Hey U.S. – Keep Your Dirty Hands Away From Cuba
That's the declaration today by a group of "leftist intellectuals and human rights activists", including such luminaries such as Desmond Tutu and Rigoberta Menchu.
By ANITA SNOW, Associated Press Writer
HAVANA - Leftist intellectuals and human rights activists from around the world pleaded with the United States on Monday not to interfere with Cuba while Fidel Castro recovers from intestinal surgery.
Many of the 400 signers of the open letter are from Latin America, and numerous Nobel Peace laureates are listed, such as former Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and activist Rigoberta Menchu of Guatemala.
Announcing the letter at a news conference, leading Cuban writer Roberto Fernandez Retamar said Cubans are convinced that Castro's handover of power to his younger brother and defense minister, Raul Castro, is only temporary.
"In a few months, we'll have him back with us," Retamar said.
That optimistic assessment has been reinforced by statements from Fidel Castro's inner circle and Latin American allies, who say the Cuban leader is recovering well from surgery for internal bleeding.
Cubans were told most details of his health would be kept "a state secret" to prevent enemies from taking advantage of his condition. Indeed, officials haven't said precisely what ails Castro or what surgical procedure he underwent.
President Bush said the United States remains in the dark about the illness, but he didn't miss the chance to motivate anti-Castro activists to push for change.
"The only thing I know is what has been speculated, and this is that, on the one hand, he is very ill and, on the other hand, he is going to be coming out of hospital," Bush said at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. "Our desire is for the Cuban people to choose their own form of government."
Read the rest here, if you can stomach it.
Those idiots don't worry me.
THIS worries me:
"El presidente George W. Bush declaró el lunes que Cuba "tiene la posibilidad" de transformarse en otro tipo de sociedad, pero corresponde solamente al pueblo cubano decidir, en tanto los exiliados podrán intervenir luego.
"Una vez que el pueblo de Cuba decida formar un gobierno, recién los cubano-estadounidenses pueden tomar parte en ese país y reactualizar el tema de la confiscación de propiedades", dijo. "Pero, primero es lo primero, y ello es que el pueblo cubano necesita decidir el futuro de su país".
I'm sorry, Mr. Bush, but I am part of the "pueblo de Cuba". I do not live in the U.S. You, Sir, do not have the right to tell me what I can do as an exiliado. If I decide to go to Cuba and fight the tyrant with arms, that's not your business.
If you won't help, please stay out of this.
this is an old list, but to personally complain most of these phones/emails are still good:
NEWSPAPER & NEWS WIRES
Associated Press
33 Times Square
NY, NY 1002
212-621-1500
212-621-7520 (fax)
Email: info@ap.org
Cuba correspondent Anita Snow
asnow@ap.org
Los Angeles
Times
Dean Baquet, Managing
Editor
202 West First St.
Los Angeles, CA
90012
213-237-5000
213-237-4712 (fax)
Email: dean.baquet@latimes.com
Newsweek Jon Meacham, Managing
Editor
251 West 57th St.
NY, NY 10019-1894
212-445-4000
212-445-4425 (fax)
Email: letters@newsweek.com
New York Daily
News
Lou Parajos, Managing
Editor
450 West 33rd Street
NY, NY 10001-2681
212-210-1608
212-949-2120 (fax)
Email: lparajos@nydailynews.com
New York Post Colin Myler, Managing
Editor
1211 Avenue of the
Americas
NY, NY 10036-8730
212-930-8500
212-930-8540 (fax)
Email: cmyler@nypost.com
New York Sun Ira Stoll
Managing Editor
105 Chambers Street
NY, NY 10007
212-406-2000
212-571-9836 (fax)
Email: istoll@nysun.com
New York Times Jill Abramson, Managing
Editor
229 West 43rd Street
NY, NY 10036
212-556-7356
212-556-3815 (fax)
Email: managingeditor@
nytimes.com
Reuters Martin Langfield, NY
Bureau Chief
3 Times Sq.
NY, NY 10036
646-223-4000
646-223-6001 (fax)
Email:
martin.langfield@reuters.com
Time Magazine James Kelly, Managing
Editor
Time & Life Building
Rockefeller Center
NY, NY 10020-1393
212-522-2819
212-522-8949 (fax)
Email:
jim_kelly@timemagazine.com
UPI John O’Sullivan, Editor 1510 H Street NW 7th
Floor
Washington, DC 20005
202-898-3149
202-898-8057 (fax)
Email: josullivan@upi.com
USA Today
Laura Ashburn,
Managing Editor
7950 Jones Branch Dr.
McLean, VA 22108
703-854-7610
703-854-2078 (fax)
Email: lashburn@usatoday.com
U.S. News and
World Report
Peter Cary,
Managing Editor
1050 Thomas Jefferson
St. NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-955-2031
202-955-2049 (fax)
Email: bkelly@usnews.com
Village Voice Doug Simmons,
Managing Editor
36 Cooper Square
NY, NY 10003
212-475-3300
212-475-8944 (fax)
Email: dsimmons@villagevoice.com
Wall Street
Journal
Paul Steiger,
Managing Editor
200 Liberty Street
NY, NY 10281
212-416-2327
212-416-2720 (fax)
Email: paul.steiger@wsj.com
Washington Post Steve Coll,
Managing Editor
251 West 57th Street
NY, NY 10019
1150 15th St., NW
Washington, DC 20071
212-445-4885
212-445-4853 (fax)
202-334-7513
202-334-5269 (fax)
Email: colls@washpost.com
TELEVISION NEWS -- NATIONAL
ABC General Information 212-456-7777
7 Lincoln Square 212-456-2290 (fax)
New York, NY 10023 Email: eyewitness.news@abc.com
David J. Davis, President http://www.abcnews.com
CBS News Desk 212-975-4321
524 West 57th Street 212-975-7843 (fax)
New York, NY 10019 Email: cbsnewyork@cbs.com
Lew Leone, President http://www.cbs.com
CNN News Desk 212-275-7800
1 Time Warner Center, 5th Floor 212-275-7927 (fax)
New York, NY 10019 http://www.cnn.com
Karen Curry, Bureau Chief
CNN News Desk 404-827-1500
1 CNN Center 404-827-1099 (fax)
Atlanta, Georgia 30303 http://www.cnn.com
Phillip Kent, Chairman and CEO
NBC General Information 212-664-4444
30 Rockefeller Plaza 212-664-4426 (fax)
New York, NY 10112 Email: newstips@wnbc.com
Frank Comerford, President http://www.nbc.com
FOX General Information 212-301-8220
205 E. 67th St. 212-301-4229 (fax)
New York, NY 10021 Email: fox5news@hotmail.com
James Clayton, General Manager http://www.fox5ny.com
RADIO - LOCAL
NPR Bruce Drake, Vice President, News 202-513-2205
202-414-3329 (fax)
bdrake@npr.org
WABC–770AM Phil Boyce, Program Director 212-613-3800
212-947-1340 (fax)
Email: phil.boyce@abc.com
WBAI–99.5FM Jose Santiago, News Director 212-209-2860
212-209-2862 (fax)
Email: jsantiago@wbai.org
WBBR–1130AM Jim Kingsland, News Director 212-893-5883
212-940-1994
jkings1@bloomberg.net
http://www.bloomberg.com/radio
WBLS–107.5FM Wayne Gillman, News Director 212-592-0541
212-447-5196 (fax)
Email: wayne@wlib.com
WCBS–101.1FM Al Meredith, Director of News and Public Affairs 212-846-5144
212-846-5186 (fax)
Email: ameredith@cbs.com
WCBS–880AM Ivan Lee, News Operations Director 212-975-2127
212-975-1907 (fax)
Email: editors88@cbs.com
WEVD–1050AM Kevin Graham, Program Director 212-613-3800
212-613-3861 (fax)
WINS–1010AM Ben Mevorach, News Director 212-315-7099
212-489-7034 (fax)
Email: mevorach@wins.com
WNEW–102.7FM Maire Mason, General Manager 212-489-1027
212-489-1263 (fax)
Email: feedback@wnew.com
WNYC–820AM Mikel Ellcessor, Program Director 212-669-8978
212-669-3828 (fax)
Email: mellcessor@wnyc.org
WOR–710AM Joe Bartlett, News Director 212-642-4490
212-921-4204 (fax)
Email: joebartlett@wor710.com
WPAT–93.1FM Carey Davis, General Manage and Vice President 212-489-6200
212-977-4024 (fax)
Email: cdavis@sbsnewyork.com
WPLJ–95.5FM Patty Steele, News Director 212-613-8975
212-613-8956 (fax)
Email: bigshow@plj.com
TELEVISION NEWS -- LOCAL
2 WCBS-TV Lew Leone General Manager 212-975-4321
212-975-2079 (fax)
Dianne Doctor News Director 212-975-4481
212-975-9387 (fax)
Email: ddoctor@cbs2ny.com
4 WNBC-TV Frank Comerford General Manager 212-664-7240
Larry Seary News Operations Director 212-664-2119
212-664-2994 (fax)
Email: larry.seary@nbc.com
5 WNYW-TV James Clayton General Manager 212-452-3576
212-879-1484 (fax)
Scott Matthews News Director 212-452-3530
212-249-1182 (fax)
Email: fox5news@hotmail.com
http://www.fox5ny.com
7 WABC-TV David J. Davis General Manager 212-456-7777
212-456-2290 (fax)
Ken Plotnick News Director 212-456-3107
212-456-3006 (fax)
Email: Kenny.plotnik@abc.com
9 WWOR-TV James Clayton General Manager 212-452-3576
201-330-2190 (fax)
Neil Goldstein News Director 212-452-3808
201-330-3486 (fax)
Email: newsdirector@wwortv.com
programming@wwortv.com
11 WPIX-TV Betty Ellen Berlamino General Manager 212-210-2650
212-210-2591 (fax)
Karen Scott News Director 212-210-2411
212-210-2591 (fax)
Email: kscott@tribune.com
http://www.wpix.com
13 WNET-TV Dr. William Baker President 212-560-2013
Stephen Segaller Program Director 212-560-8282
212-560-1314 (fax)
Email: baker@thirteen.org
JEWISH NEWSPAPERS
Algemeiner Journal Gershon Jacobson,
Publisher
508 Montgomery Street
Brooklyn, NY 11225
718-771-0400
718-771-0308 (fax)
Email: algemeiner@aol.com
Baltimore Jewish
Times
Phil Jacobs, Editor 1040 Park Ave. Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21201-5634
410-752-3504
410-451-6029 (fax)
Email: editor@jewishtimes.com
Cleveland Jewish
News
Cynthia Dettelbach,
Editor
23880 Commerce Park Ste. 1
Beachwood, OH 44144
216-454-8300
216-454-8200 (fax)
Email: cdettelbach@cjn.org
Jewish Daily
Forward
J.J. Goldberg, Editor 45 East 33rd Street
NY, NY 10016
212-889-8200
212-447-6406 (fax)
Email: goldberg@forward.com
Jewish Herald Leon Sternheim,
Publisher
1689 46 Street
Brooklyn, NY 11204
718-972-4000
718-972-9400 (fax)
Email: leon@jewishherald.com
Jewish Journal Paul Rubens, Editor 11 Sunrise Plaza, Rm. 301
Valley Stream, NY 11580
516-561-6900
516-561-6971 (fax)
Jewish Press Jerry Greenwald,
Managing Editor
338 Third Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215-1897
718-330-1100
718-624-4106 (fax)
Email: editor@thejewishpress.com
Jewish Telegraphic
Agency
Lisa Hostein, Editor
330 Seventh Avenue, 11th
Floor
NY, NY 10001
212-643-1890 ext. 211
212-643-8498 (fax)
Email: editor@jta.org
Jewish Week Gary Rosenblatt,
Editor
1501 Broadway, Suite 505
NY, NY 10036
212-921-7822 ext. 215
212-921-8420 (fax)
Email: gary@jewishweek.org
Long Island Jewish
World
Jerome Lippman,
Editor-in-Chief
78 Randall Ave.
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
516-594-4000
516-594-4900 (fax)
Los Angeles Jewish
Times
Joe Bobker, Editor 5455 Willshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-933-0131
323-933-7928 (fax)
Jewish Exponent
(Philadelphia)
Jonathan Tobin,
Editor
2100 Arch St.
Philadelphia, Penn. 19103
215-832-0744
215-569-3389 (fax)
Email: jexponent@aol.com
Washington Jewish
Week
Debra Rubin, Editor 1500 East Jefferson
Rockville, MD 20852
301-230-2222
301-881-6362 (fax)
Email: wjweek@aol.com
I didn't hear anything about easing restrictions on Cuban-Americans wanting to visit family, rather an easing on immigration rules for Cubans. Yup, immigration! I thought we were considered refugees. I think Bush's and the Republican party's true colors are finally showing---does anyone else feel duped?
Oh, also, since Bush says exiles are not allowed to intervene in Cuba's affairs--why does the Republican party use Cuba to get our votes?
who are these 400 intellectuals? kind of reminds me of those foreign leaders Kerry referred to as preferring him for president....
Exiles, no involvement? well is anyone ready to bail on W yet?
Its these "exiles" that helped you into office and now we have no business in the transition? "el pueblo cubano necesita decidir el futuro de su país"
es mi país!!!! He just doesn't get it. He never will. But I bet that the day that Cuba is free, and it shall be, he will claim the credit. What foreign policy, a blimp with an antennae beaming the message "we are right behind you"
But it's not just Bush....where's Diaz-Balart, Ros, Martinez????? They run and are elected on the Cuba issue-- I'm just offering a different perspective from oustide Miami, specifically Jersey..... don't mean to be confrontational in any way.
OK, so as Cuban americans we are instructed not to interfere and not to travel to Cuba, by boat or otherwise. But, let's say for arguments sake that there are 5,000 boats/yachts owned by Cuban-Americans seaworthy enough to cross the straits to Havana. And you load each of those boats with, say, 10 Cuban-Americans and take that flotilla towards Havana.
Now, under this scenario, you make sure members of the international press come along.
1- Does the USA Coast Guard and military have the
capability to stop a flotilla of 5,000 boats going to Cuba?
2- Would the cuban government have the audacity to take military action against that flotilla, especially if they knew that the international press was imbedded among those in the flotilla?
3- Wouldn't the USA government, if incapable of stopping the Havana-bound flotilla, be obliged then to provide military protection to that flotilla of mostly American citizens just in case the Castro regime's military forces try to stop this flotilla by attacking it?
Seems to me that Rice's statements requesting that no one go to Cuba and vice a versa perhaps represents a fear that the above scenario could develop, and it would be a situation that they would have precious little influence and capability to stop.
Sounds farfetched but it's not that incredible considering how many boats travelled to Cuba during the Mariel boat lift.
Just ask yourself whether the Iranians living outside Iran have been asked not to interfere with the "democratic process" going on in Iran.
Door #1 - The U.S. (C. Rice) tells the Cuban people to stay in Cuba and not take to the seas.
Door #2 - G. W. Bush eases on the "immigration" of Cubans to the U.S.
Oh My! Oh My! which is it to be? Is it door #1 or door #2?
But that's unlikely, even 100 boats is an unrealistic number. I'm really really starting to think this is all bullshit--like someone else said, our own CIA doesn't know what's happening 90 miles away.
I believe Bush made his no-exile involvement comments in the following context, based on this quote from a Nuevo Herald article:
"Una vez que el pueblo de Cuba decida formar un gobierno, recién los cubano-estadounidenses pueden tomar parte en ese país y reactualizar el tema de la confiscación de propiedades".
Taken in the context of reclaiming confiscated properties, Bush doesn't want exiles going back and trying to claim what they lost until a transitional government has been established.
Am I missing something here?
Yes. What your are missing is that Cubans in the U.S. are not considered being part of the "pueblo cubano".
I know that many Cubans in the US hold US citizenship now, but a lot do not.
(Long string of expletives deleted.)
I think you're right, Robert. Bush is telling Cubans to quit thinking about their "stuff."
(EXPLETIVES DELETED!!!)
This will go down in history as his Chicken Kiev moment, a reflection of the stupidities of his dad, who told Ukrainians on the brink of freedom to quit thinking about independence from the USSR because it's all "suicidal nationalism."
Bush, this is YOUR CHICKEN KIEV moment!
http://www.mercopress.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=8481
What transition are they talking about? The junta? I think the administration is going to cut a deal and exiles are not part of it. Cuba is going to go the way of China and Viet Nam. I hope to hell I'm wrong.
I have to wonder why you think he would make a statement like that now? It could only serve to alienate the Exile community here, I can't help but be suspicious of the source of the quote. It just seems so completely out of character.
Amazing that the citizens of Iraq could be helped along a little with getting rid of their dictator...
I'm just a Cuban in Europe, but if I were a Cuban in the USA I'd feel royally pissed today.
This is not a transition from Chernenko to Gorbachev, this is a transition from Andropov to Chernenko.
No doubt that the Bush administration is sending mixed signals, but does anyone here think that, short of an invasion by the U.S., anyone outside of Cuba will be able to have a DIRECT impact on change in Cuba (please note emphasis on direct)?
It's been said here before, the real change has to come from within Cuba. I understand that many Cubans outside the island aren't U.S. citizens. But they're not on the island. Not playing devil's advocate here, just trying to be realistic about this.
Robert, some people are doing more than you might think
No matter how anyone feels about the exiles and whether its too soon to party etc, these intellectuals are a piece of work. That Tutu is a commie and a bit cookoo!!
Whether I'm an American citizen or not is irrelevant. The Cuban constitution (prior to this chicken shit of a constitution that the castros set up in the 1970s) gives me the right to carry DUAL citizenship. According to the Cuban constitution one NEVER looses Cuban citizenship.
With that out of the way, let me point out the following:
1- Treaty of Paris of 1898 - October 1, 1898, during the Cuban independence, the United States and Spain met in Paris to produce a treaty that would bring an end to the war. The Cubans who had been fighting this war FOR YEARS, and winning I might add, were not party to this treaty. In fact WE WERE ROYALLY SCREWED.
2- 1956-1959 Cuban Revolution - We have already discussed ad nauseum how the U.S. Media and the U.S. State department "intervened" in Cuba and their direct responsibility in creating the myth of fidel castro. WE WERE ROYALLY SCREWED.
3- April 1961 Bay of Pigs - Could have been the real beginning of the end for Cuba if only Richard Nixon had come forward and demanded a recount of the votes. It's common knowledge that the Kennedys STOLE the election. Richard Nixon put his country before his own personal gain and walked away. We all know how John F. Kennedy betrayed our trust. WE WERE ROYALLY SCREWED.
4. 1961 - AD INFINITUM. Promises, Promises, WE WERE/ARE BEING SCREWED.
I have a gut feeling that the U.S. government has been in conversation with the Cuban government (and other governments who have financial interest in Cuba) and reaching agreements behind our backs. That is why President Bush this afternoon made the statement (seven days later) that Cuban-American exiles would have no involvement in Cuba, and that it WOULD BE UP to WHATEVER faction does end up in power to decide if Cuban-Americans have any rights to their STOLEN properties.
This doesn’t sound anything like what he has said to the Cuban-American community in the past. Definitely something is cooking and this administration plans to shove it up our throats. Bottom line…. WE ARE GOING TO BE SCREWED.
Note: For those who don’t understand the Cuban-American community let me say this: We are not interested in taking homes away from anyone. But the industrial/agricultural and business properties have to be returned to their prior owners (these are now owned by the government anyway) to be able to make it productive once again. No one cares more about Cuba than the Cubans (here and in Cuba). It is OUR RIGHT to help rebuild Cuba first and foremost….not some damn foreigners that have been bleeding her dry.
If I were to be granted 3 wishes by a Genie, I would ask for this:
1) That he/she would gather all kaSStro-apologist pseudo intellectuals in one place;
2) Turn them into ONE BIG NECK;
3) Give me hands large enough to place around said big neck, so as to STRANGLE it to DEATH...