An act of desperation
Regarding the now famous letter of the 74 put together by Saladrigas etal:
Do not think for one millisecond that this letter in "support" of lifting travel restrictions to Cuba has anything to do with the freedom of the Cuban people, helping Cuba's political prisoners and prisoners of conscience or making the lives of everyday Cubans easier. Banish that thought from your head.
One need only look at the people and entities behind the Cuba Study Group and the Center for Democracy in the Americas for the underlying reason behind such a brazen act of sheer desperation. The real reason can be summed up in one single word:
MONEY
Anyone with an even peripherally true understanding of the US/Cuba travel issue knows, absolutely, that flooding the island with US tourists will do absolutely nothing to give the Cuban people freedom of thought, freedom of movement, freedom of association and freedom of speech. Not a damned thing.
Compound the fact that our economy is in dire straights - this includes Saladrigas, etal, more so than your average Joe - with the fact that come November there will undoubtedly be a huge shake-up in the make up of the Senate and the House of Representatives and you have the impetus used by these two groups to make this desperate decision.
The Cuba Study Group and Center for Democracy in the Americas just went "all in." They've just wagered all their chips on a dubious hand, hoping to make a killing. An act that brings a whole new meaning to the term "poker face."
Let's keep a keen eye on them and make sure they don't have any spurious aces up their sleeves.
[...] Por Val Prieto. Junio 12, 2010 tags: Castrismo, Cuba, Val Prieto por Zoé Valdés En Babalú Blog. Sobre la carta de Carlos Saladrigas que le hizo firmar a los [...]
Okay. So these guys went all out.
But how do you explain the signers? Money? Is that all it took to induce them to sign this letter?
Call me dubious.
Honey:
Let's just say that it appears that Saladrigas & Co. has 74 new employees on their payroll.
If flooding Cuba with tourists and investment helps the people and starts political change - why did the left call for the boycott South Africa?!? I ain't gonna play Sun City but I will serenade the Marxists in Havana.
And for that matter, why boycott Israel if tourism and investment produces political change?
Alberto, oh the pain!
Rob,
Oh, the consistency of the left.
If we trade and have tourism with Cuba, we will effect regime change, get rid of the tyrannical government which is occupying a land that yearns to be free.
But if we want Israel to have regime change and make Israel free of Jewish usurpers and occupiers, we must never trade with them. We must starve them out.
Of course, Jeff Flake would say that is not a good comparison. Because we love Cubans and want them to be free. But we just don't love the government.
But the left does not love Israeli Jews and wants to starve them out and so suggests no trade. So How does Flake reconcile that he is on the side economically with the bankrupt left?
[...] —Babalu Blog: Val Prieto busca una causa. Y George Moneo le responde a Espinosa Chepe, que parece demasiado acostumbrado a mandar a callar. [...]
Yoani, Farinas and Co. took their 40 pieces of silver ...
the whole lot of 74 (who really signed) are all TRAITORS
For what it's worth, this is not exactly a new development. In the 19th century, there were prominent Cuban "dissidents" known as autonomists who kept trying to "work something out" with Spain and talked or wrote trash against people like Marti. Sadly, after Cuba gained independence, these people just worked themselves into the system as if they'd never done or said anything wrong, and they got away with it. Cubans, unfortunately, have significant issues, from WAY back.
I am still dubious. What is the value of the twenty pieces of silver they took? What was the exact offer? Something is not right here.
I hope someday we find out what the truth is. I am still not sure we know it yet.
Honey,
There doesn't have to be any value attached to their signatures. We are speaking of a group of dissidents. These people dissent only with certain aspects of the castro regime. Many are willing to stay Socialists. All they want is for the government heads to change. This is exactly what Yoany Sanchez has said many, many times. It's the castro brothers and their Sierra Maestra geriatric group they want out. That's why I've never trusted them. You see like many good Socialists, they believe Socialism is not the real problem, it's the castrismo that's in place. I'm willing to bet it didn't take too much to convince them to sign the letter.
Do you guys really believe this is the first time there's been contact between dissidents and Saladrigas? I hope the Cuban-American exile community turn their backs on all the signatories of the letter. Let's just see how they're going to feed their mouths from now on. If Cuban-American exile organizations have any decency they should stop all aid to these "dissidents" ASAP.