President Mariano Rajoy, I turn to you on the day my daughter celebrates
her birthday. Just thinking of the Cuban young people, I decided to
write you these humble and sincere words without standing on ceremony
other than to offer you well-deserved congratulations, and to cry for
the young of my country whose only horizon is the Straits of Florida
which cause so many deaths. But not before giving you a small account of
the last two governments of my country and the impact they have had on us.

Since the absence in power of Spain's People's Party, three elections
back, the freedom of Cubans has been banished. We quickly received a
half-communist minister representing the PSOE (Socialist Workers Party),
who came to negotiate with the Castro brothers. Since then, the silence
and Spanish president Zapatero's complicity threw its dark mantle over
the Cuban archipelago. The days when the freedom of the people was more
important to Spain than relations with a tyrant, were long gone.

That complicity with which the Cultural Attache welcomed those of us
with the intention to participate in some literary contest in Spain, and
the envelopes full of stories and hopes, ended. From that time on we no
longer received the latest published books from the Iberian peninsula,
nor the journal Encuentro de la Cultura Cubana which had provided us
with the latest cultural events in the world and, especially, in the
culture of our diaspora forbidden on Cuban soil.

The literary, essay and photography contest thought up by the Spanish
embassy, which was juried and where I was told there was no pressure
because they would award the prize to some irreverent text despite the
political system that scorns us and exists in this country, only got as
far as a call for entries. The official policy of support for
marginalized artists vanished. We also lost the profound and hard work
of the Hispanic-American Center because the dictatorship closed it, not
wanting there to be a space for the cultural freedom it supported.

Then, the meeting with the ungainly ambassador of whom I only remember
his name "Lazarus," and who joked about a Bible passage, "Lazarus, arise
and walk," because the Lazarus sent to us only came to lie down at the
feet of the dictator. And the following meeting for Columbus Day, which
we had celebrated in the ambassador's residence for many years, and
Lazarus just read our group what his work plan was going to be, which
was "nothing," making him the second Government of the Island. Since
then we haven't gone back despite continuing to receive an invitation.

Months later the Ambassadors of the European Union wanted a
meeting-dialogue with Cuban writers in the residence of the Ambassador
of Austria, which chaired the EU at the time. Attending were Leonardo
Padura, Amado del Pino, Pedro Juan Gutiérrez, Reinaldo Montero and me.
Each gave his vision of the social reality.

Some Ambassadors wondered about the relationship between Venezuela and
Cuba, and thought that perhaps, as expressed by the Spanish Ambassador,
that starting with a substantion improvement in the economy, there would
arise an improvement in individual freedoms. He was hoping for better
times for Cuba, the raising of the national economy and social freedoms.

When I intervened I said that with reference to the possibility of
"economic improvement", I found myself pessimistic, given that the years
of dictatorship had demonstrated gross mismanagement of the assets of
the People, and that in the unlikely event that Venezuela became what
the Union Soviet and the rest of the socialist camp had been for Cuba,
it would be disastrous for individual liberties, as rather than being
strengthened, repression would also increase.

That the Ruler (at the time it was Fidel Castro, now it is his brother,
but it has always been the same last name), had ceded his harsh
dictatorship from the Special Period, when he lost credibility and
followers, but there was a return to economic consolidation, which I
doubted we could say for certain that it would sharpen the repression,
censorship and imprisonment of opponents of the government.

After the meeting ended, while having refreshments, I was approached by
Ambassador Lazaro, who told me light-heartedly, "Don't be so
pessimistic." I gave him a look as impotence threatened to overcome me.
"Sir," I said, "how is it possible that you dare to ask for optimism
from one of the members of the third generation that this process has
consumed without any benefit. Fidel Castro is a human crushing machine."

The ambassador wanted to escape but I stopped him: "Never," I
pronounced, "have I seen the Cuban State prosper, not in economic
matters nor in individual liberties, and unfortunately we two are going
to be alive to see it."

The Ambassador raised his arms and walked away. We never met again. I
did not accept his invitations. Wherever he finds himself today, he
should remember the words that without being an expert in political and
social matters, were offered to him, a career diplomat, most
disadvantaged by our forecasts, with his failure as Ambassador and his
role in a boring and submissive political party, so much so, that his
own workers in the Spanish embassy in Havana let us know that they had a
room full of the journal Encuentro de la Cultura Cubana, which they
couldn't distribute because the government had forbidden it in secret
negotiations.

In those two governments of Zapatero, we have suffered the shamelessness
of both presidencies (Zapatero-Fidel and Raul Castro) and their minions.
Supposed achievements in the matter of the prisoners of conscience have
only served them to be accomplices in helping to take the lid off the
pot and relieve the pressure and thus avoid a social explosion on the
island, to procure some respite for a process that is asphyxiating at
times, an that resorts to strategies intended to improve its
international image, award accomplices, and ultimately ultimately extend
a system which the population does not believe in, such as releasing the
prisoners of conscience to Spain which agreed to receive them as
political refugees, but which disengaged from them after their arrival
and haphazardly left them in the hands of God. The Master of Ceremonies
of this sizable circus was Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos.

In the end they demonstrated that releasing the prisoners was not done
for humanitarian but for political reasons.I also pray for them and I
urge you to provide them the place they deserve after suffering
persecution, torture and imprisonment, it would be very kind of you to
stop this escalation of agony, and end something that started ill. Ii is
in your hands to do it.

Of course, we know that while the Popular Party has won, it doesn't mean
it will resolve the immense problems that have shaken Spain, much less
solve the dilemma of the Cubans. What we are sure of is that at least
you, President Mariano Rajoy, have extended a hand in solidarity and
know how to take the measure of a dictatorship that is dying, but that
even in its death throes, keeps kicking and is willing to take the lives
of those who confront it.

Recently Cubans have lost a friend, intellectual and former Czech
President Vaclav Havel, but God has provided us with you. Having called
the Czech writer to His side, he is right to leave this task in your hands.

With humility we simply ask you, President Rajoy, for an ambassador who
respects us and offers a place to the thoughtful opposition, dedicated
and determined to achieve the freedoms inherent in being human.

Welcome!

Sincerely,

Ángel Santiesteban-Prats

Translator's note: Slight changes have been made in this letter for
English-speaking readers who may not know what positions those named
hold or held in Spain and Cuba — they have been added.

December 26 2011

http://translatingcuba.com/?p=13885

CUBA

Former spanish ambassador to Cuba to head relations with Latin America

Jesus Gracia Aldaz was ambassador in Havana when Cuban government jailed
75 dissidents
By Juan O. Tamayo
jtamayo@ElNuevoHerald.com

A Spanish diplomat who served as ambassador in Havana from 2001 to 2004
was appointed Thursday to head the Foreign Ministry section that handles
Spain's relations with Latin America.

Jesús Gracia Aldaz, named as Secretary of State for Iberoamerica, was
Spain's ambassador to Cuba when Havana courts sentenced 75 dissidents to
lengthy prison terms during a crackdown in 2003 known as "Cuba's Black
Spring."

He was appointed to the Cuba post in 2001 by the conservative People's
Party government of Prime Minister José Maria Aznar and left the island
in 2004, when socialist José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero succeeded Aznar. PP
leader Mariano Rajoy took over as prime minister after his party won the
November elections.

Joaquin Roy, who heads the European Union Center at the University of
Miami, noted that while Gracia is experienced in Spanish-Cuban
relations, he will have to follow the policy guidelines set by Rajoy and
Foreign Minister José Manuel García Margallo.

"Everything depends on how active Rajoy and García-Margallo want to be
on Cuba. I would be surprised if they start any 'harassment' (against
the Cuban government) … that goes beyond the verbal," Roy wrote in an
email to El Nuevo Herald.

After Cuba's crackdown in 2003, the Aznar government helped push member
nations of the European Union to adopt sanctions on Havana, such as
cutting back on government-to-government contacts and inviting
dissidents to embassy functions.

Rodríguez Zapatero and his foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos,
reversed course by pushing the EU nations to abandon the 2003 sanctions
and trying unsuccessfully to lift a EU "Common Position" that loosely
links EU assistance to Cuba's human rights record.

The socialist government also eliminated the title of Secretary of State
for Iberoamerica in 2010. Gracia Aldaz' appointment to the resurrected
title points to Rajoy's stated goal of warming up relations with Latin
America.

The 51-year old Gracia Aldaz is currently the No. 2 at the Spanish
embassy in Argentina and has served in top positions in the government
agencies that are in charge of assistance to Latin American and other
nations.

A post Thursday in the Spain-based blog CubaEncuentro argued that Cuba
issues have a low priority for the Rajoy government because of Spain's
many domestic problems and the hefty Spanish investments in the Cuban
tourism and oil industries. The Spanish Repsol company is spearheading
the island's offshore oil exploration efforts.

But Rajoy also is unlikely to continue the Rodriguez Zapatero
government's strong push to drop the EU's Common Position, and trouble
may lie ahead, added the post, signed by Tony Gonzalez.

"Somewhere along there will be confrontation, and diplomatic notes with
insults and apologies," the post noted.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/05/2575578/former-spanish-ambassador-to.html#storylink=misearch

Santos Suárez, La Habana (PD) Hace unos años, por estas mismas fechas y
al regreso de una visita a su hermano en New York, una amiga nuestra
regresó cargada de regalos, que cual rey mago distribuyó entre
familiares y amigos.
Los regalos traídos de los Estados Unidos incluyeron camisas,
pantalones, ropa interior, diversas bisuterías y hasta una laptop (a mí
me tocó una fosforera idéntica a las Ronson). Todos los regalos, menos
la Laptop, llevaban invariablemente el sello "made in China". Nadie se
había percatado de esto, contentísimos como estábamos todos porque
después de tantos años, recibíamos regalos directamente de Estados
Unidos (hasta hace unas décadas, el sello "made in USA" era sinónimo de
calidad). En medio del embullo, el esposo de nuestra amiga exclamó
contrariado: ¡Coño, María, si todo lo que has traído es de la China
comunista! Entonces, miré mi Romson falsificada y descubrí el "made in
China". Bueno, pensé, a caballo regalado no se le mira el colmillo. Pero
el caballo dejó de relinchar a los dos meses.

Este año que expiró, en medio de la persecución a opositores, el
fallecimiento de Laura Pollán, las dificultades de los expresos
políticos en España, la trampeada apertura de ventas de autos y casas y
otras "actualizaciones" misceláneas que la prensa exterior se ha
encargado de magnificar, también pasó algo sin mucho bombo y platillos
que repercutirá en el futuro cubano: el fortalecimiento de las
relaciones Cuba-China.

De nuevo La Habana fue centro de visita, pero esta vez en masa de los
nuevos mandarines chinos. Primero fue el Vice-presidente Chino
XI-Jinping en junio. Le siguió el ministro de Agricultura, Han-Changfu,
después el Vice-presidente de la Comisión Militar Central, Guo-Boxiong,
en octubre, y finalmente en noviembre, el vice-presidente de la Asamblea
Popular Nacional, Han-Quide. Se han firmado múltiples acuerdos en
extracción de petróleo, construcción de grandes hoteles, desarrollo de
fármacos, vacunas y productos para la agricultura, alimentos,
equipamiento médico, vehículos y maquinarias, electrodomésticos y
artículos de uso personal.

El blog que mantiene en el ciber-espacio la China Radio Internacional y
las propias transmisiones de la radio china, que también mantiene una
estación repetidora en español en Tijuana, en la mismísima frontera
entre EU y México, da cuenta también de que en la Feria Internacional de
La Habana, celebrada el pasado noviembre, los productos de las empresas
chinas resultaron los "más atractivos" por su calidad, estética,
variedad y por lo novedosos.

Este blog de la CRI, el 29 de diciembre, también nos informaba de lo que
pasa en China. Llama la atención la noticia de que fue "ejecutado" un
ciudadano que puso una bomba en una oficina recaudadora de impuestos. Al
parecer, algunos cuenta propistas chinos no están muy de acuerdo con los
impuestos.

Tampoco informan aquí que el gobierno chino trató de presionar y
sobornar al disidente Hu-Jia para que no aceptara el Premio Sajarov y lo
tienen ''recluido en su casa". A otro que tienen recluido, pero no en su
casa, sino en la cárcel, desde hace tres años, es al Premio Nobel de la
Paz, Liu-Xiaobo.

Lo atravesado de este blog son las "notas de comentario" que todos los
blogs tienen para conocer las opiniones favorables o desfavorables. El
chino nos da las siguientes instrucciones:
1-No está permitido dar comentarios contrarios a las leyes de la
República Popular China
2- Nos reservamos el derecho a eliminar los comentarios que consideremos
ajenos al tema.
Y por supuesto, no podía faltar la famosa cortesía de los hijos de
Confucio en el tercer punto:
3-Gracias por esperar hasta que se acepten sus comentarios.

No hay que ser muy duchos para ver la omnipresente mano de los censores
del gobierno chino. Todo esto supondría risa si no fuera tan serio el
asunto. De más está decir que en este blog "nadie se molesta en dar
comentarios".

Y hablando de Confucio, ¿sabía usted que jóvenes chinos estudian español
en la Universidad de la Habana y que jóvenes cubanos aprenden
chino-mandarín en un Instituto creado también en esta misma universidad
cuyo nombre es precisamente el del gran filósofo chino?

Total, si hace 53 años que todos los cubanos estamos hablando en chino
sin que nada tenga que ver con este filósofo y mucho menos con la
universidad.

glofran263@yahoo.com

http://primaveradigital.org/primavera/politica/54-politica/3069-hablar-en-chino

Dec 2 (Reuters) – The success or failure of Cuba's economic reforms will
be the key issue to watch in the next year as the government moves to
strengthen the economy and ensure survival of the island's communist
system once the current aging leadership is gone.

The cash-strapped government is looking for ways to cut spending while
increasing income, and could get long-term help if offshore oil
exploration slated to begin in 2011 is successful. [ID:nN05129084]

All this occurs against a backdrop of only slightly tempered hostility
with the United States, including an ongoing dispute over a U.S.
contractor held by the Cubans on suspicion of spying. [ID:nN24221723]

ECONOMIC CHANGES

President Raul Castro has taken aim at Cuba's chronic economic problems
with plans to slash 500,000 jobs from state payrolls by March while
expanding the private sector and encouraging less reliance on the state.

About 200,000 of those jobs are expected to shift over to employee-run
cooperatives that will be created at businesses currently operated by
the state. The government also has begun issuing 250,000 new licenses
for self employment and for the first time, the self-employed will be
able to hire workers. [ID:nN13223894] So far, 30,000 licenses have been
granted.

Self employment was first allowed in communist Cuba during the economic
crisis that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, the island's main
ally, in 1991. There were 143,000 licensed self-employed in 2009, and
many more illegal ones.

The government's bet is that it can create enough jobs quickly enough to
absorb the laid-off government workers, most of whom it says were not in
productive positions. After the first 500,000 jobs are cut, it plans to
slash another 500,000 in the next few years, likely leading to more
private sector expansion.

Castro announced the ruling Communist Party would hold in April its
first Congress since 1997 to ratify the changes, many of which are
already in action. Before the Congress, Cubans are to provide input at
forums across Cuba. [ID:nN09241030]

The reforms are the biggest since Raul Castro succeeded brother Fidel
Castro as president in 2008, and come with many questions.

Among them are whether the cumbersome government bureaucracy can move
quickly to implement the plan and whether the new entrepreneurs will be
too handicapped by regulations, taxes and lack of credit to succeed.
[ID:nN25269725]

Also, do the planned job cuts present the danger of many people ending
up without work and if so, what will the consequences be in a socialist
country where people basically have been guaranteed employment for decades?

But the key question is whether the reforms will accomplish what Castro
wants — more productivity, a stronger economy and, ultimately, the
survival of communism, installed after his brother took power in a 1959
revolution. He has said maintaining the system is key to protecting
national sovereignty.

Other reforms have been made, particularly in agriculture, with the same
goal in mind. Castro, trying to increase output and reduce dependence on
budget-draining food imports, has leased fallow lands to private farmers
and taken other steps, but food production was down 7.5 percent in the
first half of this year, as farmers complain that they are still too
stifled by the state.

What to watch:

– How quickly the government moves to implement reforms.

– The numbers and performance of the newly self employed.

– The effects of government layoffs.

– Agricultural production.

CASH SQUEEZE, SOURCES OF REVENUE

Cuba, hit hard by hurricanes in 2008 and by the global financial crisis,
has been so short of hard currency that it stopped paying most of its
bills and froze Cuban bank accounts of many foreign businesses two years
ago. [ID:nN02159253] The situation has eased, but is not yet resolved.
[ID:nN24211495]

To avoid future cash shortages, Castro has cut spending and sought more
income for the state, which controls 85 percent of Cuba's economy. He
has slashed imports by 30 percent.

Cuba is hoping to collect taxes from the newly self-employed and boost
revenues from old standbys like nickel exports and tourism, two of its
top hard currency earners.

The government has said it will allow construction of golf course
developments, with the goal of attracting wealthier tourists.
[ID:nN04118234] The courses will be a small piece of the tourist
industry in Cuba, but, given golf's image as the leisure sport of the
rich, a larger symbol of how far Cuba is prepared to go to improve its
economy.

The government also hopes to one day get more American tourists, should
the U.S. ease or eliminate the ban on most travel to Cuba under its
48-year-old trade embargo against the island. Republican gains in the
U.S. Congress in the Nov. 2 mid-term congressional elections make
changes less likely.

In a potentially game-changing development, a consortium led by Spanish
oil firm Repsol YPF (REP.MC) is expected to drill an exploratory well in
Cuba's part of the Gulf of Mexico in 2011. It previously drilled an
offshore well in 2004, but said it did not find oil in commercially
viable quantities.

The drilling rig to be used, which has been under construction in China,
will be passed on to other companies such as Malaysia's state-owned
Petronas and a unit of India's ONGC (ONGC.BO) to explore in blocks they
have leased in Cuban waters.

The U.S. Geological Survey has estimated Cuba has about 5 billion
barrels of oil offshore, but Cuba says it may have 20 billion barrels.
Cuba currently depends on imports from its oil-rich socialist ally
Venezuela.

Russia's state oil company Zarubezhneft has said it plans to begin
exploration next year in two blocks adjacent to Cuba's coast.
[ID:nN03329371] A unit of China National Petroleum Corp. is set to begin
a $6 billion upgrade of Cuba's Cienfuegos refinery, with financing
mostly by China's Eximbank, backed by Venezuelan oil. [ID:nN22266891]

What to watch:

– Possible U.S. moves to ease its ban on travel to Cuba.

– Movement of nickel prices, start of golf course projects.

– Repsol's second deep water exploratory well in Cuba.

– China's growing presence in Cuba energy sector

U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS

Cuba's relations with the United States have dominated events on the
island for more than a century. During the last five decades of open
hostility, the United States has tried to unseat the Castro brothers
through subversion, assassination, coercion and a half-baked invasion.
The long-standing trade embargo meant to topple the Castros through
economic strangulation remains in place despite its lack of success.
Cuba has used it to gain international support by casting itself as
David versus an overweening Goliath, and at home as a scapegoat for its
economic problems. [ID:nN26150816]

Despite modest changes at the beginning U.S. President Barack Obama's
administration, U.S.-Cuba relations have thawed only slightly and
near-term prospects for improvement look dim due to Cuba's detention of
U.S. aid contractor Alan Gross.

Gross has been held since Dec. 3, 2009 on suspicion of espionage and
providing illegal satellite communications equipment to government
opponents, but has not yet been officially charged with a crime. The
United States says he was only helping Jewish groups set up Internet
access, but Cuba is suspicious because he was working for a U.S.
federally-funded program seeking to promote political change on the island.

The U.S. government says it will take no major initiatives to improve
relations with Cuba as long as Gross is held. Cuba may want to hold him
until it gets something in exchange, such as the return of five Cuban
agents imprisoned in the U.S. or an end to the programs like the one
that sent Gross to Cuba.

The Cuban government is in the process of releasing political prisoners
and sending them to Spain to resolve one of its biggest problems with
the international community and to get its opponents out of the country.
[ID:nN2223242]

While U.S. reaction has been guarded, the 27-nation European Union has
instructed its foreign affairs chief to explore improved relations with
Cuba.

Meanwhile, Cuba has steadily built relations with other key countries,
among them China, Brazil, Russia and Spain. It has a special
relationship with top trading partner Venezuela, whose President Hugo
Chavez is close to Fidel Castro and agreed in November to extend
economic cooperation another 10 years.

What to watch:

– Fate of Alan Gross.

– Continued release of political prisoners.

– U.S. and EU reaction to Cuban reforms. (Editing by Kieran Murray)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/12/02/cuba-risks-idUSRISKCU20101202

Plagued by US$72 billion in foreign debt, rising unemployment and low
industrial productivity, the government of Cuban leader Raul Castro is
undertaking a series of economic reforms aimed at downsizing Cuba's
bloated public sector and encouraging Cubans to find — or create —
employment in the private sector. Despite the focus on the country's
long dormant private sector, the goal of the reforms is not really to
build the capitalist economy long dreamed about by Cuban-American
refugees. Instead, the government is aiming to enable Cuba — which
annually imports 80% of its essential foods at a cost of US$1.6 billion
– to gain the financial footing to pay for critical imports without
resorting to further soft credits and long-term flexible financing
currently provided by Venezuela, China, Brazil, Iran and Vietnam.

"Cuba's credit cards are all maxed out," says Hans de Salas Del Valle, a
Cuban-born researcher at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American
Studies at the University of Miami. "The Cuban government needs to
increase food output, and it can't afford to pay wages to [between] two
million to 2.5 million people for whom there are no real productive
jobs." Real unemployment is over 25%, Del Valle notes, and it could rise
to as high as 45% if the government enacts its anticipated series of
massive dismissals of public-sector employees.

With a debt burden equivalent to 125% of Cuba's gross domestic product
in 2010, "Havana finds itself between a rock and a hard place," argues
Del Valle. The debt is "an unbearable burden and surreal sum to repay
for a country with an economic output barely one-fifth the size of
Greece's own bankrupt economy, and an unemployment rate far higher than
Europe's worst [case], Spain." He adds that "Greece is an economic
success story in comparison with Cuba." Consider the numbers: Greece's
population of 11.28 million people — almost the same level as Cuba
(11.2 million) — generated more than US$300 billion in goods and
services last year, and earned a modest US$21 billion in hard currency
through exports. Meanwhile, Cuba's US$58 billion economy exported a mere
US$3.3 billion in 2010.

According to Del Valle, Cuba's debt crisis, which has been expanding
over the past two decades, "has always been very troubling for Raul
Castro," who sees economics as a pillar to the country's survival,
unlike his brother Fidel, "who put ideology over economics" during his
decades of ruling the island-nation. Speculation that Venezuelan
president Hugo Chavez could soon pass away – or at least resign his
office – has boosted the pressure on Raul to take stronger reform
measures, as had growing encouragement from his mentors in communist
China and Vietnam, who see Cuba as an important counter-weight to U.S.
influence in the Caribbean.

Cuba's debt crisis has received little media attention in the U.S. or
Europe, despite widespread distress over the EU's debt. Yet the
predominantly European members of the Paris Club collectively hold over
US$30 billion in Cuban debt, virtually all of it in default or arrears,
notes Del Valle. Other major creditors of Cuba include Russia — with
some US$27 billion in outstanding trade credits and loans — and
Venezuela. By 2015, Venezuelawill surpass Russia as Cuba's largest
creditor, predicts Del Valle. Over the latest decade, Venezuela has
provided more than US$15 billion in crude and refined oil in an effort
to keep Cuba's lights lit and its buses running.

Modeling China and Vietnam

At first glance, say experts, Raul Castro seems to modeling his
country's future after China and Vietnam, whose one-party, nominally
communist governments have managed to maintain power for decades while
also emerging as globally competitive exporters of industrial and
agricultural goods. Look deeper, however, and it is apparent that Raul's
approach won't turn Cuba into a miniature of those two much larger Asian
communist countries, experts say. The key problem for Cuba is that
Raul's reforms are not nearly as deep or thorough as those enacted by
communist governments in China and Vietnam. In Cuba, "they are going in
the right direction, but the issue is whether the reforms are profound
enough or fast enough to meet the difficult crisis," says Carmelo Mesa
Lago, emeritus professor of economics at the University of Pittsburgh,
whose new book on the Cuban economy is scheduled to be published in
Spain and the U.S. in 2012.

Mesa Lago notes that in China and Vietnam, local farmers have been
allowed to lease from the government the land that they work on for an
indefinite time period; Chinese and Vietnamese farmers have been
encouraged to care for that land as if it were their own. In Cuba,
contracts to lease plots of land are valid for only ten years. "After
ten years, that contract may or may not be renewed by the government,
and the land may be seized by the Cuban state for social needs," Mesa
Lago notes. That's particularly troubling because "a lot of land in Cuba
has been taken over by the notorious marabou plant," says Adrian E.
Tschoegl, a management lecturer and senior fellow at Wharton. It often
takes two years just to clear marabou-infested land, Tschoegl adds, so a
ten-year lease is effectively cut by one-fifth, right off the bat.

Equally counter-productive, says Mesa Lago, is that "Cuban farmers must
sell part of their crops to the Cuban government at a price below market
price." In China and Vietnam, farmers are free to sell to whomever they
want, and at whatever prices the market can bear. In Cuba, the new law
also prohibits the construction of houses on these newly distributed
lands. As a result, notes Mesa Lago, farmers must regularly carry their
crops back and forth from their farms, rather than risk leaving them
behind at the farm and having them stolen.

As if that weren't enough, loans for acquiring supplies and tools to
work these newly distributed lands are in short supply, Mesa Lago says.
Only about 2% of the 400,000 members of ANAP, Cuba's national
association of small farmers (Asociación Nacional de Agricultores
Pequeños) have received loans from the Cuban government to buy the
equipment and tools they need to make their lands productive.

If the Cuban government were to enact all of the reforms already made by
China and Vietnam, says Mesa Lago, "Cuba would be self-sufficient in
food, and it could export its surplus." Pursuant to its own such
reforms, for example, Vietnam's rice output more than tripled between
1976 — the first year after the Vietnam War — and 2007, as Vietnam
overtook Thailand to become the world's largest rice producer. (Last
year, Vietnam's production fell sharply because of drought.) Given the
limitations of Raul's agricultural reforms, that kind of productivity is
not likely to happen in Cuba. According to Jaime Suchlicki, director of
the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of
Miami, "The Cuban government is not creating institutions that will
enable the country to make deals to import or export its products or
attract foreign investments" that enable manufacturers to take advantage
of Cuba's proximity to U.S. markets. In short, "Raul Castro is not a
reformer like [China's] Deng Xiaoping or [the Soviet Union's] Gorbachev."

Workforce Reduction

Removing vast quantities of unproductive workers from the public payroll
– and finding private-sector jobs for them — is a cornerstone of the
government's current reform strategy. The Cuban government originally
planned to dismiss about 500,000 public sector workers between October
2010 and March 2011 — the equivalent of about 10% of its workforce,
says Mesa Lago. Its eventual goal was to dismiss a total of one million
workers by the end of 2011 – or 20% of its total workforce – and 1.8
million by the end of 2014. Those dismissals seemed to make economic
sense, since the government had long been hiring far more workers than
it needed, says Mesa Lago. "They would hire 200 workers to build a
factory that everyone knew needed only 100 workers." Huge numbers of
workers would report to their jobs daily with few if any tasks on their
daily plate.

The government's plans for vast workforce reductions were predicated on
the assumption that newly dismissed workers would be able to find
employment in the private sector. The stakes are significant because if
250,000 private-sector positions are not created this year (2011),
Cuba's unemployment rate will soar to unprecedented levels. But when the
projected number of new jobs failed to materialize last spring, the
government was forced to hold back on its ambitious layoff plans. So
far, only about 100,000 workers have apparently been dismissed, says
Mesa Lago, because so few private-sector jobs have opened up for those
who were dismissed by the government.

Why have so few jobs been created in the private sector? In part, that's
because the government initially defined 178 separate categories of new
jobs in an artificial way that reflects the mindset of Cuban
bureaucrats, not the needs of the marketplace, experts point out. (Other
job categories are to be created in the future.) Workers must apply for
a permit to get any job in any specific category; they are not permitted
to identify a need, and then create a job that meets that need. Some of
the new jobs have been defined in ways so narrow that they are
"ridiculous," notes Mesa Lago. For example, there are specific positions
for people who peel fruits, and other jobs for people who sell fruits;
but the same person can't (legally) both peel fruits and sell fruits.
Other "authorized" job categories include clowns, shoe-shiners, water
carriers and people who fill cigarette lighters. When it comes to
higher-paying jobs, professional workers – such as teachers, managers
and accountants – face a particularly daunting challenge: Having lost
their government jobs, these professionals are nonetheless not
authorized to exist in the context of private-sector positions.

Any jobs that have not been explicitly spelled out in the regulations
are presumed to be forbidden, says Tschoegl. "It's a code law regime,
and it has a very interesting dynamic," he notes, contrasting the Cuban
approach to the common law regime used in the U.S., where anything not
explicitly forbidden by law is presumed to be permitted. Mesa Lago adds
that by imposing higher taxes on those private sector companies that
hire larger numbers of displaced workers, the Cuban government is
providing a further disincentive to hire people. "It is ridiculous," he
says. "If you dismiss 500,000 people, you want to create jobs for them,
but by imposing [especially] high taxes, you are punishing
entrepreneurial people who want to hire larger numbers of people."

How much worse can things get for ordinary Cubans? Del Valle believes
that surging unemployment could lead thousands of Cubans to seek refuge
in southern Florida, generating a new, massive wave of Cuban
immigration. "If you add two million to 2.5 million people to the ranks
of Cuba's unemployed, many of them will see immigration as their best
hope for a better life." He estimates that as many as one million Cubans
could flock to the U.S. (80% of them to Florida) over the next decade —
a pace of 100,000 a year. "It is impossible for the Cuban government to
create so many jobs; this [new wave of immigration] is an economic
relief valve," according to Del Valle.

According to Suchlicki, the recent relaxation in U.S. immigration
policy, which allows more Cubans to travel to the U.S. and send money
back to their relatives at home, will help only the minority of
relatively affluent, mostly white Cubans. "More than 60% of Cubans [in
Cuba] are blacks [or mulattos], and they have no relatives in Florida;
they are getting nothing" from the changes in U.S. policy. Overall, the
bleak reality is that, rather than follow in the same path pursued by
China and Vietnam — which managed to raise their living standards while
preserving an authoritarian style of government — "a gradual
deterioration" of the country's economy "seems the more likely scenario
in Cuba," says Suchlicki.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/arabic/article.cfm?articleid=2744&language_id=1

Spain's newly elected government may be less friendly to Cuba

The new Conservative government that won Sunday's elections in Spain may
be less friendly to Cuba, analysts say.
By Juan O. Tamayo
jtamayo@ElNuevoHerald.com

Relations between Cuba and Spain may be headed for choppy waters after
Spain's conservative Popular Party won elections Sunday, although
analysts say neither side is primarily interested in picking a mayor fight.

The PP victory ended nearly eight years of rule by the Spanish Socialist
Workers' Party (PSOE), often criticized as too friendly to Havana's
communist rulers and insensitive to their human rights abuses.

Asked last week about Cuba, Mariano Rajoy, PP leader and Spain's next
prime minister, declared, "I want democracy. I want freedom. I want
human rights. Well, not just me. The whole world wants that."

Yet his party's campaign platform barely mentioned Cuba or leftist
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, and his speeches on the stump focused
largely on Spain's tough economic crisis and its 20 percent jobless rate.

What's more, bilateral commerce hit more than $1 billion last year and
more than 200 Spanish companies have significant investments in the
Caribbean island, many of them in the growing tourism sector.

"I would doubt very much that Cuba would become a priority or even an
important issue" for Rajoy, said Joaquin Roy, a Spaniard who heads the
European Union Center at the University of Miami. "He has many other
concerns."

"I also don't believe that Raúl (Castro) and his people would have any
interest in starting something with the new Spanish government. Raúl
also has other important things to do," added Roy.

Castro is in the midst of a politically risky campaign to overhaul
Cuba's feeble economy by chopping back public spending, allowing more
private enterprise and attracting more foreign investments.

Cuba's government-controlled news media on Monday reported Rajoy's
victory relatively straight-forward, not attacking the PP but noting
that the PSOE lost because it wandered away from its socialist principles.

Yet others argue that turbulence in bilateral relations would be
inevitable if Rajoy tries to put even slightly stronger pressure on the
traditionally thin-skinned Cuban government to improve its human rights
record.

"It will not be easy for the Popular Party to carry out a minimally
cordial relationship … due to the Castros' historical predisposition
against any government that questions them," noted the blog Diario de
Cuba (Cuban Diary).

One point of conflict could be Castro's harsh anti-corruption campaign,
which already has put several foreign businessmen in jail. A Spanish
lawyer who represents several enterprises with offices in Havana said
some of his clients are concerned that now they will be singled out for
investigations.

Havana human rights activist Elizardo Sánchez said Spain's policy toward
Cuba under the PP must change "because lamentably, the policy designed
by the (PSOE) government … failed."

Under outgoing PSOE Primer Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain
persuaded the 27-nation European Union to lift the sanctions imposed on
Cuba after it jailed 75 peaceful dissidents in 2003.

But it failed in several attempts to push the EU to lift its "Common
Position," adopted in 1996 to link EU relations with Havana to Cuba's
human rights record.

Zapatero also agreed to receive about 115 political prisoners and
hundreds of their relatives, released over the past year by Castro after
unprecedented talks with Catholic Cardinal Jaime Ortega, and increased
cultural and academic exchanges.

Rajoy's government should now retain "the positive elements of the
people-to-people exchanges," Diario de Cuba added, and adopt a new
"manifest solidarity toward the internal dissidence and respect for exiles."

Dissident Guillermo Fariñas said he was "very happy" with Rajoy's
victory and hoped Spain would provide more assistance to the Cuban
opposition, as it did under Prime Minister José Maria Aznar, a Popular
Party member defeated by the PSOE in 2004.

The PSOE government was "an accomplice of the Cuban dictatorship,"
Fariñas added by telephone from his home in Cuba.

In Miami, the Cuban American National Foundation said the Spanish
embassy in Havana should quickly start allowing Cuban dissidents to use
its Internet facilities so they can communicate with the outside world.

Ladies in White leader Berta Soler praised the embassy for its warm
treatment of dissidents under Zapatero, but added that she hoped that
under Rajoy it would return to the even better levels of the Aznar
government.

"That was a government that truly saw and watched over the problems that
exist in Cuba," Soler added, "with the Cubans on the streets, with the
opposition groups, with the human rights groups."

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/22/2513141/spains-newly-elected-government.html#storylink=misearch

SOLEDAD GALLEGO-DÍAZ – Buenos Aires – 18/11/2011

Latin American leaders are paying close attention to see what changes,
if any, Spain's new government will make regarding its policy toward Cuba.

The Communist island's relations with Madrid and the rest of the
European Union have been an important focus of bilateral relations, and
Latin American presidents know that a conservative Popular Party (PP)
government won't be so keen to try to foment a friendly approach toward
the Castro regime.

During the past two decades, the majority of Latin American nations have
been governed by left-leaning presidents, who have identified themselves
more closely with Spain's Socialist Party. All of them recall the
hardline position the past PP government of José María Aznar took with
respect to Cuba, when the prime minister successfully campaigned at the
EU level to cool relations with Havana.

The PP has also not done much to improve its own image in certain
countries. After President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner won her first
term in 2007 ? taking over the Casa Rosada from her husband Néstor
Kirchner ? Spain's conservatives were very vocal in their opposition to
the idea of keeping the Argentinean presidency "within the family."

Nevertheless, even though Mariano Rajoy and Fernández de Kirchner are on
opposite ends of the political spectrum, bilateral relations between
Spain and Argentina are not thought to be in jeopardy should the PP
leader win the race on Sunday ? just in the same way Chilean-Spanish
relations didn't suffer when conservative Sebastán Piñera was elected
two years ago. Buenos Aires never cared for Colombia's former President
Álvaro Uribe, but now has a wonderful relationship with his predecessor,
Juan Manuel Santos, who is also a conservative.

Spain's relations with Brazil should the PP win are also expected to
remain on an excellent level. The Socialists have always had more
historic ties and contact with the Social Democratic Party of former
President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, than the Brazilian Workers Party
(PT), which is the governing party of President Dilma Rousseff.

Venezuela could be a different matter. But given that Venezuelans are
caught up with their internal problems, such as high crime and
inflation, as well as with the illness of their president, Hugo Chávez,
who is undergoing cancer treatment, they are unlikely to be overly
concerned about a change to a conservative government in Spain.

The majority of Latin American governments are paying close attention to
the economic crisis unfolding in Spain, which could have political as
well as financial repercussions for them. Between 1990-2010, Spanish
business deals flourished in the region, transforming Spain into the
second-largest investor in the region, after the United States.

Many Spanish companies now see their Latin American affiliates as being
essential to their survival. For example, more than 35 percent of Banco
Santander's operations are located in Brazil and more than 50 percent of
BBVA's holdings are located throughout the region. Repsol's Argentinean
affiliate, YPF, is responsible for 40 percent of the oil giant's profits.

Managers at some of Spain's transnational companies say they want the
new government to keep these figures in mind, as well as the importance
of the investments already made in Latin America because, as they say,
it is not about the region but rather helping the Spanish economy to grow.

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Latin/America/keeps/watchful/eye/on/Spain/s/incoming/government/elpepueng/20111118elpeng_5/Ten

EUROPEAN UNION Brussels, 18 October 2011
A 417/11

Statement by the spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton
on the death of Laura POLLÁN

The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the
Commission, issued the following statement:
"High Representative Catherine Ashton was saddened to learn about the
death of Laura Pollán, a founder and leader of the Ladies in White
(Damas de Blanco). She extends her condolences to the family and friends.
Laura Pollán was a dedicated human rights activist who worked tirelessly
for the release of political prisoners in Cuba. Her efforts, in
cooperation with the Cuban Catholic Church, contributed to the release
earlier this year of the remaining prisoners of the 75 imprisoned during
the Black Spring in 2003, as well as other political prisoners.
Her death is a great loss for Cuba.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS:
Michael Mann +32 498 999 780 – +32 2 299 97 80 – Michael.Mann@eeas.europa.eu
Maja Kocijancic +32 498 984 425 – +32 2 298 65 70 –
Maja.Kocijancic@ec.europa.eu
COMM-SPP-HRVP-ASHTON@ec.europa.eu
www.eeas.europa.eu

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/125338.pdf

Cuba opens doors to MBA studies
By Marc Frank

San Carlos y San Ambrosia Seminary is home to the new MBA programme

In what may well signal a slight political and economic thaw in the
communist-run country, Cuba has opened its first MBA programme.

The part-time programme is an educational initiative of the Roman
Catholic Church. Small businesses and the church's educational mission
have traditionally been thwarted in the country and the programme, by
Cuban standards, is a remarkable event.

The MBA is being run from the 18th-century San Carlos y San Ambrosio
Seminary in Havana, home to the Felix Varela Cultural Centre, which
sponsors the MBA. Plans for the centre originated at the Pontifical
Council for Culture at the Vatican, which wants similar centres to be
built in other big cities.

Outside the seminary, on Chacón Street, private taxi drivers trawl for
fares and snack and artisan shops compete with the state for tourist
dollars, attesting to the changing retail scene on Cuba's streets.

"Private business was not favourably looked upon in Cuba just a year
ago. An entrepreneur was even viewed as a criminal, a delinquent," says
Father Yosvani Carvajal, director of the centre. "Today businessmen are
viewed as contributing to society and the economy, but with what tools?
We are going to provide those tools … how to start and run a business,
marketing and the like."

Fidel Castro, the former president, took over the country's retail
sector in 1968 in what he called the "Revolutionary Offensive". Raúl
Castro, who replaced his older brother in 2006, recently described that
decision as a "mistake that was perhaps unavoidable at the time", and
has repeatedly stressed the need for the state to withdraw from
secondary economic activity.

Professors from the San Antonio Catholic University of Murcia in Spain
will teach the MBA classes for a week each month, with students studying
the curriculum under the direction of Cuban economists for the remainder
of the time.

Father Carvajal, a lean, soft-spoken man with a serene and seemingly
permanent smile, says the MBA programme is the first of its kind in Cuba
and marks an important milestone for the church.

"The MBA is just the first course [that] the centre's new Institute for
Ecclesiastic Studies will offer, mainly in the humanities and theology,
for example psychology, in conjunction with foreign universities and
Cuban professors," he says.

"We are not questioning the state's role in education, but the church,
as part of its calling, has always been a teacher and this is now seen
as something positive."

Esade business school in Barcelona, Spain is part of a project led by
the European Foundation for Management Development and financed by the
EU, aimed at improving the management skills of Cuban executives. The
project was due to start last year but is currently on hold.

In recent months, Cuba has lifted a myriad of restrictions on what it
calls "working for oneself", a euphemism in many cases for running a
small business. Working for oneself was first introduced during the
1990s, but subsequently regulated by Fidel Castro to the point of
extinction.

Last year there were about 150,000 "self-employed" out of a workforce of
about 6m. Today, the "non-state sector" consists of 350,000 licensed
tradesmen, small businesses and their employees, according to the
government, which plans to move 35 per cent of the labour force into
such activities and private farming in the next few years.

When the MBA students gathered last week for their first classes, their
dreams were of bigger ventures than the family operations on Chacón
Street. Local economists believe competition and market forces will
eventually lead to more sophisticated businesses in retail services,
small-scale manufacturing and construction.

"These students will certainly emerge with more than a diploma. They
will have the knowledge they need to compete and that's what this
country needs," one economist said.

Sceptics however, wonder if Mr Castro's reforms will be shortlived,
given the fate of less comprehensive reforms in the past.

"These are surprising, really unthinkable changes for someone who has
always lived in Cuba, so I understand the sceptics," says Father
Carvajal. He points to reforms that make it easier to go into business
on a limited scale and include the right to hire workers, seek bank
credit and do business with the state. "I think this time the door has
been opened and will never again close. That is why we are offering the
MBA course."

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/11aac838-e8fa-11e0-ac9c-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Zi2vPhaQ

Santos Suárez, La Habana, 8 de septiembre del 2011, (PD) Las encuestas
sobre Cuba parece que se han puesto de moda. No hace mucho la Sección de
Intereses de Estados Unidos en La Habana hizo una a 263 solicitantes de
visa. Las preguntas versaban sobre el conocimiento del pueblo cubano
sobre varios líderes de la oposición. Los resultados que arrojó eran
esperados para cualquiera que tuviera dos dedos de frente, sin necesidad
de ninguna encuesta.

El 67% nombró a Posada Carriles, le siguió Marta Beatriz Roque con un
43%. Me detengo en estos, porque el porcentaje de los demás, (conocidos
en todo el mundo, menos en su país), tienen más bajo puntaje. La razón
es obvia. Posada Carriles hace años que aparece y desaparece en los
medios oficiales, según el momento propicio. Marta Beatriz Roque le
sigue porque también los medios oficiales le han dedicado tiempo… para
desacreditarla. Es raro que Dagoberto Valdés no aparezca en esta lista,
pues también le han dedicado espacios estelares.

Con agudeza, el colega Juan González Febles en su artículo "Encuestas
Engañosas" se hace estas preguntas a propósito de la mencionada encuesta:
1- ¿Hasta que punto fue representativa la muestra seleccionada?

2- ¿Seguro que los encuestados respondieron con honestidad cuando todos
saben que el omnipresente G-2 está en todos lados?

E hizo otras preguntas más que dan la clave, como el afirma, de que en
Cuba, bajo estas condiciones, las encuestas son engañosas.

Ahora aparece otra encuesta dirigida a 6 conocidos blogueros opositores
realizada por Martínoticias, que al ser dirigidas a un grupo con más
conocimiento, las mayoritarias respuestas son más reales que las que
pueda dar un pueblo desinformado.

Mucho antes de esta encuesta de la SINA en Cuba, se han realizado varias
en otros países y no necesariamente son todas políticas, sino que
abarcan lo social, lo económico y hasta lo religioso, y que llanamente
dejan mucho que desear por la forma en que las han efectuado y por las
apresuradas conclusiones que se afirman en ellas.

Muchas de ellas se basan en apreciaciones de extranjeros que han vivido
en Cuba largos años, pero nunca en las primeras dos décadas de este
proceso que ya dura más de 50 años, en turistas mochileros y por
supuesto, algunos corresponsales foráneos que se cuidan de no ser
molestos y otros que tienen la incomprensible habilidad de bailar con
Juana y con su hermana al mismo tiempo.

Una encuesta o "survey", -como le decían en los tiempos que la TV cubana
era privada y era la que más los utilizaba para conocer la audiencia de
determinados programas o los artistas más populares-, es una
investigación basada en la ley de las probabilidades creada e impulsada
por la moderna ciencia de la psicología social. Fue George H. Gallup
quién la llevó a su máximo desarrollo en la década del 30 del pasado siglo.

En cierta ocasión, la revista de EU Literaty Digest realizó la encuesta
más amplia que se haya efectuado: 12 millones de entrevistas.
Simultáneamente, el Instituto Gallup realizó otra compuesta de unas
3,000 entrevistas. En ambos casos se perseguía predecir el resultado de
una elección próxima. La pequeña encuesta de Gallup se acercó más a la
"realidad" que la gigantesca de la Literaty Digest.

El error de esta revista fue que realizó sus entrevistas entre sus
suscriptores; sólo investigaron una capa de la población norteamericana.
Gallup, en cambio, "distribuyó sus entrevistas a través de todas las
capas que componen el conglomerado social de la nación, agregando a ello
un hábil cuestionario, libre hasta donde fue posible del equívoco".

La experiencia que existe hasta el presente aboga a favor de un gran por
ciento de confiabilidad a favor de las encuestas cuando se hacen de la
forma descrita en el anterior párrafo.

Como se ha de notar, 263 solicitantes de visa o 6 blogueros nunca van a
dar el verdadero sentir de una población. Nunca podrá haber una
recuperación de la nacionalidad sin la participación de todos los
nacidos en esta isla.

En cuanto a las encuestas, habrá que esperar otros tiempos para hacerlas
como se debe. Cuando se haga, reflejará el verdadero parecer de la
nación cubana, porque cada cual contará según le haya ido en la feria.
Esa es la esencia de la democracia: que todos tengan la oportunidad de
hablar sin temor.

glofran263@yahoo.com

http://primaveradigital.org/primavera/politica/54-politica/2230-la-esencia-de-la-democracia

LA HABANA, Cuba, 9 de septiembre (Moisés Leonardo Rodríguez,
www.cubanet.org ) -Clemente Martínez, el Niño de Sandino para sus
allegados, murió apuñaleado en un camión de transporte de pasajeros
cuando se dirigía en la mañana del 7 de septiembre a visitar a un hijo
en prisión.

La muerte del disidente, promotor de la Corriente Martiana, residente en
el batey del antiguo central Sandino en el municipio Mariel, fue
provocada por un punzonazo que le asestó sorpresivamente el hombre con
el que discutía por un asiento en el referido camión. En vano fue
trasladado de inmediato al hospital de San Cristóbal.

La pasión por su familia, Cuba y la música popular marcaron la vida de
este azucarero jubilado. Clemente y uno de sus hermanos componían el dúo
Los Martínez que participó en el concurso Compón un Song que auspició el
departamento de Prensa y Cultura de la Oficina de Intereses de los EU en
Cuba con la pieza "Tranca alante y tranca atrás".

En los últimos meses Clemente daba viajes continuos por los trámites
legales para que su hijo recibiera un cambio de medida cautelar, o fuera
incluso liberado, por presentar desde niño trastornos psiquiátricos que
no se tuvieron en cuenta durante su enjuiciamiento y posterior
confinación. Los abogados no presentaron en su momento los certificados
entregados por el padre sobre la salud del muchacho y en ello basaba su
reclamación.

Refirió Alejandro Sánchez, también promotor de la Corriente Martiana,
que hasta los trabajadores de la funeraria de Cabañas, donde fue velado
Clemente, manifestaron su sorpresa por la gran cantidad de personas que
asistieron al velorio del Niño, lo que confirma lo querido que era por
todos por su calidad humana. En paz descanse nuestro hermano, el Niño de
Sandino.

corrientemartiana2004@yahoo.com

http://www.cubanet.org/noticias/matan-a-promotor-de-la-corriente-martiana/

Relations between the Netherlands and Cuba should not extend beyond
diplomatic contact through embassies, Dutch Foreign Minister Uri
Rosenthal told parliament today.

The minister said open dialogue with the Cuban authorities was not
justified because Cuban leaders had failed to implement any significant
political or economic reforms.

The Netherlands has not paid any official visits to Cuba since 2003. Mr
Rosenthal said he wants to uphold contacts with rights organisations,
the "peaceful opposition" and bodies that stimulate trade.

The Dutch government, which encourages more freedom and economic
prosperity in Cuba, regards the EU as the most suitable channel for
supporting reforms.

In the past few months, Cuba has released 126 political prisoners.
Agreement to release the prisoners came in July 2010 following talks
between President Raul Castro, Havana's Roman Catholic Archbishop,
Cardinal Jaime Ortega, and Spanish officials.

"While this is a positive step in the right direction, political and
basic human rights are still at a low level," Minister Rosenthal said.

http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/local_news/dutch-fm-wants-to-keep-cuba-relations-low-key_170112.html

Seis años después
¿y aún no despertamos a la realidad venecubana
y al proceso de destrucción que nos convirtió en un expaís?

Al fin comenzó la integración en América Latina. Por mucho tiempo se
jugó al vacío. Pero ahora "llegó el comandante de allá y mandó a parar".
Decidió el comienzo del ALBA por encima del ALCA, para asegurar la
derrota del imperialismo, a cuyo frente está el genocida Bush. El
comandante de aquí, asumidos todos los poderes, festeja la unidad de dos
naciones hermanas que ahora se funden en Venecuba. Un proyecto que se
vende como socialista pero que no es más que repetición del mismo
fracaso-pasado del 'socialismo real'.
El mundo actual vive en un sistema capitalista, regido por el imperio
unipolar norteamericano. Pero no es en él ni en el 'socialismo' -que
nunca salió del capitalismo-, donde podrá ubicarse el punto de partida
de la auténtica liberación del hombre. Esta es la tragedia que
padecemos. Y en el caso venezolano, ésta adquiere apreciable dimensión
porque se nos impulsa a recorrer caminos fracasados como si fueran
victoriosos. Formamos parte de un atraso que solo conoce dos polos de
una misma miseria: capitalismo y socialismo.
Frente a la exacción capitalista se levanta un sistema de reivindicación
y desquite: el socialismo. Pero esto pronto se reveló como una
sublimación-inclinación ante el trono del capital y la dominación. El
socialismo real es entonces un estadio del desarrollo de la humanidad
que hace gala de una mayor capacidad de desdoblamiento de quienes
anuncian y venden como liberación lo que no es más que otra manera de
doblegar las ilusiones del colectivo social que creyó 'en las mañanas de
sol radiante para salir a buscar al opresor'. Ningún opresor más
dominante que el parido por la corrompida burocracia que se levanta como
estructura de liberación a la hora de la grandeza de la "revolución
socialista".
Por ello no puede extrañar que en esta hora de aciagos contenidos se
decrete que Cuba, Venezuela y sus respectivas revoluciones han quedado
unidas para siempre y son portadoras del mismo destino. En este sentido,
los patriotas de aquí están incorporados al desarrollo de la revolución
cubana y los camaradas cubanos, con su inmensa experiencia en
exportación de la revolución (independientemente de sus fracasos) están
abocados a la construcción de la venezolana. Que nadie dude que hablamos
de un engaño que tiene un hondo sabor a cosa rancia y esclerosada. ¿Cómo
hablar hoy de revolución sin revisar los contenidos que se refieren y
postulan? ¿Cómo negar que la revolución tiene el rango mayor entre las
grandes trampas a que ha sido sometida la humanidad?

En el caso de la mal llamada 'revolución bolivariana' el engaño es
gigante. En un comienzo el dios caudillo dice que está muy lejos de
preconizar una revolución como la que impulsan los marxistas. Porque "Yo
no puedo adueñarme del pensamiento marxista y declararme como tal,
porque no lo conozco. Yo nunca leí El Capital. He leído elementos de
marxismo, pero de forma superficial. Para yo decir: soy marxista,
debería conocerlo a fondo."(H el Ctte., p.398). No es entonces marxista
ni antimarxista, comunista ni anticomunista (392). No le preocupa su
indefinición ideológica: …"Si me inquietara estaría preocupado por
leer y tratar de definirme mejor, eliminando algunas aristas que no me
cuadran."… (399) Y sin embargo, ahora es socialista sin conocer ni saber
de qué está hablando. ¿Será que lo ha formado Fidel?
En todo caso, ese conocimiento ya no hace falta. Porque Cuba y Venezuela
han pasado a ser una y la misma cosa. En el presente, y gracias a Fidel
y sus muchachos, se podrá convertir este expaís en la cima del
pensamiento y acción que se requieren para poner a la Nueva República
Revolucionaria Integrada (NRRI) al frente de la construcción del
neosocialismo siglo XXI.
Y no se trata de que la NRRI vaya a adelantar, según Marx y Engels, la
toma del poder por parte de la clase obrera. Los 'revolucionarios
integrados" saben que el proletariado no ha pasado de la condición de
peón y asalariado-tarifado del llamado régimen socialista. En ninguna
parte del planeta el colectivo obrero, alcanzó el poder. Y la
experiencia neosocialista tampoco apunta en esa dirección.
Aquí, por tanto, se aplica aún el pensamiento aristotélico de la
desigualdad de los hombres, que tan buenos dividendos ha pagado en la
historia de la propiedad. Bolívar fue firme creyente de esta concepción.
Y hoy el gran presidente (GP) la sigue fielmente, al igual que los
'revolucionarios' de todas partes, creadores de una burocracia
obrero-revolucionaria-socialista, para que haga las veces del
proletariado en función de poder. Una clase sobre la cual recae la más
profunda mediatización-alienación.

Y el principal encargado de cumplir con esta tarea es el propio
movimiento revolucionario. A la clase del trabajo y la producción se le
utiliza e inocula para quitarle todo poder de combate y rebeldía y
mantenerle como simple cooperador-militante del sistema vigente. Cuando
este cometido lo cumple el capitalismo reaccionario y salvaje se le
critica y condena. Pero ocurre que es lo mismo que se hace a nivel de
movimiento 'revolucionario-socialista'. Y es lo que vemos en el
nacimiento de las NRRI: los 'jefes' deciden su creación y los servidores
deben ejecutar las órdenes emanadas del alto comando.

En este terrible y trágico punto estamos. Frente a un 'socialismo real'
que resultó ser una gran emboscada para la clase obrera. De allí que, en
la Venezuela siglo XXI se quiera imponer el mismo modelo, pero con
algunas novedades. Entre ellas, la cogestión y el cooperativismo,
impulsados y financiados por el Estado, para proponer un nuevo esquema
de organización de la sociedad. Hasta el presente, la inversión en "la
maquinaria productiva" (misiones, cooperativas, cogestión) corresponde
al Estado. Y si a esto se suma la inversión en planes de vivienda,
subsidios, préstamos (Banco del Pueblo, de la Mujer, BIV), en
inversiones en 'la lucha por la tierra', en planes políticos como la
Reserva Militar, habrá que preguntar en qué parte del mundo se produce
un desarrollo económico y social por estas vías. De modo que si la
integración no sirve para instrumentar planes que realmente coloquen a
este expaís en el 'reino de la producción', seguirá avanzando aquí 'a
paso de vencedores el reino de la destrucción'.
Y ante esta empresa revolucionaria de la destrucción habrá una
inevitable reacción por la parte social afectada. Y en la medida en que
esto crezca, la NRRI tendrá que avanzar en 'la necesaria' represión. En
este momento la llamada democracia, o lo que quede de ella, se
convertirá en un estorbo y obstáculo para el cumplimiento de los
objetivos revolucionarios. Se pondrá de lado el llamado 'proceso de
cambio' y se terminará de liquidar la 'constitución de lo participativo
y protagónico', que impone un orden democrático contrario a los fines de
la "revolución". Por ello ahora se trata de asumir otro camino: el del
socialismo a la cubana que hace de la represión una de sus palancas
fundamentales. Y en esta dirección avanza lo que antes se conoció como
proyecto bolivariano. El bloque ALBA-Socialista creará una nueva
realidad. Por lo pronto, la integración tiene dos miembros y un destino.
Se aspira que crezca y para ello se envió una inmensa señal-mensaje. Al
producirse la unión táctico-estratégica, Cuba recibe una filial de PDVSA
y otra del BIV. Quien todo lo tiene, puede jugar al chantaje y al
ofrecimiento. Es la compra-venta de apoyo a una 'causa revolucionaria'
que pugna por aplastar la 'reaccionaria'.
Y una vez establecida esta integración-unidad, se asume una posición
ideológica y política de la cual no es fácil devolverse. La 'revolución
'bolivariana' se integró a la cubana y ahora debe seguir las líneas y
orientaciones que se le asignan. A partir de este momento ya nada nos
pertenece como nación-país. ¿Hasta dónde se llegará por esta vía? Al
colectivo social se le impone una integración sin ningún tipo de
consulta. Y de inmediato, a través de acuerdos, se crea una
'legislación' para regir la naciente institución. Todo apunta hacia la
creación aquí un reino-principado, Estado o régimen socialista que
alcance globalmente a los dos países integrados en una y única
expresión. Es la VeneCuba, creada y dispuesta para las luchas
antiimperialistas, ahora enfilada contra la unipolaridad yanqui y que
terminará por impulsar la guerra asimétrica que, al fin derrote a USA.

EL TESTIMONIO DE UN VENECUBANO
Un médico y deportista nacido en la 'isla revolucionaria' hace 35 años,
nos decía que ellos estaban muy contentos con la misión que estaban
cumpliendo. Se sienten actores principales de un proyecto que ayudaron a
crear y que ahora les toca ponerlo a andar. Por eso, dice, cada día
somos más en número y mayor nuestro compromiso con la revolución
venezolana, que para nosotros es la continuación de la cubana. Así lo
analizamos y entendemos. En la misión en la que estoy, que se dedica al
deporte, pasamos de 10 mil y vienen rodando unos cuantos más. Todos nos
sentimos responsables y sabemos que tenemos que poner en ruedas grandes
y seguras esta revolución.
Y le digo: es admirable la hermandad entre nuestros comandantes. La
preocupación de ellos va más allá del país que gobiernan. Saben que
ambos son responsables de las dos revoluciones, que ahora son una sola.
Por eso dicen que si el imperialismo invade a Venezuela se las tendrá
que ver con el pueblo cubano que está dispuesto a morir por defender
este bello proceso. Y sentimos que ya no estamos solos como antes.
Contamos con el apoyo del gobierno y el pueblo de Venezuela. Fíjense
ustedes lo grande que ha sido el gesto de este gobierno de darle a Cuba
un puesto importante en el propio desenvolvimiento de su industria
petrolera. Ahora somos la puerta de entrada de Venezuela al Caribe. La
industria de ustedes PDVSA se ha extendido a Cuba y eso para nosotros es
fundamental. Ahora sí es verdad que el imperialismo lo pensará mucho
para invadir nuestra isla cada vez más blindada en armas y con gente
preparada a luchar hasta vencer o morir. Y les digo, la decisión es
firme y definitiva: ni Chávez se va, ni esta revolución cae por ninguna vía.

El camarada cubazolano quiso explicar el proceso de integración de las
dos experiencias. La exposición no puede ser más demostrativa del
drama-tragedia que hoy padecemos. Para este actor y propagandísta del
proceso, toda revolución destapa lo podrido, para construir una nueva
realidad. Aquí sigue vigente la llamada IV República y toda su podredumbre.

EL IMPERIO DE LA CORRUPCIÓN
El imperio de la corrupción se salió de todo control gubernamental. Y es
lo que lleva al GP a convocar a la implantación del socialismo. No es un
plan para transformar sino el camino-trampa que el padre y sabio Fidel
le señala como su única salvación. El socialismo a la cubana significa
la toma de todos los poderes y sus controles, para poder enfrentar la
corrupción que amenaza con liquidarlo. Allí está nada menos que el caso
Anderson: la mayor demostración del desmoronamiento de este expaís. Una
muerte que no se puede aclarar, a los seis meses del 'suceso', porque
quedarían muchas cosas al descubierto: todo lo relacionado con el manejo
de altos negocios de la 'grandísima inteligencia'.
A 6 meses de este asesinato la revolución está obligada a seguir
operando a favor de la corrupción. No puede enfrentar la maquinaria
Guárico porque el PPT tiene tomado tanto o más poder real que el MVR. En
sus manos está PPTSA, los ministerios más importantes, embajadas y otros
puestos de gran proyección. Un partido que se junta a la FAN, Misiones,
reservas tarifadas para constituir el soporte político institucional de
la revolución que ahora toma la senda del socialismo.

LA RESURRECCIÓN DE JESÚS
Y en medio de este clima de sobredecadencia y sobredescomposición, el
padre Jesús Gazo, consejero espiritual del GP levanta la voz
aterrorizado por lo que ve a su alrededor. De allí su exclamación:
Estamos ante un gobernante atrapado por una corruptela que ha
contribuido a redimensionar y que lo liquida de manera directa: 'la
corrupción puede acabar con Chávez'. Y por ello 'no le tiene que temblar
el pulso para que cada vez que se descubra a un corrupto, lo metan en la
cárcel." Y si eso no ocurre 'no vamos a creer en él'. Y hace público
este drama: "Yo lo vi muy triste hace como cinco o seis meses. Lo vi
impotente ante tantos tentáculos, y preguntándose: bueno ¿qué hago yo
aquí solo? Estaba triste y decepcionado, impotente ante tanta cosa, a
pesar del poderío enorme que tiene ese hombre." (EU, 13-05-05,1/10)
Por encima de su poderío está la corrupción. En el 'socialismo' podrá
ser ejercida por el aparato estatal y la burocracia del Estado, en
'nombre y a favor del pueblo'. Podrá estar controlada y llevada hasta el
pago de los impuestos correspondientes. De allí el acercamiento cada vez
más estrecho con Fidel. Por ello cuando Gustavo Azocar le pregunta a
Gazo por la unidad Castro-Chávez, se da esta respuesta: "Yo lo veo como
un programa de acción. Chávez es un hombre de izquierda. El encuentro
con Fidel Castro es un apoyo, a pesar de que Castro es un dictador." (Idem)

El demócrata de izquierda busca apoyo en el dictador quien lo lleva a
dar el salto adelante para que Venezuela cambie para siempre. Para que
haga buena la hora en la cual en Miraflores no haya un solitario sino un
dictador a lo Fidel-Stalin capaz de borrar del mapa a la vieja
corrupción republicana e implantar la miseria criminal del socialismo
real. ¿Seguirá aquí planteada 'la trastienda de la conspiración' de que
habla Rangel (UN,20-05-05, 17)?
En cualquier caso seguiremos hacia una tragedia mayor. Para esta hora
hay que prepararse con las armas de la conciencia y las armas de la
defensa que impone la historia de los hombres y mujeres que tienen
disposición a vivir más allá de las cadenas de que habla el himno de la
república de Cuba: en cadenas vivir es morir. ¿Seguiremos impasibles
formando parte de la legión de los destructores de lo poco que teníamos
de Venezuela?

abm333@gmail.com

http://www.analitica.com/va/internacionales/opinion/7845782.asp

When the last of 29 journalists jailed in a notorious 2003 crackdown was
finally freed this year, it signaled to many the end of a dark era. But
Cuban authorities are still persecuting independent journalists through
arbitrary arrests, beatings, and intimidation. A CPJ special report by
Karen Phillips
Published July 6, 2011

Juan González Febles, director of the independent news website Primavera
Digital, was running an errand last spring when he came upon a news
story: Police were climbing onto his neighbors' roofs in Havana to
remove satellite television dishes that the government considers illegal
because they pick up uncensored stations from abroad.

When Febles started taking pictures with his cell phone, officers
quickly arrested him and took him to a neighborhood police station,
where he was held for seven hours and made to erase all of his photos of
the dish seizures, a highly unpopular police activity. Febles, a former
librarian who took up independent journalism in 1998 and now runs the
overseas-hosted website, told CPJ that he has become accustomed to
detentions, which number in the dozens over the years, but that he is
still bothered that his phone is tapped and that he's followed by
security agents in the streets. The agents sometimes stop him, Febles
said, and relay what they've heard in his private phone conversations.

Such is the state of repression in Cuba today. As President Raúl
Castro's government seeks greater international engagement, it has freed
in the last year more than 20 imprisoned independent journalists and
numerous other political detainees who had been held since the notorious
Black Spring crackdown of 2003. Government officials talk of political
and economic reform, pointing to a plan to introduce high-speed Internet
service to the island this summer. But though the government has changed
tactics in suppressing independent news and opinion, it has not
abandoned repressive practices intended to stifle the free flow of
information.

A CPJ investigation has found that the government persists in
aggressively persecuting critical journalists with methods that include
arbitrary arrests, short-term detentions, beatings, smear campaigns,
surveillance, and social sanctions. Today's tactics have yet to attract
widespread international attention because they are lower in profile
than the Black Spring crackdown, but the government's oppressive actions
are ongoing and significant.

CPJ examined government activities in March and April 2011, two months
with sensitive political milestones, and found that journalists were
targeted in more than 50 instances of repression. The majority of cases
involved arrests by state security agents or police officers, according
to CPJ research and documentation by the Cuban Commission on Human
Rights and National Reconciliation and Hablemos Press, a news agency
that focuses on human rights. Most frequently, these journalists were
detained on their way to cover a demonstration or political event and
were held in local police stations for hours or days. In at least 11
cases, the arrests were carried out with violence, CPJ research shows.

During this period, more than a dozen journalists endured house arrest,
preventing them from reporting on the Communist Party Congress in April
and the eighth anniversary in March of the Black Spring crackdown that
led to the imprisonment of dozens of journalists and dissidents.
Although no journalists have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in
the last year, Cuban authorities in May ominously sentenced six
political dissidents to prison sentences of two to five years.

"Political repression in Cuba has undergone a metamorphosis," said
Elizardo Sánchez Santa Cruz, president of the Cuban Commission on Human
Rights and National Reconciliation. "Before, repression was based on
long prison sentences. Although the Cuban government still subjects
dissidents to jail terms, it has changed substantially from the Black
Spring, which was characterized by long-term sentences." More typical
now, he said, "are many arrests by the political police, lasting hours,
days, or weeks."

Perhaps counter-intuitively, the scheduled arrival of broadband Internet
is not expected to improve free expression or access to information.
Because the project will improve the island's relatively few existing
Internet connections—which are predominantly in government offices,
universities, and other officially approved locations—but not extend
connectivity to the general public, the government and its legion of
online bloggers will gain an even greater technological advantage over
critical voices. Independent journalists will be forced to continue to
use expensive Internet access at hotels, pirated connections bought on
the black market, or the politically-tinged access offered at foreign
embassies.

"Official bloggers already benefit from free or low-cost Internet
connections," said Laritza Diversent, a lawyer and an independent
blogger. "Now, they will have the advantage of a high-speed connection
as well."

A vast, repressive legal structure

Magaly Norvis Suárez, a correspondent with Hablemos Press, has been
detained three times this year by police and state security agents. On
one occasion, she was slapped and kicked by police officers. Another
time, officers took her ID card and held it for several days,
essentially condemning her to house arrest because the law requires
individuals to carry identification in public. During one detention,
security agents told her that if she continued to practice journalism,
she could be imprisoned and lose custody of her children. Her
15-year-old daughter was harassed so relentlessly at school that she
dropped out.

Speaking with CPJ from Havana, Norvis Suárez said the psychological
impact is significant. "It's very difficult to work under the threat of
imprisonment," she said, "wondering if I'm imprisoned, what will happen
to my family, my husband, my house." Talk of political reform aside, the
laws that have allowed Cuba to imprison reporters remain very much in
place. They are written in Article 91 of the penal code, which imposes
lengthy prison sentences or death for those who act against "the
independence or the territorial integrity of the state," and Law 88 for
the Protection of Cuba's National Independence and Economy, which
imposes up to 20 years in prison for committing acts "aimed at
subverting the internal order of the nation and destroying its
political, economic, and social system."

This restrictive legal framework applies to the flow of news and
information itself. All authorized domestic news media are controlled by
the Communist Party, which recognizes freedom of the press only "in
accordance with the goals of the socialist society." Domestic news
outlets are state-owned and supervised by the Communist Party's
Department of Revolutionary Orientation. Online information is
restricted by an inter-ministry commission charged with "regulating the
information that comes from worldwide information webs." Article 19 of
Resolution 179 of 2008 of the Ministry of Communication and Computing
states that Internet service providers are obligated to "adopt the
necessary measures to impede access to sites with content that is
contrary to social interest, ethics, and good customs; as well as the
use of applications that affect the integrity and security of the state."

Independent journalists are forced to operate outside this official
framework. News websites such as Hablemos Press and Primavera Digital
are hosted overseas, with editors in Cuba uploading articles and
updating the sites at embassies or hotels. Other independent journalists
file stories, often by email, to news websites such as Cubanet and
Diario de Cuba that are based and edited overseas, often by Cuban
exiles. Still other independent journalists operate their own blogs,
which are hosted overseas and updated through embassies or costly hotel
connections.

Independent journalists pay another high price: They continue to be
subjected to "acts of repudiation," the term for rallies at which
government supporters gather outside the homes of people perceived as
being critical of the state. In extreme cases, journalists and political
dissidents are prevented from leaving their homes by chanting crowds of
government supporters, as was the case with a large demonstration held
on the eighth anniversary of the Black Spring crackdown. Héctor Maseda
Gutiérrez, a recently freed independent journalist and recipient of the
2008 CPJ International Press Freedom Award, and his wife, Laura Pollán,
a well-known human rights defender, told CPJ that more than 200
pro-government supporters had gathered outside their home. The couple
was hosting a gathering of newly freed political prisoners and members
of the Ladies in White, a group composed of the former prisoners'
spouses and other loved ones. The demonstrators stayed for two days,
playing the national anthem and revolutionary songs at high volume from
loud speakers and preventing anyone from leaving the gathering.

State television and, increasingly, the Internet have provided platforms
for smear campaigns against critical journalists and dissidents. The
government proudly announced in February that it had enlisted roughly
1,000 bloggers to denounce critical journalists; many of these
"official" bloggers are government employees, and all enjoy easy,
low-cost access to official Internet connections.

A slickly produced new television series, "Las Razones de Cuba," which
is also streamed online, presents independent journalists and dissidents
as enemies of the state. Using fuzzy footage of "suspicious" activities
(such as journalists entering a foreign embassy), a menacing soundtrack,
and interviews with official "experts," the program seeks to portray
critics as criminals bent on toppling the state. Journalist Dagoberto
Valdés, who directs the online newsmagazine Convivencia, and the
prominent blogger Yoani Sánchez have been singled out on the program.

A digital battle for free expression

Perhaps surprisingly in a country with few private Internet
connections—overall penetration is said to be only about 14 percent—the
struggle for free expression is being waged almost exclusively in
digital media. Despite the many hurdles to online access, Cuba has a
vibrant alternative blogosphere that consists of about 40 critical
journalistic blogs, all of which are hosted on overseas servers.
Blogging and increasingly Twitter offer platforms not only for
reflection, analysis, and reporting, but also for responding to
government smears.

In response to "Las Razones de Cuba," the blogger Sánchez has produced
her own talk show, "Las Razones Ciudadanas" which is video-streamed
online. In each episode, civil society members discuss topics such as
independent journalism. Reinaldo Escobar, a blogger and the husband of
Sánchez, noted in one episode that the advent of mobile telephones had
transformed independent journalism on the island, allowing witnesses and
sources to communicate more easily with journalists and enabling
reporters to post content on Twitter. It was only in 2008 that the
government allowed consumer sales of personal electronic goods such as
mobile phones.

"Twitter is the true protective shield for the independent press and
alternative bloggers in Cuba," said the exiled Cuban journalist Manuel
Vázquez Portal, himself a former political prisoner. Still, sending a
text or posting a Twitter message from a cell phone is costly, about
US$1 in a country where the average monthly income is equivalent to
US$15 to US$30. Government supporters have been quick to use Twitter as
well. For each Twitter message critical of state policy, there is an
onslaught of disparaging messages from pro-government users.

The government has been intent on keeping digital access tilted in its
favor. Private Internet connections are rare in Cuba. Resolution 180 of
2003 allows only those with Cuban convertible currency—a monetary form
generally used by foreigners—to obtain individual Internet access, which
must be approved by the government-owned Internet service provider
ETECSA. Government officials, intellectuals with government ties, and
some academics and doctors are among the relatively few Cubans with
authorized passwords to the state's Internet service.

Cubans without private connections can turn to state-run Internet cafés,
but users there can expect identity checks, heavy surveillance, and
restrictions on access to non-Cuban sites. The cost of uncensored
connections at hotels is about US$8 per hour; government-issued Internet
passwords can be purchased on black market sites, but they, too, are
expensive and are monitored for political content. Many journalists
interviewed by CPJ make daily or weekly trips to foreign embassies to
use free Internet connections, a practice that puts them under further
government scrutiny. Journalists working in the provinces, with few
hotels and no embassies, have an even harder time accessing the Web.

A US$70 million fiber-optic cable project, financed by the Venezuelan
government and laid this year by the French company Alcatel-Lucent, is
likely to tilt the field even more in the government's direction. The
project, scheduled to become operational this summer, will increase
Internet connection speeds exponentially but will have limited reach,
improving existing connections in government offices, universities, and
other official sites rather than increasing overall connectivity,
according to the official newspaper Granma. (The importance the Cuban
government attaches to restrictive connectivity was evident in the
December 2009 arrest of Alan Gross, a contractor for the U.S. Agency for
International Development who is serving a 15-year sentence on charges
of illegally helping Cubans set up Internet connections.)

"While the introduction of broadband is potentially a giant step forward
for connectivity, if it is implemented under the same rules of control,
suspicion, and institutional access it could very well be used as
another mechanism of control," said Ted Henken, a Cuba expert and
professor of black and Hispanic studies at City University of New York.
In April, Henken was detained by state security agents and told he could
not return to the island after he had met with independent Cuban bloggers.

On reform, talk but little action

The government has been unwilling to turn away from its longstanding
suppression of free speech—even as its leaders talk of economic and
political change. In fall 2010, President Castro announced plans to
reduce the state work force by more than half a million employees and
increase licenses for private enterprises. By March 2011, 171,000 new
private business licenses had been issued, press reports said, although
independent economists told CPJ that high fees and a shortage of raw
materials were stifling the effort. During the Communist Party Congress
in April, Castro officially replaced his brother Fidel as head of the
Communist Party in the first leadership change since the party's
founding in 1965. He also announced the introduction of term limits for
party officials.

And in March, Cuba released the last of the 29 journalists imprisoned
during the Black Spring crackdown, when the government swept up dozens
of dissidents and handed them prison sentences of up to 27 years. The
release of detainees followed negotiations between the Cuban government
and the Catholic Church, with the help of Spanish diplomats. But freedom
has not been without a high cost: Most of the freed journalists and
their families were forced to leave their homeland for Spain, where
their resettlement has been filled with economic and professional
challenges. Three jailed journalists who refused to go into exile were
released on a form of parole that leaves them vulnerable to re-arrest.

Cuban journalists and human rights defenders expressed great skepticism
that economic changes on the island would be accompanied any time soon
by improvements in press freedom. The experiences of independent
reporter Dania Virgen García bolster that view.

"It seems like just about every two weeks they threaten me, they detain
me, or I have to spend the night in jail," said Virgen García, whose
reporting appears on her blog and on the Miami-based news website
Cubanet. "I know every police station in Havana." Virgen García has
faced arrest, smear campaigns, and physical assault for her reporting on
human rights abuses and substandard prison conditions. Recently she
awoke to a group of schoolchildren and teachers shouting pro-Castro
slogans and insults outside her home.

In April, while on her way to cover a meeting of ex-political prisoners
in Havana, Virgen García was arrested by state security agents and taken
to La Lisa police station, she told CPJ in a phone interview. During the
ordeal, she said, she was slapped on the face and manhandled by police
agents and doused with pepper spray by a prison guard. Virgen García was
released six hours later, but suffered extensive bruising and persistent
eye inflammation.

If the revolving jailhouse door of low-level repression seems more
benign than lengthy prison terms, the death in May of dissident Juan
Wilfredo Soto gives one pause. Soto, a member of the Central Opposition
Coalition and a former political prisoner, was arrested by two police
officers when he refused to leave a public park. After handcuffing Soto,
police beat him with batons, according to independent Cuban press
reports. Soto was released from custody but died days later from what
officials called "multiple organ failure due to pancreatitis," an
assertion met with disbelief by independent journalists and opposition
groups. International rights groups and governments called on Cuban
authorities to commission an independent inquiry, but Havana did not
publicly respond.

Among those calling for an independent investigation was the European
Parliament, illustrating the sometimes-conflicting impulses on both
sides of the Atlantic. Although the European Union restricted diplomatic
relations and development cooperation with Cuba from 2003 to 2008, the
EU has since opened a political dialogue with Havana, and the European
Commission has provided the island with millions in aid. In 2010, the
Commission allocated 20 million euros (US$28.5 million) for food
security, environmental adaptation, and professional and academic
exchanges, according to the European External Action Service.

But Havana has yet to secure its most-sought goal with the EU: the
undoing of the Common Position, an EU-wide policy adopted in 1996 that
conditions full relations with the island on Havana's progress on human
rights and democracy. The repeal of the Common Position would normalize
diplomatic relations and solidify development cooperation for the long
term. In February, Cuba's minister of foreign affairs, Bruno Rodríguez,
met in Brussels with the EU's foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton,
for the fifth in a series of meetings begun in 2008 to explore the
future of EU-Cuba relations. Reiterating Havana's long-held position,
Rodríguez said relations should be normalized without "interference in
the internal affairs of states," international press reports said. The
intransigence implied by such a statement does not bode well for human
rights or press freedom.

"There are a lot of obstacles to normalizing relations at this time,"
said Susanne Gratius, an expert on EU-Latin American policy at FRIDE, a
Madrid-based foreign policy institute. As obstacles, she cited "the
authoritarian nature of the regime, human rights, and political rights,
where there has been no change despite the recent economic reforms." To
repeal the Common Position, Gratius noted, consensus would have to be
reached among the EU's 27 member states, which have divergent views on
Cuba. Sweden, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic are particularly
opposed to abandoning the Common Position on human rights and political
grounds.

"It's always the same story: You have some progress, and then you have a
step back," Gratius said of Cuba. "I think in the long run there is a
movement toward political opening, but you still have these reversals
that come with human rights abuses."

Karen Phillips, a freelance writer, has served as CPJ's journalist
assistance associate and, most recently, as the research associate for
CPJ's Americas program.

CPJ's Recommendations
To the Cuban government

• End the use of detention, physical violence, surveillance, and smear
campaigns against independent journalists and bloggers.

• Repeal Article 91 of the penal code and Law 88 for the Protection of
Cuba's National Independence and Economy, provisions used by the
government to unjustly imprison independent journalists and political
dissidents.

• As a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, fully meet the obligation to allow journalists to work freely
and without fear of reprisal.

• Remove all legal barriers to individual Internet access, and allow
bloggers to host their sites on Cuban domains.

• With the arrival of high-speed Internet, extend access to the
population at large, including journalists and bloggers.

• Eliminate all conditions on the release of journalists detained during
the Black Spring. Vacate parole for the newly freed journalists who
remain in Cuba. Allow exiled journalists to return to the island without
condition.
To the International Community

To the U.N. Human Rights Council

• Hold the Cuban government accountable for its obligations under the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

• Urge Cuba to review trial processes and travel permit arrangements to
ensure they conform to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights.

• The U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of expression should request
authorization to assess the state of freedom of the press and freedom of
expression in Cuba and report findings and recommendations.

To the European Union

• Press the government to heed its call to grant freedom of information
and expression, including Internet access, to all Cubans.

• Urge Cuban authorities to lift conditions on newly released political
prisoners so they are indeed free and not vulnerable to re-imprisonment.

• In the evaluation of the Common Position on Cuba, predicate future
dialogue with Cuban authorities on substantial and specific
improvements. Those improvements should include the implementation of
international human rights covenants signed by Cuba, and the granting to
all Cubans of freedom of expression and access of information through
all media, including the Internet.

• Create a welcome environment throughout the European Union for Cuban
dissidents released from prison but forced into exile. Facilitate their
access to EU-funded social and training programs.

To the Organization of American States

• While Cuba has put aside rejoining the Organization of American
States, any future participation in the OAS must ensure that Cuba
conform to OAS principles, including the right to freedom of expression
and access to information. In the event Cuba joins the OAS, the
organization must ensure Cuba's compliance with international freedom of
expression standards.

• All OAS member states should promote a vigorous debate on human rights
violations in Cuba, including restrictions to Internet access.

• The OAS rapporteur on freedom of expression should request
authorization to assess the state of freedom of the press and freedom of
expression in Cuba and report findings and recommendations.

To the technology and blogging community:

• Continue to support Cuban bloggers by publicizing their work and
linking to their blogs.

• Companies that provide technology infrastructure to Cuba must ensure
their work product is not used to restrict freedom of expression.
Companies should follow the principles established by Global Network
Initiative, which seeks to ensure that technology companies uphold
international freedom of expression standards.

• Support social media applications that are popular in Cuba.

To the U.S. government:

• In accord with the April 2009 directive issued by President Barack
Obama, the administration and Congress should allow U.S. companies that
commit to Global Network Initiative principles to provide digital
support and infrastructure to Cubans. The 2009 directive was intended to
increase the free flow of information to the Cuban people and expand
communications links between the United States and Cuba.

• Allow U.S. companies to establish fiber-optic cable and satellite
telecommunications facilities linking the United States and Cuba.

• Encourage information technology and social media companies to enable
Internet chat services in Cuba, as it is now allowed under U.S.
regulations.

• Ensure that U.S. policy is open and transparent in relation to its
support for dissidents.

July 6, 2011 9:00 AM ET

http://www.cpj.org/reports/2011/07/after-the-black-spring-cubas-new-repression.php

El plazo para ser español por la ley de Memoria Histórica acaba este año
lucía rey
lugo / la voz
26/5/2011

Una media de entre 10 y 15 personas de Sudamérica, en su mayoría de
Cuba, se dirigen cada día por carta al Obispado de Lugo solicitando
partidas de bautismo de antepasados nacidos en Galicia a lo largo del
siglo XIX y que emigraron años más tarde. Los remitentes reclaman algún
tipo de certificado que les permita acreditar su origen y obtener la
nacionalidad española en virtud de la ley de Memoria Histórica, que
hasta finales del 2011 abre esta puerta a hijos y nietos de emigrantes.
Algunos días, el Archivo Diocesano recibe alrededor de 50 misivas, como
explicó ayer el archivero, José Lebón Sánchez. «Desde que eu tomei
posesión do arquivo, no 1963, sempre tiven algunha petición: eran unhas
10 ou 15 ao ano. Pero hai uns dez anos, cando saiu a lei de que os netos
de emigrantes podían adquirir a cidadanía se probaban que son
descendentes deses avós, as peticións empezaron a masificarse», afirmó.

Solo en el 2010 llegaron cerca de 3.000 cartas de Cuba. «De países
europeos tamén hai pero menos. De Francia, Alemaña, Italia… ao mellor
veñen no ano 50, 60 ou 70», completó. En 1978, el Obispado concentró en
el Archivo Diocesano todos los libros parroquiales comprendidos entre el
1500 y el 1900 aproximadamente de sus más de 1.300 parroquias. En casi
todos los casos, la búsqueda es una tarea de titanes. «Moitos buscan
unha partida do 1840 ao 1897… Poñen ó mellor cincuenta anos de marxe,
pero é natural porque eles son netos e non saben cando naceron os avós»,
relata Lebón.

Parroquia «de Galicia»

Las dificultades se multiplican cuando la carta no especifica la
parroquia de nacimiento. «Cando nola din miramos todos os anos, pero
cando só pon ??de Galicia?? ou a dirixen ao ??párroco de Galicia?? é moi
complicado», señala el sacerdote. El departamento colabora con la
Secretaría de Emigración de la Xunta y con otras diócesis, especialmente
las de Mondoñedo, Ourense y Santiago. «A diócese de Lugo é rural e
relativamente pobre. A Cuba emigrou máis xente desta zona que de
ningunha outra, e agora hai máis netos», añadió.

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/amarina/2011/05/26/0003_201105X26C12991.htm

"Estupidez" Ausencia de Cuba en Serie del Caribe
Miguel Hernández, corresponsal

LA HABANA, Cuba – El presidente de la federación de béisbol de Puerto
Rico consideró que es una "estupidez" que se mantenga a Cuba fuera de la
serie del Caribe, de la cual es fundadora y tradicional ganadora de ese
campeonato.

A una pregunta de ESTO en encuentro con periodistas, Roldán culpó
"estrictamente a razones políticas" esta situación que "raya en lo
absurdo" y consideró como una necesidad para salvar el espectáculo, el
reingreso de la isla caribeña.

Las opiniones de Roldán, durante un encuentro en la sede Unión de
Escritores y Artistas que organizó un debate sobre béisbol con su
presencia, coincidieron con trascendidos de que en la próxima Asamblea
del Béisbol del Caribe, en la segunda quincena de julio en República
Dominicana, se contemplan propuestas como la ampliación a mediano plazo
de la nómina, entre los que podría figurar Cuba, que en contraste ha
participado en los dos Clásicos Mundiales que organizan las Grandes
Ligas, en cuyo nuevo torneo participan 11 jugadores de origen cubano,
desertores.

Roldán, quien es secretario general de la federación internacional
(Ibaf) reveló a este diario que el Mundial de Panamá tiene proyectado
otorgar ocho plazas al Clásico del 2013, que tendrá un nuevo formato en
cuanto a la creación de grupos eliminatorios, para aumentar las opciones
del número de naciones no necesariamente potencias beisboleras. Para la
cita en Panamá, a fines de septiembre, han confirmado 12 equipos, pero
los canaleros tienen capacidad hasta para 18 y aclaró que aún para el
torneo panamericano no se ha definido el sistema clasificatorio.

Un intelectual cubano que sirvió de moderador, Guillermo Rodríguez
Rivera, se preguntó que en el contexto cubano actual "tenemos ganando
mucho dinero a músicos, bailarines, pintores" y lamentó que ello no
suceda con un beisbolista, lo que propició saliera a flote el diferendo
Cuba- EU y la ley del bloqueo.

Para Roldán "la ley Helms-Burton, es estúpida e injusta", vigente "por
intereses políticos a favor del voto cubano de Miami", por la que " no
se puede establecer una negociación con los jugadores cubanos y
prácticamente los obliga a que decidan irse de Cuba para poder jugar en
las Grandes Ligas. Sin embargo no les aplican (los EU) la misma regla a
los grupos musicales: en Puerto Rico los Van Van llenan los coliseos, se
les pagan, regresan y no hay problemas. Un pelotero no puede firmar un
contrato. Eso un día va a cambiar…"

Reconoció que hay otras ligas interesadas en los peloteros de la isla
como las de Japón, Corea, Taiwán, México, entre otras, "no es ningún
secreto que los jugadores cubanos son de primer orden" pero declinó en
dar recetas a las autoridades deportivas cubanas aunque remarcó que su
"sugerencia" sería que "Estados Unidos diera el primer paso en este tema
eliminando la ley Helms Burton" al mismo tiempo que respalda el proyecto
del congresista puertorriqueño por Nueva York, José Serrano, quien
propone que los jugadores cubanos puedan actuar en las Ligas Mayores con
la eliminación de las restricciones actuales y que propicien el retorno
a su país, una medida que impugnan los políticos de origen cubano en
Estados Unidos.

http://www.oem.com.mx/esto/notas/n2043354.htm

Havana, Apr 11 (EFE).- The Ladies in White said they would call on the
embassies of several countries to ask for help with the freeing of more
than 60 political prisoners still in jail after Spain announced the end
of the process of releasing prisoners begun last year.

"We'll see if there are other countries that will accept them," Laura
Pollan, a spokeswoman for the group asking for the liberation of all
Cuba's political prisoners, said Sunday.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry said Friday that the releases agreed upon
by the government of Cuban President Raul Castro and the Catholic Church
on the island concluded with the arrival in Madrid of 37 freed prisoners
together with 200 of their family members.

Pollan said her group plans to visit the Havana embassies of such
countries as France, Italy, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic and other
members of the European Union, and of some Latin American nations
including Chile and Costa Rica, to ask them to receive prisoners who
would accept exile as a condition for getting out of jail.

"We have a list of the prisoners – maybe they'll accept one or two or
none. We'll keep asking the church, the EU and all countries for help in
getting these prisoners released," Pollan said.

Up to now there are 67 "documented" cases of political prisoners on the
island, though she believes that couldn't be the "real" number, because
in her opinion, as long as the laws aren't changed, "they let some
people go while they lock up others," the Ladies in White spokeswoman said.

The group has always asked that all political prisoners be freed and
that they be allowed to remain on the island and "at least be able to
stay in their own homes on parole" or under whatever conditions can be
agreed upon, Pollan said.

But "if some country agrees to receive them, that's fine, though that
has never been our goal, which is and always will be their release from
prison, freedom for political prisoners," Pollan said. EFE

Tag: Dissident

http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=11162263

At the invitation of President Raul Castro, Rosalynn and I visited
Havana on behalf of The Carter Center, accompanied by John Hardman,
Jennifer McCoy, Robert Pastor, Melissa Montgomery, John Moores, and
Diane Rosenberg.

The goals of our trip were to:

become acquainted with President Raul Castro and to ascertain his
immediate and long-term goals for Cuba. The Party Congress will convene
in April (on the 50th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs) and Cubans will
adopt plans for economic and social reforms;
explore ideas on how United States-Cuba relations might be improved;
visit with key players in government and independent sectors; and
learn as much as possible about the cases of the Cuban Five
prisoners in the U.S. and Alan Gross in Cuba.

Prior to the trip I had conversations with Secretary of State Clinton,
National Security Advisor Donilon, and Judy Gross.

There is a fundamental incompatibility between policies of Cuba and the
U.S., based on more than half a century of efforts by leaders in
Washington to disrupt and bring about changes in the communist regime of
Fidel and Raul Castro.

An economic embargo continues against Cuba, codified into law by the
Helms-Burton Act passed during the Clinton administration. Activities or
funds expended under its auspices, as expressed officially in the Act,
and also assumed by Cubans, are limited to democracy promotion programs
designed to weaken and overthrow the Castro regime. Such U.S. activities
are authorized by U.S. law and considered a crime against the state by
Cuban law.

Except for certain causes (academic, journalistic, or religious) and
Cuban-American families, American citizens are deprived of the right to
visit Cuba.

The Cubans know that, as president, I lifted all travel restraints and
made strides toward normalizing diplomatic relations. This included the
establishment of Interest Sections in Havana and Washington, through
which a modicum of diplomatic exchange could be conducted.

We were met at the airport by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, Cuban
Interest Section Chief Jorge Alberto Bolaños, and U.S. Chief of Mission
Jonathan Farrar. I rode to our hotel with the foreign minister, who
acknowledged some positive steps taken by the Obama administration
(which I enumerated in detail), but maintained that the overall impact
of recent policies had been very damaging to Cuba, primarily because of
a tightening of financial transactions through foreign banks. Also, the
continuing Helms-Burton program for "democracy promotion," which is a
regime change strategy funded at $20 million, remains a serious source
of concern.

Our first briefing was at the U.S. Interest Section, where I also spoke
to the assembled staff (in Spanish and English). We were surprised at
the size of the staff – 50 Americans and 270 Cubans. There seems to be
minimal direct contact between American diplomats and top Cuban officials.

We next had a delightful visit with leaders of the Cuban Jewish
community. Although there is no rabbi in Cuba, the 1,500 Cuban Jews have
a lively religious and social agenda. They say they have complete
freedom to worship and adequate internet communication with the outside
world, and that they had no substantive contact with Alan Gross.

Our next meeting was with Cardinal Jaime Ortega, who explained the
procedure by which the Cuban government permitted the release of the
remaining 52 of the original 75 political prisoners incarcerated since
March 2003 plus an additional 74 others over the last six months. Twelve
of them were permitted to remain in Cuba and the others were exiled to
Spain. The Cardinal also gave us a briefing on the status of the various
religious groups in Cuba.

Rosalynn, Jennifer, and I had an extensive private session with Foreign
Minister Rodriguez, who repeated much of our previous conversation and
concentrated on the case of Alan Gross, who was arrested, tried, and
convicted on his fifth visit to Cuba for "acts against the independence
of the state." Under a USAID subcontract, he was in possession of
equipment designed to enhance internet communication, ostensibly for the
benefit of the Cuban Jewish community, using funds under the
Helms-Burton Act. (I had been informed by the Cubans that American
prisoner Alan Gross would not be released during my visit, but believe
that this is a possibility after his appeals process is completed.)

In our breakfast meeting with ambassadors from Spain, Canada, Hungary,
Mexico, UN, EU, Sweden, Brazil and Colombia, they reaffirmed what the
Foreign Minister had said about the adverse effect on their banks and
their movement of funds into Cuba as a result of new and more severe
U.S. banking restrictions.

We raised a question about the terrorist list, and the Ambassadors from
Spain and Colombia said they were not concerned about the presence of
members of FARC, ETA, and ELN in Cuba. Indeed, they maintained that this
enhances their ability to deal more effectively with these groups. In
fact, ETA members are there at the request of the Spanish government.

We then had an extensive briefing on Cuban economic policy by Oswaldo
Martinez, President of the National Assembly Economic Commission. He
described Cuba's current problems and outlined steps being taken or
contemplated for "cautious progress" toward reductions in state control
over farming, trade, and services. Now, for instance, only about 50
percent of arable land is used, and idle land is being made available to
private families on leases for "indefinite time." Several hundred
thousand other citizens are being encouraged to adopt private means of
employment.

After visiting an enormous senior citizens center we had lunch with
National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon, who further described the
goals of the impending Congress assembly of about 1,000 people. He
stated that more than 2/3 of the proposed paragraphs had been amended to
accommodate suggestions from citizens.

We then met with two mothers and three wives of the "Cuban Five," who
have now been incarcerated for more than twelve years. Their trial in
the highly charged Miami political climate was considered to be biased
by a U.S. appellate court, but subsequent appeals have been denied. Top
Cuban officials claim they had personal assurance from President Clinton
that there would be no more small plane flights over Havana, and that
the U.S. was warned that no more "violations of Cuban sovereignty" would
be permitted. Despite this, the small plane repeated its mission and was
shot down. These officials claimed that the member of the Cuban 5 who
was convicted of murder of the plane's crew could not have been involved.

Rosalynn, Jennifer, and I then had an extensive meeting with President
Raul Castro, where we covered again many of the same economic and
political issues. He gave an overview of the Cuban revolution, the Bay
of Pigs incident, Cuba's often confrontational relationship with the
Soviet Union, their armed forces' involvement in Angola and other
places, his relationship with Fidel, and an outline of the speech he
will make to the Party Congress. He received well my suggestion that he
and his ministers have easier and more frequent access to foreign
diplomats. All members of our group then joined other top Cuban
officials at a supper hosted by the president.

Wednesday morning we met with a group of active dissidents, bloggers,
and others and then hosted 10 of the 12 recently released political
prisoners and their wives, who reported that they were still insisting
that those exiled to Spain be permitted to return to Cuba. They
complained about their difficulty in getting renewed ID cards and
drivers' licenses.

Rosalynn and I had an extensive visit with Alan Gross in a military
hospital where he is confined. He expressed some regrets at now being
treated much better than his fellow prisoners (after earlier poorer
treatment) and said he had adequate communications with his wife and family.

We then visited Fidel in his private home and found him to be vigorous,
alert, and especially intent on monitoring voluminous media reports on
his list of prescribed subjects. His primary health problem concerned
his left knee and right shoulder, badly injured in a fall in 2004 at a
ceremony honoring Che Guevara.

Before leaving Havana, I had a press conference, a TV interview, and
another brief session with President Castro, who met me at the airport,
where I repeated my request that Mr. Gross be released and relayed
concerns I had received from the dissident groups. He promised to
investigate the concerns and report his decisions to me.

In all, I believe the basic goals of The Carter Center were realized
during the visit.

Some notes about the visit: Raul, Fidel, and other leaders are
thoroughly familiar with our political system and the special pressures
from a fading but still powerful minority of Cuban-Americans. They know
that Helms-Burton cannot be repealed, and are experts on what authority
the president has.

Both privately and publicly I continued to call for the end of our
economic blockade against the Cuban people, the lifting of all travel,
trade, and financial restraints, the release of Alan Gross and the Cuban
Five, and end to U.S. policy that Cuba promotes terrorism, for freedom
of speech, assembly, and travel in Cuba, and the establishment of full
relations between our two countries. At the airport, Raul told the
press, "I agree with everything that President Carter said."

http://www.cartercenter.org/news/trip_reports/cuba-march2011.html

Jimmy Carter meets Cuba dissidents

Former US president Jimmy Carter has had talks with prominent Cuban
dissidents on the third day of his visit to the communist-run island.

Among them were several activists recently released from prison and the
dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez.

Mr Carter also met the jailed US contractor Alan Gross, but said the
Cuban authorities had made it clear they did not intend to release him.

He had talks with Cuban leader Raul Castro on Tuesday.

He is due to give a news conference shortly.

The Cuban independent human rights activist Elizardo Sanchez said Mr
Carter "wanted to express his solidarity and his recognition of the
movement for civil rights and the emerging civil society".

"Hopefully his visit will be useful, even if it is just one step towards
the normalisation of relations between the governments in Havana and
Washington," he added.
Unexpected visit

Dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez – whose website Generation Y has won
international acclaim – said she could not comment on what Mr Carter had
to say.

"My words were dedicated to the need for freedom of expression and free
internet access for Cubans," she said.

Mr Carter, 86 – who is on his second trip to Cuba – is the only serving
or former US president to visit Cuba since the revolution in 1959.

His three-day visit at the invitation of the Cuban government was only
announced on Friday.

There had been speculation that he would be seeking the release of the
US contractor Alan Gross, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison
earlier this month for providing satellite communications equipment to
Jewish groups in Havana.

But on Tuesday Mr Carter said he had not come to take Mr Gross back to
the US, but to meet Cuban leaders and citizens and try to improve
relations between Washington and Havana.

His visit comes a week after the Cuban authorities released the last of
the "Group of 75" dissidents arrested in a crackdown on opposition
activists in 2003.

Their release had been a key condition set by the US and EU for any
improvement in relations.

But Washington has also said there can be no easing of tensions until Mr
Gross is also freed.

Tag: Dissident

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12913267

WASHING-TON/MIAMI (DPA).— El presidente de Estados Unidos, Barack Obama,
está decepcionado porque las autoridades cubanas no han respondido de
forma acorde a la apertura que su gobierno ha emprendido para con la
isla caribeña.

En una entrevista con el diario The Miami Herald, difundida ayer, el
mandatario subrayó que "hemos ampliado las remesas familiares, los
viajes; hemos mandado una señal muy clara al pueblo cubano". Se trata,
dijo, de "medidas sin precedentes" en la política de EU hacia Cuba. Sin
embargo, lamentó, el gobierno de Raúl Castro no ha respondido al mismo
nivel.

"El gobierno cubano hizo algunos gestos respecto a la liberación de los
presos políticos y al lanzamiento de algunas medidas económicas de
mercado para dar oportunidad a las pequeñas empresas. Pero no hemos
visto que esas medidas tengan la continuidad que hubiéramos deseado", dijo.

De acuerdo con The Miami Herald, en El Salvador durante la última etapa
de su gira por América Latina, Obama "no pareció muy ansioso de hacer
nuevos gestos de acercamiento hacia el régimen cubano".

"Ahora les toca jugar a ellos, pareció decir", el presidente estadounidense.

En la misma entrevista, Obama se refirió a lo que llamó "serio"
incidente del avión militar estadounidese demorado en febrero en
Argentina y la incautación de material bélico y de comunicaciones que
Washington envió para un entrenamiento de la policía federal.

Exige devolución

"Ellos tienen algunos de nuestros equipos de comunicación. No hay razón
para no devolverlos. Y la próxima vez que vea a la presidenta (Cristina
Fernández de) Kirchner le voy a preguntar: '¿Podemos llevarnos nuestros
equipos?'", dijo Obama.

El avión fue requisado por las autoridades argentinas, en una medida
inusual (el canciller Héctor Timerman estuvo al frente del operativo), y
se incautó material médico, como morfina, armamento para el ejercicio y
equipos de comunicaciones, que según el gobierno argentino no estaban
declarados.

El episodio, que fue leído como una represalia ante la decisión de Obama
de no visitar Argentina en su reciente gira, generó tensión diplomática
y críticas contra el canciller.

Obama señaló que el incidente es "serio en el sentido de que Argentina
ha sido históricamente un amigo y un socio de Estados Unidos", aunque
aclaró que "no va a ser un aspecto decisivo de la relación Estados
Unidos-Argentina".

El gobierno argentino guardó estricto silencio sobre las declaraciones
de Obama, pero la oposición aprovechó para lanzarse contra Timerman.

El diputado opositor Eduardo Amadeo dijo que las palabras de Obama
"deben haber sonado como miel para los oídos del canciller, que hizo
esto para estar en la portada de los diarios. Esto muestra una imagen
lamentable de Argentina".

Por su parte, la ex ministra de Trabajo y diputada del ARI, Patricia
Bullrich, sostuvo que el canciller argentino "no existe, ya que Obama
tiene que saltear la cancillería y decirle a Cristina, 'le voy a pedir
los equipos'".

En días pasados, la justicia argentina dictaminó que "no existía delito
alguno" en el caso del avión y fuentes de la cancillería aseguraron que
el material incautado no sería devuelto, pese a los reclamos de
Washington. (Con información de José Vales/Corresponsal)

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/internacional/72041.html

Raul Castro, seeking a better economic deal with the European Union, has
promised to release 10 more political prisoners, including the justly
celebrated Afro-Cuban medical doctor Oscar Elias Biscet, who was awarded
the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush in 2007. In
absentia, of course. Dr. Biscet was serving a 25-year sentence for
political activity at the time.

The question is whether the Cuban government is truly turning over a new
leaf or simply trying to curry favor in Europe. The release of Dr.
Biscet may be the test case.

The Cuban government this week also gave permission for the family of
deceased political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo to emigrate to the
United States. Mr. Zapata died in prison last year on a hunger strike to
protest his mistreatment.

In recent months Mr. Castro has released 80 political prisoners amid
indications that he believes such measures will satisfy conditions set
down by the European Union in 1996 requiring Cuban respect for human
rights and freedom of expression before normal relations could be
established.

Many European nations maintain embassies in Cuba and pursue their own
interests without regard to the EU common position. But a decision by
the EU to negotiate aid and trade agreements with Cuba requires a
unanimous decision, and in recent years Britain has held out for
stronger evidence of Cuban compliance with EU conditions.

The latest releases, negotiated by the Catholic Church's representative
in Cuba, Archbishop Jaime Ortega, still leave three prominent political
prisoners in captivity, Librado Linares, Jose Daniel Ferrer and Felix
Avarro, the Miami Herald reports. Along with Dr. Biscet, the three were
among the Group of 75 dissidents arrested by the Cuban government in
2003 and accused to being in the pay of the United States.

Most of the freed prisoners have been exiled from Cuba. But Dr. Biscet,
who has been nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize, has announced
his intention to remain in Cuba to fight for political rights. That sets
up a confrontation with Mr. Castro over the extent to which he is ready
to allow anti-government, pro-democracy political activity. That
confrontation could become an acid test on Cuba's new policies and how
they are interpreted in Europe.

Could it also become the spark for an Egyptian-style public uprising?
Revolution, after all, is very much in the air in 2011.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/mar/14/despotic-cuba-yields-a-little/

LA HABANA (Reuters).— Un tribunal cubano halló culpable a un contratista
estadounidense de delitos contra la seguridad del Estado por implicarse
en "un proyecto subversivo" contra la isla, dijo anoche la televisión
estatal.

Alan Gross, preso desde hace 15 meses, se enfrenta a una condena de 20
años de cárcel, después que fuera acusado de facilitar acceso ilegal a
internet a opositores como parte de un programa de Estados Unidos para
promover cambios políticos en la isla de gobierno comunista. La
sentencia será dada a conocer en "los próximos días", dijo la televisión.

"En la vista del juicio oral, la Fiscalía aportó elementos de prueba de
la participación directa del acusado en la introducción y desarrollo en
el país de un proyecto subversivo para intentar derrocar la revolución",
dijo una nota oficial leída en la televisión estatal.

Según esto, Gross pretendía "crear redes clandestinas de
infocomunicaciones" para fomentar "provocaciones contrarrevolucionarias"
cuyo blanco serían "el sector juvenil, centros universitarios,
culturales, religiosos, grupos femeninos y raciales".

Gross, de 61 años, reconoció haber sido "utilizado y engañado" por
Developments Alternatives INC, la empresa que lo contrató para ejecutar
en Cuba un programa de la Agencia para el Desarrollo Internacional de
Estados Unidos (UDSAID), que destina 40 millones de dólares al año para
promover cambios en la isla.

"(Gross) acusó a la DAI de haberlo puesto en peligro y conducirlo a su
situación actual de arruinar la vida y la economía de su familia", dijo
la nota oficial. En el juicio de dos días, que concluyó ayer, declararon
10 testigos, nueve peritos con 26 informes periciales.

El gobierno cubano no permitió el acceso de corresponsales extranjeros
al juicio.

El contratista abandonó el tribunal en un auto negro del aparato de
seguridad del Estado tras más de ocho horas de procedimientos. Luego
salieron su esposa Judy Gross y diplomáticos de EU. "El asunto está en
manos del panel (de jueces). La familia sigue confiando en que Alan
regresará pronto a casa", dijo su abogado estadounidense Peter Kahn, en
un breve comunicado.

Diplomáticos creen que pese a ser declarado culpable, Gross podría ser
liberado por "razones humanitarias". El contratista fue detenido el 3 de
diciembre del 2009 y pasó 15 meses sin que se presentara alguna
acusación en su contra, lo que finalmente ocurrió en febrero. El caso
frenó un acercamiento a Cuba iniciado por el presidente de EU, Barack
Obama, quien exige la inmediata liberación de su connacional.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/internacional/71846.html

Cuba to release political prisoner Diosdado Gonzalez

Alejandra Garcia, wife of jailed Cuban dissident Diosdado Gonzalez,
wearing a T-shirt demanding his release. Mr Gonzalez's wife Alejandra
Garcia is a founding member of the "Ladies in White"

The Roman Catholic Church in Cuba says the government has agreed to free
a political prisoner, Diosdado Gonzalez, who had refused to go into exile.

His release would leave just five of 52 prisoners the communist
authorities agreed to free last July still in jail.

The church said another eight prisoners who were not part of that group
were also going to be released.

The US and EU have made the release of all political prisoners a
condition for closer ties with Cuba.

"In continuation of the process of liberation of prisoners, we inform
that the release from jail of Diosdado Gonzalez has been arranged," said
Orlando Marquez, a spokesman for the office of the archbishop of Havana.

Mr Gonzalez, 48, was arrested in 2003 in a crackdown on opposition
activists and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

His wife Alejandra Garcia is a founding member of the the Ladies in
White opposition group that has been campaigning for the release of all
political prisoners.

She said the head of the Catholic Church in Cuba, Cardinal Jaime Ortega,
had telephoned to say Mr Gonzalez would soon be returning to their home
in the city of Matanzas.
Struggle continues

"I feel nervous like a young woman waiting for her boyfriend to visit,"
she told reporters. "It has been eight years since my husband set foot
in this house".

Ms Garcia added that she had spoken to her husband in prison and he had
told her he was determined to stay in Cuba and continue to campaign for
democratic change.

In a deal brokered by the church in July, Cuban president Raul Castro
agreed to free all 52 of the dissidents still behind bars after the 2003
crackdown.

Most were released in the following weeks and sent into exile in Spain,
but 11 – including Mr Gonzalez – stayed in jail because they refused to
leave the island.

But earlier this month the authorities began releasing the remaining
dissidents without insisting they go into exile.

In a separate announcement, the church said another eight prisoners who
were not part of the agreement – including some convicted of violent
crimes – were going to be released and sent into exile.

The Cuban government, which regards dissidents as criminals or US
mercenaries working to undermine the communist state, rarely comments on
their release.

On Thursday US President Barack Obama urged the immediate and
unconditional release of all jailed dissidents in Cuba.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12589288

LA HABANA, 18 de febrero (apro).- Cuba intenta seguir la ruta de
reformas económicas que desplegó Vietnam, basadas en el incremento
substancial de su producción y consumo de alimentos, pero está lejos de
lograrlo, pues 80% de la canasta familiar cubana proviene del exterior.
Los vietnamitas impulsaron una reforma en la agricultura basada en la
entrega de tierras en usufructo a las familias y además permitieron que
la producción fuera vendida en el libre mercado.
El gobierno de Raúl Castro puso en marcha desde 2008 la primera etapa de
las "reformas vietnamitas", al entregar 1.18 millones de hectáreas a más
de 128 mil solicitantes, aunque 30% aún no producen.
"Nosotros hemos hecho la primera parte, pero nos falta la segunda
(autorizar la venta en el libre mercado, sin control del Estado). En mi
opinión ahí está el cuello de botella. Es indispensable la
desarticulación del monopolio del sistema estatal centralizado de
comercialización agrícola", asegura el investigador Pavel Vidal
Alejandro, investigador del Centro de Estudios de la Economía Cubana
(CEEC), de la Universidad de La Habana.
El economista cubano deja en claro que la clave de las reformas a la
economía que ejecuta el gobierno del presidente Raúl Castro debe ser "la
agricultura", así como lo fue en países como Vietnam y China.
"Si fracasa la reforma en la agricultura, fracasa toda la reforma. El
sector agrícola ya lleva dos años de caída, lo que hace evidente que las
transformaciones allí han sido insuficientes. Si se logra que despegue
la agricultura, estaríamos resolviendo varios problemas al mismo tiempo.
"Cuba importa 80% de los alimentos, por tanto, un aumento en la
producción de alimentos liberaría divisas para invertir en otros
sectores; contribuiría al equilibrio externo y a la salida de la crisis
financiera, ello es más apreciable aun en un escenario internacional
para el que se pronostica una nueva escalada de los precios
internacionales de los alimentos.
"Es importante resolver el tema de la alimentación, que es una de las
demandas sociales más importantes, donde la población quiere ver
resultados a corto plazo, a partir de las medidas. Si los cambios logran
un visible incremento de la producción y el consumo de alimentos, la
reforma tendría mucho más apoyo popular", sostiene el investigador de la
Universidad de La Habana en una entrevista con la revista católica
Espacio Laical.
Por su parte, el ministro de Economía, Marino Murillo, reconoció que el
sector agropecuario decreció 2.8% en el 2010 y "no se alcanzan los
niveles previstos en 12 producciones agropecuarias", entre ellas arroz,
carne, huevos, hortalizas, cítricos y verduras.
Otra mala noticia para los planes oficiales. Pero el escenario
internacional para el que se pronostica una nueva escalada de los
precios internacionales de los alimentos no es nada halagador.

Copiosas importaciones

La dependencia alimentaria del exterior se ha convertido en un dolor de
cabeza para el gobierno de la isla, sobre todo la dependencia de sus
importaciones de Estados Unidos.
Cuba importa cada año unos 2 mil millones de dólares en alimentos y 30%
de los alimentos que consume tienen su origen en Estados Unidos.
La cifra sitúa a Cuba entre los 30 países con mayor volumen de
importaciones de productos alimenticios de Estados Unidos durante los
últimos diez años.
El Congreso estadunidense autorizó en el 2000 que empresas
estadunidenses vendieran productos agrícolas a la isla, siendo el único
sector que mantiene vínculos con la Cuba comunista desde que el país del
norte implantó, en 1962, un bloqueo económico, comercial y financiero.
La facturación cubana en productos norteamericanos ha sido alta,
alcanzaron cifras históricas de 710 millones de dólares en el 2008, pero
las compras han experimentado un drástico descenso en el 2009 y 2010.
De acuerdo con datos de los Departamentos de Agricultura y Comercio de
Estados Unidos, empresas estadunidenses vendieron, en el 2001, alimentos
a Cuba por un monto 4.3 millones de dólares.
Las compras del gobierno cubano a empresas de Estados Unidos mantuvieron
un incremento substancial los primeros siete años. En el 2002, la
facturación tuvo un salto récord de 138.6 millones de dólares, 134.3
millones más que el año anterior.
Cada año, Cuba fue presa de la dependencia de los alimentos importados
de Estados Unidos. En el 2003, sus compras llegaron a los 256.9
millones; en el 2007 sumaron 437.5 millones, casi el doble de lo
comprado cuatro años antes.
En el 2008 alcanzó la cifra histórica de 710 millones de dólares. Sin
embargo, la grave crisis económica y la falta de divisas obligaron al
gobierno de la isla a reducir sus compras de alimentos al país del norte.
En 2009, la inversión cubana en productos de Estados Unidos se redujo a
528.4 millones, y el año pasado sólo fue de 366.4 millones, una
facturación parecida a la del 2005, y la mayoría de los productos
comprados fueron pollo congelado, más de 99 millones, y 94 millones de
dólares en maíz.
Cabe recordar que las transacciones financieras de la empresa cubana
Alimport con Estados Unidos se realizan al contado y a través de
instituciones bancarias de terceros países.
Pero aún hay más.
Un informe del Consejo Económico y Comercial Cuba-EU (USC-TEC), radicado
en Nueva York y dado a conocer el 14 de febrero, confirmó que el
gobierno cubano compró unos 3 mil 500 millones de dólares en productos
agrícolas a firmas norteamericanas en el período 2001-2010.
Estados Unidos figura ya como el quinto socio comercial de Cuba y el
segundo proveedor de alimentos, sólo superado por Venezuela.
El propio expresidente Fidel Castro Ruz alertó sobre la necesidad de que
el pueblo cubano esté informado sobre el incremento espectacular de los
precios de los alimentos y las consecuencias económicas que esto pudiera
generar en el mundo y Cuba.
Al reunirse el pasado 15 de febrero con intelectuales que asisten a la
Feria Internacional del Libro de La Habana, el aún primer secretario del
Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC) insistió en que el aumento de los
precios de los alimentos agravaría de inmediato, "sin ninguna duda", la
situación política internacional.
Y preguntó a una media centena de intelectuales asistentes al encuentro:
"Si como consecuencia de todo esto se agravan los problemas, ¿debemos
ignorarlos?"

http://www.proceso.com.mx/rv/modHome/detalleExclusiva/88619

• With a population of 11 million people and wheat imports averaging
over 800,000 metric tons (MT), Cuba is the largest wheat importer in the
Caribbean.

• While the United States could supply the majority of these imports,
the longstanding embargo and other barriers inhibit trade between the
two countries.

Advertisement
Penton Media – Southeast Farm press, Click Here!
With close proximity to U.S. ports, the Caribbean region is a natural
destination for U.S. wheat exports.

Shipments from the Gulf of Mexico can reach destinations within a
fraction of the time and cost it takes other wheat exporters to deliver
their products to this region. As a result, the United States maintains
a wheat market share of at least 80 percent in the Caribbean due not
only to close proximity, but also high quality product and proven
reliability as a supplier.

Unfortunately, American wheat farmers are missing out on a critical
Caribbean market — Cuba.

With a population of 11 million people and wheat imports averaging over
800,000 metric tons (MT), Cuba is the largest wheat importer in the
Caribbean. While the United States could supply the majority of these
imports, the longstanding embargo and other barriers inhibit trade
between the two countries.

American wheat farmers are missing out on at least $150 million in
potential sales based on current export levels and prices. U.S. wheat
sales to Cuba have fallen from a high of 500,000 MT in 2007 to 119,000
MT in 2009/10. Sales to date for 2010/11 to Cuba are only 32,500 MT,
while U.S. wheat exports to the entire Mexico, Central America and
Caribbean region are up 32 percent.

U.S. Wheat Associates has long supported elimination of sales barriers
to Cuba and, with the entire U.S. wheat industry, has actively promoted
open access to the Cuban market for more than 12 years. In early 1998,
USW and state wheat commissions organized and funded charitable
donations of wheat flour to humanitarian groups working in Cuba.

Industry representatives then traveled to Cuba over the next two years
to expose their bakers to U.S. wheat flour, before the United States
permitted sales of food and medicine. The Trade Sanctions Reform and
Export Enhancement Act in 2000 finally allowed agricultural sales to
Cuba. After a devastating hurricane in late 2001, Cuba made its first
wheat purchase of 40,000 MT of hard red winter wheat and 10,000 MT of
wheat flour in 2001.

U.S. wheat exports began to flow and exports increased every year until
a change in the rules made agricultural sales more burdensome and
expensive. As a result of tightened U.S. restrictions and the lack of
credit for U.S. purchases, Cuba began sourcing more wheat from
competitors such as the EU, Canada and Argentina.

Recently, the Obama administration announced it will take steps to allow
more Americans to travel to Cuba for religious, educational and family
purposes. While these changes are welcome, more steps are needed to
ensure a steady supply of safe and high quality food produced by U.S.
wheat farmers to the people of Cuba.

http://southeastfarmpress.com/grains/cuba-represents-missed-wheat-marketing-opportunity

Australia, Canada and several European countries have stopped pressuring
Cuba over human rights in the hope of winning commercial favours from
Havana, according to confidential US diplomatic cables released by
WikiLeaks.
The western governments continued to pay lip service to concerns about
political prisoners and censorship, but in reality were appeasing the
island’s communist rulers, said Jonathan Farrar, the US head of mission.
The diplomat made scathing remarks about his colleagues shunning
democracy activists, “kowtowing” to the Castro regime and joining what
he scornfully termed the “best friends forever” camp.
“The Cuban government has been able to stonewall its independent civil
society from foreign visitors who have, for the large part, been all too
ready to give in to Cuban bullying and give up on these encounters,”
Farrar said.
He named and shamed the countries Washington considers offenders in its
battle, started half a century ago by JFK, to keep an international
squeeze on the island.
“The Australian foreign minister, Switzerland’s human rights special
envoy and the Canadian cabinet level minister of the Americas not only
failed to meet with non-government Cubans, they didn’t even bother to
publicly call for more freedoms after visiting Cuba in November,” Farrar
wrote.
Canada had softened its position over the past year, he said, with newly
arrived diplomats minimising civil society contacts. “Promoting
democracy may play well in political circles in Ottawa but the Canadian
government appears to have decided that doing anything serious about it
in Cuba under the current regime could jeopardise the advancement of
Canada’s other interests.”
He railed against the European commission for sitting “snugly in the
best friends forever” camp and siding with Spain – which seeks warmer
ties with Havana – against more hawkish EU members. “Their functionaries
share with us their reproach of the ‘radical’ Swedes and Czechs, with
their human rights priorities, and can’t wait for ‘moderate’ Spain to
take over the EU presidency.”
The US envoy mocked those who claimed to push for human rights in
private meetings with Cuban officials. “The truth is that most of these
countries do not press the issue at all in Cuba. The GOC [government of
Cuba] … deploys considerable resources to bluff and bully many missions
and their visitors into silence.”
The criticised governments are likely to reject the memo as an example
of sour grapes from a country that has seen its Caribbean foe embraced
by Africa, Latin America, Asia and increasingly the west. Even
Washington’s allies consider its embargo a cold war anachronism.
“Demented,” as one European ambassador put it.
Cuba’s opposition is small, fractious and powerless – split between
groups who favour hardline US policy and those who think the softer
approach of other governments will do more to open up the island.
The confidential US memo said the Castro government was determined to
drive a wedge into the EU’s common policy on Cuba, which in theory
obliges member states to lobby hard for human rights. Britain is among
countries that refuse to send a minister to Havana without concessions.
Farrar approvingly categorised this as the “take your visit and shove
it” approach. “Germany, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom may
pay a price in terms of lost business and access from their principled
stance. Others who stand in this camp have less to lose from sticking it
to the Cubans, and include Poland and Sweden.”
There is no mention of William Hague, the then British shadow foreign
secretary, and Lord Ashcroft meeting senior Cuban officials in Havana
last year. The pair did not meet democracy activists, but since taking
office Hague has promised to continue the British policy of not sending
ministers.
Farrar said those foreign delegations that shunned civil society
activists and avoided mention of political prisoners reaped few
dividends. “For the most part the rewards for acquiescing to GOC demands
are risible: pomp-full dinners and meetings and, for the most pliant, a
photo op with one of the Castro brothers. In terms of substance or
economic benefits they fare little better than those who stand up to the
GOC.”
In a separate cable, Arnold Chacon, the American charge d’affaires in
Spain, noted Croatia’s effort to placate the US by playing down the
importance of a trumpeted visit to Havana last year by Stjepan Mesi?,
Croatia’s president at the time. Croatia’s ambassador assured the US
envoy that the trip had “zero value” and that the visitors were in fact
“embarrassed” by the red carpet treatment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/17/wikileaks-cuba-human-rights

Farinas: Government "is behaving in an arrogant manner"
The Cuban authorities have refused an exit visa for a leading Cuban
dissident to travel to France to receive the EU's Sakharov Prize for
Freedom of Thought.

Guillermo Farinas launched a prolonged hunger strike earlier this year,
protesting against the plight of Cuba's political prisoners.

He called the Cuban authorities arrogant for not granting him permission
to travel.

He said it revealed their disregard for individual liberty.

Mr Farinas was near to death earlier this year, on a drip feed in
hospital, when President Raul Castro authorised the release of 52 of the
island's most prominent prisoners of conscience.

It was an unprecedented breakthrough brokered by the Roman Catholic Church.

The 48-year-old political activist had hoped to attend Wednesday's award
ceremony at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Empty chair

The Sakharov prize for Freedom of Thought is the EU's top annual human
rights award and the winner receives about $70,000 (£44,400).

Earlier this week the president of the European Parliament made a
last-minute plea to the Cuban authorities on Guillermo Farinas' behalf
but to no avail.

Instead the Cuban dissident will be represented by an empty chair.

It will be the second time in a week there will be an empty chair at an
international human rights award ceremony, after imprisoned Chinese
activist Liu Xiaobo was unable to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony
in Oslo.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2010/12/101215_cuba_dissident.shtml

Strasbourg, France – A Cuban dissident honoured Wednesday with a
prestigious human rights award called on the European Union not to
soften its stance against the Castro regime.

Guillermo Farinas made his appeal via a recorded speech, as he was not
allowed to travel to Strasbourg to collect the European Parliament's
Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

During the ceremony, his chair was left empty, with the Cuban flag
draped over it.

"The fact that I cannot leave and return voluntarily to the island where
I was born is, in itself, the most irrefutable witness to the fact that
unfortunately, nothing has changed in the autocratic system ruling my
country," Farinas said, according to a parliament statement.

Farinas, a 49-year-old psychologist who has undertaken several hunger
strikes to defend human rights and protest against Communist repression,
was named the 2010 Sakharov Prize winner in October.

He said the EU should unfreeze relations with Cuba only after the
release of all political prisoners, the legalisation of opposition
parties and a review of laws which contravene human rights.

Dozens of political dissidents have been freed this year following
mediation by Spain and the Catholic Church, leading the Madrid
government to urge the EU to recognize the move by thawing its stance
towards Cuba.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is expected to report on the
options for political dialogue with the country in January. On
Wednesday, she congratulated Farinas and gave assurances that human
rights would continue to top her agenda.

The ceremony in the parliament's chamber was reminiscent of the one held
last week by the Nobel Prize committee, where an empty chair was left
for Liu Xiaobo, the Peace Prize laureate who was unable to attend
because he has been jailed by Chinese authorities.

But it is not the first time that Sakharov winners were not able to
collect the prize in person. Past examples include Hu Jia, another
jailed Chinese human rights activist, the Cuban association Ladies in
White and Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/358356,soften-stance-castro-regime.html

'I'm going to continue in my battle for democracy,' winner of EU award says

HAVANA — A Cuban dissident said he would not attend a ceremony in France
to accept the European Parliament's top human rights prize because Cuban
authorities had not given him permission to make the trip.

Guillermo Farinas, whose long hunger strike helped pressure Havana into
releasing political prisoners this year, told Reuters he had not
received the exit visa that he needed to leave Cuba for the Wednesday event.

"Nobody communicated with me. Now this is impossible," he said by
telephone from his home in Santa Clara, 170 miles east of Havana.

The ceremony, to be held in Strasbourg, was scheduled for Wednesday.

The European Parliament said it would transmit a message from Farinas
and have an empty chair to represent him.

"I'm going to continue in my battle for democracy in Cuba, whether they
let me leave or don't let me leave," Farinas said.

The Communist Cuban government, which views dissidents as mercenaries
working for its ideological enemy, the United States, has said nothing
about Farinas.

Farinas, a 48-year-old psychologist, went on a 135-day hunger strike
this year to demand that Cuba release political prisoners.

He called it off in July when it was announced that 52 prisoners jailed
since a 2003 crackdown would be released in a deal struck by the
Catholic Church with President Raul Castro.

So far, 41 of the prisoners have been freed, with all but one agreeing
to go to Spain. Cuban Catholic leader Cardinal Jaime Ortega has said the
government has promised to release the remaining prisoners soon.

'Nothing has changed in Cuba'

The 27-nation European Union, along with the United States, has long
pressed Cuba to release political prisoners, improve human rights and
move toward democracy.

It has recently taken steps toward improving ties with Cuba, which also
seeks a normalization of relations but only if the EU drops its common
position calling for democratic change in Cuba.

Joseph Daul, a member of the European parliament from France, said
Farinas' absence "means that nothing has changed in Cuba."

The EU awarded Farinas the Sakharov Prize, named for late Soviet
dissident Andrei Sakharov, in October.

The prize, which has been given out since 1988, includes 50,000 euros
($66,000).

It was awarded twice previously to Cubans — in 2002 to dissident Oswaldo
Paya and in 2005 to the opposition group Ladies in White.

Paya was permitted by the Cuban government to go accept the prize, but
the Ladies in White were not.

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded last week to Chinese dissident Liu
Xiaobo , who is imprisoned in China and could not attend. An empty chair
also represented him at the ceremony.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40672819/ns/world_news-americas/

BRUSSELS — A Cuban dissident used a video address at Wednesday's award
of the EU's main human rights prize to call for the release of political
prisoners in his homeland and for the government to end attacks on the
opposition.

Guillermo Farinas was not allowed by Cuba to travel to receive the
Sakharov human rights prize in Strasbourg, France.

Farinas, a 48-year-old psychologist and freelance journalist, said the
travel ban was "irrefutable testimony to the fact that unfortunately
nothing has changed (in Cuba)."

An empty chair – set out for him – sat in the middle of the legislature
with a Cuban flag draped over it. EU Parliament President Jerzy Buzek
said it signified a "sad day" on the annual occasion when the bloc wants
to laud a stirring example of bravery in the face of human rights
oppression.

Farinas won the Sakharov prize in October after his 134-day hunger
strike helped draw attention to the plight of activists, opposition
leaders and social critics in Cuban jails.

He had been kept alive through periodic intravenous feedings at a
hospital in his hometown Santa Clara, but began accepting food and water
a day after an agreement between the government and Cuba's Roman
Catholic Church to release 52 political prisoners.

Farinas has spent more than 11 years in prison for a variety of
offenses, though he was not behind bars during the hunger strike. He has
said he decided to launch his protest after the death of a jailed
political prisoner following a long hunger strike.

Cuba's government considers him a common criminal paid for by Cuba's
enemies in Washington, and notes that some of his legal troubles include
an assault on a co-worker and other violent behavior. Farinas says all
the charges are linked to his activism.

Previous winners of the prize include Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson
Mandela. It was awarded twice before to Cubans: in 2002 to pro-democracy
activist Oswaldo Paya and in 2005 to a dissident group, Ladies in White.

On the eve of the ceremony Farinas said in a telephone interview with
the Associated Press from his home in Cuba that authorities denied him
permission to travel because the government never received a formal
request from the European Union. Cubans hoping to leave the island must
request a "tarjeta blanca" or "white card," from the government.

In his video address, transmitted to solemn silence at the legislature,
he compared it to a card the slaves had to carry in colonial times.

"I had everything ready, my passport, a visa for France and my tickets,"
Farinas told the AP. "The only thing missing was the political will of
the Cuban government."

He welcomed the prize. "This prize for me represents first and foremost
a reason to increase my commitment to keep up the fight so that we will
one day have true democracy in Cuba," he said.

He called for the release of political prisoners, respect for peaceful
opposition, the abolition of laws contravening human rights, rights for
a free media and trade unions and a call to allow the Cuban diaspora to
become involved in political life.

Associated Press writer Anne-Marie Garcia contributed from Havana

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/15/1974510/eu-human-rights-laureate-calls.html

(www.miscelaneasdecuba.net).- Five days after the Nobel Peace Prize
ceremony was held in Oslo in laureate Liu Xiaobo's absence
(http://en.rsf.org/china-nobel-peace-prize-universal-10-12-2010,39012.html),
the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will be
presented tomorrow in Strasbourg in the absence of its Cuban recipient,
Guillermo "El Coco" Fariñas Hernández, because he has not been allowed
to leave Cuba.

Cuba's Ladies in White – the mothers, sisters and daughters of the
island's political prisoners – were already prevented from travelling to
Strasbourg when they were awarded the prize jointly with Reporters
Without Borders and Nigerian human rights lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim in 2005.
This latest travel ban has again highlighted the extremely limited scope
of the Castro government's concessions to its opponents.

"The European Parliament's official invitation to attend the Sakharov
Prize presentation should have been forwarded to me within a week by the
Cuban consular authorities in France," Fariñas has told Reporters
Without Borders, which awarded him its Cyber-Freedom Prize in 2006. "But
a month has gone by and I still have not received it. At this point, the
document must now be lost."

The founder of Cubanacán Press, a small independent news agency based in
the central city of Santa Clara, Fariñas said he was recovering slowly
from the "serious muscular after-effects" of his many hunger strikes. He
was not angry about not being able to go to Strasbourg because, he said,
the most important thing was to avoid being prevented from returning to
Cuba afterwards.

"The authorities would no doubt have allowed me to leave but without
being able to return, and there was no question of my agreeing to that,"
he said. "I am a Cuban and I will stay with the Cuban people. For me the
only acceptable arrangement would have been a provisional exit permit."

The words "Definitive Exit" were stamped in the passports of all of the
18 journalists – including former Reporters Without Borders Cuba
correspondent Ricardo González Alfonso – who have been released from
prison since July on condition that they take a one-way trip into exile.
Most of these journalists, who had been detained since the March 2003
"Black Spring" crackdown, are now living in Spain
(http://en.rsf.org/cuba-journalists-talk-about-their-02-09-2010,38247.html).

Three other "Black Spring" journalists remain in prison because they
refuse to leave Cuba: Pedro Argüelles Morán, Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez and
Iván Hernández Carrillo
(http://en.rsf.org/cuba-government-breaks-promise-by-08-11-2010,38773.html).
Reporters Without Borders reiterates its insistence that they have an
unconditional right to live freely in their own country.

This is the message that Fariñas said he wanted to send for the
ceremony: "A message of reconciliation. Without rancour or hatred. Let
us love our enemies. There is no civil war in Cuba. Just a peaceful
rebellion and the promise of deep-seated social change. I am a very
small part of this rebellion and I receive the Sakharov Prize in the
Cuban people's name. The prize encourages me to pursue this collective
movement towards the best of prizes, total democracy in Cuba and human
rights for all, even for those who today are our oppressors."

Reporters Without Borders adopts Fariñas' message as its own. Cuban
society will one day have to be reconciled with all of its components.
The international community, especially Europe and Latin America, must
continue diplomatic attempts to promote respect for basic rights and
freedoms in Cuba.

This is why Reporters Without Borders supports the European Union's
"common position" on Cuba, under which the normalization of EU relations
is conditioned on Cuba's effective recognition of these rights and
freedoms. The Cuban government signed two UN conventions on civil and
political rights in 2008 but has not ratified them.

At the same time, Reporters Without Borders reiterates its call for the
lifting of the US embargo on Cuba, which has been in place since 1962.
It penalizes Cuba's population while giving the government a pretext for
making no changes. The page must be turned on repression and Cubans must
be able to decide their future.

http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=30767

Strasbourg, France – A Cuban dissident prevented from collecting a
European Parliament prize in person will be represented by an empty
chair when the ceremony takes place Wednesday, officials announced on
Tuesday.

Guillermo Farinas was named the winner of the 2010 Sakharov Prize for
Freedom of Thought in October. But Cuban authorities prevented him from
traveling to the EU parliament's seat in Strasbourg, France, to collect
the award.

In a statement, the European Parliament said he would be "represented by
an empty chair tomorrow at the prize award ceremony as he has not
received the necessary permission to leave the country."

Farinas, a 49-year-old psychologist who has undertaken several hunger
strikes to defend human rights in Cuba, is expected to address lawmakers
through a recorded speech, the statement added.

The Parliament's move is reminiscent of the Nobel Prize committee's
decision last week to leave an empty chair during an award ceremony for
Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was unable to attend
because he has been jailed by Chinese authorities.

But it is not the first time that Sakharov winners cannot collect the
prize in person. Past examples include Hu Jia, another jailed Chinese
human rights activist, the Cuban association Ladies in White and Burma
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/358114,dissident-eu-parliament-ceremony.html

BRUSSELS — The European Union parliament has criticized Cuba for not
allowing a dissident protester to travel to collect its biggest human
rights award.

EU Parliament President Jerzy Buzek said Tuesday that Guillermo Farinas,
whose 134-day hunger strike helped draw attention to the plight of Cuban
political dissidents, would be represented by an empty chair at the
midweek ceremony to award the Sakharov Prize for the Freedom of Thought.

Joseph Daul, a member of the European parliament from France, says his
absence "means that nothing has changed in Cuba."

Previous winners of the prize include Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson
Mandela. It was awarded twice before to Cubans: in 2002 to pro-democracy
activist Oswaldo Paya and in 2005 to a dissident group, Ladies in White.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/14/1972586/eu-decries-no-show-of-farinas.html

La autora del blog Generación Y responde las preguntas de los lectores
de DIARIO DE CUBA.

Tomás Hernández: ¿Cuánto le paga el gobierno americano y cuánto le paga
a los blogueros disidentes en Cuba? Según el Chino a usted le gusta la
cerveza Cristal o Bucanero. Para que lo sepas no soy ni comunista, ni
del G2, soy cubano que defiendo mi país donde sea…

Yo tampoco soy comunista ni del G2 y como usted defiendo mi país donde
sea. Disculpe que no conozca a ese Chino que dice saber tanto de mí,
pero si me dan a elegir cuál bebida tomar, preferiría esa cerveza que un
obrero de mi país pudiera pagarse con su salario, esa marca que algún
día estará al acceso de todos; pero eso, lamentablemente, es una utopía
dolorosa por el momento. En Cuba además de penalizarse la discrepancia,
se ha penalizado la prosperidad. Desde la tribuna lanzan llamados a la
austeridad, aunque ellos viven en casas con piscina, con whisky que
llenan sus despensas, autos lujosos, criados que hacen las labores
hogareñas y viajes en aviones personales cada vez que así lo desean. Han
tratado de satanizar a los que poseen algo, a quien puede tomarse un
mojito o remodelar su baño, sin para ello haber pagado con la moneda de
la fidelidad ideológica, sin haber tenido que aplaudir para obtener un
desahogo material. Yo, que nací en un cuartucho de seis metros cuadrados
donde vivían seis personas, con baño colectivo y una cocina para todo el
solar, no voy a aceptar que me impongan esos falsos preceptos de
ascetismo militante, que sólo sirven para la simulación, para que ellos
se muestren en uniformes militares mientras los trajes Christian Dior
descansan en sus armarios. No solo hay que despenalizar la discrepancia
sino también la prosperidad, que cualquier cubano tenga la posibilidad
de decidir entre tomarse una cerveza u optar por un daiquiri. Mientras
eso sea motivo de escarnio y crítica, estamos muy mal.

En cuanto a la primera parte de su pregunta, le confirmo que ningún
gobierno del mundo tiene suficiente dinero en sus arcas para comprar mis
opiniones. Soy autónoma económicamente, gracias a mis columnas
periodísticas, mi libro Cuba Libre que ha tenido mucho éxito y mi
trabajo como profesora de español para extranjeros. Mi autonomía
financiera me ha traído independencia política y esa es la peor
pesadilla del gobierno siempre que sus miembros piensan en que los
cuentapropistas de hoy se convertirán en los críticos del mañana.

Julio García: Yoani, ¿a qué atribuyes que la bloguera Zoe Valdés y sus
seguidores te cuestionen tanto? Considero que tu actuación contestataria
desde Cuba es de un valor patriótico incalculable. Te felicito por tus
éxitos y te exhorto a seguir adelante con tu lucha por la libertad.

Gracias por tus felicitaciones y elogios. Solo la escritora Zoe Valdés
conoce el motivo de sus cuestionamientos y solo ella podría responder
esa pregunta. En cuanto a mí nunca la he cuestionado ni he sospechado
nada oscuro en sus actuaciones. He leído casi todos sus libros y me
parece una figura indispensable, tanto en nuestra literatura como en el
conocimiento de nuestra compleja realidad. No soy dada a recoger el
pañuelo del insulto, quizás porque nací en un solar de Cayo Hueso, donde
cada uno de los vecinos tenía un motivo de enemistad o de pendencia
contra el otro. Ese clima de enfrentamiento constante, de bronca y
ofensa por cualquier cosa, me hicieron en un momento de mi vida
plantearme si quería continuar el ciclo de la crispación o emprender el
de la armonía. Opté por este último. Nadie oirá salir de mi boca un
agravio contra otro, un ataque personal ni un descalificativo. Concentro
mi palabra y mi acción en denunciar lo que no me gusta en mi país y las
arbitrariedades que comete el gobierno cubano.

Joel García: Hola Yoani. ¿Qué esperanzas tienes a corto o medio plazo de
que se elimine definitivamente la vergüenza que supone pedir permiso a
tu propio gobierno para poder salir y regresar a tu país, así como todas
las condiciones a que se obliga a los cubanos, como pagar una especie de
'alquiler' a los consulados o embajadas mensualmente y la pérdida de
derechos y propiedades sino regresas a los once meses? Saludos del
creador del blog Un Cubano en Canarias (tú fuiste la inspiración que me
ayudo).

Aunque el gobierno cubano comete peores violaciones contra los derechos
ciudadanos, éste, que se refiere a la libertad de movimiento, es el que
tiene menos posibilidades de ser justificado o defendido con argumentos
aceptables. Como he dicho ya, la prioridad es que se despenalice la
discrepancia política, pero también hay que despenalizar la libertad de
movimiento. Para no tener que sufrir otra frustración prefiero renunciar
a las esperanzas de que sean ellos quienes eliminen esas restricciones.
A nosotros los ciudadanos nos corresponde empujar en la dirección del
fin del absurdo migratorio y denunciar las limitaciones a las que
estamos sometidos para entrar y salir de nuestro propio país.

El Lapón Libre: Estimada Yoani, ¿de dónde saca fuerzas y valor tan
hercúleos una mujer tan físicamente —en apariencia— frágil como tú, para
enfrentar el peso de todo un ejército de policías, paramilitares,
chivatos, abusadores, oportunistas, rastreros, raptores, pandilleros,
quienes en nombre del gobierno de nuestro país te acosan e intentan
hacerte la vida imposible a diario a ti y, quizás, indirectamente, a tu
familia?

Si tuviera que soportar físicamente el peso de quienes cuentan con la
fuerza como única razón, hace mucho tiempo ya que estuviera aplastada.
Por suerte, la fuerza de los argumentos está de parte de todos los que
nos atrevemos a decir nuestra verdad. El riesgo es inmenso, pero la
satisfacción es mayor. Entre los elementos que me ayudan a continuar,
está el ver cómo la blogósfera alternativa ha crecido y madurado en
estos tres años. La existencia de voces como Claudia Cadelo, Iván
García, Miriam Celaya, Dimas Castellano, Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo y todos
aquellos que forman parte del proyecto http://www.vocescubanas.com o
tienen su espacio digital alojado en otras plataformas, es un gran
estímulo. Comprender que cada vez somos más los que nos atrevemos a
opinar, es un consuelo y me hace sentir más protegida.

El Lapón Libre: Adorable Yoani, estudiaste Filología y has devenido en
una de las mejores periodistas de la blogosfera 'alternativa' cubana.
Sin embargo creo que en una Cuba futura, perderíamos mucho si sólo
ganamos a una profesional de periodismo ¿No has pensado en pasarte a la
carrera política una vez llegada la soñada democracia? Por favor,
piénsatelo bien porque necesitamos con urgencia en la futura dirección
del país a personas con ideas frescas, abiertas, profundas, libres y
plurales.

Te agradezco mucho esa pregunta porque me permite dar esta explicación:
Aspiro a que en el futuro de Cuba no tengamos dirigentes sino servidores
públicos, no líderes sino administradores honestos de nuestras riquezas.
Sueño que los "timoneles" del mañana no conduzcan esta Isla a su
capricho, sino siguiendo los dictados de la razón avalados por la
opinión pública. En esa nueva forma de hacer política quiero estar
presente con las mismas atribuciones ciudadanas que el resto de los
cubanos. La palabra "política" se ha cargado de significado negativo en
nuestra vida nacional, de ahí que cuando alguien quiere insultar a otro
le llega incluso a decir "tú lo que estás interesado por la política".
Se da también la otra contraparte, de gente talentosa, con energía, con
mucho que decir y hacer por su patria, que justifican su inercia bajo la
frase de "a mí no me interesa la política". Me encantaría vivir en una
isla donde haya 11 millones de personas interesadas en la política, 11
millones de gente aspirando a ser presidentes, porque eso quiere decir
que todos están pendientes y atentos al destino nacional.

En mi caso particular soy una persona de las letras, la palabra, el
periodismo, y en esa dirección quiero enfocar mis próximos años. Creo
que más que figuras en la silla presidencial, este país está necesitado
de ciudadanos, de libre flujo informativo y especialmente de libertades.
Ahí me tendrán: en la tinta fresca de los periódicos, en las
revelaciones necesarias que tendrán que hacerse sobre nuestro pasado y
nuestro presente, anhelando estar en la vanguardia de la libertad
informativa que nos hará también mejores seres políticos.

Margarita Fabelo: Usted aceptó entre otras condecoraciones la llamada
medalla de la 'libertad' que otorga el CLC desde Miami. Esta
organización invierte millones en mantener el bloqueo a Cuba, apoyó y
busca que los cubanos no puedan ir a ver sus familiares a la Isla cuando
les plazca, así como enviarle remesas de ayuda. Declaran patriota a Luis
Posada Carriles y algunos de sus directores han pedido públicamente que
los EE UU invada a Cuba, además han financiado actos terroristas y han
sido aliados en América Latina de golpes de estado. ¿Cómo usted recibe y
agradece, como hizo, reconocimiento de este tipo de personas?

No juzgo al CLC de Miami por lo que atesora usted sobre su pasado, sino
porque decidió reconocer a una humilde ciudadana que está contra el
bloqueo, que suscribe el derecho de los ciudadanos norteamericanos de
viajar a Cuba, que es enemiga del terrorismo y de los golpes de estado.
¿Aceptaría usted una condecoración del gobierno de Cuba?

Jorge Macías: Hola Yoani, después de más de un año, ¿consideras que las
respuestas que aparecen en la entrevista que le concediste a Salim
Lamrani fueron manipuladas por parte de él, o podemos decir que esas
fueron verdaderamente tus respuestas y que en ese momento tuviste poco
juicio y perspectiva? Te lo pregunto porque hubo un serio intento de
desprestigiarte usando el contenido de esa entrevista, y eso fue motivo
de preocupación para todos los que lo que te consideramos un ejemplo de
honestidad y valentía en medio del panorama desolador que tenemos en
nuestra patria.

El señor Salim Lamrani cometió uno de los peores pecados periodísticos
que se pueda hacer, el publicar una entrevista semi apócrifa, con el
agravante de negarle a su entrevistado el derecho a réplica en los
mismos medios donde la divulgó. Si yo careciera de ética podría poner en
mi blog alguna tontería y varias estupideces en su boca después de
haberle formulado una pregunta en apariencia brillante. Eso lo sabe
hacer cualquiera. Pienso que el traspié que él me propinó con su
adulteración de mis palabras estaba pensado para que yo saltara
iracunda, nombrara un abogado, lo emplazara públicamente. Pero como soy
un poco zen, he dejado que sea la vida la que lo ponga todo en su lugar.
No ha pasado ni un año y ya yo he tenido infinitas oportunidades para
demostrarles a mis lectores que no soy esa oligofrénica —con respuestas
de monosílabos— que el señor Lamrani quiso mostrar. Él, sin embargo,
creo que ha visto dañado seriamente su futuro académico y periodístico,
puesto que ahora le será difícil encontrar un entrevistado que confié en
su seriedad.

La vez que vi al señor Lamarani, éste estaba hospedado en el lujoso
hotel Plaza, y me pareció notar en él un rastro de honestidad y muchas
lagunas en el tema de Cuba. Si él hubiera transcrito literalmente
nuestro encuentro de esa tarde, créame que el saldo hubiera sido
totalmente contrario a ese que mostró. De ahí que se haya negado una y
otra vez a presentar la grabación, prueba para mí más que suficiente
para descartar su entrevista como confiable. Sin embargo, presiento que
en realidad no lo ha hecho con mala intención sino presionado por
poderes superiores a su decisión personal. Por eso demoró más de tres
meses en "acomodar" mis palabras y en rehacer sus preguntas. No obstante
me quedo con la mejor imagen de aquella tarde: el abrazo que me dio
antes de despedirse, el apretón de manos deseándome suerte que me brindó
antes de separarnos. Lo qué pasó después, las razones que lo llevaron a
adulterar lo ocurrido, sólo él y su conciencia lo saben. Un día lo
volveré a encontrar y se cumplirá aquel refrán que mi abuela repetía
tanto y que es una máxima en mi vida "la mentira puede correr cien años,
la verdad la alcanza en un día". Él ha perdido más que yo y además me
ayudó a aprender una lección importante, que no todos los periodistas
son honestos, que no todos los entrevistadores están dispuestos a servir
de canal imparcial a las ideas de otro.

El Lapón Libre: Hola de nuevo Yoani y te ofrezco disculpas a ti y a los
demás participantes por pecar de 'preguntón', pero es que soy un
profesional del periodismo, por tanto cuestionar cosas es mi gran vicio,
además de que no siempre se tiene la suerte de intercambiar criterios
con una heroína de carne y hueso y en plena trinchera de combate. He
leído tus crónicas y todas me llegan al corazón. Sin embargo, he notado
que desde hace un tiempo te has 'encerrado' —quizás inconscientemente—
en cierta obsesión por la anulación del permiso de salida para los
cubanos que habitan en la isla. ¿No has pensado que esa fijación
temática más allá del derecho legítimo que te asiste como ciudadana
libre y soberana, pudiera ser el talón de Aquiles que aprieta el
gobierno todo el tiempo porque sabe que te duele y desespera, negándote
una y otra vez la famosa e irritante 'carta blanca'?

Te agradezco la observación crítica, pero ni me he "encerrado" ni tengo
esa obsesión ni se trata de una fijación temática. Creo que la violación
de ese derecho de entrar y salir libremente del país es el talón de
Aquiles del gobierno, o sea es en ese punto donde éste es vulnerable. No
tengo esa ansiedad por viajar que exhiben muchos de mis compatriotas que
nunca han podido salir de esta Isla. De manera que mi insistencia es más
un deseo de derrumbar el muro del absurdo migratorio para que otros
puedan moverse libremente, que buscando el beneficio personal de salir.
Conozco el afuera, he viajado, mi horizonte es más amplio que este
archipiélago. Cada día que me dejan aquí son 24 horas que gano de
proyectos personales y colectivos para realizar dentro de mi país. Como
me dijo mi amigo Dagoberto Valdés: "Si me dejan salir pierden, si no me
dejan salir también pierden".

Gotenberg Boy: Yoani, si Cervantes escribió que donde hay música no
puede existir nada malo, yo te digo que donde esté tu risa de futuro
limpio tampoco. Disculpa el piropo antes de la pregunta, pero es
inevitable. Irreparable. ¿Será posible que contigo la
oposición-disidencia-ciudadanía cubanas hayan recuperado, después de
tantas décadas de disciplina seria en sepia, ese colorido don humano que
abole todo totalitarismo, y que es la belleza libre de sonreír, incluso
ante el verdugo y en medio de las alambradas?

Gracias por el piropo. Mi generación llega a la adultez en los momentos
en que se ha desvanecido el hechizo que hipnotizó a la juventud de los
años 60. El tiempo ha transcurrido y del sombrero del mago no acaba de
salir el milagroso conejo prometido. El rostro adusto y severo del
disciplinado soldado dispuesto siempre a obedecer sin preguntar, resultó
ser una máscara. No solo tenemos que recuperar la sonrisa, también
tendremos que adquirir nuevas virtudes ciudadanas para poder habitar la
Cuba del futuro. Tenemos que retornar al gusto por la vida, creo que la
fuente principal de mi energía para llevar a cabo estas tareas, es
precisamente que soy una persona muy feliz en el ámbito personal, en el
marco de mi familia. Amo y soy amada, tengo un hijo maravilloso con el
que sostengo una comunicación amplia y respetuosa, mis padres me apoyan
en lo que hago, tengo una perra sata y un gato barcino que también me
regalan su afecto. Esa corriente de amor se ve en todo lo que hago, me
ayuda a no tener la carga sobria y amargada que exhiben quienes
gobiernan mi país. Nadie va a quitarme la sonrisa, ni aunque me metan
otra vez a la fuerza en un Geely, me amenacen con la prisión, eleven el
grado de insulto alrededor mío. Ninguna de esas acciones tiene acceso a
la fuente real de donde nace mi alegría.

David Hernández: Hola Yoani. ¿Cómo haces para postear en tu blog? Sé que
no debe ser fácil, y algo he leído al respecto, pero me gustaría que lo
contaras. Gracias, y con admiración, desde Canadá.

Los detalles técnicos de cómo logro publicar en Internet los he descrito
frecuentemente en mi blog y en realidad no han variado mucho en estos
dos años. Desde marzo de 2008 el gobierno cubano implementó un filtro
que me impide acceder a Generación Y desde los hoteles y otros sitios
públicos. Una pantalla en blanco es el resultado cuando escribo la
dirección web que me debería llevar a mi blog. Eso me hizo encontrar
caminos paralelos para mantener vivo mi espacio virtual. Uno de ellos es
escribir varios textos en casa, lo cual dado el carácter reflexivo y de
opinión que tiene GY puedo hacer sin miedo a que se pongan viejos los
temas. Cuando acumulo tres o cuatro, me voy a un hotel y compro una
tarjeta de conexión para enviar por correo electrónico los posts a
varios comentaristas de mi blog que se han convertido en mis editores
para lograr publicar. Cuando no puedo conectarme en un hotel, ya sea
porque la conexión no funciona —cosa que pasa frecuentemente—, el cerco
policial no me deja acercarme o no tengo el dinero para hacerlo,
entonces envío un sms a alguno de estos amigos para que me llame y grabe
el texto leído a través de la línea telefónica.

En los últimos meses descubrí otro camino que me gusta explicarlo
diciendo: si los cubanos fuimos capaces de hacer el picadillo de carne
sin carne —con cáscara de plátano— cómo no vamos a crear la internet sin
internet. Se trata de escribir el post y una vez terminado marcar la
tecla Prt SC que le hace una foto a la pantalla del ordenador, pongo esa
imagen en un programa donde la corto y la guardo en formato .gif y
entonces la ubico dentro de mi móvil. A través del servicio de MMS de
Cubacel, envío esa imagen a mis editores que transcriben el texto y lo
publican. Así han salido la mayoría de mis textos de los últimos meses y
así he ayudado a otros a conocer ese camino alternativo hacia la gran
telaraña mundial. Twitter, por su parte, es otra historia. Desde agosto
del año pasado aprendí que ese servicio de microblogging tiene un método
de publicación por sms para personas sin acceso a la Web. Eso me ha
permitido completar los textos reflexivos de mi blog, con la inmediatez
que logran dichos mensajes en 140 caracteres. He impartido ya tres
cursos de móvil-activismo para traspasar esos conocimientos a otros
blogueros, periodistas independientes y personas que están haciendo una
labor cívica o cultural. Cada nuevo truco informático que aprendo, es
como un código abierto, un software de licencia libre al que todos
pueden acercarse.

Alberto Sanabria ¿Qué crees de la posición que dice que pedir elecciones
como pone la ley Helms-Burton es 'comenzar por el final' y que ahora lo
fundamental es lograr los derechos de viaje 'para todos', cubanos y
norteamericanos?

Una cosa es "lo fundamental" y otra "lo prioritario". En el variado
abanico de posiciones políticas cada tendencia tiene sus fundamentos y
prioridades. La ley Helms-Burton es norteamericana y no puede tener
vigencia en Cuba. Muchos países celebran elecciones y no son
democráticos, otros tienen derecho a viajar y viven en la miseria o
sufren represiones. En lo personal creo que la prioridad sería tener el
derecho a opinar libremente y a asociarse civilizadamente alrededor de
las ideas preferidas; solo entonces tendría sentido elegir el sitio por
donde podemos empezar a reconstruir el país.

Luisa Agosti: querida mujer valerosa, hace tiempo que te observo luchar
a tu manera, clandestina y pública, un poco como el zorro mexicano. Mi
pregunta es: ¿cuánto tiempo te queda para la ternura, la sexualidad y el
amor? Yo voy a Cuba en noviembre. Llevo un documental italiano que se
titula 'Se vive de amor'. Se exhibirá en la escuela Dante Alighieri. Me
encantará que lo veas. Si prefieres más privacidad lo podemos ver juntas
en otro lugar. Quisiera entrevistarte sobre eso. Con amor solidario.

Si existiera un mercado del tiempo trataría de adquirir días de 72
horas, para poder escribir todos los textos que se me ocurren, seguir
adentrándome en el mundo de la informática, ayudar a un número mayor de
personas a encontrar su propio camino de expresión y poder responder
entrevistas como esta con menos tardanza que en esta ocasión. El amor,
la ternura y hasta el sexo lo llevo "sobre la marcha". Nada es tan
tierno y amoroso como renunciar a la hipocresía. Nada es más erótico que
ejercer la libertad en lugares prohibidos.

Edelberto García León: Yoani, sé que usted no es economista pero
quisiera conocer su opinión sobre el siguiente tema. ¿Considera que el
gobierno de Cuba esté estudiando algún mecanismo para integrar la
participación de su diáspora en la economía nacional y así maximizar,
por ejemplo, el efecto positivo de las remesas en el desarrollo
económico y social? ¿No cree usted que el crecimiento económico tiene
que integrar esta vital fuente suplementaria de capitales y dar
participación a su diáspora, la cual se compone esencialmente de
emprendedores en el extranjero? ¿Sería un desafío en la actual coyuntura
convencer a la población de invertir un porcentaje de sus ingresos en
lugar de dedicar prácticamente la totalidad al consumo? Gracias.

No soy economista, pero sufro como cualquier cubano las consecuencias de
los disparates que se cometen en Cuba en ese sector. Que yo tenga
noticias, no hay en estudio ningún mecanismo para integrar a la diáspora
en la economía nacional. En los años 60, 70 y 80 los cubanos que
decidieron o que se vieron en la necesidad de emigrar eran vistos como
"traidores a la patria". Ya en la década del 90 el lenguaje oficial se
suavizó y se empezó a hablar de emigrantes económicos. Si tomáramos como
cierto ese argumento oficial, resultaría irónico que la economía de una
nación tenga que encontrar la solución a sus problemas precisamente con
la participación de quienes salieron del país "por motivos económicos".
Pienso que todos somos cubanos, vivamos en Madagascar o en el Polo Sur,
y que todos tenemos no solo el derecho sino incluso el deber de participar.

En relación a eso de convencer a la población de invertir un porcentaje
de sus ingresos en lugar de dedicarlos totalmente al consumo, creo que
sería una tarea para cuando la población reciba ingresos propiamente
dicho y no limosnas y para cuando exista la posibilidad de consumir, no
de sobrevivir.

Carlos: Yoani, ¿cuándo cree usted que habrá democracia en Cuba?

Veinticuatro horas después de que todos nos lo propongamos.

Luisa Rodríguez Espejel: Yoani, con todo respeto. Por tus declaraciones
se observa que has de ser una bloguera y que no sólo pretendes tener una
participación activa en una futura transición a la democracia en Cuba
(cosa que aplaudo). Lo que yo veo en ti es que tienes aspiraciones
políticas muy claras, que están muy bien, sólo respetaría más que ya no
te presentaras como una 'simple bloguera'.

No solo una simple bloguera, sino también un simple guagüero, un simple
albañil, una simple enfermera, en fin, simples ciudadanos, seremos los
protagonistas de la única democracia posible del siglo XXI, sin líderes
ni héroes, ni dirigentes, ni nada parecido.

Humberto Herrera Guerra: Yoani el ex presidente Fidel Castro la acusó de
hacer labor de zapa con su blog, y ciertamente su blog es generosamente
traducido en más de 15 idiomas cada vez que escribe algo, y sus textos
son todos catastrofistas de la realidad cubana, a pesar de los logros
alcanzados en 50 años de Revolución y reconocidos por muchos ¿Puede
explicar usted esta aparente contradicción?

¿A cuál contradicción se refiere usted? A que el ex presidente acuse de
labor de zapa a un blog traducido por voluntarios a veinte y dos
lenguas, o que a pesar de los logros alcanzados en 50 años alguien pueda
escribir textos tenidos por catastrofistas sin ser considerado un
escritor de ciencia ficción?

Por cierto, aprovecho su pregunta para agradecer a toda esa gente
maravillosa que me ha brindado su talento y su tiempo para llevar mis
textos a los idiomas más increíbles. Ellos mismos han formado una
comunidad que ha extendido su solidaridad a toda la blogósfera, como
puede verse en el sitio http://hemosoido.com y sé que algunos de estos
traductores se han convertido entre ellos en amigos en la vida real. Sin
ellos, nada sería posible. En la lógica —muy marcada por la teoría de la
conspiración— que tienen ciertos gobiernos, no conciben que los
ciudadanos podamos agruparnos por intereses afines, colaborar en
proyectos conjuntos sin que detrás de nosotros esté un partido, un
organismo extranjero, el dinero o una ideología. Si los gobiernos se
levantaran un día y se percataran del poder que tiene la iniciativa de
los individuos y la fuerza que alcanzan cuando se juntan, créeme que
perderían el sueño.

Ermenegildo López: ¡Muchas felicidades, Yoani! Te admiro mucho, eres la
bandera de nuestra generación. Quería preguntarte si crees fundados los
rumores de que Alejandro Castro Espín, hijo de Raúl, sucederá a su padre
en el poder eventualmente. ¡Ánimo y sigue adelante!

Los rumores son eso, rumores. Lo que ocurre en palacio, se queda en
palacio y a los ciudadanos sólo nos ha quedado especular mientras ellos
se reparten el pastel nacional allá arriba. Creo que el fundamento que
tiene este rumor que mencionas pudiera encontrarse en las tendencias
nepotistas que se asoman, pero no estamos en Corea del Norte. En la
medida en que Raúl Castro perfile que heredará el poder a su hijo, como
si de un feudo familiar se tratara, dejará al descubierto con más
claridad ante la comunidad internacional y ante nosotros mismos, el
carácter dictatorial del sistema. La sucesión dinástica quizás podría
mantener por unos años más los privilegios en manos de una casta
militar, pero terminaría por hundir la poca credibilidad que le queda al
gobierno.

Dolores del Risco: ¿Podrías darnos tu opinión acerca del motivo que
mueve a Zoe Valdés a criticarte y burlarse de ti?

Tendría primero que leer las críticas y las burlas, después tendría que
conocer sus motivos y entonces podría opinar. Como no tengo
prácticamente acceso a Internet, padezco y disfruto de algo que he dado
en llamar "la ingenuidad del desconectado". Eso sí, le reconozco a Zoe
Valdés y a cualquier otra persona que habita este planeta el derecho a
criticar y a burlarse de quien ella quiera. Las personas que tenemos un
accionar público debemos aprender a vivir con eso, sin molestarnos.
Cuando algún amigo me pregunta sobre el efecto que logran los insultos
denigrantes en mí, le respondo mitad en broma y mitad en serio: No te
preocupes, usé aparatos en los dientes y espejuelos durante toda la
infancia, así que tengo la piel curtida contra la burla y el escarnio.
Hasta yo misma me río cuando me acuerdo de aquella niña delgaducha con
sus gafas de plástico y gruesos cristales, con una sonrisa marcada por
el metal de la ortodoncia.

Ulises Briones: Yoani, quisiera saber cómo te gustaría integrarte en una
sociedad cubana del futuro con todas las garantías y derechos como
cualquier país del mundo.

En esa hipotética sociedad cubana del futuro tendremos que caber todos.
Allí aspiro a integrarme en el mundo de los medios de difusión, en
fomentar los pilares de una prensa libre. Me verán detrás de la noticia,
en el proceso de revisar nuestra historia nacional. Este país está
necesitado de argumentos, palabras, opiniones, no de caudillos.

Gabriel Delpino: Soy un gran admirador tuyo. ¿Podrías elaborar algo tu
proyecto de fundar un medio independiente de prensa en Cuba financiado
con el dinero recibido con tus premios?

Ya conozco a las personas dispuestas a colaborar con su talento, cuento
con su entusiasmo para crear un medio de prensa que esté fuera del
monopolio informativo oficial. Pienso en un medio digital, por el
momento, mientras podamos recopilar recursos para que pase al papel y a
una tirada mayor que llegue a cada provincia. Tenemos el concepto y
hasta el nombre y la decisión de no esperar "al día después de" para que
empiece a funcionar. Usaré el monto de mis premios para darle el empujón
inicial, puesto que no quiero malgastar esos recursos en comprarme una
camiseta Adidas o en ponerme un par de dientes de oro; quiero utilizar
mis recursos personales en la información. Este gobierno tiene que
aprender a vivir con ciudadanos empoderados informativa y materialmente.
Como pienso pasar el resto de mi vida en Cuba, tengo tiempo para
realizar ese sueño, cuento con amigos, colegas y hasta propuestas de
inversionistas para lograrlo.

Lázaro Buría Pérez: ¿Ves alguna relación entre dogmas y preceptos de la
revolución cubana y los que caracterizan a las religiones? Y si piensas
que la hay, ¿cómo se manifiesta en ella —o sea, en esa 'religiosidad
revolucionaria'—, la 'guerra de sexos' y las contradicciones sobre la
sexualidad humana tal y como se perciben por la ciencia y la política en
el mundo globalizado que vivimos hoy? ¿Cuánto tiempo podría faltar para
que 'la máxima figura del gobierno' de la Isla, fuera mujer?

La revolución cubana es una religión donde abundan los ateos y donde
sobran los ritos y falta la fe. No se rige por dogmas sino por una
dogmática voluntad. En medio de la gran batalla generacional e
ideológica que padecemos la Guerra de Sexos se mezcla con otros
conflictos de corte político que la distorsionan y hasta enmascaran. En
relación a la pregunta de cuándo tendremos a una mujer como "máxima
figura del gobierno" estuve tentada a responderla con un chiste: Lo que
dure una cirugía de cambio de sexo. Pero no, no tengo una respuesta,
porque lo que ahora me preocupa es el tiempo que falta para que nuestros
gobernantes sean elegidos por la voluntad popular. Si llevan saya o
portañuela no es algo que me inquiete ahora, pienso más bien en que
sepan servirnos y administrar el país, sin ansias de convertirlo en un
feudo personal.

Víctor: Hola Yoani, gracias por tu valentía y sobre todo creatividad. Te
quería preguntar quién sería para ti un líder político cubano que puede
aunar a toda la disidencia. Aquí en España, fue Adolfo Suárez el motor
del cambio de la dictadura a la democracia. Muchas gracias y ánimo.

En los años que duró la dictadura franquista hubo muchos individuos con
similares características a las de Adolfo Suárez que no tuvieron la
oportunidad de jugar un papel en la transición a la democracia, unos
fueron asesinados, otros se consumieron en las cárceles u optaron por la
simulación o el silencio, muchos marcharon al exilio. Puedo suponer que
aquí en Cuba en cincuenta años hemos perdido al menos dos generaciones
de políticos capaces de proponer una plataforma diferente a la del
Partido Comunista y que ya estamos a punto de perder la tercera. Mi
lista de candidatos estará incompleta hasta tanto no pueda escuchar
expresarse libremente a todos los que tengan algo que decir.
Probablemente nuestro próximo presidente está ahora mismo jugando
béisbol en una calle habanera o vendiendo plátanos en una carretera
recóndita de algún lugar de esta Isla. Sólo deseo que sus ansias de
protagonismo no sean superiores a sus deberes para con el país. Sueño
con que la próxima revolución que nos aguarda sea la de los ciudadanos,
la de los seres pequeños, la gente anónima y no la de las figuras
conocidas y con pedigrí.

Ernesto Gutiérrez Tamargo: Hola Yoani. Ante todo felicitarte por tu
trabajo informativo y valiente de divulgar, desde una nueva forma de
hacer periodismo, las verdades de nuestro país. La pregunta: ¿Sabe
realmente la gente (de la calle cubana —porque en el exilio lo sabemos—)
lo que haces? ¿Hay impacto en la prensa 'oficial u oficialista' por tu
trabajo divulgativo-informativo? ¿Te dejan actuar libremente como
informadora o simplemente te toleran (por miedo o cautela)? Gracias. Y
un fuerte abrazo.

Frecuentemente me encuentro con personas en la calle que me regalan sus
palabras de ánimo y de apoyo, la mayoría no tiene acceso a internet,
pero han visto grabaciones de los programas que se captan a través de
las ilegales antenas parabólicas o CDs donde se reproduce el blog
Generación Y. Al mismo tiempo, la blogósfera alternativa no puede
competir en popularidad con la telenovela brasileña que ponen por la
tele nacional tres veces por semana. No obstante nada hay tan atractivo
como lo prohibido, y podría asegurar que al menos los gestores de
opinión de esta sociedad sí están enterados y atentos a nuestros textos.

No se trata de que "me dejen actuar libremente" sino de que yo me
levanto cada día proponiéndome comportarme como una persona libre. Es mi
elección, no una autorización que me han dado. Si en realidad me
toleraran no me estarían persiguiendo todo el día ni me secuestraran ni
me prohibirían entrar a los centros culturales ni me hubieran negado
ocho veces el permiso de salida para viajar al extranjero. Es cierto que
no han abandonado en una cuneta mi cuerpo sin vida, ni que han inventado
una causa judicial para encarcelarme, pero no creo que eso sea algo que
tenga que agradecerles. No se trata de que toleren o permitan los nuevos
fenómenos cívicos que han emergido en los últimos años, sino que ya no
pueden detenerlos, la tecnología, el sacrificio de otros que fueron
maltratados y encarcelados con anterioridad, la visibilidad
internacional que permite esa herramienta maravillosa que es Internet,
nos ha permitido llegar hasta aquí.

Hildegardis Ferreira: Antes de tudo, tens a minha admiração e respeito.
Através do http://universitarioskariri.blogspot.com/ tenho divulgado e
acompanhado o Geração Y. Pergunto: Qual seria mais outra maneira que eu
poder ia ajudar em defesa de todos aqueles que bradam esse grito de
liberdad? Saudações a todos! Hildegardis Ferreira Barbalha, Ceará, Brasil.

La mejor manera de ayudar a los que se expresan sin miedo es divulgando
lo que ellos hacen. Hay una dinámica que parece un poco contradictoria
pero que está funcionando muy bien en el caso de los blogueros
alternativos cubanos: al expresarnos públicamente corremos mayor riesgo,
pero también ese ejercicio de transparencia nos protege generando
alrededor nuestro la protección que ofrecen los lectores, comentaristas
y seguidores de nuestros textos en cualquier parte del mundo.

Caleb Vega: La pregunta es para ti y para todos los cubanos. ¿Cómo has
podido sobrevivir sin que se te haya podido señalar o acusar por delitos
comunes si lo más común en Cuba es cometer delitos para poder vivir?
Días atrás el 'Granma' recogió una palabra del propio Raúl donde dice
que el salario es insuficiente. El problema no es solo buscar la parte
del salario que no recibimos por otras vía poco ortodoxas, sino también
cuando tenemos el dinero por las vías que sean, donado, regalado o mal
habido, adquirir los productos se convierte en un delito porque éstos,
vendidos en los mercados alternativos, son de procedencia dudosa.
Mantente firme y no dejes empañar tu nombre, Cuba necesita de gentes
como tú.

Gracias a que los once millones de habitantes de la Isla no cabemos
todos en las cárceles, el gobierno se ve impedido de castigar cada uno
de los pequeños y cotidianos delitos que se cometen para sobrevivir. Por
otra parte, esa supuesta permisibilidad, esa "vista gorda" funciona como
una válvula de escape y paradójicamente como una forma de represión.
Cuando alguien hace algo fuera de la ley, sea lo que sea, vender
durofrío sin licencia o comprarle leche de vaca a un campesino, trata de
hacerse invisible, evita hacerse notar y eso hunde a las personas en el
silencio cómplice. Es cierto que desde que comencé a opinar he tenido
que cuidarme mucho de las posibles trampas que vienen enmascaradas en un
vendedor de mariscos en la puerta, o una señora ofreciendo queso en la
escalera. Incluso uno de los efectos colaterales que ha tenido la
permanente vigilancia en los alrededores de mi edificio de los
"inquietos muchachos de la Seguridad del Estado" ha sido precisamente la
reducción del número de vendedores de mercado negro que recorren estos
14 pisos.

El día que quieran fabricarme una causa por esos delitos comunes lo
harán, pero al menos tengo el alivio anticipado de que esas técnicas ya
son muy conocidas desde los tiempos de la KGB y convencen a muy pocas
personas hoy en día.

Néstor Hernández, España: Hola Yoani, soy un fiel lector de tu blog y
admiro tu lucha por restablecer las libertades al pueblo cubano; me
gustaría saber tu opinión sobre cómo lograr cambiar la abulia de nuestro
pueblo, qué opina la gente de verdad allí en Cuba y por qué no se acaba
de producir el estallido social que tanta gente desea en la Isla. Un
saludo y que sepas que no estás sola.

Estimado Néstor, una buena parte de nuestro pueblo ha sido sometido a la
obediencia por diferentes caminos: el terror, el adoctrinamiento y la
conveniencia oportunista. Esto no niega que haya personas íntimamente
convencidas de que el sistema imperante es lo mejor para la nación.
Nadie puede decir de una forma científicamente aceptable, cómo piensa el
pueblo. A veces tengo la impresión de que todo el mundo está inconforme
y que vivimos en una olla a punto de reventar, pero entonces llega un
primero de mayo y un millón de personas desfilan en la Plaza de la
Revolución de la capital, mientras otros, que pueden sumar millones, lo
hacen en sus respectivas provincias. He descubierto en la pantalla del
televisor —cuando retransmiten esas escenas en la Plaza— el rostro de un
amigo que no cesa de desbarrar diariamente contra el gobierno o a una
vecina que el día antes se quejaba amargamente de su situación en la
cola donde estaban vendiendo el pollo por pescado, pero nadie desfila a
punta de pistola. El daño antropológico que hemos sufrido requiere de
una sanación lenta y profunda. La violencia desbocada que podría
desatarse tras ese estallido social, que lamentablemente tanta gente
desea, solo serviría para crear una nueva espiral de intolerancia y
odio. Yo quiero que eso nunca vuelva a ocurrir en nuestro país, que
intuyo también es tuyo, y espero no estar sola en ese deseo.

Eduardo Alfonso: Yoani, mis respetos. Estoy exiliado hace apenas dos
años y aún creo conocer de cerca esa realidad que bien describes en tu
blog, pero en muchos lugares de Cuba es prácticamente desconocida la
labor de los blogueros independientes e incluso de la disidencia. ¿Cómo
crees que desde el exilio podamos ayudar a difundir más la labor de
ustedes, teniendo en cuenta que internet y correo electrónico son
prácticamente inaccesibles para la población y generalmente se
encuentran en manos de instituciones estatales, lo que conlleva a que
los usuarios con 'acceso' a estos recursos teman, no sin cierta
justificación, acceder o recibir esta información 'alternativa'?

Uno de los procesos más interesantes que ha ocurrido en Cuba en los
últimos años es que se ha roto el monopolio absoluto que tenía el
estado-partido sobre la información. La muerte por huelga de hambre de
Pedro Luis Boitel vino a ser conocida por la población 20 años después
de haber ocurrido. Pero la inmolación de Orlando Zapata Tamayo fue
noticia en toda Cuba en menos de 24 horas. Incluso las autoridades se
vieron obligadas a hablar del asunto en los medios oficiales. La ayuda
que puede dar el exilio consiste precisamente en difundir información
hacia el interior de la Isla. Ni siquiera es necesario enviar noticias
sobre la oposición, basta con ampliar el horizonte de lo que ocurre en
el mundo y en esta Isla.

Luis: Yoani, cómo te la arreglas con tus críticos blogueros? ¿Cómo haces
para poder sobreponerte a todo lo mal que dicen de ti? (Me refiero a
blogueros.)

¿Sobreponerme? No te imaginas la alegría que me da descubrir que hay
personas libres que dicen lo que piensan. ¿Que no piensan realmente así
y se limitan a cumplir órdenes? Entonces no tengo que preocuparme.

Pablo Ávila: ¿Cómo compara usted el comportamiento de la dictadura
cubana y la SS de la Alemania hitleriana? ¿En qué se asimilan? ¿Cómo
utilizan las mismas técnicas para reprimir al pueblo?

No soy una estudiosa de la Alemania hitleriana y no me parecen muy
acertadas las comparaciones entre escenarios y épocas históricas
diferentes. Creo que en el fondo todos los regímenes totalitarios
guardan similitudes en sus métodos aunque difieran en su ideología. Lo
cierto es que mucho del atosigamiento de propaganda ideológica al que
nos someten en esta Isla, ya había sido probado y perfeccionado por
Goebbels. A veces me estremece ver el parecido de la estética, las
vallas políticas, la retórica de los discursos entre este sistema y
aquel que terminó sepultado en el búnker de Berlín. Pero creo que en
realidad todos los autoritarios se parecen, todos los sistemas
anuladores de la voluntad del individuo usan técnicas similares, aunque
sea con diferentes grados en su aplicación. La lectura del libro LTI: La
lengua del Tercer Reich, de Víctor Klemperer, me abrió la sensibilidad y
los oídos para percatarme de la concordancia en cuanto a medios y
propósitos entre aquel sistema y éste.

http://www.diariodecuba.com/participa/entrevista/yoani-sanchez-la-democracia-llegara-24-horas-despues-de-que-todos-nos-lo-propon

European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek made a last-minute plea Monday
for Cuban authorities to let dissident Guillermo Farinas leave the
island to pick up the top EU rights prize.

"Regretfully, Mr. Farinas was not allowed to come and collect the prize
in person on Wednesday even though I have personally asked this in a
letter to the President of Cuba, Mr. Raul Castro," Buzek said.

"If Mr. Farinas could leave (in) the following hours, he would still be
able to join us on Wednesday," he said at the start of a parliament
session in Strasbourg, France.

The European Parliament decided in October to award its prestigious
Sakharov human rights prize to Farinas, who put his own health at risk
by carrying out 23 hunger strikes to protest Havana's policies.

Buzek called on EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to take Cuba's
refusal to allow the dissident to leave into consideration when
reviewing the EU's relations with the communist regime.

The 48-year-old Farinas, who heads the outlawed online agency Cubanacan
Press, held a 135-day hunger strike earlier this year that left him near
death but helped to compel the Cuban government to release 52 political
prisoners.

He is the third Cuban to win the Sakharov prize. The 2005 laureate, the
Ladies in White opposition movement, have not been able to come to
Strasbourg to collect their prize either.

http://67.59.172.92/article/World_News/World_News/Cuba_must_let_dissident_pick_up_EU_prize_parliament_chief/73248

El futuro sombrío de Cuba
Según filtración de Wikileaks, los consejeros comerciales de China,
España, Francia, Italia, Canadá, Japón y Brasil anticipan una "fatal"
situación económica en la isla antes de lo previsto
Fuente: Agencias/AP/Síntesis
12 de Diciembre de 2010

La crisis financiera global y la incapacidad para atender la servidumbre
de su cuantiosa deuda externa agravarán la situación económica de Cuba
hasta extremos que pueden ser "fatales en dos o tres años", según el
pronóstico de los representantes en La Habana de dos países acreedores,
Francia y Japón, y de los consejeros comerciales de China, aliado
político y comercial de Cuba, España, Brasil, Italia y Canadá (EU),
principales inversores en la isla después de Venezuela.

Pese al sombrío futuro es improbable una liberalización sustantiva,
señala el cable de la Sección de Intereses de Estados Unidos número
248021, fechado en febrero de este año y publicado por el diario español
El País, que recoge las conclusiones del almuerzo organizado por el
consejero político y económico de la legación norteamericana con los
siete técnicos internacionales acreditados en Cuba. La previsión del
italiano es alarmante: "Italia dice que sus fuentes en el gobierno de
Cuba sugieren que Cuba podría ser insolvente en el 2011".

Las aperturas estructurales que facilitarían el despegue de la
centralizada economía comunista no acaban de ejecutarse, mientras el
gobierno de Raúl Castro "se retuerce las manos en las indecisión porque
teme las consecuencias políticas de cambios largamente demorados",
escribe Jonathan D. Farrar, jefe de la Sección de Intereses, al resumir
la opinión de sus colegas.

El cultivo privado de tierras ociosas, una reforma potencialmente
significativa, aplicada en 2009, no ha sido efectiva por la
inexperiencia de los adjudicatarios y la carencia de maquinaria, capital
y mercados. Los consejeros calculan que si "la inestable Venezuela"
reduce significativamente su ayuda económica, centrada fundamentalmente
en el envío de cerca de 90 mil barriles diario de petróleo, Cuba podría
verse avocada a reformas similares a las aplicadas, a la fuerza, durante
el Período Especial de principios de los noventa. La revolución cubana
perdió entonces los multimillonarios subsidios soviéticos y casi
quiebra. "El pueblo cubano ha nacido acostumbrado a los tiempos
difíciles y responderá a las próxima convocatoria oficial a apretarse el
cinturón con similar aguante", anticipa Farrar en su informe al
Departamento de Estado.

Reducción del déficit

Oficialmente, la situación financiera no es tan crítica, teniendo en
cuenta el embargo norteamericano de hace medio siglo y los dos golpes
demoledores del 2009: dos huracanes que consumieron miles de millones de
euros en pérdidas. El pasado dos de noviembre, durante la inauguración
de la feria comercial de La Habana, el ministro de Comercio Exterior,
Rodrigo Malmierca, afirmó que en los nueve primeros meses del 2009 al
crecer las exportaciones y caer radicalmente las importaciones, el
déficit fiscal se redujo en 2.949 millones de euros.

Las tendencias financieras, contribuyeron al aumento de los ingresos
nacionales, según el ministro, "y nos han permitido a enfrentar
gradualmente los problemas de liquidez en las finanzas externas". La
deuda exterior de Cuba alcanzó los 17.800 millones de dólares en el año
2007, con tendencia alcista, según las cifras disponibles.

Las reformas previstas por el gobierno permita la actividad privada en
178 actividades y descentralizarán, en alguna medida, la gestión. El
Estado controla hasta ahora el 90% de la economía nacional.

Las valoraciones recogidas por el anfitrión estadounidense son
pesimistas, discurren en la dirección contraria a la comentada por el
ministro, y coinciden en mencionar el creciente protagonismo de las
Fuerzas Armadas al frente de las empresas estatales. "La economía cubana
está progresivamente manejada por ingenieros militares que son capaces
de llevar el día a día de los negocios, pero no tienen la visión de
promover reformas que saquen al país del desorden económico y la
economía centralizada". Los consejeros comerciales dicen que la
dirección económica ha sido más centralizada aun y los ministerios
económicos restringen las consultas. "El francés se quejó de que las
finanzas del gobierno cambiaron del Banco Central al ministerio de
Economía y Planificación, y que con ese cambio ya no tiene acceso ni a
la información, ni a los funcionarios".

Créditos, de uno a cuatro años

Cuba redujo drásticamente las importaciones, con la consiguiente pérdida
de mercancías y artículos antes a disposición de la sociedad, e instó a
la mayor productividad local, a todas luces insuficientes para cubrir
las apatencias y necesidades de una población de 11 millones de
personas. El consejero comercial español argumentó en el almuerzo que
apenas hay espacio en Cuba para reducir sus importaciones después de un
recorte del 37% en el 2009. Sólo selvan las compras básicas. "Los
problemas de cobro afectan a todos los países. A pesar de haber
reestructurado toda su deuda oficial en 2009, Japón no ha recibido
ningún pago. Incluso China admitió tener problemas para cobrar a tiempo
y se quejó de las peticiones cubanas de extender las condiciones de los
créditos de uno a cuatro años", continúa el informe a Washington.

Los chinos desaprueban la rigidez cubana en la constitución de empresas
mixtas. "No importa si la inversión extranjera en un negocio es de diez
o cien millones de dólares, la inversión del gobierno de Cuba siempre se
subirá hasta el 51% (para ejercer el control de la sociedad)", dijo el
consejero comercial chino con visible exasperación", según reproduce
Farrar. "Cualquier discusión acerca de reformas tipo chino,
fundamentalmente las referidas a la inversión extranjera, son difíciles,
"un dolor de cabeza", dice el chino". El almuerzo prosigue con
adivinanzas sobre la orientación de la política cubana. El consejero
canadiense aventura que, contrariamente a Fidel Castro, Raúl necesita de
"la maquinaria" del Partido Comunista Cubano (PCC) para implementar los
cambios, se abunda sobre "la variable venezolana" , mientras al
encargado de redactar el informe sobre Cuba para el Departamento de
Estado, Jonathan D. Farrar, lo concluye así: "El gobierno cubano
continúa confuso, en gran medida porque sus líderes están paralizados
por miedo a que con las reformas perderán el poder al que se han
aferrado durante más de 50 años".

http://periodicosintesis.com.mx/noticias/75175/El-futuro-sombrio-de-Cuba

It has been more than four years since Raul Castro assumed the duties of
the presidency of Cuba and more than 2 1/2 years since he officially
took over for his older brother, Fidel.

In that time, words like "pragmatic," "practical" and "reformer" have
often been attached to Raul as a way of contrasting his governing
philosophy with his brother's and to signal that major political and
economic reforms may be imminent.

But a sober analysis suggests that meaningful change has not occurred.
In fact, given the conclusions of several reports on human rights in
Cuba, and based on our conversations with dozens of Cuba experts and
Cubans both inside and outside Cuba, it is clear that the regime's
tyranny is as entrenched as ever.

The Raul-as-reformer narrative began when he announced modest economic
changes early in his reign. These included privatizing some farmland,
denationalizing small beauty parlors and taxi-driving enterprises and
loosening restrictions on the use of cell phones and other electronics.

Then, in July, the Cuban government announced that it would release the
remaining 52 political prisoners it had imprisoned during the "Black
Spring," a mass arrest of nonviolent activists in March 2003. As of Nov.
12, 39 prisoners had been released and exiled to Spain.

In September, the Cuban labor federation announced a government plan to
fire more than 500,000 state employees between October and March. It
would mark the biggest shift of jobs from the public to the private
sector in nearly 50 years.

All of this has convinced many of the major players in Cuba's
relationship with the outside world that Raul is someone they can work with.

Even before the recent changes, President Obama talked about forging "a
new beginning" with Cuba. After a July meeting with Raul in Havana,
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos proclaimed the opening
of "a new phase in Cuba" and insisted "there is no longer any reason to
maintain the [European Union's] Common Position on Cuba," which calls
for normalizing relations with the regime once progress is made on human
rights and democracy issues.

Even the beleaguered Cuban Catholic Church – whose leaders were given
the cold shoulder by Fidel, who preferred to negotiate directly with the
Vatican on church matters – sees an opening. Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega
y Alamino, Archbishop of Havana, announced a "magnificent beginning" to
a new relationship with the regime after talks with Raul last spring.

Journalists, too, see change they can believe in with Raul. The prisoner
releases promptedNewsweek's Patrick Symmes to write, "A half century of
repression [in Cuba] appears to be ending."

Such claims are contradicted by the findings of numerous human rights
groups. In a November 2009 study titled "New Castro, Same Cuba:
Political Prisoners in the Post-Fidel Era," Human Rights Watch
documented more than 40 cases of Cubans imprisoned for "dangerousness"
under a Cuban law that allows authorities to imprison persons they
suspect might commit a crime in the future.

Scores of other Cubans have been sentenced under Raul for violating laws
that criminalize free expression and association. Cubans have been
imprisoned for failing to attend government rallies, for not belonging
to official party organizations and even for being unemployed.

Non-Cubans are not immune to such treatment. One of this piece's
authors, Jordan Allott, was detained briefly and interrogated by Cuban
police during a trip across Cuba in 2009 merely for asking a couple of
Cubans to talk about the Cuban Revolution on a street in Camaguey.

American contractor Alan Gross has been imprisoned in Cuba for nearly a
year. He is accused of trying to provide unauthorized satellite Internet
connections to Cuba's tiny Jewish community.

In its report, Human Rights Watch concluded that rather than dismantle
Fidel's "system of abusive laws and institutions," Raul "has kept it
firmly in place and fully active."

Freedom House's 2010 Freedom in the World survey again designated Cuba
as the sole "not free" country in the Americas. It also placed Cuba
among its "worst of the worst" countries, which kept it on the shortlist
of "the world's most repressive regimes."

In an October 2009 report, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor rebuked Cuba for its lack of religious
freedom. "The Government continued to exert control over all aspects of
societal life, including religious expression," the report stated.
Violations of religious freedom included efforts to control and monitor
religious activities and fines against unregistered religious groups.

The Cuban government continues to be one of the few in the world that
prohibit the International Committee of the Red Cross access to their
prisons. The condition of those prisons was highlighted in February with
the hunger-strike death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo. Zapata, imprisoned for
nonviolent political activism, undertook the strike to protest prison
conditions. The international outcry after his death was partially
responsible for prompting the regime to agree to release prisoners
willing to be exiled.

The continued mistreatment of nonviolent political activists comes as no
surprise to those who remember Raul as the official who oversaw
thousands of executions of political prisoners in the early years of the
revolution.

As with most tyrants, the Castros are skilled at sending mixed signals
about their intentions. It was months into the revolution before many
democrats realized that Fidel's repeated declarations that his
revolution was informed not by Marxism but by democratic and Christian
principles were lies.

Last year, the Cuban government invited Manfred Novak, the United
Nations' special investigator on torture, to inspect Cuba's prisons. The
invitation drew praise from the international community. But the
government rescinded the invitation last month, stating that an outside
investigation was not needed.

In spring, Raul was lauded for agreeing to end persecution of the Ladies
in White, a group of wives, mothers and other female relatives of Cuban
political prisoners who were being harassed, beaten and prevented by
government security agents from making their weekly peaceful protests.

But the government resumed its harassment in August. It deployed large
mobs to intimidate Reina Luisa Tamayo, mother of deceased hunger striker
Zapata, preventing her from marching and attending Mass.

Even the prisoner releases are less than they appear. The Cuban
government pledged to release all its political prisoners without any
conditions by Nov. 7. But that deadline has passed, and 13 prisoners who
refuse to be exiled from the island remain incarcerated.

Last month, Berta Soler of the Ladies in White accused the government of
"applying psychological pressure to those remaining in prison because
they want to see them out of the country."

The prisoner releases and economic changes are not meaningful and
lasting steps toward reform. Instead, they are short-term measures
designed to extract economic concessions from the United States and Europe.

As Susan Kaufman Purcell, director of the Center for Hemispheric Policy
at the University of Miami, put it to us in an interview, "It's wrong to
think that [Cuba is] now on this one-way road toward openness and
democracy. That's not the case at all. Cuba needs something. What the
regime is hoping for is to get some economic help."

Cuba's economy is in abysmal shape. Food production has slowed, and
tourism, foreign remittances and subsidies from Venezuela have plunged
with the global economy.

The Cuban government is laying off 500,000 workers not because it wants
to move toward a free-market capitalist system. It is doing so because
it can no longer afford to pay those workers' monthly $20 wages.

Similarly, the regime is exiling some of its political prisoners not
because it suddenly has seen the light on human rights and democracy.
Rather, it's exiling them because it's desperate for America and the EU
to relax economic sanctions, which both have made conditional
principally on the release of political prisoners.

The Castro brothers are experts at easing their grip on Cuba just enough
and just long enough to get what they want. On many occasions throughout
the Castro regime's 51 years, it has freed or exiled political prisoners
or made other "reforms" only to reverse course once it got what it needed.

Ms. Kaufman Purcell says, "The way [authoritarian regimes] often work is
that when things get bad, when there's a lot of external pressure, what
happens is that they release [prisoners], and at some point they get new
ones."

Armando Valladares, a Cuban-born former political prisoner and former
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, told us,
"The liberation of groups of political prisoners is a frequent practice
in Cuba. It has happened many times for the revolution's interests. [The
prisoner releases] absolutely should not be interpreted … as a change
in the tyranny's repressive structure."

After foreign aid from the Soviet Union was cut off with the fall of
communism in the early 1990s, the Cuban government loosened controls on
private enterprise, allowing 200,000 workers to earn money as street
vendors and taxi drivers. But as soon as the economy recovered, many of
the new businesses were shut down.

When the government wanted some good publicity ahead of Pope John Paul
II's visit in 1998, it released 300 political prisoners. As soon as the
press attention subsided, the prisons were filled again with political
opponents.

If fundamental political and economic reforms are to be made in Cuba,
the government's repressive legal system and security apparatus must be
dismantled. That didn't happen for more than four decades under Fidel.
And it's not happening under Raul.

Daniel Allott is senior writer at American Values and a Washington
fellow at the National Review Institute. He also is associate producer
of "Oscar's Cuba," a documentary film about Cuban prisoner of conscience
Dr. Oscar Biscet. Jordan Allott is director and executive producer of
"Oscar's Cuba."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/24/premature-thanks-in-cuba/

Prague, Nov 2 (CTK) – The Czech Republic is ready to accept more
released Cuban prisoners if they show interest in it, Foreign Minister
Karel Schwarzenberg (TOP 09) confirmed to CTK after yesterday's meeting
with Rolando Jimenez Pozada, a Cuban dissident whom Prague accepted last
week.

Prague plans to grant asylum to Pozada, who was recently released from
Cuban prison and chose the Czech Republic as a country to settle down
with his family.

The Czechs helped Pozada while in prison in the past years.

Schwarzenberg did not rule out that another Cuban human rights fighter
may arrive in the Czech Republic, but said no concrete name is being
discussed now.

"We will [accept more of them] if necessary. It mainly depends on
whether they will show interest in coming here…Most of them tend to
reach a country with the same [Spanish] language," Schwarzenberg said.

Pozada told journalists that he wants to learn Czech and would like to
focus on his profession of a lawyer.

If the communist regime in Cuba collapsed, he and his wife would
immediately return home, he said.

Pozada said he was arrested in Cuba in 2003 along with another 136
dissidents. He spent seven years and nine months in prison, including in
isolation and in bad conditions. "Moreover, we were bullied by the
prison wards," he said.

He learnt about his planned release in early October. Shortly afterwards
he left for Spain and on October 26 further for Prague.

The Czech state wants to help the Pozada family overcome the culture
barrier and integrate in the local society.

"The barrier is huge," Pozada admitted yesterday.

He said the difference between former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and
brother Raul, the present leader, is negligible.

"Raul uses a different vocabulary, but it is no big liberalisation of
the country in his case," Pozada said.

Prague has been a long-standing critic of the Cuban totalitarian regime.
After Spain, the Czech Republic is the second EU country to welcome a
released Cuban dissident. Outside the EU, the step has been taken by the
USA and Chile.

http://praguemonitor.com/2010/11/03/prague-ready-accept-more-cuban-prisoners-schwarzenberg-says

Luxembourg, Oct 25 (CTK) – The European Union will not change its
current stance on the Cuban regime though Cuba released some political
prisoners in the past weeks, the EU countries' foreign ministers agreed
Monday, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has said.

The EU will be willing to negotiate with Cuba only if human rights
protection improves in this country, he added.

The EU has practically not changed its stance since 1996 when it adopted
a common position on Cuba.

Spain, which wants the EU to normalise relations with Cuba, has
criticised this position in the long run.

However, a number of the member states stand up against the Spanish
view. The Czech Republic has been among the strongest opponents of
softening the EU policy towards the Cuban totalitarian regime.

The Czech Republic and Sweden, with support of Germany, Monday succeeded
in persuading most of the EU member states that not even the release of
some prisoners of conscience was a sufficient reason to mitigate the
stance, Schwarzenberg said.

Last week, the Cuban government approved the release of five political
prisoners who, however, do not belong to the group of 52 dissidents
arrested, along with another 23 regime opponents, in 2003.

These people are being gradually released prom prison on the basis of
the July agreement between the Cuban government and Spain which was
mediated by the Catholic Church.

http://www.praguemonitor.com/2010/10/26/schwarzenberg-eu-not-change-stance-cuba

PRAGUE — Officials say the Czech Republic has become the second
European Union country after Spain to grant asylum to a Cuban political
prisoner.

The Foreign Ministry says Rolando Jimenez Posada arrived in Prague on
Tuesday.

He's one of dozens political prisoners Cuba's communist government
agreed to free on condition they leave the island.

Pavla Holcova of the People In Need human rights organization says
Jimenez Posada, a lawyer, was arrested in 2003 and received a 12-year
prison term three years later for subversion. Holcova said Posada
arrived with his wife, brother, son and niece.

The Czech Republic is one of the strongest critics in the EU of Cuba's
human rights record. The ministry says the country is ready to take 10
Cuban political prisoners.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/26/1891494/czechs-grant-asylum-to-cuban-political.html

GUILLERMO FARINAS
* One of best-known Cuban dissidents; staged more than 20 hunger strikes
* Ended four-month hunger strike in July
* Supporter of non-violent protest, said he was ready to die in fight
for human rights in Cuba
* Trained and worked as a psychologist
* Independent journalist and founder of independent Cubanacan Press
* Received several international human rights awards

The European Parliament has awarded its Sakharov human rights prize to
Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas.

In July Mr Farinas, 48, ended a hunger strike after Cuba's communist
government announced it was freeing 52 political prisoners.

During his campaign for human rights he has staged more than 20 hunger
strikes and spent more than 11 years in prison.

An Israeli human rights watchdog and an Ethiopian opposition activist
had also been nominated for the prize.

Mr Farinas, a psychologist, journalist and former soldier, had been near
death while on hunger strike this year, doctors said.

The MEPs who nominated him for the prestigious award called him "a
beacon of hope for dozens of journalists and activists who are currently
in prison".

Cubans have been awarded the prize twice before: dissident Oswaldo Paya
in 2002 and the Ladies in White group of women whose husbands are jailed
in Cuba, who won the award in 2005.
Continue reading the main story
Related stories

* Cuba 'to release more prisoners'
* Cuban hunger striker returns home

Announcing the award on Thursday, the parliament president Jerzy Buzek
said Mr Farinas "was ready to sacrifice and risk his own health and life
as a means of pressure to achieve change in Cuba".

"I hope to hand over the award to him in person, here in Strasbourg, in
December, which would be a tremendous moment for the European Parliament
and for all Cuban prisoners of conscience.

"I sincerely hope that, together with Guillermo Farinas, the Ladies in
White (Damas de Blanco), another Cuban Sakharov laureate from 2005, will
also be able to collect their Sakharov Prize in person."

The European Union, like the US, has urged Cuba for years to free
political prisoners and improve human rights.

The Sakharov Prize was named after the late Soviet dissident Andrei
Sakharov and was first awarded in 1988. It includes a cash award of
50,000 euros.

The Russian human rights group Memorial won the award last year.

Spain has called on the EU to normalise relations with Cuba, but the
Czech Republic and Slovakia – former communist bloc countries – are
among the member states against that idea.

EU foreign ministers are due to discuss relations with Cuba next week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11594804

STRASBOURG — The European parliament awarded Thursday its prestigious
Sakharov human rights prize to Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas, as
Europe debates whether to normalise ties with the Communist regime.

"Guillermo Farinas is an independent journalist and political dissident
who was ready to sacrifice and risk his own health and life as a means
of pressure to achieve change in Cuba," said parliament president Jerzy
Buzek.

The 48-year-old journalist and psychologist has often used hunger
strikes to press for greater freedoms in the island led by the Castro
brothers since the 1959 revolution.

"He used hunger strikes to protest and to challenge the lack of freedom
of speech in Cuba, carrying the hopes for all of those who care for
freedom, human rights and democracy," Buzek said as he announced this
year's winner.

Ethiopian opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa and Israeli rights group
Breaking the Silence had also been on the shortlist for this year's
Sakharov award. The winner is chosen behind closed doors by the heads of
the European parliament's political groups.

Farinas is the third Cuban to receive the prize, after Oswaldo Paya in
2002 and the "Ladies in White" group of women whose husbands are jailed
in Cuba, which received the award in 2005.

But the Communist government has never allowed the Ladies in White to
travel to Strasbourg to pick up their prize at the parliament.

"I sincerely hope that together with Guillermo Farinas another Cuban
laureate from 2005, the Ladies in White, will also be able to collect
the Sakharov prize in person," Buzek said. The ceremony is scheduled for
December 15.

The 22nd Sakharov Prize, named after late Soviet dissident Andrei
Sakharov, comes with a cash award of 50,000 euros (70,000 dollars).

The decision to give this year's award to Farinas came four days before
European Union foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg to discuss the
27-nation bloc's relations with Cuba.

Spain's Socialist government wants the EU to normalise relations with
Cuba, arguing that a shift away from a hardline stance would accelerate
change on the island.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia, former communist bloc countries, oppose
any change in the EU's current position, diplomats said.

The EU's "common position" at present is to insist that Cuba make
progress on human rights and democracy before ties are normalised.

Europeans remain divided on how to proceed with Cuba ahead of Monday's
meeting of foreign ministers, diplomats said.

Farinas held a 135-day hunger strike earlier this year that left him
near death but compelled the Cuban government to release 52 political
prisoners.

Another fast between 1995 and 1997 brought attention to his allegations
of corruption at the hospital where he worked.

He also carried out a six-month hunger strike in 2006, but that time he
failed to force the government to allow freer access to the Internet.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hYbn4A0Faez8FsXTP7jv1q9rKd_w?docId=CNG.503f5376282f37d4d1855abb2aea9e6a.2a1

STRASBOURG, France — The European Parliament awarded its annual human
rights prize on Thursday to Guillermo Farinas, the Cuban dissident whose
134-day hunger strike helped draw attention to the plight of political
dissidents jailed in a 2003 crackdown on dissent.

Cuba began freeing the 52 political prisoners earlier this year after an
agreement ironed out with the help of the Roman Catholic Church,
prompting Farinas to end his protest.

A 48-year-old psychologist and freelance journalist, he has spent more
than 11 years in prison himself for a variety of offenses, though he was
not behind bars during the hunger strike. He decided to launch his
protest after the death of a jailed political prisoner following a long
hunger strike.

Cuba's government considers him a common criminal paid for by Cuba's
enemies in Washington, and notes that some of his legal troubles include
an assault on a co-worker and other violent behavior. Farinas says all
the charges are linked to his activism.

Reached by telephone at his humble home in the central Cuban city of
Santa Clara, Farinas said the award sent a strong signal to the
government in Havana.

"The award is a very direct message to Cuba's leaders, who have done so
little" to respect human rights, he said.

Farinas warned he will begin another hunger strike if the Cuban
government does not fulfill its July 8 pledge to free all 52 political
prisoners jailed in 2003 within four months. To date, 39 have accepted
exile in Spain in return for their freedom. At least some of the
remaining 13 appear to be holding out because they do not want to leave
Cuba.

The European Parliament said it will invite Farinas to come to
Strasbourg on Dec. 15 to collect the assembly's 2010 Sakharov Prize for
Freedom of Thought. The prize carries a cash award of euro50,000 ($69,205).

The prize is bound to rile Havana's communist leaders and complicate
efforts to improve their relations with Europe that have been strained
since the 2003 crackdown on dissent.

Cuba's leaders are already angry over the recent decision to award the
Nobel Prize for literature to Mario Vargas Llosa, the Chilean author
whose disdain for Fidel and Raul Castro is well-known, and the Peace
Prize to a jailed pro-democracy activist in China, an important Cuban ally.

Previous winners of the Sakharov Prize include Aung San Suu Kyi, the
Burmese opposition leader, and former South African President Nelson
Mandela.

Europe's top human-rights prize was awarded twice before to Cubans: in
2002 to pro-democracy activist Oswaldo Paya and in 2005 to a dissident
group, Ladies in White.

A former Cuban soldier, Farinas is a contributor to the independent
press agency "Cubanacan Press," which is maintained by anti-Castro
Cuban-Americans.

Since 2006 he has repeatedly chosen hunger strikes to protest what he
says is the lack of freedom – notably the internet censorship – and
shaky respect for human rights in his country.

The Sakharov Award was announced four days before the EU foreign
ministers are to assess the 27-nation bloc's relations with Cuba. The
EU's view has long been that Cuba must improve its human rights record
before relations can be upgraded.

Spain spearheads a bid to improve relations, but the bloc's former
communist members in Eastern Europe oppose this.

Farinas said he opposes any improvement in European relations with his
country, and he brushed off the release of political prisoners as
insufficient. "The release of prisoners is not enough to make Cuba a
democratic country," he added.
Associated Press writer Andrea Rodriguez contributed to this story from
Havana.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/21/1883981/eu-rights-prize-for-cuban-dissident.html

Spain leads charge to weaken EU's resolve
BY JOSE AZEL
j.azel@miami.edu

The Council of the European Union will soon meet to evaluate its Common
Position on Cuba. Leading the charge to essentially abolish it is
Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.

Since 1996, the EU has defined the key objective of its relations with
Cuba through a Common Position to “encourage a process of transition to
pluralistic democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms . . .'' The Common Position seeks “the reform of internal
legislation concerning political and civil rights, including the Cuban
criminal code, the abolition of all political offences, the release of
all political prisoners and the ending of the harassment and punishment
of dissidents.''

Given these specific goals, it is difficult to understand Foreign
Minister Moratinos' claim — based apparently on the announcement that
the Cuban government will free and essentially deport 52 political
prisoners — that “there is no longer any reason for the EU to maintain
its common position toward Cuba.''

Moratinos has lowered the bar to a minimalist and reversible gesture
undertaken by the Cuban government. He has abandoned the Common
Position's declared objectives and, in doing so he appears to have
redefined unilaterally the goals of the EU Common Position for the
member states.

Moratinos may be working to protect the bilateral interests of Spain in
Cuba, but he is clearly undermining one of the main legal instruments of
the EU that defines the unified approach of the Union to a matter of
general interest. Spain's championing the abandonment of the Common
Position is particularly puzzling since its shared history and cultural
kinship with Cuba would suggest that Spain would carry the EU's flagship
message that “full cooperation with Cuba will depend on improvements in
human rights and political freedoms,'' as stipulated by the European
Council.

There is little in the announced release of some political prisoners
that meets the criteria outlined in 1996 by the Common Position. Release
from unjust prison and deportations are not synonymous with political
freedoms, nor do they signal a process of transition to a pluralist
democracy and respect for human rights. As if to underscore this point
the Cuban government has continued to arrest, repress, harass and
intimidate members of the opposition and civil society even as it
releases some of the activists incarcerated during the Black Spring of 2003.

In contrast to Spain, other EU countries such as the Czech Republic,
Germany, Slovakia, Poland and Sweden remain skeptical of abandoning the
Common Position and are insisting that any future decisions regarding
Cuba be based on criteria that unambiguously define what can be
considered improvements in human rights and political freedoms.

Unrequited abandonment of the principled Common Position implies that EU
criticism aimed at violations of civil liberties and political rights in
Cuba will be muted and contacts with Cuban dissidents will tend to fade
away, demoralizing Cuba's internal opposition. It will also reward a
repressive government unwilling to undertake democratic reforms.
Symbolic as it may be, the EU's Common Position sends an important
message to Cuban citizens that they are not alone. It also provides the
Cuban government with a clear understanding of the EU's expectations.

Sadly, Moratinos categorical statement that “there is no longer any
reason for the EU to maintain its common position towards Cuba''
necessarily means that Cuba has met the Spanish government's
human-rights expectations. The Foreign Minister seems to have forgotten
a seminal lesson from the Spanish transition — indeed from all
transitions — that transitions must be responsive to the interests and
aspirations of the citizenry. In a system that denies basic freedoms,
society is debilitated by a miasma of fear. For five decades fear has
been an integral part of the everyday Cuban existence. It is a fear the
must be conquered if any national transition project is to stand a
chance of success.

Along the lines of the Spanish transition, the perfect Cuban transition
is one that proceeds peacefully and lawfully; from law to law. It is one
in which the governing class itself decides to change the rules of the
game and open the political process calling for free, fair and
competitive elections. This is and should remain the ethical goal of the
European Union's Common Position and particularly of Cuba's mother country.

José Azel is a senior research associate at the Institute for Cuban and
Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami. He is the author of the
recently published book, Mañana in Cuba.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/11/1867300/spain-leads-charge-to-weaken-eus.html

A new business network to aid Irish businesses that want to invest in
Cuba or create new markets there has been established with the backing
of the Cuban Embassy in Ireland.

The Irish Cuba Business Network ( IC BN) was launched in Dublin last
week to promote trade and investment with the Caribbean island and to
assist Irish companies interested in doing business there.

Tax-free profits for such investments – along with a market of 11
million people and projected tourism growth to four million visitors by
2012 – are just some of the incentives, according to Martin Connolly,
founder of ICBN.

A partner with Hospitality Business Reports (HBR),Connolly visited Cuba
last May, at the invitation of the Cuban Ministry of Tourism, to discuss
the opening of an Irish gastropub and music and arts centre in Old Havana.

His background in the hospitality industry in Ireland and Britain –
where he developed several 'authentic' Irish pubs – was the reason for
the invitation. A site has now been selected for the co-joined venues in
Old Havana, and construction will commence in the coming months.

''There are major opportunities for Irish companies," Connolly said.

''Cuba is like Ireland was in the 1970s and 1980s: we had visitors but
not the infrastructure or standards they required.

Tourism projects, like hotels, golf courses and marinas, food
processing, packaging, renewable energy, oil exploration and biotech are
among the priority sectors for foreign investment.

''Irish firms can form joint ventures with Cuban companies or enter into
business as a foreign capital company without the involvement of any
national investor. Since 1995 expertise and investment has come from
over 45 countries – 50 per cent of them EU countries.

''Should the current process in the US Congress aimed at lifting the
travel ban for US citizens to Cuba succeed, tourism is expected to
double to four million by 2012 and 10,000 extra hotel beds will be
needed for this."

A tradeshow on investment will be held in Cuba next month, at which the
ICBN will feature.

''Relations between Ireland and Cuba are developing and both sides have
indicated interest in strengthening links in various areas," said
Teresita Trujillo, the Cuban ambassador to Ireland.

''After the visits of both our Ministers for Foreign Affairs in the last
year, we have identified the potential for further cooperation in the
fields of trade, investment, education, science, culture and sports,
among others.""

http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/cuba-offers-opportunities-for-irish-companies-52023.html

At least five of the 12 political prisoners eligible for release from
Cuban prisons — but who refuse to leave the island — say they'll
accept freedom if it's offered because of their poor health and age,
according to a founder of the Ladies in White group.

Release under the so-called “extrapenal license'' would hopefully
prevent Cuban officials from kicking out of the country the freed
prisoners — as has been done in recent months.

“I suppose there will be some who will accept the license because they
are really sick,'' said Laura Pollán on Friday in a telephone interview
from Havana.

Cuba agreed to release 52 prisoners from the opposition who are part of
the 75 convicted in 2003 during what is known as the Black Spring, a
crack down to silence dissidents.

The release is attributed to the mediation of the Cuban Catholic Church
and Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino, Archbishop of Havana, who supported
the dialogue in favor of better conditions for conscience prisoners.

The program has released 36 dissidents who were flown to Spain with
their families and close relatives.

Yet segments of the internal opposition have accused Cuba of
manipulating the situation and deceiving the prisoners by allowing them
to leave prison only if they travel directly to Spain, said Pollán,
whose husband, Héctor Maseda, who is serving a full 20 years, has said
that he will remain in the island.

“The government is applying psychological pressure to those remaining
in prison because they want to see them out of the country,'' Berta
Soler, spokeswoman of the women's group. Her husband, Angel Moya, is
serving a 20-year sentence.

The group of five prisoners who plan to turn down the “extrapenal
licenses'' include Pedro Argüelles Morán, Librado Linares García and
Guido Sigler Amaya, all sentenced to 20 years, and Eduardo Díaz Fleitas
and the economist Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique, sentenced to 21 and 18
years, respectively.

Proper care of those who have health problems is a priority that cannot
wait, according to the Ladies in White, formed by mothers, wives and
relatives of political prisoners.

Among the cases considered critical is the case of Argüelles, jailed in
the Canaleta prison in Ciego de Avila, who suffers from advanced
cataracts, arthrosis and circulatory problems. There is also Linares,
jailed in Guajamal jail in Villaclara, who has eyesight problems,
anemia, ulcers and digestive complications.

The advanced age of some of the prisoners is another sensitive issue.
Ramos, 68, is the oldest of the entire group of the 52 being released.

“He is anxiously waiting to be released,'' said his wife, Ester Lidia.
“He wants to get out of that hell, but he doesn't want to travel to
Spain because we are too old. I agree with any document, any license
that will allow him to be freed,'' she said.

The rest of the prisoners have consistently said that they do not want
to be released and be sent abroad, and that they want to be released
without any conditions. This group includes Maseda and Dr. Oscar Elías
Biscet, the best known among all jailed dissidents. Biscet, who in
November 2007 received in absentia the Medal of Freedom from President
George W. Bush, is serving a 25-year sentence.

In a telephone conversation from her house in Havana, Elsa Morejón,
Biscet's wife, said that all releases must be carried out effectively
and with transparency.

“My husband has suffered many pains and health complications, but he is
holding his ground. He is a man of his word,'' Morejón said.

Biscet started his role in the opposition shortly after graduating as a
medical doctor in the '80s, when he courageously denounced the working
conditions and the long hours doctors were forced to work without
compensation.

“My husband's release must be unconditional because he doesn't want to
leave Cuba,'' Morejón said. “Those who traveled to Spain were nor
properly documented and aware of what was awaiting them.''

To many analysts inside Cuba the government's decision to not release
those who wish to remain in Cuba has made their families restless.

Elizardo Sánchez, activist and president of the Human Rights and
National Reconciliation Commission, said the government is keeping those
12 in prison until the end of the process with the hope that they will
change their minds and leave Cuba in a matter of days.

“In the end, they will be released and this is supposed to happen in
the first weeks of October,'' Sánchez said. He added that there are
indications that the Cuban government will initiate a new round of
releases beyond those incarcerated under the Case of 75.

“We have received clear indications that a release of a larger group of
prisoners is in the works under the condition that they leave the
country,'' Sánchez said. “But it is not clear whether the issue of
these releases will be part of the agenda of the European Union Council.''

The EU policy links its relationship with Cuba to the issue of human
rights and individual freedoms. This position, known as common position,
does not contemplate any specific sanctions though the Cuban government
has denounced it as interference in its internal affairs and an
impediment for improving relations with the European bloc.

The extensive debate on the Cuban situation should be held this month
when the EU analyzes the issue in an integral manner, though there is no
full guarantee that it will happen, said Joaquín Roy, director of the
European Union Center at the University of Miami.

“The Council is indispensable on these issues, especially because there
are priorities,'' Roy said. “And if it becomes part of EU's global
scope this issue could become insignificant.''

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/03/v-fullstory/1855868/cuban-political-prisoners-ponder.html

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas has been named
as a top contender for the European Parliament's 2010 Sakharov Prize in
a move that could negatively impact Spain's ambition to normalise
Cuba-EU relations.

The 48-year-old psychologist and journalist, who has to date taken part
in 23 hunger strikes against the Communist government, has won the
backing of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) grouping in
the chamber, the anti-federalist European Conservatives and Reformists
(ECR) group and 91 other MEPs in the run-up to the award in October. The
bloc constitutes over half the members in the assembly.

The last time a Cuban nominee won the prize, the NGO Ladies in White in
2005, it angered Havana and Fidel Castro himself spoke out against MEPs.

The Farinas nomination comes amid a Spanish campaign for the EU to lift
its last remaining sanctions on Cuba.

Spain has strong commercial interests in its former colony. But its
proposal earlier this year to lift the EU measures fell on deaf ears
after the death in custody of hunger striker Orlando Zapata Tamayo.

In the past few months Cuba agreed with Spain to free 52 political
prisoners on condition they leave the country, creating fresh momentum
on the EU sanctions move. Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez
reportedly told his Spanish counterpart in New York on Thursday (23
September) it is ready to free more people even if they do not leave.

The centre-right EPP group does not share the centre-left Spanish
administration's optimism on Cuba, however.

A parliament official indicated that its Farinas nomination could even
be designed to harm Spain's initiative. "This [the Sakharov nomination]
comes at a time when there is talk of normalising Cuba-EU relations, and
the EPP is against this," the official said.

Names from Africa and the Middle East dominate the rest of the Sakharov
shortlist.

Syrian human rights lawyer Haytham Al-Maleh is also a candidate, as are
Western Sahara human rights worker Aminatou Haidar; jailed Eritrean
journalist Dawit Isaak; Ethiopian politician Birtukan Mideksa;
Vietnamese priest Nguyen Van Ly; online communications NGO Access;
Israeli army transparency NGO Breaking the Silence; and Open Doors, an
outfit trying to protect the rights of Christian minorities around the
world.

Three Sakharov finalists will be chosen by a committee vote in
mid-October. The winner will be decided at a behind-closed-doors meeting
of EP political group leaders on 21 October and honoured at a ceremony
in Strasbourg (in absentia if need be) in December.

The €50,000 award has a much smaller profile worldwide than the Nobel
Peace Prize. But past Sakharov laureates say it is an important
contribution to psychological well-being and personal safety.

Belarusian opposition politician Alaksandar Milinkievic, who won it in
2006, told EUobserver by phone from Minsk on Thursday (23 September):
"It was very important in terms of moral support for all of those
fighting for change in Belarus, often in difficult circumstances."

"It also offers a certain protection. Not just myself, but Belarusian
opposition activists in general suffered fewer infractions afterward.
It's a very important prize."

This story was updated at 08.30 Brussels time on 24 September to include
the report about Bruno Rodriguez offer in New York

http://euobserver.com/24/30879

Ciudad de México.- Bajo el título "El modelo cubano ya ni siquiera
funciona para nosotros", el corresponsal Jeffrey Goldberg, a quien Fidel
Castro (FC) invitó a fines de agosto a La Habana para hacer una
entrevista, publicó el 8 de septiembre la segunda parte de su
conversación con el líder cubano en la revista The Atlantic tras dedicar
la primera, un día antes, a Irán e Israel.

En rigor, la tajante afirmación que Fidel Castro habría hecho sobre el
socialismo no aparece en su contexto en la nota de Goldberg, sino que
éste la incluye casi al inicio, como puede cotejarse en el sitio
(www.theatlantic.com) y también en español: cubainformación.com

A continuación, lo más relevante de la plática.

"Hubo muchas cosas peculiares en mi reciente parada en La Habana (aparte
del espectáculo de delfines, que trataré en breve), pero una de las más
inusuales fue el nivel de introspección de Fidel Castro. He tenido una
experiencia limitada con autócratas comunistas (tengo más experiencia
con autócratas no comunistas) pero resultó muy llamativo que Castro
estuviera dispuesto a admitir que jugó mal su mano en un momento crucial
de la Crisis de los Misiles de Cuba (pueden leer sobre lo que dijo hacia
el final de mi post anterior, pero lo que señaló, de manera clara, es
que se arrepiente de haber solicitado a Khruschev atacar con armas
nucleares a Estados Unidos)

"Todavía más llamativo fue algo que dijo en la comida del día de nuestro
primer encuentro. Estábamos sentados alrededor de una pequeña mesa:
Castro, su mujer, Dalia; su hijo, Antonio; Randy Alonso, una figura
importante de los medios de comunicación del Estado; y Julia Sweig, la
amiga que hice me acompañara para asegurarme, entre otras cosas, de que
yo no decía nada demasiado estúpido (Julia es una destacada erudita en
América Latina en el Consejo de Relaciones Exteriores).

"En un inicio yo estaba interesado principalmente en ver comer a Fidel
—fue una combinación de problemas digestivos que conspiraron para casi
matarle, y por tanto pensé que haría un poco de 'Kremlinología'
gastrointestinal y mantendría una cuidadosa atención ante lo que él
ingiriese (para que conste, él ingirió pequeñas cantidades de pescado y
ensalada, y un poquito de pan untado en aceite de oliva, así como un
vaso de vino tinto)—. Pero durante la desenfadada conversación general
(habíamos estado tres horas hablando de Irán y Oriente Medio), le
pregunté si consideraba que el modelo cubano era algo digno de exportar.
'El modelo cubano ya no funciona ni siquiera para nosotros' dijo él.
Esto me chocó como salido de los más grandes momentos de Emily Litella
[personaje de ficción, con problemas auditivos, en el programa Saturday
Night Live, N. de T.]. ¿Acababa el líder de la Revolución de decir, en
esencia, ¿'No importa'?"

Goldberg le pide entonces a Sweig, que oficiaba de traductora, que
interpretara "esta impresionante declaración". Y el mismo Goldberg la
cita: "Él no estaba rechazando las ideas de la Revolución. Lo he tomado
como un reconocimiento de que bajo 'el modelo cubano' el Estado tiene un
rol demasiado grande en la vida económica del país. Julia señaló que un
efecto de semejante opinión podría ser otorgar espacio para su hermano,
Raúl, quien es ahora presidente, para promulgar las reformas necesarias
de cara a algo que seguramente encontrará oposición desde los comunistas
ortodoxos dentro del Partido y la burocracia. Raúl Castro está ya
soltando la adhesión del Estado sobre la economía. Él anunció
recientemente, de hecho, que pequeños negocios pueden ahora operar y que
los inversores extranjeros pueden ahora comprar inmuebles en Cuba".

En el siguiente párrafo Goldberg ironiza sobre el absurdo de las
prohibiciones de EU para comerciar con la isla, "que está adoptando las
medidas económicas que EU largamente le ha demandado. Nos arrepentiremos
de esto, por supuesto —dice Goldberg—, cuando los cubanos acuerden con
europeos y brasileños la acaparación de los mejores hoteles".

Lo que sigue es un diálogo sobre la visita al Acuario de La Habana, a
invitación de FC, para ver el espectáculo de los delfines, un
sorprendente show bajo el agua, con buzos sin equipos de respiración que
hacen complicadas acrobacias con los delfines. La veterinaria encargada
es nada menos que Celia Guevara, la hija del Che. Cuando alguien le
recuerda a Fidel en la mesa de la comida que los lunes el centro está
cerrado, éste responde: "Mañana estará abierto".

Ya en el sitio, continúa Goldberg, "Fidel hizo venir a Guillermo García,
el director del acuario (cada empleado del acuario, por supuesto, fue a
trabajar —me dijeron que 'de manera voluntaria'—) y le pidió que se
sentara con nosotros. 'Goldberg —dijo Fidel— hágale preguntas sobre los
delfines'. '¿Qué tipo de preguntas?'. 'Eres un periodista, hazle buenas
preguntas', dijo él, y entonces se interrumpió. 'De todas formas, él no
sabe demasiado sobre delfines', dijo Fidel señalando a García. Él es
realmente un físico nuclear".

"¿Por qué diriges el acuario?", le preguntó entonces Goldberg a García.
Y de nuevo Fidel, desternillándose de risa: "¡Le pusimos aquí para
alejarlo de construir bombas nucleares!

"En Cuba únicamente emplearíamos poder nuclear para objetivos
pacíficos", dice ahora García, con gran seriedad. "No sabía que
estuviera en Irán", responde Goldberg.

FC muestra la pequeña alfombrilla debajo de la silla giratoria especial
que sus guardaespaldas le acercaron. "¡Es persa!" dice, y vuelve a
reírse, antes de insistir: "Goldberg, haga sus preguntas sobre los
delfines".

"En el acto, me giré hacia García y le pregunté, '¿Cuánto pesan los
delfines?' 'Pesan entre 100 y 150 kilogramos', dijo él. '¿Cómo entrenan
a los delfines para que hagan lo que hacen?', le pregunté. 'Esa es una
buena pregunta,' dijo Fidel. Pero García, que explica que no puede
responder esa pregunta, llama a una de las veterinarias". Es ahí cuando
entra en acción la hija del Che.

Golderg termina la nota coincidiendo con Fidel en que el Acuario de La
Habana es el mejor que ha visto en el mundo, y ambos ratifican su
admiración por los delfines.

El periodista concluye anunciando una tercera parte donde dirá lo
conversado con Fidel Castro sobre el bloqueo de EU, el estatus de la
religión en Cuba, la situación de los disidentes políticos, y la reforma
económica.

http://www.milenio.com/node/528777

France condemns Castro Roma 'holocaust' remark

France says comments by former Cuban leader Fidel Castro about its
treatment of Roma migrants are unacceptable and show his ignorance of
history.

Mr Castro accused Paris of carrying out a "racial holocaust" over its
expulsion of members of the Roma community.

France has come under increasing international criticism after about
1,000 Roma were deported recently.

The European Parliament has urged the government to halt the
deportations – a call rejected by Paris.

"The use of 'holocaust' by Mr Castro demonstrates his ignorance of
history and disdain towards its victims," said French foreign ministry
spokesman Bernard Valero. "Such words are unacceptable."

In a clear reference to Cuba's treatment of dissidents, Mr Valero added:
"That Fidel Castro shows an interest in human rights is truly
revolutionary."
French irritation

Mr Castro, 84, made his controversial remark at an event in Havana to
promote the second volume of his autobiography.

"The last thing one would expect is the news of the expulsion of French
gypsies, who are victims of the cruelty of the extreme right wing in
France," he said.

Migrants were, he said, "victims of another kind of racial holocaust".

Fidel Castro's words have clearly angered the French government, the
BBC's David Chazan reports from Paris.

It has been irritated by international condemnation of its treatment of
the Roma and comparisons with the round-ups of Jews under the Nazi
occupation.

It says it is scrupulously observing French laws and European regulations.

Since Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, many Roma have come to
France.

But the government has blamed them for a rise in crime and violence and
says they cannot stay in France without jobs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11271064

Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta, part of a group of political prisoners
released in August following negotiations between the Roman Catholic
Church and Cuba's government, charged that the island nation's prisons
are "apocalyptic."

He also said he was tortured behind bars, though he did not elaborate
and his account could not be verified.

Cuba strenuously denies any torture in its jails, and it brands
opposition activists as mercenaries paid by the U.S. government to
discredit the revolution.

It says complaints by the West about its human rights record are
hypocritical in light of evidence America tortured inmates held without
charge at Guantanamo Bay, and says U.S. allies in Europe and elsewhere
were complicit in helping Washington set up secret prisons to illegally
hold terror suspects.

Acosta was arrested in Cuba during a 2003 crackdown on dissent and
sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of treason. He accepted
repatriation to Spain as an apparent condition of his release.

Acosta was in Warsaw at the invitation of Polish lawmakers. He urged
Poland and other EU countries to put pressure on Cuba to improve its
human rights record.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/09/1815643/cuban-dissident-castro-should.html