Dissidents

No ‘Che’ signs in Hong Kong!

by

52 years ago, Che was captured and executed. 

His “revolution” in Bolivia failed miserably, in large part because he couldn’t get local support or fight well-trained soldiers. 

What was Che doing in Bolivia?  Why did he disappear in 1965 and then show up in Bolivia?  There are lots of potential reasons, as my friend Humberto Fontova wrote in his great book Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him.

Who knows for sure?  Perhaps a Raul Castro memoir may shed some light on the issue. Don’t bet on it!

Once again, let me say it over and over again: If you love Che, you do not love freedom.

One of my favorite quotes about Che came from William Meyers:

“Che’s picture was certainly not displayed during the Solidarity protests in Poland in the 1980s or in the Tiananmen Square demonstration in China in 1989, when men and women genuinely hazarded their lives for freedom.”

That’s right. Che continues to be very popular with the anti-U.S. crowd. He is not very respected by those who lived under communism, such as the Polish workers or Chinese dissidents.

Che was a killer. He did not hold a single election or tolerate any dissent. 

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

1970: Alexander Solzhenitsyn won the Nobel Peace Prize

by

Before it was politicized with President Obama and Al Gore, the Nobel Peace Prize used to be a serious award.  

We remember how Alexander Solzhenitsyn was given the prize back in 1970,   

The Soviet Union did not allow him to receive the award and in 1974, he was expelled for treason and moved to the U.S.

Solzhenitsyn was a great man, writer and hero. He was willing to write books in a country that did not tolerate dissent. He was tough and willing to stand up to the Soviet thugs in the Kremlin.   

He was exactly the kind of man for a Nobel Peace Prize. He died in 2008 at age 89.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

Gusano As A Badge of Honor

by

gusano-cubano

“Gusano” – which literally means a worm — is a pejorative term coined by government officials from Communist Cuba to refer to all of those Cubans who are not 100% in agreement with the Castro Brothers. After the announcement on November 26, 2016, of Fidel Castro’s death, it was revealed that his remains will be cremated. I guess that Fidel did not envision for his remains to be devoured by any gusanos.

Guillermo Fariñas & The Papa Che

by

Farinas

Cuban Human Rights Dissident Guillermo Fariñas is near his death after conducting a hunger strike with the intent of forcing the Cuban Government to stop harassing dissidents. Considering that the Papa Che played such a crucial role in President Obama’s Cuba opening, my question is why has he not interceded to save the life of this honorable Cuban?!!!

But when I look around the atrocities that radical Islamic terrorists have carried out against Catholics and Christians, I ask myself about the moral leadership and advocacy that the Pope Che has exercised?!!! Nowhere to be found!!!

Yoani Sánchez — A Bridge Through Dialogue

by

Following is a magnificent interview conducted in Berlin, Germany in 2003, by Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez. While I disagree with Yoani when it comes to the lifting of the U.S. embargo, I respect her daily fight against the repression in Communist Cuba. She cited a famous saying by Cuban Founding Father José Martí: “Subir montañas, hermana a los hombres.” [Fighting for a just cause triggers the brotherhood of mankind]. Her cause – fighting for the restoration of freedom and democracy to Cuba – is my cause as well. She describes herself as bridge through dialogue. While you may not agree with each other through dialogue, it opens a window of understanding to the other side. Many people have asked me why I write so much, and I’m glad that Yoani used the same logic to respond: writing is a catharsis for my being a citizen of the world.

To listen to the interview, click on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbo03RidoD0

Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas to receive Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom

by

By Elizabeth Llorente at Fox News Latino:

Cuban dissident, hunger strike survivor, to receive Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom

Farinas_Art
A Cuban dissident who has won numerous awards for his longtime efforts – including 23 hunger strikes, some of them near-fatal – to bring democratic changes to his homeland is expected to receive the 2015 Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom on Friday.

Guillermo Fariñas will join the ranks of past recipients such as Pope John Paul II and William F. Buckley, Jr.

Fariñas, who counts among his awards the European Union’s 2010 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, said in a telephone interview from his home in Havana that each honor is important to him because it sparks a renewed urgency to fight for human rights.

“Every distinction is a reflection of support, a new source of pressure to keep pushing for liberty,” he told Fox News Latino. “It’s another source of motivation for me.”

The award is given by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, a U.S-based non-profit educational organization that was established by Congress.

Besides Farinas, who will receive the award at a ceremony in Washington D.C., a Medal of Freedom also will be given to Russian journalist Alexandr Podrabinek, according to a press release by the foundation.

“It is our honor and privilege to present this award to Guillermo Fariñas Hernández and Alexandr Podrabinek,” said Marion Smith, Executive Director of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, in a statement.

“These two men come from different places, but share a tireless devotion to ensuring that future generations will live in a world free from the horrors of communism,” Smith said. “With this award, we honor their courage and their continued commitment to the fight for basic human rights.”

Fariñas has served a total of 11 years in Cuban jails as a political prisoner. He staged hunger strikes while in jail, sometimes imperiling his health.

Podrabinek also was arrested in the former Soviet Union for his political dissidence, and was exiled to Siberia at one point for five years. Today he continues to fight oppression by the government of Vladimir Putin.

Fariñas said that little has changed in Cuba under President Raul Castro, who, with President Barack Obama, is working on restoring diplomatic relations between the longtime adversaries.

“They still try to quash political opposition,” he said. “The change is only really economic, not political. Cuba has lost Venezuela as a lifeline, so in desperation it has turned to the United States, which until now was its sworn enemy.”

Elizabeth Llorente can be reached at elizabeth.llorente@foxnewslatino.com. Follow her on https://twitter.com/Liz_Llorente