About the Racist Text That Appeared in the Havana Tribune

About the Racist Text That Appeared in the Havana Tribune/ Victor Fowler
Posted on March 31, 2016

Victor Fowler Calzada, Havana, 30 March 2016 – Contemporary journalism
in Cuba will bear, for a long time, the shame of a commentary titled,
"Negro, are you Swedish," that appeared today in the online edition of
the Havana Tribune under the signature of Elias Argudín, in the opinion
section.

One is left almost paralyzed on realizing that someone thinks to make a
joke by talking this way, and we awake in the land of hallucinations to
discover that the "Negro" in question is none other than Barack Obama,
the President of the United States who just visited us.

For my taste and understanding of how a contemporary society should
function, it is one of the worst possible displays to a world that is
being told there is no racism in Cuba; as a part of the 'damage control'
after the visit it seems that hours must have been spent calculating the
most demeaning way to refer to a political leader his is considered the
enemy and who also is

The example of moral turpitude is worthy of anthology and speaking in
plural is justified because something like that does get published –
much less – without the review of the Editor in Chief as well as the
management of the newspaper.
Faced with this formidable gaffe, and at this exact moment, the least
those involved should do is apologize to – not to mention ask humbly for
forgiveness, from the public that follows them.

The other thing that would be interesting, without hypocrisy or
manipulation, is to receive solidarity because — above ideological or
political difference – we must not let racial offenses go by without
confronting them.

Source: About the Racist Text That Appeared in the Havana Tribune/
Victor Fowler | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/about-the-racist-text-that-appeared-in-the-havana-tribune-victor-fowler/