Mariel

Today I bring you photos of the port that gave its name to thousands of Cubans and then fell into a long oblivion for thirty years.  “Los Marielitos” left from there and in my primary school we were told they had been looking for “drugs and perversions” on the other shore.   So I imagined them at a neverending party of alcohol and laughter ninety miles away.  At five, I couldn’t understand that the shouting in the building and my grandmother forbidding us to play in the hallway was because of the repudiation rallies.  The “farewell” was demeaning for those who were leaving an Island that had proclaimed itself a utopia.

The eggs were flying here and there, some they threw and others they smashed on their faces, doors and windows.  The word “scum,” taken from the lexicon of smelting, was awarded to those who didn’t throw themselves into the crucible of the social process.  We went back to being divided, conflicted and separated.  Parents and children were not allowed to speak because one of them had chosen the path of exile.  Letters weren’t opened and calls weren’t answered by those who stayed, believing the line about fleeing traitors.  My teacher would ask if, “Mama or Papa received gifts from their family in the North.”  More than one of my friends gave away, without knowing it, the hidden relationship their family had with the other side.

I don’ t think we’ll go back to having other events such as the Mariel Boatlift.  Emigration happens more quietly now, in rocky coves where—in the early hours every morning—someone launches themselves into the sea, and in the consulates crammed with people looking for a visa.   They no longer use the harsh adjectives of the past, now they’re called “economic emigrants,” but the property they leave behind continues to be confiscated.  To the west of Havana, however, we have the sad reminder of when thousands screamed, “Scum get out!  Go! Go!”

77 comments

  1. I’m not that good in english, so I can’t put in words how great your blog is. I’m learning a lot about your history and your daily lives in Cuba. You write with passion! It’s always a great time when I’m reading your posts. Truth, history, beauty, sadness, hope… all in one post!

    I’m a young brazilian guy, so I never lived in a situation like yours. We had our bad times here, with a violent governament based on autoritarism, but it was a long time ago, at least for me.

    I hope that all this problems you write about disapears when the people that controls your country go away. They’re getting old and “the revolution” will die with them. I don’t know if I’m right, but it seems that the changes had just begun already.

    Thanks for sharing with us all this thoughts. You are amazing!!! Good luck.

  2. Are we truly economic immigrants?
    If we disagree with the social system in Cuba that produces so much poverty? or
    If we think that with other systems that provide different solutions to the same problems is better?

    Or

    is it the Cuban government propaganda to try to ameliorate their deteriorated image?

    In the beaches of Cuban revolutionary Idealism a confrontation with reality happen every day.

    No matter how many times some one scream “Viva la revolucion” if they are dying a slow death of malnutrition.
    Is it collective suicide?
    There are many that prefer to end their life on their own terms in the sea looking with hope for freedom.

  3. Yoani’s “rating” is holding up in Time Magazine’s poll, and she’s getting a lot of votes, but her overall place on the list has fallen from about 30th to about 40th in the last day or so.

    SO GO THERE AND VOTE FOR HER AGAIN, please… it seems you can do a refresh and vote about 20+ times before they shut you off, very generous of them!

    And be sure to set the slider to 100 before you vote!

    THANKS ALL. Here’s the link.

    http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1883644_1883653_1884568,00.html

  4. Voted. By the way, where did Yoani get that Dell from? She probably gets better service on her Dell products than we do. At least she doesn’t have to talk to someone in India!! I kid, I kid.

    I was reading an article about North Korean defectors this weekend in the Washington Post. Apparently, there comes a time when the only thing you can be is an economic immigrant/emigrant. How is that possible? Well, in the case of the North Koreans, they are so brainwashed by their government, that they have no idea what freedom is, what other forms of government exist, what else exists outside of their country. As such, when they show up, none of them claim that they want to escape political repression, or that the seek artistic/religious expression, etc. They come because they don’t want to starve. They are, as such, characterized as economic migrants. Ridiculous? I think it is, but that appears to be how it happens. Cuba is not so backward in its thinking like that, but I suppose some people are bound to hold similar views of brainwash as the North Koreans might hold.

    Could we see another Exodus in Cuba? I’d venture to say that Obama is more popular than the Castros there, even among the brainwashed class? Hmmm….just think about it.

  5. Can someone tell this low tech guy how I can vote for Yoani’s blog step by step? I got a large mailing list and want to support MY GIRL!!

    Humberto Capiro
    Lost is Cyber Space!! Beam me up Scottie!

  6. Go to the link

    http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1883644_1883653_1884568,00.html

    You’ll see a red box with a ‘slider’ in it that says “Use the slider to rank influence”.

    Grab the slider with your mouse and move it to the right to 100 (of course!)

    Then click on “submit”

    Then do a refresh and do it again about 20 more times until they tell you ‘Sorry, You’ve reached your Max! Try Voting again later!”

    LATER… do it all again!

    Thanks Humberto. Put that mailing list of yours to work!

  7. I want to shed some light on the “marielitos” that came to the US. Below is a patial list of the great accomplishments that a few of the men and women who had to endure the discrimination of those in Cuba and some of those cubans in the US. I recall and NPR piece (that I cannot find now) on how the “mariel” generation was the most successful (not my words) imigration group to succeed in such a short time in US history. I would love to where that research came from.

    SOME OF THE MARIELITOS TO BE PROUD OF:

    Reinaldo Arenas-poet,novelist, playwright. His autobiography, Before Night Falls was on the New York Times list of the ten best books of the year in 1993. In 2000 this work was made into a film, directed by Julian Schnabel, in which Arenas was played by Javier Bardem.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinaldo_Arenas

    Pedro Pablo Zamora, most important AIDS educator in the Latino Community
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Zamora
    see also PEDRO-THE MOVIE 0fficial Selection of Toronto Film Festival 2008
    http://www.pedrothemovie.com/

    Rene Lavan-actor
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rene_Lavan

    Mirta Ojito is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The New York Times
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4620022

    Latino Rapper Pitbull, Blending Politics and Hip-Hop
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6428732

    Many other who are UNSUNG AND NOT LISTED ANYWHERE

  8. Yes — and I think about 100 of us have written Time and pointed out the mistake,.. but they clearly haven’t done anything about it. Why not add your name to the chorus…. it can’t hurt!

  9. OK — TRAVEL AND REMITTANCE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED… but only for “Cuban Americans” — interesting.

    And in my mind, a great move — as far as it goes.

    But, what is a “Cuban American”? Unless it’s someone with a Cuban passport… I would want to ask… is this not denying ‘equal protection under the law’?

    Why should some grandchild of a former Cuban citizen have a right that all other Americans don’t have?

    I think the travel restrictions have been unconstitutional from the get-go, but this really highlights how stupid they are.

  10. #10
    I’m with you but I think Obama is taking it one step at a time. There should be more to come in the coming weeks or months.

    I believe the justification used is that it is a matter of national security.

  11. To all,

    Put this “package” e-mail together so we can get our “girl” to be one of TIME MAGAZINE’s 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE FOR 2009. It’s short and sweet for all your mailing lists, friends, connections etc!! I had support for this from
    #6 ANDY – How to Vote for Yoani dice: Thanks Andy! Eres “tremendo”!!

    To all who support democracy in Cuba!

    Yoani Sanchez is a blogger out of Cuba who has the “cojones” to show her face and tell it like it is! If you want to know more go to her blog “Generación Y” (see link below) and read more. If you like what you read and think this is an important person to vote for the TIME MAGAZINE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF 2009! SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW AND PASS IT ON! THIS IS A CUBAN VIRAL PROJECT! AND GET INVOLVED, POST SOMETHING, THE GOVERMENT WILL NOT MESS WITH HER NOW!

    Humberto Capiro

    Yoani Sanchez’ Blog
    http://desdecuba.com/generationy/

    HOW TO VOTE FOR YOANI’S BLOG!
    Go to the link

    http://www.time.com/time/speci…..68,00.html

    You’ll see a red box with a ’slider’ in it that says “Use the slider to rank influence”.

    Grab the slider with your mouse and move it to the right to 100 (of course!)

    Then click on “submit”

    Then do a refresh and do it again about 20 more times until they tell you ‘Sorry, You’ve reached your Max! Try Voting again later!”

    LATER… do it all again!

  12. WHOSE national security?!?!?!

    Well I’ll make a confession… after that other thing we had in there for 8 years… I’m going to give Obama the benefit of the doubt all the way until he appears at my door and personally arrests me and throws me into Guantanamo for ‘bad thought’.

    So however he wants to play this… it’s fine with me. As long as we’re moving in the right direction. I don’t need everything on day one… I don’t even care if there are some inevitable setbacks… at least I feel we have a president we can rely on… one who has a brain, a heart and a conscience.

    Which of course doesn’t mean that I won’t criticize…because that’s part of my right as a free person! If we stop criticizing we destroy our own democracy. I like the guy but he’s not god… and after 8 years (not 50+)… it’ll be time to move on. But like I said, he’s gonna have to screw up almost unimaginably for my criticism to be anything but trying to make a good thing better…

    And THAT said, I’ll go ahead and go to Cuba whenever I want and no unconstitutional laws are going to stop me. They’re just going to make my trip a little longer.

  13. shame yoani! shame on you!
    cuba is the only country where people do not die of hunger,
    Cuba is the only country resisting international capitalism instead to live in a much bigger shit all the other countries of south america, you want those shit for you people, Capitalism is the cancer of the world and CUBA with many difficoults resist against it, you use those difficoults for going against Cuba, shame on you, PERSONAL THREAT AND OBSCENITY REMOVED W FIDEL CASTRO W RAUL CASTRO!

  14. Anyone who doesn’t think it takes tremendous courage for Yoani to publicly oppose Castro’s tyranny, take a careful read of the lunatic ravings of #13. One can only hope ‘marco’ is not in a position to carry out the threats he is making, but it is nonetheless very disconcerting.

  15. As an American, today i say it is the beginning of the end. Thank you for the courage you show everyday.

  16. John Two discorcentings are the fascist for money like Yoana Sanchez
    She think that the problem is Castro family and not the USA Imperialism, but the cuba’s people don’t think so, so she can speak because she is nothing in front to Cuba, she is against the only country that resist against Capitalism!

  17. In South America Cuba is the only country where no one die for hunger and cold and education and health are for all!
    You can try to go in Brasile Argentina and Vnezuela and then you can go to Cuba for see this!
    Ideology’s eyes are closed by totalitarism capitalist!

  18. Marco if is true what you said that the CUban people are totally with the Castro family and against capitalism then why not allow other political parties in Cuba and allow free elections?
    Why not allow free press?
    Why not allow free speech?
    Why not allow people from Cuba to travel without restrictions to any place they want to?

    Do you think a government that controls the freedom of their citizens is a good government?

  19. It does not difficoult to understand that the Yoany Sanchez is a reactionary for money, his arguments are easily reversible: Cuba is a country that is resistant to many difficulties against U.S.A imperialism imposed with the embargo, Cuba is the only country in South America where people are not dying of hunger, where everyone has a good level of education and where everyone has access to health services, the situation in Cuba when compared to that of all South America is living proof that the worst socialism is better than every capitalist regime, or perhaps want to believe to trouble of bourgeois democracy and free elections, now in Italy we have the government a criminal mafia backed by the fascist and the worst kind of xenophobic, we had 50 years of dictatorship that Cristians Democrats that in times of conflict the worst fascists used to make bombs and make the strategy of tension everywhere (massacres of Piazza Fontana and Bologna are the higher example of democracy than this country can give to Cuba?) W Free Cuba, W Fidel ! W Raul! PERSONAL THREAT REMOVED

  20. For all the reason that I wrote up Cuba is more democratic than Usa and the other south american countries.
    Cuba dont’make Guantanamo, dont make war in all the world like Usa, UK and Germany.
    Who want the war in Irak and Afghanistan, maybe the people that read democratic newspaper and goes to vote wants the war and the economic crisis? What is democratic in the the capitalism dictatoreship! Into the capitalism regime even misery is democratic!

  21. #20 – Marco

    I haven’t posted a comment here in forever so at everyone who is still here: hello again! and everyone who is new: welcome!

    Marco Marco Marco… you poor misguided soul, could it be that you have never even been to Cuba? That you have never seen the poverty and the lack of medicine, food, electricity, clean water, clothing, democracy and everything in between?
    I also noticed that in the last post you wrote a comment that ended with “people like you must die”… It seems to me you have unresolved issues, possibly pertaining to the fact that you have not succeeded in life or that you had a weird kind of education? There’s a way of voicing your opinion without sounding like a 12 year old throwing a tantrum.

    Also, your entire commented just validated Yoani’s post.

    People like you sir, need to learn a thing or two before speaking.

    Sickboy out.

  22. Marco
    “dont make war in all the world like Usa, UK and Germany”
    Are you forgetting Cuba in Angola, Ethiopia and countries in latinamerica?

  23. “that the worst socialism is better than every capitalist regime”

    Marco have you visited Cuba?
    Have you seen under what conditions the Cuban people live?
    Why do you think there is more than 2 million Cubans outside of Cuba?
    and not the other way around that is

    2 million people of other nationality living in Cuba?

    A system that makes people abandon their own country is sufficient proof that something is wrong.

    If Cuba is the utopia society you think I tell you is all a fantasy.

    I have live in both systems and I tell you Capitalism is not perfect is the same as any human enterprise full of errors but freedom allow it to heal itself from mistakes.

    While systems like the one existing in Cuba can not. Because there is no freedom.
    If you are not free to elect other leaders that will rectify prior mistakes then you will keep making the same mistakes every time.

  24. Good news US announces Military budge up 4 % for a total expenditure of $200,000,000.000.00 (that should be 200 billion lost in the zeros). At the same time over 8 million kids are considered living in poverty,(that is before the bank take overs) welcome to the good old USA. Yes I have been to Cuba and I debate those who claim that the poverty little children are subjected to in the good old USA is worse in Cuba.

  25. I LIKE TO LIVE IN AMERICA! like the song in West Side Story which has a revival on Broadway! Check it out! Those who have never lived in a TOTALITAIAN REGIME HAVE NO IDEA!!!

    Humberto Capiro-one of the SHARKS via CUBA!

  26. Marco sonny, how many years do you have lived in Cuba???
    I don’t need to wait for your answer………………. 0, zero, I am sure you have not lived in Cuba, in the real Cuba a single day of your life. So, I guess you learned all your false information about Cuba in some 2 weeks course imparted by some communist party somewhere out of Cuba………. or maybe in.
    I am pretty sure you have never intent to study about the recent history of the relations between USA and castro’s tyranny. I decide to help you a little.
    USA’s department of State put castro in the power and took off the power Batista and gave him guarantee about he would conserve both freedom and all the money he wanted take of the county treasure. Batista departed and castro took the power without shooting a shut. The myth about a popular revolt is only that …. a myth. It is up to you to learn it because it is declassify information nowadays. You can find it in the internet, a library, etc.
    Now tell me, why would USA put castro in the power if they will become enemies later?????
    Do you believe USA’s department of state is driven by idiots????
    If you can answer these questions I will continuing actualizing your information about the Cuba.
    I only want to let you know something more else. Your favorite dictator and the “imperialism” are partners, not enemies as you believe.
    Another think you have to learn about Cuba is that Yoani is fighting for getting hers people’s freedom, for taking off the starvation millions of cuban, for the right of the cuban children over 7 years to drink milk, to avoid the cubans mothers feels enough desperate as for taking theirs kids and ride a raft to try to reach the coast of USA, Mexico or Honduras.
    Maybe in Brazil there is children in hunger and happen other unfair things, this is a problem brazilians has to solve and I believe they are trying to solve it. We in Cuba have our own big problems to solve and this is what Yoani is trying to do. The only obstacle for cubans to solve all theirs problems is the tyranny, this tyranny that you don’t know.
    Don’t disappear now, come back so you can learn more.
    Regards

  27. Hello folks —

    The Spam filter seems to have “upgraded” itself. I’m not sure why or how — perhaps an upgrade that automatically installed itself — but I found a number of comments ‘waiting for approval’ instead of just thrown to the spam eating wolves. And I have approved them. So they have now appeared here, somewhat delayed.

    So… I will check back more often to make sure comments aren’t languishing in the “waiting queue” although, given that this is a blog from Cuba, perhaps it is fitting that we all should have to wait in very long lines for our comments to be posted!

    In other news… a gentle reminder… strong, even angry debate is just fine. Personal threats to harm people are not and they will be removed.

    Your Friendly (but occasionally firm) English Translator

  28. The Cuban revolution was been a big revolution.
    In the Batista time Cuba was the garden of corruption of USA and of the entire south america.
    The revolution has kick off all this out of Cuba.

    In the history USA killers has supported the worst dictatorships in the world, (Peron, PInochet, Batista), and for its interests Usa brings with the squalid war disaster and death everywhere!
    Cuba today is a country that is resistant against the death imperialism!

    Joana is only a maid and a corrupt journalist who uses the Cuba difficulties for own notoriety
    The Cuban people know the truth
    In Italia and in the other capitalist regimes there is a fascist dictatorship disguised as democracy
    Free elections only serve to mask the dictatorship against all the people because they don’t want the war and the bank’s power but politicals has to choise this for capitalism iterests!
    Today the economic crisis is the test because the poverty is everywhere!
    You did not knowt arguments you make just nfamies because you are the soons of the totalitarian ideology of capitalism

    In Cuba there are serious problems but these are caused by the U.S.A. embargo imposed!
    They have never accepted the freedom revolution of the Cuban people
    USA want only corruption and misery in Cuba!
    Argentina Brasile and the other south american countries are this high example of Usa’s democracy concept!
    In South America no capitalism but socialist revolution is the solution!

    When the United States Shits will arrive me and all the communist united we will wait for them with arms in the hands!
    j.sanchez will flee away!

    Everywhere UsA are the killers of freedom!
    W the Cuban resistance!

  29. Hey Marco!
    Go and take your crap somewhere else and when you are done, since there is no toilet paper in Cuba you may use the official venom called “Granma”. Careful, fresh ink may stain your vision.

  30. Hey General Marco!
    Convince your Comrades to have free lections in Cuba, go ahead.

  31. Hey Marco!
    In this blog we know who the communists’ like you are. Go someplace, here you don’t have a chance.

  32. free elections but to put wich United States servants?
    there is a bullet in your head and is sistem’s bullet!

    you don’t have arguments anymore!

  33. Hey Marco!
    Hurry, Hurry! Today, “Granma” is limiting their garbage edition, you may find yourself to use your bare hands. Ups….

  34. Hey Marco!
    Ask your Narco-Traffiquers to hold real elections; not the one they convene all members of the Communist Party to “Rubber Stamp” their own members.

  35. Hey Marco!
    What about, use oil for killers? Like your boot-licker from Venezuela.

  36. wow lucky…. usa will help cuba……i hope they do better then they do with haiti…………no bloquade with haiti and they are starving to death…. they have to eat dirt to survive ….welcome yannnkee….

  37. Hey Marco!
    If you don’t find toilet paper in Cuba, please don’t blame the Embargo.

  38. free elections but to put wich United States servants?

    Which shit do you want put inside Cuba?

    Another Batista or a new Pinochet?

    In italy with free elections we have a fascist man like Berlusconi!
    In Usa yesteday was a killers like Bush!
    Today there is Obama that reinforced the war in Afganistan!
    Is this you democracy!
    Cubans people says to yankes: no thanks!

    you don’t have arguments anymore!

  39. Canadiense, is about time we stop helping our own enemies and let them help themselves. Maybe you can convince your government? Do you want to try that?

  40. free elections but to put wich United States servants?

    Which shit do you want put inside Cuba?

    Another Batista or a new Pinochet?

    In italy with free elections we have a fascist man like Berlusconi!
    In Usa yesteday was a killers like Bush!
    Today there is Obama that reinforced the war in Afganistan!
    Is this your democracy!
    Cubans people says to yankes: no thanks!

    you don’t have arguments anymore!

  41. Marco, free elections don’t mean to put any servants, let the people of Cuba decide for themselves. I Hope you are not running.

  42. Marco, Bush is no longer the president, Osama is the new boss. Stop beating the Bush Drum.

  43. Cuba is the avanguardia of the resistence in south america.
    In palestine, Irak, Afghnistan, Usa are Killers everywhere!

  44. Canadiense, the official paper in Cuba will never mention to Cubans that last year alone Cuba bought goods in CASH from the United States in excess of $700 Millions.
    The regular folks in Cuba don’t see those goods, they are distributed in the “Fancy Tourist Hotels”. Cubans are not able to go to these fancy places that cost a fortune. Making 2.00 Cuban Pesos a day, they may be able to afford it when hell freezes.

  45. Marco and Canadiense.
    I got to go to do something productive, it call: WORK.

  46. The dual market is a necessity caused by embargo
    Cuba does not want alms but the end of Usakiller embargo imposition!
    statue of liberty in chains do you think that the embargo is the justice?

  47. Marco,
    I’d would counter what you’re saying but obviously, you are carrying baggage you’ve accumulated overtime, perhaps in your childhood or later. Interesting, how you repeat over and over again killing, death, etc. Humm, can’t write English properly, and saw your post in the spanish blog also in English, so no Spanish either.
    Is it possible you come from the desert. Are goats, tents and swords familiar to you?

  48. For his comments about italy, he seem to be italian.
    It should not matter where he is from

    Marco so far all we see is as Cold in Chicago said
    anti human ideas like

    ” killing, death, etc.”

    Why?

  49. I agree with silent voice, it doesn’t matter where Marco is from…
    More to the point, I think we all should just ignore his comments from here on in. It’s clear he’s loving the attention.
    Just ignore his comments and move on to something more constructive. The guy’s an idiot, we all disagree with him, so that pretty much seals the deal for me.
    Just my two cents.

  50. To all,

    Lets concentrate on how we can help “La Flaca” (term of endearment for cubans like “negra” & “china”) win this TIME MAGAZINE PRIZE! Marco will LOVE THAT! Yoani, if you dont want me to refer to you as “La Flaca” let me know. You know I say it in the MOST RESPECTFUL WAY with MUCHO, MUCHO AMOR! Like Walter Mercado!

  51. 57 comments ………. this just slays me! Meanwhile Yoani , Renaldo , and others must be in stealth mode at all hours in hotels to post to their blogs. My better half (way better) in Luyano waits until 6 each day for the man who has a connection to open his doors for people to receive and send their emails for 10 CUP. If you are a little after 6 , the wait is approx. 2 hours. For all of us email is easier and faster than walking to the washroom. This poster Marco is a piece of work for sure. I remember when the term ‘waste of bandwidth’ meant something. I agree with Sickboy to ignore the cretin and he will go away ……
    Best to all the other posters here , translators , and of course Yoani ………..
    Donn in Toronto …….. looking for a cheap flight because it`s time to fill the frio en Luyano !

  52. #58 Everyone calls her La Flaca except her best friends who call her La Flaquita. I am sure she doesn’t mind!

  53. I don’t usually read the English comments but I wanted to see why this Marco had decided to argue and praise a regime that he obviously hasn’t lived in and to make matters worse he’s trying to make his point in English and can’t defend that either. So since no one understands his nonsense, let’s ignore those types and force him to go back to his own problems and try to solve those first instead of interfering with our causes. Let’s not waste time on those comments.

  54. The TIME contest… yes… get your friends voting. I think I’ve finally reached my all time limit… they let me vote about 50 times a day before cutting me off and the next day I could do it again. Now… they tell me NO MORE. I’ll have to go to an internet cafe!

  55. I’m not sure what the problem is with the “killer” embargo, from Marco’s point of view? Surely it’s the United States that must be suffering, from its failure to welcome the Cuban cornucopia he describes with open arms? Unless … of course … there ISN’T a Cuban cornucopia?
    But, come on – what can the island subjects, so generously enriched in every way by the unelected “Wise Grandfather” in Havana, possibly need from the hapless, down-trodden masses to the north? It’s cutting the peasants of USA off from the Cuban land of plenty that must be what Castro calls, “genocide.”

  56. Marco. the US provides 70% of the food in Cuba, today. For your own knowledge The CASTRO’s live like kings and even have dolphin pools to play with “flipper”, while the majority of the people spend all day just trying to find something to eat. What happens in Cuba is a shame and the reason some board a truck tire in search of liberty. I do thank you for coming out and expressing your pin head ideas. Do yourself a favor and spend a month in Cuba, you’ll have a new outlook on life. Cubans who flee the Island typicially say when they get out and see something different that they “WOKE UP”.

  57. I have been to NAPLES in ITALY and it is a dump like REGLA. You can also get groapped in the busses as they do on the camello.

  58. FIDEL, his family AND the REGIME ARE THE BIGGEST CROOKS ON THE PLANET. KING FOR 50 YEARS, its TIME for CHANGE.

  59. A VOTE FOR YOANNI is a VOTE for CHANGE. That one Girl is amazing, she needs to be remebered in Cuban History as someone who lead a REVOLUTION for the PEOPLE.

  60. “History as someone who lead a REVOLUTION for the PEOPLE.”

    Pablo, that was what Fidel promise to our fathers and grandfathers in Cuba
    but he did not deliver.
    The revolution was suppose to bring democracy back to Cuba.
    Go back to the speeches in 1959
    As Fidel ask people their response was

    Freedom!

    That is all people in Cuba wanted.
    and never got.

  61. #56 and 57:

    You are right, it does not matter where Marco comes from, he lives in Italy but that does not mean he’s Italian. Europe is teeming with violent elements.
    With all his references to death, killing, Irag, etc., I just have this suspicion, he might come from a violent political and/or religious belief system.

  62. In Cuba there are serious economic difficulties but these are caused by criminal embargo USA!
    Despite the severe restrictions took by imperialismo yanki nobody dies of hunger because there is a socialism that in under international pressure manages to secure the food needs of first, Cuba make the public health for all and the best is exported to the other Latin American countries , (in other critical areas health is critic because it affected by embargo that Usa imposed to all countries to export machinery and materials for primary pharmaceutical chemistry in Cuba), Cuba ensures a high level of education and everyone can access without differences, (including the maid yanki Yoana), ensures that everyone can have a house!
    Several layers of the population before the great Cuban revolution in 1959 was slaves , they died of hunger, they had no access to social services including education and health, and in the poverty was the majority of the population except the privileged and corrupt bourgeois and landowners.

    This is what I described is the state of the situation in which they are still not in 1959 but in 2009 most of the states of Latin America except Cuba, and perhaps in the future, some countries like Venezuela that have some have taken the road of socialism with a cautious and gradual reformism.

    The only solution to the barbarity of capitalism is the socialism, with difficulties Cuba has taken, is the road followed by the South American countries who live far worse and have suffered the worst dictatorships in the world of Peron and Pinochet always well supported by the U.S.A. government.
    This only road to the freedom is the resistance and the revolution of oppressed peoples against destruction and misery of internationally capitalism!

  63. dayys that cannot be forgotten

    FORTY-EIGHT years ago, mercenary forces in the service of a foreign power invaded their own homeland, escorted by a U.S. squadron, including an aircraft carrier and dozens of fighter planes. That date cannot be forgotten. The superpower to the North could apply the same prescription to any Latin American country. It has already occurred on many occasions throughout history in our hemisphere. Is there any declaration where it has been promised that such an action is never to be repeated in a direct form or via their own armies, as was the case in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Guatemala, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and other countries?

    The cunning and surprise Girón attack [Bay of Pigs] cost us more than 150 lives and hundreds of severely wounded. We should like to hear some self-criticism from the powerful country and the guarantee that it will never happen again in our hemisphere.

    Yesterday was the seventh anniversary of the failed coup d’état against the Revolution in Venezuela.

    For the good of democracy and human rights, a voice is needed to tell us from Washington that the School of the Americas, which specializes in coup d’états and torture, is to be closed down for ever.

    We cannot forget that this April, the leader of ARENA, an oligarchic ally of Bush in the Iraq genocide, is still governing in El Salvador. With a million human lives sacrificed, there is sufficient blood to drown all the accomplices.

    I am maybe offending in recalling this, or is it also prohibited, in the name of decency, ingenuity, and complicity, to mention the subject?

    The measure to ease restrictions on travel is positive in itself, although minimal. Many others are needed, including the elimination of the murderous Cuban Adjustment Act, which is applied exclusively to just our country. We would like a response to the question as to whether the immigration privileges utilized to combat the Cuban Revolution and divest it of human resources might be also conceded to all Latin American and Caribbean peoples. But everything in Port of Spain will be secret. Prohibited to listen to the debate and the pronouncements of heads of state and government. In any event, what each one of them states will become known.

    I do not wish to hurt Obama in the slightest degree, but he will be president for one or two terms. He has no responsibility for what has happened and I am convinced that he would not commit Bush’s atrocities. After him, however, someone similar to or worse than his/her predecessor could come along. Humans pass; peoples endure.

    There are other extremely grave problems such as climate change, and the current president of the United States has decided to cooperate in that problem which is vital to humanity. We should acknowledge that.

    Enough for today. I do not wish to add another word.

    FIDEL CASTRO

  64. Marco sonny, I have a link for your education, it is the HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE
    ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY UNITED STATES SENATE EIGHTY-SIXTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION PART 9. AUGUST 27, 30, 1960

    http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/us-cuba/gardner-smith.htm

    It is the truth about the cuban “revolution” that shows it were no a revolution but a dictators SUBSTITUTION planed and performed by US Department of State.
    After that and as a payment for US help Castro developed a series of “economical”, “political” and “diplomatic” strategies that favored US’s hegemonic position in America as well as US economically and military position. Take a look:

    – Castro started to develop a series of disastrous economical policies that made disappear some of the most important industries in Cuba and made appear those industries in……….USA!!!!!!!
    This is the case of Cuba’s Sugar industry. Once the first producer of sugar in the word and owner of the biggest industry of this type in the world Cuba lost this industry because the well planed destruction project Castro put in practice since the very beginning of his tyranny. To day Cuba is no more a sugar exporter, Cuba’s former huge sugar industry exist no more. Where is this industry today???…… yes you guessed right ….. in Florida, USA. Some of Cuba’s former sugar magnates had only to move to USA and start over there conquering the market Castro left free. Today Cuba is a sugar importer, where imports Cuba sugar from???………… yes, you guess right again……… from USA!!!
    – The same happened with Cuba’s tourism industry. Castro implemented political strategies that led to the destruction of Cuba’s big tourism industry, the poorer and isolated the cuban people grew the smaller and obsolete the tourism industry became. One more time Florida state grew richer and bigger thanks Cuba’s disgrace. Cities like Miami, Tampa and Key West left behind the old quiet and sleepy style and transformed in huge tourism emporiums thanks the conversion of cities like Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Varadero in small and poor places full of ruins.
    – Other cubans industries like Citric, Coffee, Fishing, Light industry, Media, Shipping, etc, suffered the same destiny and today thrives in US territory.
    To be continued………………………

  65. You are only imperialism’s servants!

    You like the embargo USA for use economic difficulties against Cuban’s resitence!

    Yankys fascists no pasaran!

  66. In most Cuban rural houses there is no running water. water is hauled from the nearest source. often a river, or the closest stream. to purify the water for drinking or to make coffee there are no 100 micron filters, or chlorine drops to kill the bacteria. The people have a basin carved out of a sandstone rock. It sits in a little cabinet in the house. Water from the river is poured into the basin and it seeps thru the rock and is collected in a bucket below. Very often the sewage from a town goes to a treatment plant that has not been in working order since the soviets left. The pipes still collect the waste water and convey it to the plant. It still goes from the plant into the river or nearby stream. the same place where the people got it in the first place, so I guess this is some form of earth friendly recycling, eh. The fact of the matter is that the poorest Mexican has access to safe clean drinking water that Cubans can only dream of. If a government cares so little for its people that it makes no effort to provide safe, clean water to drink, then it is no more than the very stuff that contaminates the water.

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