Posted on Wednesday, 10.02.13
Shifting tactics, dissidents help average Cubans
BY JUAN O. TAMAYO
JTAMAYO@ELNUEVOHERALD.COM
When about 200 owners of horse-drawn carts in the Cuban city of Santa
Clara gathered recently outside a government office to protest their
stiff taxes, dissident Guillermo Fariñas and a dozen other democracy
activists stood with them.
The cocheros, who transport people and cargo, broke up peacefully after
their protest on Sept. 11. Fariñas, winner of a top European prize for
human rights, and the other dissidents were carted away by police, and
freed later that day.
More than a simple protest, the event reflected a new strategy for
Cuba's dissidents, learned in part from Poland's Solidarity labor union
in the waning years of that country's communist rule: If you want to win
more popular support, tone down the push for a political opening and
back the common people in their demands for economic and social change.
Opposition groups say they are now offering medical help and
transportation for the ill, food and laundry for the elderly, education
and entertainment for children and vocal support for squatters and
illegal street vendors harassed by government inspectors.
"The idea is to do things so that the people can perceive us as their
defenders," Fariñas said. "We're going to relegate the political demands
because we need more popular support before we can really push them."
What real impact the new strategy will have, if any, is uncertain in a
country where the government regularly jails dissidents and brands them
as "mercenaries" financed by the U.S. government to undermine the
communist system.
The U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, in a 2009 dispatch to Washington,
wrote that it perceived "very little evidence that the main-line
dissident organizations have much resonance among ordinary Cubans."
That's all changing now, said Fariñas and José Daniél Ferrer, who
founded the island's most active dissident organization, the Cuban
Patriotic Union (UNPACU), in 2011, just days after Ferrer was freed
after serving eight years in prison.
"We decided at that time that we had to combine the political message,
the nonviolent struggle in the streets for democracy and human rights,
with the social work," Ferrer said in a telephone interview from his
home in the eastern town of Palmarito de Cauto.
"We want to make it clear that we're not only defending the elemental
rights of citizens, but that we are accompanying everyone who needs our
support," he added.
Fariñas said the strategy took on a more-detailed shape in June, when he
and several other government critics, including a Catholic lay activist,
a Baptist pastor, a blogger and a rapper, traveled to Poland for 15 days
of training at the Lech Walesa Foundation.
During a meeting with Walesa, former president of Poland and leader of
Solidarity, they asked how the dissident labor movement had managed to
gather 10 million members in a country of 19 million people ruled by a
hostile Polish communist party.
"Walesa told us that we were very valiant, very good, but we focused too
much on political demands and should concentrate much more on the social
problems," Fariñas said by phone from his home in the central city of
Santa Clara.
So when the 200 cocheros met in front of a local government office to
demand that their taxes be reduced, Fariñas said, he and the other
dissidents decided to go there and show their support. The cart owners
are waiting for a response to their demands.
Asked whether the dissidents and cocheros had reached any sort of
relationship as a result of the protest, he declined to comment.
Fariñas, awarded the European Parliament's 2010 Sakharov prize for
Freedom of Conscience, is UNPACU's official spokesman.
Fariñas and Ferrer were glad, however, to talk about other UNPACU
efforts to align themselves with the social and economic needs of common
Cubans.
Five physicians and seven nurses who belong to UNPACU-run Health for
All, a program to deliver healthcare and medicines to those in need —
not just dissidents — and, when necessary, quietly refers them to other
friendly doctors who can help, Ferrer said.
Two dissidents who own vehicles also volunteer them as ambulances for
health emergencies, he added. Government ambulance services, the only
ones officially available on the island, have deteriorated significantly
in recent years as vehicles break down and are not repaired.
Two other UNPACU teams are helping neighbors fix up homes damaged when
Hurricane Sandy hit eastern Cuba last year, while others are supporting
residents of neighborhoods who are demanding connections to potable
water lines.
Other dissidents are providing whatever food they can to the neediest,
Ferrer said, and doing the laundry for and cleaning the homes of elderly
neighbors who can no longer take care of themselves.
UNPACU members also have mounted protests as police and government
inspectors harassed or arrested unlicensed vendors, usually workers at
street kiosks that can sell food and clothing at prices cheaper than
those in state stores, he said.
Fariñas said a small group of activists protested in a Santa Clara plaza
last week to demand that officials in the state's food rationing system
provide the legally required special diet for a young girl with an
unusual ailment.
And after nine dissidents protested high prices in a Santa Clara market
last week, one participant said the event was intended to show other
Cubans that it is important to speak out against abuses, the U.S.
government's Radio/TV Marti reported.
Videos filmed by dissidents, meanwhile, highlight issues that have
nothing to do with politics, such as the thousands of homes left
unrepaired after Hurricane Sandy and the poor who pick through garbage
dumps in the city of Santiago de Cuba.
The social programs, Ferrer said, are designed "to make it clear to
people that the government really lies when it says we are enemies of
society, that we're against health and education . . . that we are
virtually poisoning the water."
"They have the control of all the mass media," he said, "so our actions
must carry a political message."
Source: "Shifting tactics, dissidents help average Cubans - Cuba -
MiamiHerald.com" -
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/02/v-fullstory/3666141/shifting-tactics-dissidents-help.html
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Prison Diary LVI Decency and Decorum According to the Dictator – Part 2
Prison Diary LVI: Decency and Decorum According to the Dictator – Part 2
/ Angel Santiesteban
Posted on October 1, 2013
Discourse of the Dictator II
"President" Raul Castro, cynically, busied himself patching the leak, as
we Cubans say, when in his speech he said, "I imagine the news in the
coming days, in the great international press that specializes in
denigrating Cuba and subjecting us to a frenzied scrutiny," that is:
their having a different opinion, as they have for the more than half
century of the dictatorship, is an attack on the country, a subversive plan.
With complete shamelessness, he said, "We have become accustomed to
living under siege and don't restrict ourselves to debating the reality
with total harshness," which might seem like a joke had it not cost the
Cuban people so dearly.
Later on, although it seems impossible, in increased the government's
audacity.
He spoke of the pain of twenty years, of the "increasing deterioration
of moral and civic values, such as honesty, decency, shame, decorum,
honor and sensitivity to the problems of others," as if the great school
of these losses wasn't his mis-governing, for more than fifty years, a
country that he has administered as if it were a private ranch, an
extension of the Biran of his parents.
A subject people, that has been brought to a high level of poverty and
human misery, where crime began to be a method of survival and stealing
food from workplaces, in order to survive, began to be seen by society
as acceptable, permitted, and as the years passed the act of stealing
came to be called "struggle" and those who did it "fighters," as he
recognized in his discourse: "So, one part of society has come to see
stealing from the State as normal," as if it weren't legitimate and they
hadn't stolen the lives of several generations.
That was the beginning of the amorality, they turned the country into
that: a gold digger people, going to the West, risking everything to try
their luck. Except that for the Cuban, any latitude looked promising, a
better song than reality, like an unreachable promise offered by its
leader Fidel Castro.
In this way, Raul Castro summarized the negative which had been known
for years: it is an unstoppable epidemic. This, the massive number of
Cuban prisons, overcrowded with young people waiting for the chance to
get out and commit crimes, because they know no other way of life; there
is no hope ahead for them or decent way to survive, other than to emigrate.
At the end of his speech he detailed, photographically, the Cuban
society they turned it into, the "new pines that dreamed"; but never
acknowledged their guilt, never admitted that we need another model,
that fifty-four years are more than enough to understand that they are
not offering a dignified path, and that it's time to allow Cuba to start
its ascent to economic development and human betterment.
In his speech Raul Castro asserted that screaming out loud in the street
is bad behavior, forgetting that earlier it was they who screamed and
called it "Revolutionaries defending the Revolution." When they screamed
"Worms! Let them go!" and handed out beatings and humiliations, their
conduct then wasn't improper. From the time we were children they
trained us to scream slogans in the street in support of some national
event, or to repudiate, in the world they programmed, those they
classify as undesirable.
Illegal constructions, like the black market, have been the relief of
the Cuban family, because their non-working government has not given
them solutions to their needs.
How can they demand that people work full days when they don't pay them
for their real work? Their sacrifices, like during colonization, are
paid for with trinkets.
One of Raul Castro's great lies in his presentation was to assert that
if society is warped and overrun with disorder and marginality, it has
been, "Abusing the nobility of the Revolution which hasn't resorted to
the use of force, favoring conviction and political work."
Don't panic dear readers, it's not a joke, although it could be in the
genre known as "noir." Later he urged State agencies, "the Police, the
Comptroller General of the Republic, the Prosecutor, and the Courts," to
push even harder. That is, we should expect the prison population to
grow even more than its already excessive numbers, the prisons will
triple. It will be one great prison within the other floating prison.
Then, the ruler "meditated" on the negative demonstrations, thought
about everything that had deceived the world, the specialized agencies,
like the United Nations, and he had "the bitter feeling that we are an
increasingly educated society, but not, perhaps, a more cultured one."
Unfortunately this is Cubans' reality, but even worse is that in his
speech he didn't recognize his inability to govern, nor even touch on
the possibility of accepting some blame.
One comes to the conclusion that he presides over a putrid society that
should force him to resign, to give way to a new formula that reawakens
and steers the twisted path followed in this half century.
To retrace all our steps will cost us just as much as the distance we
have strayed from the dignity and honesty of José Martí that we have lost.
But we must come to the conclusion that our country was corrupted, crime
and marginality became widespread, by the work and grace of the
Caribbean winds.
The Castros… they never had anything to do with this reality.
Ángel Santiesteban-Prats, Prison 1580
Editor's note: This post is the second part of what Angel sent me when
he was still in Prison 1580, in San Miguel del Padron. It refers to Raul
Castro's speech at the First Ordinary Session of the VIII Legislature of
the National Assembly of People's Power at the Convention Center on 7
July 2013. The first part was published August 5th.
30 September 2013
Source: "Prison Diary LVI: Decency and Decorum According to the Dictator
– Part 2 / Angel Santiesteban | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/prison-diary-lvi-decency-and-decorum-according-to-the-dictator-part-2-angel-santiesteban/
/ Angel Santiesteban
Posted on October 1, 2013
Discourse of the Dictator II
"President" Raul Castro, cynically, busied himself patching the leak, as
we Cubans say, when in his speech he said, "I imagine the news in the
coming days, in the great international press that specializes in
denigrating Cuba and subjecting us to a frenzied scrutiny," that is:
their having a different opinion, as they have for the more than half
century of the dictatorship, is an attack on the country, a subversive plan.
With complete shamelessness, he said, "We have become accustomed to
living under siege and don't restrict ourselves to debating the reality
with total harshness," which might seem like a joke had it not cost the
Cuban people so dearly.
Later on, although it seems impossible, in increased the government's
audacity.
He spoke of the pain of twenty years, of the "increasing deterioration
of moral and civic values, such as honesty, decency, shame, decorum,
honor and sensitivity to the problems of others," as if the great school
of these losses wasn't his mis-governing, for more than fifty years, a
country that he has administered as if it were a private ranch, an
extension of the Biran of his parents.
A subject people, that has been brought to a high level of poverty and
human misery, where crime began to be a method of survival and stealing
food from workplaces, in order to survive, began to be seen by society
as acceptable, permitted, and as the years passed the act of stealing
came to be called "struggle" and those who did it "fighters," as he
recognized in his discourse: "So, one part of society has come to see
stealing from the State as normal," as if it weren't legitimate and they
hadn't stolen the lives of several generations.
That was the beginning of the amorality, they turned the country into
that: a gold digger people, going to the West, risking everything to try
their luck. Except that for the Cuban, any latitude looked promising, a
better song than reality, like an unreachable promise offered by its
leader Fidel Castro.
In this way, Raul Castro summarized the negative which had been known
for years: it is an unstoppable epidemic. This, the massive number of
Cuban prisons, overcrowded with young people waiting for the chance to
get out and commit crimes, because they know no other way of life; there
is no hope ahead for them or decent way to survive, other than to emigrate.
At the end of his speech he detailed, photographically, the Cuban
society they turned it into, the "new pines that dreamed"; but never
acknowledged their guilt, never admitted that we need another model,
that fifty-four years are more than enough to understand that they are
not offering a dignified path, and that it's time to allow Cuba to start
its ascent to economic development and human betterment.
In his speech Raul Castro asserted that screaming out loud in the street
is bad behavior, forgetting that earlier it was they who screamed and
called it "Revolutionaries defending the Revolution." When they screamed
"Worms! Let them go!" and handed out beatings and humiliations, their
conduct then wasn't improper. From the time we were children they
trained us to scream slogans in the street in support of some national
event, or to repudiate, in the world they programmed, those they
classify as undesirable.
Illegal constructions, like the black market, have been the relief of
the Cuban family, because their non-working government has not given
them solutions to their needs.
How can they demand that people work full days when they don't pay them
for their real work? Their sacrifices, like during colonization, are
paid for with trinkets.
One of Raul Castro's great lies in his presentation was to assert that
if society is warped and overrun with disorder and marginality, it has
been, "Abusing the nobility of the Revolution which hasn't resorted to
the use of force, favoring conviction and political work."
Don't panic dear readers, it's not a joke, although it could be in the
genre known as "noir." Later he urged State agencies, "the Police, the
Comptroller General of the Republic, the Prosecutor, and the Courts," to
push even harder. That is, we should expect the prison population to
grow even more than its already excessive numbers, the prisons will
triple. It will be one great prison within the other floating prison.
Then, the ruler "meditated" on the negative demonstrations, thought
about everything that had deceived the world, the specialized agencies,
like the United Nations, and he had "the bitter feeling that we are an
increasingly educated society, but not, perhaps, a more cultured one."
Unfortunately this is Cubans' reality, but even worse is that in his
speech he didn't recognize his inability to govern, nor even touch on
the possibility of accepting some blame.
One comes to the conclusion that he presides over a putrid society that
should force him to resign, to give way to a new formula that reawakens
and steers the twisted path followed in this half century.
To retrace all our steps will cost us just as much as the distance we
have strayed from the dignity and honesty of José Martí that we have lost.
But we must come to the conclusion that our country was corrupted, crime
and marginality became widespread, by the work and grace of the
Caribbean winds.
The Castros… they never had anything to do with this reality.
Ángel Santiesteban-Prats, Prison 1580
Editor's note: This post is the second part of what Angel sent me when
he was still in Prison 1580, in San Miguel del Padron. It refers to Raul
Castro's speech at the First Ordinary Session of the VIII Legislature of
the National Assembly of People's Power at the Convention Center on 7
July 2013. The first part was published August 5th.
30 September 2013
Source: "Prison Diary LVI: Decency and Decorum According to the Dictator
– Part 2 / Angel Santiesteban | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/prison-diary-lvi-decency-and-decorum-according-to-the-dictator-part-2-angel-santiesteban/
The Conspiracy of “The Divine Shepherdess”
The Conspiracy of "The Divine Shepherdess" / Miriam Celaya
Posted on October 1, 2013
A title that cheesy might seem like something straight out of the most
mediocre thriller, but it refers to real events: The Divine Shepherdess
restaurant, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Gaviota corporation of the
Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR), tucked away in an
area of the Historic Morro-Cabaña Park, has been closed to start a
bidding process. Its workers have been made "available" on the
"employment exchange," in hopes of future "relocation." They are the new
victims of another conspiracy of the olive-green mafia.
None of them saw the blow coming. Frustrated and deeply worried about
the loss of their income and anxious about unemployment, the 23 workers
have addressed letters of complaint to different agencies, including the
Ministry of Labor and Social Security. To date, they haven't received
any responses.
However, many of them resist assimilating what happened, without
understand that the conspiracy was planned in careful detail by the
uniformed leaders. There are those who, naively, still believe there is
hope of a solution. But theirs is a lost battle: from the beginning the
die was cast and their fate sealed. The economic interests of the
military leadership would not stop for trifles such as respecting the
work of a handful of perfectly dispensable individuals.
The Plot
Months ago it began to be rumored that The Divine Shepherdess would be
among the restaurants that would form part of the pilot experiment of
non-agricultural cooperatives that the Government proposed to develop,
immersed in its controversial "reforms." In the beginning, the workers
were concerned about the possibility that this would give rise to a
layoff plan to increase profitability and efficiency, characteristics of
a cooperative; but soon their enthusiasm over the idea of working
autonomously and increasing their personal incomes, without incurring
the risk of the illegalities that abound in all state institutions, in
particular in those operating in convertible currency, as this one did.
Given a major venture "from above," they were assured there would be no
layoffs. This dispelled their initial reserves and raised the
expectations of those who thought it would be a new and advantageous
start of a restaurant in a privileged position, right at the entrance to
Havana Bay, within La Cabaña fort, on the other side of the city: a
panoramic view of the capital and a place frequented by numerous foreign
tourists.
The first surprise surfaced when, on a Roundtable TV show dedicated to
the topic, a journalist declared that "the workers of The Divine
Shepherdess" didn't want to form a cooperative. Astonished at such a
slander, they wrote the program demanding that the Institute of Radio
and Television elevate their written complaint to the most diverse
authorities. The official media have not rectified the mistake and, with
the passing of days, they took the incident as a small involuntary slip
up, perhaps due to misinformation or confusion on the part of those
responsible for the program.
Shortly after, the president of Gaviota corporation appeared before the
workers at the restaurant in person, conciliatory and paternal and,
among other things, explained to them that the cooperative would be
positive, favorable to everyone, and was an essential part of the
economic transformations that were imperative for the country. It was a
plan prioritized by the Government, ineluctable. So, they had to elect
four workers who would represent all of them, to attend a seminar about
what a cooperative enterprise would be and the characteristics of the
transformation process to the new way of operating the restaurant.
The elected representatives, in effect, went to the seminar and gave
their utmost to educate themselves about the issue, while the
expectations of their comrades rose given the imminent change.
The Blow
The first blow to their illusions came when, at another meeting, they
talked to the employees aspiring to be cooperative members about taxes
and concrete figures. They were simply astronomical. According to the
parameters imposed, they would have to pay, in addition to all the taxes
imposed by disimilar concepts, 40 CUC for each square yard of occupied
space, including the parking areas, which, for obvious reasons, don't
generate the same income as the lounge-restaurant itself.
And this was the least of the figures they heard: to start the
cooperative they would need an advance of 116,000 CUC, a definitely
shocking sum. A sense of unreality started to set in, expanding like a
solid body in the middle of the meeting and sparking a general outcry.
This must be an error, they couldn't be serious. Surely someone made a
mistake. Where could they get such a huge sum of money? But no, the
number had already been assigned by the specialists and Gaviota's board.
Ah, comrades, we must ask for a bank loan and accept the repayment terms
and interest rate!
They decided that a representation of the workers would go to the bank
to apply for the loan and make the arrangements. Nobody wanted to be
discouraged.
MINFAR: A Tax Haven in Itself?
The friendly bank employee didn't understand what these people were
asking for. What credit were they talking about? Based on what funds did
they believe they could qualify for a loan, and especially such a large
one? In fact, she explained to them, The Divine Shepherdess had never
invested a single cent in the coffers of the bank. What's more, Gaviota
itself hadn't realized any income in all the years of its existence,
from any concept, as if it were a ghost entity. But then, what could the
workers do? The kind bank employee didn't know; she only knew what they
couldn't do: obtain credit.
But, beyond the drama of a work collective, this leads to considerations
of another kind in a country where, at least by right, there is a tough
battle being fought against corruption and illegalities, for which the
General-President has created an implacable Controller who conducts the
most rigorous searches and who operates through an inflexible body of
inspectors in coordination with the People's Revolutionary Police (PNR).
Those with carts, hustlers, small traders and every kind of operator of
a timbiriche — a very small business — could attest to the frequent
operations and physical inspections that regularly subjects them to a
ton of fines, in addition to the other scoldings at the slightest
violation (or suspicion of it).
But, assuming it's true that there are no visible traces of the
financial transactions of the "state" corporation Gaviota in the bank
(also a state entity), if we ignore that their income, investments and
accounts are absolutely unknown, how can they be subjected to the
controller's checks? By virtue of what supra-constitutional rights would
a military corporation be exempt from fiscal scrutiny? Do they consider
their finances to be "sensitive information" and so secret, simply
because they are an economic entity of MINFAR, though eminently capitalist?
And is it that this is a corporation which includes both restaurants and
hotels in the country's different tourist sites, transport bases, stores
and other establishments, with significant income, and in which, in
addition, thousands of civilian employees work, paying social security
and earning salaries, vacations, and other benefits such as maternity
and sick leave, etc. Are there no bank records of their costs and
incomes from these concepts.
Undoubtedly, there are dozens of unanswered questions in this as in
other macro-businesses of the olive-green elite. We know that the elite
doesn't market through timbiriches. At least no one has seen anyone with
military epaulets dragging a cart with food, fruits and vegetables
through our streets, nor selling jewelry or other merchandise in little
stalls; humility is good only in speeches. Everything suggests that in
Cuba there are three currencies circulating, two of them visible, the
Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) and the Cuban Peso (CUP), and an invisible
and untraceable one, the capital of the military monopolies.
So it's no surprise that, given the obvious financial incapacity of The
Divine Shepherdess workers, and given their complaints and demands, the
director of Gaviota stood before them again, this time frowning,
authoritarian and invested with all the powers, and he unceremoniously
snapped that the assigned figures for the taxes on the space, as well as
the initial capital, "were not negotiable." Curtain.
Epilogue
The beleaguered workers were told that on Friday, September 20, 2013 the
restaurant would be closed and a bidding process would proceed. Because
it turns out that there already is (and in reality, always has been) an
investor with disposable capital to take over the "cooperative. " As
readers may have guessed, it is a prominent member of the anointed caste
who surely did not need a bank loan or an income statement to amass the
money needed.
As for the workers, well — and thank you for asking — each one is at
home trying to swallow the bitter pill. You might be wondering what use
it was to them to pay their union dues promptly for years, to attend
"Revolutionary" marches called by the same power that has now evicted
them, and that — trying "not to distinguish themselves" — meekly and
without question obeyed every direction from the heights. For now, they
are just waiting for someone to explain to them what the president of
Gaviota meant when he told them that "no one would be left defenseless."
From Diario de Cuba
30 September 2013
Source: "The Conspiracy of "The Divine Shepherdess" / Miriam Celaya |
Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-conspiracy-of-the-divine-shepherdess-miriam-celaya/
Posted on October 1, 2013
A title that cheesy might seem like something straight out of the most
mediocre thriller, but it refers to real events: The Divine Shepherdess
restaurant, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Gaviota corporation of the
Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR), tucked away in an
area of the Historic Morro-Cabaña Park, has been closed to start a
bidding process. Its workers have been made "available" on the
"employment exchange," in hopes of future "relocation." They are the new
victims of another conspiracy of the olive-green mafia.
None of them saw the blow coming. Frustrated and deeply worried about
the loss of their income and anxious about unemployment, the 23 workers
have addressed letters of complaint to different agencies, including the
Ministry of Labor and Social Security. To date, they haven't received
any responses.
However, many of them resist assimilating what happened, without
understand that the conspiracy was planned in careful detail by the
uniformed leaders. There are those who, naively, still believe there is
hope of a solution. But theirs is a lost battle: from the beginning the
die was cast and their fate sealed. The economic interests of the
military leadership would not stop for trifles such as respecting the
work of a handful of perfectly dispensable individuals.
The Plot
Months ago it began to be rumored that The Divine Shepherdess would be
among the restaurants that would form part of the pilot experiment of
non-agricultural cooperatives that the Government proposed to develop,
immersed in its controversial "reforms." In the beginning, the workers
were concerned about the possibility that this would give rise to a
layoff plan to increase profitability and efficiency, characteristics of
a cooperative; but soon their enthusiasm over the idea of working
autonomously and increasing their personal incomes, without incurring
the risk of the illegalities that abound in all state institutions, in
particular in those operating in convertible currency, as this one did.
Given a major venture "from above," they were assured there would be no
layoffs. This dispelled their initial reserves and raised the
expectations of those who thought it would be a new and advantageous
start of a restaurant in a privileged position, right at the entrance to
Havana Bay, within La Cabaña fort, on the other side of the city: a
panoramic view of the capital and a place frequented by numerous foreign
tourists.
The first surprise surfaced when, on a Roundtable TV show dedicated to
the topic, a journalist declared that "the workers of The Divine
Shepherdess" didn't want to form a cooperative. Astonished at such a
slander, they wrote the program demanding that the Institute of Radio
and Television elevate their written complaint to the most diverse
authorities. The official media have not rectified the mistake and, with
the passing of days, they took the incident as a small involuntary slip
up, perhaps due to misinformation or confusion on the part of those
responsible for the program.
Shortly after, the president of Gaviota corporation appeared before the
workers at the restaurant in person, conciliatory and paternal and,
among other things, explained to them that the cooperative would be
positive, favorable to everyone, and was an essential part of the
economic transformations that were imperative for the country. It was a
plan prioritized by the Government, ineluctable. So, they had to elect
four workers who would represent all of them, to attend a seminar about
what a cooperative enterprise would be and the characteristics of the
transformation process to the new way of operating the restaurant.
The elected representatives, in effect, went to the seminar and gave
their utmost to educate themselves about the issue, while the
expectations of their comrades rose given the imminent change.
The Blow
The first blow to their illusions came when, at another meeting, they
talked to the employees aspiring to be cooperative members about taxes
and concrete figures. They were simply astronomical. According to the
parameters imposed, they would have to pay, in addition to all the taxes
imposed by disimilar concepts, 40 CUC for each square yard of occupied
space, including the parking areas, which, for obvious reasons, don't
generate the same income as the lounge-restaurant itself.
And this was the least of the figures they heard: to start the
cooperative they would need an advance of 116,000 CUC, a definitely
shocking sum. A sense of unreality started to set in, expanding like a
solid body in the middle of the meeting and sparking a general outcry.
This must be an error, they couldn't be serious. Surely someone made a
mistake. Where could they get such a huge sum of money? But no, the
number had already been assigned by the specialists and Gaviota's board.
Ah, comrades, we must ask for a bank loan and accept the repayment terms
and interest rate!
They decided that a representation of the workers would go to the bank
to apply for the loan and make the arrangements. Nobody wanted to be
discouraged.
MINFAR: A Tax Haven in Itself?
The friendly bank employee didn't understand what these people were
asking for. What credit were they talking about? Based on what funds did
they believe they could qualify for a loan, and especially such a large
one? In fact, she explained to them, The Divine Shepherdess had never
invested a single cent in the coffers of the bank. What's more, Gaviota
itself hadn't realized any income in all the years of its existence,
from any concept, as if it were a ghost entity. But then, what could the
workers do? The kind bank employee didn't know; she only knew what they
couldn't do: obtain credit.
But, beyond the drama of a work collective, this leads to considerations
of another kind in a country where, at least by right, there is a tough
battle being fought against corruption and illegalities, for which the
General-President has created an implacable Controller who conducts the
most rigorous searches and who operates through an inflexible body of
inspectors in coordination with the People's Revolutionary Police (PNR).
Those with carts, hustlers, small traders and every kind of operator of
a timbiriche — a very small business — could attest to the frequent
operations and physical inspections that regularly subjects them to a
ton of fines, in addition to the other scoldings at the slightest
violation (or suspicion of it).
But, assuming it's true that there are no visible traces of the
financial transactions of the "state" corporation Gaviota in the bank
(also a state entity), if we ignore that their income, investments and
accounts are absolutely unknown, how can they be subjected to the
controller's checks? By virtue of what supra-constitutional rights would
a military corporation be exempt from fiscal scrutiny? Do they consider
their finances to be "sensitive information" and so secret, simply
because they are an economic entity of MINFAR, though eminently capitalist?
And is it that this is a corporation which includes both restaurants and
hotels in the country's different tourist sites, transport bases, stores
and other establishments, with significant income, and in which, in
addition, thousands of civilian employees work, paying social security
and earning salaries, vacations, and other benefits such as maternity
and sick leave, etc. Are there no bank records of their costs and
incomes from these concepts.
Undoubtedly, there are dozens of unanswered questions in this as in
other macro-businesses of the olive-green elite. We know that the elite
doesn't market through timbiriches. At least no one has seen anyone with
military epaulets dragging a cart with food, fruits and vegetables
through our streets, nor selling jewelry or other merchandise in little
stalls; humility is good only in speeches. Everything suggests that in
Cuba there are three currencies circulating, two of them visible, the
Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) and the Cuban Peso (CUP), and an invisible
and untraceable one, the capital of the military monopolies.
So it's no surprise that, given the obvious financial incapacity of The
Divine Shepherdess workers, and given their complaints and demands, the
director of Gaviota stood before them again, this time frowning,
authoritarian and invested with all the powers, and he unceremoniously
snapped that the assigned figures for the taxes on the space, as well as
the initial capital, "were not negotiable." Curtain.
Epilogue
The beleaguered workers were told that on Friday, September 20, 2013 the
restaurant would be closed and a bidding process would proceed. Because
it turns out that there already is (and in reality, always has been) an
investor with disposable capital to take over the "cooperative. " As
readers may have guessed, it is a prominent member of the anointed caste
who surely did not need a bank loan or an income statement to amass the
money needed.
As for the workers, well — and thank you for asking — each one is at
home trying to swallow the bitter pill. You might be wondering what use
it was to them to pay their union dues promptly for years, to attend
"Revolutionary" marches called by the same power that has now evicted
them, and that — trying "not to distinguish themselves" — meekly and
without question obeyed every direction from the heights. For now, they
are just waiting for someone to explain to them what the president of
Gaviota meant when he told them that "no one would be left defenseless."
From Diario de Cuba
30 September 2013
Source: "The Conspiracy of "The Divine Shepherdess" / Miriam Celaya |
Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-conspiracy-of-the-divine-shepherdess-miriam-celaya/
The USCCB, Cuba and the Chong Chon Gang
The USCCB, Cuba and the Chong Chon Gang
By Marielena Montesino de Stuart
♦ Bishop Richard E. Pates tries to influence American policy towards Cuba.
♦ The socialist reality of the USCCB is clear, even when they coat it
with Cuban sugar.
♦ With Obama in the White House and Francis in the Vatican – socialists
are running amok.
¡Aaaaaazúcar!
Yes... I would like to begin this commentary, which includes the subject
of Cuban sugar (among other things) – by saying, ¡Aaaaaazúcar! (sugar!)
– as Celia Cruz, the famous Cuban singer used to belt out at the
beginning of some of her popular songs. Celia Cruz, who died in exile,
never missed an opportunity to denounce Fidel Castro's criminal
Communist regime. And she did so knowing full well how important it is
to counteract the misinformation constantly put out about Cuba, by the
overabundance of socialist fellow travelers.
So let's all say ¡Aaaaaazúcar! – because as a survivor of Castro's
Communist regime I need you to join me in exposing the Castro
sympathizers who keep spreading lies.
Cuban sugarcoating, from the USCCB
The USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) is in a time
warp. And I mean, a very, very bad time warp. The latest example has
surfaced in the form of a letter written by Bishop Richard E. Pates on
September 26, 2013, addressed to National Security Advisor, Dr. Susan E.
Rice.
Bishop Pates chairs the Committee on International Justice and Peace,
at the USCCB in Washington DC. He is also the Bishop of Des Moines.
Bishop Pates's letter shows that he is uninformed – and completely
disconnected from the meaning of justice and peace, when it comes to Cuba.
It is time that the USCCB be freed of these clueless prelates, who
spread so much misinformation. It makes one wonder, just how much money
are Catholics donating, in order to support the activities of Bishops,
such as Richard E. Pates.
In his letter, Bishop Pates praises the recent pastoral message from the
Cuban Bishops (which was nothing but socialist propaganda). Pates makes
an absurd plea to Susan Rice for bringing down the Cuban embargo – a
plea which shows that Bishop Pates is completely ignorant of U.S. and
international trade with Cuba, Western Hemisphere geopolitical matters,
including Cuba's illicit arms trafficking to North Korea.
Bishop Pates could not bring himself to utter a single word of
condemnation of the Cuban government, in his letter to Susan Rice. In
fact, he praised "Cuba's constructive role in mediating Colombian peace
negotiations and cooperating with the U.S. Coast Guard in drug
interdiction activities."
What galaxy does Bishop Pates reside in?
Here is an excerpt from Bishop Pates's letter [bold added for emphasis]:
"We urge efforts to lift the U.S. embargo against Cuba so that greater
support and assistance can flow to ordinary Cubans. It is also time to
remove the designation of Cuba as a sponsor of state terrorism. Such an
obsolete classification prevents engagement between our countries and
peoples. Engagement will do more than isolation to advance human rights
and alleviate human suffering. It will also recognize Cuba's
constructive role in mediating Colombian peace negotiations and
cooperating with the U.S. Coast Guard in drug interdiction activities."
Remove Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism from the U.S. State
Department list?
The hubris behind this absurd suggestion is typical of modernist
(socialist) prelates.
This is inexcusable, in light of the Cuban government's long history of
violence against its own people, fomenting communist violence in other
countries – as well as illicit arms trade, as recently as two months
ago. There are obvious reasons why Cuba has been on the U.S. State
Dept., list as a state sponsor of terrorism, since March 1, 1982 – along
with Iran, Syria and Sudan.
As the reader will see below, Bishop Pates has much to learn about the
Cuban reality – or is he just ignoring it?
The Chong Chon Gang: keeping things in chronological perspective
It is important for the reader to remember that Bishop Pates's letter to
Dr. Susan Rice, asking for the removal of Cuba's designation as a state
sponsor of terrorism, is dated September 26, 2013 – which followed a
significant incident that took place during the month of July – an
incident which was widely covered by national and international news:
The Chong Chon Gang, a North Korean ship that had left Cuba – was
intercepted by Panamanian authorities, on suspicion of drug trafficking.
But there is more.
Cuba, as a state sponsor of terrorism, is very experienced in
clandestine matters. So is North Korea, which by the way, should be
immediately added to the terror list. The question is – why has the U.S.
government failed to do so?
The Chong Chon Gang's Bill of Lading falsely declared the cargo to be
approximately 10,000 tons of sugar and polyethylene (plastic) spare
bags. The ship had left the Cuban port of Puerto Padre, and was heading
for North Korea.
But reports began to circulate that things were not so sweet, on board
the Chong Chon Gang. There was more than just azúcar on the ship. In
fact, inspectors found 25 shipping containers with weapons, parts,
MiG-21 jet aircraft engines, two MiG-21 jet fighters, as well as six
military vehicles, hidden under the 10,000 tons of sugar.
The captain of the Chong Chon Gang tried to commit suicide. One can only
assume that he considered the fate that awaited him in Pyongyang, at the
hands of Kim Jong Un. When you work for a Communist dictator – and
something goes wrong, there is no mercy.
And you ask, why did the governments of Cuba and North Korea act in such
a brazen manner?
Very simply put, because they have been able to get away with illicit
arms trafficking before!
It is easier to intercept a North Korean Nodong missile (a redesign of
the Scud technology) – then it is to intercept some of these North
Korean ships carrying clandestine cargoes, since it is extremely
difficult to identify illicit commodities, among the immense number of
containers of international legal shipments.
The case of the Chong Chon Gang is simply the latest illicit arms
trafficking episode involving the Cuban government.
A very descriptive report was published on August 27, 2013 by 38 North,
of the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS (Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced
International Studies at John Hopkins University) – which offers the
following details of the arms cache found inside the Chong Chon Gang:
> Two MiG-21 jet fighters
> MiG-21 jet aircraft engines
> 6 military vehicles
> a variety of small arms
> light weapons (SALW) ammunition
> conventional artillery ammunition for anti-tank guns and howitzer
artillery
> generators
> batteries
> night vision equipment, among other items
The SAIS report was followed by a written testimony filed before the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere,
by SAIS's Senior Researcher, Hugh S.W. Griffiths.
So, where was Bishop Richard E. Pates while all this was unfolding?
Probably chatting with other modernist prelates – and philosophizing on
what's best for the people of Cuba, from the comfort of his "social
justice and peace" office in Washington DC.
Yet, it doesn't occur to Bishop Pates, that the best thing for the
people of Cuba is to simply be FREE!
But isn't this the way that socialists operate? They prefer to
"dialogue" and engage in a tête-à-tête with the enemy, in order to find
"solutions." Then, they go back to their desks and issue missives
attacking an embargo established to defend freedom. Meanwhile, innocent
citizens continue to be brutally persecuted by their Communist captors.
The Cuban government lies. That's what Communists do best.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba published this false statement
on July 16, 2013, claiming that the clandestine weapons in the Chong
Chon Gang were "obsolete" – and were going to be repaired and returned
to Cuba.
That's hilarious.
If that were the case, Venezuela is a lot closer than Pyongyang – and
the socialist Venezuelan government, which maintains intense military
collaboration with Cuba, would gladly repair these jet fighters and
weapons. In fact, if help is what the Cubans needed, the Venezuelans
would have assisted in the repair of this military equipment, right on
Cuban soil.
But Communist states cannot function without lying – which reminds me of
last year's priceless headline in Moscow's PRAVDA (a Communist
newspaper). Also, please note Barack Obama's banner ad for his
Organizing for Action "grassroots" movement:
"UN: Cuba proposes to eradicate illicit arms trafficking" (link)
Meanwhile, the SAIS report reveals that "the various rocket-propelled
grenades (RPGs) and conventional artillery ammunition, many in mint
condition, were unused and much of it was in original packing cases.
They clearly were not "to be repaired and returned to Cuba." Rather,
these items were intended simply for delivery to North Korea for its own
use." [Bold added for emphasis].
The ship's holds, originally designed for the transportation of sugar or
grains, had been modified so that the illicit transfer of weapons and
equipment could be hidden under the sugar cargo.
The following paragraph, in the written testimony before the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs, is of great importance:
"The Chong Chon Gang episode combines two of North Korea's maritime
smuggling modus operandi: the use of shipping containers and bulk
carrier vessels owned by North Korean companies. The United Nations
Panel of Experts has documented the use of shipping containers for North
Korea-related consignments of embargoed dual use or military goods that
may be used for missile production or weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
programs. In recent years such seizures have generally centered around
cargoes destined for Syria, most likely related to the research facility
in the Deir ez-Zor region that was bombed by Israel in 2007. These
consignments, falsely declared and transported anonymously for much of
their journey aboard container vessels owned by some of the world's
biggest shipping lines, blend into the huge volumes of container traffic
that depart East Asia for Middle Eastern, European and African markets
on a daily basis."
It's interesting to note that Bishop Pates finds time to travel with
Bishop Gerald Kicanas to remote Amazonian communities, in order to
discuss "natural resources and land rights" – but he can't seem to
travel 3 miles down the road from his USCCB office, to meet with experts
in research, at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced
International Studies – so he can learn about Cuba and its latest
episode as a state sponsor of terrorism. What about the U.S. State
Department? – which is located 4.8 miles away.
Only uninformed individuals would take Bishop Pates's letters about Cuba
seriously... or perhaps those who have a socialist agenda
The absurdity of this situation is mind-boggling.
But, to make matters worse, this is not the first time that Bishop Pates
tries to influence American policies towards Cuba. On April 17, 2012
Bishop Pates wrote a letter to then Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham
Clinton, requesting the lifting of the embargo – after returning from a
trip to Cuba, during Benedict XVI's visit to the island.
This excerpt from Bishop Pates's letter to Hillary Rodham Clinton takes
the cake:
"While in Cuba, I had the opportunity to visit programs providing child
and elderly care in which food and medical attention are provided to
poor and vulnerable persons. The staff members selflessly administering
these facilities and senior Cuban Church officials responsible for these
programs repeatedly told me that the efficacy of their work was hampered
by their inability to obtain products from the United States due to the
trade embargo."
Really, Bishop Pates? REALLY?
I strongly suggest that Bishop Pates open his computer and immediately
visit the COMBIOMED website in Cuba (PDF). Then, he needs to board a
plane for Havana and ask Fidel and Raúl Castro why the COMBIOMED
high-tech equipment – manufactured in Cuba and sold to other countries –
is not available in the government-run hospitals, where Cuban citizens
are often mutilated and killed, at the hands of incompetent personnel,
trying to practice medicine in subhuman conditions.
Here is an excerpt from the Cuban COMBIOMED website (translation into
English courtesy of Marielena Montesino de Stuart):
"The research, development, production facilities and the marketing and
technical services headquarters, are in Havana, Cuba, in the "Scientific
Pole of the West" technology park – which brings together the most
advanced Cuban institutions related to biotechnology, the pharmaceutical
industry and that of high-tech medical equipment.
Today, COMBIOMED products are developed and produced in the modern ICID
facilities, pursuant to the highest international quality requirements.
They meet the requirements of the State Control Center of Medical
Equipment of the Republic of Cuba, which are equivalent to those of the
European Community and the Federal Drug Administration [FDA] of the USA."
Parroted slogans
What is most offensive about individuals like Bishop Pates – is that he
has the audacity to write these letters, attempting to influence
American policies towards Cuba, by citing his brief visit to the island
– and conversations with individuals in Cuba, who are operating under
the control of the Cuban government's Communist thugs.
It is disconcerting to see Bishop Pates join the list of visitors to
Cuba – who return to the United States and start their letter-writing
campaigns – which sound more like parroted slogans for the Castro
Communist regime.
Wake-up call
I cannot emphasize this enough: how much money donated by faithful
Catholics, was spent to educate and advance Richard E. Pates to the
position of Bishop? Not to mention, the money needed to support his
current activities, as Chair of the Committee on International Justice
and Peace, for the USCCB. Is this what faithful Catholics get in return
after donating their hard-earned money to the Church?
Bishop Pates needs to learn the truth about the Cuban economy and the
U.S. embargo
In my recent article, where I denounced the "pastoral" message from the
Cuban Bishops, I described the reality of the Cuban economy, as follows
[bold added for emphasis]:
"Cubans exiled in the United States and in different parts of the world
support a parallel Cuban economy through remittances to relatives in
Cuba, with estimates as high as one billion dollars per year.
Despite the "embargo" (which is merely symbolical at this point) and
financial restrictions, U.S. exports to Cuba reached $711 million in
2008 before declining in 2009 and 2010. Cuba has become the 12th largest
market in the Western Hemisphere for U.S. agricultural products.
The U.S. Dollar value of U.S. exports to Cuba in 2012 was
$457,318,357.00 under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement
Act (TSRA) of 2000, which re-authorized the direct commercial (on a cash
basis) export of food products (including branded food products) and
agricultural products (commodities) from the United States to Cuba. This
does not include healthcare products, which remain authorized by the
Cuban Democracy Act (CDA) of 1992.
After the TSRA was set in motion, the United States became Cuba's fourth
largest trading partner behind Venezuela, China, and Spain. While
product types may vary, the United States is Cuba's largest supplier of
imported food during most years.
Based on the above facts, the only "unjust and ethically unacceptable"
policies that keep the people of Cuba in misery, are those that have
been imposed by Castro's bloody Communist regime, for nearly 54 years."
In addition to the above, the Obama administration has relaxed
communications, travel and cultural exchange with Cuba, to the point of
building new fantasy bridges of "social justice" with Castro's government.
Cuba's government continues to actively engage in foreign trade – as it
aggressively prepares for the Panama Canal expansion (scheduled for
completion in 2015) by approving the Decree Law of the Special
Development Zone of Mariel, whose first project will be a container
terminal, which will act as the main entry and exit point of Cuban
foreign trade (and no doubt, illicit cargo).
Cuba and human trafficking
Beyond its skyrocketing rate of abortion, prostitution, hunger – as well
as torture, imprisonment and executions, lies the horrific reality of
human trafficking, which the Castro government refuses to discuss,
because it is a state-sponsored crime.
But it does not appear that Bishop Pates knows about this either – or is
he trying to avoid this topic, for the sake of rapprochement with Castro?
The 2013 U.S. State Department report on human trafficking states the
following (bold added for emphasis):
"Cuba is a source country for adults and children subjected to sex
trafficking and forced labor. Child prostitution and child sex tourism
reportedly occur within Cuba. Cuban citizens have been forced into
prostitution outside of Cuba. There have been allegations of coerced
labor, particularly with Cuban work missions abroad. Some Cubans working
abroad have stated that postings are voluntary and well paid; however,
others have claimed that Cuban authorities have withheld their passports
and restricted their movements. The scope of trafficking involving Cuban
citizens is particularly difficult to gauge because of the closed nature
of the government and sparse non-governmental or independent reporting.
The Government of Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards
for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts
to do so. The government did not respond to requests for data on
prosecutions of sex trafficking and forced labor or on
trafficking-specific victim protection and prevention efforts that
occurred during the reporting period. Governments that do not provide
such data, consistent with the capacity of governments to obtain such
data, are presumed by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act not to have
made significant efforts to address human trafficking."
Parting thoughts
Bishop Pates needs a new job, in the real world, not in the modernist
world of the USCCB – which, for men in his position, typically includes
soirées and full-course meals, during gatherings held to discuss "social
justice."
Yes, that same "social justice" that Fidel Castro offered the people of
Cuba 54 years ago – only to turn the island into a hellish state.
The Vatican's modernist business of "dialogue," "social justice" and
"peace" is such a busy one – that it probably leaves prelates, like
Bishop Pates, little time to learn the facts.
Bishop Richard E. Pates should be immediately and permanently
transferred to Cuba, where he can experience the communist reality, by
living amongst the people – instead of fantasizing by writing letters to
Susan Rice and Hillary Rodham Clinton, from the comfort and safety of
his well-appointed headquarters, in Des Moines and Washington DC.
Someone has to say the truth... ¡Aaaaaazúcar!
–
REFERENCE:
"Cuba's Cardinal Jaime Ortega Must Resign"
"Why Not Cuba?"
"Vatican Readmits Leftist Thinking" (The Times – The Australian)
U.S. Census Bureau: Trade in Goods with Cuba (1992-2013)
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c2390.html (Also available
in PDF)
Risk Management – Emerging Markets for U.S. Agriculture: Focus on Cuba
http://cnas.tamu.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2013/08/E312.pdf
2012-2001 U.S. Export Statistics for Cuba
http://www.cubatrade.org/CubaExportStats.pdf
PASTORAL LETTER FROM THE CONFERENCE OF CUBAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS: "La
Esperanza No Defrauda"
CARGO OF THE CHONG CHON GANG:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/full-disclosure-contents-of-north-korean-smuggling-ship-revealed-38-north-informed-analysis-of-north-korea.pdf
U.S. STATE DEPT., DAILY PRESS BRIEFING:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/regarding-the-chong-chon-gang-state-department-daily-press-briefing-iip-digital.pdf
STATEMENT by SAIS's Senior Researcher, Hugh S.W. Griffiths:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/hhrg-113-fa07-wstate-griffithsh-20130926.pdf
STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/state-sponsors-of-terrorism.pdf
CUBAN GOVERNMENT HIGH-TECH MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, NOT AVAILABLE TO CUBAN
CITIZENS:
COMBIOMED website in Cuba (PDF)
CUBAN SOCIALIZED MEDICINE (GOVERNMENT-RUN HOSPITALS):
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/hospitals-in-cuba-cracks-show-in-cuban-healthcare-system-institute-for-war-and-peace-reporting-p57606.pdf
Re-examining the Cuban Health Care System- Towards a Qualitative
Critique, by Katherine Hirschfeld:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/re-examining-the-cuban-health-care-system-towards-a-qualitative-critique-katherine-hirschfeld.pdf
© Marielena Montesino de Stuart
Source: "SPECIAL REPORT: The USCCB, Cuba and the Chong Chon Gang" -
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/marielena/131002
By Marielena Montesino de Stuart
♦ Bishop Richard E. Pates tries to influence American policy towards Cuba.
♦ The socialist reality of the USCCB is clear, even when they coat it
with Cuban sugar.
♦ With Obama in the White House and Francis in the Vatican – socialists
are running amok.
¡Aaaaaazúcar!
Yes... I would like to begin this commentary, which includes the subject
of Cuban sugar (among other things) – by saying, ¡Aaaaaazúcar! (sugar!)
– as Celia Cruz, the famous Cuban singer used to belt out at the
beginning of some of her popular songs. Celia Cruz, who died in exile,
never missed an opportunity to denounce Fidel Castro's criminal
Communist regime. And she did so knowing full well how important it is
to counteract the misinformation constantly put out about Cuba, by the
overabundance of socialist fellow travelers.
So let's all say ¡Aaaaaazúcar! – because as a survivor of Castro's
Communist regime I need you to join me in exposing the Castro
sympathizers who keep spreading lies.
Cuban sugarcoating, from the USCCB
The USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) is in a time
warp. And I mean, a very, very bad time warp. The latest example has
surfaced in the form of a letter written by Bishop Richard E. Pates on
September 26, 2013, addressed to National Security Advisor, Dr. Susan E.
Rice.
Bishop Pates chairs the Committee on International Justice and Peace,
at the USCCB in Washington DC. He is also the Bishop of Des Moines.
Bishop Pates's letter shows that he is uninformed – and completely
disconnected from the meaning of justice and peace, when it comes to Cuba.
It is time that the USCCB be freed of these clueless prelates, who
spread so much misinformation. It makes one wonder, just how much money
are Catholics donating, in order to support the activities of Bishops,
such as Richard E. Pates.
In his letter, Bishop Pates praises the recent pastoral message from the
Cuban Bishops (which was nothing but socialist propaganda). Pates makes
an absurd plea to Susan Rice for bringing down the Cuban embargo – a
plea which shows that Bishop Pates is completely ignorant of U.S. and
international trade with Cuba, Western Hemisphere geopolitical matters,
including Cuba's illicit arms trafficking to North Korea.
Bishop Pates could not bring himself to utter a single word of
condemnation of the Cuban government, in his letter to Susan Rice. In
fact, he praised "Cuba's constructive role in mediating Colombian peace
negotiations and cooperating with the U.S. Coast Guard in drug
interdiction activities."
What galaxy does Bishop Pates reside in?
Here is an excerpt from Bishop Pates's letter [bold added for emphasis]:
"We urge efforts to lift the U.S. embargo against Cuba so that greater
support and assistance can flow to ordinary Cubans. It is also time to
remove the designation of Cuba as a sponsor of state terrorism. Such an
obsolete classification prevents engagement between our countries and
peoples. Engagement will do more than isolation to advance human rights
and alleviate human suffering. It will also recognize Cuba's
constructive role in mediating Colombian peace negotiations and
cooperating with the U.S. Coast Guard in drug interdiction activities."
Remove Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism from the U.S. State
Department list?
The hubris behind this absurd suggestion is typical of modernist
(socialist) prelates.
This is inexcusable, in light of the Cuban government's long history of
violence against its own people, fomenting communist violence in other
countries – as well as illicit arms trade, as recently as two months
ago. There are obvious reasons why Cuba has been on the U.S. State
Dept., list as a state sponsor of terrorism, since March 1, 1982 – along
with Iran, Syria and Sudan.
As the reader will see below, Bishop Pates has much to learn about the
Cuban reality – or is he just ignoring it?
The Chong Chon Gang: keeping things in chronological perspective
It is important for the reader to remember that Bishop Pates's letter to
Dr. Susan Rice, asking for the removal of Cuba's designation as a state
sponsor of terrorism, is dated September 26, 2013 – which followed a
significant incident that took place during the month of July – an
incident which was widely covered by national and international news:
The Chong Chon Gang, a North Korean ship that had left Cuba – was
intercepted by Panamanian authorities, on suspicion of drug trafficking.
But there is more.
Cuba, as a state sponsor of terrorism, is very experienced in
clandestine matters. So is North Korea, which by the way, should be
immediately added to the terror list. The question is – why has the U.S.
government failed to do so?
The Chong Chon Gang's Bill of Lading falsely declared the cargo to be
approximately 10,000 tons of sugar and polyethylene (plastic) spare
bags. The ship had left the Cuban port of Puerto Padre, and was heading
for North Korea.
But reports began to circulate that things were not so sweet, on board
the Chong Chon Gang. There was more than just azúcar on the ship. In
fact, inspectors found 25 shipping containers with weapons, parts,
MiG-21 jet aircraft engines, two MiG-21 jet fighters, as well as six
military vehicles, hidden under the 10,000 tons of sugar.
The captain of the Chong Chon Gang tried to commit suicide. One can only
assume that he considered the fate that awaited him in Pyongyang, at the
hands of Kim Jong Un. When you work for a Communist dictator – and
something goes wrong, there is no mercy.
And you ask, why did the governments of Cuba and North Korea act in such
a brazen manner?
Very simply put, because they have been able to get away with illicit
arms trafficking before!
It is easier to intercept a North Korean Nodong missile (a redesign of
the Scud technology) – then it is to intercept some of these North
Korean ships carrying clandestine cargoes, since it is extremely
difficult to identify illicit commodities, among the immense number of
containers of international legal shipments.
The case of the Chong Chon Gang is simply the latest illicit arms
trafficking episode involving the Cuban government.
A very descriptive report was published on August 27, 2013 by 38 North,
of the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS (Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced
International Studies at John Hopkins University) – which offers the
following details of the arms cache found inside the Chong Chon Gang:
> Two MiG-21 jet fighters
> MiG-21 jet aircraft engines
> 6 military vehicles
> a variety of small arms
> light weapons (SALW) ammunition
> conventional artillery ammunition for anti-tank guns and howitzer
artillery
> generators
> batteries
> night vision equipment, among other items
The SAIS report was followed by a written testimony filed before the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere,
by SAIS's Senior Researcher, Hugh S.W. Griffiths.
So, where was Bishop Richard E. Pates while all this was unfolding?
Probably chatting with other modernist prelates – and philosophizing on
what's best for the people of Cuba, from the comfort of his "social
justice and peace" office in Washington DC.
Yet, it doesn't occur to Bishop Pates, that the best thing for the
people of Cuba is to simply be FREE!
But isn't this the way that socialists operate? They prefer to
"dialogue" and engage in a tête-à-tête with the enemy, in order to find
"solutions." Then, they go back to their desks and issue missives
attacking an embargo established to defend freedom. Meanwhile, innocent
citizens continue to be brutally persecuted by their Communist captors.
The Cuban government lies. That's what Communists do best.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba published this false statement
on July 16, 2013, claiming that the clandestine weapons in the Chong
Chon Gang were "obsolete" – and were going to be repaired and returned
to Cuba.
That's hilarious.
If that were the case, Venezuela is a lot closer than Pyongyang – and
the socialist Venezuelan government, which maintains intense military
collaboration with Cuba, would gladly repair these jet fighters and
weapons. In fact, if help is what the Cubans needed, the Venezuelans
would have assisted in the repair of this military equipment, right on
Cuban soil.
But Communist states cannot function without lying – which reminds me of
last year's priceless headline in Moscow's PRAVDA (a Communist
newspaper). Also, please note Barack Obama's banner ad for his
Organizing for Action "grassroots" movement:
"UN: Cuba proposes to eradicate illicit arms trafficking" (link)
Meanwhile, the SAIS report reveals that "the various rocket-propelled
grenades (RPGs) and conventional artillery ammunition, many in mint
condition, were unused and much of it was in original packing cases.
They clearly were not "to be repaired and returned to Cuba." Rather,
these items were intended simply for delivery to North Korea for its own
use." [Bold added for emphasis].
The ship's holds, originally designed for the transportation of sugar or
grains, had been modified so that the illicit transfer of weapons and
equipment could be hidden under the sugar cargo.
The following paragraph, in the written testimony before the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs, is of great importance:
"The Chong Chon Gang episode combines two of North Korea's maritime
smuggling modus operandi: the use of shipping containers and bulk
carrier vessels owned by North Korean companies. The United Nations
Panel of Experts has documented the use of shipping containers for North
Korea-related consignments of embargoed dual use or military goods that
may be used for missile production or weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
programs. In recent years such seizures have generally centered around
cargoes destined for Syria, most likely related to the research facility
in the Deir ez-Zor region that was bombed by Israel in 2007. These
consignments, falsely declared and transported anonymously for much of
their journey aboard container vessels owned by some of the world's
biggest shipping lines, blend into the huge volumes of container traffic
that depart East Asia for Middle Eastern, European and African markets
on a daily basis."
It's interesting to note that Bishop Pates finds time to travel with
Bishop Gerald Kicanas to remote Amazonian communities, in order to
discuss "natural resources and land rights" – but he can't seem to
travel 3 miles down the road from his USCCB office, to meet with experts
in research, at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced
International Studies – so he can learn about Cuba and its latest
episode as a state sponsor of terrorism. What about the U.S. State
Department? – which is located 4.8 miles away.
Only uninformed individuals would take Bishop Pates's letters about Cuba
seriously... or perhaps those who have a socialist agenda
The absurdity of this situation is mind-boggling.
But, to make matters worse, this is not the first time that Bishop Pates
tries to influence American policies towards Cuba. On April 17, 2012
Bishop Pates wrote a letter to then Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham
Clinton, requesting the lifting of the embargo – after returning from a
trip to Cuba, during Benedict XVI's visit to the island.
This excerpt from Bishop Pates's letter to Hillary Rodham Clinton takes
the cake:
"While in Cuba, I had the opportunity to visit programs providing child
and elderly care in which food and medical attention are provided to
poor and vulnerable persons. The staff members selflessly administering
these facilities and senior Cuban Church officials responsible for these
programs repeatedly told me that the efficacy of their work was hampered
by their inability to obtain products from the United States due to the
trade embargo."
Really, Bishop Pates? REALLY?
I strongly suggest that Bishop Pates open his computer and immediately
visit the COMBIOMED website in Cuba (PDF). Then, he needs to board a
plane for Havana and ask Fidel and Raúl Castro why the COMBIOMED
high-tech equipment – manufactured in Cuba and sold to other countries –
is not available in the government-run hospitals, where Cuban citizens
are often mutilated and killed, at the hands of incompetent personnel,
trying to practice medicine in subhuman conditions.
Here is an excerpt from the Cuban COMBIOMED website (translation into
English courtesy of Marielena Montesino de Stuart):
"The research, development, production facilities and the marketing and
technical services headquarters, are in Havana, Cuba, in the "Scientific
Pole of the West" technology park – which brings together the most
advanced Cuban institutions related to biotechnology, the pharmaceutical
industry and that of high-tech medical equipment.
Today, COMBIOMED products are developed and produced in the modern ICID
facilities, pursuant to the highest international quality requirements.
They meet the requirements of the State Control Center of Medical
Equipment of the Republic of Cuba, which are equivalent to those of the
European Community and the Federal Drug Administration [FDA] of the USA."
Parroted slogans
What is most offensive about individuals like Bishop Pates – is that he
has the audacity to write these letters, attempting to influence
American policies towards Cuba, by citing his brief visit to the island
– and conversations with individuals in Cuba, who are operating under
the control of the Cuban government's Communist thugs.
It is disconcerting to see Bishop Pates join the list of visitors to
Cuba – who return to the United States and start their letter-writing
campaigns – which sound more like parroted slogans for the Castro
Communist regime.
Wake-up call
I cannot emphasize this enough: how much money donated by faithful
Catholics, was spent to educate and advance Richard E. Pates to the
position of Bishop? Not to mention, the money needed to support his
current activities, as Chair of the Committee on International Justice
and Peace, for the USCCB. Is this what faithful Catholics get in return
after donating their hard-earned money to the Church?
Bishop Pates needs to learn the truth about the Cuban economy and the
U.S. embargo
In my recent article, where I denounced the "pastoral" message from the
Cuban Bishops, I described the reality of the Cuban economy, as follows
[bold added for emphasis]:
"Cubans exiled in the United States and in different parts of the world
support a parallel Cuban economy through remittances to relatives in
Cuba, with estimates as high as one billion dollars per year.
Despite the "embargo" (which is merely symbolical at this point) and
financial restrictions, U.S. exports to Cuba reached $711 million in
2008 before declining in 2009 and 2010. Cuba has become the 12th largest
market in the Western Hemisphere for U.S. agricultural products.
The U.S. Dollar value of U.S. exports to Cuba in 2012 was
$457,318,357.00 under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement
Act (TSRA) of 2000, which re-authorized the direct commercial (on a cash
basis) export of food products (including branded food products) and
agricultural products (commodities) from the United States to Cuba. This
does not include healthcare products, which remain authorized by the
Cuban Democracy Act (CDA) of 1992.
After the TSRA was set in motion, the United States became Cuba's fourth
largest trading partner behind Venezuela, China, and Spain. While
product types may vary, the United States is Cuba's largest supplier of
imported food during most years.
Based on the above facts, the only "unjust and ethically unacceptable"
policies that keep the people of Cuba in misery, are those that have
been imposed by Castro's bloody Communist regime, for nearly 54 years."
In addition to the above, the Obama administration has relaxed
communications, travel and cultural exchange with Cuba, to the point of
building new fantasy bridges of "social justice" with Castro's government.
Cuba's government continues to actively engage in foreign trade – as it
aggressively prepares for the Panama Canal expansion (scheduled for
completion in 2015) by approving the Decree Law of the Special
Development Zone of Mariel, whose first project will be a container
terminal, which will act as the main entry and exit point of Cuban
foreign trade (and no doubt, illicit cargo).
Cuba and human trafficking
Beyond its skyrocketing rate of abortion, prostitution, hunger – as well
as torture, imprisonment and executions, lies the horrific reality of
human trafficking, which the Castro government refuses to discuss,
because it is a state-sponsored crime.
But it does not appear that Bishop Pates knows about this either – or is
he trying to avoid this topic, for the sake of rapprochement with Castro?
The 2013 U.S. State Department report on human trafficking states the
following (bold added for emphasis):
"Cuba is a source country for adults and children subjected to sex
trafficking and forced labor. Child prostitution and child sex tourism
reportedly occur within Cuba. Cuban citizens have been forced into
prostitution outside of Cuba. There have been allegations of coerced
labor, particularly with Cuban work missions abroad. Some Cubans working
abroad have stated that postings are voluntary and well paid; however,
others have claimed that Cuban authorities have withheld their passports
and restricted their movements. The scope of trafficking involving Cuban
citizens is particularly difficult to gauge because of the closed nature
of the government and sparse non-governmental or independent reporting.
The Government of Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards
for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts
to do so. The government did not respond to requests for data on
prosecutions of sex trafficking and forced labor or on
trafficking-specific victim protection and prevention efforts that
occurred during the reporting period. Governments that do not provide
such data, consistent with the capacity of governments to obtain such
data, are presumed by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act not to have
made significant efforts to address human trafficking."
Parting thoughts
Bishop Pates needs a new job, in the real world, not in the modernist
world of the USCCB – which, for men in his position, typically includes
soirées and full-course meals, during gatherings held to discuss "social
justice."
Yes, that same "social justice" that Fidel Castro offered the people of
Cuba 54 years ago – only to turn the island into a hellish state.
The Vatican's modernist business of "dialogue," "social justice" and
"peace" is such a busy one – that it probably leaves prelates, like
Bishop Pates, little time to learn the facts.
Bishop Richard E. Pates should be immediately and permanently
transferred to Cuba, where he can experience the communist reality, by
living amongst the people – instead of fantasizing by writing letters to
Susan Rice and Hillary Rodham Clinton, from the comfort and safety of
his well-appointed headquarters, in Des Moines and Washington DC.
Someone has to say the truth... ¡Aaaaaazúcar!
–
REFERENCE:
"Cuba's Cardinal Jaime Ortega Must Resign"
"Why Not Cuba?"
"Vatican Readmits Leftist Thinking" (The Times – The Australian)
U.S. Census Bureau: Trade in Goods with Cuba (1992-2013)
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c2390.html (Also available
in PDF)
Risk Management – Emerging Markets for U.S. Agriculture: Focus on Cuba
http://cnas.tamu.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2013/08/E312.pdf
2012-2001 U.S. Export Statistics for Cuba
http://www.cubatrade.org/CubaExportStats.pdf
PASTORAL LETTER FROM THE CONFERENCE OF CUBAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS: "La
Esperanza No Defrauda"
CARGO OF THE CHONG CHON GANG:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/full-disclosure-contents-of-north-korean-smuggling-ship-revealed-38-north-informed-analysis-of-north-korea.pdf
U.S. STATE DEPT., DAILY PRESS BRIEFING:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/regarding-the-chong-chon-gang-state-department-daily-press-briefing-iip-digital.pdf
STATEMENT by SAIS's Senior Researcher, Hugh S.W. Griffiths:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/hhrg-113-fa07-wstate-griffithsh-20130926.pdf
STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/state-sponsors-of-terrorism.pdf
CUBAN GOVERNMENT HIGH-TECH MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, NOT AVAILABLE TO CUBAN
CITIZENS:
COMBIOMED website in Cuba (PDF)
CUBAN SOCIALIZED MEDICINE (GOVERNMENT-RUN HOSPITALS):
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/hospitals-in-cuba-cracks-show-in-cuban-healthcare-system-institute-for-war-and-peace-reporting-p57606.pdf
Re-examining the Cuban Health Care System- Towards a Qualitative
Critique, by Katherine Hirschfeld:
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/re-examining-the-cuban-health-care-system-towards-a-qualitative-critique-katherine-hirschfeld.pdf
© Marielena Montesino de Stuart
Source: "SPECIAL REPORT: The USCCB, Cuba and the Chong Chon Gang" -
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/marielena/131002
Cuba’s Medical Missions in Venezuela - Hotspot for Corruption
Cuba's Medical Missions in Venezuela: Hotspot for Corruption
October 1, 2013
Uberto Mario* (Cafe Fuerte)
HAVANA TIMES — In the course of my five years in Venezuela, I undertook
several journalistic investigations which allowed me to trail numerous
criminals who, hiding behind their embroidered guayabera shirts and
medical gowns, carried out all manner of illegal actions and turned
Cuba's internationalist medical mission into a veritable den of corruption.
Thousands of health professionals have been sent to Venezuela since
Cuba's first medical mission arrived in the country on December 16,
1999. It is calculated that a hundred thousand Cubans have worked in
Venezuela's Barrio Adentro neighborhood health care program alone.
The sad truth of the matter, however, is that, in addition to managing
the work of those who are working in the field and saving human lives,
those in charge of these brigades have also availed themselves of their
high or mid-level positions to steal State resources left, right and center.
Some have been spared severe punishment and continue to work. Others
have not been so lucky and aren't even allowed to prescribe an aspirin
in Cuba.
While it is certainly true that there have been many corrupt bosses in
the medical missions it is also true to say that many honest men and
women have also passed through. The mob, however, does not recruit
honest or humble people.
A Suitcase Full of Dollars
One such honest person was Dr. Luis Acao Francois, a man from Cuba's
province of Camaguey who took on the difficult job of traveling to
Venezuela in the midst of the disaster in the state of Vargas,
devastated by landslides, relentless downpours and collapsing structures.
He traveled to Venezuela with a suitcase full of dollars, to pay the
members of the medical brigade, and didn't steal a cent. During those
first months of work and up until Acao completed his mission as brigade
leader, Cuba did not have the banks or checkbooks to pay its medical
workers, and good old Acao proved unwavering in his honesty throughout.
This was the only stage of Cuba's medical campaign in Venezuela in which
Cuban intelligence services were in charge of monitoring every cent
spent in the missions, a task which, following the arrival of Acao's
replacement, was left in the hands of thieves and common criminals,
green lighted by none other than Minister of Public Health Jose Ramon
Balaguer.
Aldo de Jesus Hernandez, who replaced Dr. Acao, arrived in Venezuela on
December 22, 2002, after the dark days of April – an attempted coup that
lasted 3 days – had passed and the country witnessed the beginning of an
all-out confrontation between supporters of Hugo Chavez and the
opposition. Cuban health brigade workers were arriving in Venezuela by
the thousands at the time.
On the night of the briefing, Hernandez met with Cuba's operative team
in Venezuela: Major Amado Hernandez Iturruaga, then head of Cuba's
medical mission, Colonel Tomas Rodriguez (alias "Ariel"), the Cuban
Embassy's top official (currently working in Miraflores), and myself. We
had already reviewed the file of Acao's replacement, who had served as
Public Health secretary in Cuba's Isla de la Juventud until then.
A Package Full of Goodies
In a week's time, Hernandez began to show his true colors, proving to be
an arrogant, demagogical leader who remained out of touch with the
concerns of the then nearly four thousand Cuban medical professionals
scattered across the country's 16 states.
Not one month since his arrival had gone by when we caught him sending
off a package full of "goodies" to Cuba, before even having been paid
his salary, and after having told his compatriots that they were on a
war footing, that we wouldn't be receiving a salary for the time being
and that we had to stand our ground and work better every day.
That's when we started to monitor his actions more closely. Hernandez
had travelled to Caracas to live and work as a dentist at the
Universidad Maritima del Caribe (Caribbean Maritime University) located
in the state of Vargas (headquarters of Cuba's intelligence services in
the country).
There, he was to join Nancy Garcia Vera, sister of the then powerful
Yadira Garcia Verca, former Minister of Basic Industry and member of the
Politburo (incidentally, the two sisters were actually born in Venzuela
– Nancy in Caracas, in 1953, and Yadira in Maracaibo, in 1955 – and were
later nationalized in Pinar del Rio, Cuba).
Nancy Garcia's arrival gave Aldo Hernandez the freedom to steal without
compunction. In Havana, his godmother Yadira could pick up a phone and,
with only one call to Venezuelan ambassador German Sanchez Otero,
arrange an Aerocaribbean charter, loaded with goodies for Garcia Vera's
and Hernandez' family in Isla de la Juventud, every 45 days. These
shipments were dispatched at Gate 4 in Venezuela's Maiquetia Airport.
After these embezzlement activities had been exposed, I was called in by
Raul Garcia, a veteran communist who had served as Cuba's Consul General
in Caracas for years. I was at the Cuban embassy when I was suddenly
called to Ambassador Sanchez Otero's office for a dressing-down.
The Untouchables
This is what Raul Garcia told me: "Listen up, journalist. Stop sticking
your nose in this business, saying the ambassador is looking out for his
people, sending electrical appliances, medications and bicycles to his
friends at the Central Committee. Stop saying Balaguer is also receiving
gifts from Venezuela, and that there's a plane that flies over here just
for that, that's none of your business. Your job is to monitor doctors,
not us. If German finds out you've been doing this, he'll send you back
to Cuba and you can say goodbye to your good life over here…"
Fifteen days later, Raul Garcia was removed from his post. A few months
later, Aldo de Jesus Hernandez was dismissed and sent back to Cuba. The
reasons? They were corrupt and setting a bad example. Balaguer and
Yadira, however, retained their posts – within the Cuban regime, there
are levels and then there are levels. Balaguer is one of the regime's
untouchables. We didn't hear anything from Yadira was dismissed in
September 2010 after being implicated in a series of embezzlements and
other illegal activities in the basic industry sector.
The Business of La Pradera
The well-known (and questionable) health services agreement between
Caracas and Havana contains a clause that has existed since April of
2001: the sending of Venezuelan patients (mainly the poorest) to Cuba,
to receive medical attention at the La Pradera International Health
Center located in Siboney, Havana, and to other hospitals in the capital
that have been equipped for such services.
It was a top priority mission which was overseen every Friday, in the
early hours of the morning, by Fidel Castro himself (until stepping down
due to illness in 2006). I can offer a detailed testimony of this
because I worked in this mission every Friday from 2001 to 2003, and was
even entrusted with secret tasks during this time.
To get a sense of the importance of this whole affair, suffice it to
know that the Venezuelan patients were transported to Havana in Fidel
Castro's personal plane (flown by his crew).
The patients were selected during field surveys conducted by the medical
doctors in each of Venezuela's municipalities or states. Following this
selection process, the patients files were sent to the Miraflores
presidential palace for a final assessment and then the patients
traveled to Havana.
As in other areas, the more streetwise and business-minded Cubans came
along and began to profit from this privileged service Cuba was offering
poor Venezuelan patients. That is how seats on these flights to Cuba
began to be sold.
Who were making these sales? It wasn't the doctors out in the field,
working hard to overcome many difficulties in Venezuela's most recondite
places. It was those in charge of these missions, those who represented
Cuba at Miraflores: Dr. Rafael Garcia Portela, head of the control
office responsible for sending Venezuelan patients to La Pradera, and
his colleague Frank Diaz, as well as their respective wives.
These white-collar criminals set up their base of operations in Caracas'
presidential palace, selling seats on the Havana-bound plane for US
$2,000 and even $3,000. The beneficiaries were the relatives of
Venezuelan government officials and the country's bourgeoisie (from both
the Chavista and not-so Chavista camp).
When we came upon these crimes, after going over the clinical histories,
names and social strata of the patients, the officials in charge of the
investigation almost immediately discovered that they had even used fake
names and resorted to unlawful proceedings to carry out the activities.
During a coordination meeting, we sent a report to Hugo Chavez, who
immediately consulted with his mentor and the project sponsor, Fidel
Castro. Time passed and we saw no measures taken by the government,
which failed to explain why some rich people could hop on the plane with
tickets sold to them by the criminals at Miraflores.
Chavez' Father
Officials at La Pradera, corrupt Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP)
officials and even Central Committee members involved in coordinating
these activities were getting a cut out of those US $3,000.
These "bombshells" about the idealized health plan aimed at poor
Venezuelans began to go off in Cuba, but Fidel Castro was told a
different story and the whole thing was shelved.
I am proud of having fought against the corrupt practices of Cubans in
Venezuelans and still bear the burden of the whole affair. One day,
while visiting the father of the late Hugo Chavez in his office, when I
had a moment alone with him, I told him what was going on inside this
health campaign, so that he would tell his son. I told him it wasn't the
poor who were benefitting from the initiative and even gave him a
written report.
Fortunately, Hugo de los Reyes Chavez informed his son of this and many
of the criminals running Cuba's medical mission in Venezuela were
dismissed. Following the investigation and reports prompted by this, I
was able to find out that the business was being run out of the
Statistics Department in La Pradera. Lionila Fernandez, the corrupt head
of this department, who handled the sales from Havana, can attest to this.
It takes all sorts to make a world. MINSAP has a Collaboration
Department responsible for recruiting Cuban doctors, dentists and nurses
for work in medical campaigns abroad.
The department has known countless heads, who are replaced with
suspicious regularity. The reasons are in plain sight: the business of
"selling" positions in medical missions abroad is being operated at the
highest spheres of MINSAP. Not all Cuban health professionals have the
qualifications needed to work abroad and there are places that are
attractive to these professionals, for financial reasons.
I'm going to leave you with a question that may strike some as rather
unusual, but I am sure there are many who will not be at all surprised
by it: How much does being chosen to work abroad in a Cuban medical
mission (for which one was not selected) go for, in dollars? I am sure
many of those currently working abroad will be able to answer this.
—–
* Radio journalist and former Cuban intelligence agent (alias "Marcos").
He was recruited by the Cuban Ministry of the Interior in February of
1987 and worked as an agent until his desertion in 2003. He currently
resides in Miami.
Source: "Cuba's Medical Missions in Venezuela: Hotspot for Corruption" -
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=99153
October 1, 2013
Uberto Mario* (Cafe Fuerte)
HAVANA TIMES — In the course of my five years in Venezuela, I undertook
several journalistic investigations which allowed me to trail numerous
criminals who, hiding behind their embroidered guayabera shirts and
medical gowns, carried out all manner of illegal actions and turned
Cuba's internationalist medical mission into a veritable den of corruption.
Thousands of health professionals have been sent to Venezuela since
Cuba's first medical mission arrived in the country on December 16,
1999. It is calculated that a hundred thousand Cubans have worked in
Venezuela's Barrio Adentro neighborhood health care program alone.
The sad truth of the matter, however, is that, in addition to managing
the work of those who are working in the field and saving human lives,
those in charge of these brigades have also availed themselves of their
high or mid-level positions to steal State resources left, right and center.
Some have been spared severe punishment and continue to work. Others
have not been so lucky and aren't even allowed to prescribe an aspirin
in Cuba.
While it is certainly true that there have been many corrupt bosses in
the medical missions it is also true to say that many honest men and
women have also passed through. The mob, however, does not recruit
honest or humble people.
A Suitcase Full of Dollars
One such honest person was Dr. Luis Acao Francois, a man from Cuba's
province of Camaguey who took on the difficult job of traveling to
Venezuela in the midst of the disaster in the state of Vargas,
devastated by landslides, relentless downpours and collapsing structures.
He traveled to Venezuela with a suitcase full of dollars, to pay the
members of the medical brigade, and didn't steal a cent. During those
first months of work and up until Acao completed his mission as brigade
leader, Cuba did not have the banks or checkbooks to pay its medical
workers, and good old Acao proved unwavering in his honesty throughout.
This was the only stage of Cuba's medical campaign in Venezuela in which
Cuban intelligence services were in charge of monitoring every cent
spent in the missions, a task which, following the arrival of Acao's
replacement, was left in the hands of thieves and common criminals,
green lighted by none other than Minister of Public Health Jose Ramon
Balaguer.
Aldo de Jesus Hernandez, who replaced Dr. Acao, arrived in Venezuela on
December 22, 2002, after the dark days of April – an attempted coup that
lasted 3 days – had passed and the country witnessed the beginning of an
all-out confrontation between supporters of Hugo Chavez and the
opposition. Cuban health brigade workers were arriving in Venezuela by
the thousands at the time.
On the night of the briefing, Hernandez met with Cuba's operative team
in Venezuela: Major Amado Hernandez Iturruaga, then head of Cuba's
medical mission, Colonel Tomas Rodriguez (alias "Ariel"), the Cuban
Embassy's top official (currently working in Miraflores), and myself. We
had already reviewed the file of Acao's replacement, who had served as
Public Health secretary in Cuba's Isla de la Juventud until then.
A Package Full of Goodies
In a week's time, Hernandez began to show his true colors, proving to be
an arrogant, demagogical leader who remained out of touch with the
concerns of the then nearly four thousand Cuban medical professionals
scattered across the country's 16 states.
Not one month since his arrival had gone by when we caught him sending
off a package full of "goodies" to Cuba, before even having been paid
his salary, and after having told his compatriots that they were on a
war footing, that we wouldn't be receiving a salary for the time being
and that we had to stand our ground and work better every day.
That's when we started to monitor his actions more closely. Hernandez
had travelled to Caracas to live and work as a dentist at the
Universidad Maritima del Caribe (Caribbean Maritime University) located
in the state of Vargas (headquarters of Cuba's intelligence services in
the country).
There, he was to join Nancy Garcia Vera, sister of the then powerful
Yadira Garcia Verca, former Minister of Basic Industry and member of the
Politburo (incidentally, the two sisters were actually born in Venzuela
– Nancy in Caracas, in 1953, and Yadira in Maracaibo, in 1955 – and were
later nationalized in Pinar del Rio, Cuba).
Nancy Garcia's arrival gave Aldo Hernandez the freedom to steal without
compunction. In Havana, his godmother Yadira could pick up a phone and,
with only one call to Venezuelan ambassador German Sanchez Otero,
arrange an Aerocaribbean charter, loaded with goodies for Garcia Vera's
and Hernandez' family in Isla de la Juventud, every 45 days. These
shipments were dispatched at Gate 4 in Venezuela's Maiquetia Airport.
After these embezzlement activities had been exposed, I was called in by
Raul Garcia, a veteran communist who had served as Cuba's Consul General
in Caracas for years. I was at the Cuban embassy when I was suddenly
called to Ambassador Sanchez Otero's office for a dressing-down.
The Untouchables
This is what Raul Garcia told me: "Listen up, journalist. Stop sticking
your nose in this business, saying the ambassador is looking out for his
people, sending electrical appliances, medications and bicycles to his
friends at the Central Committee. Stop saying Balaguer is also receiving
gifts from Venezuela, and that there's a plane that flies over here just
for that, that's none of your business. Your job is to monitor doctors,
not us. If German finds out you've been doing this, he'll send you back
to Cuba and you can say goodbye to your good life over here…"
Fifteen days later, Raul Garcia was removed from his post. A few months
later, Aldo de Jesus Hernandez was dismissed and sent back to Cuba. The
reasons? They were corrupt and setting a bad example. Balaguer and
Yadira, however, retained their posts – within the Cuban regime, there
are levels and then there are levels. Balaguer is one of the regime's
untouchables. We didn't hear anything from Yadira was dismissed in
September 2010 after being implicated in a series of embezzlements and
other illegal activities in the basic industry sector.
The Business of La Pradera
The well-known (and questionable) health services agreement between
Caracas and Havana contains a clause that has existed since April of
2001: the sending of Venezuelan patients (mainly the poorest) to Cuba,
to receive medical attention at the La Pradera International Health
Center located in Siboney, Havana, and to other hospitals in the capital
that have been equipped for such services.
It was a top priority mission which was overseen every Friday, in the
early hours of the morning, by Fidel Castro himself (until stepping down
due to illness in 2006). I can offer a detailed testimony of this
because I worked in this mission every Friday from 2001 to 2003, and was
even entrusted with secret tasks during this time.
To get a sense of the importance of this whole affair, suffice it to
know that the Venezuelan patients were transported to Havana in Fidel
Castro's personal plane (flown by his crew).
The patients were selected during field surveys conducted by the medical
doctors in each of Venezuela's municipalities or states. Following this
selection process, the patients files were sent to the Miraflores
presidential palace for a final assessment and then the patients
traveled to Havana.
As in other areas, the more streetwise and business-minded Cubans came
along and began to profit from this privileged service Cuba was offering
poor Venezuelan patients. That is how seats on these flights to Cuba
began to be sold.
Who were making these sales? It wasn't the doctors out in the field,
working hard to overcome many difficulties in Venezuela's most recondite
places. It was those in charge of these missions, those who represented
Cuba at Miraflores: Dr. Rafael Garcia Portela, head of the control
office responsible for sending Venezuelan patients to La Pradera, and
his colleague Frank Diaz, as well as their respective wives.
These white-collar criminals set up their base of operations in Caracas'
presidential palace, selling seats on the Havana-bound plane for US
$2,000 and even $3,000. The beneficiaries were the relatives of
Venezuelan government officials and the country's bourgeoisie (from both
the Chavista and not-so Chavista camp).
When we came upon these crimes, after going over the clinical histories,
names and social strata of the patients, the officials in charge of the
investigation almost immediately discovered that they had even used fake
names and resorted to unlawful proceedings to carry out the activities.
During a coordination meeting, we sent a report to Hugo Chavez, who
immediately consulted with his mentor and the project sponsor, Fidel
Castro. Time passed and we saw no measures taken by the government,
which failed to explain why some rich people could hop on the plane with
tickets sold to them by the criminals at Miraflores.
Chavez' Father
Officials at La Pradera, corrupt Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP)
officials and even Central Committee members involved in coordinating
these activities were getting a cut out of those US $3,000.
These "bombshells" about the idealized health plan aimed at poor
Venezuelans began to go off in Cuba, but Fidel Castro was told a
different story and the whole thing was shelved.
I am proud of having fought against the corrupt practices of Cubans in
Venezuelans and still bear the burden of the whole affair. One day,
while visiting the father of the late Hugo Chavez in his office, when I
had a moment alone with him, I told him what was going on inside this
health campaign, so that he would tell his son. I told him it wasn't the
poor who were benefitting from the initiative and even gave him a
written report.
Fortunately, Hugo de los Reyes Chavez informed his son of this and many
of the criminals running Cuba's medical mission in Venezuela were
dismissed. Following the investigation and reports prompted by this, I
was able to find out that the business was being run out of the
Statistics Department in La Pradera. Lionila Fernandez, the corrupt head
of this department, who handled the sales from Havana, can attest to this.
It takes all sorts to make a world. MINSAP has a Collaboration
Department responsible for recruiting Cuban doctors, dentists and nurses
for work in medical campaigns abroad.
The department has known countless heads, who are replaced with
suspicious regularity. The reasons are in plain sight: the business of
"selling" positions in medical missions abroad is being operated at the
highest spheres of MINSAP. Not all Cuban health professionals have the
qualifications needed to work abroad and there are places that are
attractive to these professionals, for financial reasons.
I'm going to leave you with a question that may strike some as rather
unusual, but I am sure there are many who will not be at all surprised
by it: How much does being chosen to work abroad in a Cuban medical
mission (for which one was not selected) go for, in dollars? I am sure
many of those currently working abroad will be able to answer this.
—–
* Radio journalist and former Cuban intelligence agent (alias "Marcos").
He was recruited by the Cuban Ministry of the Interior in February of
1987 and worked as an agent until his desertion in 2003. He currently
resides in Miami.
Source: "Cuba's Medical Missions in Venezuela: Hotspot for Corruption" -
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=99153
Teachers in Cuba, the Deficit Grows
Teachers in Cuba, the Deficit Grows
October 1, 2013
Ernesto C. Burgos*
HAVANA TIMES — If you were to ask the average Cuban why they wouldn't
consider becoming a teacher, they would most likely laugh in your face
or limit themselves to replying that Cuban teachers are overworked and
underpaid.
The saddest part of that is that it's true. In today's Cuba, becoming a
teacher is not at the top of anyone's list. Could we reasonably expect
things to be any different?
Very few, perhaps none of my classmates have even considered opting for
this career, not even as a last option. The fact of the matter is that,
even though the salaries teachers earn are somewhere in the middle by
Cuban standards, they're still not enough to live on.
The first thing we need to acknowledge is that a teacher is a human
being. They have aspirations, a family and friends. They also want to be
able to have fun or go on a relaxing vacation from time to time. But you
can't do any of this on a salary of less than 25 Cuban Convertible Pesos
(CUC) a month. (1 USD = 0.87 CUC)
Can any society expect a teacher to be committed to a job that, in most
cases, is unpleasant? What you mostly run into here are students who
don't even consider a career as a long-term life project. In most cases,
these students complete their social service having caused more harm
than good, thanks to an educational system that, compared to what it
once was, is in a frank state of decline.
Measures which seemed appropriate at one point have ended up doing more
harm than good.
Intensively-trained comprehensive teachers, commonly referred to as PGIs
("profesores generales integrales"), revealed that the crash courses
they completed could not compete with the far more patient and
well-rounded education traditional teachers received.
Today, we stand before a country filled with schools with empty
classrooms. A vast educational system and very few teachers willing to
teach. If we're willing to pay those in the defense sector
higher-than-average wages, to give them the opportunity to do their
shopping for food and other items at stores with lower-than-market
prices, if we give military officers the opportunity to go on family
retreats at recreational facilities or acquire a home (a most than
pressing need in Cuba), why should we deny these same opportunities to
people working at a sector as important as education?
To justify deficits in the education, the government many a time resorts
to the argument that this social service depends entirely on a State
budget. But so is the defense sector!
In economic terms, neither of the two is a productive sector. The only
difference is that one provides us with protection and the other with
education.
I am not saying we should take resources away from one area to invest in
another. I am merely saying that, if the country had the political will
to prioritize the military because certain historical developments, we
should be just as willing to offer those employed in education the same
conditions and privileges.
Right now, thousands of professionals who love the work they do are
being forced to quit their jobs because of financial reasons. They
aren't laid off, their contracts aren't terminated, they simply quit.
The exodus of these teachers to jobs that bear absolutely no relation to
their profession is undeniable. The great majority of students today see
at least one of their classes cancelled because of this.
We need to address this urgent problem as we move forward towards the
society we all want, lest one of Cuba's main achievements be
irreversibly lost.
Spaces for professional development (both material and individual) ought
to be created for our teachers. This would help transform one of the
noblest professions out there into an activity that is useful to both
society and those who practice it.
One of Cuba's main battles today is undoubtedly the teaching profession.
We should therefore ask ourselves: can we continue to demand so much of
this sector without giving anything in return?
—–
(*) High school student
Source: "Teachers in Cuba, the Deficit Grows" -
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=99157
October 1, 2013
Ernesto C. Burgos*
HAVANA TIMES — If you were to ask the average Cuban why they wouldn't
consider becoming a teacher, they would most likely laugh in your face
or limit themselves to replying that Cuban teachers are overworked and
underpaid.
The saddest part of that is that it's true. In today's Cuba, becoming a
teacher is not at the top of anyone's list. Could we reasonably expect
things to be any different?
Very few, perhaps none of my classmates have even considered opting for
this career, not even as a last option. The fact of the matter is that,
even though the salaries teachers earn are somewhere in the middle by
Cuban standards, they're still not enough to live on.
The first thing we need to acknowledge is that a teacher is a human
being. They have aspirations, a family and friends. They also want to be
able to have fun or go on a relaxing vacation from time to time. But you
can't do any of this on a salary of less than 25 Cuban Convertible Pesos
(CUC) a month. (1 USD = 0.87 CUC)
Can any society expect a teacher to be committed to a job that, in most
cases, is unpleasant? What you mostly run into here are students who
don't even consider a career as a long-term life project. In most cases,
these students complete their social service having caused more harm
than good, thanks to an educational system that, compared to what it
once was, is in a frank state of decline.
Measures which seemed appropriate at one point have ended up doing more
harm than good.
Intensively-trained comprehensive teachers, commonly referred to as PGIs
("profesores generales integrales"), revealed that the crash courses
they completed could not compete with the far more patient and
well-rounded education traditional teachers received.
Today, we stand before a country filled with schools with empty
classrooms. A vast educational system and very few teachers willing to
teach. If we're willing to pay those in the defense sector
higher-than-average wages, to give them the opportunity to do their
shopping for food and other items at stores with lower-than-market
prices, if we give military officers the opportunity to go on family
retreats at recreational facilities or acquire a home (a most than
pressing need in Cuba), why should we deny these same opportunities to
people working at a sector as important as education?
To justify deficits in the education, the government many a time resorts
to the argument that this social service depends entirely on a State
budget. But so is the defense sector!
In economic terms, neither of the two is a productive sector. The only
difference is that one provides us with protection and the other with
education.
I am not saying we should take resources away from one area to invest in
another. I am merely saying that, if the country had the political will
to prioritize the military because certain historical developments, we
should be just as willing to offer those employed in education the same
conditions and privileges.
Right now, thousands of professionals who love the work they do are
being forced to quit their jobs because of financial reasons. They
aren't laid off, their contracts aren't terminated, they simply quit.
The exodus of these teachers to jobs that bear absolutely no relation to
their profession is undeniable. The great majority of students today see
at least one of their classes cancelled because of this.
We need to address this urgent problem as we move forward towards the
society we all want, lest one of Cuba's main achievements be
irreversibly lost.
Spaces for professional development (both material and individual) ought
to be created for our teachers. This would help transform one of the
noblest professions out there into an activity that is useful to both
society and those who practice it.
One of Cuba's main battles today is undoubtedly the teaching profession.
We should therefore ask ourselves: can we continue to demand so much of
this sector without giving anything in return?
—–
(*) High school student
Source: "Teachers in Cuba, the Deficit Grows" -
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=99157
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
DESPITE REFORM TO MIGRATION LAW, CUBA CONTINUES TO RESTRICT FREEDOMS OF EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY AND TO HOLD PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
DOCUMENT - CUBA:
DESPITE REFORM TO MIGRATION LAW, CUBA CONTINUES TO RESTRICT FREEDOMS OF
EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY AND TO HOLD PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
AI Index: AMR 25/007/2013
20 September 2013
Despite reform to migration law, Cuba continues to restrict freedoms of
expression, association and assembly and to hold prisoners of conscience
Human Rights Council adopts Universal Periodic Review outcome on Cuba
Amnesty International welcomes many of the recommendations made to Cuba.
Although a large number of states took part in the review, only a few of
them expressed concerns about the continued denial of fundamental civil
and political rights in the country, as during Cuba's first Universal
Periodic Review.
Amnesty International regrets that Cuba has rejected recommendations
aimed at improving respect for the rights to freedom of expression,
association and assembly. While reform to the migration law which
entered into force in January 2013 as a positive step, which have
facilitated travel abroad for Cubans, including human rights defenders
and government critics, the organization shares concerns, expressed
during the review, that peaceful demonstrators, independent journalists
and human rights activists continue to be routinely harassed, detained
and also sentenced for exercising their rights to freedom of expression,
association and assembly. Amnesty International counters assertions made
by Cuba during the Working Group session that the judiciary is
independent, that freedom of the press is guaranteed, and that arbitrary
detention is not practised. The organization has documented many cases
which would strongly challenge these assertions.
The organization also regrets Cuba's rejection of recommendations to
repeal or amend legislation that criminalizes the legitimate exercise of
freedom of expression, association and assembly, such as Article 72 of
the Penal Code ("dangerousness") and other legal provisions which breach
international human rights law. It is also disappointing that Cuba was
unable to agree to release prisoners held solely for exercising their
rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association.
Other recommendations related to improved respect for civil and
political rights fall within the category of recommendations which Cuba
has "taken note of" and which it considers are being addressed or will
continue to be examined. These include recommendations calling for full
judicial guarantees and fair trials, in accordance with international
human rights standards. Cuba goes on to state that it has
institutionalized a system of independent courts and that its
legislation ensures fair and impartial hearings and full guarantees to
the accused. However, this is patently contradicted by the continuing
use in Cuba of trials which do not meet international standards of fairness.
Amnesty International is disappointed that Cuba felt unable to ratify
key human rights instruments, including the International Covenants on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR), both of which Cuba signed in March 2008.
While these recommendations were not outright rejected, Amnesty
International is concerned that four and a half years on from its first
review, Cuba continues to state that it needs to carry out consultations
and legal analyses before it can move to ratification of these key human
rights instruments. Similarly, regarding recommendations to invite UN
Special Rapporteurs, Cuba has stated its willingness to cooperate with
UN human rights representatives,$ which it had also declared in 2009,
but not implemented. Amnesty International therefore urges Cuba to
immediately act on its stated willingness by extending an open
invitation to UN Special Procedures.
Amnesty International welcomes that no death sentence has been carried
out since 2003 and that no one has been held on death row since the end
of 2010. It is therefore disappointing that Cuba remains unable to
accept recommendations calling for the abolition of the death penalty.
The organization urges Cuba to reconsider its decision and to join the
global trend towards abolition.
Independent journalist and prisoner of conscience Calixto Ramón Martínez
Arias was released on 9 April after spending almost seven months in
prison without charge. However, according to information available to
Amnesty International, at least six prisoners of conscience are
currently in detention, imprisoned solely for expressing their
conscientiously held beliefs:
Alexeis Vargas Martín and his 17 year-old twin brothers Diango and
Vianco Vargas Martín, all members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, were
held without charge for nine months before being accused on trumped-up
charges of "public disorder" at the end of August 2013.
Emilio Planas Robert and Rafael Matos Montes de Oca were found guilty of
peligrosidad ("dangerousness" or "special proclivity to commit crimes")
following summary trials in October 2012 and sentenced to
three-and-a-half and two-and-a-half years' imprisonment, respectively.
Iván Fernández Depestre, member of the Movimiento Opositor Juventud
Despierta (Opposition Movement Awake Youth), was also found guilty of
"dangerousness" and sentenced to three years' imprisonment following a
summary trial in August 2013.
Amnesty International urges Cuba to immediately and unconditionally
release these individuals and others arrested solely for exercising
their right to freedom of expression.
Background
The UN Human Rights Council adopted the outcome of the Universal
Periodic Review of Cuba on 20 September 2013 during its 24th session.
Prior to the adoption of the review outcome, Amnesty International
delivered the oral statement above.
Amnesty International had earlier submitted information on the situation
of human rights in Cuba:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR25/027/2012/en/c232142f-3dba-41af-b196-02718ffa5a43/amr250272012en.pdf
Public Document
International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London
WC1X 0DW, UK www.amnesty.org
****************************************
- Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review,
A/HRC/24/16, 8 July 2013, paragraphs 170.171 (Hungary); 170.172 (Spain);
170.173. (Switzerland); 170.177 (France); 170.179 (Canada).
- Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review,
A/HRC/24/16, 8 July 2013, paragraph 108.
- Ibid., paragraph 111.
- Ibid., paragraph 152.
- Ibid., paragraph 170.174 (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland); 170.175 (Ireland); 170.176 (United States of America)
- Ibid., 170.184 (Poland)
- Ibid.
- A/HRC/24/16, 170.159 (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland); 170.160 (Austria); paragraph 170.161 (Canada);
- A/HRC/24/16/Add.1, paragraph 6
- A/HRC/24/16, paragraphs 170.4 (Chile, Hungary, Estonia, Romania,
Maldives, Australia, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Japan, Slovenia,
Montenegro, France, Tunisia, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, Czech
Republic, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Japan,
Switzerland, Finland, Czech Republic); 170.5 (Sweden); Montenegro,
Estonia; 170.8 Netherlands
- A/HRC/24/16/Add.1, paragraph 6
- /HRC/24/16., paragraphs 170.5 (Sweden); 170.106 (Sierra Leone);
170.111 (Spain); 170.112 (Mexico); 170.113 (Chile).
- A/HRC/24/16/Add.1, paragraph 6
Source: "Document - Cuba: Despite reform to migration law, Cuba
continues to restrict freedoms of expression, association and assembly
and to hold prisoners of conscience | Amnesty International" -
http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR25/007/2013/en/0311bf31-9160-4086-9e52-21900d4a5627/amr250072013en.html
DESPITE REFORM TO MIGRATION LAW, CUBA CONTINUES TO RESTRICT FREEDOMS OF
EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY AND TO HOLD PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
AI Index: AMR 25/007/2013
20 September 2013
Despite reform to migration law, Cuba continues to restrict freedoms of
expression, association and assembly and to hold prisoners of conscience
Human Rights Council adopts Universal Periodic Review outcome on Cuba
Amnesty International welcomes many of the recommendations made to Cuba.
Although a large number of states took part in the review, only a few of
them expressed concerns about the continued denial of fundamental civil
and political rights in the country, as during Cuba's first Universal
Periodic Review.
Amnesty International regrets that Cuba has rejected recommendations
aimed at improving respect for the rights to freedom of expression,
association and assembly. While reform to the migration law which
entered into force in January 2013 as a positive step, which have
facilitated travel abroad for Cubans, including human rights defenders
and government critics, the organization shares concerns, expressed
during the review, that peaceful demonstrators, independent journalists
and human rights activists continue to be routinely harassed, detained
and also sentenced for exercising their rights to freedom of expression,
association and assembly. Amnesty International counters assertions made
by Cuba during the Working Group session that the judiciary is
independent, that freedom of the press is guaranteed, and that arbitrary
detention is not practised. The organization has documented many cases
which would strongly challenge these assertions.
The organization also regrets Cuba's rejection of recommendations to
repeal or amend legislation that criminalizes the legitimate exercise of
freedom of expression, association and assembly, such as Article 72 of
the Penal Code ("dangerousness") and other legal provisions which breach
international human rights law. It is also disappointing that Cuba was
unable to agree to release prisoners held solely for exercising their
rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association.
Other recommendations related to improved respect for civil and
political rights fall within the category of recommendations which Cuba
has "taken note of" and which it considers are being addressed or will
continue to be examined. These include recommendations calling for full
judicial guarantees and fair trials, in accordance with international
human rights standards. Cuba goes on to state that it has
institutionalized a system of independent courts and that its
legislation ensures fair and impartial hearings and full guarantees to
the accused. However, this is patently contradicted by the continuing
use in Cuba of trials which do not meet international standards of fairness.
Amnesty International is disappointed that Cuba felt unable to ratify
key human rights instruments, including the International Covenants on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR), both of which Cuba signed in March 2008.
While these recommendations were not outright rejected, Amnesty
International is concerned that four and a half years on from its first
review, Cuba continues to state that it needs to carry out consultations
and legal analyses before it can move to ratification of these key human
rights instruments. Similarly, regarding recommendations to invite UN
Special Rapporteurs, Cuba has stated its willingness to cooperate with
UN human rights representatives,$ which it had also declared in 2009,
but not implemented. Amnesty International therefore urges Cuba to
immediately act on its stated willingness by extending an open
invitation to UN Special Procedures.
Amnesty International welcomes that no death sentence has been carried
out since 2003 and that no one has been held on death row since the end
of 2010. It is therefore disappointing that Cuba remains unable to
accept recommendations calling for the abolition of the death penalty.
The organization urges Cuba to reconsider its decision and to join the
global trend towards abolition.
Independent journalist and prisoner of conscience Calixto Ramón Martínez
Arias was released on 9 April after spending almost seven months in
prison without charge. However, according to information available to
Amnesty International, at least six prisoners of conscience are
currently in detention, imprisoned solely for expressing their
conscientiously held beliefs:
Alexeis Vargas Martín and his 17 year-old twin brothers Diango and
Vianco Vargas Martín, all members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, were
held without charge for nine months before being accused on trumped-up
charges of "public disorder" at the end of August 2013.
Emilio Planas Robert and Rafael Matos Montes de Oca were found guilty of
peligrosidad ("dangerousness" or "special proclivity to commit crimes")
following summary trials in October 2012 and sentenced to
three-and-a-half and two-and-a-half years' imprisonment, respectively.
Iván Fernández Depestre, member of the Movimiento Opositor Juventud
Despierta (Opposition Movement Awake Youth), was also found guilty of
"dangerousness" and sentenced to three years' imprisonment following a
summary trial in August 2013.
Amnesty International urges Cuba to immediately and unconditionally
release these individuals and others arrested solely for exercising
their right to freedom of expression.
Background
The UN Human Rights Council adopted the outcome of the Universal
Periodic Review of Cuba on 20 September 2013 during its 24th session.
Prior to the adoption of the review outcome, Amnesty International
delivered the oral statement above.
Amnesty International had earlier submitted information on the situation
of human rights in Cuba:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR25/027/2012/en/c232142f-3dba-41af-b196-02718ffa5a43/amr250272012en.pdf
Public Document
International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London
WC1X 0DW, UK www.amnesty.org
****************************************
- Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review,
A/HRC/24/16, 8 July 2013, paragraphs 170.171 (Hungary); 170.172 (Spain);
170.173. (Switzerland); 170.177 (France); 170.179 (Canada).
- Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review,
A/HRC/24/16, 8 July 2013, paragraph 108.
- Ibid., paragraph 111.
- Ibid., paragraph 152.
- Ibid., paragraph 170.174 (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland); 170.175 (Ireland); 170.176 (United States of America)
- Ibid., 170.184 (Poland)
- Ibid.
- A/HRC/24/16, 170.159 (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland); 170.160 (Austria); paragraph 170.161 (Canada);
- A/HRC/24/16/Add.1, paragraph 6
- A/HRC/24/16, paragraphs 170.4 (Chile, Hungary, Estonia, Romania,
Maldives, Australia, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Japan, Slovenia,
Montenegro, France, Tunisia, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, Czech
Republic, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Japan,
Switzerland, Finland, Czech Republic); 170.5 (Sweden); Montenegro,
Estonia; 170.8 Netherlands
- A/HRC/24/16/Add.1, paragraph 6
- /HRC/24/16., paragraphs 170.5 (Sweden); 170.106 (Sierra Leone);
170.111 (Spain); 170.112 (Mexico); 170.113 (Chile).
- A/HRC/24/16/Add.1, paragraph 6
Source: "Document - Cuba: Despite reform to migration law, Cuba
continues to restrict freedoms of expression, association and assembly
and to hold prisoners of conscience | Amnesty International" -
http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR25/007/2013/en/0311bf31-9160-4086-9e52-21900d4a5627/amr250072013en.html
Rescuing Feudalism
Rescuing Feudalism / Fernando Damaso
Posted on September 30, 2013
When the "update of the model" was announced a few years ago, it was
seen by many as a possible though certainly very limited way to slowly
stimulate the country's stalled economy. The first disappointment came
with an absurd list of medieval-era professions in which self-employed
workers were allowed to engage. The most optimistic observers felt this
was only the beginning and that more options would be added later. Since
nothing was said about regulating the exercise of these professions, it
was thought that more information would be forthcoming. Some even more
optimistic observers dreamed that authorization would later be extended
to small and medium-sized businesses.
After a few years and the addition of only a few more medieval-era
professions, regulations and stipulations began to be established. By
then even some less bright citizens began to realize that the "update"
was nothing more than a shell game, a stalling tactic not unlike that of
"blind man's bluff."
Let us remember that slavery was replaced with feudalism, which
represented an advance in economic productivity. It later gave way to
capitalism, which constituted an even greater advancement by introducing
new means and methods of production. Karl Marx, whose work is considered
the pillar of socialism and communism, argued that socialism would be
superior to capitalism and would advance the engines of productivity
even further, fulfilling the ever growing needs of humanity until true
communism was ultimately achieved. Lenin later altered and co-opted this
theory to make it conform to circumstances in Russia and provide it with
a theoretical and allegedly scientific basis. What later came of all
this theory and practice is all too well-known.
Nevertheless, it makes no sense for Cuban authorities, who call
themselves socialists, to impose medieval methodologies and practices on
self-employed workers. To expect artisan craftsmen to be able to supply
the private marketplace in the 21st century without also allowing small
and medium-sized business access to industrial production constitutes a
mistake of major proportions, or at the very least a serious
misunderstanding of how material goods are produced in today's world.
Cuba and Cubans are familiar with capitalism with all its pluses and
minuses, though more so with the former than the latter. We are familiar
with socialism too, though in this case with more of its minuses than
pluses. Trying to impose medieval methodologies and practices on the
output of the self-employed (they dare not call them private sector
workers) is a ridiculous political and economic policy. Those who think
and act in this way are doing nothing more than demonstrating their by
now well-known inability to resolve Cuba's problems.
26 September 2013
Source: "Rescuing Feudalism / Fernando Damaso | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/rescuing-feudalism-fernando-damaso/
Posted on September 30, 2013
When the "update of the model" was announced a few years ago, it was
seen by many as a possible though certainly very limited way to slowly
stimulate the country's stalled economy. The first disappointment came
with an absurd list of medieval-era professions in which self-employed
workers were allowed to engage. The most optimistic observers felt this
was only the beginning and that more options would be added later. Since
nothing was said about regulating the exercise of these professions, it
was thought that more information would be forthcoming. Some even more
optimistic observers dreamed that authorization would later be extended
to small and medium-sized businesses.
After a few years and the addition of only a few more medieval-era
professions, regulations and stipulations began to be established. By
then even some less bright citizens began to realize that the "update"
was nothing more than a shell game, a stalling tactic not unlike that of
"blind man's bluff."
Let us remember that slavery was replaced with feudalism, which
represented an advance in economic productivity. It later gave way to
capitalism, which constituted an even greater advancement by introducing
new means and methods of production. Karl Marx, whose work is considered
the pillar of socialism and communism, argued that socialism would be
superior to capitalism and would advance the engines of productivity
even further, fulfilling the ever growing needs of humanity until true
communism was ultimately achieved. Lenin later altered and co-opted this
theory to make it conform to circumstances in Russia and provide it with
a theoretical and allegedly scientific basis. What later came of all
this theory and practice is all too well-known.
Nevertheless, it makes no sense for Cuban authorities, who call
themselves socialists, to impose medieval methodologies and practices on
self-employed workers. To expect artisan craftsmen to be able to supply
the private marketplace in the 21st century without also allowing small
and medium-sized business access to industrial production constitutes a
mistake of major proportions, or at the very least a serious
misunderstanding of how material goods are produced in today's world.
Cuba and Cubans are familiar with capitalism with all its pluses and
minuses, though more so with the former than the latter. We are familiar
with socialism too, though in this case with more of its minuses than
pluses. Trying to impose medieval methodologies and practices on the
output of the self-employed (they dare not call them private sector
workers) is a ridiculous political and economic policy. Those who think
and act in this way are doing nothing more than demonstrating their by
now well-known inability to resolve Cuba's problems.
26 September 2013
Source: "Rescuing Feudalism / Fernando Damaso | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/rescuing-feudalism-fernando-damaso/
The Hell of Traveling to the “Interior”
The Hell of Traveling to the "Interior" / Leon Padron Azcuy
Posted on September 30, 2013
HAVANA, Cuba, September 25, 2013, Leon Padron / www.cubanet.org.- In the
new "Cuba Says" segment on the TV National News, they addressed the
problem of transportation. But it was not a simple confrontation between
between some critics among the people and the accustomed triumphalism of
the officials.
The Transport Ministry officials insisted that the minibus cooperatives,
at a price of five Cuban pesos, have improved transportation in the
capital. But they didn't even remotely address the torments of those who
have to travel to the interior of the country.
The national bus and train terminals are always crowded with anxious
travelers, prisoners of inefficiency, delay and corruption. The ticket
resellers have tickets at four times the official price.
The waiting list
La Coubre is located near the avenue of the port, where travelers
headed for the eastern provinces converge without reservations. The
embarkation depends on the faults at the national bus terminal, for
those who have to put their names on a long waiting list.
It is here where stoicism is put to the test, because sometimes people
have to wait for whole days, sitting on the floor, or standing, with the
worst filth, great heat, and a persistent clamor that is only comparable
to the torments of hell.
At La Coubre I met a man from Holguin who for two years has come to the
capital every month for his son's medical treatment, because of lack of
equipment in the hospital in his town. When I asked him how he arranged
these trips, he said he sometimes he spends more than eight hours
waiting for passage to Holguin and has to sleep on the floor with his
sick child.
Chinese Buses
Nearly nine years ago, the Cuban authorities acquired a batch of Yutong
buses in Chine, which improved inter-provincial transportation service.
Today the reality is different. Most of these buses are out of service.
Armando, a driver who covers the Havana-Moa route, told Cubanet, "These
buses turned out pretty good, working without maintenance and without
spare parts," adding, "When I heard them talk about transportation on
TV, I thought they would mention that the drivers, when the cars
breakdown, we have to pay, from our own pockets, for the maintenance and
the parts if we want to continue."
Leon Padron Azcuy, Leonpadron10@gmail.com
From Cubanet
25 September 2013
Source: "The Hell of Traveling to the "Interior" / Leon Padron Azcuy |
Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-hell-of-traveling-to-the-interior-leon-padron-azcuy/
Posted on September 30, 2013
HAVANA, Cuba, September 25, 2013, Leon Padron / www.cubanet.org.- In the
new "Cuba Says" segment on the TV National News, they addressed the
problem of transportation. But it was not a simple confrontation between
between some critics among the people and the accustomed triumphalism of
the officials.
The Transport Ministry officials insisted that the minibus cooperatives,
at a price of five Cuban pesos, have improved transportation in the
capital. But they didn't even remotely address the torments of those who
have to travel to the interior of the country.
The national bus and train terminals are always crowded with anxious
travelers, prisoners of inefficiency, delay and corruption. The ticket
resellers have tickets at four times the official price.
The waiting list
La Coubre is located near the avenue of the port, where travelers
headed for the eastern provinces converge without reservations. The
embarkation depends on the faults at the national bus terminal, for
those who have to put their names on a long waiting list.
It is here where stoicism is put to the test, because sometimes people
have to wait for whole days, sitting on the floor, or standing, with the
worst filth, great heat, and a persistent clamor that is only comparable
to the torments of hell.
At La Coubre I met a man from Holguin who for two years has come to the
capital every month for his son's medical treatment, because of lack of
equipment in the hospital in his town. When I asked him how he arranged
these trips, he said he sometimes he spends more than eight hours
waiting for passage to Holguin and has to sleep on the floor with his
sick child.
Chinese Buses
Nearly nine years ago, the Cuban authorities acquired a batch of Yutong
buses in Chine, which improved inter-provincial transportation service.
Today the reality is different. Most of these buses are out of service.
Armando, a driver who covers the Havana-Moa route, told Cubanet, "These
buses turned out pretty good, working without maintenance and without
spare parts," adding, "When I heard them talk about transportation on
TV, I thought they would mention that the drivers, when the cars
breakdown, we have to pay, from our own pockets, for the maintenance and
the parts if we want to continue."
Leon Padron Azcuy, Leonpadron10@gmail.com
From Cubanet
25 September 2013
Source: "The Hell of Traveling to the "Interior" / Leon Padron Azcuy |
Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-hell-of-traveling-to-the-interior-leon-padron-azcuy/
Opening Spaces
Opening Spaces / Fernando Damaso
Posted on September 30, 2013
The theme of a lack of spaces to voice opinions has been a constant in
this last half century of our national life. It has always started as a
request for an opening to the authorities themselves and, using the
pretext of a powerful enemy ninety miles away, their refusal to grant it.
The practice of recent years has shown that if citizens want to express
their opinions they have to open their own spaces (independent
journalism, blogs, twitter, etc) and, whenever possible, also use those
of the government as well as others that exist.
This happened recently at the so-called Anti-Imperialist Bandstand, with
the musician Robertico Carcassés: he took advantage of a government
space to express his opinions as a citizen. This is something absolutely
valid and shows courage, something most of his critics lack, as they
seem to go along with the absurd demand that "criticisms and opinions
are to be expressed in the right place at the right time to the right
people," a real straitjacket to avoid anyone's doing so.
If, in all these years, every citizen had acted with civility and
expressed his opinions honestly, taking responsibility for them, many of
our problems would never have reached their current magnitude.
It has been precisely the lack of this civic exercise that has allowed
our leaders, despite the multiple errors they have committed, to
perpetuate themselves in power and to hold onto their positions in
society, refusing to cede them, despite the speeches and lukewarm
measures put into practice in recent times.
As long as the voices of citizens are not massively reverberating in the
ears of the authorities, demanding the necessary changes and reforms,
these voices will fall on deaf ears, so that the authorities may
continue to act in their own interests, turning their backs on the true
interests of the nation.
29 September 2013
Source: "Opening Spaces / Fernando Damaso | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/opening-spaces-fernando-damaso/
Posted on September 30, 2013
The theme of a lack of spaces to voice opinions has been a constant in
this last half century of our national life. It has always started as a
request for an opening to the authorities themselves and, using the
pretext of a powerful enemy ninety miles away, their refusal to grant it.
The practice of recent years has shown that if citizens want to express
their opinions they have to open their own spaces (independent
journalism, blogs, twitter, etc) and, whenever possible, also use those
of the government as well as others that exist.
This happened recently at the so-called Anti-Imperialist Bandstand, with
the musician Robertico Carcassés: he took advantage of a government
space to express his opinions as a citizen. This is something absolutely
valid and shows courage, something most of his critics lack, as they
seem to go along with the absurd demand that "criticisms and opinions
are to be expressed in the right place at the right time to the right
people," a real straitjacket to avoid anyone's doing so.
If, in all these years, every citizen had acted with civility and
expressed his opinions honestly, taking responsibility for them, many of
our problems would never have reached their current magnitude.
It has been precisely the lack of this civic exercise that has allowed
our leaders, despite the multiple errors they have committed, to
perpetuate themselves in power and to hold onto their positions in
society, refusing to cede them, despite the speeches and lukewarm
measures put into practice in recent times.
As long as the voices of citizens are not massively reverberating in the
ears of the authorities, demanding the necessary changes and reforms,
these voices will fall on deaf ears, so that the authorities may
continue to act in their own interests, turning their backs on the true
interests of the nation.
29 September 2013
Source: "Opening Spaces / Fernando Damaso | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/opening-spaces-fernando-damaso/
Silvio Rodriguez To The Rescue of Robertico Carcasses
Silvio Rodriguez To The Rescue of Robertico Carcasses / Luis Cino Alvarez
Posted on September 30, 2013
LA HAVANA, Cuba, September, www.cubanet.org – I must confess that after
the episode of the North Korean freighter, Gan Chong Chon, it is
increasingly difficult for me to imagine what might be behind each of
the surprising happenings of the Raul regime. And if, in fact, Silvio
Rodríguez is involved, everything becomes more convoluted.
The troubadour-in-chief, has just announced on his blog Segunda Cita,
that he has invited Robertico Carcassés and the Interactive group to be
his opening act at the concert that will take place on September 20 in
Santiago de Las Vegas.
The invitation comes at a time when the hype over Robertico Carcassés'
slip is not yet over: at the Protestdrome concert on September 12th, in
which "as a result of an alcoholic outburst" or otherwise, he could not
contain himself, in his tongue-twisting improvisation he demanded,
"Freedom for all Cubans." Boy, was Robertico out of line!
Did Robertico really think that Cuba would change with the Raul regime?
That cracklings are pork meat and that mothers-in-law are really family?
Was the outburst that big? Or did he just do it with an eye to his
upcoming little jaunt to Miami?
Indeed I must confess that with so much yellow ribbon to demand the
release of the four*, and so much drunkenness with the pachanga timbera
and reggaeton, we didn't know what was being celebrated: whether it was
the dismantling of the Red Wasp Network*, the Day of Oshun, the
terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the coup that defeated
Allende, or the bombing of Syria.
Rodriguez, who claims to have an appointment with the angels — flying
angels and fallen angels — after the little-yellow-ribbon revelry went
off-script, should know what he is weaving when he steps up to rescue
Robertico Carcassés, just as we got a whiff of the smell of Bobby's son
burning.
And several questions occur to me:
Is Silvio's intention for us to forget his ridiculous performance with
the graying Amaury Perez and a musical accompaniment that could have
been first class but was incoherent due to the haste of the recording by
Abdala studios, of the little ditty about the yellow ribbons and the old
oak tree?
Does the author of The Blue Unicorn want to put a patch on the burst
seam Robertico provoked at the concert of "Cubans of all stripes"
demanding the return of the four*?
Recently, Silvio invited Isaac Delgado to sing at his concert in Santos
Suarez: Is Silvio now into indulging musicians who are in trouble with
the regime? Could we expect him to invite Willy Chirino and join him in
singing "Our Day is Coming"? Is he planning to record a CD with the
Interactive group, a rather odd CD, opportunistic, to please generación
asere** and indulge the dissidence?
It occurs to me to ask Silvio whether, with this lifeline to Robertico
Carcassés — taking into account his tour of the prisons, and the water
tank that he resolved for the residents of the Lugardita neighborhood —
he's not aspiring to run for president, without having started the
campaign for direct elections that Robertico asked for in his
improvisations.
With Silvio everything is possible, especially in these times of
miracles and reshufflings. Didn't he engage in an epistolary controversy
with Carlos Alberto Montaner at the risk of losing his mind? Or did they
already forget how he got involved in the mess with Obama, Elton John,
Pied Piper of Hamelin and The Little Green Men?***
Ultimately, Silvio's turnaround has been so wide, he's even talking
about taking the R out of the word Revolution***, for those "dead of his
happiness," the dead provided by all of us under circumstances just as
bad or worse.
When I watch the father of "Nueva Trova" in his attempt to be on good
terms with the angels and the demons of change, I feel sorry for him.
I cannot help but admire his songs, but in all honesty, not as much as I
did then, say 30 years ago. I have convinced myself that even if I'm
condemned to listen to the music of the '60s with nostalgia, I would
never be a good dancer at his party.
I can not longer stand him and his songs, they lack freshness, clear
accounts: How can I figure out what Silvio is up to now?
Translator's notes:
*"The four" refers to the Cuban spies of the Red Wasp Network serving
sentences in the United States; originally known is "The Cuban Five" and
"The Five Heroes" in Cuba, one of the original five has been paroled and
allowed to return to Cuba.
** "Generación asere" is a cultural reference to those — generally of
the younger generation — who like the kind of music the regime calls
vulgar, thuggish, cheesy and overly-sexed. "Asere" is a casual form of
address that means roughly "bro."
***In a response to Carlos Alberto Montaner, Silvio Rodriguez asked a
number of rhetorical questions relating to the pied piper leaving with
all of Cuba's children, Elton John saying that Christ was gay, people of
all colors including green, and so on. And in a new song, Silvio
suggests "transcending" the "R" in "Revolution" in favor of "Evolution."
By Luis Cino
From Cubanet
Translated by LYD
17 September 2013
Source: "Silvio Rodriguez To The Rescue of Robertico Carcasses / Luis
Cino Alvarez | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/silvio-rodriguez-to-the-rescue-of-robertico-carcasses-luis-cino-alvarez/
Posted on September 30, 2013
LA HAVANA, Cuba, September, www.cubanet.org – I must confess that after
the episode of the North Korean freighter, Gan Chong Chon, it is
increasingly difficult for me to imagine what might be behind each of
the surprising happenings of the Raul regime. And if, in fact, Silvio
Rodríguez is involved, everything becomes more convoluted.
The troubadour-in-chief, has just announced on his blog Segunda Cita,
that he has invited Robertico Carcassés and the Interactive group to be
his opening act at the concert that will take place on September 20 in
Santiago de Las Vegas.
The invitation comes at a time when the hype over Robertico Carcassés'
slip is not yet over: at the Protestdrome concert on September 12th, in
which "as a result of an alcoholic outburst" or otherwise, he could not
contain himself, in his tongue-twisting improvisation he demanded,
"Freedom for all Cubans." Boy, was Robertico out of line!
Did Robertico really think that Cuba would change with the Raul regime?
That cracklings are pork meat and that mothers-in-law are really family?
Was the outburst that big? Or did he just do it with an eye to his
upcoming little jaunt to Miami?
Indeed I must confess that with so much yellow ribbon to demand the
release of the four*, and so much drunkenness with the pachanga timbera
and reggaeton, we didn't know what was being celebrated: whether it was
the dismantling of the Red Wasp Network*, the Day of Oshun, the
terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the coup that defeated
Allende, or the bombing of Syria.
Rodriguez, who claims to have an appointment with the angels — flying
angels and fallen angels — after the little-yellow-ribbon revelry went
off-script, should know what he is weaving when he steps up to rescue
Robertico Carcassés, just as we got a whiff of the smell of Bobby's son
burning.
And several questions occur to me:
Is Silvio's intention for us to forget his ridiculous performance with
the graying Amaury Perez and a musical accompaniment that could have
been first class but was incoherent due to the haste of the recording by
Abdala studios, of the little ditty about the yellow ribbons and the old
oak tree?
Does the author of The Blue Unicorn want to put a patch on the burst
seam Robertico provoked at the concert of "Cubans of all stripes"
demanding the return of the four*?
Recently, Silvio invited Isaac Delgado to sing at his concert in Santos
Suarez: Is Silvio now into indulging musicians who are in trouble with
the regime? Could we expect him to invite Willy Chirino and join him in
singing "Our Day is Coming"? Is he planning to record a CD with the
Interactive group, a rather odd CD, opportunistic, to please generación
asere** and indulge the dissidence?
It occurs to me to ask Silvio whether, with this lifeline to Robertico
Carcassés — taking into account his tour of the prisons, and the water
tank that he resolved for the residents of the Lugardita neighborhood —
he's not aspiring to run for president, without having started the
campaign for direct elections that Robertico asked for in his
improvisations.
With Silvio everything is possible, especially in these times of
miracles and reshufflings. Didn't he engage in an epistolary controversy
with Carlos Alberto Montaner at the risk of losing his mind? Or did they
already forget how he got involved in the mess with Obama, Elton John,
Pied Piper of Hamelin and The Little Green Men?***
Ultimately, Silvio's turnaround has been so wide, he's even talking
about taking the R out of the word Revolution***, for those "dead of his
happiness," the dead provided by all of us under circumstances just as
bad or worse.
When I watch the father of "Nueva Trova" in his attempt to be on good
terms with the angels and the demons of change, I feel sorry for him.
I cannot help but admire his songs, but in all honesty, not as much as I
did then, say 30 years ago. I have convinced myself that even if I'm
condemned to listen to the music of the '60s with nostalgia, I would
never be a good dancer at his party.
I can not longer stand him and his songs, they lack freshness, clear
accounts: How can I figure out what Silvio is up to now?
Translator's notes:
*"The four" refers to the Cuban spies of the Red Wasp Network serving
sentences in the United States; originally known is "The Cuban Five" and
"The Five Heroes" in Cuba, one of the original five has been paroled and
allowed to return to Cuba.
** "Generación asere" is a cultural reference to those — generally of
the younger generation — who like the kind of music the regime calls
vulgar, thuggish, cheesy and overly-sexed. "Asere" is a casual form of
address that means roughly "bro."
***In a response to Carlos Alberto Montaner, Silvio Rodriguez asked a
number of rhetorical questions relating to the pied piper leaving with
all of Cuba's children, Elton John saying that Christ was gay, people of
all colors including green, and so on. And in a new song, Silvio
suggests "transcending" the "R" in "Revolution" in favor of "Evolution."
By Luis Cino
From Cubanet
Translated by LYD
17 September 2013
Source: "Silvio Rodriguez To The Rescue of Robertico Carcasses / Luis
Cino Alvarez | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/silvio-rodriguez-to-the-rescue-of-robertico-carcasses-luis-cino-alvarez/
Teenagers’ Access to Cuban Universities
Teenagers' Access to Cuban Universities
Posted on September 30, 2013
Source * – Access to Cuban Universities of Qualified Workers and Trade
School Graduates, Mesa Crespo, D.L.
Although Cuba's reputation as an advanced third world country with
regards to education, annually thousand of students and workers under
the age of 18 don't have access to college level education due to social
and governmental obstacles.
The Youth Code, a law implemented in 1978 and approved by the National
Assembly of Popular Power, the supreme organization of the State power,
explains in one of its articles that newly graduated students from basic
education (up to 9th grade) can continue their education depending on
their academic performance and political and social attitude.
In reality, new directives and resolutions added to the code present
obstacles to the academic development of a portion of the students, who
due to their age are considered adolescents.
Since the 90's, social investigative centers run by the government have
conducted studies, where diverse realities among the Cuban youth were
identified: disintegration and poor social mobility in the most
vulnerable population sectors and the incipient lack of motivation to
continue college education.
This post belongs to a series that attempts to analyze the access to
higher education of the students attending polytechnics; especially
those classified as "qualified workers" who are a part of the Technical
and Professional Education (ETP). After this analysis we can
concentrate on the deep fundamental aspects related to the socioeconomic
and educational environment at this level of education.
The term "polytechnic student" applies to qualified workers, which
refers both to the studies for qualified workers — in some specialties
that relates learning a trade or skill — and to the category known as
mid-level, known generically in Cuba as mid-technicians. The
differentiations between the two level of students will be made when the
need arises in the coming articles in order to better understand the topic.
*
http://www.monografias.com/trabajos94/acceso-universidades-cubanas-obreros-calificados-y-tecnicos-medios/acceso-universidades-cubanas-obreros-calificados-y-tecnicos-medios.shtml
Translated by – LYD
2 September 2013
Source: "Teenagers' Access to Cuban Universities | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/teenagers-access-to-cuban-universities-2/
Posted on September 30, 2013
Source * – Access to Cuban Universities of Qualified Workers and Trade
School Graduates, Mesa Crespo, D.L.
Although Cuba's reputation as an advanced third world country with
regards to education, annually thousand of students and workers under
the age of 18 don't have access to college level education due to social
and governmental obstacles.
The Youth Code, a law implemented in 1978 and approved by the National
Assembly of Popular Power, the supreme organization of the State power,
explains in one of its articles that newly graduated students from basic
education (up to 9th grade) can continue their education depending on
their academic performance and political and social attitude.
In reality, new directives and resolutions added to the code present
obstacles to the academic development of a portion of the students, who
due to their age are considered adolescents.
Since the 90's, social investigative centers run by the government have
conducted studies, where diverse realities among the Cuban youth were
identified: disintegration and poor social mobility in the most
vulnerable population sectors and the incipient lack of motivation to
continue college education.
This post belongs to a series that attempts to analyze the access to
higher education of the students attending polytechnics; especially
those classified as "qualified workers" who are a part of the Technical
and Professional Education (ETP). After this analysis we can
concentrate on the deep fundamental aspects related to the socioeconomic
and educational environment at this level of education.
The term "polytechnic student" applies to qualified workers, which
refers both to the studies for qualified workers — in some specialties
that relates learning a trade or skill — and to the category known as
mid-level, known generically in Cuba as mid-technicians. The
differentiations between the two level of students will be made when the
need arises in the coming articles in order to better understand the topic.
*
http://www.monografias.com/trabajos94/acceso-universidades-cubanas-obreros-calificados-y-tecnicos-medios/acceso-universidades-cubanas-obreros-calificados-y-tecnicos-medios.shtml
Translated by – LYD
2 September 2013
Source: "Teenagers' Access to Cuban Universities | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/teenagers-access-to-cuban-universities-2/
Cuba faces challenges in push to end dual currency
Posted on Tuesday, 10.01.13
Cuba faces challenges in push to end dual currency
BY PETER ORSI
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HAVANA -- Cuba is the only country in the world that mints two national
currencies, a bizarre system that even President Raul Castro
acknowledges is hamstringing the island's socialist economy and must be
scrapped.
Exactly how to do that is the problem.
Months after Castro made currency unification a centerpiece of a
forceful address to parliament, no details have been made public. But a
pilot program operating under the radar might hold clues to a way out.
Since the system was created in 1994, most islanders have been paid in
national pesos worth 24 to the dollar in exchange houses, while tourists
and the Cubans who attend to them receive a much more valuable peso
pegged at 1-to-1 with the U.S. greenback.
The imbalance means doctors and physicists can make more money driving
taxis or renting rooms than they can working in the professions for
which they spent years preparing. In his July speech, Castro denounced
the setup as having a warping effect on the economy and society in general.
Shaking up the dual currency system risks spiking inflation and creating
new winners and losers, always dangerous on an island that embraces the
goal of egalitarianism. It would also force a change in accounting rules
that would eliminate a huge subsidy to state-run enterprises at a time
when cash is so short.
But there are signs that change is coming, and hints at how the value of
the currencies might meet in the middle.
Pavel Vidal, a former Cuban Central Bank economist now at Colombia's
Javeriana University, told The Associated Press that a pilot program is
being launched with select state businesses operating at a 10-to-1
exchange rate.
The businesses are in key sectors such as sugar, hotels and
non-agricultural cooperatives. There has been no mention in the official
media, but Vidal said it is happening and it's a good step.
"I think it's great because the elimination of the double currency must
be gradual," he said.
Even incremental change may be tough to pull off, and requires the
unraveling of Byzantine accounting practices that effectively allow
state companies to purchase dollars at a fraction of what ordinary
Cubans pay for them.
While the rate in exchange houses is 24 pesos to 1 convertible peso, or
CUC, the Cuban government treats them as equal in official accounts,
meaning state entities are getting them at a 1-to-1 subsidized rate.
"Whoever is getting these dollars at one-to-one is doing well, and
that's the official sector," said Rafael Romeu, former president of the
U.S.-based Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy.
Despite reforms under Raul Castro, the state still may be too
inefficient to quit the subsidy cold-turkey.
"They would be basically confronting their budget constraint in a
serious way, and I don't think they are ready to do that," Romeu said.
"They would have to cut a lot of social services."
The two Cuban pesos have been circulating in parallel since 1994, when
the loss of billions in Soviet trade and subsidies forced Cuba to
reluctantly open the economy to tourism, while trying to insulate most
islanders from its capitalist effects.
The idea seemed simple: Canadian and European travelers would spend hard
currency at government CUC shops catering almost exclusively to
foreigners, while Cubans would keep living a socialist ideal in the
other currency.
It hasn't worked out that way. As authorities pulled back on subsidies
that once covered almost all of islanders' housing and food needs,
people grew increasingly dependent on the added CUC income —
moonlighting in the tourism industry or receiving remittances from
relatives abroad.
The result is the upside-down wage structure where low-skill workers
like hotel chamber maids earn more from travelers' tips than
professionals. A 53-year-old doctor recently left the medical profession
after 25 years because his $25-a-month salary was putting food on the
table for just two days a month. He now helps his mother rent rooms to
tourists paying in convertible pesos.
"Professional salaries are in a desperate situation," he said, speaking
on condition of anonymity because doctors generally are not authorized
to talk to foreign media. "There's no motivation, and every day they ask
more of you."
Contrast that with Rigoberto Sanchez Beltran, who pulls in about
$70-$100 a month in tips for watching over parked cars at a tourist
complex in Havana. Getting by is still tough, but he knows the job gives
him a leg up on many of his more-educated neighbors.
"You get to know the regulars, and they give you a little more," he said.
Since 2010, Cuba has seen reforms including the legalization of a real
estate market, increased private small businesses and creeping
decentralization of state enterprise.
In July, Castro vowed that the dual currency was "one of the most
important obstacles to the progress of the nation."
He did not say, however, how the cash-strapped state would manage to pay
white-collar workers more.
Cuban officials have long argued that state salaries are effectively
much higher than the often-reported average of $20 a month if you factor
in things such as free health care, education and monthly food ration cards.
But today just about everyone acknowledges that low pay has been the
enemy of efficiency, doing little to inspire hard work. Employees often
pilfer supplies to resell or barter, or spend work hours on side
projects that bring in CUCs.
At stores that still offer cheaper prices in national pesos, goods from
soap to mops sell out quickly, snapped up by hoarders or black
marketeers. So finding basics such as cooking oil and eggs often entails
a trip to a CUC store.
"It's totally absurd that you get paid in one currency, but in order to
live you need to pay with another," said Margarita Nieves, 69. "Until
they fix that, they can't keep telling people there's no productivity."
---
Associated Press writers Andrea Rodriguez and Anne-Marie Garcia
contributed to this report.
Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter-Orsi
Source: "HAVANA: Cuba faces challenges in push to end dual currency -
Latest News - MiamiHerald.com" -
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/01/v-fullstory/3662156/cuba-faces-challenges-in-push.html
Cuba faces challenges in push to end dual currency
BY PETER ORSI
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HAVANA -- Cuba is the only country in the world that mints two national
currencies, a bizarre system that even President Raul Castro
acknowledges is hamstringing the island's socialist economy and must be
scrapped.
Exactly how to do that is the problem.
Months after Castro made currency unification a centerpiece of a
forceful address to parliament, no details have been made public. But a
pilot program operating under the radar might hold clues to a way out.
Since the system was created in 1994, most islanders have been paid in
national pesos worth 24 to the dollar in exchange houses, while tourists
and the Cubans who attend to them receive a much more valuable peso
pegged at 1-to-1 with the U.S. greenback.
The imbalance means doctors and physicists can make more money driving
taxis or renting rooms than they can working in the professions for
which they spent years preparing. In his July speech, Castro denounced
the setup as having a warping effect on the economy and society in general.
Shaking up the dual currency system risks spiking inflation and creating
new winners and losers, always dangerous on an island that embraces the
goal of egalitarianism. It would also force a change in accounting rules
that would eliminate a huge subsidy to state-run enterprises at a time
when cash is so short.
But there are signs that change is coming, and hints at how the value of
the currencies might meet in the middle.
Pavel Vidal, a former Cuban Central Bank economist now at Colombia's
Javeriana University, told The Associated Press that a pilot program is
being launched with select state businesses operating at a 10-to-1
exchange rate.
The businesses are in key sectors such as sugar, hotels and
non-agricultural cooperatives. There has been no mention in the official
media, but Vidal said it is happening and it's a good step.
"I think it's great because the elimination of the double currency must
be gradual," he said.
Even incremental change may be tough to pull off, and requires the
unraveling of Byzantine accounting practices that effectively allow
state companies to purchase dollars at a fraction of what ordinary
Cubans pay for them.
While the rate in exchange houses is 24 pesos to 1 convertible peso, or
CUC, the Cuban government treats them as equal in official accounts,
meaning state entities are getting them at a 1-to-1 subsidized rate.
"Whoever is getting these dollars at one-to-one is doing well, and
that's the official sector," said Rafael Romeu, former president of the
U.S.-based Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy.
Despite reforms under Raul Castro, the state still may be too
inefficient to quit the subsidy cold-turkey.
"They would be basically confronting their budget constraint in a
serious way, and I don't think they are ready to do that," Romeu said.
"They would have to cut a lot of social services."
The two Cuban pesos have been circulating in parallel since 1994, when
the loss of billions in Soviet trade and subsidies forced Cuba to
reluctantly open the economy to tourism, while trying to insulate most
islanders from its capitalist effects.
The idea seemed simple: Canadian and European travelers would spend hard
currency at government CUC shops catering almost exclusively to
foreigners, while Cubans would keep living a socialist ideal in the
other currency.
It hasn't worked out that way. As authorities pulled back on subsidies
that once covered almost all of islanders' housing and food needs,
people grew increasingly dependent on the added CUC income —
moonlighting in the tourism industry or receiving remittances from
relatives abroad.
The result is the upside-down wage structure where low-skill workers
like hotel chamber maids earn more from travelers' tips than
professionals. A 53-year-old doctor recently left the medical profession
after 25 years because his $25-a-month salary was putting food on the
table for just two days a month. He now helps his mother rent rooms to
tourists paying in convertible pesos.
"Professional salaries are in a desperate situation," he said, speaking
on condition of anonymity because doctors generally are not authorized
to talk to foreign media. "There's no motivation, and every day they ask
more of you."
Contrast that with Rigoberto Sanchez Beltran, who pulls in about
$70-$100 a month in tips for watching over parked cars at a tourist
complex in Havana. Getting by is still tough, but he knows the job gives
him a leg up on many of his more-educated neighbors.
"You get to know the regulars, and they give you a little more," he said.
Since 2010, Cuba has seen reforms including the legalization of a real
estate market, increased private small businesses and creeping
decentralization of state enterprise.
In July, Castro vowed that the dual currency was "one of the most
important obstacles to the progress of the nation."
He did not say, however, how the cash-strapped state would manage to pay
white-collar workers more.
Cuban officials have long argued that state salaries are effectively
much higher than the often-reported average of $20 a month if you factor
in things such as free health care, education and monthly food ration cards.
But today just about everyone acknowledges that low pay has been the
enemy of efficiency, doing little to inspire hard work. Employees often
pilfer supplies to resell or barter, or spend work hours on side
projects that bring in CUCs.
At stores that still offer cheaper prices in national pesos, goods from
soap to mops sell out quickly, snapped up by hoarders or black
marketeers. So finding basics such as cooking oil and eggs often entails
a trip to a CUC store.
"It's totally absurd that you get paid in one currency, but in order to
live you need to pay with another," said Margarita Nieves, 69. "Until
they fix that, they can't keep telling people there's no productivity."
---
Associated Press writers Andrea Rodriguez and Anne-Marie Garcia
contributed to this report.
Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter-Orsi
Source: "HAVANA: Cuba faces challenges in push to end dual currency -
Latest News - MiamiHerald.com" -
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/01/v-fullstory/3662156/cuba-faces-challenges-in-push.html
Jackson ends Cuba trip without Gross meeting
Posted on Monday, 09.30.13
Jackson ends Cuba trip without Gross meeting
BY ANNE-MARIE GARCIA
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HAVANA -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson ended a four-day visit to Cuba on
Monday without getting to visit a U.S. government development
subcontractor who is serving a 15-year sentence in the Caribbean nation.
The civil rights activist said he had requested access to Alan Gross of
Maryland, but island authorities told him it couldn't be arranged in time.
"I certainly inquired about him. No American can come here in good
conscience and not ask about him," Jackson said. "I would hope we would
maintain our vigil in trying to gain his release."
Gross was arrested in 2009 while importing restricted communications
equipment as part of a U.S. government-funded democracy building
program. He was accused of spying and convicted of crimes under a
statute governing crimes against the state.
Gross says he was only setting up Internet networks for island Jewish
groups and posed no threat to Cuban sovereignty.
Jackson told reporters Monday that Gross had been visited recently by
U.S. diplomats.
Cuba, for its part, demands the return of four of its agents who are
still serving long prison terms in the United States. One of the "Cuban
Five" was paroled in 2011 and returned to the island earlier this year.
Jackson arrived in Havana on Friday for unrelated talks with emissaries
of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, about Kevin
Scott Sutay, a former U.S. soldier taken prisoner by the guerrillas as
he was hiking through Colombian jungle in June.
The FARC asked Jackson for help in arranging a handover, and he agreed.
However, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos subsequently said only
the Red Cross would be allowed to secure Sutay's release and warned that
there would be no "media spectacle."
Jackson said he still intends to travel to Colombia in the coming days
in hopes of working out an agreement.
"The American is free, but he cannot be retrieved, so he indeed is not
free," Jackson said. "He's no longer being held by FARC. He's being held
by a lack of access."
Source: "HAVANA: Jackson ends Cuba trip without Gross meeting - Latest
News - MiamiHerald.com" -
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/30/3661128/jackson-ends-cuba-trip-without.html#storylink=misearch
Jackson ends Cuba trip without Gross meeting
BY ANNE-MARIE GARCIA
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HAVANA -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson ended a four-day visit to Cuba on
Monday without getting to visit a U.S. government development
subcontractor who is serving a 15-year sentence in the Caribbean nation.
The civil rights activist said he had requested access to Alan Gross of
Maryland, but island authorities told him it couldn't be arranged in time.
"I certainly inquired about him. No American can come here in good
conscience and not ask about him," Jackson said. "I would hope we would
maintain our vigil in trying to gain his release."
Gross was arrested in 2009 while importing restricted communications
equipment as part of a U.S. government-funded democracy building
program. He was accused of spying and convicted of crimes under a
statute governing crimes against the state.
Gross says he was only setting up Internet networks for island Jewish
groups and posed no threat to Cuban sovereignty.
Jackson told reporters Monday that Gross had been visited recently by
U.S. diplomats.
Cuba, for its part, demands the return of four of its agents who are
still serving long prison terms in the United States. One of the "Cuban
Five" was paroled in 2011 and returned to the island earlier this year.
Jackson arrived in Havana on Friday for unrelated talks with emissaries
of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, about Kevin
Scott Sutay, a former U.S. soldier taken prisoner by the guerrillas as
he was hiking through Colombian jungle in June.
The FARC asked Jackson for help in arranging a handover, and he agreed.
However, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos subsequently said only
the Red Cross would be allowed to secure Sutay's release and warned that
there would be no "media spectacle."
Jackson said he still intends to travel to Colombia in the coming days
in hopes of working out an agreement.
"The American is free, but he cannot be retrieved, so he indeed is not
free," Jackson said. "He's no longer being held by FARC. He's being held
by a lack of access."
Source: "HAVANA: Jackson ends Cuba trip without Gross meeting - Latest
News - MiamiHerald.com" -
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/30/3661128/jackson-ends-cuba-trip-without.html#storylink=misearch
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