Last night, Marta Flores on Radio Mambi commented that she had hoped to see more people at the demonstration, especially younger ones. I was perhaps one of the very few under fifty. I looked around to see anyone near my age, but I was a needle in a haystack of middle-agers and retirees.Among her remarks, Flores mentioned her disgust with a particular incident, of which I can also confirm. She mentioned that aerial banners that day had flown over the park which called on the release of the Cuban Five. I had an instant flashback once she said that because those two planes were unmistakable that afternoon. One after the other, those brightly colored planes flew over Miami's downtown highways, plainly visible to those underneath. I noticed them on my way to the demonstration, but was too far to read what they said.
According to El Nuevo Herald, the two banners read: "Posada-Terrorista-Libertad a los 5" (Posada-Terrorist-Free the 5) and "Posada-Terrorista-Enemigo de América" (Posada-Terrorist-Enemy of America). The exiles saw this as another provocation, but their demonstration saw no other distraction.
Once the final speaker finished and put the megaphone down, the sunburnt crowd began to disperse. Members of Vigilia Mambisa began to fold up their extra-large flag with care and precision, revealing the many times they had unfurled their national colors. Many walked home a short familiar route heading back to Little Havana, still wearing their miniature flags on their guayaberas. But, will it be the same ones the next time around I wondered, concerned with their progressing age.
Flores, reminisced about the old days where large crowds of Cuban-Americans would easily block Calle Ocho in protest, boasting of that old power. She was revealing her concerns about the future of the struggle. What has happened since then she asked herself. She blames communist/socialist propaganda that has poisoned their youth. What else could it be?
Far from Miami, on September 23, 2006, a protest of about 600 people gathered in Washington DC to condemn the incarceration of the Cuban Five, the largest gathering ever for that cause. Just like a bizarro reality, this group called for the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles to Venezuela, and condemned terrorism towards Cuba. These calls are also similar to the ones made in 2005 at the Ibero-American Summit in Spain where all the nations of Latin America signed a resolution calling for the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles to Venezuela, and condemning US policy towards Cuba.
Flores' concern is real. There is a shift occurring. And, that shift may have to do with the younger generation. But, I am not concerned about them like Flores, I have faith in them.
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8 comments:
You're aware that some of those Cuban 5 were implicated in the shoot down of two unarmed civilian aircraft over international waters, no?
not alisa,
The problem with whoever is writing these messages and replying to himself/herself, is that in their version of historical facts, the civilian aircraft were over Cuban waters provoking "poor" careculo Fidel into an act of defending "the national honor." That's what that feces eating dictator, Fidel, and all the followers that he may have in this blog, do: They recreate history. This is an old communist habit, tactic, and strategy. Everything these berracos write in here is slanted to appear as if they believe in human rights, when in reality they believe in Fidel who in turn is paying them to be idiots, to look like idiots, and to behave like traitors.
This Mambi Watch is not a place to spend much time. The crap this fellow is writing is so loudly, and sonorously idiotic than even a niño bobo estudiando en Cuba bajo los comunistas could tell that what they write is a bunch of lies.
I'm ashamed of these Tokyo Roses, and never believed that Cubans would use the name Mambi in a blog such as this. Mambises were men and women of courage, balls, cojones, and a desire to achieve democracy, justice, freedom, not to deal like conejos maricones with the most terrible killer-dictator-assassin-manipulator that this hemisphere has ever witnessed.
Of course the Five are spies. Of course the Alvarezes were spying. Of course the writers of this blog are commies disguised as freedom lovers. The only thing they love is Fidel's feces.
Go ahead, and take this post out.
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Raul,
I don't see any reason to take your post out. I wonder why you would suggest something like that. This is not "Cuban-American Pundits" blog.
Not Alisa,
I am aware that the Cuban 5 were implicated in the Brothers to the Rescue shootdown. As far as I know, they were charged with "conspiracy to commit murder" or something similiar.
BUT, I am also aware of the larger case, which points out that the Cuban 5 tried unfairly in some respects. They were incarcerated for a period without charges and access to lawyers, and even a judge ruled that the jury in Miami may have been biased against them. There are many other points.
The Cuban Five case has received much attention outside the US. Many nations, even the UN has expressed their concern over how this trial was handled.
In the US that concern is growing, as I pointed out in my post, but is still virtually unknown. And, I think people should be aware of BOTH sides of the coin.
What if I had asked you: "You are aware of the unfair treatment of the Cuban Five case, no?"
Your question and mine are reasonable for debate. So why shouldn't they get fair coverage?
Raul,
I thank you for taking the time to write your response. And, it would be my pleasure to extend a longer discussion by email or in another forum.
I denounce US policy towards Cuba and I denounce false arguments that distort reality.
I have no tolerance for political repression, human rights abuses, or any form of oppression. That attitude is aimed at the US (where I live), and equally towards all other nations.
But, I am an American. And US policy towards Cuba is intolerable. It violates the very principles it aims to defend. Over the many years, it has revealed its counter-productive nature. And, as Americans we have direct access to change that policy, as it must.
Notice that the most well-known human rights organizations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, oppose US policy towards Cuba. In doing so, do they apologize for Cuba's political repression? I don't think so. They condemn the Cuban government and defend international law.
I admire people who are brave enough to point out human abuse ANYWHERE in the world. I admire the work that some dissidents do in Cuba. And, I admire some Americans who point out abuses here in the US.
But, those who believe that the struggle of the Mambises, or any honorable person, begins and ends in Cuba, is sorely mistaken. Addressing Human Rights is a worldwide struggle. A struggle which cannot be solved by violence, or sanctions.
Okay, Mr., concentrate on the thousands of abuses by Castro, and stop criticizing the USA. It was Castro who insulted Einsenhower, Nixon, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, and you name it. This blog is dedicated to apologize for the Castros, and the accusations against the Five Trial being unfair is bogus, disingenuous, a lie, like everything coming out of apologizers for Castro. You might be a US citizen, but you don't sound like an American at all.
Raul,
I hope we can extend this discussion by email. Please feel free to email me any questions about my character. I would be more than happy to clarify my positions.
This blog is aimed at addressing the misinformation concerning US policy towards Cuba by directly targeting, and being very critical of those who support such policy.
I don't aim to take sides in the issue. I prefer that conflicting sides of debate have EQUAL representation in a public forum. Honestly, my belief is that our local media and public forums are UNFAIRLY dominated by arguments in support of US policy towards Cuba. As a result, it has been decades that no resolution has been found in US/Cuba relations due to bad policy, and thus there is very little tolerance for dissenting views concerning revelations of bad policy.
In respect to democracy and justice, we must lead by example and allow dissenting views to find their way into the public sphere. Not just for our own sake, but in solidarity to the dissidents in Cuba and those in jail.
If we honestly believe in justice and human rights, then we cannot look at the world unfairly. The US has great responsibilities to international law, and its policy must reflect that. We cannot ask Cuba to do the same, while we violate the idea of universality.
That is one of the biggest reasons I criticize those who support US policy towards Cuba: they point to rules that they DO NOT apply to themselves.
Its pure hypocrisy.
Well, from the people that I know are supporting a change in policy towards Cuba, I know they're disingenuous. If you're not one of these people, then please identify yourself. I will discuss anything you want with you as long as I do it with a person, an identity, not with a Mambi Watch Label, which only implies you're trying to use the name Mambi to justify your actions that only support Fidel Castro's purposes. By criticizing the USA instead of the many Castro crimes you're demanding that the attacked justify itself, just as the terrorists have done in the case of the Twin Towers and those who support the terrorists have helped their cause by indicating that the fault lies with the USA. In the case of Cuba, anything that's happened in the Island is THE FAULT OF FIDEL CASTRO AND HIS CRONIES AND SUPPORTERS, no one else. We all believed in our revolution against Batista, but Castro betrayed all our fine ideals. Stop playing games and pretending to be a fighter for worldwide human rights while attacking the USA to serve your purposes. Don't fine tune me. I'm not a useful idiot.
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