Topic: Cuba | VivirLatino

Lunes Libro : Digital Copy of Fidel Castro's Libro : La Paz en Colombia

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:10:39 -0500

Last Week we told you about Fidel Castro's latest book, La Paz en Colombia. Now you can see read the entire book via a digital download.

In the book, Fidel develops three central ideas: one, the characterization and development of the deceased FARC chief, the evolution of the guerrilla movement and his role in the complex Colombian political framework; secondly, the incidence of the oligarchic power, its instruments of exploitation and repression and its alliance with U.S. imperialism in the genesis of and constant exercise of violence; and thirdly, the real nature of Cuba's links with the Latin American revolutionary movements and its long and sustained contribution to the search for a just, realistic and humanitarian solution to the armed conflict that is bleeding Colombia.

He's Alive!!! New Fidel Castro Images Emerge and a New Libro

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:52:47 -0500

In spite of the death wishes of many a Cuban exile and speculation that he has been dead for some time now, new images and words keep coming from Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The latest picture is dated October 20th and features Fidel being visited by the second in power of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kiril Gundajaev. Castro hasn't appeared in public since July 2006. His words, however have never stopped.

Will Cuba's New Oil Find Make It More of a U.S. Enemy?

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:27:02 -0500

Oil is gold these days, as a hot topic on the presidential campaign trail, and as a commodity that fuels more than homes, but also wars and diplomatic relations. Take the U.S. relationship with Venezuela for example. One of the biggest threats that President Chavez has made is that he will cut off U.S. access to Venezuela's oil. Now there is a new potential threat. Well not new, pero a new spin on an old threat. Cuba announced that there may be more than 20bn barrels of recoverable oil in offshore fields in Cuba's share of the Gulf of Mexico, more than twice the previous estimate.

What does this mean if it is indeed true?

Another Way to Help Cuban Hurricane Survivors

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:42:33 -0500

Help us organize an IFCO-Pastors for Peace Construction Brigade
of 30-50 skilled carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc.
They and a small number of support individuals will travel to Cuba for
approximately two weeks to assist in the reconstruction of
social projects-i.e. schools, hospitals, medical facilities, home for the elderly, etc.

This brigade will arrive in Cuba with tools and humanitarian aid collected from our friends.

As usual this aid will be delivered to the Ecumenical Distribution
Committee which will distribute the aid wherever it is needed most.

Help us organize a mini-caravan to gather aid that Cuba says they need.

Send a generous donation. IFCO has established a Hurricane Relief
Fund to respond as best we can to the needs of our brothers and
sisters in Cuba.

The magnitude of need in Cuba has reached historic proportions. Each
of us can contribute in some way to the recovery effort.
You have helped us in the past.
Our friends in Cuba need our support now more than ever before.
Please be as generous as you can. Send your tax-exempt
contributions to: IFCO, 418 W. 145th Street, New York, NY 10031 212-926-5757 by phone
or by snail mail or
donate online at our website.

Let us help Cuba rebuild with no strings attached!
All contributions are tax deductible. IFCO is a 501c3 non
profit organization.
And please dont forget to urge other people of faith,
conscience and
good will to contribute in any way possible to this effort.

Important: Please designate all contributions with the
word 'Hurricane". Do not use the word "Cuba" in the
subject notation line of your check or with an online donation.

Donating on line is safe, simple and straight forward:
Go to www.IFCONEWS.org

contributions online
Designate your donation amount and write Hurricane Relief in the box online.

Tomorrow in Washington DC : Protest for the Cuban 5

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:00:01 -0500

The Cuban Five are five Cuban men who are in U.S. prisons, serving four life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being arrested in September 1998 and wrongly convicted in U.S. federal court in Miami in 2001.

They are Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González. They were falsely accused by the U.S. government of committing espionage conspiracy against the United States, and related charges.

But the Five pointed out vigorously in their defense that they were fighting terrorism — they were monitoring the actions of CIA-backed Miami-based terrorist groups, in order to prevent attacks on Cuba.
The Five’s actions were never directed at the U.S.government. They never harmed anyone nor ever possessed nor used any weapons while in the United States.

Saturday, September 13, Washington, DC
* 10 am: Morning Rally at Malcolm X Park, 15th St. & Euclid NW.
* 12 noon: March to the White House
* 2:30 pm: Indoor Rally at SEIU Building
1800 Massachusetts Ave. NW, 1st Floor Auditorium, by Dupont Circle

For more information visit The Cuban 5 official website.

The Aftermath of Hurricanes in the Caribbean and Hwo to Help

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:53:01 -0500

Yesterday, we wrote about the rising death toll in Caribbean island nations, as they bear the brunt of a series of hurricanes and tropical storms. Some images from Haiti:

Read after the jump to find out how you can help.

Ike's Unwated Visit to Caribbean

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:01:34 -0500

Hurricane Ike plows it's way through the Caribbean today, with Havana, the capital of Cuba in it's path.

Ike already went through Haiti and the Dominican Republic as a category 3 hurricane, killing at least 58 people in Haiti alone and one reported death in the Dominican Republic. Ike has since been downgraded to a category 2 storm, with 105 mile-per-hour winds.

Haiti has been hit particularly hard, with a death toll of at least 319 people from an unrelenting four storms in a row.

''With the others we lost houses, we lost animals and we lost plantations. Never bodies,'' said Lisemene Ferry Raphael, 46, standing across from her dead 12-year-old god daughter.

There are bodies on almost every other corner inside the town, where two rivers and the torrential rain of Ike swallowed houses and swept children and old women downstream, according to The Miami Herald, which has the only international reporter at the town along Route 1 on the road to the city Gonaives.

Franzt Samedi's 5-year-old adopted daughter, Tamesha Jean, was among the dead.

''I'm the one who she calls Papa. I'm the one who is responsible for her. If she were with me she would not have died,'' Samedi said.

Via / Citizen Orange

Cuba Celebrates its Most Celebrated Song

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:08:07 -0500

In karaoke bars from Lima to Beijing, at street festivals from San Antonio to Madrid, and in the heart of La Habana, one song can be heard: Guantanamera. Perhaps no other song illustrates the Cuban identity as much as this one, which has been covered by artists all over the world. Because of its popularity, its author is often noted as "Canción Popular" -- as in, it doesn't have an author -- but that isn't the case. One Joseíto Fernández was the creator of the singular tune, and Cuba celebrated his 100th birthday yesterday.

The city of La Habana is commemorating Joseíto's life all this week with roundtables, singing contests and other events, even a serenade of the song at the late artist's residence, joined by his now elderly children.

Aside from the international appeal the song has enjoyed, perhaps the most fascinating thing about the Guantanamera phenomenon is its mutation, which continues today. Venezuela's El Universal reports that the song was written in its original form by Joseíto, but through its constant performance has benefitted from improvisation in the lyrics, with artists adapting the words to suit a certain situation, ranging from political strife to personal problems. The most popular version, the one we hear the most today, includes the words of Cuban hero José Martí, intregated into the music -- ironically -- by American folk singer Pete Seeger.

Guantanamera the song was composed when Joseíto was just 20, and itself turns 80 years old this year.

Via / El Universal

Cuban Athlete Ousted for Kicking Referee

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:43:46 -0500

Taekwondo isn't a sport for the faint of heart, but the violence needs to be kept in the ring and the kicks directed at your opponent. But Cuban martial artist Ángel Matos apparently doesn't see it that way. When Matos was down for count during yesterday's finals match due to an injury, the ref called time, giving the win to opponent Arman Chilmanov of Kazakhstan. As Chilmanov celebrated jumping up and down, Matos jumped up himself and began screaming at the referee. His trainer joined in in the belaboring of the ref. Then the stadium went still as Matos delivered a huge kick to the referee's unexpecting face.

Both Matos and his trainer, Leudis González, have been banned from ever participating in the Olympics again as a result of the attack. According to Spain's El País, González insists that Kazakhstan "bought" the judges, bribing them into ruling in favor of their team.

Via / El País

Image via Reuters/El Pais

Fidel Calls EU Decision "hypocritical"

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:34:09 -0500

Fidel Castro, far from being happy about the European Union's decision to lift sanctions and resume diplomatic relations with the island, is calling the move "hypocritical" given the harsh new European policy on immigration.

In the statement Castro alluded to his age and delicate health situation: "At my age and in my state, I don't know how much time I have to live, since from here on I want to express my repulsion towards the enormous hypocrisy reflected in such a decision."

Via / El Nuevo Herald

EU to Open Up Dialogue with Cuba

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:36:15 -0500

Big diplomacy news out of Brussels, which will hopefully resonate in the U.S.'s diplomatic relations (or lack thereof) with Cuba. The European Union has decided to officially lift any sanctions against the island nation and resume regular diplomatic activities, which deteriorated in 2003 after the "Group of 75" dissidents were jailed:

"We have decided unanimously to lift the 2003 measures and initiate a phase of dialogue that is not conditioned or limited by any measures," Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said in a press conference after the meeting.

Cuba has been calling on the EU to completely abolish the sanctions before Havana could engage in a dialogue with the grouping.

Spain wanted the sanctions on Cuba to be lifted officially after Fidel stepped down in February handing over power to his younger brother Raul.

As you might expect, the U.S. isn't happy with this (at least not for now...let's see what an Obama administration would say about the issue), and the head of the State Department called the move "will give legitimacy to a dictatorial regime".

Via / Hindustan Times

Fidel Lives!

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:58:47 -0500

Can you believe it has been five months since the world last saw images of Fidel Castro? How did we live without him? Well fear not, yesterday via Cuban state television, the world was treated to the visage of Castro, chatting it up with bff Venezuela' Hugo Chavez. No chatting could actually be heard in the video, as it was silent (they might have been planning a surprise party), but Chavez said that the pair talked for over three hours about the global energy and food crises. Pero pobre Fidel looks like a man of his 81 years, scraggly beard and all.

You can see the Cuban television report here.

Via / The Guardian (UK)

John McCain Targets Cuban Exile Vote

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:27:35 -0500

Seeing that he's trailing in Latino votes compared to Barack Obama, John McCain is going after the Cuban exile vote by bringing up the big bad wolves of Castro and the fact that Obama has said that he would consider meeting with whatever Castro happens to be in power.

Wouldn't be interesting if John McCain made an ad aimed at an issue that all Latinos cared about, like um education or the economy maybe? Is this the best way to target the Latino vote?

Via / The Trail

Guantanamo Bay Iguanas Protected. Detainees, Not So Much

Thu, 29 May 2008 16:14:25 -0500

Something is seriously wrong when animals inside Guantanamo Bay are protected but the people detained inside Guantanamo Bay are not.

U.S. law protects endangered iguanas on the naval base, but the Supreme Court is struggling to determine whether it also applies to the 305 men imprisoned there.

What escapes the analysis of most is that the majority of those detained inside of Gitmo are people of color, specifically Arab men, Middle Eastern men. The message is clear, the rights of iguanas are other animals are valued more than the lives of detained men of color.

Via / ACLU Blog

Image Via / Second Chance Reptiles

Cubans Now Free to Stay in Hotels (Though Not for Free)

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:27:58 -0500

In another small move meant to exemplify growing liberties in Raul Castro's Cuba, the government has lifted a ban against citizens staying at island hotels. Staying at a Cuban hotel was a freedom previously afforded only Cuban newlyweds and “distinguished workers and students”. But there is a catch, today’s edict allows ordinary Cubans access to those hotels only if they pay in hard currency.