I am swamped right now at the office but there’s a couple of things I want to call attention to.
First, Robert of 26th Parallel has translated an excellent editorial written for the El Nuevo Herald by Elsa Morejon, wife of Cuban prisoner of conscience Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet. Here’s a quick taste:
If speaking of human ethics, I would vote for the triumph of the human being and its dignity, and this is far from being reached in Cuba. Here exists the largest number of political prisoners in the world, for thinking differently from the prevailing system. Many Cubans ignore that these American visitors are owners of small and large businesses, regardless of whether they belong to the Communist Party, Republican or Democrat. That the development of its civil society places that nation among the richest in the world. That a citizen can feed his family and enjoy basic rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has never been published in Cuba, rather it is presented as a subversive document and for more than 46 years free and democratic elections have not been celebrated, nor is accepted the diversity of political parties.
Read the whole powerful thing here.
Next, Paxety has some a few thoughts on the ongoing power outages, los apogones, in Cuba:
Remember after the end of the main shooting war in Iraq how the folks in Baghdad had problems with power? And the MSM and other folks squalled and howled about how terrible it all was? Why aren’t the same folks screaming about the lack of power in Cuba? How are the women supposed to use those rice cookers when there is no electricity?
The Conductor at Cuban American Pundits states something that I’ve been thinking for a few weeks now: Something is afoot in Cuba, we are witnessing history.
I also want to call attention to another Cuban-American blogger joining our ranks, Josue of Latino Issues. Welcome aboard this crazy blogtrain, Josue!
Also, if you’re in the Miami area tonight, there will be a screening at Miami-Dade Community college of the film “Cuba: Beyond the Pearl of the Antilles“. A documentary of the the lives of the many Cuban Jews who left Cuban in 1960, where they lived since the early 1900s.
The film also has a political perspective and clearly illustrates the severe adverse effect that Castro has had on the Cuban people and their economy. The Jewish community in Cuba continues to survive. We explore how they arrived in Cuba, how they continue to practice and why it is that they have remained close to their roots. What was the Cuban Jewish community of yesterday? What happened to the 1,500 of the 15, 000 that remained to endure 45 years under Castros regime?
It’s runing at 5 PM today at the Inter-American Campus on Calle Ocho. For more information, call Ms. Anabel Farias (305) 237-7656.
Oh, and, if you can stomach it, pun intended, the Food Network will be running a program this coming Saturday at 9 PM called “Hemignway in Cuba.” Where the late writer’s gradndaughter, Mariel, pun intended, will be “sampling food from a variety of restaurants, including the upscale Hotel Nacional, the small paladars, or restaurants, inside people’s homes and the fast-food joint El Rapido. La Floridita, one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite bars now features a life-size statue of the writer seated at his regular bar stool. The show provides a glimpse of Cuban cuisine, past and present.”
Cuban cuisine, past and present! Prepare the barf bags, folks. I have a feeling we’ll need them. I think we should count how many times the show blames the “heartless embargo” for the lack of real food in Cuba.
Oh, and last but not least, Humberto Fontova bitch slaps Kennedy. A true thing of beauty indeed.
What I’d like to see the Food Network do is a program showing how the average Cuban housewife gets through a one day of trying to feed a family on rations.
(an aside, Many years ago I met Mariel’s lovely sister Margaux, at a party in NYC, not a political ocassion. Sadly, Margaux died a few years ago.)
Humberto Fontova should be declared a *national asset* of Free Cuba.
Once again, in this report, he shows tremendous sagaciousness (en cubano, perspicacia) and documents it well, just as he did in “fidel, Hollywood’s Favorite Tyrant.” I wish I had known about this material some years ago when I met Haynes Johnson of the Washington Post, who had just written a book about the Bay of Pigs.
Anyone reading this who hasn’t yet acquired their own copy of “Hollywood’s Favorite Tyrant” should log onto Amazon.com ***immediately*** and order TWO copies: one to study and treasure, one to give to your favorite Tonto Util.
Fontova’s chapter on the Bay of Pigs –title: “We fought with the fury of cornered beasts,” alone, is well worth the price of the whole book.
But there’s lots, LOTS, more: a chapter on “Motorcyclist Diarist che guevara,” another about “stupid liberals at the CIA,” one on “fidel as a business partner,” and even one on “fidel’s useful idiots” –so you can tell those most in need that the book actually contains something about *them.*
So just go to Amazon.com RIGHT NOW!
Arriba, Hum-boy-toh, Bravo!!!
Julio
Maybe the Food Network ninnies could somehow conjure up a (by now) mummified Nitza Villapol to stand next to Ms. Mariel while she rhapsodizes (hmm – is that a real word?) about contemporary Cuban cuisine…Nitza’s silence would speak volumes. Then they could have Nitza join Papa’s life-size statue at the Floridita for a toast with the World-Famous Invisible Mojito, available only to Cuban nationals.
Halo! Gracias. It’s been fun so far. Thanks for the welcome. I welcome everyone’s comments.
Josue
Thanks for the link Val. They are simple, yet powerful words.
Re: Witnessing History – I keep having the thought that what we are seeing in the current involvement of fidel and his minions in Venezuela is the preparation of an “escape hatch.”
That Fontova piece is a real eye-opener. Like the Eastern Europeans betrayed at Yalta and handed over to Stalin’s henchmen’s willing and bloody hands, the West has a lot to answer for in its vile treatment of Cuba’s true freedom fighters.
Ahh the pan con jamon at El Rapido, 300 degrees on the outside and still frozen on the inside.
Check this out
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1448103/posts
Drop a line to support the Commerce Dept. They are probably taking some left wing heat.
About los apogones: I speculate that Cuban dissidents are using the nearly-predictable darkness to conduct blackout drills or move equipment or people from place to place.
JdB
Oh, what I would give for a good croqueta right now! I moved to Colorado Springs, CO a year ago, and the only Cuban food I get is what my wife mercifully cooks for me once in a while.
I’ll tell you one thing–even though she is not Cuban or even hispanic, my wife bakes the best Cuban bread you’ll ever taste!
JdB, let us all hope and pray for courage and strength to the true Cuban patriots, the dissidents that dare to stand against Castro. May the darkness serve them well.