of this beautiful project is not to degrade or oppose its objectives. It is a great dream that all of us, especially those with a similar background as the beneficiaries, should embrace and uphold wholeheartedly, while we remain open to opposing views or critique, solely intended to make this magnificent dream a reality for millions. |
Email: albertoj_AT_afrocubaweb.com [replace _AT_ with @]
[AfroCubaWeb] [Site Map] [Music] [Arts] [Authors] [News] [Search this site]
The Alberto Jones Column
X - 2007