Posted on Thursday, 05.29.14
Groups seek info from US about exiles in Cuba
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIAMI -- Two groups have filed Freedom of Information Act requests
seeking details from the U.S. government about Cuban exiles detained on
the communist island in an alleged terrorist plot.
The requests were filed with the FBI, CIA and State Department by the
National Committee to Free the Cuban Five and the Answer Coalition.
Attorneys representing the groups were scheduled to hold a news
conference Thursday in Miami about the issue.
Cuba announced earlier this month that four Cuban exiles from Miami were
arrested for planning what authorities called "terrorist actions"
against military targets on the island. They were the first such arrests
in years.
The groups also seek information any support the men had within the U.S.
for their purported mission.
Miami exiles cited by Cuba as backers deny any connection.
Source: "MIAMI: Groups seek info from US about exiles in Cuba - Florida
Wires - MiamiHerald.com" -
http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/29/4144578/groups-seek-info-from-us-about.html#storylink=misearch
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Loss of Values
Loss of Values
Posted on May 28, 2014
For some time the Cuban authorities have been turning their attention to
"the construction of values to guarantee the continuity of the
Revolution." In speaking about the importance of family in the
regeneration of values such as patriotism and honestly, and the need for
social discipline, mutual respect, citizen education and good behavior,
their objective is to assure the success of the official political
project, ignoring that the nation, as such, is much more important and
essential than the former.
In short, those values were lost in the overwhelming and unrestrained
takeover of the so-called Revolution, which ceased to take them into
account and, in many cases, discriminated against them to make them
disappear, without offering any better substitutes, leaving the vacuum
in which we now find ourselves.
We all agree that we must rescue them in reinstall them in the spaces
which by right belong to them, but not to save a failed political,
economic and social project, but rather to save Cuba.
To accomplish this we need to abandon the cheap politicking, barrio
patriotism, absurd political and ideological manipulation and other
evils, and responsibly dedicate ourselves to the very difficult and
complex task that, starting with the family and the schools, must
recover the entire social framework, respecting individuals and
differences of every kind among those who comprise the people, which is
a concept that goes far beyond simple political or ideological
positioning. The rescue of values should be based in the work of Cubans
and Cuba and not in any political party or government.
27 May 2014
Source: "Loss of Values | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/loss-of-values/
Posted on May 28, 2014
For some time the Cuban authorities have been turning their attention to
"the construction of values to guarantee the continuity of the
Revolution." In speaking about the importance of family in the
regeneration of values such as patriotism and honestly, and the need for
social discipline, mutual respect, citizen education and good behavior,
their objective is to assure the success of the official political
project, ignoring that the nation, as such, is much more important and
essential than the former.
In short, those values were lost in the overwhelming and unrestrained
takeover of the so-called Revolution, which ceased to take them into
account and, in many cases, discriminated against them to make them
disappear, without offering any better substitutes, leaving the vacuum
in which we now find ourselves.
We all agree that we must rescue them in reinstall them in the spaces
which by right belong to them, but not to save a failed political,
economic and social project, but rather to save Cuba.
To accomplish this we need to abandon the cheap politicking, barrio
patriotism, absurd political and ideological manipulation and other
evils, and responsibly dedicate ourselves to the very difficult and
complex task that, starting with the family and the schools, must
recover the entire social framework, respecting individuals and
differences of every kind among those who comprise the people, which is
a concept that goes far beyond simple political or ideological
positioning. The rescue of values should be based in the work of Cubans
and Cuba and not in any political party or government.
27 May 2014
Source: "Loss of Values | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/loss-of-values/
New Prize for Angel Santiesteban
New Prize for Angel Santiesteban
Posted on May 28, 2014
Miami: Presentation of Ángel Santiesteban's novel also includes a
tribute to him
Bacardi House, Rosa Blanca Institute, Chef Paella, Connect Cuba, Neo
Club Editiones, Green Designs and Alexandria Library welcome to the
presentation held on Tuesday, 3 June at 6 pm, of the book by Ángel
Santiesteban-Prats called The Summer God Slept awarded the 2013 Franz
Kafka Novels From the Drawer Prize.
The novel will be presented by the writers Carlos Alberto Montaner and
Antonio Correa Iglesias in the Bacardi House in 1531 Brescia Avenue,
Coral Gables (Miami Fl 33124). At the event, the journalist and
presenter Karen Caballero will deliver a monetary prize, provided by the
second edition of the culture project JOVENAJE, to Ángel Santiesteban's
sister María de los Ángeles Santiesteban who will receive the prize on
behalf of her brother.
Between 6 pm and 7 pm the organizers will offer refreshments and tapas.
Following this, at 7 pm, the presentation of the novel and activities of
JOVENAJE will take place.
JOVENAJE is an independent itinerant event dedicated to paying homage to
working writers, cultural promoters and artists. Ángel Santiesteban,
dissident writer whose work has been acknowledged for its significance
at the national as well as international level, was imprisoned a year
ago in Cuba and has been sentenced to five years in a rigged trial.
Reporters without Borders included him to the list of 100 Information
Heroes.
In Cuba, where the separation of public powers doesn't exist, judicial
structures are only a mere appendix of the political power. In the last
years, the Cuban government has resorted to creating false but
well-known cases in order to increase the number of political prisoners
on the Island without the risk of facing international campaigns for
amnesty or unfavorable states of opinions. Santiesteban-Prats is one of
the major victims of this new kind of repression.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Please sign to ask Amnesty International to declare Ángel Santiesteban a
prisoner of conscience.
https://secure.avaaz.org/es/petition/Para_que_Amnistia_Internacional_declare_prisionero_de_conciencia_al_disidente_cubano_Angel_Santiesteban/?fbss
Translated by: Shane J. Cassidy, Michaela Klicnikova
21 May 2014
Source: "New Prize for Angel Santiesteban | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/new-prize-for-angel-santiesteban/
Posted on May 28, 2014
Miami: Presentation of Ángel Santiesteban's novel also includes a
tribute to him
Bacardi House, Rosa Blanca Institute, Chef Paella, Connect Cuba, Neo
Club Editiones, Green Designs and Alexandria Library welcome to the
presentation held on Tuesday, 3 June at 6 pm, of the book by Ángel
Santiesteban-Prats called The Summer God Slept awarded the 2013 Franz
Kafka Novels From the Drawer Prize.
The novel will be presented by the writers Carlos Alberto Montaner and
Antonio Correa Iglesias in the Bacardi House in 1531 Brescia Avenue,
Coral Gables (Miami Fl 33124). At the event, the journalist and
presenter Karen Caballero will deliver a monetary prize, provided by the
second edition of the culture project JOVENAJE, to Ángel Santiesteban's
sister María de los Ángeles Santiesteban who will receive the prize on
behalf of her brother.
Between 6 pm and 7 pm the organizers will offer refreshments and tapas.
Following this, at 7 pm, the presentation of the novel and activities of
JOVENAJE will take place.
JOVENAJE is an independent itinerant event dedicated to paying homage to
working writers, cultural promoters and artists. Ángel Santiesteban,
dissident writer whose work has been acknowledged for its significance
at the national as well as international level, was imprisoned a year
ago in Cuba and has been sentenced to five years in a rigged trial.
Reporters without Borders included him to the list of 100 Information
Heroes.
In Cuba, where the separation of public powers doesn't exist, judicial
structures are only a mere appendix of the political power. In the last
years, the Cuban government has resorted to creating false but
well-known cases in order to increase the number of political prisoners
on the Island without the risk of facing international campaigns for
amnesty or unfavorable states of opinions. Santiesteban-Prats is one of
the major victims of this new kind of repression.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Please sign to ask Amnesty International to declare Ángel Santiesteban a
prisoner of conscience.
https://secure.avaaz.org/es/petition/Para_que_Amnistia_Internacional_declare_prisionero_de_conciencia_al_disidente_cubano_Angel_Santiesteban/?fbss
Translated by: Shane J. Cassidy, Michaela Klicnikova
21 May 2014
Source: "New Prize for Angel Santiesteban | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/new-prize-for-angel-santiesteban/
The Castros in Their Labyrinth
The Castros in Their Labyrinth / Yoani Sanchez (From the New York Times)
Posted on May 27, 2014
By YOANI SÁNCHEZ, MAY 27, 2014, The New York Times
HAVANA — A mix of grease and melted cheese drips from the pizza to the
concrete floor. It's a hot day and the man is holding the slice at the
counter of a coffee shop. While he waits, the clerk comments on how this
is "a country where no one understands." To which the customer replies,
now with his mouth full: "Well yes, and that 21st-century socialism
thing is going to have to wait until the 22nd century."
So far, the government of Raúl Castro has issued nearly half a million
licenses for people to work in the private sector. This is a huge change
from 1968, when every single job — even shining shoes — was
nationalized. During the revolutionary offensive, all small businesses
ended up in the hands of the government. Private Cuba was swept away and
stigmatized, only to be reborn decades later. In 1993, spurred by an
economic crisis, Fidel Castro permitted the reopening of the private
sector. This turned out to be Mr. Castro's worst defeat — one he tried
to mask as a victory, as he usually did whenever he stumbled.
But it was left up to his brother Raúl to make the most concessions to
the free market. "The longest distance between capitalism and capitalism
is socialism," according to a joke heard on the streets of Havana. This
confirms the economic course taken by the administration in the last
five years. Voices in the circle loyal to the system are accusing the
government of betraying the regime's Marxist-Leninist principles.
Those critics are right. Since taking power in 2008, Raúl Castro has
granted a series of concessions that spin the island's compass toward a
system without paternalism, but also without rights. Permission to set
up small private companies coincided with the layoffs of hundreds of
thousands of Cubans, who held government positions for decades and are
now unemployed. The term for them in the official lexicon is
"available." This way no one can say they have lost their job in the
proletarian paradise.
It is like trying to control a car that has been stranded for decades,
but now that it is in motion, nobody knows which direction it will take
— not even the driver.
The Castro regime has lost power with these small changes. Allowing
Cubans to sign cellphone contracts helped swell the state coffers but
gave citizens a tool for information and communication. Every little
move toward flexibility has provided some economic relief to the
administration and, simultaneously, a relative loss of control.
When immigration reform was enacted in January 2013, the new ability to
travel without major restrictions eased social unrest. But dozens of
dissidents and activists are now able to attend international
conferences where only official representatives were allowed before.
What Fidel Castro had prevented for decades began to happen.
Various governing bodies and other groups around the world can now hear
the proposals, arguments and demands of Cuba's democratic forces. The
myth of the Cuban Revolution suffered a great loss as soon as its
critics' voices started to be heard. It is no longer a monologue. Now
there's a different and polyphonic choir, one the official propaganda
tries to silence with the useless strategies of demonization and fear.
On the economic field, caution, fear and slowness characterize the
so-called "Raúlist reforms." The octogenarian leader appears to know
that if he speeds up change, the entire sociopolitical model could
dismantle before his eyes. While he keeps delivering the same message
and proclaiming that changes are "for more socialism," the reality makes
it clear that Cuba is transitioning to a sort of capitalism exempt of
labor rights and civic freedom.
On a street in Havana, a woman asks another if she watched the
"educational channel three" the night before. She is cryptically
referring to the signal captured illegally by satellite dishes — a
phenomenon the police have tried but failed to eradicate. A growing
number of Cubans build their own receivers to enjoy television
programming from Florida. Copies of those shows, popularly known as "the
package," are distributed on USB sticks or external hard drives by
clandestine networks.
Officials criticize "the package" as consumerist and banal, but the
truth is the government fears the weakening of the information monopoly
it holds. If children do not grow up watching shows and cartoons loaded
with nationalism and slogans, it will be hard to have them behave like
loyal soldiers of the Revolution. The television screen has always been
a very effective means for government indoctrination.
It is probably this fear that is prompting the official propaganda
backlash against technology. When the "Cuban Twitter," known as
Zunzuneo, came to light, the government media used the situation to
demonize mobile phones, email, social networking and every single
peripheral with which we communicate in these modern times. A few days
ago, the newspaper Juventud Rebelde ran a cartoon of the Statue of
Liberty holding a cellphone instead of a torch. The message was clear:
Information and communication technology are the tools of the enemy.
Castrismo, however, is losing the battle. Biology is ending the historic
generation, while the economic opening is creating a class that does not
depend on government salaries, the growing dissident faction is slashing
the regime's international prestige, and the loss of control over
information is reducing its leverage over people. All of these are, at
the very least, death-threatening obstacles in its way.
The clock of history is advancing in Cuba, but in daily life time still
struggles to move forward.
Yoani Sánchez, a Cuban writer, has launched the island's first
independent digital newspaper, 14ymedio.
Source: "The Castros in Their Labyrinth / Yoani Sanchez (Fromthe New
York Times) | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-castros-in-their-labyrinth-yoani-sanchez-fromthe-new-york-times/
Posted on May 27, 2014
By YOANI SÁNCHEZ, MAY 27, 2014, The New York Times
HAVANA — A mix of grease and melted cheese drips from the pizza to the
concrete floor. It's a hot day and the man is holding the slice at the
counter of a coffee shop. While he waits, the clerk comments on how this
is "a country where no one understands." To which the customer replies,
now with his mouth full: "Well yes, and that 21st-century socialism
thing is going to have to wait until the 22nd century."
So far, the government of Raúl Castro has issued nearly half a million
licenses for people to work in the private sector. This is a huge change
from 1968, when every single job — even shining shoes — was
nationalized. During the revolutionary offensive, all small businesses
ended up in the hands of the government. Private Cuba was swept away and
stigmatized, only to be reborn decades later. In 1993, spurred by an
economic crisis, Fidel Castro permitted the reopening of the private
sector. This turned out to be Mr. Castro's worst defeat — one he tried
to mask as a victory, as he usually did whenever he stumbled.
But it was left up to his brother Raúl to make the most concessions to
the free market. "The longest distance between capitalism and capitalism
is socialism," according to a joke heard on the streets of Havana. This
confirms the economic course taken by the administration in the last
five years. Voices in the circle loyal to the system are accusing the
government of betraying the regime's Marxist-Leninist principles.
Those critics are right. Since taking power in 2008, Raúl Castro has
granted a series of concessions that spin the island's compass toward a
system without paternalism, but also without rights. Permission to set
up small private companies coincided with the layoffs of hundreds of
thousands of Cubans, who held government positions for decades and are
now unemployed. The term for them in the official lexicon is
"available." This way no one can say they have lost their job in the
proletarian paradise.
It is like trying to control a car that has been stranded for decades,
but now that it is in motion, nobody knows which direction it will take
— not even the driver.
The Castro regime has lost power with these small changes. Allowing
Cubans to sign cellphone contracts helped swell the state coffers but
gave citizens a tool for information and communication. Every little
move toward flexibility has provided some economic relief to the
administration and, simultaneously, a relative loss of control.
When immigration reform was enacted in January 2013, the new ability to
travel without major restrictions eased social unrest. But dozens of
dissidents and activists are now able to attend international
conferences where only official representatives were allowed before.
What Fidel Castro had prevented for decades began to happen.
Various governing bodies and other groups around the world can now hear
the proposals, arguments and demands of Cuba's democratic forces. The
myth of the Cuban Revolution suffered a great loss as soon as its
critics' voices started to be heard. It is no longer a monologue. Now
there's a different and polyphonic choir, one the official propaganda
tries to silence with the useless strategies of demonization and fear.
On the economic field, caution, fear and slowness characterize the
so-called "Raúlist reforms." The octogenarian leader appears to know
that if he speeds up change, the entire sociopolitical model could
dismantle before his eyes. While he keeps delivering the same message
and proclaiming that changes are "for more socialism," the reality makes
it clear that Cuba is transitioning to a sort of capitalism exempt of
labor rights and civic freedom.
On a street in Havana, a woman asks another if she watched the
"educational channel three" the night before. She is cryptically
referring to the signal captured illegally by satellite dishes — a
phenomenon the police have tried but failed to eradicate. A growing
number of Cubans build their own receivers to enjoy television
programming from Florida. Copies of those shows, popularly known as "the
package," are distributed on USB sticks or external hard drives by
clandestine networks.
Officials criticize "the package" as consumerist and banal, but the
truth is the government fears the weakening of the information monopoly
it holds. If children do not grow up watching shows and cartoons loaded
with nationalism and slogans, it will be hard to have them behave like
loyal soldiers of the Revolution. The television screen has always been
a very effective means for government indoctrination.
It is probably this fear that is prompting the official propaganda
backlash against technology. When the "Cuban Twitter," known as
Zunzuneo, came to light, the government media used the situation to
demonize mobile phones, email, social networking and every single
peripheral with which we communicate in these modern times. A few days
ago, the newspaper Juventud Rebelde ran a cartoon of the Statue of
Liberty holding a cellphone instead of a torch. The message was clear:
Information and communication technology are the tools of the enemy.
Castrismo, however, is losing the battle. Biology is ending the historic
generation, while the economic opening is creating a class that does not
depend on government salaries, the growing dissident faction is slashing
the regime's international prestige, and the loss of control over
information is reducing its leverage over people. All of these are, at
the very least, death-threatening obstacles in its way.
The clock of history is advancing in Cuba, but in daily life time still
struggles to move forward.
Yoani Sánchez, a Cuban writer, has launched the island's first
independent digital newspaper, 14ymedio.
Source: "The Castros in Their Labyrinth / Yoani Sanchez (Fromthe New
York Times) | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-castros-in-their-labyrinth-yoani-sanchez-fromthe-new-york-times/
Cae puntuación de la Universidad de La Habana
Cae puntuación de la Universidad de La Habana
Ni una sola de las universidades donde se estudia medicina en Cuba
aparece entre los mejores centros de altos estudios del mundo
miércoles, mayo 28, 2014 | CubaNet
La Universidad de La Habana cae 27 puestos en la lista clasificatoria de
los países latinoamericanos elaborada por la firma evaluadora británica
QS World University Rankings ocupando el puesto 81, según publica el
portal digital Diario de Cuba.
Con una puntuación de 49 punto 10, de un máximo de 100, el principal
centro educativo de Cuba se desplomó en casi todos los aspectos de
calidad evaluados, mientras otras universidades avanzaron en la región.
La segunda institución cubana que aparece en el escalafón es la
Universidad de Oriente, que aunque distante del lugar que ocupa la de La
Habana, mejoró discretamente y se colocó en el puesto 145 de América Latina.
Aún más abajo en la clasificación de los centros docentes aparecen la
Ciudad Universitaria José Antonio Echeverría y la Universidad de
Cienfuegos, con puestos ubicados entre 201 y 250, explica la nota.
La Universidad Central de las Villas aparece entre los puestos 251 y 300
de la evaluación. Ninguna universidad médica de Cuba aparece en la lista
clasificatoria.
QS World University Rankings, la más consultada de su tipo, evalúa
anualmente las mejores universidades por regiones del mundo.
Source: "Cae puntuación de la Universidad de La Habana | Cubanet" -
http://www.cubanet.org/mas-noticias/cae-puntuacion-de-la-universidad-de-la-habana/
Ni una sola de las universidades donde se estudia medicina en Cuba
aparece entre los mejores centros de altos estudios del mundo
miércoles, mayo 28, 2014 | CubaNet
La Universidad de La Habana cae 27 puestos en la lista clasificatoria de
los países latinoamericanos elaborada por la firma evaluadora británica
QS World University Rankings ocupando el puesto 81, según publica el
portal digital Diario de Cuba.
Con una puntuación de 49 punto 10, de un máximo de 100, el principal
centro educativo de Cuba se desplomó en casi todos los aspectos de
calidad evaluados, mientras otras universidades avanzaron en la región.
La segunda institución cubana que aparece en el escalafón es la
Universidad de Oriente, que aunque distante del lugar que ocupa la de La
Habana, mejoró discretamente y se colocó en el puesto 145 de América Latina.
Aún más abajo en la clasificación de los centros docentes aparecen la
Ciudad Universitaria José Antonio Echeverría y la Universidad de
Cienfuegos, con puestos ubicados entre 201 y 250, explica la nota.
La Universidad Central de las Villas aparece entre los puestos 251 y 300
de la evaluación. Ninguna universidad médica de Cuba aparece en la lista
clasificatoria.
QS World University Rankings, la más consultada de su tipo, evalúa
anualmente las mejores universidades por regiones del mundo.
Source: "Cae puntuación de la Universidad de La Habana | Cubanet" -
http://www.cubanet.org/mas-noticias/cae-puntuacion-de-la-universidad-de-la-habana/
Their men in Caracas - the Cuban expats shoring up Maduro's government
Their men in Caracas: the Cuban expats shoring up Maduro's government
From military advisers to aid workers, thousands of Cubans form an
information network across Venezuela's economy
Paulo A Paranagua
Guardian Weekly, Tuesday 27 May 2014 13.09 BST
Cuba hopes ally Nicolás Maduro can avoid an election in the throes of an
economic crisis. Photograph: Miguel Gutierrez/EPA
When asked how many Cubans are working in Venezuela, minister of foreign
affairs Elías Jaua cites the 25,000 medical aid workers in the programme
launched by the late president Hugo Chávez, adding "about 1,000 sports
trainers and 600 farming technicians". The opposition claims the number
is higher, particularly as there are Cuban advisers in all the
ministries and state-owned companies.
At the end of February the student leader Gaby Arellano tried to present
a petition to the Cuban ambassador in Caracas. "We will not allow Cubans
to interfere in our affairs any longer," she said. "We don't want them
to go on controlling the media, directing military operations or
indoctrinating our children." Teodoro Petkoff, a leftwing opposition
figure, is not convinced Havana exerts that much influence. "Such claims
play down the responsibility of the Chavistas for what's going on," he says.
Defence specialist Rocío San Miguel believes Cuba really does influence
policymakers in Venezuela. She recalls the way Chávez's illness was
managed, his hospitalisation in Havana clothed in secrecy, and the
transfer of power to Nicolás Maduro (pictured), who was educated in
Cuba. "Cuban officers attend strategic planning meetings for the armed
forces," she says, basing her claim on insider sources.
"It's not a myth, it's the reality," says General Raúl Baduel, minister
of defence under Chávez and now in custody at the Ramo Verde military
prison. The Cubans have modernised the intelligence services, both the
Sebin (Bolivarian National Intelligence Service) that reports directly
to the president, and military intelligence. They also set up a special
unit to protect the head of state.
Furthermore Cubans have computerised Venezuela's public records, giving
them control over the issue of identity papers and voter registration.
They have representatives in the ports and airports, as well as
supervising foreign nationals. They took part in purchases of military
equipment and work on the Maracaibo airbase.
"All Cuban 'internationalists' have had military training and must, if
required, fulfil combat duties," San Miguel asserts. "Cubans form an
information network which keeps Havana up-to-date on shifts in public
opinion," says political observer Carlos Romero.
Chilean president Salvador Allende, right, alongside Cuban president
Fidel Castro during his visit to Chile in 1972. Photograph: Corbis
The Cuban regime, says Romero, wants to avoid three "worst-case
scenarios", which have in the past led to the downfall of governments
sympathetic to Havana. The first was the overthrow of Chile's President
Salvador Allende in 1973. This explains its efforts to placate the
Venezuelan military. The national guard, which has been in the frontline
quelling demonstrations, has been awarded bonuses for its good offices.
The second case was Granada in 1983, where Cuban influence was
undermined by the regime's mistakes, prior to invasion by American
troops. Havana is consequently determined to shore up Maduro's authority
and end the dispute with his rival, Captain Diosdado Cabello, who is
head of the National Assembly and deputy leader.
The third scenario to avoid is an election in the throes of an economic
crisis, as occurred in Nicaragua in 1990. So the priority in Venezuela
is to stop inflation and end the shortages that are sapping popular
support for the Chavistas. An election is due next year.
Havana is clearly keen to maintain the status quo. But killing
demonstrators, imprisoning political opponents and members of parliament
– making martyrs of them in the process – is a far cry from the
low-intensity repression that Raúl Castro has inflicted on Cuban
dissidents since he took over from his brother Fidel. Nor is Cuba in the
habit of engaging in dialogue with the opposition, as Maduro did on 10
April, broadcast live on television.
It remains to be seen whether the thousands of Cubans scattered all over
Venezuela will fan the flames of radical revolt or help restore calm.
This article appeared in Guardian Weekly, which incorporates material
from Le Monde
Source: "Their men in Caracas: the Cuban expats shoring up Maduro's
government | World news | Guardian Weekly" -
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/27/cuba-expats-maduro-caracas-venezuela-protests
From military advisers to aid workers, thousands of Cubans form an
information network across Venezuela's economy
Paulo A Paranagua
Guardian Weekly, Tuesday 27 May 2014 13.09 BST
Cuba hopes ally Nicolás Maduro can avoid an election in the throes of an
economic crisis. Photograph: Miguel Gutierrez/EPA
When asked how many Cubans are working in Venezuela, minister of foreign
affairs Elías Jaua cites the 25,000 medical aid workers in the programme
launched by the late president Hugo Chávez, adding "about 1,000 sports
trainers and 600 farming technicians". The opposition claims the number
is higher, particularly as there are Cuban advisers in all the
ministries and state-owned companies.
At the end of February the student leader Gaby Arellano tried to present
a petition to the Cuban ambassador in Caracas. "We will not allow Cubans
to interfere in our affairs any longer," she said. "We don't want them
to go on controlling the media, directing military operations or
indoctrinating our children." Teodoro Petkoff, a leftwing opposition
figure, is not convinced Havana exerts that much influence. "Such claims
play down the responsibility of the Chavistas for what's going on," he says.
Defence specialist Rocío San Miguel believes Cuba really does influence
policymakers in Venezuela. She recalls the way Chávez's illness was
managed, his hospitalisation in Havana clothed in secrecy, and the
transfer of power to Nicolás Maduro (pictured), who was educated in
Cuba. "Cuban officers attend strategic planning meetings for the armed
forces," she says, basing her claim on insider sources.
"It's not a myth, it's the reality," says General Raúl Baduel, minister
of defence under Chávez and now in custody at the Ramo Verde military
prison. The Cubans have modernised the intelligence services, both the
Sebin (Bolivarian National Intelligence Service) that reports directly
to the president, and military intelligence. They also set up a special
unit to protect the head of state.
Furthermore Cubans have computerised Venezuela's public records, giving
them control over the issue of identity papers and voter registration.
They have representatives in the ports and airports, as well as
supervising foreign nationals. They took part in purchases of military
equipment and work on the Maracaibo airbase.
"All Cuban 'internationalists' have had military training and must, if
required, fulfil combat duties," San Miguel asserts. "Cubans form an
information network which keeps Havana up-to-date on shifts in public
opinion," says political observer Carlos Romero.
Chilean president Salvador Allende, right, alongside Cuban president
Fidel Castro during his visit to Chile in 1972. Photograph: Corbis
The Cuban regime, says Romero, wants to avoid three "worst-case
scenarios", which have in the past led to the downfall of governments
sympathetic to Havana. The first was the overthrow of Chile's President
Salvador Allende in 1973. This explains its efforts to placate the
Venezuelan military. The national guard, which has been in the frontline
quelling demonstrations, has been awarded bonuses for its good offices.
The second case was Granada in 1983, where Cuban influence was
undermined by the regime's mistakes, prior to invasion by American
troops. Havana is consequently determined to shore up Maduro's authority
and end the dispute with his rival, Captain Diosdado Cabello, who is
head of the National Assembly and deputy leader.
The third scenario to avoid is an election in the throes of an economic
crisis, as occurred in Nicaragua in 1990. So the priority in Venezuela
is to stop inflation and end the shortages that are sapping popular
support for the Chavistas. An election is due next year.
Havana is clearly keen to maintain the status quo. But killing
demonstrators, imprisoning political opponents and members of parliament
– making martyrs of them in the process – is a far cry from the
low-intensity repression that Raúl Castro has inflicted on Cuban
dissidents since he took over from his brother Fidel. Nor is Cuba in the
habit of engaging in dialogue with the opposition, as Maduro did on 10
April, broadcast live on television.
It remains to be seen whether the thousands of Cubans scattered all over
Venezuela will fan the flames of radical revolt or help restore calm.
This article appeared in Guardian Weekly, which incorporates material
from Le Monde
Source: "Their men in Caracas: the Cuban expats shoring up Maduro's
government | World news | Guardian Weekly" -
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/27/cuba-expats-maduro-caracas-venezuela-protests
Biden to Cuban media - Alan Gross detention a key obstacle in diplomatic relations
Biden to Cuban media: Alan Gross detention a key obstacle in diplomatic
relations
CNN's Dana Davidsen
(CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden sat down with a Cuban media outlet - a
significant move given the decades-long tension between the United
States and Cuba since the countries ended diplomatic relations more than
50 years ago.
In the interview published Tuesday, Biden cited the detention of Alan
Gross, an American jailed in Cuba, as a key obstacle in improving relations.
Biden made his comments to 14ymedio, a recently launched digital
newspaper created by Yoani Sánchez, a Cuban blogger and fierce critic of
the governments of Raul and Fidel Castro.
"I cannot emphasize enough that Cuba's continued detention of Alan Gross
is a major impediment to improved relations between the United States
and Cuba," Biden said, according to a translation provided by his office.
Gross was convicted in 2011 for bringing satellite communications
equipment into the country as part of his work as a subcontractor for
the U.S. Agency for International Development.
U.S. officials have said Gross was simply trying to help Cubans bypass
their government's stringent restrictions on Internet access.
"We can be as creative as we like with our policy, but Alan's case
remains at the top of our list for resolution. He deserves to come home,
and should be released on humanitarian grounds," Biden said.
President Barack Obama also answered questions from Sánchez in 2009,
which she posted to her blog.
In that interview, Obama responded to a question regarding allegations
that his administration was attempting to undermine Cuban authority,
throwing cold water on the notion that the United States had plans to
invade the island.
"I can give you the simplest of answers, and that answer is no. Just as
President Obama said," Biden said when asked about those concerns.
"These accusations are a relic of the distant past. They are being used
to strike fear into the hearts of decent Cubans who might otherwise
focus on problems closer to home."
Sánchez's journalistic venture was, until Sunday, blocked by users in
Cuba. Since the publication's launch last week, for a few days, users
were redirected to website apparently dedicated to slamming Sánchez and
government dissidents, according to the Miami Herald.
The interview with Biden took place in April, as Sánchez notes in the
article, while she was in Washington.
Further stoking fears in the Cuban government that Washington is trying
to subvert its authority are accusations that the U.S. government tried
to flood communications networks with the creation of a cell phone-based
"Cuban Twitter," known as ZunZuneo.
The program, which ended in 2012, allowed Cubans to message each other
free of Cuban government restrictions on communications and allowed U.S.
government officials to send mass messages to Cubans.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann and Jim Acosta contributed to this report.
Source: "Biden to Cuban media: Alan Gross detention a key obstacle in
diplomatic relations – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs" -
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/27/biden-to-cuban-media-alan-gross-detention-a-key-obstacle-in-diplomatic-relations/
relations
CNN's Dana Davidsen
(CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden sat down with a Cuban media outlet - a
significant move given the decades-long tension between the United
States and Cuba since the countries ended diplomatic relations more than
50 years ago.
In the interview published Tuesday, Biden cited the detention of Alan
Gross, an American jailed in Cuba, as a key obstacle in improving relations.
Biden made his comments to 14ymedio, a recently launched digital
newspaper created by Yoani Sánchez, a Cuban blogger and fierce critic of
the governments of Raul and Fidel Castro.
"I cannot emphasize enough that Cuba's continued detention of Alan Gross
is a major impediment to improved relations between the United States
and Cuba," Biden said, according to a translation provided by his office.
Gross was convicted in 2011 for bringing satellite communications
equipment into the country as part of his work as a subcontractor for
the U.S. Agency for International Development.
U.S. officials have said Gross was simply trying to help Cubans bypass
their government's stringent restrictions on Internet access.
"We can be as creative as we like with our policy, but Alan's case
remains at the top of our list for resolution. He deserves to come home,
and should be released on humanitarian grounds," Biden said.
President Barack Obama also answered questions from Sánchez in 2009,
which she posted to her blog.
In that interview, Obama responded to a question regarding allegations
that his administration was attempting to undermine Cuban authority,
throwing cold water on the notion that the United States had plans to
invade the island.
"I can give you the simplest of answers, and that answer is no. Just as
President Obama said," Biden said when asked about those concerns.
"These accusations are a relic of the distant past. They are being used
to strike fear into the hearts of decent Cubans who might otherwise
focus on problems closer to home."
Sánchez's journalistic venture was, until Sunday, blocked by users in
Cuba. Since the publication's launch last week, for a few days, users
were redirected to website apparently dedicated to slamming Sánchez and
government dissidents, according to the Miami Herald.
The interview with Biden took place in April, as Sánchez notes in the
article, while she was in Washington.
Further stoking fears in the Cuban government that Washington is trying
to subvert its authority are accusations that the U.S. government tried
to flood communications networks with the creation of a cell phone-based
"Cuban Twitter," known as ZunZuneo.
The program, which ended in 2012, allowed Cubans to message each other
free of Cuban government restrictions on communications and allowed U.S.
government officials to send mass messages to Cubans.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann and Jim Acosta contributed to this report.
Source: "Biden to Cuban media: Alan Gross detention a key obstacle in
diplomatic relations – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs" -
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/27/biden-to-cuban-media-alan-gross-detention-a-key-obstacle-in-diplomatic-relations/
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