|
Cuban Culture
Cuba: Race &
Identity
US to Cuba
Travel News
Restrictions on Traveling from Cuba to the
US
Classifieds in Cuba: Cuba's Craig's List
Assata
News
Joint Chief
of Staff's Operation Northwoods
, a 1962 plan
to kill US citizens as a pretext for invading Cuba
Cuba News
Archive:
present
8/09-11/09
3/09-7/09
10/08-2/09
4/08-9/08
1/08-3/08
10/07-12/07
7/07-9/07
3/07-6-07
11/06-2/07
9/06-10/06
5/06-8/06
2/06-4/06
11/05-1/06
6/05-10/05
5/05
3/05-4/05
1/05-2/05
11/04-12/04
10/04
9/04
8/04
7/04
6/04
5/04
4/04
3/04
2/04
1/04
12/03
11/03
10/03
9/03
8/03
7/15/03
6/15/03
5/15/03
4/30/03
4/15/03
3/31/03
2/28/03
2/15/03
1/31/03
1/15/03
12/02
11/02
10/02
8-9/02
7/02
6/02
5/02
4/02
3/02
1-2/02
2001
Rebellion in
Miami
US
Cuba Sister Cities
Cuba:
Education
World News
World-wide
News Sources
Colombia
Central America
Venezuela
Hurricane Michelle and Cuban
Recuperación
Cuban Media
Adelante
(Eng)
Agencia
Cubana de Noticias
(Esp)
AIN (Eng)
Antiterroristas
.cu
Centro de
Información para la Prensa
Cuba Debate
CubaNow
CubaWeb
Cuba
Headlines
Gaceta
Oficial
Generación Y
Blog
from Cuba
Granma
Diario (Esp,
in Cuba)
Granma International
(English)
Granma
Internacional (Español)
Havana Times
Juventud Rebelde
La Jiribilla
Notinet
Prensa Latina
Radio Angulo
Radio Rebelde
Radio
Havana
(Eng)
Radio Havana
(Esp)
Trabajadores
US Media
AloCubano.com
Babalu blog
BiblioCuba
Center for International
Policy
Central
America Daily
COHA
Cuba Central
Cuba-L
Cuba-L Direct:
Commentary/Comentario
Cuban American Alliance - La
Alborada
CubaNet
Cuban
Nation
CubaNews
Yahoo Group
CubaPoliData
Cuba
Talk
bulletin boards
Cuba Update
Center for Cuban
Studies
El Nuevo Herald
El Nuevo
Herald - Noticias de Cuba
Global Exchange Cuba Update
Havana
Journal
IFCO news
Islas: AfroCuban
Issues
Jane
Franklin
La Nación
La
Nueva Cuba
Latin America Working Group on Cuba
Latino
Vote
Mambi
Watch
Miami Herald
Miami
Herald Cuba News
Miami New Times
Milwaukee
Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba
National Lawyers Guild
Cuba Subcommittee
NY Transfer Cuba News
Radio Mambi,
Miami
Radio
Miami
Radio
Progreso, Miami
Revista Consenso
SeattleCuba.org
South America Daily
South
Florida Sun-Sentinel Cuba News
TBO
Topix - Cuba
Wire
Upside Down World
United States Cuba Policy & Business Blog
US Interests Section
Walter
Lippmann
World News: Cuba
Yahoo Cuba
News
Canada based media
Focal Point
Europe
based media
ArchivoCubano
BBC Mundo - América Latina
Cuba
Encuentro
Cuba Report
London Met
Univ
Cuba Solidarity - UK
Guardian Cuba
Report
KaosEnLaRed/Cuba
Partido
Comunista de Madrid
Rebelión
Sodepaz
World
Data Service
Cuba
Search
Cuba on Google News Search
Newstrove:
Cuba News Search
Latin America Database
Business
Media
Cuba Standard
Giraldilla: Business in Cuba
Havana
Holdings
US Cuba Policy News
Posada Carilles
News
|
Cuba in the News
Archive: 12/09 - 2/10
Declaración del CIR sobre el fallecimiento de Orlando Zapata 2/28/2010 CIR: "La muerte el pasado 23 de febrero del defensor de derechos humanos y prisionero de conciencia Orlando Zapata Tamayo, tras una prolongada huelga de hambre en reclamo de sus derechos y del de los restantes prisioneros en Cuba tiene una connotación múltiple para la sociedad cubana. Ella merece también esta reflexión; más allá de la posición obvia de consternación y espanto de toda persona civilizada, consciente de que vivimos en el siglo XXI, ante el frío desprecio por la vida humana de las mentalidades autocráticas."
Blacks bear the brunt of Cuba's brutality 2/28/2010 Miami Herald: "Zapata's ordeal is being spun from the other side of the coin, too -- the predominantly white and U.S.-based, right-wing anti-Castro opposition who clearly stand to score political points from the case of a black martyr. Righteous declarations can be expected from organizations such as Democracy Movement, the Cuban American National Foundation, the Cuban Liberty Council and, especially, the Cuban Democratic Directorate. Many Cuban civil-rights activists accuse these groups of working to corral and control the new internal opposition forces on behalf of interests linked to Cuba's former Jim Crow oligarchy. That's why they see U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart's ``indignation'' over Zapata's death, as much as president Raúl Castro's ``regrets,'' as a double farce. A staunch supporter of the tiny, white elite of wealth that was overthrown in 1959, Diaz-Balart can cry crocodile tears, but during his time in Congress his right-wing, pro-embargo agenda has only hindered the ability of black Cubans to improve their lot." [Some observers credit Alberto Jones and Claude Betancourt's articles for this historic turn against the Miami Plantocracy, unprecedented, to our knowledge, in any statements by Black Cuban dissident groups.]
Dissident's death will put Cuba on the spot 2/27/2010 Miami Herald
The shamelessness of the United States government 2/26/2010 Granma: "ONE out of every four prisoners in the world is in a U.S. penitentiary. The composition of these prisoners is profoundly racist: one out of every 15 black adults is incarcerated; one out of every 9 is aged 20-34 years; and one out of every 36 Hispanics. Two-thirds of those serving life sentences are African Americans or Latinos, and in the case of New York state, only 16.3% of prisoners are white.
Every year, 7,000 people die in U.S. prisons, many of them murdered or suicides.
For example, U.S. prison guards routinely use Taser guns on prisoners. According to a recent report, 230 U.S. citizens have died as a result of the use of these weapons since 2001. The report refers to the case of a county jail in Garfield, Colorado, accused of regularly using Taser guns and pepper spray on prisoners, and then tying them to chairs in extreme positions for hours at a time."
Dissident’s Death Ignites Protest Actions in Cuba 2/26/2010 NYT: "Freedom House, an organization that ranks countries on their level of freedom and considers Cuba “not free,” called Mr. Zapata the first prisoner in Cuba to die by starving himself since Pedro Luis Boitel, a student leader and poet, did so in 1972." [Freedom House is a CIA related organization which former director James Woolsey joined after his retirement.]
Havana harvest: Organic agriculture in Cuba’s capital 2/26/2010 SF Bay View: "We are looking at the end of (relatively) cheap oil, food and transportation, crises that have already had a devastating impact on Third World nations and communities of color. These issues hit Cuba a stunning blow in the early 1990s, which they overcame by using what they have – scientific intelligence, organization and human energy instead of money and machines.
On a recent visit we learned that Cuba has been raising its fruits and vegetables organically for more than 15 years, using worm and vegetable compost and integrated and natural pest management to raise crops for its people. In the process they have decentralized agricultural production, tripled farmers’ average income, built stronger communities and shown the way to living well after the end of cheap oil."
Diaz-Balart reacts to the murder of Orlando Zapata Tamayo 2/25/2010 BigNews
CUATRO SIGLOS DE INFAMIA (2) 2/25/2010 UNEAC: "Nota: en los slave auctions --venta de esclavos--, a menudo se situaba a la venta una familia, digamos, el padre, la madre y dos hijos pequeños. Cuatro esclavistas que llegaban a las ciudades costeras de este país desde colonias distintas compraban a los cuatro por separado y no volvían a verse jamás. Esa bestialidad sólo existió en este país. En los demás, la familia esclava con hijos pequeños tenía que que ser comprada como una sola unidad."
Death of Cuban prisoner of conscience on hunger strike must herald change 2/24/2010 Amnesty International: "He was subsequently tried several times on further charges of "disobedience" and "disorder in a penal establishment", the last time in May 2009, and was serving a total sentence of 36 years at the time of his death.
"Faced with a prolonged prison sentence, the fact that Orlando Zapata Tamayo felt he had no other avenue available to him but to starve himself in protest is a terrible indictment of the continuing repression of political dissidents in Cuba," said Gerardo Ducos."
Commentary: Against the hijacking of a Cuban martyr 2/24/2010 McClatchy: "Certainly, I do not claim to speak on behalf of Cuba's majority. But I am surely not far from that majority's truth by stating that it can hardly be struggling for the re-empowerment of the tiny, white elite of wealth that was overthrown in 1959. It is that segregationist exiled elite that these so-called anti-Castro groups so distinctly represent.
Orlando Zapata Tamayo is dead. He is now a people's martyr. But those who struggled with him and shared his aspirations must not allow this brave and principled man's legacy or memory to be hijacked; certainly not by those who before 1959 despised him for being black and continue to do so in spite of their hypocritical tears.
Zapata's legacy belongs to Cuba's future, and not to that of its neo-colonial, segregationist and subservient past." [A historic turn against the Miami Plantocracy, which, to our knowledge, has never hitherto been rejected by any of the Black Cuban dissident groups.]
US urges Cuba to release 'spy suspect' Alan Gross 2/20/2010 BBC: "Cuban President Raul Castro has said Mr Gross used "sophisticated" communications equipment to help opposition groups in their role as "mercenaries" for the US, AFP news agency reported.
Apart from the issue of the detention, the US State Department said that "engaging in these talks underscores our interest in pursuing constructive discussions with the government of Cuba to advance US interests on issues of mutual concern".
The US delegation was led by Craig Kelly, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs - the most senior US official to visit Cuba in many years."
Mujeres, raza e identidad caribeña. Conversación con Inés María Martiatu 2/20/2010 Negra Cubana
Disentir vs desacreditar: A propósito del tema racial 2/17/2010 Negra Cubana
¿QUIÉN SE OCULTA TRAS EL RACISMO? 2/17/2010 UNEAC
CUATRO SIGLOS DE INFAMIA 2/17/2010 UNEAC
Raza, racismo, racialidad: encore une fois, again, wieder einmal 2/15/2010 Negra Cubana
Only in Miami: Omara Portuondo Compared to the Ku Klux Klan 2/13/2010 Cuba Now: 'It seems that Mr. Prieres’ “school of thinking” does not admit that a Cuban figure as Omara Portuondo can freely sing in the United States. I guess that Mr. Prieres’ “environment” excludes the over 11 million Cubans living on the island. It seems to be an institution of poor education and thinking. According to Miami New Times magazine, the organization Vigilia Mambisa declared that Omara “is accomplice of the regime,” and anti-Cuban activist Emilio Izquierdo Jr. made this incredible comparison: “Brinign Omara Portuondo to Miami is like taking the Ku Klux Klan to Liberty City”.
Perhaps Izquierdo does not know, or means nothing for him, but the Ku Klux Klan is a racist, terrorist organization founded in the US to kill, torture, or intimidate black, Jewish or other groups, including Catholics, peace activists, and unionists. Omara Portuondo is a Cuban woman of mixed race with unique voice and international prestige resulting from her huge talent. Comparing her to the Ku Klux Klan is like comparing Luis Posada Carriles to Bola de Nieve."
Me, Afro-Cuban? 2/6/2010 Havana Times: [See also the discussion threads.]
Programa de la Jornada Maceísta 2/6/2010 Negra Cubana tenía que ser
No “Common Policy,” as Europe Grapples over its Future ties with Cuba. 2/4/2010 COHA
Jerarquizar la identidad cultural 2/2/2010 Bohemia: "Según informó la musicóloga Cary Diez, vicepresidenta de la Uneac, las comisiones permanentes de trabajo de la organización han logrado construir un espacio de atención al cumplimiento de los acuerdos del VII Congreso, celebrado en abril de 2008, “tejiendo puentes entre instituciones y creadores, con altibajos en dependencia de cada temática y período”.
Reconoció como “un importante suceso en el reciente período, la creación de la comisión contra el racismo y la discriminación racial”, entidad que conmemoró el aniversario 116 de la desaparición física de Mariana Grajales, la heroica caída en combate del lugarteniente Antonio Maceo, y presentó el libro Raza y Racismo, de la editorial Caminos. Un paso esencial para el próximo semestre, será la constitución de grupos de trabajo de dicha comisión en todas las provincias."
SOCIEDAD–CUBA: Racismo, un tema inconcluso 2/1/2010 Cuba a la Mano
Race and Class in Cuba 1/24/2010 Jamaica Observer: "As luck would have it, my home in Kingston, Jamaica, was right next to the Cuban embassy, so I went there often. When I informed them excitedly that I wanted to study blacks in Cuba, I was told that I should go to Oriente, the Eastern part of the country, as that was where all of the blacks were. I would come to learn that this was an expression of the white Cuban tendency to claim that all blacks were descendants of Jamaican and other West Indian immigrants to Oriente. When I would protest that the Spanish had lots of slaves and that all of the blacks could not possibly be descendants of West Indian immigrants, known derogatorily as pichones (literally blackbirds), I was told that all of the ones who had come as slaves had inter-married, as the Spanish were so much less racist than the British. White Cubans expressed sympathy for the Jamaicans who were under the British, who did not mix with them, supposedly, and so the black population there was not able to dilute itself and move up the racial hierarchy."
Declaración de doce personalidades cubanas sobre racismo y sociedad en la Isla 1/22/2010 CIR: "Firman la declaración, Víctor Manuel Domínguez, Juan Antonio Madrazo, Lucas Garve, Jorge Olivera, Manuel Cuesta Morúa, Leonardo Calvo, Eleanor Calvo, Yusnaimi Soca, Víctor González, Juan Antonio Alvarado, José Idelfonso Vélez e Hildebrando Chaviano."
Cuba's imprisonment of an American is a rebuke to Obama 1/22/2010 WaPo: "A FRIEND of Alan P. Gross, the veteran development consultant from Potomac who has been jailed without charge in Cuba, says that Mr. Gross's mistake may have been "not seeing anything wrong with what he was doing." If so, we can sympathize. Mr. Gross was in Cuba to help several Jewish community groups gain access to the Internet, so that they could use sites such as Wikipedia and communicate with each other and with Jewish organizations abroad, according to his employer, Bethesda-based Development Alternatives Inc., and other sources familiar with his work. He reportedly supplied the groups with laptops and satellite equipment for Internet connections." [Satellite equipment?]
Malcolm X and Fidel: 1990 Symposium in Havana 1/17/2010 www.brothermalcolm.net: With audio and video tracks. Includes presentations by Nancy Morejon, Kwame Toure, Rogelio Martinez Fure, Osvaldo Cardenas, and many others as well as a video of of Fidel talking to the delegates. Photogallery of Fidel - Malcom X meeting in 1960.
Médicos cubanos, entre los primeros que asistieron a los haitianos 1/14/2010 CubaDebate
Parte brigada médica cubana a Haití 1/13/2010 CubaDebate: "En la tarde de hoy partió para Haití un contingente adicional de médicos cubanos para atender a las víctimas del terremoto que asoló ayer a Haití.
Los 152 colaboradores cubanos ubicados en Puerto Príncipe, la capital de Haití, se encuentran en buen estado de salud, y sólo dos de ellos sufrieron lesiones leves, tras el devastador terremoto que afectó a esa nación, indicaron las autoridades de la isla."
Twitter se subleva contra Pat Robertson por sus comentarios sobre Haití 1/13/2010 CubaDebate
Detainee was helping Cuban Jewish groups involved in U.S. democracy project 1/13/2010 WaPo: "Former colleagues said Gross has worked for decades on economic development programs, often as a contractor for USAID. In recent years, he became fascinated by technology, they said, including ways to connect people to the Internet. One recent assignment involved setting up satellite connections for development organizations in Afghanistan, said Bob Otto, a former colleague."
Speed, discipline, and cooperation in Baracoa in response to tsunami threat 1/12/2010 Granma: "Speed, discipline and cooperation characterized the conduct of around 30,000 people evacuated today under orders from the Municipal Defense Council (CDM) in Baracoa, in response to the possible threat of a tsunami."
El agente “Chris” Sabatini propone a Obama incrementar la injerencia 1/11/2010 Rebelion: de Jean-Guy Allard - "Para comentar y promover las agresiones de la USAID contra Cuba, la revista Foreign Policy se ha buscado, para su última edición, un autentico especialista: Christopher “Chris” Sabatini, un ex alto funcionario de la NED identificado hace ya años en Venezuela como agente de la CIA y promotor de acciones ilegales de los grupos de extrema derecha.
En Foreign Policy, Sabatini no sólo reduce las intervenciones de injerencia en la Isla de los llamados “contratistas” de la USAID al nivel de ayuda humanitaria sino que insta al gobierno de EEUU a incrementar masivamente tales actividades encubiertas, orientadas por la Agencia Central de Inteligencia.
Con el propósito evidente de engañar, Sabatini habla de una distribución gratuita de “laptops y otros accesorios de comunicaciones” a los informantes reclutados en La Habana por la inteligencia estadounidense.
Pretende ignorar que un portavoz del Departamento de Estados ya admitió que Washington busca proveer a sus mercenarios de la Isla de “comunicaciones globales”, es decir satelitales, con el evidente propósito de controlarlos y orientarlos desde el exterior con facilidad."
The Untold Story of Ethiopians in Cuba 1/10/2010 Tadias: posted 8/08
La educación para ser blancos en Cuba 1/9/2010 Blog de Esteban Morales: "Pero si al educar, dentro de una sociedad mulrirracial, multicolor, dejamos el color fuera de la educación, en la práctica estamos educando para el color que aun ostenta la hegemonia: el blanco.
Sobre todo si tomamos en consideración, que aun existen otros asuntos que conspiran contra una educación equilibrada en cuanto al color."
Una política absurda 1/9/2010 Diario de la Prensa: "Por ejemplo, tomemos la decisión de imponer medidas de seguridad más severas a las personas de 14 países que viajen a Estados Unidos. Países que según los servicios de inteligencia norteamericanos presentan una amenaza a los aviones que vuelan a Estados Unidos. Uno de estos países es Cuba, el único país sin población árabe o musulmana en la lista que se encuentra a sólo 90 millas de territorio norteamericano.
Ahora analicemos que la Administración Obama está en plano de facilitar los viajes entre Cuba y Estados Unidos. Ya permite que los cubanos americanos vayan a visitar a sus familiares con mayor frecuencia y ha dado visas a numerosos artistas cubanos -- algunos de ellos de claro corte castrista -- para que vengan de gira con su música a Estados Unidos."
El negrito retinto 1/9/2010 El Pais: "Sin himno, sin bandera y sin patria. Considerado como un provocador, el escritor Carlos Moore desvela en Pichón sus desencuentros con la burocracia comunista cubana."
¿Cubano de origen africano o afrocubano? (+ Videos) 1/7/2010 CubaDebate
It’s Time to Address Racism in Cuba 1/7/2010 IPS: "In 50 years (since the revolution), women’s issues and homosexuality have been debated: why hasn’t racism?” asked the filmmaker. “It’s a revolutionary topic that concerns everyone, because there are black women, black homosexuals and black men.”
“I think silence is worse. The longer nothing is said, the more the racism fermenting underground is rotting the entire nation,” singer/songwriter Gerardo Alfonso says in the documentary.
According to Roberto Zurbano, head of the Casa de las Americas publishing house, to carry on “hiding” the issue would lead black people to think that “they belong to another country, and that there are two Cuba’s as there were in the 19th century, a black Cuba and a white one.” Another possible implication is that “the issue could become a political football, outside and inside the country.”
Racismo: El secreto sucio de los Castro 1/6/2010 Libertad Digital: de Nat Hentoff, Cato Institute
NEGRA CIMARRONA: La Tertulia de Juana 1/6/2010 Negra Cubana: "A principio de diciembre fui convocada a participar en la Tertulia de Juana (cuyo nombre procede de Juana Borrero), espacio de debate y reflexión que a propósito del género organizó mi amiga Yulexis.
Un grupo de mujeres negras, entre las que se encontraban Daisy Rubiera, historiadora; Norma Guillard, psicóloga; Georgina Herrera, poeta; se encargarían de presentar, desde sus experiencias, la convergencia de la racialidad y el género. No se trataba de hablar de cómo las mujeres negras son discriminadas, lo cual es más que cierto, sino los puntos de contacto entre ambas aproximaciones teóricas. El propósito era tratar de evidenciar cómo el género tiene expresiones diferentes, en un mundo patriarcal hegemónicamente blanco, para las personas de una y otros expresiones fenotípicas."
Blasfemia: Ser afrocubano y patriota 1/5/2010 CIR: por Pedro Dupre
Endless Double Standards on Cuba 1/5/2010 Consortium News
MUJERES, RAZA E IDENTIDAD CARIBEÑA 1/3/2010 UNEAC: Conversación con Inés María Martiatu.
Cuba speaks from its depths 1/1/2010 Islas: by a collection of dissident authors.
Movement in the Americas who Condemn Racism in
Cuba 1/1/2010 Islas: by Darsi Ferrer
Racial Discrimination in Cuba: An Open Secret 1/1/2010 Islas: Islas is supported by NED funds. This article is by Jorge Olivera Castillo, Writer and journalist, Havana, Cuba
The Juan Gualberto Gómez Movement for Racial Integration 1/1/2010 Islas: Islas is supported by NED funds. This article is by José I. Vélez Hernández, National Coordinator, Havana, Cuba
Diaz-Balart Brothers Shed Light on Crist Controversy 1/1/2010 Poder: "The Diaz-Balart brothers also have close relationships with Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-MIA), who has “followed their lead” and that of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on Cuba. Putney says the brothers felt that by endorsing Crist they'd betrayed Meek, who has consistently sat on the sidelines instead of endorsing fellow Democrats who have tried to run against the Cuban-America duo. That deference to Meek could also help explain their decision not to endorse Crist’s Republican contender, former House Speaker Marco Rubio."
CIA Agents assassinated in Afghanistan worked for “contractor” active in Venezuela, Cuba 12/31/2009 Postcards from the Revolution: "On December 15, DAI published a press release mourning “project personnel killed in Afghanistan”. “DAI is deeply saddened to report the deaths of five staff associated with our projects in Afghanistan…On December 15, five employees of DAI’s security subcontractor were killed by an explosion in the Gardez office of the Local Governance and Community Development (LGCD) Program, a USAID project implemented by DAI.”
DAI also runs a program in Khost where the December 30 suicide bombing occurred, although it has yet to be confirmed if the eight U.S. citizens killed were working for the major U.S. government contractor."
In Cuba, Hopeful Tenor Toward Obama Is Ebbing 12/30/2009 NYT: "In the last few weeks we have witnessed the stepping up of the new administration’s efforts in this area,” Raúl Castro told Cuba’s National Assembly during its annual session on Dec. 19. “They are giving new breath to open and undercover subversion against Cuba.”
Cuba grants US consular access to detained American 12/29/2009 AFP: "Yesterday (Monday) we gained access. A representative of the (US) consular office visited him, but we cannot provide details of the case," the official with the US Interest Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana told AFP."
Nueva condena al racismo en la isla 12/29/2009 El Nuevo Herald: "Emitida el 22 de diciembre, la declaración es la primera acción conjunta de miembros de diferentes grupos antirracistas denunciando la opresión racial en Cuba, según Victoria Ruiz Labrit, una activista en Miami que apoya a los grupos en Cuba.
Entre los firmantes están el activista Jorge Luis García Pérez ``Antúnez'' y José Idelfonso Vélez, Coordinador Nacional del Movimiento de Integración Racial Juan Gualberto Gómez."
In Solidarity with the Real Anti-Racist Movement in Cuba 12/27/2009 Petition Online: Written by Professors August Nimtz and Gary Prevost
Denuncian racismo en Cuba 12/24/2009 Radio Marti: "Un grupo de 27 afrocubanos firmó un documento intitulado "La Mentira Indigesta", donde rechazan un artículo publicado el 9 de diciembre en el diario Granma acerca de la situación de los negros en Cuba.
El texto de los 27 dice que los afrocubanos que viven en la marginalidad y por debajo del nivel de pobreza en Cuba saben lo duro que resulta ser odiado y menospreciado por el color negro de la piel."
Red de Bibliotecas Independientes “Baset” realiza encuentro en La Habana 12/23/2009 CIR: [The Independent Libraries have long functioned as USAID and Miami's mechanisms for recruiting dissidents.]
Cuban Color 12/23/2009 Cuba Now: interview with Esteban Morales - "We dealt well with the topic abroad. We were friends of blacks, natives and the vilified of the world, but here we had a climate of some social repression where even speaking about the topic might have led to accusations of racism and divisionism. We thought it was unnecessary, that is what something that we did not have to discuss, that it was going to be solved with the development of a deeply humanist policy. It has been demonstrated that even when capitalism ends, racism remains in the minds, in the institutions, in the way of life of the people.”
The Phantom Letter 12/23/2009 Havana Times: "A reply signed by eight Cuban intellectuals including De la Hoz had been published days earlier in Granma under the heading: “A message from Cuba to the African-American intellectuals and artists.” The reply ran without making known the contents of the declaration from the US that provoked such a response. It astonishes me that in this 21st century the newspaper should utilize such a misleading tactic, thus giving Cuban readers free rein to speculate about the reasons that may or may not have led the African American intellectuals in the US to dare produce such a declaration. ...What, then, could the ghostly declaration be talking about? Could it be that it’s grounded in the everyday life of black Cubans today?"
The hypocrisy of American bluster toward Iran 12/23/2009 LA Times: "What is astounding is the lack of shame in such overt duplicity as Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's (R-Fla.) accusations in her Dec. 14 Times Op-Ed article that Iran is a state sponsor of terrorists -- when she herself has a track record of supporting terrorists.
In February 1988, Orlando Bosch was arrested in Miami and implicated in the 1976 plot to blow up Cubana Flight 455, a terrorist act that killed 73 passengers. Joe D. Whitley, the associate U.S. attorney general at the time, called Bosch "a terrorist, unfettered by laws or human decency, threatening and inflicting violence without regard to the identity of his victims." Bosch, however, had the distinct advantage of having Ros-Lehtinen make advocating for his release one of the cornerstones of her 1989 congressional campaign. Bosch had another advantage: Ros-Lehtinen's campaign manager was Jeb Bush, President George H.W. Bush's son. In 1990, after lobbying by Jeb Bush and Ros-Lehtinen, the Bush administration went against the Justice Department's recommendation to deport Bosch and authorized his release. Since then, Bosch has become a permanent resident of the United States."
A sus agentes en Cuba, Washington propone “comunicaciones globales” 12/21/2009 Aporrea: por Jean Guy Allard - "No es que un aparato Thuraya o Irridium sea barrato: cada uno, en los mejores casos, valen sus 1 500 dólares sin hablar de los costos de conexión y el minuto de uso.
Cuando el teléfono celular normal es libremente accesible en Cuba a un costo siempre más razonable y que se puede perfectamente comunicar de esta forma con cualquier parte del mundo – ¡hasta con rebajas! - la pregunta que surge es sencilla: ¿quién paga la cuenta de tales equipos, fuera de frontera? ...Interceptar comunicaciones telefónicas satelitales es una tarea casi imposible, dicen los expertos, por toda una serie de factores. ¿Que comunicaciones “humanitarias” tan secretas pretende entonces ocultar la USAID y la CIA.
Ya en el 2008, la llamada Agencia para el Desarrollo Internacional promovía el envío clandestino de material electrónico a la Isla a través de contratistas – se hablaba entonces de europeos y latinoamericanos - que realizarían el trabajo sucio que no puede legalmente desarrollar."
Cuba President Raul Castro lashes out at Barack Obama 12/21/2009 BBC: "In the last few weeks we have witnessed the stepping up of the new administration's efforts in this area," Raul Castro told parliament.
"They are giving new breath to open and undercover subversion against Cuba."
He said the US citizen was working illegally in the country, distributing "sophisticated methods of communication to members of the civil society which they hope to form against our people".
Raul Castro said the US had allocated some $55m (38m euros; £34m) "to support a supposed democracy, the defence of human rights and aggression by radio and television against Cuba", apparently referring to the Marti network, which broadcasts to Cuba from US-run territory."
New Castro / Same Cuba 12/21/2009 Canada Free Press: "The presentation also revealed something that goes a long way towards explaining the Raul Castro regime’s confident entrenchment. Last year Cuba enjoyed record tourism revenues: 2.35 million tourists leaving $2.7 billion in military-regime coffers, and precious little else due to the regime’s tourist apartheid, where Cubans (especially darker-skinned ones) are strictly segregated at billy-club and gun-point from tourist areas, except as waiters, maids, bellhops, shoe-shine boys, foot masseuses, etc."
Raúl Castro admite la persistencia de discriminación por raza y género 12/21/2009 Diario de Cuba: "El general Raúl Castro reconoció este domingo la persistencia de la discriminación por raza y género en la Isla. Es "una vergüenza el insuficiente avance en esta materia en 50 años de revolución", admitió al clausurar la sesión anual de la Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular."
Es preciso caminar hacia el futuro, con paso firme y seguro, porque sencillamente no tenemos derecho a equivocarnos 12/21/2009 Granma: por Raul Castro - "Las elecciones realizadas en el día de hoy por esta Asamblea para cubrir las vacantes en el Consejo de Estado, incluyendo dos vicepresidencias, una de ellas por primera vez ocupada por una mujer, que a su vez se desempeña como Contralora General de la República, constituyen además de un justo reconocimiento a la trayectoria revolucionaria y profesional de los elegidos, la expresión de la intención manifiesta de elevar la representatividad de la composición étnica y de género de la población cubana en los cargos de dirección. Personalmente considero que es una vergüenza el insuficiente avance en esta materia en 50 años de Revolución, a pesar de que el 65 por ciento de la fuerza laboral técnica se compone de mujeres y que la ciudadanía forma un hermoso arcoiris racial sin privilegios formales de tipo alguno, pero subsisten en la práctica, como expresara Fidel en la clausura del Congreso Pedagogía 2003, que aun en sociedades como la de Cuba, surgida de una revolución social radical, donde el pueblo alcanzó la plena y total igualdad legal y un nivel de educación revolucionaria que echó por tierra el componente subjetivo de la discriminación, esta existía todavía de otra forma. Fidel la calificó como discriminación objetiva, un fenómeno asociado a la pobreza y a un monopolio histórico de los conocimientos.Por mi parte ejerceré toda mi influencia para que estos nocivos prejuicios sigan cediendo espacio hasta ser finalmente suprimidos y se promuevan a cargos de dirección a todos los niveles, por sus méritos y preparación profesional, a las mujeres y los negros."
Blacks in Cuba - Why the delayed outcry? 12/20/2009 Miami Herald: The author, Ninoska Perez-Castellon, offers a tortured conflation of real issues of racism with the notion of "Tourism Apartheid," a strong version of the Caribbean wide penchant for gated resorts - "Like most of her colleagues, she ignores Cuba's
evident apartheid.
For Cuba's blacks, the humiliation is double. They are not allowed to
stay in hotels reserved for foreigners, and the new slave masters seldom
hire them to work in their exclusive installations."
We Stand With Cuba!: African Americans Express Solidarity With the Revolution 12/20/2009 PanAfrican Newswire
En Camaguey, "cacique" de descendientes de aborígenes 12/18/2009 Adelante: "Francisco Ramírez Rojas, considerado como el "cacique" de una comunidad guantanamera de descendientes de aborígenes, expresó satisfacción por su visita a Camagüey, invitado a participar en un foro cultural.
Residente en La Ranchería, de Caridad de los Indios, Ramírez asistirá hoy por la noche a la apertura de una muestra de obras de la plástica que insertan elementos de arte primitivo, como pictografías e ideografías. Los autores son el canadiense James K-M y los camagüeyanos Joel Jover y Osmany Soler.
En su primera estancia en Camagüey, el campesino guantanamero, de 74 años de edad, añadió en el diálogo el orgullo por provenir de primitivos habitantes de la Isla.
El interlocutor destacó también su adhesión a las ideas de Martí, de la Revolución, y reiteró el agradecimiento a todas las personas e instituciones que han divulgado la existencia de descendientes de indocubanos y los han apoyado."
Racist or Revolutionary: Cuba’s Identity is at Stake 12/18/2009 Defenders Online: by Ron Walters - "In the meantime, the Cuban government’s rejection of the concerns expressed by African Diaspora leaders who’ve long supported their revolution only intensifies the sense that it’s not interested in reforming racial practices there. Perhaps government officials believe the push to normalize relations with the U.S. government trumps its longstanding relationship with black Americans. This would waste a tremendous opportunity to complete the goals of fundamental social change envisioned by those who made the revolution, and those who supported it after its initial success."
Cornel West and James Early: Cuban Racism 12/18/2009 Tavis Smiley Show: Early recommends AfroCubaWeb as a source on what AfroCubans are saying about race and racism.
CUBANIA y RACIALIDAD 12/17/2009 Negra Cubana: "Tiene la cubanía una marca racial? La imagen siguiente pretende vincular identidad nacional y racialidad? Lo hace de una manera feliz?"
EL RACISMO CORRIENTE 12/17/2009 Primavera Digital: de Osmar Laffita Rojas. Reside en La Habana. Se ocupa de las Relaciones Internacionales del Partido Solidaridad Democrática.
El Blog de Dimas 12/17/2009 Radio Marti: "Dimas Castellano nació en Jiguaní, en 1943, y reside en La Habana. Es Licenciado en Ciencias Políticas, Diplomado en Ciencias de la Información, Licenciado en Estudios Bíblicos y Teológicos en el Instituto de Estudios Bíblicos y Teológicos, además de profesor de Filosofía marxista, periodista independiente; miembro del Consejo de Redacción de la Revista Digital Consenso y de la Junta Directiva del Instituto de Estudios Cubanos con sede en la Florida. Ha publicado trabajos en diversas revistas." [Vease El Blog de Dimas]
Investors sticking it out in crisis-prone Cuba 12/17/2009 Reuters: "Investment projects number 258, similar to 2008."
U.S. Travel Industry Gearing up for Return to Cuba 12/16/2009 ABC: ""We predict that at least 850,000 Americans will go to Cuba in the first year," Whitely said. That does not include an estimated 480,000 Americans who will go to Cuba on Caribbean cruises when U.S. ships are allowed to dock there, and another 480,000 Cuban American visiting family in Cuba each year, a Cuban official said."
State Department: US Claims to Help Cubans Communicate Globally 12/16/2009 Along the Malecon
Song on leaving, longing changes Cuban tune on migration - Feature 12/16/2009 Earth Times: "A song, both humorous and poignant, about Cuban migrants has become one of the most popular hits on the communist island, illustrating a change in the attitude of locals towards those who decide to leave. The song Gozando en La Habana, which can be translated as "enjoying myself in Havana," by David Calzado and his Charanga Habanera is about a young girl who goes off to Miami. But once there, she calls her boyfriend in Cuba to talk about how much she misses her country.
"She says she has money, the car she always dreamed of, but she cannot find in Miami what she left in Havana," the song goes."
Cuba amonesta a diplomáticos extranjeros 12/16/2009 Nuevo Herald: "Un día antes de la citación de los diplomáticos al MINREX, la televisión cubana mostró fotos y criticó como "un acto de intromisión en los asuntos internos'' la presencia de cuatro diplomáticos occidentales en las manifestaciones, protagonizadas por activistas disidentes y miembros del movimiento cívico Damas de Blanco en céntricos lugares de La Habana.
Las imágenes identificaban a Chistopher Stimpson, segundo secretario de la Embajada Británica; Volker Pellet, segundo jefe de la Embajada de Alemania; y los estadounidenses Kathleen Duffy y Dale Lawton, funcionarios de la USINT. La prensa internacional circuló fotos y videos de Stimpson en el Parque Villalón, rodeado de manifestantes pro gubernamentales que le obligaron a tomar su automóvil y abandonar el el lugar."
Plotting Cuba's digital revolution 12/15/2009 Along the Malecon: "I don't know if there are any specific regulations prohibiting smart phones that are activated in such countries as Mexico. I would imagine that some U.S. officials would love to flood Cuba with those, although the costs would high because of roaming charges.
Perhaps U.S. officials hope to distribute some other kind of communication equipment.
The U.S. government and its contractors have managed to pass out hundreds of thousands of short-wave radios in Cuba over the past decade, so it's not inconceivable that they could distribute mass quantities of electronic equipment."
More on Sneaky US Contractor in Cuba: How Did He Get Equipment into the Country? 12/15/2009 Honduras Oye
American being held in high-security Cuban prison 12/15/2009 Miami Herald: "The New York Times broke the story in a report Saturday that quoted U.S. officials as saying the American arrived on the island on a Cuban tourist visa, not an official or business visa, and had been handing out the communications equipment ``on behalf of the Obama administration.'' [Carrying out business activities under a tourist visa is illegal in many countries, including the US.]
Contractor arrest may ruffle Obama's Cuba overture 12/15/2009 Reuters: "Maryland-based Development Alternatives Inc, which says it has a federal contract to support "just and democratic governance in Cuba," described the American held as a sub-contractor employed "to assist Cuban civil society organizations".
These Cuban dissident groups are termed "mercenaries" and "traitors" by the Cuban government, which has often accused the United States of supporting them openly and also covertly in a bid to undermine communist rule on the Caribbean island."
Reverse images: The acrimonious debate on race in Cuba 12/15/2009 SF Bay View: "But the original petition begs numerous questions including, who wrote the original petition? who is Dr. Ferrer? is there really a civil rights movement in Cuba or is the petition merely a grandiloquent expression of Afrogringoism?"
Castro says U.S. on offensive in Latin America despite Obama 12/14/2009 AP: "But Castro has turned on Obama, saying in an opinion piece in state media last week that the U.S. president's acceptance of the Nobel prize after deciding to send 30,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan was "a cynical act."
La CIA utiliza la USAID como fachada, confirma alto funcionario de la agencia estadounidense 12/14/2009 Aporrea: por Eva Golinger
La corrupción en la campaña mediática del imperio contra América Latina 12/14/2009 Cuba periodistas: por Jean-Guy Allard - "Para alcanzar sus objetivos, la VOA usará las instalaciones de producción de Radio y TV Martí lo que, según el rotativo mafioso de Miami, ha alimentado "especulaciones de que las estaciones Martí acabarán pasando a formar parte de la VOA". Radio y TV Martí han sido sacudidos por varios escándalos de corrupción, en los últimos años.
Lo más divertido es que Alberto Mascaró, quien anunció la nueva orientación de la VOA, es nada menos que el sobrino de la esposa de Pedro Roig, director general de Radio y TV Martí, corporación famosa por dedicarse a contratar a las amistades de sus "capos".
Ex director de la Interamerican Military Academy de Miami, Roig fue formado por la CIA en Fort Benning al lado del terrorista internacional Luis Posada Carriles, como sicario de la Operación 40, con vistas a la fracasada invasión de Playa Girón."
Comité Ciudadanos por la Integración Racial Declara 12/14/2009 CubaNuestra: "Los líderes y activistas del Comité Ciudadanos por la Integración Racial (CIR) y del partido Arco Progresista (Parp), queremos agradecer especialmente a los líderes afrocaribeños que han expresado su solidaridad con los militantes antirracistas cubanos, y demandado la liberación de uno de los miembros del CIR, el Dr. Darsi Ferrer, hoy encarcelado sin juicio alguno.
Con satisfacción hemos leído la declaración firmada por Rex Nettleford, Vice Canciller Emérito, Barry Chevannes, profesor Emérito, Rupert Lewis, profesor de pensamiento político y Maureen Warner-Lewis, profesora Emérito, todos de la Universidad de West Indies que acoge a estudiantes de todo el caribe. También la carta del escritor nigeriano-jamaicano Lindsay."
Statement from DAI President and CEO Jim Boomgard Regarding Detention of Subcontractor in Cuba 12/14/2009 DAI: "In 2008, DAI competed for and was awarded a contract, the Cuba Democracy and Contingency Planning Program, to help the U.S. Government implement activities in support of the rule of law and human rights, political competition, and consensus building, and to strengthen civil society in support of just and democratic governance in Cuba (http://www.usaid.gov/locations/latin_america_caribbean/country/cuba/ )."
Bloguear, una necesidad 12/14/2009 Las Leyes de Laritza: "Bloguear es un reto y una satisfacción para mí, tanto desde el punto de vista profesional como personal. Me da la oportunidad de decir lo que pienso, tal como lo siento, sin prohibiciones. La posibilidad de sustraerme del control.
Escribir en internet no es fácil para los cubanos. Un desafío. Y hay que tener valor para enfrentarlo. Porque cada ciudadano es estrictamente supervisado por las organizaciones sociales y de masas. En el barrio, a través de los Comités de Defensa de la Revolución (CDR); en la escuela, la Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas (UJC); en el trabajo, la Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC), entre otras organizaciones “revolucionarias”."
INFORME PARTIDO ARCO PROGRESISTA 12/14/2009 Primavera Digital: de Manuel Cuesta Morúa
Color cubano 12/14/2009 Trabajadores
Color cubano 12/14/2009 Trajabadores: entrevista con Esteban Morales - "Tratábamos bien el tema afuera, somos amigos de los negros, de los indígenas y de los vilipendiados del mundo, pero aquí existía un ambiente de cierta represión social, donde incluso por hablar del tema podían acusar a uno de racista y divisionista; pensábamos que no hacía falta, que no había que discutirlo, que se iba a resolver dentro del propio devenir de una política profundamente humanista. Está demostrado que aún cuando termina el capitalismo, el racismo queda en la conciencia, en las instituciones, en el modo de vida de las personas”.
CIA Agent Captured in Cuba 12/13/2009 Chavez Code: by Eva Golinger - "DAI was contracted in June 2002 by USAID to manage a multimillion dollar contract in Venezuela, just two months after the failed coup d’etat against President Hugo Chávez. Prior to this date, USAID had no operations in Venezuela, not even an office in the Embassy. DAI was charged with opening the Office for Transition Initiatives (OTI), a specialized branch of USAID that manages large quantities of liquid funds destined for organizations and political parties favorable to Washington in countries of strategic interest that are undergoing political crises.
The first contract between USAID and DAI for its Venezuela operations authorized $10 million for a two year period. DAI opened its doors in the Wall Street of Caracas, El Rosal, in August 2002, and began to immediately fund the same groups that just months earlier had executed - unsuccessfully – the coup against President Chávez. The USAID/DAI funds in Venezuela were distributed to organizations such as Fedecámaras and the Confederación de Trabajadores Venezolanos (CTV), two of the principal entities that had led the coup in April 2002 and that later headed another attempt to oust Chávez by imposing an economic sabotage and oil industry strike that crippled the nation’s economy. One contract between DAI and these organizations, dated December 2002, awarded more than $10,000 to help design radio and television propaganda against President Chávez. During that time period, Venezuela experienced one of the most viscious media wars in history. Private television and radio stations, together with print media, devoted non-stop programming to opposition propaganda for 64 days, 24 hours a day."
Agente de la CIA capturado en Cuba 12/13/2009 Kaos en la red: por Eva Golinger - "El año pasado, el Congreso de Estados Unidos aprobó 40 millones de dólares para “promover la transición a la democracia” en Cuba. DAI fue otorgado el contrato principal, el “Programa de Democracia en Cuba y Planificación de Contigencia”, que además autorizaba el empleo de subcontratistas supervisados por la empresa DAI. El uso de una cadena de organismos es un mecanismo que emplea la Agencia Central de Inteligencia (CIA) para canalizar y filtrar fondos y apoyo político y estratégico a grupos y personas que promueven su agenda en el exterior."
The Buena Vista Social Club: The Racial Politics of Nostalgia 12/13/2009 Northeastern Illinois University: by Tanya Katerí Hernández, published 2002
¿Racismo en Cuba? 12/13/2009 Trabajadores: por Omar Segura Montero
Action against Cuba 12/13/2009 ZZ's Blog: "While The New York Times understates dramatically both the funding and government dependence of DAI, it does reveal an interesting aspect of the story. The detainment occurred on December 5 with no public disclosure by the Cuban government. The fact that US officials felt compelled to announce the detainment, confessing the detainee’s activities and his employment, suggests that there will likely be more exposed in the days to come."
Terrorism and Civil Society - The Instruments of US Policy in Cuba 12/12/2009 Counterpunch: by Philip Agee, former CIA officer, published 8/2003 - "Actually the new program was not really new. Since its founding in 1947, the CIA had been deeply involved in secretly funding and manipulating foreign non-governmental voluntary organizations. These vast operations circled the globe and were targeted at political parties, trade unions and businessmen's associations, youth and student organizations, women's groups, civic organizations, religious communities, professional, intellectual and cultural societies, and the public information media. The network functioned at local, national, regional and global levels. Media operations, for example, were underway continuously in practically every country, wherein the CIA would pay journalists to publish its materials as if they were the journalists' own."
US Contractor Seized 12/12/2009 NYT: "A U.S. government contract worker, who was distributing cell phones, laptops and other communications equipment in Cuba on behalf of the Obama administration, has been detained by authorities here, U.S. officials said yesterday.
The officials said the contractor, who works for a company based in the Washington suburbs, was detained Dec. 5. They said the United States Interests Section in Havana was awaiting Cuba's response to a request for consular access to the man, who was not identified.
The detention and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it threaten to reignite tensions between the countries at a time when both had promised to open new channels of engagement. U.S. officials said they were encouraged that the Cubans had not publicized the detention, and they said they were hopeful that he might be quietly released."
Reading while rolling Cuba's famous cigars 12/10/2009 BBC: "Despite a slump in sales due to the recession, Cuba continues to be the world's largest producer of cigars. Could its success be due to cigar factory readers? BBC correspondent in Havana, Michael Voss, finds out."
Carlos Moore, certero 12/10/2009 Cuba Nuestra: de Manuel Cuesta Morúa, La Habana
Cuban opposition pleased by African American support. By Professor Emeritus, David Covin. 12/10/2009 Cuba, Democracia y Vida: ""This letter is a very positive step, said Jorge Soca, because before no one wanted to talk about this. There has always been the notion that racism in Cuba did not exist but this is a lie", she added." [And that too is a lie, since racism in Cuba has been discussed for years, both in and out of Cuba.]
Los “azulejos” 12/10/2009 Las Leyes de Laritza: "En Cuba no es frecuente ver a policías golpeando a un ciudadano en la vía pública, pero eso no significa que no suceda. Si se realizara una encuesta entre ciudadanos de 16 y 35 años, de uno y otro sexo, los resultados podrían ser sorprendentes. Y descubriríamos que son más de los imaginados, los cubanos que han sido víctimas del algún tipo de abuso policial."
Intelectuales cubanos rechazan calumnias sobre racismo en la Isla 12/10/2009 Radio Havana: "Ya no saben que inventar aquellos que viven a costa de lanzar falsas acusaciones de violaciones de los derechos humanos en Cuba. Ahora les ha dado por decir que la sociedad cubana es racista y que por tanto, en la isla se discrimina a los negros y mestizos.
El pasado día primero el diario norteamericano El Nuevo Herald, de Miami, publicó una declaración de supuestos intelectuales afroamericanos, en la que nuevamente se brinda una información tergiversada sobre la realidad cubana y tras la cual se esconde Carlos Moore, un individuo de origen cubano a quien le gusta presentarse como especialista en temas raciales."
Cuban opposition pleased by African American support 12/10/2009 Radio Marti
LÍDERES AFROAMERICANOS DENUNCIAN RACISMO EN CUBA 12/10/2009 Radio Marti: quotes AfroCubaWeb.
Entregan a bloguera medalla hecha “con plata de la dictadura de Batista” 12/9/2009 Aporrea: por Jean-Guy Allard - "Según los organizadores del “acto”, la condecoración es compuesta “por un peso de plata de los que circulaban” en los tiempos de la dictadura sanguinaria de Fulgencio Batista.
Los fundadores del Comité paramilitar de la FNCA y que hoy dirigen el CLC, entre los cuales Diego Suarez, Alberto Hernández Alberto Hernández y Ninoska Pérez-Castellón (esposa del terrorista Roberto Martin Pérez, encabezaron las ágapes entrecortadas de discursos caracterizados por su fanatismo de extrema derecha.
El comité paramilitar de la FNCA sufragó a Posada Carriles durante sus campañas de terror, en 1997, en territorio cubano y orientaron la compra de un millonario arsenal de armas por Antonio “Toñin” Llama, destinado a acciones terroristas de gran envergadura."
African-Americans: Blacks in Cuba 'treated with callous disregard' 12/9/2009 CNN: "The revolution did deal an institutional blow to racism, but also incorrectly declared a centuries-old problem solved with just a decree or a law, said Cuban dissident Dimas Castellano.
Police still stop blacks more frequently than whites, for example, he said."
De racismo, pregúntenle a Mandela 12/9/2009 Cuba Debate
A missed shot on the wrong flank 12/9/2009 Granma: "A group of Cuban intellectuals, solely directed by our consciences and in a personal capacity, came together to share our point of view on the issue with African-American colleagues. Because this is about airing, in all seriousness and with arguments, human rights in our country, and about making it known that the statement issued in the United States is a missed shot on the wrong flank."
The Cuban scenario after the Castro brothers 12/9/2009 Jamaica Observer
¿Hay racismo en Cuba? 12/8/2009 BBC
Importante líder afronorteamericana retira su firma de la carta que acusó a Cuba de racismo 12/8/2009 CubaDebate: "Makani Themba-Nixon, directora ejecutiva The Praxis Project que aparece entre los firmantes de una carta de intelectuales y líderes afronorteamericanos que habían acusado a Cuba de prácticas de racismo y acoso de los ciudadanos negros, ha divulgado este lunes una nota en la que pide que su nombre no aparezca en ese documento."
Raúl presides over tribute to Maceo and Cuban internationalists 12/8/2009 Granma
Makani Themba-Nixon, Praxis Project, withdraws support for the Acting on Our Conscience letter 12/7/2009 AfroCubaWeb: "Certainly, we should have thought this through more carefully when we signed on but my focus was to be of support to the groups involved -- and to aid an individual who was under attack. Unfortunately, this effort is being used by enemies of all of us to attempt to undermine a government whose efforts have proven critical to the uplift of Black people, despite its shortcomings.
As a result, I am respectfully asking to withdraw Praxis' name from the letter. I'm not asking that you resend it or make any public statement to this effect. The letter is out and not much to be done about that. We will likely make a statement to friends expressing our love and solidarity for the signers but sharing our decision to pull back. Please feel free to share this note with anyone you deem appropriate."
Cuba’s Role in an African Genocide and Revolutionary Racism on the Island 12/7/2009 Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter: "One of the deeds that the dictatorship in Cuba wants to keep hidden from the world and African Americans in particular, is its role in the mass killings in Ethiopia in the 1970s and 1980s. Beginning in late 1977, the first 5,000 of what would eventually number over 17,000 Cuban military personnel arrived in Ethiopia. By 1987 the Cuban presence had dropped to fewer than 2,000 personnel. During 1977-78, a conservative estimate of over 30,000 Africans perished as a result of the Red Terror unleashed by the Ethiopian Communists and their Cuban allies. Amnesty International concluded that "this campaign resulted in several thousand to perhaps tens of thousands of men, women, and children killed, tortured, and imprisoned." Sweden's Save the Children Fund lodged a formal protest in early 1978 denouncing the execution of 1,000 children, many below the age of thirteen, whom the communist government had labeled "liaison agents of the counter revolutionaries."
Message From Cuba to Afroamerican Intellectuals and Artists 12/6/2009 Cuba Now
Racial Debate Enters US-Cuba Conflict 12/6/2009 Havana Times: article references AfroCubaWeb.
Getting Wise to Racism in Cuba, or Better Late than Never 12/5/2009 Kelly sans culotte
Cuba Rejects Accusations of Racism from Prominent U.S. Blacks 12/5/2009 Latin American Herald Tribune: "So far, neither the original statement by the African-Americans nor Havana’s response has been reported by Cuba’s state media monopoly." [The reply is posted in Jiribilla and Cuba Debate.]
Claim of Cuban racism rejected 12/5/2009 Miami Herald: "Friday's reply was signed by eight government backers who regularly address black issues, but seemed to have official approval because the government press office distributed their statement.
Victoria Ruiz-Labrit, a Miami supporter of black dissidents on the island, said she had received information from the island that government officials were pressing other black Cubans to sign the reply. Some refused and some signed, she said."
Racism fight in Cuba needs new thinking 12/5/2009 Miami Herald: "What we need now is new thinking -- an approach that does not back down on Cuba's decrepit reality but embraces all the disparate voices everywhere -- from 30-something white blogger Yoani Sánchez who speaks for her generation in Cuba to poor, drunk Pánfilo, the black Cuban who was sent to a mental hospital earlier this year to ``detox'' after he was captured on a YouTube video that went viral, complaining Cubans lack ``jama,'' slang for a meal.
So thank you, thank you, thank you 60 times my fellow Americans. Welcome to the good fight for justice for all."
Cuba blasts US black leaders for charges of racism 12/4/2009 AP: "Cuba hit back Thursday at 60 prominent U.S. black leaders who challenged its race record, with island writers, artists and official journalists calling the criticism an attack on their country's national identity."
Nueva declaración de condena al racismo en Cuba, de personalidades caribeñas 12/4/2009 Cuba Puntos de Vista: from Jamaica's intellectual elite.
Envían desde Cuba mensaje a los intelectuales y artistas afronorteamericanos 12/4/2009 CubaDebate
Google Applications Blocked In Cuba 12/4/2009 India Server: "Juventud Rebelde the official Cuban newspaper has criticised Google for blocking access to certain applications which includes the Zeitgeist search trend tools
"Even though Google has a domain for Cuba (.cu), Zeitgeist appears to bypass the Caribbean archipelago in offering its results," was said in the official daily of the Cuban Communist Party's youth organisation.
Google has also blocked Cuban’s access to Google Earth, Google Desktop Search, Google Code, Google Toolbar and Chrome, Juventud Rebelde wrote.
"It appears that for Google, which, according to its creators has the goal of making possible mass access to information, we Cubans do not count," mentioned Juventud Rebelde."
Debate racial llega al conflicto con Washington 12/4/2009 IPS
Mensaje desde Cuba a los intelectuales
y artistas afronorteamericanos 12/4/2009 Jiribilla
A Dangerous President 12/4/2009 Mambi Watch: "Those were the exact words that Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen used to describe President Barack Obama when she appear on Radio Mambi last month."
ACTIVISTAS AFROAMERICANOS PIDEN FIN DE RACISMO EN CUBA 12/4/2009 Radio Marti
Reclaman intelectuales de Jamaica a Cuba por encarcelamiento de Darsi Ferrer 12/4/2009 Radio Marti: "En una carta remitida a Raúl Castro, con fecha 26 de noviembre, los académicos Rex Nettleford, Barry Chevannes, Rupert Lewis y Mauren Warner-Lewis, unieron sus voces al pedido de su colega brasileño Abdias Nascimiento, a favor de la libertad de Ferrer, encarcelado desde el pasado julio en Cuba.
En la carta, los académicos señalan que "lo que nos sorprende a todos es la mano fuerte del estado contra aquellos que se atreven a expresarse en contra del prejuicio racial continúo en la sociedad", cubana.
Añaden que aunque la revolución cubana reclama haber liberado a cubanos blancos y negros de la explotación, lo cierto es que las actitudes, algunas abiertas y otras solapadas, que justificaron siglos de esclavitud de negros africanos, no han cedido con facilidad."
Cantante cubano rechazado por Bush visita
EEUU, ve a funcionario 12/4/2009 Reuters: "Un músico cubano, al que el gobierno del presidente
George W. Bush le prohibió el ingreso a Estados Unidos, se presentó el
jueves en Washington y almorzó con un funcionario de la Casa Blanca, en una
nueva señal de deshielo en las relaciones entre ambos países.
El cantante y compositor Carlos Varela, cuyas canciones capturan el
desencanto de los jóvenes cubanos, recibió una visa de tres semanas de parte
de la administración del presidente Barack Obama, que ha buscado mejorar los
lazos con el gobierno comunista de Cuba."
Cuban dissident groups unite, decry repression 12/3/2009 AP
Amenazan de muerte a Obama en programa radial de Miami 12/3/2009 CubaDebate
Servicio Secreto investiga amenaza telefónica contra Obama en Radio Mambí 12/3/2009 Nuevo Herald: " El Servicio Secreto de Estados Unidos investiga un incidente vinculado a la programación de la emisora Radio Mambí (WAQI-710 AM), donde un radioyente sugirió por teléfono que el presidente Barack Obama debía ser eliminado de un disparo en la cabeza.
"Inmediatamente que conocimos de la llamada telefónica procedimos a enviar a dos agentes para indagar sobre el asunto. La investigación está en curso'', declaró el agente especial Vance Luci, vicedirector de la Oficina del Servicio Secreto en Miami."
High-Profile Group Urges Cuba to Stop Racism 12/2/2009 BET: “This is historic,” Enrique Patterson, an Afro-Cuban Miami author, told the Web site. Although predominantly White Cuban exiles “tried to approach these people before, they lacked credibility. Now [African Americans] are listening.”
African-American group challenges Cuba on race 12/2/2009 Miami Herald: "While the African American signers support Cuba's right to sovereignty ``and unhesitatingly repudiate any attempt at curtailing such a right,'' the statement added they ``cannot sit idly by and allow for peaceful, dedicated civil rights activists in Cuba, and the black population as a whole, to be treated with callous disregard.''
``Racism in Cuba, and anywhere else in the world, is unacceptable and must be confronted,'' their statement declared."
ACTING ON OUR CONSCIENCE - A DECLARATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE IN CUBA 12/1/2009 Carlos Moore: A letter organized by Carlos Moore
Líderes afroamericanos exigen a La Habana que ponga fin a su 'insensible desprecio' por los negros 12/1/2009 Cuba Encuentro: Cuba Encuentro receives high levels of NED funding.
Líderes negros condenan el racismo en Cuba 12/1/2009 El Nuevo Herald
Denuncian racismo en Cuba 12/1/2009 InfoBAE, Argentina
Subject: Prominent black Americans condemn Cuba on racism 12/1/2009 James Early: [Early responds to the articles about Carlos Moore's letter campaign among African Americans.]
Registro inesperado 12/1/2009 Las Leyes de Laritza: "En el proceder de los agentes de la unidad policial del Capri, en vez de legalidad, primó la prepotencia y falta de profesionalidad, lo que reafirma la poca preparación de los cuerpos policiales cubanos. Un cursillo de seis meses no es suficiente para que aprendan lo que la ley ordena, si es que se lo enseñan.
En Cuba, vestir un uniforme policial, convierte a determinadas personas en seres superiores al resto de los mortales. El poder adquirido es tal, que éstos se sienten con el derecho de actuar impunemente, a sabiendas de que cometen delitos y de que violan derechos ciudadanos. Lo hacen confiados y con el respaldo del sistema, que los protege."
Commentary: Is black America's honeymoon with the Castros over? 12/1/2009 McClatchy: By Carlos Moore "In a landmark "Statement of Conscience by African-Americans," 60 prominent black American scholars, artists and professionals have condemned the Cuban regime's apparent crackdown on the country's budding civil rights movement. "Racism in Cuba, and anywhere else in the world, is unacceptable and must be confronted," said the document, which also called for the "immediate release" of Dr. Darsi Ferrer, a black civil rights leader imprisoned in July.
The U.S. State Department estimates Afro-Cubans make up 62 percent of the Cuban population, with many informed observers saying the figure is closer to 70 percent."
African-American group challenges Cuba on race 12/1/2009 Miami Herald: "The growing number of Afro-Cuban activists complaining about racial discrimination and casting their struggle as an issue of ``civil rights,'' rather than ``human rights,'' has helped to draw the attention of African Americans, said Victoria Ruiz-Labrit, Miami spokesperson for the Cuba-based Citizens' Committee for Racial Integration."
Prominent black Americans condemn Cuba on racism 12/1/2009 Miami Herald: "The statement was largely driven by Carlos Moore, a highly regarded Cuban author and black-rights activist living in Brazil who has long criticized racial discrimination in Cuba.
Moore persuaded Abdias Nascimiento, a founder of Brazil's black movement and longtime Castro supporter, to send Raúl Castro a letter earlier this year denouncing racism in Cuba, then appealed to friends and contacts in the black community to add their support.
"Without this historic figure, no one would have listened," said Patterson, who predicted that other high-profile black Americans will soon add their signatures to the statement."
Obama's ex-pastor doesn't like Cuba, either 12/1/2009 Uncommon Sense: by Marc Masferrer, the great nephew of that quintessential Cuban hoodlum, El Tigre Masferrer.
|
![[Home]](../../navpics/homeb.gif){kind=small}
![[Search this site]](../../navpics/bsrch.gif){kind=small}
![[Contents]](../../navpics/contents.gif){kind=small}
![[What's New]](../../navpics/new.gif){kind=small}
![[Music]](../../navpics/music.gif){kind=small}
![[Authors & Teachers]](../../navpics/authteach.gif){kind=small}
![[Arts]](../../navpics/arts.gif){kind=small}
![[Organizations]](../../navpics/orgb.gif){kind=small}
![[Conferences]](../../navpics/conf.gif){kind=small}
![[Workshop]](../../navpics/workshops.gif){kind=small}
