tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629281043695507412024-03-13T14:39:45.133-04:00Mambi WatchMambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.comBlogger494125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-4751075044375029882016-04-13T02:30:00.000-04:002016-04-16T02:01:39.139-04:00The Political Prisoner Game (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4vzvGysURxM/VwbEHmSa8TI/AAAAAAAAA3g/vtBbNAKDYYoMvNOT40kc5VfMWPaZG_yuQ/s1600/Panopticon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4vzvGysURxM/VwbEHmSa8TI/AAAAAAAAA3g/vtBbNAKDYYoMvNOT40kc5VfMWPaZG_yuQ/s320/Panopticon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">L</span>ast month, during President Obama's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/international/obama-in-cuba">historic visit</a> to Cuba, a US reporter asked Cuban leader Raul Castro about political prisoners on the island. The subject of prisoners in Cuba is a perennial theme in the US media, and the question again provided journalists a convenient excuse to report unfavorably about the Cuban government. Raul Castro's denial of holding political prisoners was met with predictable urgency by several media outlets to prove him wrong and frame the Cuban government as an outlier in the region. But, ironically, the rush to defend Cuban political prisoners revealed poor judgement and irresponsibility by many reporters. Several outlets used a list of political prisoners with controversial and/or violent backgrounds, and other lists were unreliable and missing information. The response by the media showed traditional disregard of facts when reporting about the island, and denied the contentious issue of political prisoners the tactfulness it deserves.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
DIFFERENT LISTS </div>
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Last month, during a rare press conference with Cuban leader Raul Castro, CNN's Jim Acosta (a Cuban-American) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uor87AVihxA">asked Castro</a> a purposely naive question: "I wanted to know why your country has Cuban political prisoners and why you don't release them." Looking annoyed, Castro demanded that he be given a list of names and that he would release them all by the end of the day. But, his sarcasm became evident when he later asked out loud: "What political prisoners?" <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30783034">Back in January</a>, the Cuban government released 53 prisoners as part of a deal with the US to restore normal relations. Way <a href="http://mambiwatch.blogspot.com/2010/07/cuba-will-free-52-political-prisoners.html">back in 2010</a>, Raul Castro participated in the release of 52 high-profile Cuban political prisoners of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Spring_%28Cuba%29">Black Spring</a>. Perhaps Castro thought he had already solved this problem.<br />
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Immediately, Univision's Jorge Ramos was among the first to respond to Raul Castro with a <a href="https://twitter.com/jorgeramosnews/status/712019170590851072">list of <b>47 names</b></a> of political prisoners provided by the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF). Many other news outlets soon followed using <a href="http://canf.org/list-of-the-current-cuba-political-prisoners/">this list</a>. TIME magazine provided <a href="http://time.com/4266636/cuba-political-prisoners-castro/">a different list</a> provided by the Directorio Democratico Cubano (Cuban Democratic Directorate). Directorio's <a href="http://directorio.org/cubanpoliticalprisoners">list had <b>51 names</b></a>, sharing some names with CANF but mostly using different names. In Cuba, the independent website 14ymedio published a <a href="http://www.14ymedio.com/entrevista/lista-presos-politicos_0_1967803205.html">list of <b>77 names</b></a> provided by dissident Elizardo Sanchez of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation. And, <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article67382382.html">an editorial</a> by <i>The Miami Herald</i> presented readers with the CANF list and another <a href="http://observacuba.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/2015/ListaPresos.pdf">list of <b>75 names</b></a> by a Madrid-based organization called Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos (Cuban Observatory for Human Rights). The four lists mentioned above have been the most prominently cited, and each one is very different.<br />
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Let's review some basic problems with the lists before analyzing the more complicated ones. REMINDER: This is not a thorough review of all names on the list, just the ones I could identify as problematic based on my limited time. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK</div>
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One of the reasons I'm providing this review is because I've seen this political game of lists before. Back in 2010, the not-so-independent Cuba Archive <a href="http://mambiwatch.blogspot.com/2010/02/second-or-twelfth.html">failed to check their list</a> of Cuban prisoners who died from hunger strikes. Similar errors occurred here.<br />
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The Politifact website was the first to identify some errors when they <a href="http://www.politifact.com/global-news/statements/2016/mar/22/raul-castro/are-there-political-prisoners-cuba/">reviewed and compared</a> the Cuban political prisoners lists that flooded the media last month. Unknown to them, they used different versions of the CANF and Directorio lists. After creating a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1siaMh6GyGPhakic7SyYPn27akKyF6l1BEX4fuCmqgDA/edit#gid=0">spreadsheet</a> with all the names of prisoners, they discovered that some prisoners had already been released. The note at the bottom of the spreadsheet reads: "Victims of Communism [website] also listed several people who have since been released. They were not included in this spreadsheet." The VOC website <a href="http://blog.victimsofcommunism.org/cubs-forgotten-51-prisoners-of-conscience/">updated their list</a> after the errors were found. But, Politifact still has errors on their aggregate list of 97 names. <b>Four prisoners</b> on their list were released <a href="http://www.14ymedio.com/nacional/activistas-presos-partiran-semana-Unidos_0_1962403742.html">earlier in March</a> and landed in Miami just a <a href="http://www.14ymedio.com/nacional/expresos-politicos-Cuba-EEUU-liberados_0_1963003695.html">few days before</a> President Obama arrived in Cuba. Also, there are <b>names that repeat</b>: Lazaro Avila Sierra (#5) and Lazario Avila Sierra (#70); Verdecia Amado Diaz (#7) and Amado Verdecia Diaz (#13).<br />
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The <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article67382382.html">editorial</a> by <i>The Miami Herald</i> also failed to double-check one of their lists. One link they used sent readers to the Observatorio list of political prisoners from <a href="http://observacuba.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/2015/ListaPresos.pdf">2015</a>. That old list of 75 names includes the four released prisoners mentioned above. A new updated list by Observatorio now has only <a href="http://observacuba.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Listado-Parcial-de-prisioneros-por-motivaciones-politicas.pdf"><b>66 names</b></a>.<br />
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And, a closer look at the <a href="http://canf.org/list-of-the-current-cuba-political-prisoners/">CANF lists</a> shows a possible <b>date error</b>. The list shows Edilberto Alzuaga Alcala (#12) imprisoned in 2011, and given a <b>one year sentence</b>. A <a href="http://www.fhrcuba.org/2015/07/release-list-of-political-prisoners-still-serving-unjust-time-in-cuban-jails-whose-families-receive-monthly-humanitarian-support-from-canf-fhrc/">previous record</a> of the CANF list showed that Alzuaga was added to the list in 2015, so the 2011 date is most likely an error. <a href="http://www.14ymedio.com/englishedition/List-of-Cuban-Political-Prisoners_0_1816018393.html">According to Cuban dissident Martha Beatriz Roque</a>, Alzuaga was indeed imprisoned in 2015, but she writes he was imprisoned in February and serving a one year sentence. Given this information, it is possible that <b>Alzuaga may already be free</b>.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
CONTRADICTORY OR MISSING INFORMATION</div>
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Other examples of contradictory or missing information, like that of Edilberto Alzuaga Alcala, include listed prisoners Liusban John Utra and Eglis Heredia Rodriguez.<br />
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A long-time member of the Cuban dissident group UNPACU (Union Patriotica de Cuba), John Utra's activism inside Cuba has been reported <a href="http://www.fhrcuba.org/2012/04/17-arrested-in-santiago-de-cuba-april-25-2012/">since 2012</a>. According to the CANF list, John Utra (name #1) was imprisoned in 2013 with a 7 year sentence. Strangely, CANF, unlike other lists, did not provide the charges placed against all their prisoners. But, according to the <a href="http://observacuba.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Listado-Parcial-de-prisioneros-por-motivaciones-politicas.pdf">Observatorio list</a>, John Utra (# 47) was charged with "robo con fuerza" (burglary with forced entry). Eglis Heredia (#65), also a member of UNPACU, had the same charge.<br />
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After Raul Castro asked for a list of political prisoners, both UNPACU members appeared on some lists, but not all. They did not appear on the <a href="http://www.14ymedio.com/entrevista/lista-presos-politicos_0_1967803205.html">list provided</a> by the Havana-based Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation led by long-time dissident Elizardo Sanchez. And when UNPACU founder Jose Daniel Ferrer <a href="https://www.cubanet.org/destacados/raul-aqui-tienes-tu-lista/">was asked</a> to provide a list of political prisoners, he also did not include John Utra or Eglis Heredia despite the fact that both are members of UNPACU. The reason for their exclusion was explained <a href="http://www.14ymedio.com/englishedition/List-of-Cuban-Political-Prisoners_0_1816018393.html">last year</a> by long-time Cuban dissident Martha Beatriz Roque: "[Eglis Heredia's] sentence [for burglary with forced entry] is not related to his role in the opposition, as
is stated on a list. Mr. Heredia is <b>not a political prisoner</b>, but he did join UNPACU upon being [temporarily] released from jail." The same discretion was most likely applied to Liusban John Utra.<br />
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And this highlights another problem about the lists of Cuban political prisoners: Cubans taking up political causes while serving sentences for non-political criminal acts. Unknown to many, some prisoners in Cuba are allowed conditional release from prison under a form of supervision based on the severity of their crime. A <a href="http://www.martinoticias.com/a/46610.html">report</a> from Radio Marti mentioned that Liusban John Utra was arrested in 2012 for his political activism while under conditional release for a "common crime." This was the same infraction that Eglis Heredia committed in 2014.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
ONE MAN'S POLITICAL PRISONER...</div>
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In part two I will go over the more complicated subject of Cuban prisoners incarcerated for more violent acts. In these cases, it not clear where to draw the distinction between acts we can tolerate as politically benign or politically dangerous. In some cases, the so-called political prisoner was planning long-term armed violence. In others, violence was a means to a short-term selfish goal. In any case, these are examples that require more careful observation, and should not be glanced at from a list.Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-17586708513955000482016-03-23T05:06:00.003-04:002016-03-23T16:57:12.743-04:00President Obama's Speech in Cuba<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tc_lNz5nPQU" width="560"></iframe>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span>resident Barack Obama's televised speech to Cubans on the island was a success given the reactions reported by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-F-dGNjz8c">local press</a> in Miami. <i>The Miami Herald</i>'s Fabiola Santiago <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/fabiola-santiago/article67617437.html">praised</a> it as "masterful" and "a model display of leadership and humanity." Most notably, one of Miami's more hard-line radio station "La Poderosa" (WWFE 670 AM) re-broadcast the president's speech Tuesday evening. The announcement of the re-broadcast was made by the station's president himself, Jorge Rodriguez, speaking favorably of the speech. Other hard-line Cuban exiles may have given <a href="http://www.local10.com/web/wplg/news/cuba/fomer-cuban-political-prisoners-react-to-obamas-speech-in-cuba">mixed reviews</a>, but the more common reaction in Miami <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL7Ok3B1djQ">seemed positive</a>.<br />
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<i>El Nuevo Herald</i> <a href="http://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/mundo/america-latina/cuba-es/article67622892.html">included an online poll</a> of its readers asking "Do you believe Obama's message to the Cuban people will help create change on the island?" From a total of 777 readers, 71% said Yes, and 29% said No. A recent <i>CBS/New York Times</i> <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbsnyt-poll-majority-of-americans-support-restoring-us-cuba-ties/">poll</a> of Americans also showed major support for this administration's effort to restore diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba.<br />
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More Miami reactions to Obama's speech <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/cubans-cuban-americans-share-their-emotions-after-obama-s-speech-n543726">here</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/23/obama-put-castro-on-the-carpet-cuban-americans-verdict-on-watershed-visit">here</a>.<br />
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Excerpt: <b>"I’ve made it clear that the United States has neither the capacity nor the intention to impose change on Cuba. What changes come will depend upon the Cuban people. We will not impose our political or economic system on you. We recognize that every country, every people must chart its own course and shape its own model</b>.<b>"</b><br />
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[<b><a href="http://time.com/4267933/barack-obama-cuba-speech-transcript-full-text/">Full transcript of speech</a></b>]<br />
<br />Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-64519661978085373612015-07-01T03:07:00.001-04:002016-03-23T16:55:06.581-04:00Armando Perez Roura Leaves Radio Mambi [Updated]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>uesday June 30, 2015 was Armando Perez Roura's <a href="http://miami.univision.com/noticias/miami/video/2015-06-30/se-retira-radio-mambi-armando-perez-roura">last day</a> at Radio Mambi (WAQI 710 AM). And I was very surprised to hear the news. That afternoon he broadcast his last radio announcement, seeming very humble and even apologizing to those he may have offended. (That was a shock to me.) For those who don't know yet, Perez Roura is considered the most celebrated voice of Miami's hard-line Cuban exile community.<br />
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According to recent <a href="http://www.nelsonhortareporta.com/armando-perez-roura-se-despedira-manana-de-sus-oyentes-en-radio-mambi-ambrosio-hernandez-podria-ser-nombrado-director/">rumors</a>, Univision Radio decided to let his contract expire. Owners of Radio Mambi since 2002, Univision Radio had already been planning to retire Perez Roura over a year ago according to <a href="http://www.nelsonhortareporta.com/armando-perez-roura-se-despedira-manana-de-sus-oyentes-en-radio-mambi-ambrosio-hernandez-podria-ser-nombrado-director/">Nelson Horta</a>. In 2013, Univision Radio <a href="http://corporate.univision.com/2013/02/univision-radio-dedicates-miami-studio-to-distinguished-radio-journalist-and-community-leader-armando-perez-roura/">dedicated a studio</a> at Radio Mambi to Armando Perez Roura and celebrated his longtime radio career. <br />
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<a href="http://corporate.univision.com/2012/06/univision-radio-unveils-new-programming-for-radio-mambi-710-am/">In 2012</a>, both Radio Mambi and WQBA (1140 AM), traditionally the Spanish-language hard-line radio stations in Miami, went through significant restructuring. At Radio Mambi, Armando Perez Roura's most important daily talk program "La Mesa Redonda" was moved to Saturdays, and his daily news program was reduced to a half-hour.<br />
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<a href="http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/cuban-radio-is-dying-because-of-aging-hardliners-and-miamis-changing-market-6388950">This day was certainly coming</a>, and Perez Roura without a doubt fought a long time to keep his place at Radio Mambi. Changing political landscapes and demographics were important factors here, concepts irrelevant to militants like Perez Roura.<br />
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Rumors indicate Perez Roura will move on to rival radio station "La Poderosa" (WWFE 670 AM), but, at 87 years old, he is already beyond the limits of intransigence.<br />
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[<b>Update</b> - Univision has provided <a href="https://soundcloud.com/radio-mamb/20150630-hernando-roura-01">audio</a> of Armando Perez Roura's last radio announcement at Radio Mambi. And, on the morning of July 1, 2015 Perez Roura made his first appearance at "La Poderosa" (WWFE 670 AM, video <a href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=861553753880450">here</a>).]<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/212686911&color=00aabb&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br />
(@0:57)<i> "If I hurt someone, I ask for forgiveness because I am not perfect. But I am a whole-hearted Cuban and I'll never abandon the cause that brought me here."</i><br />
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[A short biography will be posted soon. Below are some related facts.]<br />
<ul>
<li>Armando Perez Roura was born in the town of Ceiba Mocha in Matanzas, Cuba on January 11, 1928.</li>
<li>Perez Roura left Cuba for Miami in 1969.</li>
<li>Radio Mambi went on the air on October 23, 1985. Perez Roura was co-owner with Amancio V. Suarez, and Jorge Rodriguez (current owner of WWFE 670 AM). Suarez was reported to have made a <a href="http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1994-09-26/business/9409220611_1_spanish-language-radio-waqi-710-am-radio-mambi">$5 million investment</a> on the station.</li>
<li>In 1995, <a href="http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/hispanic-broadcasting-corporation-history/">Heftel</a> Broadcasting Corp. <a href="http://www.thefreelibrary.com/HEFTEL+BROADCASTING+COMPLETES+MIAMI+ACQUISITION-a017357543">acquired</a> Radio Mambi (among other Miami radio stations). And then in 2002, <a href="http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2002-06-13/business/0206121115_1_hbc-hispanic-broadcasting-corp-spanish-language-radio">Univision took over</a> HBC stations including Radio Mambi. </li>
</ul>
Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-61581902746647067662015-06-26T19:00:00.002-04:002015-06-27T01:47:41.547-04:00Carlos M. Gutierrez Has a New Hypothesis (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bTWDHIhpEeY/VY24A4ReTWI/AAAAAAAAA2E/pAI5N615NUk/s1600/Carlos%2BGutierrez1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bTWDHIhpEeY/VY24A4ReTWI/AAAAAAAAA2E/pAI5N615NUk/s200/Carlos%2BGutierrez1.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">C</span>arlos M. Gutierrez, former Commerce Secretary under George W. Bush, recently wrote a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/opinion/a-republican-case-%20%20for-obamas-cuba-policy.html">surprising op-ed</a> admitting a reversal of his previous position on U.S.-Cuba policy. Basically, Gutierrez's reversal comes from a significant change in his assumption about the Cuban government: from hopeless enemy to potential ally. The reversal has been most disappointing to Cuban exile hard-liners who once admired Gutierrez as a model of Cuba exile intransigence in the highest positions of power. But, the reality is that Gutierrez is one example of the constantly changing face of the hard-line which has historically adapted to conditions set by the U.S. government.<br />
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This past Tuesday, the <i>New York Times</i> (or "Granma North" as the boys <a href="http://babalublog.com/2015/06/23/granma-north-new-%20%20york-times-continues-its-crusade-to-bolster-castro-regime/">at Babalu Blog</a> like to call it) published an op-ed by Carlos M. Gutierrez, former Commerce Secretary for George W. Bush, where he explained his "cautiously optimistic" support for Pres. Obama's new Cuba policy. In a nutshell, Gutierrez wrote he is <b>"hopeful the Cuban government will allow its citizens to take full advantage of [American] assistance"</b> to <b>"support a new generation of Cuban-born entrepreneurs and Cuban-run small businesses."</b> There are two assumptions operating here. One is the idea of the transformative power of "free markets" which Gutierrez writes he has seen operate in other parts of the world to help "raise living standards." And the other assumption concerns his newfound hope with the Cuban government now slowly improving economic ties with the Obama administration. That significant "glimmer of hope" he writes about is the result of a recent change in mindset. <br />
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Under the previous administration, Gutierrez strongly defended the decades-old hard-line position of the US embargo, along with restrictions on travel and remittances (which he described as a hardship <a href="http://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/news/articles/gutierrez-forum-sept">worth sacrificing over</a>). Gutierrez would reiterate that history has only shown the Cuban government does not want improved ties with the US, and instead was a sworn "anti-American" enemy like other tyrannies around the world. As Commerce Secretary, Gutierrez proudly took on the task as co-Chair of the <a href="http://2001-2009.state.gov/p/wha/rt/cuba/index.htm">Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba</a> (CAFC), a government-led program designed for regime change on the island. During this period, Gutierrez was convinced that this policy of sanctions would pressure Cubans to make necessary changes on the island.<br />
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When President Obama finally reversed course on this policy last December, Gutierrez remained adamant that this new policy <a href="http://time.com/3640302/cuba-carlos-gutierrez-barack-obama/">was a mistake</a>. He foresaw that the Cuban government would eventually block efforts to improve economic ties because "everything we have seen from the Cubans over the last 50 years is that they will not allow business to succeed." But, as months of negotiations passed between the two countries, Gutierrez seems to have had a change of heart. In video interviews conducted late last month, Gutierrez <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/102701381">admitted</a> that his low expectations had been surpassed, and that he never anticipated negotiations "to get this far." And, now that we've come this far <b>"we should continue"</b> with this new Cuba policy <b>"and see where it takes us because [the U.S. has] nothing to lose"</b> [NTN24 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBSs4HHRRog">video interview</a>]. Most importantly, Gutierrez questioned a hypothesis he long held: <b>"My hypothesis has always been that Cuba never wanted the embargo to be lifted...</b> <b>and so [now] we have to prove if that hypothesis is incorrect, that [perhaps] Cuba DOES want closer ties with the U.S.</b> Because until now it has appeared they didn't want [closer ties], and it suited them to have the U.S. as an enemy" [<a href="https://youtu.be/PBSs4HHRRog?t=6m24s">@6:24</a> in video interview].<br />
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Its fascinating to see how a few events helped Carlos M. Gutierrez to change his perception of the Cuban government and U.S.-Cuba policy. From pessimistic hard-liner under the Bush administration to optimistic advocate during the Obama administration. Many will be wondering how this change in mindset occurred with a man who not long ago defended sanctions against Cuba for many years. And in Miami, many hard-line Cuban exiles who once admired his previous position will be left baffled. And, some will be accusing him of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGBfkzplAv8">betrayal</a>.<br />
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[Also check out a similar articles on Gutierrez's policy turnaround from the <b><a href="https://cubacentral.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/reflecting-on-carlos-gutierrezs-cuba-conversion-and-why-he-was-rebuked/">Cuba Central</a></b> blog and the <b><a href="http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/cuban-american-bush-cabinet-member-embrace-obamas-cuban-thaw-7703112"><i>Miami New Times</i></a></b>.]<br />
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[<i>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.albrightstonebridge.com/team/carlos-m-gutierrez">Albright Stonebridge Group</a></i>. <i>Carlos M. Gutierrez is currently co-Chairman at Albright Stonebridge Group, a global advisory firm in Washington D.C. He <a href="http://www.albrightstonebridge.com/news/former-us-commerce-secretary-and-kellogg-ceo-carlos-gutierrez-joining-albright-stonebridge">joined</a> ASG in April 2013, and <a href="http://www.albrightstonebridge.com/news/albright-stonebridge-group-announces-carlos-m-gutierrez-former-commerce-secretary-and-kellogg">became co-Chair</a> in February 2014</i>.]Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-4155952468327966762015-04-14T05:15:00.001-04:002015-06-26T15:28:17.140-04:00Cuban Exiles and Protesters Clash in Panama (Pt.2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rDEVGWSsC-Y/VSzXG5s3P2I/AAAAAAAAA0g/b_BrTeV7rFM/s1600/porras%2Bclash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rDEVGWSsC-Y/VSzXG5s3P2I/AAAAAAAAA0g/b_BrTeV7rFM/s1600/porras%2Bclash.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
THE FIGHT</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>round 11am on Wednesday, <a href="http://www.frenadesonoticias.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=26">FRENADESO</a> (National Front for the Defense of Economic and Social Rights in Panama), a social activist group and independent media site, <a href="https://twitter.com/frenadeso/status/585866300909551618">tweeted pictures</a> of the M.A.R. Por Cuba press conference. The pictures showed Felix Rodriguez and Antunez standing together for the cameras. The tweet read "Cuban worms with Che's assassin." Through FRENADESO an <a href="https://twitter.com/frenadeso/status/585858413139251200">urgent message</a> went out that afternoon for an emergency demonstration at Porras Park. It seems the <a href="http://www.telesurtv.net/news/Asesino-del-Che-provoca-a-la-delegacion-cubana-en-Panama-20150408%20%20-0044.html">word got out</a> that M.A.R. Por Cuba, Rodriguez and Antunez were planning to visit the park, and FRENADESO was hoping to derail those plans. By 1pm, FRENADESO and several members of Panamanian labor groups (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SUNTRACS">SUNTRACS</a> and <a href="http://www.iuf.org/ccww/?q=node/349">SITRAFCOREBGASCELIS</a>) gathered at Porras park [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ8khhwgahc">video</a>]. Also in attendance was Cuban Ambassador to Panama <a href="http://www.cubadiplomatica.cu/panama/Misi%C3%B3n/Embajada.aspx">Antonio Miguel Pardo Sanchez</a>, and the Venezuelan Ambassador <a href="http://panama.embajada.gob.ve/index.php/en/embajada/funcionarios">Jorge Luis Duran Centeno</a>. The leader of SUNTRACS protested against the presence of Cuban dissidents at the Summit forums, and considered the presence of Cuban militant Felix Rodriguez as a provocation [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBjcM6BD4mY">video</a>]. The demonstration ended and soon the news went out (<a href="http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2015/04/08/minuto-a-minuto-en-la-cumbre-de-las-americas-miercoles-8-de-abril/">around 2pm</a>) that Felix Rodriguez never showed up at Porras Park.<br />
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Days later in Miami, Felix Rodriguez was interview by Radio Mambi over what happened that afternoon in Panama. He mentioned that he, Antunez and M.A.R. Por Cuba decided to visit Porras Park and leave flowers at the bust of Jose Marti. He also said that they were aware there had been an earlier demonstration at the park, so they arrived about an hour later and planned to hold a quick demonstration "to avoid having confrontations with the Cubans" who were there earlier. When they (Felix Rodriguez, Antunez, members of M.A.R. por Cuba, Orlando Gutierrez Boronat and other Cuban dissidents) arrived they left the flowers at the bust of Jose Marti, and started their demonstration [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbl3oi0EGTE">video</a>]. Facing the Cuban Embassy just across the street from the park, they unfolded a flag that read "National Front of Civic Resistance" (a group led by Antunez in Cuba) and began chanting "libertad" (freedom) in front of a small but growing crowd of those (Cubans and Panamanians) who remained from the earlier demonstration. The counter-protest intensified with every second and Orlando Gutierrez placed himself in-between the two groups because no police were nearby. Then, Antunez led the group in singing the Cuban national anthem, but midway they found themselves outnumbered and heading back to their vans. As they retreated from the threatening crowd, Antunez continued shouting back and walking back slowly, with Gutierrez doing his best to act as a bodyguard. Then, from the hostile crowd, one person (Alexis Frutos Weeden) is seen pushing Orlando Gutierrez, and Gutierrez immediately pushing back. In a split second the fight broke out.<br />
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<br />
Video of violent clashes by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0jCxKL1TWU"><b>Estrella de Panama</b></a><br />
Video by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30T_ooF4yIk"><b>NTN24</b></a> <br />
Video by <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbl3oi0EGTE">AmericaTeVe</a> </b><br />
<br />
[Photo: Orlando Gutierrez Boronat (left), President of the <a href="http://www.directorio.org/history/index.php">Cuban Democratic Directorate</a>, fights with Alexis Frutos Weeden (right), former Cuban Embassy spokesman in Panama. Photo source: <a href="http://www.prensa.com/videos/Cubanos-procastristas-Parque-Porras-Panama_2_4181601800.html"><i>La Prensa</i></a>]
Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-61853592836603154312015-04-10T20:04:00.004-04:002015-06-26T15:28:03.003-04:00Cuban Exiles and Protesters Clash in Panama (Pt. 1)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LqSnHrPqqMA/VShga_NfsMI/AAAAAAAAAvE/UbTgKAITgpI/s1600/porras%2Bclash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LqSnHrPqqMA/VShga_NfsMI/AAAAAAAAAvE/UbTgKAITgpI/s1600/porras%2Bclash.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">L</span>ast Wednesday a group of Cuban exiles from Miami and accompanying Cuban dissidents visiting Panama were attacked at Porras Park in the capital city. The group of exiles and dissidents staged a demonstration at the park in front of the Cuban embassy which was immediately met by Cuban and Panamanian supporters of the Cuban government. The counter-demonstrators had been alerted through online media that one of the exiles at Porras Park was Felix Ismael Rodriguez Mendigutia, a former Cuban militant deemed a violent "mercenary" against the Cuban government. Hostility was further fueled by charges that the dissident demonstrators were also "traitors" against the Cuban government.<br />
<br />
Spanish-language media, as expected, attempted to suggest that the attack on the Cuban exiles and dissidents was planned by the Cuban government or its clandestine intelligence agency, but failed to produce any supporting evidence. Instead, the violence that occurred was most likely spontaneous, and partially triggered by an online media campaign against Cuban exiles and dissidents coinciding with the arrival of young Cuban activists visiting Panama for the Summit of the Americas.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
TUESDAY</div>
<br />
Civil society groups from all over the Americas began arriving this week to Panama's capital city for the <a href="http://www.summit-americas.org/default_en.htm">Summit of the Americas</a>. It is the first Summit to include Cuba as a participant since its inception in 1994. <a href="http://www.summit-americas.org/cs/vii_participation.htm">Parallel forums on Civil Society</a> took place on Wednesday and Thursday before the official start of the Summit on Friday. Inside these forums, civil society groups from Cuba would for the first time meet face to face with Cuban dissidents invited to attend. But, things didn't go smoothly.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, Official civil society groups from Cuba arrived in Panama already aware that Cuban dissidents such as Guillermo Fariñas and Berta Soler <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7APJ7LdvscE">would be attending</a> the Summit forums. They immediately held a <a href="http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/cuba/2784-cuba-denounces-presence-of-mercenaries-at-forums-of-summit-of-the-americas">press conference</a> [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onRtszfTdQ0">video</a>] stating that the invited dissidents did not represent the Cuban people and were "mercenaries" of the United States. In their hands they each held copies of a small newspaper distributed by the <a href="http://www.cubaperiodistas.cu/">Union of Cuban Journalists</a>. The tabloid titled "Mercenaries in Panama" [<a href="http://www.cubaperiodistas.cu/cumbre-americas/tabloide_mercenarios_en_panama.pdf">PDF</a>] included an editorial alleging that Cuban dissidents in Panama "receive direct financing from outside [of Cuba]" and "don't have any real connection with our people." Articles inside reminded readers when, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/12/17/us-cuba-dissidents-wikileaks-idUSTRE6BG1NJ20101217">in 2010</a>, the top American diplomat for Cuba Jonathan Farrar wrote of seeing "little evidence" that Cuban dissidents "have much resonance among ordinary Cubans." Another page included eight profiles of Cuban dissidents (Fariñas and Soler among them) detailing their alleged links to Cuban exile groups and other international organizations. <br />
<br />
Many of these allegations are true, and some are exaggerated. But, for years the Cuban government has waged a consistent media campaign against dissidents and have mostly won the propaganda war inside Cuba. Cuban dissidents then have little option but to look outside of Cuba for support, and often find it in Miami. While some help from Miami is often worthwhile, they should also consider the implications of getting public help from official enemies of the Cuban government. In those cases, while financial support is extremely helpful, an individual dissident or group could be sacrificing their entire legitimacy back home.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
WEDNESDAY<br />
</div>
Civil society groups gathered early at the El Panama hotel for the start of the <a href="http://www.summit-americas.org/cs/vii_participation.htm">parallel forums</a> of the Summit. Delivery of accreditation badges had begun at 8am, but several Cuban civil society representatives had trouble acquiring their badges due to technical problems. As they waited for a solution, <a href="https://twitter.com/frenadeso/status/585848119000227840">news had broken out</a> on social media that Cuban exile militant Felix Rodriguez was in Panama.<br />
<br />
The previous day, Cuban exile members of <a href="http://www.marporcuba.org/">M.A.R. Por Cuba</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXQ22KHPGVU">left</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> Miami International Airport for Panama</a>. Along with them came five Cuban dissidents representing different organizations on the island, and the president of the <a href="http://www.directorio.org/en_index.php">Cuban Democratic Directorate</a>, Orlando Gutierrez Boronat. Among the dissidents was Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, better known as Antunez. In recent years, Antunez has become admired by hard-line Cuban exiles for his intransigent rhetoric against the Cuban government. Expecting his arrival, Antunez was among the eight dissidents profiled in the tabloid "Mercenaries in Panama." On Wednesday afternoon, M.A.R. Por Cuba held a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPOnoMMPl8A">press conference</a> at their hotel. In the audience was Cuban exile <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9lix_Rodr%C3%ADguez_%28soldier%29">Felix Ismael Rodriguez Mendigutia</a>, a controversial figure better known for his militant past and involvement with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara#Capture_and_execution">capture and execution</a> of Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Rodriguez and M.A.R. Por Cuba were in Panama to attend a meeting the next day hosted by former Florida representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart. But, <a href="https://twitter.com/frenadeso/status/585866300909551618">unknown to all of them</a>, the presence of Rodriguez in Panama was already <a href="https://twitter.com/frenadeso/status/585848119000227840">news on social media</a> and causing outrage among Cuban activists at the Summit. <br />
<br />
A photo of Rodriguez with Antunez taken in Miami was being distributed on social media. A <a href="http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2015/04/08/piden-expulsion-del-asesino-del-che-de-panama-declaracion-de-la-oclae/">press conference</a> was held that afternoon condemning the presence of Rodriguez and his close association with Antunez who was invited to attend the Civil Society forums. Cuban activists and supporters were demanding Panama deport Rodriguez.<br />
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Already frustrated by accreditation problems, and angered by the presence of Rodriguez and "mercenaries" at the Summit, Cuban civil society representatives vented with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fj4k7pnudQ">large protest</a> outside the El Panama Hotel. They shouted for the removal of the Cuban dissidents attending the Forum. They refused to share space with dissidents like Guillermo Fariñas. On the cover of their tabloid, Fariñas was featured in a photo next to Cuban exile terrorist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Posada_Carriles">Luis Posada Carriles</a>. Both had attended a forum at the University of Miami <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MX9mVZ6Y8w">in 2013</a>. Eventually, the protest ended when all Cuban representatives <a href="http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2015/04/08/se-retira-la-delegacion-cubana-del-foro-de-la-sociedad-civil/">decided to leave</a> the Civil Society Forum. But, the indignation would find a new place to reappear in the street of Panama.<br />
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<br />
Video of violent clashes by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0jCxKL1TWU"><b>Estrella de Panama</b></a><br />
Video by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30T_ooF4yIk"><b>NTN24</b></a> <br />
Video by <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbl3oi0EGTE">AmericaTeVe</a> </b><br />
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[Photo: Orlando Gutierrez Boronat (left), President of the <a href="http://www.directorio.org/history/index.php">Cuban Democratic Directorate</a>, fights with Alexis Frutos Weeden (right), former Cuban Embassy spokesman in Panama. Photo source: <a href="http://www.prensa.com/videos/Cubanos-procastristas-Parque-Porras-Panama_2_4181601800.html"><i>La Prensa</i></a>]Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-3576926659967736902014-12-18T01:22:00.002-05:002014-12-18T01:35:56.392-05:00Local Polls Support New U.S.-Cuba Policy<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D76JCsjlEXw/VJJu9ZyasCI/AAAAAAAAAuU/GKflW_2kKHQ/s1600/Local%2BTV%2BPolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D76JCsjlEXw/VJJu9ZyasCI/AAAAAAAAAuU/GKflW_2kKHQ/s1600/Local%2BTV%2BPolls.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>bove is a sample of polls conducted by South Florida news websites in response to Wednesday's announcement of a new U.S. policy towards Cuba. The majority of the polls show strong support (above 60 percent) for the new policy.<br />
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Despite the local media's false presentation of a divided Miami, and constantly refocusing the debate around the opinion of the minority hard-line, the poll results above reflect the more accurate view of a rational Miami. Unfortunately, for as long as I've been monitoring the local media, the news stations have yet to center their reporting (and analysis) on this accurate widespread belief. <u><b> </b></u><br />
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<u><b>Polls Results shown above</b> (clockwise)</u>: <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.americateve.com/">Americateve.com</a></b>: Do you agree with the U.S. and Cuba re-establishing diplomatic relations? (<b>Yes, 54%</b>)<br />
<b><a href="http://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/estados-unidos/article4555276.html">Elnuevoherald.com</a></b>: Do you believe re-establishing relations between the U.S. and Cuba will benefit Cubans on the island? (<b>Yes, 68%</b>)<br />
<b><a href="http://www.wfla.com/story/27650017/ap-sources-us-cuba-seek-to-normalize-relations">WFLA.com</a></b>: Do you think vacation travel should be permitted to Cuba? (<b>Yes, 66%</b>)<br />
<b><a href="http://www.local10.com/news/uscuba-poll/30275242">Local10.com</a></b>: Do you agree with the U.S. trying to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba (<b>Yes, 68%</b>)<br />
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[<i>The poll results also support the findings of the more recent <a href="http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/events/past-events/atlantic-council-poll-americans-want-new-relations-with-cuba">Atlantic Council poll</a> on U.S.-Cuba policy, and the <a href="https://cri.fiu.edu/research/cuba-poll/">FIU Cuba Poll</a></i>.]Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-20632491605600951392014-12-17T15:17:00.001-05:002014-12-17T15:25:26.834-05:00Alan Gross is Free<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/L_5yQBtGGWU?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>Alan Gross:</b> "<span style="font-size: small;">I </span>also feel compelled to share with you my utmost respect for and fondness for the people of Cuba... It pains me to see them treated so unjustly as a consequence of two governments' mutually belligerent policies. Five and a half decades of history shows us that such belligerence inhibits better judgement. Two wrongs never make a right."<br />
<br />
- <a href="http://www.c-span.org/video/?323382-1/alan-gross-statement-release">Video and transcript</a> available at C-Span website. Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-82054566167338727892014-05-09T05:30:00.002-04:002014-05-09T17:16:21.815-04:00Manuel Alzugaray's Provocation Plan<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GwrZYd2E4k4" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span>ecent reports of four Miami men arrested in Cuba have also implicated some prominent Cuban exiles in the alleged terrorist plot against Cuban military installations (<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/07/4104036/cuba-says-it-arrested-four-miami.html#storylink=misearch"><i>Miami Herald</i> report</a>). One of those prominent Cuban exiles is Dr. Manuel A. Alzugaray who has denied his involvement with the arrested Miami men. But five years ago Alzugaray mentioned a secret plan to provoke the Cuban government in certain vulnerable areas, possibly through divisions in the military. <br />
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The Cuban government has yet to publicly present any evidence that Alzugaray or any Cuban exile was behind this recent terrorist plot. And we should assume all men allegedly involved are innocent until proven guilty.<br />
<br />
Back in 2009, Dr. Manuel Alzugaray, then re-elected as President of the Municipios de Cuba en El Exilio boasted of a secret plan to "provoke" the Cuban government and create the conditions where the Cuban people would "throw themselves [onto the streets]."<br />
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What is interesting about the comments in the video above are the details Alzugaray mentions. Alzugaray, as past and current president of the <a href="http://mmtf.org/">Miami Medical Team</a> (MMT), spoke of plans to use MMT links with dissident groups inside Cuba to cause the provocation. "We have information of where we have to make the provocation," he said. According to the MMT, they have established links with dissident groups inside Cuba through their "Cuba Project" which sends humanitarian packages and provides humanitarian training (more information <a href="http://www.mmtf.org/bulletin/2012/2012-February-Boletin.pdf">here</a>). Another detail is Alzugaray mentioning that "we are going to provoke them because inside their military there is a division." <br />
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The Cuban government <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBG1nPFbKUE">in 2011</a> accused Manuel A. Alzugaray of being a provocateur which he had also denied. His accuser, a Cuban spy, had infiltrated the MMT and its "Cuba Project."<br />
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[<i>Transcript for video above.</i>]<br />
<br />
"The youth committee, the labor committee that will work on some programs inside Cuba which shall be with the Miami Medical Team [or] Doctors Without Borders creating what are known as the independent medical clinics. <br />
<br />
"We are going to provoke them. And we know where we are going to provoke them because we have information of where they are weak [or vulnerable]. We have information of where we have to make the provocation.<br />
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"And, we are going to provoke them because inside their military there is a division. But, that division there that wants to throw itself [onto the streets] needs for the people to throw themselves [out into the streets] so that they can [finally] throw themselves [onto the streets]. They [the military] are not going to throw themselves first. The people need to throw themselves [first].<br />
<br />
"We are going to provoke them. Yes, we are going make a humanitarian provocation and with humanitarian things [or actions] because we can't do anything else, but we know how to do what must be done well.<br />
<br />
"We have been preparing these last two years since I left the presidency, methodically preparing [to] now begin the provocation against the [Castro] regime. If they accept the provocation they are going to look bad. If they don't accept it, then they are going to look bad as well."Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-75303083919341803632014-04-18T17:14:00.000-04:002014-04-19T01:27:49.867-04:00Today in 1961...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k09CQ3YKJ5I/U1GPfBl5ebI/AAAAAAAAAuE/0PdeGCkmMEo/s1600/Bay+of+Pigs+1961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k09CQ3YKJ5I/U1GPfBl5ebI/AAAAAAAAAuE/0PdeGCkmMEo/s1600/Bay+of+Pigs+1961.jpg" height="245" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>f you go to the new <a href="http://memorialcubano.org/mc/">Cuban (Exile) Memorial</a> in Sweetwater you will notice a specific series of plaques. Those plaques identify tragic events such as the "<a href="http://www.aguadadepasajeros.bravepages.com/cs/b2506.htm">Rastra de la Muerte</a>" ("Cargo Container of Death" where nine captured Brigade 2506 soldiers died by asphyxiation) and the 1994 sinking of "<a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR25/013/1997">El Remolcador 13 de Marzo</a>." But, among those plaques, is the historic tragedy of the <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Bay_of_Pigs.html?id=9fofPDp9vMoC">Bay of Pigs</a> invasion.<br />
<br />
The Bay of Pigs (namely its failure) seems to be one of the origins of the Cuban exile narrative focused on tragedy and suffering.<br />
<br />
[<b>Correction</b>: I just recalled that the Cuban Memorial has a plaque for the anti-Castro guerrillas who operated in the Escambray Mountains. This event occurred before the Bay of Pigs and forms the earliest part of the Cuban exile narrative. These guerrillas were formed after the 1959 Cuban Revolution from "disgruntled officers from the revolutionary army" and formed an early potential operating area for the Bay of Pigs invasion. These guerrillas received weapons from the U.S. which were dropped by air. But, the guerrillas suffered from low numbers (around a thousand), lack of support (from nearby residents), and resources (such as food, and weapons would often be intercepted). American <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Alexander_Morgan">William A. Morgan</a> was among the early leaders of the Escambray counter-revolution, but soon arrested and executed on March 11, 1961. Sources: <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=kChyVw5MYB4C">here</a>, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7QrCpTiBmpgC">here</a> and <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9fofPDp9vMoC">here</a>.]<br />
<br />
[Cuban American Bar Association's 2011 Anniversary Issue on the Bay of Pigs (<a href="http://www.cabaonline.com/pdf/Caba-Briefs-Spring-2011.pdf">PDF</a>)]<br />
[ <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=feST4K8J0scC&dat=19610418&printsec=frontpage&hl=en">Link to the full</a> April 18, 1961 <i>St. Petersburg Times</i> edition from above]Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-41439778970584654992013-04-01T12:23:00.002-04:002013-04-04T17:58:49.665-04:00Yoani Sanchez Live in Miami [Updated Interviews]<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adZUt9yISi8/UVm0WVs2QCI/AAAAAAAAAtY/kzD_Xh71lyI/s1600/yoani+live.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adZUt9yISi8/UVm0WVs2QCI/AAAAAAAAAtY/kzD_Xh71lyI/s320/yoani+live.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>f you can't make it in person, here's where you can see Yoani Sanchez in her two public appearances today in Miami.<br />
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Her first appearance will be at the Freedom Tower at 2:00 pm and streamed by Miami-Dade College. <a href="http://www.mdc.edu/main/live/"><b>Click here to view</b></a>.<br />
<br />
Her second appearance will be at Florida International University at 7:30 pm and streamed <a href="http://sites.fiu.edu/yoani/"><b>here</b></a>.<br />
<br />
Locally, some television and radio stations will broadcast her speeches. Any recorded video and audio will later be posted here.<br />
<br />
--- [Update] ---<br />
<br />
Thanks to <i>The Miami Herald</i> for posting video of Yoani Sanchez at the Freedom Tower [update - thanks to the <b><a href="http://generacionasere.blogspot.com/">Generacion Asere</a></b> blog and <a href="http://miamireadystudio.com/"><b>Miami Ready Studio</b></a>, you can view Sanchez <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Q2DBv_oqg">receive accolades from local leaders</a> after this event]:<br />
<br />
[English translation]<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iqKqUbg6BqQ" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
[In Spanish <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zytHDGg1WjY"><b>click here</b></a>]<br />
<br />
And, thanks to Florida International University for posting video of Yoani Sanchez later that evening:<br />
<br />
[English translation]<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3gDblV2Ecl8" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
[In Spanish <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZCKiOBH3Fs"><b>click here</b></a>]<br />
<br />
[Additional audio and video interviews with Yoani Sanchez in Miami updated below.]<br />
<br />
- Interview with Oscar Haza on Radio Mambi <a href="http://radiomambi710.univision.com/audios/audio/2013-04-01/yoani-sanchez-entrevista-primicia-de-oscar-haza"><b>click here</b></a>.<br />
- Interview with <i>The Miami Herald</i> editorial board <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRFmD9zOxsM"><b>click here</b></a>.<br />
- Sanchez at the Roots of Hope/Knight Foundation "Tweet Up" <a href="http://noticias.univision.com/videos/video/2013-04-03/tweet-up-con-yoani-sanchez"><b>click here</b></a>.<br />
- Interview with reporters from <i>Diario Las Americas</i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Ra2ligwPM"><b>click here</b></a>.<br />
- Sanchez on 'A Mano Limpia' (AmericaTeVe) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRnN_i8ec9o"><b>click here</b></a>. <br />
- Interview with Jaime Bayly on MegaTV <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ5jDH0_C7s"><b>click here</b></a>.Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-88026208225237615872013-03-26T23:39:00.005-04:002013-03-26T23:40:18.532-04:00Yoani Sanchez on the U.S. Embargo Against Cuba<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WF5uasvS8Xc" width="420"></iframe>Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-76217456183840336402013-03-21T13:29:00.000-04:002013-03-23T12:37:30.129-04:00Radio Mambi Attacks Yoani Sanchez, Unknowingly Puts Foot in Mouth<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QJ7H27t8Ne0" width="420"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>s famed Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez gets closer and closer to her Miami visit, militant and hard-line Cuban exiles are going through an interesting phase of introspection: How much respect or support should they show Sanchez during her internationally publicized trip around the world, while withholding their deep displeasure by her public opposition to the U.S. embargo towards Cuba and the presence of the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo. This is how Radio Mambi responded.<br />
<br />
DIVISION <br />
<br />
On Monday, the day before Yoani Sanchez's historic visit to Washington D.C., Radio Mambi's Armando Perez-Roura (founder and programming director) decided to make his position clear on the famous Cuban blogger. Some weeks ago, Perez-Roura admitted he thought about it carefully, especially after Sanchez's <a href="http://mambiwatch.blogspot.com/2013/02/yoani-sanchez-in-brazil.html">public comments in Brazil</a>. He debated the issue with his group <i>Unidad Cubana</i> one Saturday, where he described the discussion as very divisive. I recall years ago Perez-Roura showing much admiration for Yoani Sanchez.<br />
<br />
But, given her recent comments against U.S. policy, it seems that Perez-Roura can no longer give Yoani Sanchez his full support. Instead, on Monday Perez-Roura invited Tito Rodriguez Oltmans to his two-hour show "Tome Nota" to reflect their displeasure with Sanchez, and cast doubt on her motives.<br />
<br />
PARANOIA <br />
<br />
Tito Rodriguez Oltmans, <a href="http://www.libreonline.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16765%3Amemorias-de-viejas-camaras&Itemid=84">former exile militant</a> of the group <i>Salva a Cuba</i> (Save Cuba) and <i>Unidad Revolucionaria</i> (Revolutionary Unity), is the long-time host of Radio Mambi's show "Puntos de Vista" (Points of View) which airs every Saturday at 8pm. In his two-hour show, Rodriguez talks about all sorts of conspiracies related to international communism, the infiltration of communists in the U.S., and his deep distrust of some dissidents inside Cuba. According to Rodriguez, Cuba's Ministry of the Interior has such complete control of communications inside the island that any regular mention of dissident activities in the international media is actually being permitted by the Cuban government. In other words, behind Yoani Sanchez lurks a communist plot in the shadows.<br />
<br />
Armando Perez-Roura said he invited Rodriguez to his show because he had heard Rodriguez's previous show on Yoani Sanchez. Clearly, Perez-Roura had approved of those comments, as he approves of most guests who appear on his show, and continues to ban others he disapproves of, namely Democrats.<br />
<br />
But, Tito Rodriguez Oltmans unknowingly made a huge error on Monday. As Rodriguez raised several questions about Yoani Sanchez and her blog, calling into question her motives for visiting Miami, and making absurd allegations, he was actually relying on questions being raised by Cuban government supporters who also oppose the famous dissident blogger. In other words, Tito Rodriguez Oltmans on Monday did a huge favor for his long-time enemy, the Cuban government.<br />
<br />
If you listen carefully to the audio excerpts above, you'll notice that Rodriguez raised some of the same questions mentioned in Salim Lamrani's recent article titled "<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/message/138106">40 Questions for Yoani Sanchez</a>" (If you were lucky to hear the entire show, Rodriguez relied heavily on this document). Lamrani is a journalist who <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/salim-lamrani/">writes frequently</a> on several topics related to Cuba. To get an idea where he stands on U.S. policy towards Cuba, then check out his edited volume titled "<a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Superpower_principles.html?id=MIJ2AAAAMAAJ">Superpower Principles: U.S. Terrorism Against Cuba</a>." He's written <a href="http://www.rebelion.org/autores.php?id=61">several other books</a> about U.S. policy towards Cuba, which have been published in Spanish by <a href="http://www.cubaliteraria.cu/editorial/editora_marti/index.php">Editorial Jose Marti</a>, a publisher based in Havana. Lamrani has also been a <a href="http://internalreform.blogspot.com/2010/04/yoani-sanchez-interviewed-by-salim.html">long-time critic</a> of Yoani Sanchez.]<br />
<br />
I find it hard to believe that Tito Rodriguez Oltmans would use this material if he knew the author, especially given Lamrani's political stance on U.S. policy and support of the Cuban government. Most likely, Rodriguez was unconcerned about who wrote these questions, and more interested in his own agenda to defame Yoani Sanchez.<br />
<br />
SELF-DESTRUCTION <br />
<br />
In their paranoid world, Rodriguez and Perez-Roura believe that Sanchez's message being transmitted throughout the world is another attack against their militant cause. They don't like the division and introspection that Sanchez's messages provoke. They prefer the unity of mind that exile militants are used to, where friend and enemy are easily recognized, and where the right solution for Cuba is clear: a political transition through righteous violence.<br />
<br />
For those militants, Yoani Sanchez doesn't fit.Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-37153791361248769862013-03-05T19:16:00.001-05:002013-03-05T19:35:53.250-05:00Radio Mambi Says "Celebrate the Death of Chavez"<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eGSIZUnHJT0" width="420"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span>adio Mambi host Armando Perez-Roura said this evening people should "celebrate the death of [Hugo] Chavez." Perez-Roura made this comment in response to suggestions that Venezuelans in Miami be respectful in their response to the recent death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.<br />
<br />
Perez-Roura believes celebration is due because Chavez's death means "freedom for Venezuela and possibly for other countries." No doubt Perez Roura is referring to Cuba.<br />
<br />
Radio Mambi (WAQI 710 AM), owned by Univision Radio, is the highest-rated AM station in Miami.Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-17099762927336335092013-02-21T17:23:00.001-05:002013-02-27T22:05:01.395-05:00Miami Herald Errs Against Yoani Sanchez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bxbRmXSP3OE/USZ-WYrVyxI/AAAAAAAAAsw/ATU_lXTSnz0/s1600/Herald+vs+Yoani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bxbRmXSP3OE/USZ-WYrVyxI/AAAAAAAAAsw/ATU_lXTSnz0/s400/Herald+vs+Yoani.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>n their rush to grab readers, yesterday <i>El Nuevo Herald</i> chose to err against Yoani Sanchez by misinterpreting her recent comments in Brazil. As a result, the <i>Herald</i> not only violated a <a href="http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp">basic code</a> of journalistic ethics ("<i>Make certain that headlines... do not misrepresent</i>"), but also helped skeptics of Yoani Sanchez in Miami to never trust her again.<br />
<br />
MATTER OF ETHICS <br />
<br />
Yesterday in Brazil, famous Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez was invited by legislators of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Social_Democracy_Party">Brazilian Social Democracy</a> party to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_of_Deputies_%28Brazil%29">Chamber of Deputies</a>. At the event, Sanchez was questioned over her various political positions, including the case of the <a href="http://www.freethefive.org/">Cuban Five</a>. Among <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBZ-XBfsr8A">her comments</a>, she said this: <b> </b><br />
<b>"[The Cuban government] cannot continue financing a disproportionate campaign [to free the Cuban Five] going already over 14 years. That is my position as the mother of an adolescent child, as a concerned citizen over the treasury of my country... I would prefer [the Cuban Five] be free to see if [our country] would save more [revenue]. And, there are other matters to deal with."</b><br />
<br />
This was no "call" to release anyone.<br />
<br />
No one honestly calls out or takes up a cause out of preference. Imagine someone saying: "I would prefer the cause of human rights, if it would solve our financial problems." Such a comment wouldn't be taken seriously as a motive for defending such an important issue. Just ask anyone who supports freedom for the Cuban Five, or anyone who supports freedom for Cuba. So, the <i>Herald </i>who interviews many Cuban exile activists should've known this, and also been aware of the sensitivity in Miami over political opinion concerning the Cuban Five.<br />
<br />
The headline was quickly <a href="http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2013/02/20/1412402/yoani-sanchez-pide-libertad-de.html">changed</a> Wednesday evening after Yoani Sanchez directly responded to the <i>Herald </i>article through Facebook. Sanchez clarified by writing she was being ironic and apologized if her "words didn't leave a clear message." But, it was too late. The headline had already spread through the internet, local Spanish-language radio and television, leaving some in Miami shocked, upset or filled with mistrust.<br />
<br />
UNCONTROVERSIAL<br />
<br />
Yoani Sanchez's comments over the U.S. embargo against Cuba and the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo (which she believes is illegal) actually resemble popular, public and academic opinion. Saying that the U.S. embargo is <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=37LopzbPotYC">hegemonic</a>, <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1621984">a failure</a>, or an excuse for the Cuban government's inefficiency is uncontroversial. <a href="http://cri.fiu.edu/research/cuba-poll/">Even in Miami</a>. Also, notice that her comments regarding the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo being illegal gets little attention. That's because if anyone (not aware of the <a href="http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/funfacts/guantan.htm">history of the base</a>) puts themselves in the shoes of a Cuban (like Sanchez), the U.S. Naval Base can be easily viewed as a violation of a nation's sovereignty. It's difficult to justify to a Cuban, so its ignored.<br />
<br />
So, the only ones that are bothered by Yoani Sanchez and her comments are hard-liners and militants opposed to the Cuban government. They don't like the media attention her individual and personal comments are receiving because those comments are not sufficiently opposed or against the Cuban government and its policy. They believe her comments so far have been "far from perfect" or "misinformed" or just plain erroneous. <br />
<br />
They prefer the blogger whose opinion and bravery is limited to her immediate surroundings in Cuba, but God forbid Yoani Sanchez has a strong opinion about international issues. (I wonder how they would react when they discover <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mccC6rf__ZU">she's also pro-choice</a>.) They will praise her if her message is "perfect," but ignore her or distance themselves if it isn't. Or, like the <i>Herald</i>, are comfortable leaving her behind to fend for herself.Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-22114051384694280752013-02-19T14:45:00.003-05:002013-02-21T11:53:01.676-05:00Yoani Sanchez in Brazil [Updated]<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HTcpoo1uqs4" width="560"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>bove is a short video of famous Cuban blogger <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoani_S%C3%A1nchez">Yoani Sanchez</a> making her first public appearance yesterday in Brazil. She was at the <a href="http://www.museuparquedosaber.ba.gov.br/">Museu Parque do Saber</a> in the city of Feira de Santana where a screening of a documentary was planned. Sanchez was welcomed by Brazilian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Suplicy">Senator Eduardo Suplicy</a> and also met by a crowd of protesters calling her a "mercenary" and "traitor." The group of protesters seemed to be made up of local members from the Union of Young Socialists and the Jose Marti Cultural Association.<br />
<br />
In the video, Yoani Sanchez explains her position on the U.S. embargo against Cuba: <br />
<br />
<b>"I don't fear problems. I'm not afraid of problems. I'm not afraid of oppressors. OK? And so, I am against the embargo for various reasons which I want to share with you.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>"One, it appears to me 'inherencista' [meaning a policy seen as interventionist and/or hegemonic].</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>"Two, it appears to me a fossil of the Cold War that makes no sense in the modern world in which we live in.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>"And three, it seems to be the best argument the Cuban government has to explain its economic inefficiency. On my plate there's no tomatoes! There's no potatoes!"</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIc5xjl9n78">Other video</a> of Sanchez in Brazil has her stating that the current economic reforms in Cuba are "on the right path," but still lack "velocity and depth" in their implementation. And, a much longer version of her appearance yesterday in Feira de Santana can be found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CyDdRzaxCs">here</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fmhy9sDZYA">here</a> (in Spanish). In those videos Sanchez attempts to explain her purpose of blogging about everyday life in Cuba, and her dreams about a future Cuba. According to Sanchez, among the Cuban people there is diversity of opinion and political thought which is curtailed by the oppressive institutions of the Cuban government. <b>"Where's the Cuba they promised me as a small girl?"</b> asked Sanchez out loud.<br />
<br />
In her most <a href="http://www.desdecuba.com/generationy/?p=3321">recent blog post</a> at Generation Y, Sanchez described the protest at this event as "unprecedented" in her life.<br />
<br />
<b>"They wanted to lynch me, I talked. They were responding to orders, I am a
free soul. At the end of the night I had the same feelings as after a
battle against the demons of the same extremism that fueled those acts
of repudiation in 1980 in Cuba. The difference is that this time I
understood the mechanism that foments these attitudes, I could see the
long arm that controls them from the Plaza of the Revolution in Havana." </b><br />
<br />
Yoani Sanchez will be traveling South America, the U.S. and other countries for the next <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/cuban-dissident-yoani-sanchez-on-3-month-world-tour-after-being-denied-exit-permit-for-years/2013/02/17/68c325e6-7924-11e2-9c27-fdd594ea6286_story.html">3 months</a>. The quotes above against the embargo have been censored out by Carlos Santana in his report today for Radio Mambi.<br />
<br />
--- [Update] ---<br />
<br />
During an <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebc.com.br%2Fnoticias%2Fpolitica%2F2013%2F02%2Fyoani-sanchez-critica-parlamento-cubano-em-visita-a-camara-dos-deputados&ei=8LAlUbjTB5Sy8QTL9IDgBQ&usg=AFQjCNHs7hnpe9ea8pF9ocsiDLpSWvUTHA">appearance</a> with Brazilian legislators on Wednesday, Yoani Sanchez made more headlines with her comments about the U.S. embargo against Cuba, the U.S. military base at Guantanamo, and the Cuban Five.<br />
<br />
Juan Carlos Chavez of <i>El Nuevo Herald</i> on Wednesday wrote an <a href="http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa284/mambiwatch/HeraldvsYoani.jpg">article titled</a> "Yoani Sanchez calls for release of Cuban spies and the end to the embargo." (The <i>Herald</i> article follows the reporting of a Spanish journalist who blogs about Cuba at <a href="http://joanantoniguerrero.blogspot.com/2013/02/yoani-sanchez-pide-la-liberacion-de-los.html">Punt de Vista</a>.) Interestingly, the original <i>Herald</i> article begins with a forwarning:<br />
<br />
<b>"In a statement that might not be well-received in the exile community of Miami, the Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez said on Wednesday in Brazil that she is in favor of the liberation of the [Cuban Five]."</b><br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Yoani Sanchez didn't say this. If one views video of her <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBZ-XBfsr8A">full comments</a>, Sanchez states that she would "prefer" the liberation of the Cuban Five IF their freedom would lead to revenue and attention re-directed back to important educational priorities in Cuba.<br />
<br />
The <i>Herald</i> has now attempted to correct their error with a <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/20/3244596/yoani-sanchez-calls-for-the-release.html">new article</a> titled "Blogger Yoani Sanchez says comment on ‘Cuban Five’ was ironic, misunderstood." This comes after Sanchez posted a response to the <i>Herald</i> article through her facebook account. But, if anyone knows the hard-liners in the exile community (as Juan Carlos Chavez knows), a correction or clarification sometimes isn't good enough. With Yoani Sanchez now scheduled to be at the Miami Freedom Tower in April, many Cuban exiles (especially the hard-liners who never trusted her, and might never trust her now) will most likely protest the event.<br />
<br />
Way to go <i>Miami Herald</i>.Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-66302471345623855062012-10-16T13:22:00.000-04:002012-10-17T23:44:29.069-04:00Marco Rubio's Speech at Unidad Cubana [Updated]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAyKwTH4EyI/UH2UKiL2hYI/AAAAAAAAAr4/bCAEh5Kqjbg/s1600/Rubio-Unidad-Cubana_2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAyKwTH4EyI/UH2UKiL2hYI/AAAAAAAAAr4/bCAEh5Kqjbg/s320/Rubio-Unidad-Cubana_2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>his past Sunday, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida appeared at a public event hosted by Unidad Cubana, the militant/hard-line Cuban exile organization. Below is the speech he gave in Spanish. I will be translating portions of the speech into English and updating this post below.<br />
<br />
Yet, there is one portion of the speech that was very interesting. Sen. Rubio at one moment seems to suggest that he has confidential information concerning changes coming to the Cuban government. At these kind of events, someone always says that change is coming soon to Cuba and it is implied that the change will come with the death of Fidel Castro. But, Sen. Rubio's remark about having secret information is much more interesting (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGf1LE1oWl0">though he has been known to lie</a>). That audio is at 8:31... <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i>"It's already been many years of everyone thinking 'Well, at any moment this has to change.' I know you've heard that many times. But I promise you, for reasons that I can't express publicly, the reality is that the moment is coming."</i></b></blockquote>
<br />
RUBIO'S CAUSE FOR FREEDOM<br />
<br />
For those that don't know, Unidad Cubana was created in 1991 as a united front of several Cuban exile organizations to influence U.S. policy. Their main position was to reject the possibility of any softening of U.S. policy as Cuba was going through a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Period">difficult economic period</a>. And, of course, preparing for an overthrow of the Cuban government.<br />
<br />
According to <i>El Nuevo Herald</i>, Armando Perez-Roura (pictured above with Sen. Rubio, and current chairman of Unidad Cubana) said in 1991: "We in the exile community need to have our own political and military strategy because Castro must be removed from power." In that same article, it was reported that over 100 exile groups signed a joint agreement with Unidad Cubana, and that over 3000 people attended their inauguration event at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium, which was broadcast live on U.S.-funded Radio Marti*.<br />
<br />
So, every October Unidad Cubana organizes an event remembering the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Years%27_War">Great War</a>" of 1868, and hosts speeches by distinguished guests that continue to push for a hard-line policy against the Cuban government. Previous guests have included Cuban-American legislators Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. And this year it was Sen. Marco Rubio's turn.<br />
<br />
The essence of Sen. Rubio's speech centered on why he's taken a hard-line stance on policy toward Cuba, which is also based on his own "Cause for Freedom." According to Rubio, there are three basic reasons:<br />
<br />
1) He supports the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_revolution">right of rebellion</a> of people living under tyranny as written in the American Declaration of Independence;<br />
2) He feels obligated to fulfill the "dreams" of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_migration_to_Miami">first wave</a> of Cuban exiles because they suffered greatly due to the Cuban Revolution and "sacrificed" so much for his generation; and<br />
3) He believes the U.S. government is obligated by principle to help Cuban exiles "free" Cuba.<br />
<br />
In his speech, Sen. Rubio states that "if one studies six thousand years of recorded history" (which we assume Sen. Rubio has) one sees that "almost all people" throughout history have fought against tyranny, including the founders of the United States of America who expressed that right in the American Declaration of Independence, and also Cuba exiles at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion">Bay of Pigs</a>. Sen. Rubio also states that the right to rebel comes from God, and that this historical battle against tyranny "will never end."<br />
<br />
By suggesting that the right to rebel (or revolution) is God-given, and possibly an eternal human battle against tyranny (or evil), Sen. Rubio certainly reveals much about how he views events around the globe. It strikes me very similar to Cuban exile militants' war against global communism, or other battles that have been waged against some kind of global terror.<br />
<br />
So, there should be no doubt that Sen. Rubio's "Cause for freedom" entails the "Cause for Cuba," and potentially other countries as well. As he explained, "if this country really believes these words [from the Declaration of Independence] <b>then you have to apply them at every given opportunity</b>, and for us [Cuban exiles] that opportunity exists 90 miles from our coast."<br />
<br />
What other "opportunities" does Sen. Rubio see for his "Cause for Freedom."<br />
<br />
[<i>Photo by Arminda Espinosa and <a href="http://www.libreonline.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21403:ex-presidente-flores-en-unidad-cubana">Libre Magazine</a></i>]<br />
<br />
*[<i>El Nuevo Herald, July 13, 1991, "Cubanos Firman Acta de Unidad, Excluyen Dialogo" by Joel Gutierrez and Ivan Roman</i>.]<br />
<br />
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F63641789&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ff7700" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object>Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-29340166638977004672012-08-23T21:08:00.002-04:002012-08-23T21:12:29.146-04:00Welcome "On Two Shores"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hLrBP6qm_8k/UDbSITA_wHI/AAAAAAAAAro/rZjT2MPsZfs/s1600/2shores.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hLrBP6qm_8k/UDbSITA_wHI/AAAAAAAAAro/rZjT2MPsZfs/s200/2shores.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">H</span>ere's another new blog about Cuba and US policy: "<b><a href="http://ontwoshores.com/">On Two Shores</a></b>."<br />
<br />
They describe themselves as "a moderate, forward-thinking voice, from the heart of Miami, for Cuban Americans and Cubans in the diaspora." And their goal is "to represent the silent majority within our [Cuban?] community who believe that a
change of policy vis-a-vis Cuba is long overdue, and to counteract the
influence of the hardliners on both sides."<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm not a fan of the profanity, but some of the posts are pretty good. For example check this one out titled "<b><a href="http://ontwoshores.com/?p=232">Leaving the Hardliners Behind</a></b>" by William Vidal. <br />
<br />
The editor is <a href="http://southfloridadailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/introducing-on-two-shores.html">Alex Barreras</a>, former blogger (with Giancarlo Sopo) from the now-defunct "Generation Miami" blog and "Stuck on the Palmetto" blog. He was born and raised in Cuba, so his insight about the country and our policy is enlightening.Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-84920315022195751052012-08-14T12:45:00.002-04:002012-08-14T23:04:34.992-04:00Paul Ryan's Anti-Embargo Record<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXdHWVZgvZE/UCqTFUaVDKI/AAAAAAAAArY/pI8w_VvaQdE/s1600/ryan+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXdHWVZgvZE/UCqTFUaVDKI/AAAAAAAAArY/pI8w_VvaQdE/s200/ryan+2012.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Y</span>ou've probably <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/08/i-was-wrong-paul-ryan-has-been-brave-about-cuba/261035/">heard already</a>. The Republican pick for vice-president, Rep. Paul Ryan (WI-1), has an anti-embargo voting record, and has been <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/ryans-cuba-embargo-stance-examined-hs6g0ts-166068626.html">very clear</a> about it. So, it's no wonder some hard-liners are trying to hide this fact.<br />
<br />
A <a href="http://www.capitolhillcubans.com/2012/08/paul-ryan-on-cuba-policy.html">post</a> on the (pro-embargo) Capitol Hill Cubans blog first raised my curiosity. It was apparent that the author was trying to hide Rep. Paul Ryan's voting record before 2007, and giving him an excuse by describing Rep. Ryan as an "unconditional free trader." (For hard-liners on Cuba, there is no room for other principles except unconditional sanctions.)<br />
<br />
Even the boys at the Babalu blog did some quick work to hide Rep. Ryan's anti-embargo stance. Following the rumors that circulated on Friday, Humberto Fontova was the first to warn readers of Rep. Ryan's anti-embargo feelings. Fontova titled his post after a 2008 Ryan quote: "If we're going to have free trade with China, why not Cuba?"[<a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4TaYmvdKad8J:babalublog.com/2012/08/if-were-going-to-have-free-trade-with-china-why-not-cuba-rep-paul-ryan-dec-2008/+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us">cached link</a>/<a href="http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa284/mambiwatch/fontova-ryan.jpg">screenshot</a>] The post was soon removed. It was later responded with a <a href="http://babalublog.com/2012/08/ryan-vs-obama-on-the-embargo-ill-take-ryan/">post</a> by Babalu economic super-genius Henry Louis Gomez who was an "economics major in college." According to Gomez, "99.9% of people" (including renowned libertarians like <a href="http://www.hoover.org/publications/hoover-digest/article/7125">Milton Friedman</a> and <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19980723&id=fEdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MusDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1851,5155352">William F. Buckley</a> who opposed the U.S. embargo towards Cuba) don't understand Cuba like he does.<br />
<br />
In reality, <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/1630/Cuba.aspx">national polling</a> shows about 50% of Americans are opposed to the embargo (39% in favor, 10% undecided), so Gomez is being a little paranoid. But, it seems that Rep. Paul Ryan <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/ryans-cuba-embargo-stance-examined-hs6g0ts-166068626.html">in 2002</a> was with the majority:<b> </b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"The embargo doesn't work. It is a failed policy. It was probably
justified when the Soviet Union existed and posed a threat through Cuba.
I think it's become more of a crutch for Castro to use to repress his
people. All the problems he has, he blames the American embargo... [Cuban-Americans] have their reasons [for supporting the embargo] and
they're very passionate about their reasons, I just don't agree with
them and never have." </b></blockquote>
So, the question now is why did Rep. Ryan change his position on the embargo? Did a grown-man with strong free market convictions get "educated" on the embargo as Mauricio Claver-Carone <a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/08/flip-flop-or-evolution-paul-ryans-cuban-embargo-stance-could-be-a-sore-point-in-miami-dade.html">told</a> the <i>Miami Herald</i>?<br />
<br />
I seriously doubt it.<br />
<br />
--- [<i>Below are Rep. Paul Ryan's House votes in opposition to the U.S. embargo on Cuba</i>] ---<br />
<ul>
<li><b>July 25, 2001</b>: Amendment to prohibit funding to administer the Cuban Assets Control Regulations with respect to any travel or travel related transaction. <b>Rep. Ryan (WI) voted Aye</b>, [<i><a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll270.xml">Roll Call 270</a>, <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:HR02590:">HR 2590</a></i>]. </li>
<li><b> July 25, 2001</b>: Amendment sought to prohibit the use of funds in the bill to implement, administer, or enforce the economic embargo of Cuba. <b>Rep. Ryan (WI) voted Aye</b> [<i><a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll271.xml">Roll Call 271</a>, <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:HR02590:">HR 2590</a></i>].</li>
<li><b>September 21, 2004</b>: Amendment prohibits funds in the bill from being used to enforce certain regulations restricting family travel to Cuba.
<b>Rep. Ryan (WI) voted Aye</b> [<i><a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll460.xml">Roll Call 460</a>, <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR05025:">HR 5025</a></i>].</li>
<li><b>September 22, 2004</b>: An amendment to insert the following new section on page 166 after line
3: Sec. 647. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to
implement, administer, or enforce the economic embargo of Cuba, as
defined in section 4(7) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity
(LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-114), except that the foregoing
limitation does not apply to the administration of a tax tariff. <b>Rep. Ryan (WI) voted Aye</b> [<i><a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll461.xml">Roll Call 461</a>, <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR05025:">HR 5025</a></i>].</li>
<li><b>June 15, 2005</b>: An amendment to prohibit use of funds in the bill to implement,
administer, or enforce regulations relating to amendments made to the
Code of Federal Regulations relating to license exemptions for gift
parcels and humanitarian donations for Cuba.
<b>Rep. Ryan (WI) voted Aye </b>[<a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll254.xml"><i>Roll Call 254</i></a>, <i><a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR02862:">HR 2862</a></i>].</li>
</ul>
Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-26042088635515816812012-07-23T00:15:00.001-04:002012-08-11T15:50:45.325-04:00Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas (1952 - 2012) [Updated]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9W1VrrikAG8/UAy8QUd-nyI/AAAAAAAAArM/_b7E4bM5LUg/s1600/Paya1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9W1VrrikAG8/UAy8QUd-nyI/AAAAAAAAArM/_b7E4bM5LUg/s320/Paya1.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>ccording to reports from witnesses and family, Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas died Sunday (July 22) afternoon in a car accident near the city of Bayamo. According to the Cuban website <a href="http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2012/07/22/dos-personas-fallecen-en-lamentable-accidente-de-transito-en-la-provincia-granma/">CubaDebate</a>, the accident occurred around 1:50 p.m., 14 miles from Bayamo. Another passenger, Harold Cepero Escalante, died in the crash and two others survived.<br />
<br />
As expected, there are already conflicting reports about the cause of the car accident. CubaDebate reports the car "lost control and crashed into a tree" based on eyewitnesses. But, according to Cuban blogger <a href="https://twitter.com/yoanifromcuba/status/227189210640171010">Yoani Sanchez</a>, Paya's vehicle "was hit by another [car] and went off the road" according to witnesses. Oswaldo Payá's <a href="http://www.oswaldopaya.org/es/2012/07/23/declaracion-de-rosa-maria-paya-hija-de-oswaldo-paya/">daughter</a>, Rosa Maria, also makes the assertion that the car was intentionally hit based on "information we received from the young men who were traveling with [Payá]."<br />
<br />
Investigations are currently underway. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1980621.stm">In 2002</a>, Oswaldo Payá became one of Cuba's best known dissidents when he led a petition campaign, the Varela Project, for political reforms and collected over 11,000 signatures. Days later, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1988192.stm">Jimmy Carter visited Cuba</a> and mentioned the Varela Project during a nationally televised speech at the University of Havana. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3163048.stm">In 2003</a>, the Varela Project was able to collect over 14,000 signatures in its continued campaign for political reforms.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y05/mar05/03o3.htm">In Miami</a>, the Varela Project was rejected by Cuban exile militants and hard-liners who felt that petitioning within the legal system would create "a dangerous legitimation of the dictatorship." For some militants it was total betrayal. In its <a href="http://www.oswaldopaya.org/es/proyecto-varela/">detail and character</a>, the Varela Project also posed a philosophical challenge to post-Castro transition plans designed by Miami hard-liners who reject ideas of amnesty and forgiveness of past crimes.<br />
<br />
Now, in response to Payá's death, many will debate where the Varela Project stands. In recent public comments, Cuban exile <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM1Lf5bsaig">Marcelino Miyares</a> has said that "the moment of the [Varela] Project has passed. I don't think it will have a resurrection."<br />
<br />
--- [Update 1] ---<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.abc.es/20120723/internacional/abci-reacciones-muerte-oswaldo-paya-201207231658.html">Recent reports</a> reveal that Oswaldo Payá had been in another car accident last month in Havana. According to Oswaldo's brother Carlos, Oswaldo was riding in a van that flipped over after being hit by another car. Oswaldo suffered only bruises, and did not inform the international media out of prudence. Carlos is demanding an investigation to clarify what happened yesterday. On the other hand, Oswaldo Paya's widow, Ofelia Acevedo, <a href="http://www.martinoticias.com/content/article/13058.html">is rejecting reports</a> that Payá's car lost control, and believes that the car was intentionally attacked by another vehicle. She cites "friends" that have heard this information directly from the survivors of the car accident.<br />
<br />
The two survivors of the car accident that killed Oswaldo Payá have been identified as Ángel Carromero and Jens Aron Modig, both associated with political organizations wishing to cooperate with Cuban dissidents. According to <a href="http://www.elreferente.es/actualidad/internacional/angel-carromero-sin-heridas-de-gravedad-y-a-la-espera-de-regresar-de-cuba-22045">this report</a> from Spain, Carromero was driving at the time of the accident, but was released from the Bayamo hospital with only a minor head injury. Carromero has been in contact with friends in Spain and being accompanied by Álvaro Kirpatrick, Spanish Consul in Havana. Carromero has already his eyewitness account to police in Cuba, but has yet to make public statements to the media.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, Spanish-language media is already presenting Oswaldo Payá's death as "premeditated." <a href="http://www.telemundo51.com/noticias/Muere-Oswaldo-Paya-disidente-cubano-accidente-Cuba-163354956.html">Telemundo 51</a> and <a href="http://univision23.univision.com/videos/video/2012-07-22/sospechas-por-muerte-de-osvaldo">Univision 23</a> both use the word "premeditated" in their reports to describe the car accident. On the radio today, Ramon Saul Sanchez described the car accident as part of a "gradual extermination" of Cuban dissidents. And<a href="http://www.diariolasamericas.com/noticia/143268/44/la-rara-muerte-de-oswaldo-paya-en-cuba"> <i>Diario Las Americas</i></a> today describes yesterday's tragedy as what "responsible people call a provoked accident."<br />
<br />
An <a href="http://www.telemundo51.com/noticias/Muere-Oswaldo-Paya-disidente-cubano-accidente-Cuba-163354956.html">online poll</a> conducted yesterday by Telemundo 51 showed that 93% of viewers (from over 200 votes) believe the death of Oswaldo Payá was "premeditated."<br />
<br />
--- [Update 2] ---<br />
<br />
The reported driver of the car which crashed on Sunday, killing Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá, is still in the city of Bayamo and being questioned by police. According to <a href="http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/07/24/internacional/1343147971.html">recent reports</a>, Ángel Carromero again has been questioned about the tragic accident and being kept in Bayamo until investigations are complete. He is still being accompanied by Álvaro Kirpatrick, Spanish Consul in Havana.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, but not yet confirmed, a recent <a href="http://noticias.univision.com/america-latina/cuba/article/2012-07-24/angel-carromero-declaro-accidente-muerte-paya?ftloc=channel1460:wcmWidgetUimStage&ftpos=channel1460:wcmWidgetUimStage:1">Univision article</a> reports that Carromero "did not see a traffic sign to reduce speed. For that reason he lost control of the vehicle and fell by an incline." The local website <a href="http://cafefuerte.com/cuba/noticias-de-cuba/sociedad/2044-publican-fotos-del-auto-accidentado-donde-viajaba-paya-sardinas"><i>Cafe Fuerte</i></a> has also found two photos of the crashed vehicle that killed Payá and Harold Cepero. The damage looks like the car did indeed hit a tree near the back, killing both Payá and Cepero who reportedly sat in the back.<br />
<br />
--- [Update 3] ---<br />
<br />
A report from <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/24/cuba-dissident-idINS1E86N00120120724">Reuters</a> (Rosa Tania Valdes) cites "european diplomats" close to survivors of the crash confirming the crash was accidental: "<span id="articleText">The diplomats, who asked not to be identified, said it
appeared the vehicle, traveling at well above the speed limit,
hit a large pot hole, veered off the road and hit a tree." It also appears that the driver,</span> Ángel Carromero,<span id="articleText"> may also face criminal charges of reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="articleText">--- [Update 4] ---</span><br />
<br />
<span id="articleText">On Friday (July 27), the Cuban Interior Ministry released an <a href="http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2012/07/27/nota-oficial-del-ministerio-del-interior/">official statement</a> (<i><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19022749">BBC</a>/<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/27/v-fullstory/2916400/havana-says-paya-died-in-a-one.html">Miami Herald</a></i>) concerning the car crash that killed Cuban dissidents </span>Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero earlier this week. According to the statement, Ángel Carromero was driving the vehicle carrying Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero in the backseat. Another passenger, Jens Aron Modig, was sitting in the front passenger seat, asleep just before the accident. The car spun out of control after it suddenly stopped on top of an unpaved road under construction, hitting a tree and fatally injuring Payá and Cepero. It is suspected that the car was traveling over 70 mph.<br />
<br />
The details of the crash were prepared by four experts in Cuba, each with over 8 years of experience in different fields. The statement provides the names of the experts and the Cuban eyewitnesses that provided statements to the police. The note ends stating that official investigations are still underway.<br />
<br />
In response, the widow of Oswaldo Payá, Ofelia Acevedo, <a href="http://www.abc.es/20120728/internacional/abci-viuda-paya-rechaza-version-201207280446.html">has rejected the official note</a> and is demanding to speak with the survivors of the crash (who remain in Cuba while the investigation is underway), and a review of the evidence by independent experts in Cuba.<br />
<br />
--- [Update 5] ---<br />
<br />
On Monday (July 30), the Cuban government arranged a press conference allowing survivor of the crash Aron Modig to answer questions for the international press. Modig, who was asleep just before the accident, told reporters he had no recollection of a second vehicle involved in the crash. He also assured the press that his statements were sincere and would not change when he leaves Cuba. Modig explained that his goals inside Cuba were to help organize a youth-led version of Oswaldo Payá's Christian Liberation Movement. He planned to donate thousands of dollars to those dissidents. Modig later apologized saying he didn't know it was illegal to fund a dissident movement inside Cuba.<br />
<br />
The press conference (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McEmIUOidzY">edited video</a>) also included a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBOphUw5RM8">video presentation</a> with recorded statements by Modig, Ángel Carromero, the other crash survivor, and a computer-generated reconstruction of the accident. In the video, Carromero stated that there was no second vehicle involved in the crash and that he had simply lost control of the vehicle after braking on a gravel section of an unfinished road. He also confirmed that Modig and himself planned to help organize a youth-led dissident movement, and visit dissidents with Payá in Santiago de Cuba. [<i>Sources:</i> <i><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/30/v-fullstory/2921852/european-survivors-of-crash-in.html">Miami Herald</a>/<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19056596">BBC</a>/<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2012/07/120730_cuba_paya_testigos_cch.shtml">BBC Mundo</a></i> (<i>includes video</i>)]<br />
<br />
--- [Update 6] ---<br />
<br />
On <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/10364537">July 31</a>, Ángel Carromero was officially charged with "homicide while driving a vehicle on public roads" and now faces one to ten years in prison. Meanwhile in Madrid, investigations found that Carromero had committed several traffic infractions (45 fines since March 2011, including 3 for speeding) and was notified last May that his license faced suspension. On <a href="http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2012/08/09/actualidad/1344541175_285853.html">August 9</a> his license was officially suspended.<br />
<br />
The other survivor of the tragic accident, Aron Modig, gave his first interview since leaving Cuba to a Swedish newspaper. It was published on <a href="http://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/sa-har-blir-kubaner-behandlade-varje-dag">August 10</a> (<a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dn.se%2Fnyheter%2Fsverige%2Fsa-har-blir-kubaner-behandlade-varje-dag">Google English translation</a>/<a href="http://www.martinoticias.com/content/article/13636.html">Spanish translation</a>), and reveals some important details of Modig's experience after the crash. Modig, clearly free from any form of persuasion, reiterated that he was asleep just before the accident and only remembers seeing the car out of control before he lost consciousness. Modig describes being regularly interrogated by Cuban police about his plans in Cuba (but not about the accident), and confined five days in a house where he was kept until his appearance before the international press. Modig was allowed to leave the country thereafter. Modig says he's very concerned about Ángel Carromero in Cuba. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.europapress.es/latam/cuba/noticia-cuba-espana-admite-relaciones-cuba-siempre-son-dificiles-confia-traer-carromero-vuelta-20120810152357.html">In Spain</a>, International Cooperation Secretary of State for Ibero-America Jesús Gracia Aldaz has publicly stated that he is optimistic in getting Carromero released from prison, and working with the Cuban government to achieve this despite "difficult" relations over the years.<br />
<br />
[<a href="http://www.oswaldopaya.org/es/acerca-de-cuba/about-oswaldo/">Official biography</a> of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas]<br />
<br />
[Tracy Eaton from <a href="http://alongthemalecon.blogspot.com/">Along the Malecon</a> blog interviewed Oswaldo Payá last year at length. It is <a href="http://vimeo.com/24140176">here in Spanish</a>.]<br />
<br />
[<i>Photo by <a href="http://news.daylife.com/photo/09YJ9243mM5xj">Getty Images</a></i> / <i>Oswaldo Payá posing by a sculpture that represents the oppression of the Cuban people on December 13, 2002 in Havana.</i><i></i>]Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-23870808406183022382012-04-09T23:44:00.019-04:002012-05-09T12:56:33.752-04:00Punishing Ozzie Guillen for Being Himself [Updated]<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3pWlYrgvHvk/T4PGjXdB7pI/AAAAAAAAArE/0GN-MjhXaC4/s1600/guillen.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729641461838900882" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3pWlYrgvHvk/T4PGjXdB7pI/AAAAAAAAArE/0GN-MjhXaC4/s200/guillen.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 116px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 180%;">C</span>uban exiles in Miami have every right to be offended by the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/marlins/story/2012-04-09/ozzie-guillen-castro-controversy/54136806/1">remarks of Ozzie Guillen</a>, but not the right to punish him and the Miami Marlins for it. If they truly are believers of human rights (and the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/">Universal Declaration of Human Rights</a>), then Cuban exiles should understand that punishing Guillen would constitute a violation (as interference) of his "right to freedom of opinion" (Article 19). Also, as devout Christians, Cuban exiles should accept Guillen's public apology, forgive him and withdraw any threat of sanction. If Guillen is punished for his personal opinions the example of hypocrisy would have negative effects for the entire Miami community. Instead, the Miami Marlins should take advantage of the moment and make extraordinary gestures to resolve several problems it already has with the entire Miami community since the construction of their new stadium in Little Havana.<br />
<br />
BEING OFFENDED<br />
<br />
In a <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2110450,00.html">recent interview</a> with <span style="font-style: italic;">Time Magazine</span> (Sean Gregory), Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen made these remarks: "I love Fidel Castro... I respect Fidel Castro. You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that (expletive) is still here."<br />
<br />
In Miami, any positive comment about Fidel Castro marks you for ostracism. This is mainly due to current U.S. policy that still characterize the leaders of the Cuban government as official enemies, a large Cuban exile community that has made their suffering at the hands of the Cuban government a core part of their collective identity and a local media that regularly presents negative stories and views about Cuba.<br />
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In some sectors of Miami, some are still at war with the Cuban government. And that means Fidel Castro is the worst enemy of all (guilty of worse crimes than Hitler according to Armando Perez-Roura of Radio Mambi). Therefore, to speak positively about Fidel Castro is a virtual crime for some in Miami. And, being offended is only the beginning.<br />
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PUNISHMENT<br />
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The controversial comments by Ozzie Guillen were quickly noticed by the local Spanish media on Friday, but only today did local leaders react. While Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado has <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/10/2739834/guillens-act-already-wearing-thin.html">accepted Guillen's apology</a>, other Cuban exile leaders, like Miami-Dade County Chairman Joe Martinez [<a href="http://cbsmiami.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/lettertoloria.pdf">PDF</a>] and Miami City Commissioner Francis Suarez [<a href="http://www.miamigov.com/home/docs/Headlines/2012/04-Marlins.pdf">PDF</a>] have written letters demanding Guillen's resignation or removal as manager<a href="http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/04/09/guillens-apology-for-castro-comments-met-with-skepticism/"></a>. The county mayor, Carlos Jimenez, has called for some action, but did not demand a resignation.<br />
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Concerning public opinion, local Spanish news station Univision 23 conducted an <a href="http://univision23.univision.com/encuestas/poll/2012-04-09/ozzie-guillen-miam-marlins-hablo-castro">online poll</a> showing a 58% majority (from over 300 votes) favoring some form of company sanction against Guillen, but not specifying the kind. (By comparison, an <a href="http://www.wgntv.com/sports/breaking/fl-ozzie-guillen-poll-0409,0,320011,post.poll">online poll from Chicago</a>, Guillen's former home, showed 58% favoring no punishment at all.) And, a <span style="font-style: italic;">Miami Herald</span> <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/10/v-fullstory/2739843/miami-marlins-ozzie-guillen-in.html">online poll</a> found a majority of readers (56% from over 1000 votes) disagreed that Guillen should resign.<br />
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FORGIVENESS<br />
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There are some who are willing to give Ozzie Guillen a second chance. One of them is Cuban exile and <a href="http://baseballhall.org/awards/ford-c-frick/2001-ford-c-frick-award-winner-felo-ramirez">Baseball Hall of Fame announcer</a> Felo Ramirez. Ramirez is the official voice of the Miami Marlins games heard on Radio Mambi and <a href="http://radiomambi710.univision.com/noticias/article/2011-11-01/una-calle-para-felo-ramirez">greatly admired</a> throughout the community for his radio work. <a href="http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/11/02/streets-renamed-near-new-marlins-ballpark/">Last year</a>, he was awarded with a street-naming near the construction of the new Miami Marlins Stadium.<br />
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And, today Ramirez revealed on Spanish-language radio ("Prohibido Callarse" show on WQBA) that he had personally forgiven Ozzie Guillen for his controversial comments and hoped that everyone would give Guillen a chance to explain himself (<a href="http://univision23.univision.com/videos/video/2012-04-09/ozzie-guillen-se-disculpa-comentarios-con-felo-ramirez">Univision23 report</a>). Guillen will have that opportunity on Tuesday morning in a Miami press conference.<br />
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From another personal perspective, local sports reporter Will Manso (WPLG) <a href="http://www.local10.com/sports/will-manso/Marlins-Guillen-needs-to-clear-the-air/-/3227310/10371354/-/kbk6m3/-/index.html">writes</a> that he has known Ozzie Guillen for years and is confident that "Guillen wasn't trying to say he was pro-Castro," as many in Miami are interpreting it. Manso also says: "<span id=""> I think when people see his sincere apology, this issue will die down and Guillen and the team can go on with the season."</span><br />
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Every person deserves forgiveness. At its foundation it assumes that every free person can change for the better, and therefore the act provides freedom and hope for all. But, if one is threatened with punishment for being offensive, then it assumes that freedom is conditional and that some people don't have the capacity to freely improve themselves.<br />
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RECONCILIATION<br />
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If our local leaders consider the principles of human rights, their own personal religious beliefs, and of course the opinions of the public, then I see a good outcome: Guillen will be forgiven, the Miami Marlins will be given a chance to make amends, and community relations will improve.<br />
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Its an ideal scenario, and it could serve as an example for the future when the U.S. attempts reconciliation with Cuba. From another angle, Guillen's comments did provoke something that has been totally missed by the media: the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/638_Ways_to_Kill_Castro">many failed assassination attempts</a> against Fidel Castro, some which included assassination attempts by the U.S. government during the 60s and should be considered violations of "basic constitutional principles" and "traditional American beliefs" (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9fofPDp9vMoC">Jones, 2008</a>). Failed U.S. operations during the 60s to overthrow the Cuban government also helped Fidel Castro present himself as an effective and morally superior revolutionary leader for years to come.<br />
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In a<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/08/in_pictures_cuban_rap/html/8.stm"> 2008 BBC report</a>, one young Cuban rapper expressed that "Fidel is an idol for me." The article reported that "many [young Cubans] still respect [Fidel Castro] as the leader of the revolution and the man who has defied the United States time and again."<br />
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Americans and Cuban-Americans will have to confront these opinions at some point in the future. They won't be able to condemn or punish all of them as easily as Ozzie Guillen. These are Cubans expressing and being themselves. So how will they reconcile with those opinions? The result of Tuesday's press conference should give us an indication.<br />
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--- [Update] ---<br />
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Ozzie Guillen was given a 5-game suspension by the Miami Marlins (<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120410&content_id=28317734">supported by</a> Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig) and apologized several times before a Miami press conference Tuesday morning. You can listen to most of the event <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXSN7vodSJU" style="font-weight: bold;">here</a>. Response to English questions begin at the 10:30 mark.<br />
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Guillen partly blamed translation errors for his published controversial comments. In response to one question Guillen clearly denied saying "I love Fidel Castro." Another reporter brought up a <a href="http://www.mensjournal.com/ozzie-guillen">2008 interview</a> where Guillen said "I admire [Fidel Castro]." Guillen responded today by saying "I don't admire him. How can I admire him?"<br />
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Guillen also mentioned that he met with some Cuban exile members before the press conference (members of the Ladies in White and the Cuban American National Foundation according to <a href="http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=1500647">this report</a>) where during their discussion Guillen received "advice" and "learned a little bit more about the Cuban regime." Guillen described how during their conversation he felt shame in front of them, unable to look directly into their eyes.<br />
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Near the end of the press conference Guillen concluded: "What I [think] is that [Fidel Castro is] a person that the whole world hates. Including me. And I hate him for the harm he has done towards many Latinos and many people of his country."<br />
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--- [Update 2] ---<br />
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Angel de Fana, one of the founding members of the Cuban exile organization <a href="http://www.plantados.org/?page_id=3166"><span style="font-style: italic;">Plantados</span></a>, today revealed that he was one of the invited guests that had a private meeting with Ozzie Guillen before this morning's press conference. Appearing on the MegaTV political talk show "<a href="http://mega.tv/las-3-caras-de-la-moneda.php">Tres Caras de la Moneda</a>" (Three Sides of the Coin), Angel de Fana described a group of about 7 to 8 guest that had been invited to personally receive Guillen's apology. De Fana said he though Guillen's apology was sincere and then the group suggested a way for Guillen to possibly repair his relationship with Cuban exiles: become active with "la causa." Speaking out publicly about the Ladies in White and Cuban political prisoners were two examples mentioned.<br />
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In a related report by Telemundo51, Marilys Llanos interviewed another Cuban exile that was invited to personally meet with Ozzie Guillen this morning: Ladies in White member Maria Elena Alpizar. She told Telemundo51 that she forgave Guillen for his sincere apology, and described how the invited guests had advised Guillen to become more involved with Cuban exile groups. Specifically, after describing Guillen as a wealthy man, Elena Alpizar said that if Guillen helps out these groups monetarily, they would be willing to help out Guillen make amends within the exile community.<br />
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--- [Update 3] ---<br />
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Some other interesting articles and video over the suspension of Ozzie Guillen:<br />
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- <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17667775" style="font-weight: bold;">"Can Miami Speak Freely on Castro?"</a> by Fernando Peinado (BBC Mundo)<br />
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- <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2012/04/ozzie-guillen-apology-fidel-castro/1#.T4UQw9XAGq0" style="font-weight: bold;">USA Today article</a> by Paul White; includes an online poll with over 7000 votes, and a three-way split over whether Guillen's remarks were fairly dealt with.<br />
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- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtfLawaHFIs" style="font-weight: bold;">Excellent points</a> made by sports writer David Zirin in a Current television interview.<br />
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- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-dym7vdcdA"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">El Show de Fernando Hidalgo</span></a> on local Miami station <a href="http://www.americateve.com/fernando">AmericaTeVe</a> performs a song calling for the "total suspension" of Ozzie Guillen.<br />
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--- [Update 4] ---<br />
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According to three online polls and one telephone survey by ESPN, the majority opinion after Ozzie Guillen's suspension is that the suspension was either too harsh or fair (above 60%). The minority opinion believes Guillen should be fired or suspended much longer. It's a stark contrast to what Miami leaders, like Commissioners Joe Martinez and Francis Suarez, the Hialeah City Council and the Latin Builders Association have demanded: Guillen's resignation. But its not surprising to see our political leaders not representing the voice of the people.<br />
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Here's a <a href="http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa284/mambiwatch/OnlinepollsonGuillenSuspension2012.jpg">screen shot</a> of the three online polls together. The first on the left is from the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-ozzie-guillen-20120411,0,211682.story" style="font-style: italic;">L.A. Times</a>, the next one is from <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/11/2739843/miami-marlins-ozzie-guillen-in.html" style="font-style: italic;">The Miami Herald</a> and the last on the right is from the <a href="http://radiomambi710.univision.com/">Radio Mambi</a> (Univision Radio) website.<br />
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The <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7800872/miami-survey-says-marlins-ozzie-guillen-keep-job">ESPN phone survey</a> is the most specific and informative. It found that "nearly two-thirds of Miami residents, and 56 percent of Cuban-Americans, think Guillen should keep his job."<br />
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---<br />
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Finally, it seems that <i>El Mundo</i> reporter Rui Ferreira managed to upload some <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ruiefe1/videos">videos</a> of the morning protest in front of the Marlins Stadium. In one video, you can see how a supporter of Guillen's right to freedom of expression is harassed by anti-Guillen demonstrators as she leaves the stadium.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QR9GjpEumWU" width="560"></iframe><br />
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[<a href="http://news.daylife.com/photo/04LadKY4ug7Lv"><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo by Getty Images</span></a>]Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-9282479943080890112012-03-14T15:45:00.004-04:002012-03-15T17:25:22.421-04:00Alan Gross: Stuck Between Havana and Washington<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pCaybYTdg5g/T2FpfUGbKeI/AAAAAAAAAq4/OxYpLewgETY/s1600/havana-washington.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 106px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pCaybYTdg5g/T2FpfUGbKeI/AAAAAAAAAq4/OxYpLewgETY/s320/havana-washington.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719968988429756898" border="0" /></a>"<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Alan is a pawn from a failed policy between the two governments… two countries that don’t have diplomatic relations</span>."<br /><br />That's a recent <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/73931.html">quote</a> from Judy Gross explaining why her husband, Alan Gross, is still jailed in Cuba for operating clandestinely as a USAID contractor inside the island. Alan Gross was sentenced to 15 years in jail <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/maryland-contractor-alan-gross-draws-15-year-sentence-in-cuba/2011/03/12/ABL6lMS_story.html">last March</a>, and his supporters are now hoping to win his release on humanitarian grounds.<br /><br /><a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/06/opinion/la-oe-leogrande-alangross-20111206">Last December</a>, Cuba experts <span> William M. LeoGrande and Peter Kornbluh drew similar conclusions about the Gross case and explained that</span> "the poisonous bilateral atmosphere between the two countries" is the "main obstacle to [Alan Gross'] release." But, despite the <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=37LopzbPotYC">historical facts</a> about US-Cuba relations, some still believe that stronger sanctions on Cuba can help free Alan Gross.<br /><br />On the Capitol Hill Cubans blog you will notice two posts with identical titles: "How to Free American Hostages." The <a href="http://www.capitolhillcubans.com/2012/03/how-to-free-american-hostages.html">first one</a> was posted March 1st and links to an op-ed originally written last December by a friend of Alan Gross. The author argues that since "neither the U.S. nor Cuba is willing to negotiate an exchange [between Gross and the Cuban Five]" Washington should threaten to cut off remittances and flights to Cuba and pressure the government to free Gross. The <a href="http://www.capitolhillcubans.com/2012/03/how-to-free-american-hostages_08.html">second post</a> was posted March 8th and links to an op-ed by Otto Reich. Reich makes the same recommendations to threaten the Cuban government with, but argues that threats are effective because they worked in the case of NGO workers <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/01/us-egypt-usa-state-idUSTRE8201SP20120301">released from Egypt recently</a>.<br /><br />While the first post ignores the fact that restrictions on remittances and travel to Cuba from the U.S. has failed in the past, the second post from Otto Reich omits several important elements to the Egypt story. In fact, to compare Egypt and Cuba is astonishing and seems like a deliberate attempt at propaganda.<br /><br />Aside from the HUGE differences in American diplomatic relations between Egypt and Cuba, threats alone didn't win the release of NGO workers in Egypt as Otto Reich argues. On the contrary, the threat from the U.S. to cut off $1.3 billion in military aid <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/03/us-egypt-usa-idUSTRE81223S20120203">followed days of meetings</a> between State department and Egyptian military officials in Washington, and preceded a <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/02/senators-very-optimistic-about-americans-held-in-egypt/1">Congressional delegation meeting</a> with military leaders in Cairo. It is also likely that the threat was mostly political bluster since military aid to Egypt has<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/29/us-egypt-usa-aid-idUSTRE70S0IN20110129"> averaged $2 billion annually since 1979</a> (even despite worsening human rights abuses which were <a href="http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2009/egypt">ignored as conditions for aid</a> during the Bush administration) and <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/16/us-usa-egypt-aid-idUSTRE81F1V220120216">highly prized</a> by U.S. military leaders.<br /><br />Alan Gross is a victim, like many others, of the terrible relations between Havana and Washington. And, in this political climate you will always have hard-liners take advantage of the opportunity to push their terrible policies. And, they sometimes succeed. But, after half a century of the same policies, back and forth, it sometimes feels like you are trapped, like a victim yourself.<br /><br />[<span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://cubantriangle.blogspot.com/search/label/usaid">Further details and updates</a> about the Alan Gross case can be found on the Cuban Triangle blog</span>.]Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-61277862455499330892012-03-09T22:00:00.009-05:002012-03-09T22:19:57.733-05:00"Hooked" by Tijerón<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDKPT5NBlM4/T1rESPT4inI/AAAAAAAAAqs/5DSOR8aQmXc/s1600/typing.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 98px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDKPT5NBlM4/T1rESPT4inI/AAAAAAAAAqs/5DSOR8aQmXc/s200/typing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718098494526884466" border="0" /></a>[<span style="font-style: italic;">Time for a post from a reader of Mambi Watch*. Thanks to Tijerón for his submission which I found interesting to read as another listener of Radio Mambi. If anyone else would like to submit stories just e-mail me. It can be it critical or supportive of Spanish-language media in Miami covering Cuba</span>.]<br /><br /><br />“Poor bastard.” I think that’s the closest translation in English. Ninoska Perez-Castellon on Radio Mambi likes to say “poor bastard” (<span style="font-style: italic;">pobre infeliz</span>) a lot.<br /><br />When she informs her Miami audience that a Cuban is waiting to receive construction material from the regime, or when discussing how doctors are exported to Venezuela for oil, or when sex-tourism, Cuban athletes or island godlessness are dissected, anyone living in Cuba is labeled a "poor bastard" if they are not fighting against Castro.<br /><br />“Poor bastard.” It means their existence both saddens and offends her. Yet, she is far more offended than saddened since her solution for Cubans, other than US invasion, is to starve them until they successfully revolt or die. Anything perceived as compromise or conformity inside Cuba is intolerable. So, she labels them the way she pleases.<br /><br />Ninoska’s views became clear to me one day when listening to her radio show. A caller who had recently arrived from Cuba had this to say:<br /><br />"Why don't Cubans in Miami want to help us? You are against tourists coming here, against anyone who sends money to the island. We need help!"<br /><br />Ninoska replied:<br /><br />"Any money going to the island helps prolong the Castro-communist regime. You are a product of a system that degenerates the human spirit. The only way to free Cuba and Cubans is to cut the resources of the state."<br /><br />When I first heard this I did not know what to make of it. Now, everyday the shock of Radio Mambi rivals reality TV and video games.<br /><br />As a Latin American that has never before cared about Cuba, today I’m hooked on the biggest political battle local Hispanic media has to offer; where political ideology hammers mutual empathy and understanding daily.<br /><br />[*<span style="font-style: italic;">Edited by Mambi Watch</span>]Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-7701835910388122682012-02-17T17:29:00.004-05:002012-02-22T09:54:03.906-05:00What Embargo? [Part 2]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tFxEt5OtYy4/T0UBbvxiBOI/AAAAAAAAAqg/ipAMgCrU2ac/s1600/60%2Band%2B62%2Bembargo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tFxEt5OtYy4/T0UBbvxiBOI/AAAAAAAAAqg/ipAMgCrU2ac/s200/60%2Band%2B62%2Bembargo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711973278581654754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;">O</span>ver the decades, countless arguments have been made for keeping the US embargo (e.g. Soviet threat, property nationalization, approaching success, violation of human rights). In Miami, no two defenders will have the same defense. And, asking "What embargo?" is not only an effective excuse from again defending a half-century of sanctions, but it also expresses widespread exhaustion and disappointment with the effectiveness of current policy. But, despite its accepted failure, embargo defenders still view the embargo as the fine line that protects the Cuban exile identity, the necessary line that divides friend and enemy.<br /><br />EXILE NEWS BUBBLE<br /><br />I was listening to Nancy Perez Crespo on WWFE (670 AM) last week. She appeared shocked to see that <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Diario Las Americas</span>, whose editors are <a href="http://www.diariolasamericas.com/noticia/135126/44/the-fiftieth-anniversary-of-the-u-s-trade-embargo-on-cuba">hard-liners on Cuba policy</a>, published an <a href="http://www.diariolasamericas.com/noticia/135042/45/el-embargo-de-eeuu-a-cuba-cumple-medio-siglo">EFE article</a> on the 50th Anniversary of the embargo which she thought was intolerable. She barely got halfway through reading the article on-air because she refused to accept the article's contention that economic reforms have been implemented in Cuba. "What reforms?," she asked. Maybe not the reforms that Perez Crespo had in mind. But, it seems, even to suggest any change in the cruelty of your enemy is unacceptable. God forbid the enemy does change and produces the need for a new strategy.<br /><br />Upon the 50th anniversary, embargo defenders in Miami had to remind themselves why they should remain committed. <a href="http://nuevoaccion.blogspot.com/2012/02/un-aniversario-mas-de-el-embargo.html">One example</a> came from Jesus Marzo Fernandez, former Cuban official who defected in 1996, and now a local "expert" on the Cuban economy (appearing countless times on Spanish-language TV and radio). Last week, Fernandez outlined chronologically why the US embargo was justified. Fernandez begins: "1960 - During this year 473 citizens were executed by firing squad, unprecedented in Cuban history." Interestingly, his chronology ends on October 24, 1960 when supposedly all American companies in Cuba have been nationalized. In fact, most of the dates in the timeline have to do with Cuban intervention and nationalization of foreign companies during the 60s, and therefore we can assume that Fernandez, like others in Miami, believe the embargo is justified because of these nationalizations (without fair compensation).<br /><br />But, as usual, the timeline is incorrect and misleading.<br /><br />There's no mention that both Washington and Havana <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=40UaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xCUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3059%2C1044740">did attempt to negotiate </a>for fair compensation of future nationalized properties during 1959. But, the U.S. eventually <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OSYxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6wAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7351%2C2719191">rejected the compensation offer</a> of 20-year bonds. (Of course, there were huge disagreements over what was "fair" compensation, such as <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=taYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=veoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5789%2C3294712">the case of United Fruit properties</a> which Cuba estimated at around $6 million, but the company wanted around $38 million!) By the time 1960 came around, negotiation attempts were replaced with <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g4tFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=57wMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6022,1491889">escalating threats</a>. And, as mentioned in the previous post,<a href="http://www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/bayofpigs/chron.html"> throughout the 60s</a> the Eisenhower administration already had plans to overthrow the Cuban government with a covert war.<br /><br />This is the context missing from Marzo Fernandez's chronology defending the embargo. In addition, his timeline has errors. According to Fernandez, on Jan. 3, 1960 "all phosphorous plants are confiscated." I assume he means sulphur plants, which the biggest one (Moa Bay Mining Co.) <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FlVVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BD8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=3875%2C5492154">was intervened upon</a> (not confiscated) in March 1960.<br /><br />Also, Fernandez doesn't mention the accurate date the U.S. embargo began on (<a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=71XFh8zZwT8C&dat=19601019&printsec=frontpage">Oct. 19, 1960</a>), and instead makes the chronology look like the embargo followed a long series of Cuban nationalizations. On the contrary, the Cuban government confiscated <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=71XFh8zZwT8C&dat=19601025&printsec=frontpage">over 100 American companies</a> in reaction to the Eisenhower embargo. (Interestingly, Moa Bay Mining Co. was not yet confiscated.)<br /><br />WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON?<br /><br />Over the years, I've heard countless excuses on why the U.S. embargo towards Cuba should be kept. None make much sense to me, but that's because the embargo means something deeper than rational thinking. It's more about exile identity and its corresponding narrative of combating an eternal enemy. Recently, Jaime Suchlicki made it very clear (and revealing his militant side) in a <a href="http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu/FOCUS_Web/spn/Issue159SPANISH.htm">recent op-ed</a> for <em>El Nuevo Herald</em>, arguing that "<em>[a]ll forms of struggle for liberty are legitimate. <strong>The last recourse of a defenseless and oppressed people is violence. Cuba is on that road. Let us hope the last sacrifice is coming soon</strong></em>."<br /><br />Preserving the line between friend and enemy is something that draws hard-liners and militants together. And those voices are also our political leaders. As Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen once <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_E5OvJhYN4">said on Radio Mambi</a>: "<em>[it's] not very difficult Ninoska. The intellectuals want to make it like - Oh, this is so difficult, you have to look at this as very complex. <strong>No, no, no. There are friends and there are enemies. Who's side are you on?</strong></em>"<br /><br />In this world of eternal battle, who knows when intolerance, ignorance or violence may fall on either side.Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3362928104369550741.post-75227300040119922972012-02-10T19:40:00.009-05:002012-02-17T17:29:38.001-05:00What Embargo? [Part 1]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rzE_qlVHgXA/TzW9AyuV6YI/AAAAAAAAApM/ISnw36rYRTU/s1600/60%2Band%2B62%2Bembargo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rzE_qlVHgXA/TzW9AyuV6YI/AAAAAAAAApM/ISnw36rYRTU/s200/60%2Band%2B62%2Bembargo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707675924075768194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;">T</span>hat's an often repeated line from callers and guests on Radio Mambi. The denial seems to be premised on the US being one of Cuba's top trading partners since 2000 when Congress allowed exceptions for agricultural exports (with several restrictions which you can<a href="http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/cuba/cuba.asp"> look up here</a>). <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/08/14/us-cuba-usa-trade-idUSN1447847620080814">In 2007</a>, the US became Cuba's fifth-largest trading partner with approx. $582 million in agricultural sales (and approx. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/02/11/us-cuba-usa-food-idUSTRE51A8GL20090211">$710 million in 2008</a>). <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/07/2629367_p2/no-cigar-economic-embargo-on-cuba.html"> In 2010</a>, sales in food products dropped to approx. $410 million (seventh-largest trade partner with Cuba).<br /><br />Of course the embargo exists (just ask the <a href="http://www.uscubapac.com/agendaofpac2.html">US-Cuba Democracy PAC</a>), but, in Miami, hard-liners towards Cuba have grown incredibly frustrated defending the policy. The easiest way out of an argument is to say: "What embargo?" And, even the most adamant defenders of the policy know they don't have much to stand on. Let's take a look.<br /><br />THE EMBARGO BEGAN IN 1960<br /><br />Lot of articles were written this week about the US embargo towards Cuba, and its 50th year in operation. But, the embargo actually began in 1960 under the Eisenhower administration when US exports were cut. You can see from the picture above (courtesy of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Miami News</span> on Google Archives), the top headline is from 1960, and the bottom one is the Kennedy administration's ban on imports from Cuba in 1962 (good chronology of US sanctions on Cuba here [<a href="http://piie.com/publications/papers/sanctions-cuba-60-3.pdf">PDF</a>]). This is an important distinction because the Eisenhower administration made the goals of economic sanctions against Cuba very clear. <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/08/opinion/la-oe-mcelvaine-cuba-20110908">Last year</a>, historian Robert S. McElvaine wrote this in his op-ed to the <span style="font-style: italic;">L.A. Times</span>:<br /><blockquote>"Noting in a 1960 memorandum that 'the majority of Cubans support Castro,' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_D._Mallory">Lester D. Mallory</a>, deputy assistant secretary of State for inter-American affairs, argued that 'the only foreseeable means of alienating internal support is through disenchantment and disaffection based on economic dissatisfaction and hardship.' The objective, he wrote, was '<span style="font-weight: bold;">to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government</span>.'"</blockquote>And, it was throughout the 60s that the US was secretly planning a covert war against Cuba. You can check this <a href="http://www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/bayofpigs/chron.html">great chronology</a> from the National Security Archive to get an idea of how extensive American plans were to overthrow the Cuban government (also good is "<a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Castro_obsession.html?id=qVZf9180dKkC">The Castro Obsession</a>" by Don Bohning).<br /><br />EMBARGO DEFENDERS<br /><br />The above context is important, especially when you hear today about how "moral" it is to keep the US embargo. While it certainly won't topple the Cuban government today, the embargo is perceived in Cuba as a policy of aggression, as it was in 1960 and 1962.<br /><br />So, <a href="http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press_display.asp?id=2196">last Tuesday</a> our four Cuban-American representatives in Congress came out with their defense of the US embargo. According to Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, "the embargo is a moral stance against the brutal dictatorship. Over the last 50 years, the embargo has served as a constant form of solidarity with the Cuban people."<br /><br />What Rep. Ros-Lehtinen really means when she says "moral stance" is to say that the embargo is a symbol of our confrontation against Cuba. A message that should be interpreted by the Cuban government as "we are enemies, not friends." (Nevermind <a href="http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/">the preamble</a> of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights suggesting " it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations.") Also, the embargo is not a "form of solidarity" with the people of Cuba. The majority of Cubans oppose the embargo (a <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=LjKoLe9jWKoC&lpg=PA101&ots=TWslFYiiSG&pg=PA101#v=onepage&q&f=false">1994 poll</a> inside Cuba found widespread opposition, and a<a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/25915/just-one-four-urban-cubans-satisfied-personal-freedoms.aspx"> 2006 poll</a> showed Cubans highly favoring the US as an ideal trading partner.) Anyway, our foreign policy should not ignore the <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/1630/cuba.aspx">majority voice of Americans</a> that oppose the US embargo.<br /><br />Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Albio Sires make similar comments defending the embargo, but Rep. David Rivera seems to describe the need for expanding sanctions on Cuba because of their "Chavista and Mullah" allies. If we follow this logic, the US should expand their embargo to the rest of the western hemisphere.<br /><br />Speaking of irrationality, let's not forget the other intransigents in Miami.Mambi_Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549064503082026848noreply@blogger.com2