Callous

I won't get into the details over Monday's violent confrontation between the Free Gaza Movement flotilla and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). But, I will say that there is a larger context to consider in this case, and it is very likely that the Israeli government violated international law when they intercepted the flotilla.

But, despite the growing global condemnation against the Israeli government, here in Miami some Cuban exiles militants are quickly coming to the defense of the IDF raid. On Wednesday, Radio Mambi's Ninoska Perez Castellon dedicated her entire hour-long show in defense of the IDF raid, and even the Babalu blog has dedicated some posts in support of the raid. For years hardline Cuban exiles have looked at Jewish political intransigence as an inspirational model, even going so far to equate Cuba's internal situation as genocidal.

But, sometimes the level of apologetics for their ideological allies becomes absurd and callous.

On Tuesday, the Nuevo Accion blog, a news and tabloid website about Cuba wrote a post that revealed outright contempt for their readers. They presented recent photos of an injured and bloodied American student Emily Henochowicz. Emily was hit in the eye with a tear gas canister during a demonstration in Jerusalem in support of the Free Gaza flotilla and was photographed bleeding severely from her left eye.

But, according to Nuevo Accion (directed by Aldo Rosado Tuero, above) if you look closely at the photographs "it is not blood, but instead red paint... and what she is holding is a handkerchief completely soaked with red paint."

Of course, don't expect Nuevo Accion to provide any convincing evidence for their callous accusation. Instead, Nuevo Accion expects you to believe that the mainstream media is conspiring against the Israeli government.

If there is one consistent characteristic of militant ideology, it is their constant perception of conspiracy by an overwhelming enemy, regardless of any contrary evidence.

[More information on Emily Henochowicz's condition.]

Today's Detour

The FP Cuba blog, one of my favorite Cuba blogs, briefly answers some very important questions about Cuba's future.

[Photo (by Getty Images) of Cuban audience at the recent Calle 13 concert in Havana. AP story here.]

Today's Detour

There's a wonderful post by Tracy Eaton from Along the Malecon. It expands on a recent article by Juan O. Tamayo for El Nuevo Herald which reviews two books on the difficulties reporting inside Cuba. The Tamayo article is the typical negative story about Cuba, and not surprisingly recently used by Radio Mambi as part of their propaganda.

But, Eaton's post provides an important dimension which Juan O. Tomayo neglected to report:

"I've heard some say that if they had the chance to run a news bureau in Cuba, they'd write about nothing but human rights abuses and prison conditions until the Cuban government kicked them out. Then they'd make a heroic exit...

"But I wanted to write about Cuba over the long haul. I wanted to maintain relationships with Cubans of all political persuasions, from government officials and press spokesmen to activists who don't agree with the government. I also wanted to stay in touch with those who have had enough of the Castro brothers, including U.S. officials, diplomats and some Cuban-American activists...

"Cuba is a complicated place. I know that we journalists only cover a tiny fraction of what goes on. We skim the surface. We write about the people who have the most extreme views, but fail to talk to those in the middle. We write about blacks and whites, not the subtle tones of gray."

Full post here.

Meanwhile in Miami...

No, that's not Val Prieto from the Babalu blog in the photo. Instead, Prieto thanked Juanes [screenshot] for organizing the Peace without Borders concert and this morning wrote:

"Gracias Juanes! You fucking communist son of a bitch."

Oh, those boys at Babalu!

I mean Prieto got all excited this morning that he forgot to copy the last paragraph of Yoani Sanchez' latest blog post. In that last paragraph she writes:

"If we see the performance of this September 20th as the dress rehearsal for a concert we’ll have one day, then we must congratulate those who participated. Even if there isn’t another, and the Plaza again takes on its solemnity and grayness, at least this Sunday afternoon we live something different. In a place where the division between us has been systematically sown, Juanes—to the setting of the sun—has shouted, 'For one Cuban family!'"

I'm sure he'll correct the error.

Well, if you want to see what the Cuban people thought about the concert, here are two good videos [1 and 2] I found on YouTube. Or, you can go to Babalu blog and view Humberto Fontova's latest post comparing the concert audience to a herd of animals.

You might have also read some reports about a protest in Little Havana yesterday. Yup, Vigilia Mambisa was at it again. But, this time they might have met their match. Carlos Miller has the scoop.

But, if you want to see some video, click here and here. Basically, what happened yesterday was that Vigilia Mambisa and its supporters died out (not literally) once their demonstration permit expired into the evening. Many anti-Juanes protesters soon left, leaving many pro-Juanes demonstrators at the Versailles Restaurant (which grew after the end of the television broadcast of the Peace concert). The crowd numbers were quite large, according to Miller and this local reporter for CBS4 news.

[Photo by Reuters]

Gorki has Arrived [Updated]

The controversial rocker from Cuba, Gorki Aguila, arrived last night in Miami. [Watch video here] And, today in the afternoon he presented himself to the public and local media; the first publicity stop in his two-week "Freedom Tour" promoting his latest CD. According to Telemundo 51 [video], he will be autographing CD's for fans tomorrow in the heart of Calle Ocho at the Cuba Ocho Art and Research Center.

The local Spanish media in Miami loves Gorki. Not necessarily because they like punk rock, but because they like his anti-Castro message. Gorki has recently appeared repeatedly on local Spanish news interviews (such as Telemundo 51), Spanish talk show interviews (like Maria Elvira Live), and (surprise, surprise) Radio Marti. In the case of the upcoming Peace without Borders concert in Cuba, Gorki has publicly stated that he supports the event, but believes that the artists, especially Juanes, should inform himself about the Cuban government (because Juanes is naive of course), and place blame on the Castro brothers for the lack of peace in Cuba.

This is music to the ears of the local Spanish media.

But, Gorki honestly despises the Castro brothers. And, its understandable because he's been incarcerated, I believe, three times in Cuba for his "deviant" behavior, and he attributes it all to the repressive machinery of the Cuban government.

Before his arrival to Miami, Gorki had been living and working in Mexico, since April or May, as a waiter in his sister's restaurant (he was shocked that the Cuban government gave him an exit visa). Both his older sister and mother live in Mexico now. He has a 13 year old daughter still in Cuba.

It is also being reported that Gorki's "Freedom Tour" is being sponsored by an organization called the "Global Cuba Solidarity Movement." Looking at their website, this organization seems to have been dormant for about a year since the last Cuba Solidarity Day (which got plenty of attention from the Bush Administration). Looking at the links they provide on their "library" page, you'll get an indication to whom this organization is mostly directed towards (yes, the Babalu blog is there).

Speaking of the Babalu blog, when "founding editor" Val Prieto found out that Gorki was coming to Miami, he got all excited and posted the press release with this title: "Hey Juanes, F*CK YOU!" [screenshot]

Oh, those boys!

Anyway, another excited fan of Gorki's was at today's press conference: Telemundo 51 reporter Fausto Malave. Malave loves to give leading questions, especially when he knows what the answer is gonna be. (Last year, Malave asked former Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez in Miami what he thought should be done about Hugo Chavez. Perez replied exactly as he did four years before.) Today at the press conference, Malave (innocently, of course) asked Gorki [video]:

"What do you wish on the Castro brothers?"

Gorki immediately laughed at the question because he knew what Malave was doing. Gorki eventually responded saying: "It so awful to say, but if the freedom of a country depends on the death of a tyrant, then, of course, so be it welcomed." This reply by Gorki also made it on the airwaves of Radio Mambi.

Welcome to Miami Gorki. It's an entirely different propaganda game here.

--- [Update]---

Gorki made his local television debut last night on Mano Limpia with Oscar Haza [video]. The two other guests on with Gorki shared identical views with him concerning the Peace concert tomorrow in Cuba.

Also, this afternoon Gorki appeared before a large crowd of his fans in Little Havana. The Free Cuba Foundation has some video of the event on their YouTube channel.

Gorki was surprised by the large turnout, and looks like he signed and sold plenty of CDs [video]. There's even video of Gorki playing one of his songs dedicated to Raul Castro [video]. One line in the songs goes: "Raul you are a phony, there's no one that can tolerate you."

You can view lots of music videos of Gorki Aguila and his band, Porno for Ricardo, here.

Here's an excellent video by Generacion Asere:



[Photo by PedroPortal/El Nuevo Herald]

Who Wants a Debate?

If you're looking for what will be an exciting and informative debate over U.S. policy towards Cuba, then this might be it.

Today at 11am EST, the people at Wide Angle will host a debate between Phil Peters (of the Cuban Triangle blog) and Mauricio Claver-Clarone (of the Capitol Hill Cubans blog) titled: Should the Cuban Trade Embargo be Lifted? You can listen live at Wide Angle's Blog Talk Radio webpage, and participate if you wish by phone or leaving a question here. The debate will be moderated by Wide Angle correspondent and journalism professor Aaron Brown.

My position on the U.S. embargo has been posted about on several occasions, such as these two. Furthermore, there is wide public support (from the majority of Americans, significant numbers of Cuban-Americans, and prominent dissidents inside Cuba) to end the U.S. embargo (and other related policy measures) towards Cuba. Why should the U.S. remain adamant on maintaining such a policy?

If you missed the debate, I will post the highlights soon.

[The Wide Angle event is also related to the re-broadcast of the documentary "Victory is Your Duty" (aka "Sons of Cuba") which I posted about in 2007.]

Hello Again

Hello fellow blog readers, and all others interested in U.S.-Cuba relations (including some other Cuba-related stuff). I've been out of the Blogosphere loop for over a month now, but there's no better way to get back on than with a new post.

But first, I think I should re-introduce the blog for new readers, and then review the goals of this blog: Mambi Watch.

Since my first post in December of 2006, Mambi Watch's mission was to observe South Florida's local news networks (both English and Spanish language broadcasts) and post about how they reported news concerning Cuba. The main motivation at the time was to point out the lack of diverse points of view and research in the stories related to Cuba, and attempt to describe the bias involved.

The current mission of Mambi Watch is not much different. Since 2006, I have posted about several stories and issues related to Cuba, but have extended my comments beyond local news coverage. I comment on the growing Blogosphere, and other media commentary reporting on Cuba. I also comment on many news articles, op-eds, academic reports, conferences or books related to Cuba and U.S. policy towards Cuba. Basically, I'll post about anything Cuba-related that I can get my hands on (that interests me at the moment).

But, what drives me most is the effort to make a sound argument or decision over U.S.-Cuba relations, and do it with civility and respect for others. This is a principle I will always aim to uphold and transmit through this blog. Why? Because as you will see, respect, tolerance, and civility towards others does not shine brightly in Miami when it comes to Cuba.

There's a lot of propaganda coming from both sides, and Mambi Watch will try to reveal the information that some might have left out.

Welcome to Mambi Watch.

[Please feel free to comment on some posts, or send me an e-mail. I will try to respond to everyone, and write freely about anything asked, even on the reasons I blog anonymously.]

Welcome FP Cuba Blog!

There's a fantastic new blog about Cuba and U.S.-Cuba relations. It comes from the Foreign Policy Association and its blog network, "the largest network of global affairs blogs online." It doesn't have a specific name, but we can call it the Foreign Policy Cuba Blog. It is authored by Melissa Lockhart who seems to have an excellent background on the subject.

It's gonna be very exciting to have the FP Cuba Blog on the blogroll (check out yesterday's post on a French research student in Cuba), and make sure you pay a visit and read her older posts (which go back to February 2009).

Here's a post that provides a good indication of where the blog stands on some issues:

"The point is not that the United States is right and Cuba is wrong, nor that the political/economic system the United States has is perfect (far from it) and Cuba must emulate it. Pointing fingers like this results in a stalemate where everyone is wrong, or else no one is.

"Let’s be clear: a country like the United States, which over recent years has allowed torture, unjust war and financial disaster to occur, does not deserve our lauding at the expense of giving attention to those failures. Nor, therefore, does Cuba deserve praise for its health and education system if praise is given without recognition of the country’s economic, social and political shortcomings, not to mention its holding of political prisoners and treatment of dissidents*."

*[Link provided by FP Cuba Blog author.]

Nuevo Accion: Carlos Lage in Jail

Nuevo Accion, a Spanish-language news website about Cuba and other related topics, is reporting that Carlos Lage, the recently-ousted Cabinet Secretary of the Cuban government, has been jailed.

Nuevo Accion says that "reliable sources and of complete trust, from Mexico, informed Nuevo Accion today that Carlos Lage is in jail in Havana." The sources are described as "people very close to Mexican businessmen" who have worked with Lage and have recently been informed that Lage has been jailed. [Screenshot of article.]

This post is certainly not based on any trust of Nuevo Accion's sources, but rather a skeptical test of their reliability. Nevertheless, I personally think Nuevo Accion is sometimes driven by their ability to exaggerate and manipulate facts concerning Cuba. Also, their public contempt for many people they disagree with is not an attribute of honest investigation.

Instead, this may be a case of Nuevo Accion trying to embellish recent rumors concerning a conspiracy involving Lage to oust Cuban President Raul Castro from power. These rumors have immediately been met with skepticism. But, Lage's recent exit from his Cabinet position has been met with increased concern by government supporters.

[Older posts about Nuevo Accion]

What Happened This Week

Plenty of news to cover for the week, and so little time. Let's start.

PEREZ ROURA GLOATS OVER CUBA TEAM LOSS

Armando Perez Roura, programming director of Radio Mambi, has a daily radio editorial called "Tome Nota" (like saying "pay attention"). In yesterday's editorial, Perez-Roura relishes in Wednesday's loss of the Cuban baseball team to Japan in the World Baseball Classic. Perez Roura describes the defeat as "a kick delivered to the liver of the 'evil one' who clings to life and does not want to let go." [Listen here at 4:51]

Perez Roura also states that Wednesday's loss "will be a headache for sports in Cuba," and that this loss somehow represents how "in Cuba everything has failed."

That last quote makes no sense at all. In the last World Baseball Classic, of 2006, Cuba and Japan faced each other for the championship. Japan won 10-6. But, Cuba had already proven itself an incredibly strong team and was expected to do very well this year. The Cuban baseball team had won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, and recently a silver in 2008. And that doesn't mention the several other baseball tournaments where Cuba has reached the finals.

The defeat to Japan most likely upset many Cubans, but there are many more tournaments to play, and its very likely that Cuba will win many of them. [Full coverage the Cuban baseball team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic at the Cuba Journal blog.]


SIX YEARS SINCE THE BLACK SPRING

Back in 2007, I had written thoroughly about Cuba's "Black Spring." At the time I contrasted the event with another much more brutal act of violent political repression. That other act of repression had occurred in Zimbabwe targeting members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). It's amazing how things have changed in Zimbabwe because now the MDC has grown into a much more influential political party that may finally bring an end to the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe.

Meanwhile in Cuba, things don't change much when it comes to political repression. Wednesday marked six years since the "Black Spring." Some would say that the Cuban government is to blame, and others might say that the political climate between the US and Cuba is to blame. And, I believe it is the latter.

In 2003, a few months after the massive arrests of Cuban dissidents, Amnesty International (AI) released a very detailed report on the incident. It is highly recommended since it provides the necessary context in which to view this incident. In 2007, I summarized some of AI's findings.

According to AI: "the US embargo has helped to undermine the enjoyment of key civil and political rights in Cuba by fueling a climate in which such fundamental rights as freedom of association, expression and assembly are routinely denied" and that "any tightening of the existing sanctions would only heighten the negative human rights impact of the embargo." Thus, US policy creates "a situation in which perceived external aggression is met with increased internal repression of dissent."

In the end of its report, AI made several recommendations to the Cuban government, and some to the US government, such as:

· to immediately suspend decisions on any measures that could toughen the embargo.
· to review its foreign and economic policy towards Cuba, with an aim towards ending this damaging practice.
· to place enjoyment of the full range of human rights at the forefront of its concerns in developing new policy towards Cuba.

The Bush administration obviously didn't listen, and just toughened it's old position.

Anyway, six years later, the wives and family of those arrested in 2003, known as the Ladies in White, continue to demonstrate regularly for the release of the 54 who remain in jail since 2003. AI (who counts 57 "prisoners of conscience") and Freedom House are repeating their calls for their unconditional release.

AI has also reported on the recent ongoing repression of the Ladies in White in their planned demonstrations for this week. And, today in El Nuevo Herald, which reported earlier this month of heightened surveillance of the Ladies in White, reports on an incident that occurred yesterday where the Ladies in White met a counter-protest of about 40 Cuban women. The women yelled out epithets such as "gusanas" (which means "counter-revolutionaries") and "vendepatrias" (which means "one who betrays their nation for money").

The confrontation ended after the Ladies in White, which numbered around 30, were boarded on a bus by the police and delivered back to one of their homes. No violent incidents occurred and no arrests were made.

[The Uncommon Sense blog has pictures of those still imprisoned since 2003, Along the Malecon has a good post with pics and plenty of links, and check out an excellent Special Report from 2008 by the Committee to Protect Journalists.]


AND FINALLY...

"The only two Central American countries that don't recognize Cuba's government say they plan to re-establish diplomatic ties with the communist nation."

That's the biggest news I think. A significant shift in international politics has occurred in the Western Hemisphere, and the US is going to have to review its policy towards Cuba. Hopefully, it will consider the wishes of its own people, the Cuban people and the voices of its neighbor's elected leaders.

I hope Pres. Obama will have the courage to do what is best for all, and not just for some.

Bloggers for a Dream

Did you know that there are over 800 blogs about Cuba? That's according to Al Godar at the Blogs Sobre Cuba website. Godar has been steadily adding blogs about Cuba since 2007. In his first post he mentioned the difficulty of adding some blogs because of relevant content on Cuba, but...

"I don't discriminate anyone for being too far left, too far right, or too 'comemierda.' Here we are all included."

Al Godar also belongs to the blog called Bloggers for a Dream, a Spanish-language website that focuses on organizing Cuban bloggers throughout the globe and harnessing the power of the blogosphere to open up Cuban society. Bloggers for a Dream, made up of Cuban exiles around Europe, certainly represents what Yoani Sanchez terms the unstoppable "revolucion.com."

Bloggers for a Dream looks to have a lot of great ideas in store: plans to setup a digital video channel specializing in video material created by Cubans in and out of the island; also an upcoming conference on Cuban bloggers to take place in Spain and Miami. This conference, titled "Blogging Cuba", expects to gather many Cuban bloggers, of various points of view, where they can discuss the possibilites of the blogosphere and its future impact in Cuba. The event is planned for August 14-16, in Miami and Spain.

Bloggers for a Dream has also organized a very useful list of NGOs that readers can use to send humanitarian assistance to Cuba.

Another Detour

Some good posts over at Along the Malecon blog by Tracy Eaton. And, of course, plenty of pictures to view.

-----

Also, this past weekend, the people of Spain celebrated and protested the Cuban Revolution's 50th Anniversary. Demonstrators confronted each other peacefully. You can view video here and here.

Photoshop Wars

Aside from her one-hour Radio Mambi program, Ninoska Perez-Castellon has a television show on GenTV called Ultima Palabra (Last Word). It's identical to her radio program, except with more guests who coincidentally seem to agree with her most of the time.

Anyway, today's hour-long Ultima Palabra was devoted to the recent Fidel Castro photo with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Perez-Castellon's message to her television audience was clear: the photo is obviously manipulated to make Fidel look better than he really is, and President Fernandez de Kirchner is lying to everybody because she has been bribed.

In my last post I wrote that this supposed conspiracy was meant to dispell rumors of Fidel's death, but I was wrong. The conspiracy is aimed to quell any political changes that can occur once it is realized that Fidel is near death or gone, and/or to deny Fidel's enemies the satisfaction and celebration of seeing him in his supposedly grave condition. That's what I understood from Ninoska Perez-Castellon on her television show, and her radio show. [Radio Mambi audio here.]

Well, the guys over at Nuevo Accion, a militant Cuban exile website, are also saying that the recent Fidel picture is fake. And, to prove it they have given us the example photo above. In other words, if they can photoshop the head of their director (Aldo Rosado-Tuero) onto the photo, so can the Cuban government photoshop the head of a healthy Fidel.

According to a post from Saturday [screenshot], Nuevo Accion asserts that the photo is fake, everybody involved is lying and challenges the Cuban government to present Fidel Castro live to the public for ten mintues. I'm sure the Cuban government has taken their challenge very seriously.

But, Nuevo Accion has one problem. They are using a low-resolution image of the Fidel photo which is very easy to manipulate (Perez-Castellon made the same error on her television show). A high-resolution photo has been released publicly, and its very difficult to see how this high-quality photo has been manipulated. (In my opinion, the high-resolution photo looks very authentic.)

If Ninoska Perez-Castellon or Nuevo Accion want to convince anyone that the Fidel photo is probably fake then they should use the high-resolution photo, and produce a high-resolution example of photoshop manipulation.

So far, they have not. (Perhaps on purpose.)

[Photo above compares the different image qualities being used. The photoshop work by Nuevo Accion is great, but fails to compare to the actual high-resolution photo.]

But His Head Looks Wierd [Updated]

That was a short coma huh? Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (photo, far right) earlier this week met with Fidel Castro, later telling reporters that both talked for about an hour together and that Fidel was "doing well."

That meeting with Fidel took place on Wednesday, and earlier today the Argentinian government released a photo of that meeting. Some are now saying its been manipulated.

Just last week rumors of Fidel's health reached near hysteria. Local paper Diario Las Americas reported that Fidel Castro was in a coma, Cuba analyst Andy Gomez from ICCAS said that "high sources" from Washington were saying Fidel was "gravely ill," exile leaders in Miami held an emergency meeting on Saturday to prepare for a possible "great change" inside Cuba, and Val Prieto from the Babalu Blog couldn't decide which wine to celebrate with.

This kind of thing seems to occur regularly in Miami, just like it did in 2007. That year the rumors of Fidel Castro's death had also reached similar proportions. Strangely, even before Fidel Castro underwent surgery in 2006, these kind of rumors existed. As far back as 1998, a Cuban exile doctor by the name of Enrique Huertas told Diario Las Americas:

"the health of Cuba's tyrant is smashed, without possible treatment that can adequately resolve his situation... he has an undetermined cancerous problem, but with signs of metastasis, whose effects have been seen in his television appearances in recent days."

Yup, more than a decade ago!

So, Fidel Castro now reappears in a photo after several signs allowed some to suspect the worse, and now they can't believe it. Writers for the Babalu blog agree that the picture looks fake, and Radio Mambi's Ninoska Perez-Castellon believes it too has been manipulated.

According to Perez-Castellon, Fidel Castro may be alive, but the head of Fidel on the picture does not match. She believes that Fidel probably looks far worse, and that the Cuban government most likely "photoshopped" a healthier-looking head on Fidel. Perez-Castellon recalls Fidel's two prior photos (shown above) were "he's skeletal. He's even missing hair in his beard. And now, all of a sudden, hair is covering his ears!"[MP3]

But compare the three pictures above. You can view them closely here, here and here. In my opinion, Fidel Castro looks identical in all of them. Sure his hair looks shorter in some, but (newsflash) hair grows! And Fidel's beard looks the same. So, I'm thinking, is Ninoska Perez-Castellon and the writers at Babalu so biased its affecting their visual perception? Must be. But, they are not alone.

I just watched the 11PM news and Telemundo51 interviewed Jaime Suchlicki, from ICCAS, and he said that Fidel Castro looked "mummified" in the photo. Telemundo also interviewed Andy Gomez, also from ICCAS, and he said that Fidel looks very weak because in the photo he's using President Fernandez de Kirchner to hold himself up. Well, they may be right, or they may be totally wrong.

There's only a few pictures to analyze, and in all of them Fidel looks the same. To suggest anything about his health condition from so little evidence could lead to misinformation.

For example, in 2006, after Fidel Castro transferred power to Raul after undergoing intestinal surgery, Jaime Suchlicki told local news reporters: "I'm more inclined thinking about either that [Fidel is] so deteriorated or that he's dead." You see, Suchlicki was wrong then, and he may be wrong now.

I personally don't have much confidence in the work that comes from the Institute of Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS).

So, in conclusion... You can believe that Fidel Castro is in reality a walking zombie whose photos have all been deceptively altered (for who know how long) by the Cuban government. And, that President Fernandez de Kirchner (not to mention all others who have visited Fidel Castro) is lying to the world because she was perhaps bribed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, all of whom are part of an elaborate "political marketing operation" (as local Spanish-language news station AmericaTeVe put it) to simply settle a few tired rumors.

OR... You can believe that Fidel Castro is fine and still recuperating.

(Boy, being a militant against Fidel Castro is exhausting.)

[Update: Along the Malecon blog has the new Fidel photo in high-resolution, and additional background on its delivery to President Fernandez de Kirchner.]

Detour

Excellent posts over at the Cuban Triangle blog concerning US-Cuba policy. Make sure to pay a visit.

Who's Silencing Who? [Updated]

Earlier today, the Babalu Blog (Alberto De la Cruz) posted information about Thursday's protest at the Carlyle Theater, Miami Beach. De la Cruz links to a Spanish news website (Net for Cuba) with an official press release by "The Cuban Committee in Exile," and provides an English translation. The link also directs readers to a series of videos showing a Spanish-language documentary called "Guevera: Anatomy of a Myth."

According to De la Cruz: "We encourage all who can attend to do so. We cannot allow revisionists to silence our voices and insult the memories of the tens of thousands that died at the hands of this assassin and his thugs."

Who's silencing Thursday's protest?

On the contrary, the current letter campaign targeting city and county officials in South Florida (which I posted about yesterday) is aimed to STOP the screening of this supposed "Che" film in Miami Beach. As Ruby Feria described it, the film screening would amount to a form of "terrorism." And, most likely, this means that some Cuban exiles hope that the film NEVER screens anywhere in South Florida because, as the Cuban Committee in Exile put it, "premiering such a movie in a city like Miami, full of victims of this black chapter suffered by our community under the bloody dictatorship of the Castros is a repugnant offense and a show of utter disrespect to the Cuban-American community."

So, who's trying to silence who?

In fact, De la Cruz also links to an earlier post by Humberto Fontova, Babalu Blog's favorite author, where Fontova suggests that perhaps banning the film in Miami wouldn't be a bad idea. He wrote:

"John Cusacks movie 'Max' about the young Hitler was due for release when the Jewish Defense League and Anti-Defamation League campaigned to have it banned from private venues.... Given the local demographics, can you imagine a 'Max' showing at this same The Carlyle Theater?"

In the past, I've described Humberto Fontova as a propagandist, and this quote only further supports that description. In this case, Fontova has intentionally left out what occured AFTER some Jewish organizations protested the "Max" film. Furthermore, what resulted in that case could provide an interesting lesson for Cuban exiles who plan to protest on Thursday.

In 2002, director Menno Meyjes released his film "Max," a fictional story based on a young Adolf Hitler, which soon met protests from prominent Jewish organizations. Humberto Fontova is correct in stating that groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) protested the film, but I cannot find any information that states they wanted the film banned. Anyway, upon the movie's release, the ADL had soon changed their position AFTER they viewed the film.

ADL's national director, Abraham Foxman, wrote:

"While some people will find it offensive, 'Max' does not glorify Hitler in any way, offering an accurate and realistic portrayal of Hitler the monster that certainly does not lend itself to a sympathetic view. The film shows a man strongly influenced and motivated by his anti-Semitism and likewise offers a realistic portrayal of the rampant anti-Semitism of the period."

A few months after, Morris Casudo, regional director of the San Diego Office of the Anti-Defamation League, said:

"Although I said I would not have voluntarily seen this movie, having seen it I think it's a powerful portrayal of a society in extremis being led by the most extremist elements, and so I would encourage people to see that film, it's chilling, frightening, discomforting, disturbing but so is life. I think this film is valuable in showing a society that was being torn apart."

Even one Jewish publication gave a very objective review of the film. But, Humberto Fontova doesn't want these facts to be known. They obviously don't support his goal to advocate anger and distress among the Cuban exile community. And, unfortunately, Alberto de la Cruz is just perpetuating these negative feelings.

While I don't oppose the planned protests for Thursday at the Carlyle, I think all persons planning to demonstrate should be properly informed about the "Che" film before they go. Maybe the film has some value, as the ADL discovered about the film they initially protested. But, banning the "Che" film would have serious consequences for our free society, which depends on the sharing of various points of view.

[Photo above of Miguel Saavedra of Vigilia Mambisa, who attacked counter-protesters in Miami, 2007]

[Update: You can view copies of the letters sent to Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower here and (in Spanish) here. Both demand city officials to take a position to support or oppose the film screening. ]

Must-Read

John McCauliff, executive director of the Fund for Reconciliation and Development (FFRD), has an excellent article on the Havana Note website. McCauliff makes some very important points and clarifications concerning Obama's stated policy towards Cuba and those that may have misinterpreted it.

"Sending direct aid to opposition personalities in Cuba hopelessly compromises their nationalist credentials and makes them vulnerable to prosecution as agents of a hostile foreign power, not unlike the attitude the US took to members of the US Communist Party in the 1950s. Buying into CANF's semi-soft regime change thesis also makes no sense if the new administration wants to develop the trust and mutual respect that are essential for successful negotiations.

"CANF and others in Miami presume they should be part of any negotiations between Washington and Havana, but that is pure poison to serious talks."

[Full Article]

Also, take the time to go to the FFRD website. It's been improved and enhanced with several useful links concerning US Cuba relations. Cheers to the FFRD.

Losing His Touch

As usual, I was listening to Radio Mambi (the highest rated AM station in South Florida) yesterday and waiting to hear what Armando Perez Roura had to say in his daily radio commentary, Tome Nota. (The title translates more or less to "pay close attention," but literally means "take notes." Perez Roura is Radio Mambi's programming director, and perhaps the most popular voice in Miami of the militant Cuban exile.)

Lately, hosts on Radio Mambi have been warning their listeners of the potential danger of electing Sen. Barack Obama this November. Callers have been calling in to repeat those concerns, and in a nutshell they all seem to share a common conclusion about Sen. Obama: he's part of a worldwide communist conspiracy to destroy the United States. This assertion would undoubtedly have strong resonance within the mostly Republican Cuban exile community, but I don't think that propaganda works anymore.

Years of polling data about the Cuban community in Miami show that attitudes have changed, including their policy options against the Cuban government. Recent polling of three important congressional districts in South Florida [18th, 21st, and 25th], which are composed of mostly Cuban residents, show that younger Cubans may be distancing themselves from the traditional militant position. The results show that the 18 to 44 age group in each district is far more likely to vote (by an average margin of 27%) for the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, who has voiced a new diplomatic strategy towards the Cuban government.

Nevertheless, Radio Mambi seems to remain unchanged with their military strategy to free Cuba from the evil clutches of "communism." There should be no doubt that self-proclaimed "intransigents" like Armando Perez Roura only see a military solution for Cuba. But, seeing that attitudes are changing in Miami, militant exiles, like Perez Roura, sound more and more removed from reality with every passing day.

Take yesterday's Tome Nota for example.

Armando Perez Roura begins by praising Colombian President Alvaro Uribe for the recent news of a freed FARC hostage, Oscar Lizcano. Ever since the Colombian army successfully killed a top FARC leader last March in a controversial military operation inside Ecuador, Cuban exile militants have been cheering for the Uribe administration. Perez Roura repeated his mantra yesterday that "these elements [of the FARC] can only be stripped of power by force."

But, if you are familiar with his speeches, when Perez Roura says "these elements" he really means terrorists, communists, socialists, democrats, etc. They're all somewhat the same to him, like Hugo Chavez, or Barack Obama.

Recently in Miami, former Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez was honored by some former Cuban political prisoners. Telemundo51 was there for an interview and recorded him calling for the violent overthrow of current Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Telemundo51 probably already knew what Carlos Andres Perez was gonna say, since he said it before publicly in 2004. But, Telemundo51 attempts to keep the militant spirit alive in Miami by rebroadcasting those comments, which only encourages militants like Armando Perez Roura, who yesterday quoted the exiled former Venezuelan president.

So, by the end of his Tome Nota, Perez Roura pieces together his list of "these elements" and concludes that we must...

"remove by force these elements that assume power through the vote and later begin to make 'changes.' They are elected following the rules of the game that exist, and later say they are going to 'change,' and begin changing in order to fulfill the plans they carry concealed. Because all these individuals that talk about 'change' are all alike. Inside they carry the little red worm."

Perez Roura never ceases to amaze me. Within his speech he lumps together the FARC guerillas, Hugo Chavez, and Sen. Barack Obama with inventive desperation. I'm laughing at the creative associations (not to mention the "little red worm"), but how serious is he being? Is Armando Perez-Roura, and other militants, being honestly fearful of Sen. Obama, or are they engaging in pure propaganda?

Whatever the reason may be, there are some important facts missing. Perez Roura praises the Uribe government for the recently freed FARC hostage, Oscar Lizcano, but, according to news reports, the Colombian military had nothing to do with his release. Instead, Lizcano was helped by a FARC deserter. In addition, Lizcano is telling President Alvaro Uribe to "[l]ook for a humane solution as soon as possible" to free all other hostages. He is alerting the Colombian army that FARC rebels are prepared to shoot any hostages that are about to be liberated.

Findings solutions to problems require some grasp of reality. Armando Perez Roura's committment to militancy seems to be losing touch with it.

[The same can be said about writers of the Babalu Blog.]

More False Analysis at Babalu Blog

This shouldn't surprise anyone. I was looking through the posts over at Babalu Blog and noticed that Henry Gomez is again playing around with polling numbers.

According to a post from last week, Gomez cited the results of a CBS4 poll, conducted by Survey USA, showing Sen. McCain with a sound 6-point lead against Sen. Obama in Florida. There's no doubt that McCain is leading in Florida. On September 11, Quinnipiac polling showed McCain with a 7-point lead. And just yesterday, Rasmussen polling was showing McCain still ahead with 5 points.

But, Mr. Gomez's point here was that the recent Survey USA poll "blows away the mainstream media's new myth" that "the Republican 'stranglehold' over the Hispanic vote in Florida is loosening."

I don't know one honest person who would be convinced by ONE POLL to make such declarations. But, Henry Gomez of the Babalu Blog seems to be that one.

I've already written before about Mr. Gomez's faulty analysis on polling data, and his convenient omissions in his declarations (and debated him on Babalu before being banned). Either Mr. Gomez is being secretly manipulative, or ignorant of the variety of polling data that emerges almost on a daily basis.

Let's review some results.

Mr. Gomez seemed to be ecstatic with the results of the Survey USA poll (because they "blew away" the myths of the evil mainstream media), but he didn't look at the sample demographics. The poll showed that Hispanics in Florida picked Sen. McCain over Obama at 55 - 36% (with 9% undecided). But, the Survey USA poll vastly under-represents Hispanics in Florida.

According to US Census data and estimates, Hispanics in Florida currently make up about 20-22% of the population. The Survey USA poll has Hispanics at 13%. This is closer to estimates from 1990(!). Also, Survey USA over-represents the 65 and older Florida population. They have it at 27%, when actual estimates are around 18%.

But, these relevant facts don't bother Mr. Gomez. He's busy celebrating how the mainstream media got "blown away."

Now, if Mr. Gomez was at all concerned about how the Hispanic population is going to vote, then he should take a look at the recent polling results (September 18, 2008) from the Pew Hispanic Center [PDF]. According to those results, more Hispanics believe Democrats have more concern for them (49%) in comparison to Republicans (only 7% believe), and think that Sen. Obama is a better candidate for them (55%) in comparison to Republicans (11%).

But, only time will tell. Other recent polling in Florida has also shown contradictions and complexities.

But that doesn't matter at Babalu.

After the Hurricane (Part 1)

How tragic that at this particular time when the victims of hurricane Ike and Gustav need help in Cuba, both the US and Cuban government have entrenched themselves in their usual political stances.

It seems that earlier this week the Cuban government rejected a commitment of $5 million of US aid, which came with no conditions according to US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. The Cuban government, which had earlier protested certain conditions on aid, was quick to respond saying that it cannot accept aid from a country that has economic sanctions against it. The Cuban government has now proposed that the US embargo be lifted for six months.

Why six months?

According to the Cuban Agriculture Ministry, Cuba now faces a six-month food crisis. With approximately 30% of the island's crops destroyed, egg and dairy production interrupted, the Agriculture Vice Minister Alcides Lopez told reporters: "We have six hard months to go... [but] no Cuban will die of hunger."

But, in order to increase food production Cuba's Foreign Minster Felipe Perez Roque believes lifting the US embargo is required. According to the AP (Andrea Rodriguez):

"The economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed during 50 years by the United States is the main obstacle to Cuba's development," Perez Roque said, complaining of an "irrational persecution against North American companies, banks and citizens and those of third countries" who do business with Cuba.

But, does this position by the Cuban government justify the rejection of US aid? Especially, a commitment of $5 million? Phil Peters of the Lexington Insititute believes the US presented a "good offer." I think it was good too, but I also think that lifting the US embargo for six months is a good idea too. The real obstacle here seems to be two close neighbors (and long-time adversaries) that are not willing to negotiate a deal for an immediate and dire problem.

How the people respond to this will also be important to watch. Circles Robinson, on his blog, recently brought this to attention:

"The fact that the country’s socialist revolution has survived a half-century of relentless hostility from Washington and out lived the collapse of the USSR and Socialist Europe reinforces their belief that they will overcome the major setback to the economy poised by Gustav and Ike. "On the other hand, as the Revolution turns '50' on January 1, the battle horses of past struggles are aging and time will tell whether the new generations are willing to accept the calls to hard work and sacrifice."

[Photo by AP]