I have had the good fortune to travel to Cuba six times in the past six years. Over that time I have come to know both the country and many of its people very well. One of the first things to strike me was that so much of what I had been told was simply not the case. I wanted to go to church while I was there because I had heard so much about the suppression of religions and the Bible. I called the National Office of the Episcopal Church in New York. I was given two names and numbers in Havana. I called Bishop Hernandez, the recently retired Bishop. He answered the phone and we made arrangements to get together while I was in Havana. On Sunday during our visit my wife and I attended Episcopal services in a nice church with approximately three hundred Cuban people. We were introduced to the congregation, took Holy Eucharist with them, and heard a good sermon. There was no suppression of anything by anyone. There were no soldiers or police and people walked in and out very publicly.
I have visited the Cardiovascular Institute in Havana. It is very similar in architecture and “décor” to a VA Hospital in the US-not fancy, but clean and functional. I observed cardiac catheterizations and angioplasty procedures for the entire day. The physicians were well trained, skilled, and kind to their patients. Each time the doctor made sure to speak to the entire family of the patient. No one was rushed, but a great deal of work got done. The supplies and materials were consistently re-used, not disposed of as in our country. I have also visited clinics where family doctors work. Again they are educated, skilled, and compassionate. Their major problem is a dire shortage of materials and medicines for their patients. Much of that was and is still “embargoed”.
In 2000 one could buy 30 Cuban pesos on the street (“black market”) for one US dollar. Two weeks ago the street exchange was 24 pesos for a US dollar. This change in the street rate suggests that the value of some of the cheapest currency in the world is increasing relative to one of the strongest. This change is a clear practical indication that the restrictions on doing business or spending dollars with Cuba are not working. We are not “strangling” the flow of dollars to the Cuban government. Their economy is this year the strongest it has been since 1989. In 2004 there were 1.7 million tourists from Europe, Canada, and Latin America who visited Cuba. It is projected to be 2.5 million visitors this year. The shift to a real Cuban currency pegged to the Euro is underway and appears to have been a very smart and successful change.
Cuba is not isolated from the world. It is not some gray Communist stronghold as is painted by the propagandists in the US. Poverty abounds there for sure-but it is not the abject poverty one sees in Haiti, Nicaragua, or Guatemala. Everyone gets an education (there is a 96% literacy rate), there is universal health care (every village has a clinic), there are no homeless (there is subsidized housing for all), and all children get extra rations to eat. Two weeks ago I noted that in Havana the stores have more merchandise than one year ago. People are happier, and they are optimistic.
The US has been interfering with Cuba since well before the Spanish-American War, which we entered to protect our agricultural and banking interests in that country. We have been consistently on the side of big business and fascist government in our history with Cuba. Cuba did not officially become “Communist” until after the Bay of Pigs debacle. We are still interfering. We are still subject to much disinformation, propaganda, and hype. There is no terrorist threat from Cuba. People in Cuba are far to concerned with getting three meals a day on the table for their children to be concerned about the politics of the government. We have no chance of fomenting another revolution there. If Castro dies or is incapacitated and we have not achieved some rapprochement with the Cuban people there will almost surely be anarchy. If fanatics from Florida return and try to reclaim their property there will be violence. Once again our country will have the blood of innocents on its hands because of poor planning.
On Wednesday, April 27, more than 800 people met in Washington, DC, to demonstrate their commitment to the lifting of the restrictions on travel and trade with Cuba. Richard Sparks, the Commissioner of Agriculture in Alabama wrote for the Birmingham Sun that last year $75 million worth of goods were sold to Cuba. That process generated additional income of more than $300 million to the state’s economy. Last year North Carolina did less than $3 million with Cuba. This is a market for small farmers and minority farmers just sitting there with dollars in hand waiting to be tapped into. Rather than disdaining Cuba, we should be jumping to get into business with them. There are bills introduced in both houses of the Congress, with identical wording, to lift the travel ban and re institute trade with Cuba. There is strong bipartisan support for both of these bills. Unfortunately I spoke with one legislative aid who gave me the standard patter about hundreds of dissidents being rounded up and jailed, the wrongness of sending dollars to the government, and told me that they had lived in Eastern Europe in the 1980s and knew what life in a communist country was like. Most of this is just not the case. I hasten to point out that Cuba is not the only country with a habit of imprisoning political prisoners in that country.
How about human rights? Well, can you say China? How better to get to know a country and to influence it than have our people there in the streets as tourists or business people spreading American ideals? The demise of the Soviet block and the opening up of Eastern Europe did not occur because we embargoed trade. President Reagan in fact did just the opposite. He encouraged travel to those areas. The recognition of China and the development of relations with the largest country on earth hardly resulted from not trading with the Chinese. Check your labels, ten to one says you are wearing something manufactured in China.
It is time for the other 99.99 % of Americans to speak up regarding Cuba. We are allowing our Cuba policy to be determined by crass politics, not diplomacy or sound economics. We are not helping human rights; we are actually harming people with these policies. We are in thrall to a small and ever diminishing group of radical right fanatics in Florida and New Jersey who were in fact harmed more than 40 years ago. It is time to get over it. It’s just common sense.
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I apologize to all those who received a misspelled URL. I appreciate you coming here anyway and will try to make this stay reasonably current and interesting. Promise not to be a bothersome, boorish fellow. (I was the other night, I was so full of good stuff to tell our dean re: Cuba Day, I drove his poor wife to distraction!)
I will write even if no one else will. Great news, Scott Ludwig of the Art Department here at ASU just got a special license approved to take a group of students for a short trip to Havana to have an exhibition of their art and photos based on last spring's workshop in Cuba. This will be at the San Alejandro Academy. The current issue is what sort of Cuban visa is required for this. It is a real break through I think to get this license.
From Leonard Moecklin-
"Audioslave makes music history Friday (May 6) by becoming the first U.S. rock band to perform outdoors in Cuba, where they will play a special concert alongside several Cuban acts. The band will play at La Tribuna in Havana, which has held up to one million people in the past. The open-air show will be free and open to the public. The event was authorized by the U.S. Treasury Department and the Instituto Cubano de la Musica in an effort to expose Cuban youth to the idea of rock music as free expression.
Audioslave said in a statement issued Wednesday (May 4), "Kids are the same all over the world, and we are extremely proud and excited to bring rock 'n' roll to the youth of Cuba. It's all about the music, and free expression of music crosses all barriers. This is a rare opportunity, and we are grateful and honored to have the support of both countries."
The group arrived in Havana yesterday and plans to stay until May 7. The quartet will spend some of its time in the country interacting with Cuban young people and musicians.
Audioslave made special accommodations in its current North American tour to be able to go to Cuba. The group is promoting its upcoming second album, Out Of Exile, due out on May 24."
I am off to Eastern Europe to teach for a month. I have 9 students accompanying me for a photography workshop. I will post pictures and news on my web site www.riowatauga-art.com. I will periodically check here to see what is going on if I get inspired to write about Cuba.
I got an email from mondesnudo regarding Luis Posada who apparently knows a lot more about events at Playa Giron and Dallas and their potential connection than might be desirable for many political figures. Shortly after that I read the report of the US soldiers providing ammunition to right wing guerillas and death squads in Colombia. The saddest thought is that this will never stop. We are constantly meddling in others' affairs, arming the wrong side, and allowing many to die in the name of "freedom."
Our concept of freedom is so upside down--it is based on what we can control and has nothing to do with freedom as it is defined. It may be freedom for some despotic leaders, but it depends entirely on subjugation of the people.
The freedom we provide is really no different than that provided by Castro to the Cubans. We are passing the Real ID act, so get ready for long lines at the DMV as we make your right to drive include a national ID card. Once you have your card, do you think it won't be checked? What if you lose it? What if it is stolen? People in our country should be outraged at this intrusion into our freedom.
An excellent article appeared today on Tom Paine, a web site dedicated to serious news about serious issues. Its sopic is the "REAL ID" law that is tucvked away as an amendment to the Afghan War spending bill.
The url is: http://www.tompaine.com/articles/show_me_your_papers.php. Go there to read about the US government's concerns for our freedoms.
I am back from Europe, disppointed that no one seems interested in stating a dialog re: Cuba. I will keep trying as I think it is quite important. One of my collelagues who feels strongly about Lastin Issues comes up for tenure next year and ios reluctant to post anything that might harm his cause. And he thinks he is living in Feedom.
I just received this from monodesnudo.
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- French hotel group Accor SA has taken over management of Cuba's Riviera and Capri hotels, two notorious haunts of the Mafia in pre-revolutionary Havana, the company's representative on Thursday.
"We are very excited. Our imaginations are already hard at work. We can do many things with these two classic establishments and their nightclubs," Accor executive Eric Pyre said.
Ginger Rogers was flown to Havana as a star attraction when Mafia boss Meyer Lansky opened the Riviera and its domed casino on Havana's waterfront in 1957.
The Capri, which will get a $15 million overhaul, was run for the mob by American actor George Raft until President Fidel Castro swept into power in a 1959 revolution that sent the gangsters running.
Accor's move is the latest indication of renewed investor confidence in the Communist-run country's leisure sector after last year's replacement of the tourism minister and other top officials created uncertainty.
Spanish hotel chain Sol Melia, which operates 21 hotels on the island, said in May that revenues were up 15 percent the first quarter and it had two more hotel projects underway.
Seventeen overseas companies handle close to half the 41,000 rooms available in Cuba, most under management and marketing agreements, but some as joint ventures.
Accor already manages Havana's Sevilla hotel, where Al Capone once rented the whole sixth floor, and a hotel at the Varadero beach resort, 90 miles (140 kms) east of the Cuban capital.
"Revenues jumped 67 percent over the last two years at our two hotels. Business is good and we are expanding," Pyre said.
Accor, one of the four largest hotel operators in the world with about 4,000 hotels, will market and manage the Riviera and Capri, and a second hotel in Varadero, for state-run Gran Caribe, bringing to five the number of hotels it has in the country.
The Portuguese company, Amorin, will finance a $15 million renovation of the currently closed Capri, with lesser sums going to upgrade the other two hotels.
Pyre said the Cuban tourism industry was attractive to investors despite the Bush administration's tightening of restrictions on Americans traveling to the Caribbean island and U.S. efforts to dissuade Europeans from visiting.
The tourism ministry reported arrivals up nine percent through April, compared with the first four months of 2004, on track toward 2.3 million visitors this year.
Tourism revenues reached $2.3 billion last year, more than 40 percent of Cuba's foreign exchange earnings.
"Cuba is truly unique and so are the Riviera and Capri," Pyre said, pointing to the vintage Chevrolets, Pontiacs and Buicks passing by his office window.
Today was not a good day for Cuba travel. The Flake amendment was defeated and the Dorgan amendment was also defveated in the Senate. It is rustrating to see that the PACs mainly fron south Florida are making progress. They have a right-wing agenda that aside from Cuba and the embargo is downright dangerous. Can you imagine Mel Martinez on the Supreme Court? I am realizing that the issue of Cuba only concerns a small group of people. It's disappointing, but it is important to not lose hope.
Our local congresswoman, Virginia Foxx, received a $1000 contribution several weeks ago. It came from the Cuban-American PAC who oppose any relaxation of travel regulations to Cuba. A week later she voted "nay" on three bills that would have improved travel. she represents a university where she was once employed. That university lost its permit for educational travel to Cuba and she bought the ultra-right PAC reports that support right wing South Florida Cuban Americans rather than support her local university and its students.
I plan to put some opf my black and white photos on the blog. I have a web site which contains many Cuba photos. It is www.riowatauga-art.com. The blog is to keep my political views off the photo site, hopefully some will find the combination interesting.
Never say die, I keep blogging away. Very interesting article in the NY Times today making the point that much of the air has been let out of the South Florida anti-Castro balloon. Points out that many learned from the Elian disaster that the people of the US at large do not share the animosity of Fidel felt among the exile community. Also points out that many feel betrayed by Bush and that there is little support for the tightening of the travel and funds transfer rules vis-a-vis the Noriega commission. Makes me realize how important it is to hang in there and not lose the faith. I had dinner tonight with a man who is now 77 years old. At one time was a major beer distributor for the Carribbean. He recalled one winter night in Havana when he rode up to his room at the Hilton in an elevator with 4 young men in military garb carrying arms, one of whom was , according to a whisper, "El Jefe." It was a good story.
This past week while in Denmark and then in Scotland, at some point the issue of Guantanamo and the treatment of prisoners held there came up with President Bush. He invited anyone who thought the situation was bad or difficult to "buy a plane ticket, go there and see for themselves." I wonder if I questioned what goes on at Guantanamo, would he allow me to buy a plane ticket to visit Cuba?
Tony Blair dealt with the London terrorists attacks by declaring "war' on the roots of terrorism. He returned to the G8 conference, led the move to give aid to Africa and to forgive third-world debt. After a few statements re: the bombings, he passionately talked about the needs of the poor countries of the world. This is where the war on terrorism must be fault. This is truly a hard "slog", (thanks, Rummy) for those who undertake it. There's little immediate profit, there's little political glitz, and few votes to be had. Maybe it is time to give Tony Blair credit for being someone who gets it, Maybe a Nobel Peace prize or something like that. Finally a major world leader who acts like a statesman instead of a hack. Wonderful op-ed in NY Times by John Tierney this Saturday re: Blair.
I got a report today on the damage inflicted on the south coast of Cuba by Huyrricane Dennis. The village where Monodesnudo's family resides was 75% destroyed. He suggests that perhaps we should get a humanitarian shipment together, he has the necessary business licenses to handle the export and shipment of the goods. This might be a good opportunity for us to show the people of Cuba some of the advantages of living in a free society, the ability to help those less fortunate. If anyone is interested, then email me.
Are your borders safer? Recently 45 agents of Homeland Security wasted their time holding up the Pastors for Peace Caravan at the Mexican border. Eventually everything but computers, toner, and other computer supplies was released. The computers, intended for children, were confiscated. Gosh, I feel safer. I also feel much stronger knowing that we have struck another resounding blow to Castro's Cuba, hopefully
within the next 46 years the results of all of our crippling blows will be his overthrow. What absurdity this is.
I just received a letter from my congress person telling me they would not "support any program or law that might let American dollars to flow into Cuba and ultimately to Fidel Castro." When intelligent people believe this sort of pap-Fidel gets the money-Cuba doesn't have a chance with the US government. The more informed we become, the better off the people of Cuba will be. We trade with China, we can't even give computers to Cuban school children. To read more about this issue look at http://www.ifconews.org/
Interesting article today in the NY Times regarding Rolando Sarabian, ballet dancer, who is seeking asylum in the US to pursue his ballet career. He is an outstanding dancer, who unlike others, was denied the privilege of performing internationally. This decision was made by Alicia Alonso who has a reputation for her arrogance and arbitrary method of dealing with people. Unfortunately many of Cuba's leading artists find themselves in this dilemma.
Of course, the US doesn't help things when it denies visas for them to come and perform or accept awards. If only we treated musicians and other artists with the same acceptance and dignity we accord baseball players!
These comments were copied from an article in Truth out, written by Marjorie Cohn.
"After Hurricane Ivan, the United Nations International Secretariat for Disaster Reduction cited Cuba as a model for hurricane preparation. ISDR director Salvano Briceno said, "The Cuban way could easily be applied to other countries with similar economic conditions and even in countries with greater resources that do not manage to protect their population as well as Cuba does."
"On Thursday, Cuba's National Assembly sent a message of solidarity to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It says the Cuban people have followed closely the news of the hurricane damage in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and the news has caused pain and sadness. The message notes that the hardest hit are African-Americans, Latino workers, and the poor, who still wait to be rescued and taken to secure places, and who have suffered the most fatalities and homelessness. The message concludes by saying that the entire world must feel this tragedy as its own."
I think that both Michael Chertoff and Michael Brown should be fired. They have completely mishandled their jobs, tried to cover their tracks (or the lack of tracks) with all sorts of rhetoric, and still don't seem to have a handle on what went awry in NO. A complete and highly lethal disaster that in terms of cost and lives lost will make 9-11 pale. I think both were awful. We have spent a ton of money and gone to war and we are not safer and the homeland is not secure. But then, why should I expect these bozos to accomplish anything meaningful. At least I never voted for them.
Four of my colleagues here at Appalachian State University went to Cuba last week. They obtained a special 30 day permit to go there and have an exhibition of their art. There was actually more red tape on the Cuban side this time than from the US! A single bureaucrat at the Arts Academy where they were to exhibit required all sorts of "papers" before agreeing to issue a cultural visa. Government the world over runs on "papers", most of which are handled by incompetents who rule their small niche with an iron hand. Cuba, like our government, claims to put the people first and then creates a charade of doing well.
Apparently the art exhibition went on as scheduled without a hitch. It was well received, the participants got favorable feed back. I just picked up my photos from the Turchin Art Center here on campus after a two month exhibit. They included several photos of nudes that I made in Cuba. The curator told me that the only negative comments were about the nudity. Apparently there are some people in the area who were not born naked and/or are still under the influence of the serpent in spite of God's saving grace and they fear the naked body. It strikes me that there are many more occasions for intimate contact than being naked. I think attitudes about things like Cuba, the recent FEMA catastrophe, the current state of our government and its willingness to let non-competitive contracts for billions of dollars all tell us more about out fellow man than we would learn from seeing them nude. And often, they tell us things we might really not want to know. I sometimes wish that I knew enough about psychology to understand why people are so afraid of themselves.
Recently I have been using a newstracker service. I asked for articles re: Cuba. So far, all I get are articles talking about the prison at Guantanamo. Surely something else worthy of comment is going on.
"U.S. AND CUBAN POLICIES HURT FAMILIES, RIGHTS GROUP SAYS The United States will not let a Cuban émigré visit her dying father in Cuba. A Cuban-American in the armed forces is barred from visiting his sons in Cuba while on leave from Iraq. A Cuban scientist is permanently banned from visiting her son in Argentina on the ground that her brain is "the property" of the government. These are just a few of the cases cited in a report by the New York-based group Human Rights Watch that condemned travel restrictions imposed by both the United States and Cuba. The report noted that Fidel Castro had long used travel restrictions to control defections, silence critics and punish people. But it also faulted the Bush administration for tightening rules on travel to Cuba last year, on the ground that trips home by Cuban expatriates were providing the government with much needed hard currency. Cubans living in the United States may now visit members of their immediate family just once every three years. "The policies on both sides have had a devastating impact on a large number of people," said Daniel Wilkinson, a spokesman for Human Rights Watch. James C. McKinley Jr. (New York Times)"
No one seems at all concerned with individual rights. Here it appears that two fanatics are abusing their citizens for some obscure political gain. Oppression is the same regardless of who is oppressing whom.
According to the newspaper Granma, "the San José, California Technical Museum has awarded one of its annual prizes in the health category to the team of specialists who worked on obtaining the Cuban vaccine against Haemophilus infuenzae Type B, the bacteria that causes meningitis, pneumonia and other infections in under-fives. The award ceremony is scheduled for November 9 at the museum itself, but Dr. Vicente Vérez Bencomo, the principal author of this important achievement, cannot attend it because the U.S. government has refused him a visa, arguing that his presence would be prejudicial to that country’s interests."
That this has happened is disgraceful. It is apparent that our leaders have no shame when it comes to these sorts of issues. Keep out a weak scientist who has no large constituency, but admit most competent baseball players? Who cares if this man gets to accept his award? He does, his wife does and those students and colleagues that work with him do. Other than that, do we fear he will single handedly produce some bogus vaccine and cause a pandemic? Its not in the best interest of the pols who cater to the Cuban Americans to acknowledge that anything after the Revolution was worthwhile. This can only mean that many of those Cuban Americans recognize the need for the Revolution and its aftermath, it had to happen.
Vicente Verez-Bencomo, a Cuban microbiologist, was set to receive an award at an international meeting held in the US. It was for his work on the development of a vaccine for meningitis and pneumonia. He was not given a visa to enter the US to attend the meeting and receive his award. It was deemed "not in the best interests of the United States" to grant him the visa. He is not a spy, a terrorist, a revolutionary, a criminal--he is a scholasr and a scientist who has devoted his career to making life better for mankind. The arrogance and cruelty of this Wizard of Oz like toying with people's lives and careers is asonishing. Surely we are a better country and group of people than that. I am not an apologist for Castro, I think he has done some good, and a whole lot of bad for the Cuban people. Unfortunately our policy makers have been duped by the influential Cuban Americans into rushing to the aid of Fidel. We provide him the perfect cover for all that's wrong in Cuba. Instead of having to take responsibility, it is all deflected to the embargo.
There are 39 known deaths of Cubans trying to reach the United States so far this year. These are the result of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy which grants considerable benefits to thse Cubans who reach the shore and stand upon it. Those in boats even outside the surf are turned back. Cubans are the only people we do this for. If two rafts, each containing 5 people, one from Haiti and one from Cuba reach the Florida beach, the Cubans stay with a bunch of bounty, the Haitians go home with nothing.
A few years ago I had a drink with Roberto Salas, the Cuban photographer. This was shortly after several young Cuban men had died trying to stow away in the wheel wells of international airliners. All four of them had died. Roberto was very angry. He thought the US policy which he believed encouraged young people, especially young men, to leave Cuba was one of genocide. It made escape sound attractive, and escape was a very dangerous undertaking. This is still the case.
In the recent article regarding this issue in the New York Times, the increase in numbers of those trying to escape was attributed to the worsening repression and economic situation under Castro. There was no mention of the role played by the embargo, the recent changes in laws limiting the amount of money families and friends may send those in Cuba, and the harshness of our attitude toward the Cuban people.
On the brighter side, December is the time for the Cuban Jazz Festival. This year it is the 22nd Festival. My friend, Bobby Carcasses organized and produced the early Jazz Festivals. Bobby is now retired, but he still plays some low key venues. Wht he started is now a world class music festival and it is a real shame American musicians, American music scholars, and American lovers of Latin Jazz cannot attend this festival. Jazz lovers should think about the Hampton Jazz Festival in Hampton, Virginia in June as an alternative. All three nights are spectacular.
Why don't they buy those materials that are so scarce in Cuba from Canada or Mexico or France or Spain or Britain or Venezuela or Russia or China? Is it the embargo or the the lack of hard currency because of a failed economy? and Cuba wasn't "officially" communist before the bay pigs OK but unofficially Castro was always going to be a communist. Something he admits himself. He says that he could reveal the "true nature" of the revolution because people wouldn't understand it. Read between the lines that means he need to jail or kill his rivals that would have surely ousted him if they knew he was communist. C'mon you are a doctor. You are supposed to be smart. My father is General and Vascular surgeon. Born in Cuba and went to Colleg at St. Joe's in Philly and med School at Salamanca in Spain. He's a third generation doctor too. I'd love for you to talk to him. You visit Cuba, why don't you come down here to Miami and talk with some of us. You'll find we are real people and we're Cuban too. We're just as friendly and warm as those people you met in Cuba with the difference that we have access to the real world. Come talk to us. I promise to personally take you around and introduce you people that may change your opinion about the exile community.
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