VP Ramiro Valdes: Cuba will not Return to the Past

VP Ramiro Valdes: Cuba will not Return to the Past
Juan C. Domínguez Taño / Saturday, 26 July 2014 09:48

Cuban Vice-president Ramiro Valdes Menendez that gave the main speech of
the main rally for Cuba's National Rebelliousness Day, hosted by
province of Artemisa, extolled why the called Generation of the
Centennial attacked the garrisons Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes
July 26th, 1953.

In his speech Valdes Menendez said that "The Republic had nothing to do
with dreams of (Jose) Marti and (Antonio) Maceo, as more than a year
before a dictator had erased the last vestiges of the representative
democracy."

Before 1959 the Cuban people lived repressed by dictatorship of
Fulgencio Batista, which meant illiteracy because not all children and
youths could attend school, hunger hit many homes, there were thousands
of jobless; banks, many sugar mills, the land and the industry were for
the most part in foreign hands, as the people suffered the exploitation
and several other scourges like malnutrition, death by curable diseases,
life span under 60 years of age, children having to work to make a
living alongside with their parents, Valdes Menendez says.

Despite July 26th (1953) affairs did not mean victory, today the country
lives the reverse situation, Cuba has more than one million university
graduates, children's life birth rate is lower than in the US, thanks to
the work of the Cuban Revolution the country keeps its people away from
drugs, prostitution, and live a decent life, Valdes Menendez added.

The also Commandant of the Revolution said that the Cuban people, with
their internationalist vocation, have met their duty with humanity, as
in the struggle for freedom in Angola and Namibia, and the end of
apartheid in South Africa.

Our health staffers, sports trainers, teachers, and experts in different
fields have aided several nations in need, Valdes Menendez praised.

Fidel (Castro) that has always trusted on the people counted on them, as
during the start of the hard days of the Special Period, when the USSR
collapsed and our enemies began packing with the ailing dream of
retaking power and reinstituting the old tyrannical regime, which came
to an end since 1959, Valdes Menendez stressed.

Valdes Menendez went over some of the hurdles the Cuban Revolution had
to face, aggressions of different kinds by the US government and the
collapse of the socialist bloc. On such as sense he said that the same
spirit that moved the July 26 also encourages the present-day
generations, which stick to the commitment of improving the socialist
model and keep up the conquests reached. "Here (in Artemisa), as in all
the country, July 26 will live for ever after," he asserted.

Cuba will not return to the past, today's sovereignty, freedom, peace
and safety will remain as long as the people keep working for the
welbeing of the nation, highlighted Valdes Menendez.

The new provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque continue on with the
restructuring of the state administration, and the Special Development
Zone in Mariel will render wealth and prosperity to the nation, said
Valdes Menendez.

Our people have shown much courage, therefore, we will never stop our
struggle for freedom and until we bring back home all of The Five, this
is a non stop fight in support of them and their family, they are not
alone, Valdes Menendez said in his words.

Valdes Menendez went over some of the hurdles the Cuban Revolution had
to face, aggressions of different kinds by the US government and the
collapse of the socialist bloc. On such as sense he said that the same
spirit that moved the July 26 also encourages the present-day
generations, which stick to the commitment of improving the socialist
model and keep up the conquests reached. "Here (in Artemisa), as in all
the country, July 26 will live for ever after."

In his closing words Valdes Menendez told Artemisa residents and all the
Cuban people: this is the work, the merit, the glory of all our people,
and most of all of the men and women that were killed in action while
seeking the future. However, without the dedication of our heroic
martyrs, nothing of today's achievements would have been possible. Let's
us all pay the deserve tribute to all those that gave theur lives to
make come true the dreams of the (Cuban) Revolution. Inspired on their
example, we have no other choice than continue on with the everyday
struggle until our last breath, with the Homeland, with the Revolution,
and with Socialism.

Source: VP Ramiro Valdes: Cuba will not Return to the Past -
http://www.radioangulo.cu/en/news/cuba-2/24724-vp-ramiro-valdes-cuba-will-not-return-to-the-past

Cuba marks Revolution Day with call for unity

Cuba marks Revolution Day with call for unity
By ANNE-MARIE GARCIA

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba marked the 61st anniversary of the beginning of Fidel
and Raul Castro's revolution on Saturday with a leading official calling
on islanders to be united and to defend the nation's communist system.

President Raul Castro, wearing an olive-green military uniform as he sat
in the front row with other top leaders, ceded speechmaking duties to
Vice President Ramiro Valdes, a former commander in the rebellion.

"We must preserve this unity above all things," Valdes said. "We have no
alternative but to keep fighting every day, until the last breath, for
the country, with the revolution and with socialism."

The Castro brothers' failed attack on a military barracks in the eastern
city of Santiago on July 26, 1953, is considered the onset of the
revolution, which culminated in 1959 when strongman Fulgencio Batista
fled the island.

The date is a national holiday celebrated each year with musical
performances and patriotic speeches. On Saturday, the main ceremony took
place in the provincial capital of Artemisa, west of Havana.

"There is no place in our hearts for discouragement, and the word defeat
has been erased from our vocabulary," Valdes said.

Source: Cuba marks Revolution Day with call for unity - Yahoo News -
http://news.yahoo.com/cuba-marks-revolution-day-call-unity-145628322.html;_ylt=AwrBEiGqrtRTBycAW0rQtDMD

Cuban ballet master gives classes in US

Posted on Sunday, 07.27.14

Cuban ballet master gives classes in US
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SARASOTA, Fla. -- A teacher with the National Ballet School of Cuba
credited with launching the careers of some of the island's most famous
dancers is giving classes in Florida.

Ramona de Saa is teaching for the first time in the United States at the
Sarasota Cuban Ballet School. The six-week classes will end with a
performance Aug. 1.

The school was founded in 2012 by two former Cuban National Ballet
dancers who fled and joined the Sarasota Ballet.

The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School teaches the curriculum of the National
Ballet School of Cuba.

The Aug. 1 performance is titled "Open Stage" and will feature elite
young dancers from the Cuban ballet school making their U.S. premiere.

The Cuban National Ballet is considered one of the finest in the world.

Source: SARASOTA, Fla.: Cuban ballet master gives classes in US - People
Wires - MiamiHerald.com -
http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/27/4257527/cuban-ballet-master-gives-classes.html

Putin Robbed Blind in Cuba

Putin Robbed Blind in Cuba
Humberto Fontova | Jul 25, 2014

Russian president Vladimir "Teflon" Putin is on a roll—or so we're led
to believe by the media. The Russian president combines the slick
machismo of James Bond, the cojones of George Patton and the craftiness
of Cardinal Richelieu.

Actually, in his dealings with Cuba, Putin looks more like Barney Fife.
We're not accustomed to seeing Mr Macho-Cool Vladimir Putin made an
international jackass. But many Cuba-watchers snickered as the hapless
Russian President met with the Castro brothers on July 11th and "wrote
off" their $32 billion debt to the Soviet Union.

"That old thing? I never liked it anyway," Cuba-watchers easily imagine
Putin hissing through gritted teeth. "We will provide support to our
Cuban friends to overcome the illegal blockade of Cuba," is what Putin
actually hissed for the record.

Vladimir Putin rose to the rank of Lieut. Colonel in an organization
that tortured and murdered at roughly TWICE the rate of the Nazi SS. So
his offense at the "illegal" U.S. embargo of a KGB-founded,
terror-sponsoring regime should provoke only chortling and snorting.
Instead it's probably causing a fit of the vapors at the State Dept. and
in faculty lounges nationwide.

Not that Putin left Cuba completely empty-handed. Instead the Russians
reclaimed the Evil Empire's largest foreign spying base, located in
Lourdes just south of Havana. The Soviets built this complex-- capable
of electronic spying on everything from the U.S. Military's Central and
Southern command to NASA facilities-- in 1967 and manned it until 2001.
That year financial problems and pressure from the U.S. forced the
Russians to close and abandon it. Interestingly it was (then) Russian
President Vladimir Putin who felt compelled to lock it up and scurry out.

This re-colonization by the Russians of a spy base on our very borders
is obviously important, but surely a true Russian Richelieu could have
reclaimed the base for less than $32 billion, especially with an Obama
in the White House.

Putin's visit to the colonial outpost his "old" outfit (the KGB) helped
convert from a vibrant capitalist nation swamped with European
immigrants into a vast sewer, slum and prison that repels even
impoverished Haitians disgusted most Cuban dissidents. The loathing of
most Cubans (including many communists) for Che Guevara owed much to
Guevara's groupie-like devotion to the Soviets who infested Cuba and
roundly repelled almost all Cubans.

Putin's fleecing by the Castro brothers provides more proof (if we
actually needed any) that rarely in modern history has any item of U.S.
foreign policy triumphed as patently (or hilariously) as the so-called
U.S. embargo of Castro's Stalinist kleptocracy. Here's a glittering gem
amidst the rubble of so much recent U.S. foreign policy.

Actually the Castros stuck it to Russia years ago, claiming they owed
only an outfit named The Soviet Union, which no longer existed--so
neither did this outfit's invoices. Putin, faced with an offer he
couldn't refuse, simply ratified the rooking. The Castros stuck it to
Mexico just last year, when its state development Bank Bancomex wrote
off almost $500 million Cuba owed them from 15 years back. The Castros
stuck it to Europe back in 1986, defaulting on most of their debt to the
Paris Club. Fifteen years later the Castros stuck it to French taxpayers
again for $175 million.

In 2011 the Castros stuck it even to their old "friends" Nelson
Mandela's South Africa. "The Cuban regime has a long track record of
failing to pay back our loans," lamented South Africa's Deputy Minister
of Trade & Industry as he wrote off almost 2 billion Rand in Cuban debt.

In sharp contrast, thanks to the so-called U.S. embargo of Cuba, the
U.S. taxpayer remains unfleeced (at least at the hands of the Castros,)
even after almost $4 billion in trade over the past dozen years with
Cuba, the world's most notorious deadbeat. "Wanna trade?" says the
current version of the U.S. embargo. "No problemo, Mr Castro. Cash up
front, buddy. The American taxpayer will NOT extend you credit. Comprende?

Enacted by the Bush team in 2001 this cash-up-front policy has kept the
U.S. taxpayer snickering on the sidelines, much as we snickered at
Oliver Douglas dealings with Mr Haney or Steven Spielberg and Larry
King's with Bernie Madoff.

"The problem with Socialism," famously quipped Margaret Thatcher, "is
that you eventually run out of other peoples' money." True enough. But
when the communist Castros run out of one sugar-daddy's money, there's
always another suitor waiting in line. From the Soviets to the Europeans
to the Mexicans to the Venezuelans, etc. the Castro brothers—unlike,
say, Bernie Madoff—possess a singular talent for keeping their scam
running longer than the Energizer Bunny. One born every minute, Mr P.T.
Barnum? Ask the Castro brothers. They'll tell you that ten are born
every second.

Alas, an extremely well-funded campaign to include us among P.T Barnum's
cherished customers (i.e. lift the Cuba embargo) is building steam in
Washington. Fascinatingly, "libertarians"-- those self-described
defenders of the U.S. taxpayer, those self-described champions of
American sovereignty and pocket books against snooty, sneaky and
predatory supranational cabals and elites—these very libertarians now
serve as an echo-chamber for David Rockefeller's Council on Foreign
Relations and George Soros' Open Society Foundation, along with The
Trilateral Commission , the Davos Groups, the United Nations, The Arca
Foundation, former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker, The Ford Foundation, a KGB
Lieut Colonel, The Brookings Institute, and the Carnegie Endowment for
International Piece (founded by Soviet spy Alger Hiss.)

Today's "libertarians" march arm in arm chanting the anti-Cuba embargo
mantra in perfect rhyme and cadence with every socialist elitist and
every secretive supranational outfit mentioned above. Bedfellows don't
get much stranger. Let's stand back and have a look:

All of the above clamor for an Imperial Democratic President to further
circumvent the U.S. Congress and nullify the work of legendary
conservative Republican legislators Dan Burton of Indiana and Jesse
Helms of North Carolina.

Another name for the Cuba embargo in its current form, after all, is the
Helms-Burton act of 1996, sponsored by these Red-State Republicans and
constitutionally voted upon and passed by U.S. legislative branch.

But today's "libertarian constitutionalists" have signed on to one of
David Rockefeller's longest-running and most cherished labors of love.
All the above clamor for a brazenly imperial President and disciple of
Saul Alinsky to further trash the congressional work of Jesse Helms and
Dan Burton (also a Tea Party stalwart until his recent retirement.) This
trashing would enable U.S. taxpayers to subsidize the Communist
terror-sponsoring regime that stole $7 billion from U.S. stockholders at
Soviet gunpoint and came within a hair of nuking us. This nuking was
barely foiled at the last second by the aghast Butcher of Budapest:

"What?!" Khrushchev gasped on Oct. 28th 1962, as recalled by his son
Sergei. "Is he (Fidel Castro) proposing that we launch missiles from
Cuba?....But that is insane!...Remove them (our missiles) as soon as
possible! Before it's too late. Before something terrible happens!"

Oh, I know…I know, Camelot's court scribes concocted a different version
of why the Russian missiles left Cuba. And naturally this version went
instantly viral in the MSM, Academia and Hollywood.

At any rate, too bad Rod Serling isn't around. This freak- show of
anti-"embargo" lobbying would make a great episode for The Twilight Zone.

Source: Putin Robbed Blind in Cuba - Humberto Fontova - Page full -
http://townhall.com/columnists/humbertofontova/2014/07/25/putin-robbed-blind-in-cuba-n1866263/page/full

From Cyberspace to Moringa

From Cyberspace to Moringa / 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar
Posted on July 25, 2014

The signing of 29 documents between the government of Cuba and various
official and business interests from the People's Republic of China on
the occasion of Xi Jinping's visit to the island has awakened great
expectations among Cubans. One of the most striking things was the
television news broadcast of the signing ceremony for the documents,
which could be seen along with all of the boring protocol details. A
parade of ministers and businessmen passed in front of the table placed
in the hall the Council of State, and in the background an enormous
stained-glass titled The Sun of our America stood under the watchful
eyes of the presidents of both countries.

While the television-announcer-turned-master-of-ceremonies was revealing
the nature of the initialed documents and saying the names and titles of
the signatories, it was difficult to take in what was really happening.
What is the difference, many wondered, between a memorandum of
understanding, an exchange of letters, a framework accord, a cooperation
agreement, a commercial contract, and a funding agreement? How could one
discern the hierarchy that distinguishes an exchange agreement from an
executive program? What is the basic difference between a framework
agreement and a memorandum of cooperation?

What everyone did understand was that the Asian giant granted credits
and made donations and investments in very sensitive areas. Examples of
these are cyberspace, communications, digital television, improvements
in the port of Santiago de Cuba, the supply of raw materials for the
production of nickel, oil drilling, and the construction of a building
complex associated with a golf course.

The rest, not wanting to overstate their importance, is filled with
Chinese water meters, young Chinese learning Spanish in Cuba, packaging
lines, office supplies, and transportation.

With regard to what was missing, at least among the 29 documents,
nothing was heard about an increase in tourism, nor was there a single
word about the Port of Mariel megaproject, and there was nothing about
free-trade agreements such as those between China and other Latin
American countries.

By chance—or benevolence—the number 13, a number so significant to the
former Cuban president, appeared at the top of the Framework Agreement
on the Establishment of the Agricultural Demonstration Farm, signed by
the ministers of agriculture of both countries, which had among its
objectives "cooperation on the science and technology of moringa,
mulberry and silk worms." What it said, a mere detail, passed unnoticed.

Source: From Cyberspace to Moringa / 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar |
Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/from-cyberspace-to-moringa-14ymedio-reinaldo-escobar/

Extremely Urgent - Angel Santiesteban Remains Missing

Extremely Urgent: Angel Santiesteban Remains Missing
Posted on July 24, 2014

Angel's whereabouts remain unknown; the authorities have not mentioned
his transfer, and when his son, a minor, Eduardo Santiesteban calls the
prison to obtain information they tell him that Angel "escaped."

We demand the immediate appearance of Angel in perfect condition, the
restoration of ALL of his rights, a review of his trial with all of the
guarantees denied until now, and we hold Raul Castro Ruz fully
responsible for Angel and his son Eduardo's safety. We remind you that
there are NO possible "accidents" and that everyone's eyes are upon you
and Angel. There is NO place for more impunity.

We will not stop denouncing what you have done and continue to do
against this acclaimed writer, and we demand justice and his release.

The Editor

Angel Santiesteban is a peaceful activist who has not committed any
crimes for which the Cuban political police are now condemning him.

A video in Spanish with a telephone interview of Angel's son and others
is available here.

Translated by: Marlena Papavaritis

24 July 2014

Source: Extremely Urgent: Angel Santiesteban Remains Missing |
Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/extremely-urgent-angel-santiesteban-remains-missing/

The Scam and the New Man

The Scam and the New Man / 14ymedio, Eliecer Avila
Posted on July 24, 2014

14YMEDIO, Havana, Eliecer Avila, 23 July 2014 – I grew up listening to
my teachers saying that our society was building the man of the future,
a different one, one that would have no defects, no malice, none of the
vices "inherited from capitalism."

Those of us who over the years strived to bring ourselves closer to
something that is a good New Man, today find we are aliens maladapted to
this society. It seems we had a monkey painted on our faces and anyone
could mock us. Things had reached the point that my father, relentless
defender of the best values, today tells me that if I continue trusting
in everyone I might end up dead.

Just a few months ago I was at the bus station when a gentleman
approached to tell me he'd spent three days sleeping there, on the floor
and eating other people's leftovers, because he didn't have the money to
return to the east. He had spent all he possessed "taking care of my
mother who is very old and in the hospital here in Havana." His eyes
were sad, his clothes dirty, and his voice trembled. That boy wasn't
even 30 yet.

With my hands trembling as well—because I'd brought just enough for the
ticket, the necessary bribes and something to eat during the long and
uncomfortable journey—I took out 50 pesos and gave it to him. If I
hadn't done it, my conscience would have punished me.

Knowing that this money wouldn't be enough to cover his passage and the
bribes to Holguin—where he told me he lived—I decided to intervene with
the authorities in the hopes of persuading someone to be benevolent
toward his situation.

At the risk of missing my bus, I went upstairs looking for a boss,
knocking on several doors until they indicated that those problems were
dealt with directly by the person in charge. On going downstairs, the
man I was defending had fled.

Why would such a young, healthy, strong guy prefer to dedicate himself
to scamming and not use the same intelligence to survive in a less dirty
way?

Throughout the journey, more than 12 hours, I kept wondering, why would
such a young, healthy, strong guy prefer to dedicate himself to scamming
and not use the same intelligence to survive in a less dirty way? I have
no doubt that this gentleman would shine in any theater audition.

Days later, two boys dressed in EJT (Youth Work Army) uniforms crossed
my path, one of them obviously from Santiago, from his accent, and the
other from Havana. They told me they were desperate to sell "some perks
they'd handed out in the Unit," as they needed money "for food," and
"you know how hungry you get there," "shit man, help us out, you're an
easterner too," pressuring me very strongly…

Already greatly annoyed by the desperate insistence of these two
"gualdias" I did my calculations and figured that buying that package of
personal toiletries would save me money over the terrible prices in the
hard currency stores.

"This stuff you got is trash, I hope you haven't been cheated…"

Big mistake. When I got home, my wife, more clear-eyed on these issues,
looked at me and said, "This stuff you got is crap, I hope you haven't
been cheated again…" Indeed.

When I looked at it closely it was clear the bottles were recycled from
the trash. Their contents, an odd mixture with the texture and color to
look convincing at a glance, lightly scented with bath conditioner.

To make matters worse, I had to take antihistamines immediately, my
forearms started to get red and break out in the places where the
"combatants" had, without my permission, rubbed a sample of their
products. I can't imagine what could have happened if I had exposed my
eyes and mouth to these suspicious chemicals.

Then I understood why so many pass down my street hawking these wares;
they're selling empty name brand perfume bottles!

Two weeks ago a gentleman, supposedly a friend of the mason repairing my
house, appeared with a "sealed" can of Vinyl paint. He told me he got it
at "the Mariel workshop" and his boss gave it to him or "scraping a few
extra boards." Already wary from the earlier experiences I was
distrustful, and looking at the doubt in my face the gentleman broke the
seals of the container and showed me the contents. It all looked good.
So I bought it. Three days later the stink in the house was unbearable.
We thought it was a broken sewer pipe. It was the paint. It was more
than half dirty water and it fermented quickly.

These stories are only a tiny sample of what you face on a daily basis
when you go out looking for something in this ever more aggressive capital.

To get wire, a tube, a door latch, or a lamp is a risk-filled operation,
in which you are forced to wander through dark nooks and crannies and
negotiate with characters who remind you of Colombian drug trafficker
from TV shows.

Fortunately, to forget the sorrows of daily life, we can take a gallon
of beer on the upcoming 26th of July in Artemisa. Celebrating, as Raul
says, that "we are winning against imperialism." Or is that other scam…

Source: The Scam and the New Man / 14ymedio, Eliecer Avila | Translating
Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-scam-and-the-new-man-14ymedio-eliecer-avila/