Friday, December 19, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Raúl Castro Communique on US-Cuba relations
December
17, 2014
Fellow
countrymen,
Since
my election as President of the State Council and Council of Ministers I have
reiterated in many occasions our willingness to hold a respectful dialogue with
the United States on the basis of sovereign equality, in order to deal
reciprocally with a wide variety of topics without detriment to the national
Independence and self-determination of our people.
This
stance was conveyed to the US Government both publicly and privately by Comrade
Fidel on several occasions during our long standing struggle, stating the
willingness to discuss and solve our differences without renouncing any of our
principles.
The
heroic Cuban people, in the wake of serious dangers, aggressions, adversities
and sacrifices has proven to be faithful and will continue to be faithful to our
ideals of independence and social justice. Strongly united throughout these 56
years of Revolution, we have kept our unswerving loyalty to those who died in
defense of our principles since the beginning of our independence wars in
1868.
Today,
despite the difficulties, we have embarked on the task of updating our economic
model in order to build a prosperous and sustainable
Socialism.
As
a result of a dialogue at the highest level, which included a phone conversation
I had yesterday with President Obama, we have been able to make headway in the
solution of some topics of mutual interest for both
nations.
As
Fidel promised on June 2001,when he said: “They shall return!” Gerardo, Ramon,
and Antonio have arrived today to our homeland.
The
enormous joy of their families and of all our people, who have relentlessly
fought for this goal, is shared by hundreds of solidarity committees and groups,
governments, parliaments, organizations, institutions, and personalities, who
for the last sixteen years have made tireless efforts demanding their release.
We convey our deepest gratitude and commitment to all of
them.
President
Obama’s decision deserves the respect and acknowledgement of our
people.
I
wish to thank and acknowledge the support of the Vatican, most particularly the
support of Pope Francisco in the efforts for improving relations between Cuba
and the United States. I also want to thank the Government of Canada for
facilitating the high-level dialogue between the two
countries.
In
turn, we have decided to release and send back to the United States a spy of
Cuban origin who was working for that nation.
On
the other hand, and for humanitarian reasons, today we have also sent the
American citizen Alan Gross back to his country.
Unilaterally,
as has always been our practice, and in strict compliance with the provisions of
our legal system, the concerned prisoners have received legal benefits,
including the release of those persons that the Government of the United States
had conveyed their interest in.
We
have also agreed to renew diplomatic relations.
This
in no way means that the heart of the matter has been solved. The economic,
commercial, and financial blockade, which causes enormous human and economic
damages to our country, must cease.
Though
the blockade has been codified into law, the President of the United States has
the executive authority to modify its implementation.
We
propose to the Government of the United States the adoption of mutual steps to
improve the bilateral atmosphere and advance towards normalization of relations
between our two countries, based on the principles of International Law and the
United Nations Charter.
Cuba
reiterates its willingness to cooperate in multilateral bodies, such as the
United Nations.
While
acknowledging our profound differences, particularly on issues related to
national sovereignty, democracy, human rights and foreign policy, I reaffirm our
willingness to dialogue on all these issues.
I
call upon the Government of the United States to remove the obstacles hindering
or restricting ties between peoples, families, and citizens of both countries,
particularly restrictions on travelling, direct post services, and
telecommunications.
The
progress made in our exchanges proves that it is possible to find solutions to
many problems.
As
we have reiterated, we must learn the art of coexisting with our differences in
a civilized manner.
We
will continue talking about these important issues at a later
date
Thank
you.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Cuba For West Africa - Africa Called, Cuba Answered : CNC campaign for Cuban medical mission in West Africa
Cuban doctors arrive in West Africa to combat Ebola |
The Canadian Network On Cuba (CNC) is
launching the Cuba For West Africa Campaign to raise funds to
assist the ongoing Cuban medical missions in the West African nations of
Guinea-Conakry, Liberia & Sierra Leone that are engaged in fighting the
Ebola epidemic. The Cuban medical mission is by far the largest sent by any
country. Standing side-by-side with the peoples of West Africa, 461 Cuban
doctors and nurses – chosen from more than 15,000 volunteers - have gone to
West Africa and joined the struggle against Ebola. Jose Luis Di Fabio, a
representative of the World Health Organization, underscored that “there
are more human resources from Cuba than from many, many NGOs put together.”
Such is the
magnitude of Cuba’s solidarity with Africa that even the corporate media,
usually unduly harsh in their views concerning Cuba, had to give the Caribbean
nation plaudits for its actions. For example, the New York Times, recognizing
at last Cuba’s virtue, has been moved to editorialize its position that the
U.S. economic embargo against the island should end and the three Cubans still
imprisoned in the U.S. as fighters against terrorism should be freed. Also, on
October 9th, the Wall Street Journal stated: “Few have heeded the call, but one
country has responded in strength: Cuba.” As Jorge Lefebre Nicolas, Cuba’s
ambassador to Liberia, declared: “We cannot see our brothers from Africa in
difficult times and remain there with our arms folded.” Havana’s contribution
is to be contrasted with that of Washington, which dispatched thousands of
soldiers, instead of more desperately needed healthcare personnel and
resources.
The Cuban
doctors serving in West Africa are motivated not by financial gain but by the
profound internationalist values of solidarity inculcated since the triumph of
the Cuban Revolution. Since 1959, more than 300,000 Cuban medical workers have
served in 158 countries. Currently, 50,000 Cuban doctors and nurses are serving
in 66 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia. Indeed, before the
Ebola epidemic there were more than 4,000 Cuban healthcare personnel treating
people in 32 African countries.
As Dr. Jorge Perez Avila, the director of the
Pedro Kouri Institute for Tropical Medicine in Havana - where those going to
fight ebola get three weeks of intensive specialized training before going
overseas - noted: "Our principle has been to share what we
have."
In 2010 Cuba
rose to the immense challenge of helping the heroic people of Haiti after the
earthquake that inflicted such horrendous suffering. In response, the CNC
launched the Cuba For Haiti Campaign as the best way by which
Canadians could help Haiti. The success of the Cuba For Haiti Campaign demonstrates
the confidence and respect that Canadians have for the people for Cuba. The respect
and confidence increase the better we know Cuba.
In 2014, as it has always done, Cuba is taking
up the cause of humanity in Guinea-Conakry, Liberia & Sierra Leone. Africa
has called and Cuba has answered.
At the September
16, 2014 meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Cuban representative
Abelardo Moreno declared: “Humanity has a debt to African people. We cannot let
them down.”
The CNC is
asking Canadians to support the invaluable work of the Cuban medical mission by
donating to the Cuba For West Africa Campaign. You can support the
Cuba For West Africa Campaign by sending a check to the Canadian Network On
Cuba. The cheques should be made out to the Canadian Network On Cuba,
writing Cuba for West Africa Campaign on your cheque’s memo
line. Your donation should be mailed to: THE CNC, Attn: S. Skup, 56 Riverwood
Terrace, Bolton, ON L7E 1S
- Isaac Saney, Co-Chair &
Spokesperson, Canadian Network on Cuba, November 14, 2014 -
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Statement by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla at UN General Assembly, October 28th. 2014
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla |
Mr. President;
Distinguished Permanent
Representatives;
Delegates;
The United Nations General
Assembly will consider today, for the twenty-third time, this issue which is so
important to the international community, because it is related to
international law, which protects all states, large and small, rich and poor,
and guarantees their independence and the exercise of national sovereignty,
which is the basis of sovereign equality.
It is also directly linked
to the enjoyment of human rights by all persons and by all peoples.
This matter concerns
freedom of trade and navigation, which protects the interests of states,
companies and individuals.
We are, however, gathered
here at a very specific international conjuncture, characterized by serious
threats to international peace and security, atrocious wars and terrorist
actions of extreme cruelty, the risks posed by the existence of huge nuclear
arsenals and outrageous military expenditures - useless to the solution of any
of the serious problems facing the world’s population, which is rapidly
approaching the eight billion.
This is a critical moment
in the impact of climate change which, among other catastrophic consequences,
can provoke unprecedented famine, generalized extreme poverty in entire
regions, and massive waves of migration.
We are living in an age
characterized by a systemic global crisis, affecting simultaneously all
economic, food, energy and water components.
In addition to poverty,
which takes a higher toll on human lives than war, there is an increased risk
posed by serious diseases like the Ebola virus, an epidemic which could become
one of the worst pandemics in history, if it is not stopped and resolved in the
affected sister nations of Western Africa, through the immediate, effective
cooperation of all countries.
As was recently stated by
President Raúl Castro Ruz, “Such a noble and urgent endeavor demands the
indispensable commitment and dedication of every nation in the world, in
accordance with the ability of each. We are of the opinion that this grave
problem should not be politicized, to avoid the risk of losing track of the
main objective, which is helping to confront the epidemic in Africa and prevent
its expansion to other regions.”
Thus created is an
unprecedented combination of problems, old and new, leading toward making human
life unsustainable. None of these can be resolved if there is no change in our
attitude, in the manner in which we confront and attempt to transform reality,
and establish genuine cooperation in the interest of humanity’s survival.
As was recently written by
compañero Fidel Castro, “Any conscious person knows that political decisions
which involve risks to highly qualified personnel imply a high level of
responsibility on the part of those who call upon them to fulfill a dangerous
task. It is even more difficult than sending soldiers, who have also done so as
their duty, to combat and die for a just political cause.
“The medical professionals
who travel to any location whatsoever to save lives, even at the risk of losing
their own, provide the greatest example of solidarity a human being can offer …”
Mr. President:
It is a fact that, in
recent times, the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the
United States on Cuba has been tightened and that its extraterritorial
application in all regions of the world has been intensified, in particular
with the levying of huge, unprecedented fines of some 11 billion dollars
against 38 banks, among them the French bank BNP Paribas, for processing
transactions with Cuba and other countries.
The accumulated economic
damages, which are huge for a small economy like ours, amount to
1,112,534,000,000 dollars, estimated on the basis of the price of gold, which
is being manipulated by those who created the nefarious monetary system
currently in force, and is being affected by the impact of an insurmountable
crisis, and batters the poorest countries.
Human damages caused by the
blockade are on the rise. The number of Cubans who have been born under these
circumstances has already reached 77% of the population. The hardships families
face are incalculable. There are many international conventions which proscribe
the blockade, including the Geneva Convention of 1948 against genocide. The
exercise of human rights by an entire people is being impaired. The economic
development of the country is seriously hampered.
Although our health and
social care systems manage to prevent the loss of human life, no honest person,
whether in the United States or the world, could agree with the devastating
consequences caused by the blockade.
Despite all of this, our
national culture, our education and protection of equal rights and
opportunities, allow us to be a cultured and fraternal nation.
Mr. President:
On both sides of the
Florida Straits, the peoples of the United States and Cuba have always shared
close ties.
Despite the systematic,
slanderous campaigns launched against our country over half a century, the U.S.
people supported the return to his family of a Cuban child kidnapped in 1999.
Cuba offered all possible
assistance in the immediate aftermath of the terrible terrorist actions
occurred on September 11, 2001, when thousands of aircraft in flight were left
without a place to land, and, later on, to alleviate the deficit of
antibiotics, at the time of the anthrax attacks in the United States.
In 2005, truly concerned
about the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, we offered our medical
cooperation to the people of New Orleans, a moment that led to the creation of
a medical contingent specialized in the management of disasters and epidemics -
which bears the name of Henry Reeve, a heroic young U.S. citizen who fought for
the independence of Cuba back in the 19th century - now being deployed in
Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. This prestigious name identifies the brigade
which in 2005 assisted Pakistan in the aftermath of an earthquake there, and
continued to engage in productive cooperation with the U.S. military medical
personnel, which had already begun in El Salvador, after the earthquake of
2001, and later in Guatemala in the 2002 and 2003, to treat onchocerciasis,
known as “river blindness.”
In 2010, after the
earthquake in Haiti, the United States and Cuba also cooperated to assist that
long-suffering nation.
The Cuban Government has
invariably shared with the U.S. government reports on terrorist actions and
attacks against the United States being planned.
Despite the old tensions,
and the attempts by violent extremists and terrorist groups to inflame these,
there has been no war, no young U.S. soldier has died in Cuba. Cuba, despite
being slandered, has never been a threat to the national security of the United
States.
There is no hostility
between our peoples. Cuba hospitably welcomes the few U.S. citizens who are
allowed by their government to visit our country, or who face the legal risks
which may result from doing so, as well as those who come to offer humanitarian
assistance, such as members of “Pastors for Peace,” or to study Medicine.
Well known are opinion
polls showing increasing majority support from absolutely all sectors of U.S.
society for the lifting of the blockade, and normalization of bilateral
relations. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that this support is even more
marked in Florida, something also confirmed by voting trends observed during
the most recent Presidential elections.
Political figures from
diverse tendencies, as well as outstanding scholars, have recognized that this
policy has failed to meet its purpose, and has not served the national
interests of this powerful country. Suffice it to read the editorials published
by The New York Times in recent weeks.
Religious leaders have
cited legitimate and indisputable ethical and humanitarian reasons for a
change.
U.S. citizens are demanding
the freedom to travel to the only place on the planet where they are prohibited
from doing so, as well as for the right to receive direct, personal information
about Cuba’s reality.
Entrepreneurial
organizations and business people believe that the blockade harms their
economic interests. Majority public opinion is opposed to maintaining the
current state of affairs and is expressing this in an ever more critical way.
Cuban émigrés have been
affected by discriminatory measures, and must cope with numerous obstacles
hindering family reunification, travel in both directions, the excessive costs
imposed on them, political manipulation and even terrorist violence. But the
majority wishes peace and wellbeing for their relatives and their people, and a
normal relation with their nation of origin.
What’s the point of
encouraging the illegal use of information technologies instead of authorizing
mutually beneficial business in the area of telecommunications? What’s the
point of preventing Cuba’s connection to nearby underwater cables, thus
limiting and hindering our connectivity?
The blockade is harmful to
Cuba, but it is also harmful to the United States.
The absurd and ridiculous
inclusion of Cuba on the list of state sponsors of international terrorism,
which has been used to justify the imposition of additional financial
sanctions, only serves to discredit the United States.
The 16 years of unjust
imprisonment imposed by fraudulent means on the three Cuban anti-terrorist
fighters has not weakened them. Quite on the contrary, it made them heroes and
an example for future generations of Cubans, as well as a source of pride for
those whose sacrifices contribute to paving the way toward a new Cuba.
The decision to lift the
blockade will be welcomed on a global level, and will become a unifying influence
in the interest of peace and the peaceful resolution of conflicts and
differences.
After the limited but
positive measures of 2009 and 2011 regarding family visits, remittances sent by
Cubans settled in the U.S. and travel licenses for certain categories of U.S.
citizens to engage in exchanges of various sorts, the technical dialogue has
been expanded to include other aspects, and cooperation has increased in areas
such as the confrontation of drug trafficking, transnational crime, trafficking
in persons, oil spill prevention, search and rescue operations, air and
aviation safety, or in the event of any other specific occurrence.
The reaction on the part of
U.S. society and the international community to these modest advances has been
one of support and encouragement.
President Barack Obama has
the constitutional prerogative, with no Congressional support required, to
modify crucial aspects of the blockade and introduce a new, decisive dynamic in
our bilateral relations.
Mr. President:
We invite the government of
the United States to establish a mutually respectful relationship, based on
reciprocity, sovereign equality, the principles of international law and the UN
Charter.
We can attempt to find a
solution to our differences through respectful dialogue and cooperation in
areas of common interest. We can live and relate to each other in a civilized
manner, despite our differences.
Cuba will never renounce
its sovereignty, or the path freely chosen by its people to build a more just,
efficient, prosperous and sustainable socialism. It will never forego its quest
for a different international order, nor cease in its struggle for “the
equilibrium of the world.”
Mr. President;
Distinguished Permanent
Representatives and delegates;
At this difficult and
special conjuncture, I must ask you to vote in favor of draft Resolution
A/69/L.4 entitled “The necessity of ending the economic, commercial and
financial embargo imposed by the United States of America on Cuba,” to support
the idea that the current serious problems facing humanity require a change in
our way of relating to one another, to be able to resolve these problems, to
preserve peace and human life.
Thank you very much.
Source: Granma
Friday, October 24, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
Key address by Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz at the Special ALBA-TCP Summit on Ebola
President of Cuba Raúl Castro declares ALBA_TCP Summit open |
Esteemed heads of State and Government, and chiefs of delegations; His Excellency
Mr. David Nabarro, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General; Her Excellency
Mrs. Clarisse Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization; His
Excellency Mr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the Organization of East
Caribbean States
We welcome you to our country on the occasion of this Special ALBA Summit
on Ebola convened on the initiative of President Maduro.
Ladies and Gentlemen, comrades;
A dreadful epidemic is advancing today on our fraternal peoples of
Africa, and threatening us all. A high number of cases have been diagnosed with
Ebola and many people have perished from the disease in several countries,
including two outside the African continent.
This poses a huge challenge to humanity, one that should be met with
utmost urgency. The action of the international community as a whole, under the
leadership of the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health
Organization and the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, is much needed.
As part of the melting pot of Latin American and Caribbean cultures,
African blood flows through the veins of ‘Our America’, contributed by those
who fought for independence and helped in the creation of wealth in many of our
countries and others, the United States included.
Africa and Cuba are bound together by deep affection. Over 76 thousand
Cuban collaborators have rendered health services in 39 countries, while 45
nations have had 3,392 physicians trained in Cuba absolutely free of charge.
At the moment, more than 4 thousand Cuban healthcare collaborators are
working in 32 African countries and, as our Public Health Minister will
explain; they are all joining in the preventive effort against Ebola.
Last October 1st, in response to a request from the Director General of
the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, and UN Secretary General, Mr.
Ban Ki-Moon, a specialized Cuban medical brigade traveled to Sierra Leone to
take part in the struggle against that epidemic; and tomorrow, Tuesday, October
21st, two other Cuban brigades, whose leaders are already in the field, will be
leaving for Liberia and Guinea.
The numerous alerts and concerns recently manifested over the
insufficient resources contributed and the pace of the actions are a reflection
of the growing universal awareness on the necessity to move ahead promptly in
order to avoid a humanitarian crisis of unpredictable consequences.
I stand convinced that if this threat is not held back and resolved in
West Africa, through an immediate and effective international response, with
sufficient resources and coordinated by the World Health Organization and the
United Nations, it may evolve into one of the gravest pandemics in the history
of mankind.
Actually, such a noble and urgent endeavor demands the indispensable
commitment and dedication of every nation in the world, to the extent of
everyone’s possibilities.
We are of the view that this grave problem should not be politicized to
avoid the risk of losing track of the main objective, which is helping to
confront the epidemic in Africa and to prevent its expansion to other regions.
Following my conversation with the UN Secretary General last September
5th, instructions were given to our representatives in events called by the
World Health Organization and the United Nations, to reaffirm that Cuba is
willing work side by side with every country, including the United States.
The modest experience accumulated by the Cuban healthcare system
indicates that an integrating disposition is required, along with the proper
organization, planning and coordination, not only of the clinical and healing
work but also of preventive measures. An inescapable complementation to this
would be the systemic and permanent labors of the specialists who shall
exercise great
discipline and severity in the observation of the medical protocols
established. In the course of this meeting, we shall discuss the practical
features of this matter.
In order to avoid being affected by the virus, we should prepare ourselves
intensively, work together throughout the Americas on preventive measures, and
be ready to deal with the disease and prevent its dissemination.
We wish to submit to the consideration of the member countries of ALBA
and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) some
collective proposals of cooperation that may help in training the healthcare
personnel and designing and implementing comprehensive and effective preventive
measures, giving a priority to Haiti and the Caribbean countries; we should all
assist the most vulnerable states.
At the same time, we invite the countries of North America to also
cooperate in this endeavor.
If the respective governments would agree, our healthcare collaborators
currently working in Latin America and the Caribbean, could support, to the
extent of their capabilities, the preventive actions and the training of local
personnel, as well as offer advisory.
In summary, we have 45,952 Cuban healthcare collaborators working in 25
countries of Our America, 23,158 of them, that is, 50.4% are doctors, who along
with their colleagues from the continent make up a powerful force capable of
meeting such a challenge.
It’s worthwhile recalling that many countries of our region count on
23,944 doctors graduated in Cuban universities until today, basically in the
past fifteen years.
Finally, on December 14th, we will host another Summit in Havana to
celebrate the 10th anniversary of Alliance, the fruit of the will of our
peoples in the region and of the actions of Hugo Chavez Frias and Fidel Castro
Ruz. We look forward to that opportunity when we shall examine the
implementation of what we agree here today.
Without further delay, we declare this Special Summit open.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
The Toronto Star Attacks Cuban Justice System. Why?
foto: canadianlawyermag.com |
The Toronto Star's Sept. 30th opinion piece "Jailing Investors Cuba's Big Chill" is a vicious attack by a major daily in Canada that cannot stomach the fact that the government of Cuba is fearless when it has to apply the laws of the land against any one entity and individuals who dare to get involved in corrupt economic behaviours which is not only damaging to the country's economy but its reputation and ethical values; and therewith the sentencing of the Canadian businessman/investor Vahe Cy Tokmakjian, his associates, as well as a Cuban deputy minister of Sugar Industry and others associated with it.
But why the Toronto Star states that, "Yet suddenly, in 2011, President Raul Castro's anti-corruption prosecutors set their sights on Tokmakjian and charged him and 16 others." Well, as a matter of fact it wasn't so "sudden". For some four years the Cuban nation did organize meetings throughout the society in order to tackle the many issues the country was facing and determined what changes and approaches to be taken. One of the items put on the agenda of the leadership of the government by the people was to fight corruption. And this corruption case was a big one and had to exhaust all the legal process and that is why the Cuban justice system during a public and oral hearing between June 9 to 21 (2014) at Havana's Provincial Court addressed the crimes of bribery, acts to the detriment of economic activity, falsification of banking and trade documents, criminal deception, trafficking in currency and tax evasion against Canadian entrepreneurs Vahe Cy Tokmakjian, Marco Vinicio Puche Rodriguez and Claudio Franco and others involved.
The Corruption of Public Officials Act in Canada clearly states that any entity/individual that gets involved in any behaviour which corrupts officials of another country is liable and must face justice. That is why the editorial board of the Toronto Star shall do its homework first before being Judge, jury and the executioner in the above case and withdraw its demand and advice to the government of Canada, requesting the immediate release of the convicted individuals and their "assets"!
And the government of Canada knows very well that the Cubans have shown ample evidence proving their case in the above-mentioned. Otherwise, the Conservatives in Ottawa are not known to be great friends of Cuba or they would have intervened in the case of the anti-terrorist Cuban Five political prisoners of the empire who did nothing in the U.S. but to infiltrate terrorist and ultra right organizations in order to expose their plans! Plans carried by terrorists out of the U.S. territory which caused the death of Fabio di Celmo, a permanent resident of Canada from Montreal in Aug. 1997 which to this date the government of Canada has not raised a finger to bring the mastermind of the terrorist act-Luis Posada Carriles who walks freely in Miami-to justice.
But why the Toronto Star use of such language as "Castro regime should be put on notice"! To be put on "notice" because fighting corruption to its roots, no matter who is involved, is a bulwark of the Cuban Revolution. And the Cuban justice system is so radical that even the mercenaries who were organized, armed and sent to Cuba by the U.S. in 1961 to overturn the Cuban Revolution could not be abused in any way by anyone even though they had killed their own country men/women at the order of another foreign country! hmmmmm
And how could the Toronto Star attack Cuba! It reported once that Nabeel Yar Khan from Toronto is studying medicine in Cuba free of charge for the simple fact that Cuba's humanitarian health system provides for the education of tens of thousands of humble young students from around the world including the United States and Canada. Who would expect passionate behaviour from a government that is "a travesty of justice" in the words of Peter Kent! And I don't recall the Toronto Star asking business investors/creditors to go to Cuba as a way to "recompense" Cuba for its internationalist and humanitarian acts.
That is why I believe, the Toronto Star is stuck on attacking Cuba while defending business personalities caught in the vice of justice in Cuba for illegal acts! And all of a sudden investigative reporting gives way to vulgar, anti-Cuba verbiage. A Cuba that sets an example for the world over to share what they have, especially in health care, education and cultural values like, "homeland is humanity".
And again one wonders what bothers the Toronto Star to unleash its venom against Cuba and advising investors to stay away from Cuba and go somewhere else to make "a buck"! Is it that the World Health Organization's director, Margaret Chan, announced to the world that "we all have to learn from the very effective approach of Cuba to fight natural disasters and epidemics..." and praised Cuba for its contributions to fight Ebola virus in Africa where Cuba already has some 3000 medical personnel in 32 countries (in the African continent alone) and has dispatched some 450 medical specialists to fight Ebola only to this day. Where is Toronto Star's praise of Cuba!
The truth is that the capitalist media, including the Toronto Star, has no way of hiding for good the truth that comes out of Cuba and the shining path that it puts before the world. That, yes, it is possible with the least of resources and being one of the poorest countries in the world when it comes to underground minerals-or so it is thought- to have the highest level of education in Latin America and for sure ahead of the U.S.; to have the lowest infant mortality rate in the Americas ahead of Canada; or to have a national parliament whereby no one gets an extra penny for being a member of-beyond their regular salaries/wages paid by their workplaces-and has an average age of 51.3 years and some 48 percentage of them are women! Oooh, some countries truly envy that.
Or the Toronto Star does not want its readers to know that while Canada, under the leadership of the United States, goes to war in order to occupy other countries for the sake of natural resources and cheap labour or...; Cuba sends thousands upon thousands of its health workers around the world to save lives! And of course we all should know about the martyrdom of some 2000 Cuban internationalists in the struggle against the apartheid regime of South Africa.
And the Toronto Star very conveniently evades the matter of the U.S. government's genocidal practices of The Economic, Financial and Trade Blockade of Cuba which is very fundamental in the damages done to Cuba's "feeble economy". A practice that is condemned by the world over at the United Nations General Assembly year after year with the exception of the largest military/economic power in the world, the U.S. of A, and the Zionist regime of Israel! And this matter, if the Toronto Star is really worried about Cuba's economic future and "foreign investment" should have been mentioned to show that the paper is not really biased against Cuba; and for embezzlement/corruption and those bad things we all are just sick of hearing, seeing and reading daily in the media which are part and parcel of a bankrupt profit-driven system!
Well, if the Toronto Star is really worried about the miscarriage of "justice" then it should really cover in its pages the case of the Cuban Five and demand justice for Fabio di Celmo since "justice delayed is justice denied" and most certainly millions of people from Canada who vacation in Cuba must have found it safe and joyous to go there and not "open season on Canadians" as the paper wants us to believe.
Hope in vain that the Toronto Star will correct its very dangerously mistaken approach towards the above story and send a team of its investigative reporters to Cuba to find the truth firsthand instead of relying on the lawyers of a company that got caught red-handed and instead of quoting a desperate conservative MP, Peter Kent, looking for votes in a mainly middle-class neighbourhood which is not a natural friend of socialist Cuba! That could be called "easy" journalism but certainly not a serious and sincere one.
And of course the undersigned is more than ready for a public and open debate with the editorial board members of the Toronto Star in order to get to the bottom of the accusations made against the Cuban Revolution, its leadership and the findings of its justice system so we all can take a just stand when it comes to issues related to Cuba.
Take care and have a nice day.
Truthfully;
Morteza Gorgzadeh
Friday, August 29, 2014
Friday September 12: Join us in Toronto to demand freedom for the Cuban Five
16 Years: Too Long... Too Wrong!
Join us to demand the
immediate release of the
Cuban Five from U.S.
prisons!
Friday, Sept. 12
5:30 - 6:30 pm
U.S. Consulate
University Ave.
& Armoury Rd.
(just south of
Dundas St.)
Sponsored by the Friends of
the
Cuban Five - Toronto
For
info: tema1tema@gmail.com
The Cuban Five are five Cuban men
unjustly imprisoned in the United States after being arrested by the FBI on
Sept.12, 1998 and convicted in a federal court in Miami in 2001, in a political
prosecution by the U.S. government. They are Gerardo Hernández, Ramón
Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando
González and René González.
The Five were falsely accused of committing
espionage, conspiracy against the United States, and other related charges. But
the Five’s actions were never directed at the U.S. government; they never
engaged in nor planned any conspiracy against the government.
As the Cuban Five pointed out in
their defense, they were on a mission to monitor the actions of Miami-based terrorist
groups in order to prevent more attacks on their country of Cuba. To date terrorist
attacks have killed 3,478 Cubans.
The Cuban Five are innocent
victims of the continuing economic and political war waged by the U.S. against
Cuba and its Revolution. So far, René González and Fernando González have been
released after serving their unjust sentences, but the other three remain in
prison. Justice demands that all be released immediately and returned to their
families and homeland!
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Friday, June 27, 2014
A Conversation with Miguel Barnet Lanza, Lamrani
Miguel Barnet |
"We want a relationship with the United States,
but on equal terms, a relationship of reciprocity and non-interference in
internal affairs."
Salim Lamrani
International Journal of Cuban Studies
/ The Huffington Post
Miguel Barnet Lanza is a major figure in Cuban culture. President of the
Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), an organization he founded,
Barnet is a writer, ethnographer, anthropologist, essayist and poet. He is also
a leading politician. A member of Parliament, a member of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of Cuba and a member of the Cuban Council of State, he
is close to Fidel and Raúl Castro.
Born in Havana on January 28, 1940, Barnet first attended school in the United
States and then studied anthropology at the University of Havana's Institute of
Anthropology and Folklore under the aegis of Don Fernando Ortiz, the founder of
Cuban anthropology. Ortiz was a specialist in Afro-Cuban culture and is
considered to be the third discoverer of Cuba, after Christopher Columbus and
Alexander von Humboldt. In homage to his master, Barnet, a Doctor of Historical
Sciences, created the Fernando Ortiz Foundation of which he is president.
But first and foremost Barnet is a great representative of Cuba and its
culture. His work is rich, varied and internationally recognized. Combining
literature and anthropology, Biography of a Runaway Slave [Biografía de un cimarrón], a
work of extraordinary richness, first appeared in 1966 and has been published
in more than 70 different editions around the world. It has also engendered
several plays and a number of folk songs. Barnet is the most widely published
of all Cuban authors, not only in Cuba, but also around the world.
A member of the Cuban Academy of Language, Barnet has worked with the greatest
of Cuban intellectuals, Alejo Carpentier and Nicolás Guillén for example. He
was also a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO from 1996 to 2006 and is
regularly invited to lecture at the most prestigious universities in the United
States and throughout the world.
He has received multiple awards, including the Félix Varela Order, the National
Prize for Literature (Cuba), the García Lorca Prize (Spain) and the Medal of
the City of Cologne in Germany. He received the José Donoso Prize in Chile for
his life's work and the Juan Rulfo Prize in France. Also a scenarist, his film La Bella del Alhambra received in
1990 Goya Award in Spain for the best Spanish-language foreign film.
Miguel Barnet is deeply in love with his island. "I am married to
Cuba," he likes to say in reference to his celibacy. Affable and
appreciated by all, he has the reputation of being extremely knowledgeable. During
these conversations, Barnet comments on the economic and social reforms
undertaken by Raul Castro. He does not avoid such controversial issues as the
space reserved for critical debate in Cuba, or the issues of racism, human
rights and generational change. Barnet also expresses himself on the state of
the island nation's relations with the United States. The dialogue ends with
his comments on the future of Cuba.
Salim Lamrani:
Miguel Barnet, more than a half of century after the triumph of the Revolution
of 1959, Cuba is at a crossroad. Could you tell us something about the process
of updating the economic model launched by President Raul Castro in 2010? What
are its root causes and prospects?
Miguel Barnet: In the beginning we were a bit too dogmatic in our conception
of socialism. We feared the emergence of a middle class, rich and ostentatious.
We needed to control the means of production and the relations of production.
All of this is quite legitimate, but it is time to find alternative routes -
always socialist - perhaps usufruct, as the country will never sell its land
and never lose control of its strategic resources. It is unthinkable that the
Cuban Revolution might sell its land at auction. This is something sacred for
all Cubans. But I think there has been some stagnation in our society and we
are in the process of addressing this problem. I am happy about this turn of
events because we need to adapt to the pace of our times. The correlation of
forces is different today. While there is no more Cold War, there is a lukewarm
war with the United States that prevents us from developing as we would
like.
So updating the economic model is truly a breakthrough for all Cubans. From a
theoretical point of view, the lineamientos (guidelines) have been very
well designed, notably by our number one economist, Marino Murillo. I
participated in the Party Conference, especially in the meetings that concerned
culture. The challenge, however, lies in the implementation of the new economic
regulations, but I think we are on the right path.
SL: Could you give us a concrete example?
MB: Certain enterprises need to change their structure. For example, the
food industry must go through a radical change because it is not possible that
the Revolution, which has been so generous with regard to education, public
health, culture and social security, should take charge of restaurants, bars
and other food outlets. I have always defended the existence of private family
restaurants, known as paladars in Cuba. I am convinced that this type of
secondary economy should not be controlled by the state. The State may reserve
to itself the right to administer certain iconic businesses, whether historic
hotels or restaurants, because they are part of the national heritage. But with
regard to small enterprises, they should be managed by well-intentioned people
who simply rent a space, buy products and pay taxes.
In order to allow this to happen, we needed to create a wholesale market
[something that in fact occurred on December 20, 2013]. We recognize that the
investment is considerable. Although this is truly the key point of our new
business model, it is at the same time our Achilles heel. Still, it is
essential to our development. As Raúl Castro said, we follow this path
"without haste, but without pause" (sin prisa pero sin pausa).
Our reforms are quite positive and respond to the idea of building a
"socialism of the twenty-first century". We often speak of cultural,
ethnic or sexual diversity. But economic diversity is important as well. It is
primordial that all Cubans come to grips with these economic issues with
seriousness, diligence and discipline so that they may become the principal
actors within this renewal.
We are not a rich country. We are basically an agricultural country. At the
triumph of the Revolution we were pretentious enough to try to become an
industrialized nation. Our ambition was not crowned with success, but we
nevertheless managed to develop world class medical, pharmaceutical and
biotechnological industries. All of this has been achieved despite the very
real obstacles that the United States economic blockade imposes upon us;
something that since 1960 has cost us hundreds of billions of dollars.
SL: What about culture?
MB: The new Cuban business model also relates directly to the spiritual
life of the people, to our culture. This is an absolute necessity and something
of primordial important if we are to ensure the development of the nation. It
is undeniable that spiritual values have strengthened the base of the Cuban
Revolution.
Culture must always be subsidized by the state. Libraries, books, music, art
education, film, must all be state subsidized because they promote the cultural
policies of the nation. We can accept contradictions in economic policies, but
surely not in cultural policies.
Recall that our illustrious personages, our national heroes, were not only
great warriors, great politicians, but also men and women of culture. José
Martí, our national poet, united two generations: that of 1868 and that of
1895. These were generations that witnessed two terrible fratricidal wars that
eventually led to independence. Fidel Castro, the historic leader of the
Revolution, is a man of great culture, a thinker of the first order, who has
helped to build a new Latin America, one that is emancipated and unequivocally
independent.
In terms of culture, it is imperative not to submit to economic considerations.
Culture does not have to be profit-making. Its role is much higher. Whenever
economic considerations are introduced into the cultural arena, we fall into
the trap of mass culture, the culture of banality, the culture of mediocrity,
of violence, of pornography, etc. We must pay close attention to that. In order
to ensure that their output may be of excellent quality, theaters and cinemas
should enjoy the support of the state. We have always defended this principle.
If we do not compromise on this fundamental principle, we are saved. However,
if culture falls into the hands of private entrepreneurs, it will be
permanently lost. This must be avoided at all cost and, in fact, the new model
of society that we propose preserves the cultural sector and its core
values.
SL: Some stress that the space reserved for critical debate in Cuba is
rather limited. How do you analyze it?
MB: I invite these critics to attend meetings where profound discussions
occur. For example, the Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC) is a
laboratory for debate, a forum where all viewpoints are represented. There is a
real diversity of opinion within the UNEAC. We organize panel discussions
continually throughout the year. Our National Assembly is a hotbed of debate
each time it meets. Sometimes we are critical, other times, hypercritical, but
we never fall into the trap of indifference or indolence.
All Cuban cultural centers are open to critical debate and reserve space for
it. Catauro, the journal that I lead, is one example among others.
We have covered the most controversial issues.
SL: For example?
MB: We have addressed such issues as poverty, marginal neighborhoods,
internal migration, sexuality and racism. We have even discussed raising
livestock and the sugar industry, which has been dismantled. All of these
topics are discussed without any taboos, despite their sensitive nature. And I
am speaking only of our publication.
Also take the journal Temas, which is extraordinarily rich and organizes
debates every Thursday. There are also regular debates at the National Library
and, indeed, all across the country.
Why are we debating so much? The role of artists and intellectuals is to create
and reflection is fundamental if we are to accomplish our function. Debate is
good, healthy and legitimate, whether the themes it treats are cultural or
political. We want to build a more democratic socialism, one that is more open,
more participatory, and in order to do this debate is essential.
I am a supporter of debate. My role as president of the UNEAC and president of
the Fernando Ortiz Foundation is to stimulate debate and the exchange of
ideas.
SL: The Fernando Ortiz Foundation was one of the first institutions to
address the theme of race in Cuba.
MB: We initiated one of the first debates on this subject in Cuba, under
the title of "integration and racism." It is inconceivable that
racial prejudice might exist within socialism and discrimination based on race
even more so.
In terms of sexuality and sexual diversity, Mariela Castro's organization,
CINESEX, is doing a great job. Cuba is one of the most advanced countries in
terms of gender equality. No one in Cuba need be ashamed of being gay any
longer.
SL: Different types of prejudice persist nonetheless.
MB: There are still lingering prejudices toward sexual diversity, just as
unfortunately some racist prejudices persist. But we cannot say that in Cuba
there is racial discrimination. I experienced racism and I have dedicated much
of my life to combating it, and not just in my poetry, El Cimarron, or
my writings. I have dedicated my life to it and I have thoroughly studied the
issue. I can tell you that it is wrong to say that in Cuba there is
racism.
It is true that there is still a residue of racial prejudice that has not been
eliminated by the measures taken since 1959. The first and fiercest opponent of
racism was Fidel Castro who, after the triumph of revolution took the first
concrete steps toward eliminating it by opening the beaches, social clubs and
schools to all Cubans. Blacks and mulattos did not have access to these
facilities before 1959. There were private beaches for whites in Cuba. I
remember this perfectly well. There were virtually no black doctors. Whites had
their own clubs where blacks were excluded. Blacks had to found their own
clubs, one of which was the famous Club Atenas, where Fernando Ortiz gave
keynote lectures. There was a policy of racial segregation. That was Cuban
reality before the Revolution!
The Revolution was not made for blacks or for whites, but for the humble and without
doubt, among the most humble was the black population. There was no real
integration such as we have now. Today, the President of the Cuban Parliament,
Esteban Lazo, is black. Mercedes López Acea Lázara, the secretary of the Cuban
Communist Party in the province of Havana, the largest province in the country,
is a black woman. She is also Vice President of the State Council.
SL: Do you think that the criticism levied on the subject of racism is
overstated?
MB: I must admit that it hurts me to hear it said that there is heightened
racism in Cuba, because it is simply not the truth. I repeat, racial prejudices
still persist and cannot be eliminated in the blink of an eye, because they are
deeply rooted in the collective memory and the subjectivity of each of us. But,
this problem can be solved through education, starting within the family
itself, and then in primary school through university. The fight against racial
prejudice is first of all a family responsibility, then that of the educational
system. We must conduct a ceaseless struggle against this prejudice so that no
one can be discriminated against because of the color of his or her skin.
Blacks have made an extraordinary contribution to Cuban culture. Fernando Ortiz
was my master. There is no better person than him to promote Cuba's African
heritage in its purest and most legitimate dimension. I am a disciple and
servant of his work. Ortiz was white, yet he fought the fierce and criminal racism
of his era.
SL: What are the measures taken against discrimination in the cultural
world?
MB: I think that discrimination and prejudice of any kind, whether
directed at blacks, women or homosexuals, is culturally atavistic. We must
always be ashamed of it and fight it with all of our strength. In order to do
this within the UNEAC we have created the José Antonio Aponte Commission
against discrimination and racism. Aponte was a black man of great prestige. He
was a draftsman and a carpenter who, following the example of Bolivar,
organized the slave uprising of 1812. Along with his comrades in arms he was
decapitated and his head paraded through Havana for having dared to challenge
the Spanish empire.
There are also people who exploit the racial issue. This is certainly a part of
the ideological war waged against us by the United States. In the United
States, there is still racial compartmentalization, even if there are black
figures in politics, in the cultural sector or in sport. There is still
segregation that separates whites from blacks. In Cuba, we will never create
exclusively black organizations, for example. This would only exacerbate racism
and discrimination. José Martí said that we are all Cubans, regardless of the
color of our skin. Being Cuban is far more important that being white, black or
mulatto, especially in a revolutionary process like ours, a socialist process
where no discrimination whatsoever should exist. One should reflect deeply on
these issues and not sow the seeds of discord and division among Cubans.
SL: Do dissidents have the opportunity to speak out in Cuba?
MB: All Cubans are free to express themselves. Don't our dissidents have
their own blogs? Are they not constantly active on the Internet? Are they not
granted more space in the Western press than me, even though I am the president
of UNEAC, even though my books are translated into more than twenty languages,
even though my book Biografía de un cimarrón is available
internationally in 70 different editions? I invite you to compare the media
space granted Cuban dissidents in the international press with that accorded to
all members of the UNEAC, the group that represents the world of culture, knowledge
and creation in Cuba. Opponents are ten, twenty, thirty times, more present
than we are in the Western press. They are absolutely everywhere. They express
themselves freely and travel around the world, all expenses paid, on tours
worthy of heads of state. I will mention no one, but you know who I mean. Just
read the press. If tomorrow I attempt to publish an article in the New York
Times, this will be a very difficult task. However, some of our opponents
publish regularly in newspapers around the world.
SL: Do you think that there is bias in the media?
MB: In the 1980s, when my books were published in Spain by the Alfaguara
publishing house, I was constantly asked for comments by the press. Now look at
what has happened to a newspaper like El País, which reserves its pages
to dissidents and states that whoever chooses to live in Cuba is either a
coward, a sheep, or in error. They claim that those who support the Cuban
Revolution - and this includes me - are either stupid or opportunistic. Now I
do not think that Nicolás Guillén, Alejo Carpentier or Leonardo Padura are
either cowards, sheep, or opportunists. On the contrary, I am very proud to
support the Cuban Revolution, which was radical at the outset. I am very proud
to have been born in Cuba.
SL: Do you support criticism, even that emanating from sectors of the
opposition?
MB: I respect
diversity of opinion and I believe that an intelligent and serious opposition
is necessary to the dynamics of the revolutionary process, because criticism is
always constructive. On the other hand, I have no respect for people who are
financed by a foreign power, who receive money from the diplomatic
representatives of the United States here in Havana for the purpose of
establishing a program of subversion and who then travel around the world
claiming that they are prosecuted and discriminated against in Cuba. These
remarks of mine are hardly controversial. All of this information is public and
publicly recognized by the government of the United States. Washington admits
that it finances the Cuban opposition for purposes of "regime
change." This program is enshrined in such legislation as the Torricelli
Act of 1992, the Helms-Burton Act of 1996 or the reports of the Commission for
Assistance to a Free Cuba in 2004 and 2006. Again, this is all public and known
to all.
SL: You say that opponents can express themselves freely. Yet they are not
present in the National Assembly.
MB: To be present in Parliament, you must earn the trust of voters.
Nothing prevents these dissidents from standing as candidates. Why do they not
do so? Because they have no popular base. The Cuban people reject those who are
in the pay of a foreign nation. Our independence cost us dearly and a lot of
blood has been shed to achieve it. Many honest Cubans have sacrificed for it,
and are worthy of the greatest of all virtues: that of "feeling
useful", as José Martí said. You cannot get into the National Assembly by
spinning lies or by treachery. Scoundrels do not have a place there. You cannot
profit for your own sake from the contradictions of the revolution.
I respect critical dissent that helps to create, to construct and to build for
a better future. I have great respect for those who are trying to build a more
democratic and participatory socialism. I have no respect for those who want
the restoration of capitalism in Cuba. We do not want or need a consumer
society.
SL: It is often said that Cuba is still led by the historic generation that
made the revolution and the country is thus dominated by a
"gerontocracy."
MB: It is always
useful to compare the rhetoric, the dominant discourse, with factual reality. I
invite the people who say this to go to Cuba and see the average age of the
secretaries of the Communist Party in each of the five provinces of the
country. It is less than 50. In the National Assembly, the average age is 48,
even taking into account that there are among these deputies elected members of
the historic generation who are now more than 80 years old. This means that
there are many young members. There are also many women MPs, almost half.
I believe in the generation that will take over from the historic generation. I
believe in this kind of democracy, in a participatory democracy. The reform
project we talked about was discussed everywhere. Issues that concern me,
particularly culture and society, ware debated in my neighborhood, in the
Fernando Ortiz Foundation, in UNEAC and at the National Assembly. I say - and
these are measured comments - that there is more democracy in Cuba than in the
United States and in many Western countries. Some will accuse me of
exaggerating, but I am convinced of this. It does not mean of course that we
have created a perfect society, far from it. We have our problems, our
shortcomings and our contradictions, all of which we are trying to resolve. But
we want to resolve them by ourselves, without foreign interference.
SL: You believe that Cuban society is more democratic than that of the
United States?
MB: Absolutely. Here, there are no children in the streets, abandoned to
their fate. There are no older people without the security of a social support
network. It is true that salaries are low, but the most vulnerable are not left
to fend for themselves as is the case in most of the countries that attempt to
teach us lessons.
SL: What is the importance of culture for Cuba?
MB: Let me tell you a story. Following the demise of the Soviet Union in
1991, we experienced an economic crisis such as we had never seen before. We
found ourselves alone, abandoned by all, delivered to our fate. There was nothing
to eat in the country. We all suffered from hunger. At a meeting of the UNEAC,
amidst all of these difficulties and shortages, Fidel Castro said: "The
first thing that must be saved is culture." He knew perfectly well that
culture would safeguard the values required for sustainability. Culture
strengthens you in every battle, especially in a battle like ours, an endless
struggle against a United States that refuses to accept a sovereign Cuba.
SL: In the West, in Europe and the United States, whenever one mentions Cuba,
the issue of human rights immediately arises. What do you say to those who
stigmatize Cuba on this subject?
MB: I would say
there is no freedom without justice and without social equality. The most
important right is the right to life. Life without health, without education is
a life without culture, a life that is not worth living. I will say no
more.
SL: How is Fidel Castro and how does he use his time?
MB: I think Fidel
Castro is in good health given the circumstances. He dedicates his time to
writing, and I believe that his thoughts have great political depth. The
different volumes he has published constitute a master class for politicians
and intellectuals. I consider myself a Marxist, and I am in favor of
dialectical and historical materialism, because without class struggle, it is
impossible to interpret history. I became a revolutionary through the speeches
and actions of Fidel Castro. I was prepared to go to live in the United States,
to work there at a university, but finally, I stayed. I had my contradictions
from the beginning. I have a poem entitled "Revolution" that says:
"Entre tú y yo hay un montón de contradicciones que se juntan para
hacer de mí el sobresaltado que se humedece la frente y te edifica"
[Between you and me many contradictions come together to make of me the exalted
one who with dampened brow enlightens you.] I do not deny my own contradictions
and we have all lived in the midst of these contradictions. But for my part,
they have strengthened and enriched me.
Fidel is a man who is very attached to people. I remember his speech on climate
change in 1991 in Brazil, and the dangers it represents for us. What insight!
He was ahead of his time. We are in the process of destroying our planet. At a
recent meeting I had with him, I was deeply affected by his interest in nature
and ecology. He has studied both thoroughly and he cares deeply about the future
of the human race. He is a great humanist. Whenever I have the privilege of
being with him, I like to listen to him because he is a moral giant. That is
why another giant, Chávez, considered Fidel to be a father figure and followed
his example when he achieved integration of the Americas through the ALBA
(Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas), thereby placing Latin America on the
highest of pedestals. Thanks to the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro, Latin
America has changed its destiny. Fidel Castro is one of the greats of this
continent, someone who occupies a place alongside Bolívar and Martí. The only
difference is that he is alive. What a privilege to live in the era of Fidel
Castro!
SL: How do you explain the presence of Raúl Castro in power? Some speak of
nepotism.
MB: Raúl Castro is
not President of Cuba because of his relationship to his brother, Fidel Castro,
but rather because his presidency has historical legitimacy and also because he
was elected. Raúl I know because I frequently encounter him in the National
Assembly or at meetings of the Party Committee. If Fidel's Cuba, with all its
complexities and problems, is tattooed on his body and on his heart, it is
exactly the same for Raúl Castro. He is absolutely aware of all of the
country's problems, whether societal or economic. Raúl deserves all possible
accolades. Do you know what Raúl's middle name is?
SL: No.
MB: His full name
is Raúl Modesto. I think that middle name suits him very well, because he has
been modest throughout the revolutionary process. He demonstrates every day
that he deserves his position. He is very close to Fidel, as he has been
throughout his life, whether at the Moncada, in the Sierra Maestra or after the
triumph of the Revolution.
SL: Let's talk about relations with the United States. Is Cuba willing to
normalize relations with Washington?
MB: Cuba is ready
and prepared for normalization. The Cuban people have a political consciousness
that has been developed through our experiences. We have had many strikes
against us for half a century and we have suffered many disappointments. Our
relationship with the United States has been complex since the days of George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The United States had always been intent upon
seizing Cuba and the entire continent. When they realized that this was
impossible because Latin America had produced such men as Miranda and Bolivar,
they fell back on a more modest goal, that of seizing Cuba, Puerto Rico and the
Philippines.
But Cuba had its own warriors capable of making the ultimate sacrifice for
freedom. Our heroes burned their own homes and properties and took up arms
against Spain. But the United States destroyed our dream of independence with
its intervention in 1898 and the imposition of the Platt Amendment (on the
Cuban constitution), actions that allowed them to dominate us. Moreover, the
criminal blockade imposed on us by Washington for half a century now is a way
of subjecting us to its insatiable desire for domination. It is a way of
imposing perpetual obstacles to our economic development. But it is also a way
for them to feel present in Cuba, because the United States has never accepted
having lost control of our country in 1959. They want to impose their hegemonic
power, they want to strangle us.
Cuba has always been disposed to dialogue and negotiation. As people we are
close to each other, we are brothers. U.S. culture has always had a great
influence in Cuba. Jazz was born in the United States, but it is also
Caribbean. Jazz is a process of transculturation and a hybridization of
Caribbean rhythms and genres. We have contributed to the development of Latin
jazz. Thanks to these influences, we never fell into the trap of schematism, or
into that horrid thing called socialist realism.
The American people and particularly its artists have a lot of respect for us,
but the U.S. government does not respect the dignity of the Cuban people. Our
people have been defiled and humiliated by the interventions of the United
States throughout our history. Cuban separatists who had fought for more than
30 years against the Spaniards were prevented from entering Santiago de Cuba by
the U.S. Army in 1898. This affront will be forever etched in the memory of our
people.
SL: Let's talk now about the case of the five Cuban agents imprisoned in the
United States since 1998 for infiltrating violent Cuban exile groups. One of
them, René González, was released in October 2011 after having served his
sentence. A second, Fernando González, was also released in February 2014. Do
you think a political solution can be found in this case?
MB: The Five, as we call them here in Cuba, are very dear to the Cuban
cause. They are held close to the hearts of more than 11 million Cubans. We
have repeatedly called for their release because they are innocent. They were
sentenced for fighting against terrorism, for preventing attacks against our
country. I would remind you that since the triumph of the Revolution, 3,478
Cubans have died because of terrorist attacks carried out by the CIA and Cuban
exiles. I hope that a political solution will be found quickly.
SL: Is Cuba willing to make a humanitarian gesture in the case of Alan Gross, a
U.S. State Department employee who has been jailed in Havana since 2009 and is
serving a 15-year sentence in prison for providing material support to the
opposition?
MB: I cannot answer
this question because it is not my role to do so. But, from a personal point of
view - and this is only my opinion - that were the United States to liberate
the Cuban Five, Alan Gross would return home immediately. I speak as Miguel
Barnet, not on behalf of the nation.
SL: What kind of relationship does Cuba want with the United States?
MB: We want a
relationship with the United States, but on equal terms, a relationship of
reciprocity and non-interference in internal affairs. Our independence has
required many sacrifices of us. Many good and noble women and men have lost
their lives for the freedom of our country. We are not therefore disposed to
negotiating our sovereignty. We do not want relations based on submission,
asymmetry or inequality. We wish to live with dignity and we are not ready to
give it up.
The United States is unable to understand our idiosyncrasies. I had the
privilege of going to the Institute for International Relations and I remember
my meeting in New York with William Rogers, who had served as Secretary of
State under Nixon, that is to say, he has been their minister of foreign
affairs. We hit it off well and he invited me to lunch. He asked me where I had
learned to speak English. I told him that I had studied the language in Cuba,
but that I had also lived in the United States. "Then why do you live in
Cuba?" he asked. "For the same reason that leads you to live in the
United States, because I was born in Cuba," I replied. "But are there
not too many problems there?" he insisted. "No more than here. You
know this better than me because you were Secretary of State. And this is not
to mention the problems you have created worldwide," I retorted. I then
asked why successive U.S. administrations had failed to understand the Cuban
Revolution and Fidel Castro, while we had only wanted normal relations. You
know what he said?
SL: What did he say?
MB: He told me verbatim: "It is because we are used to dealing with
losers and Fidel Castro is a winner." I thanked him and I think that this
was the deepest, most profound political reply that I have ever received
concerning the conflict between Cuba and the United States.
SL: How do you see Cuba's future?
MB: I do not have a crystal ball, but I see the future of Cuba as I
would like it to be, with young people making the necessary changes and
building a more egalitarian and democratic socialism. I strongly believe in the
youth who, for the most part, are revolutionary. You need only give them the
opportunity and the space and they will create their own way. I've always been
very optimistic, despite all the blows that life has dealt us, and I am happy
to live in Cuba.
Translated from the French by Larry
R. Oberg.
A Doctor of Iberian and
Latin-American Studies at the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne, Salim Lamrani is
a lecturer at the University of La Réunion and a journalist specializing in
relations between Cuba and the United States.
Salim Lamrani's latest book is
The Economic War Against Cuba, New York, Monthly Review Press, 2013,
with a prologue by Wayne S. Smith, a foreword by Paul Estrade and translated by
Larry R. Oberg.
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