tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56927723657950819622024-03-04T23:58:36.222-05:00Invisible CubaInvisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-33756934175481286392011-05-12T13:57:00.009-04:002011-05-19T00:37:51.152-04:00Invisible Cuba Announces New Web Address (and new content)Invisible Cuba will henceforth be published at <a href="http://invisiblecuba.wordpress.com/">invisiblecuba.wordpress.com</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE MAY 19, 2011</span><br /><br />The following posts have been recently published at the <a href="http://invisiblecuba.wordpress.com/">new address</a>: <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">May 19, 2011</span> <a href="http://invisiblecuba.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/new-evidence-dead-dissident-was-beaten-up/">New Evidence Dead Dissident Was Beaten Up</a><br />tweet from an allegedly assassinated Cuban dissident’s pastor upends the Castro regime’s contention that it did not beat up the victim 3 days prior to his death. While the regime contends that Mr. Juan Wilfredo Soto García died of a pancreatic disease on May 8, his pastor declares in a You Tube video that on May 5 he had tweeted..."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">May 18, 2011</span> <a href="http://invisiblecuba.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/cuban-refuses-military-service-serves-someone-else/">Cuban Refuses Military Service, Serves Someone Else</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">May 17, 2011</span> <a href="http://invisiblecuba.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/hague-court-wants-gaddafi-arrested-but-why-now/">Hague Court Wants Gaddafi Arrested But Why Now?</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">May 16, 2011</span> <a href="http://invisiblecuba.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/cuban-dissident-home-under-attack/">Cuban Dissident Home Under Attack – UPDATED</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">May 14, 2011</span> <a href="http://invisiblecuba.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/another-kind-of-revolution/">Another Kind of Revolution</a><br /><blockquote>"Then he told the few that were gathered how Mr. Soto’s blood also cried out to God....The pastor further proclaimed that “Wifredo’s blood has not been shed in vain…and that it announces a Cuba that is about to arrive.” ...Then he accused someone (it is unclear who he refers to) of responding to God just like Cain and boldly concluding that the Cuban regime is cursed and has signed its own death sentence....That did not stop him from asking for forgiveness towards Mr. Soto’s personal aggressors and calling for national reconciliation."</blockquote><br /><strong>May 12, 2011</strong> - <a href="http://invisiblecuba.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/the-cardinal-conscience-and-totalitarian-cuba/">Cardinal Ortega, Conscience and Totalitarian Cuba</a><br /><blockquote>Creighton will award the cardinal “an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree at …the Spring Commencement on May 14.” Hopefully we will know ...One wonders what the Archbishop of Omaha thinks of the Cardinal visiting and lecturing in his archdiocese about Catholics in totalitarian Cuba. ...Some have been characterizing the Cardinal as an emissary of the tyranny..."</blockquote>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-45905132385498454382011-03-26T16:33:00.033-04:002011-05-14T18:19:10.469-04:00Google Strikes in the United States AgainYet again one of my blog posts has been blocked or censored by Google. "<a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/lybia-and-cuba-simple-solutions-perhaps.html">Libya and Cuba: Simple Solutions Perhaps</a>" was published over twelve hours ago and is still not available if one searches by its title. If this is a technical problem how is it that Google keeps messing up? If it is not, why is this - repeatedly - happening in the United States?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE MARCH 28, 2011 - 2;15 A.M.</span><br /><br />Almost forty eight hours have now elapsed since I published the <span style="font-weight:bold;">blocked</span> post on <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/lybia-and-cuba-simple-solutions-perhaps.html">Cuba and Libya</a> but it still can not be found by its title. The Invisible Cuba blog that contains it as well as <span style="font-style:italic;">this</span> post you are reading can be found. But the blocked post itself can not be found on any search engine by its title.<br /><br />My post is like that tree falling in a forest empty of humans. Does the tree make a sound? One might think that because no one is around to hear it that it does not. But, objectively, of course it does, although no one is near enough to hear it.<br /><br />Google Blogger effectively owns an Internet blogging forest. The sound that Google doesn't like for whatever reason is a sound that will not be heard. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) doesn't work with censorship.<br /><br />Of course, I am aware that I can open a blog outside of the Google blogger forest. But that is not the point and, in any case, it would hardly solve much given that <a href="http://marketshare.hitslink.com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?qprid=4">Google controls 84.77% of all Internet searches</a>, 14 times more than its nearest rival. Furthermore, the other search engines obtain much of their information from Google.<br /><br />Whatever Internet content Google hides or censors is seemingly pushed into virtual non existence and invisibility. If this can be demonstrated to be in fact the case (or nearly so), how could it be in the best interests of a free society?<br /><br />What if Google's idea of "the Good" is off by even a fraction of a degree?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE MARCH 29, 2011, 1:49 P.M.</span><br /><br />After over three days of invisibility, one is finally able to find <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/lybia-and-cuba-simple-solutions-perhaps.html">Libya and Cuba: Simple Solutions Perhap</a>s on Google's search engine. This is outrageous and I hope that mine is the only case.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />UPDATED MARCH 29, 2011, 10:33 P.M.</span><br /><br />The post "Libya and Cuba: Simple Solutions Perhaps" has been blocked by Google again after having been briefly unblocked earlier today. Not good.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />MARCH 31, 2011, 9:45 A.M.</span><br /><br />I last checked a few minutes ago and one can now find the blocked post by its title. But that had also happened briefly on March 29, as I reported then. There is no reason to trust it will not happen again with this post, or with a new post.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">APRIL 11, 2011</span><br /><br />I just discovered that I had been misspelling 'Libya' as 'Lybia'. Could that explain the block on the post? (Read below.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">APRIL 12, 2011 2011 UPDATE</span><br /><br />No, a misspelling can not account for Google's five days http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifof censorship. There are plenty of misspellings in blog posts published by Google blogger.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.wordpress.com/">Invisible Cuba´s New Web Address</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/05/invisible-cuba-announces-new-web.html">Invisible Cuba Announces New Web Address (and new content)<br /></a><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/censored-by-google-again.html">Censored by Google Again</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/02/google-vs-invisible-cuba.html">Google Vs. Invisible Cuba</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/04/google-mainstream-news-media-blogs-and_03.html">Google, the Mainstream News Media, Blogs and Cuba : What I thought was not so crazy after all</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/google-hides-abuses-in-cuba-again.html">Google Hides Abuses in Cuba (Again)</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-28079829621334585182011-03-26T03:32:00.077-04:002011-04-12T14:21:00.474-04:00Libya and Cuba: Simple Solutions Perhaps<div align="left">The emerging civil war in Libya is not far from what might happen in Cuba if the full opposition made itself visible and demanded that the Castro brothers surrender or leave. The assaults we have grown accustomed to seeing on Cuban non violent protesters could quickly metamorphose into threats of "hunting foes down in their homes" with "no mercy" and urging Cuban mobs to fight them "to the last drop of blood". Castro's old slogan was of course "socialism or death".<br /><br />Understandably, Castro's opponents have very little interest in a civil war. Like the Libyan rebel opposition they would be unable to defend themselves against air attacks, tanks, grenades, and an assortment of weapons in the hands of the tyrannical regime's mercenaries. A tyranny's opponents have to be very careful not to start one of these things unless there is a clear path to victory that will not result in something that is worse than what exists at the moment.<br /><br />But the uprising in Libya, as in much of the Arab world, appears to have been spontaneous. They were not planning on a civil war. It appears as if they figured they could get Gaddafi to step down with a relentless show of resolve and solidarity, just as the Egyptians had just done with Mubarak.<br /><br />Gaddafi of course - like his good tyrant friend, Fidel Castro - had been closely watching events in Tunisia and Egypt and preparing his response should a challenge come his way. He observed what did not work and did not take any chances: civilian unarmed foes must be mercilessly exterminated. Thus, he "reasoned". Thus, it is quite comprehensible that President Obama reacted immediately and that NATO determined to stop the genocide the Libyan madman was publicly contemplating. But now we have civil war. So what are the options:<br /><br />The first option is to abandon the Libyan civilian rebels and allow the genocide. That is obviously not acceptable.<br /><br />The second option is to continue the bombing indefinitely. That will not prevent the massacre of some but will save the lives of even more. Yet, it probably won't end the civil war.<br /><br />A third option is to train and arm the defenseless civilians for war but that means a possibly protracted civil war. Think El Salvador.<br /><br />Then there is the option of attempting to negotiate peace but how long will that take and what happens in the meantime?<br /><br />Finally, there is the option of splitting the country in half and protecting its dividing line with NATO troops until the new Lybyan nation can protect itself. That's what I have proposed be done in Cuba without any blood shed. But perhaps the solution is not so simple. Perhaps, I suppose, the Castros and Gaddafis of the world think it's easier to just be a tyrant. Whether they can get away with that will depend on the opposition and its allies.<br /><br />Dividing Libya up (proportionately to the population on each side and resources) would establish a great precedent for Castro and Cuba, and for other peoples seeking freedom from dictatorships in the future, and their allies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">MARCH 26, 2011, 4:18 P.M. UPDATE</span><br />For Libya there is the immediate and considerable benefit of stopping deaths on both sides. Negotiations to reunite the country can then begin without anyone's life being threatened and anyone being governed without their consent. The same would apply if this were to be implemented in Cuba.<br /><br />The benefit of this solution for the United States and NATO is that there is a clear and ethical exit path from the conflict. There should no longer be a genocidal threat and their role should quickly diminish as soon as the division is set up and Libyan civilians are trained to defend it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">MARCH 27, 8:14 P.M. UPDATE</span><br /><br />This blog post is being censored by Google Blogger as I have explained <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/google-strikes-in-united-states-again.html">here</a>. Followers of this blog or feed subscribers may nevertheless have read it and thus this update is primarily intended for them.<br /><br />First I want to more clearly restate a couple of the options I had written:<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Second Option - restated:</span><br />I wrote: "The second option is to continue the bombing indefinitely..." <span style="font-style:italic;">That is not really an option. The purpose of the bombing is (or should be) to protect the lives of civilians opposing Gaddhafi given his threat to hunt them down mercilessly. While Gaddhafi threatens and hunts down civilians, if he can be deterred through air raids, they should continue. They should stop immediately if he demonstrates that he will no longer be the aggresor. People will die of course. But many more will die if no one stops Gaddhafi. Think Nazi Germany.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Fourth Option - restated:</span><br />I wrote: "Then there is the option of attempting to negotiate peace but how long will that take and what happens in the meantime?" <span style="font-style:italic;">Peace negotiations should begin as soon as Gaddhafi is willing to sit down and talk. But if while negotiating he continues being the aggressor then it is morally obligatory to continue defending the civilians. The best way to end the fighting and killing in such a case is to begin splitting the country up as described in the fifth option. Of course, if Gaddhafi stops being the agressor, hostilities should cease and negotiations should begin immediately.</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Fifth Option - restated:</span><br />I wrote: "Finally, there is the option of splitting the country in half ..." <span style="font-style:italic;">Well, not in half. Ideally, each faction should have access to land, water and resources proportionate in quantity to the portion of the population that consents to be governed by it. Once the country is split and rebel civilians are trained to defend their portion the killing will cease. Both sides can then negotiate whatever they want, including the reunification of the country.</span><br /><br />* * *<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pope Benedict XVI</span> issued a <a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-appeals-for-diplomatic-talks-to-halt-armed-conflict-in-libya/">call</a> today for diplomatic talks to end the conflict. The Pope of course knows that the protests were not originally violent and that everything changed when Gaddhafi (spurred by Fidel Castro's and Hugo Chavez's support) began threatening and attacking civilians. There are about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Libya">40 thousand Catholics</a>, mostly Italians, in predominantly Sunni Muslim (97%)Libya.<br /><br />The Roman Catholic bishop of Tripoli issued a call for a cease to hostilities on March <a href="http://www.radiovaticana.org/radiogiornale/ore14/2011/marzo/11_03_22.htm#gr2">22</a> and <a href="http://www.ilfoglio.it/soloqui/8218">23</a>. This led to a strong <a href="http://www.ilfoglio.it/soloqui/8218">criticism</a> of the Vatican's "silence" by a renowned Italian Catholic writer, Sandro Magister.<br /><br />As Catholics, we all want a cease to hostilities. The Pope and the Bishop of Tripoli urge negotiations. But what is to be done about Gaddhafi's attacks on civilians, they have not explained.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />MARCH 28, 2011 UPDATE</span><br /><br />In this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-toinWzBOf4">video</a> President Obama tells Americans why had Gaddhafi had to be, and had been, stopped.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTWKFaG5TLrp3Ug_3QMx8h7fA1YRQKrJKhGxHIMxzL57f9W8XBO4L6H9fidj5Dk97jVyTYdmwWQyS6K8PBZTDZqw0aZBdzVn4OnxdbRJR_C2cAwZ9UYwFFu4aAQkfINX6wK3L_G2P6lZZ/s1600/2011-03-28_OBAMA+ON+LYBIA.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTWKFaG5TLrp3Ug_3QMx8h7fA1YRQKrJKhGxHIMxzL57f9W8XBO4L6H9fidj5Dk97jVyTYdmwWQyS6K8PBZTDZqw0aZBdzVn4OnxdbRJR_C2cAwZ9UYwFFu4aAQkfINX6wK3L_G2P6lZZ/s320/2011-03-28_OBAMA+ON+LYBIA.jpg" border="1" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589301888829596002" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;">President Obama <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-toinWzBOf4&feature=player_embedded">Explains</a> Libya Initiative</span></strong></span><strong><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Photo from Associated Press video on You Tube</span></span></strong><br /><br /></div><div align="left"><strong><br /></strong></div><div align="left"><strong>MARCH 29, 2011, 1:52 P.M. UPDATE</strong><br /><br />After over three days of <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/google-strikes-in-united-states-again.html">invisibility</a>, one is finally able to find the post you are now reading, "Libya and Cuba: Simple Solutions Perhaps", on Google's search engine. This is outrageous and I hope that mine is the only case.<br /><br />But why was it unblocked now?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">MARCH 29, 2011, 10:12 P.M. UPDATE</span><br /><br />I just checked. This post has been blocked again. You can no longer find it by its title. One can find <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/google-strikes-in-united-states-again.html">my next post</a> referring to this one, by its title. But why not this one?<br /><br />There is <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/04/google-mainstream-news-media-blogs-and_03.html">evidence</a> that Google gives low rankings to news of Cubans being oppressed by the Castro tyranny. But this post is not even ranked. Not buried in Google search page one hundred and nine. It is simply blocked. Censored. By Google.<br /><br />I realize that Google is not obligated to publish anyone or anything. But it <a href="http://marketshare.hitslink.com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?qprid=4">controls 84.77% of Internet traffic</a>. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />MARCH 31, 2011, 9:52 A.M.</span><br /><br />This post can now be found again by its title. But how does one trust Google after all of this?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">APRIL 10, 2011 UPDATE</span><br /><br />It is being reported that African leaders friendly to Gadhafi announced that he has accepted their cease-fire proposal. Not surprisingly, Cuba's 52 year dictatorship is also asking for a ceasefire in Libya. This is very good news except for the fact that Gadhafi's forces continue pounding the civilian rebels. Indeed, just today The Huffington Post <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/10/libya-cease-fire-road-map_n_847226.html">reported</a>:<blockquote>"In the embattled city of Misrata, the lone rebel outpost in the west of the country, residents said shelling continued Sunday, killing one and wounding two others seriously.<br /><br />"'We woke up at 7 a.m. from the tank fire,' said a doctor working at the local hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.<br /><br />"Libya's third-largest city has been pounded without cease for more than a month by Gadhafi's heavy weapons, but the rebels have managed to hold out."</blockquote> In addition, the Huffington Post also tells us that Gadhafi did not keep earlier cease fire promises.<blockquote>"Gadhafi has ignored the cease-fire he announced after international airstrikes were authorized last month, and he rejects demands from the rebels, the U.S. and its European allies that he relinquish power immediately."<br /></blockquote>So what are the civilian rebels to do? Armed rebellion and foreign intervention only came about after Gaddhafi threatened to exterminate them. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Yes, of course, a cessation of hostilities is the best thing that could happen, the earlier the better.</span> But the stronger force, that is, Gaddhafi and his armed forces, should immediately stop firing and retreat from all threatening positions. Negotiations with the (hopefully elected) civilian leadership should then immediately begin. If there is a will for peace it will be found. May Our Lord grant the Libyans that grace.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">APRIL 11, 2011 UPDATE</span><br /><br />The civilian rebels have <a href="http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE73A0O120110411">reportedly</a> rejected the ceasefire given that Gaddhafi´s forces have kept firing.<blockquote>"Rebels in the Libyan city of Misrata scorned reports Muammar Gaddafi had agreed to a ceasefire on Monday after his forces fired rockets on the city and fought intense house-to-house battles."</blockquote>If Gaddhafi wants his ceasefire offer to be taken seriously he should order his forces to stop and retreat to non threatening positions.<br /><br />The rebels are however demanding that Gaddhafi must leave. They no longer sound like civilians on the verge of being exterminated but rather, arrogant and triumphalist. They must resist these temptations and place human life (children!) first. They must understand that their enemy also has supporters with a right to life in Libya. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">APRIL 12, 2011 UPDATE</span><br /><br />Given its publicly declared willingness to commit genocide, no one could argue that respect for its citizens is a high priority for the Gaddhafi dictatorship. A woman allegedly raped by fifteen men at the start of protests has now accused a government minister of being the ringleader. Apparently as a result of that, she is reportedly being accused of naming the rapists. She <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libyan-woman-who-claimed-gadhafi-militiamen-gang-raped-her-recounts-ordeal/2011/04/12/AFmMqIPD_story_1.html">recounts</a> how after two days of rapes she was finally able to escape from her assailants with the help of another woman who was not resisting the rapes and was therefore not tied. The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libyan-woman-who-claimed-gadhafi-militiamen-gang-raped-her-recounts-ordeal/2011/04/12/AFmMqIPD_story.html?hpid=z2">Washington Post</a> reported:<blockquote>"Naked and hysterical, she said she jumped out of a window and threatened the African guards at the gate with a metal rod.<br /><br />"'I could see fear in their faces when they looked at me — my hair was wild, I was naked and screaming,' she said.<br /><br />"Once they opened the gates to the street, she ran for her life.<br /><br />"'I ran down the side of the house screaming and crying and the ('rapists’) car was chasing me,' she remembers. 'Neighbors started to come out to look and they protected me.'<br /><br />"Women in the neighborhood brought her clothes and paid for her taxi.<br /><br />"'They asked if I wanted to go to the police station, but I didn’t go because that’s not where I would find justice,' she said."</blockquote><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-weight:bold;"></span><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ilfoglio.it/soloqui/8218">Roman Catholic Bishop of Tripoli Speaks on March 23 (</a><a href="http://translate.google.com/#">Italian</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/Libya-cuba-obama-and-lugar.html">Libya, Cuba, Obama and Lugar</a><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/04/cuba-preliminary-proposal-for-peace_21.html"><br />Cuba: Preliminary Proposal for a Peace Agreement between Cubans and the End of the Embargo</a></div>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-69037976493349903852011-03-22T20:01:00.009-04:002011-04-11T13:38:37.596-04:00Libya, Cuba, Obama and LugarPresident Obama should be commended for taking concrete steps to stop Gaddafi's genocidal threats against the Libyan people who oppose him. But it's not surprising that one of the president's main critics on Libya is his ally on Cuba policy. Senator Richard Lugar [Rep-Ind], has been a tireless advocate for the lifting of travel restrictions to Cuba, a move that will result in the financing of the Castro tyranny. The bills he sponsored last year were never passed; yet Obama acted on Cuba, without Congressional approval, in a manner that obtained what the senator had been wanting to legislate. No complaints were heard from Senator Lugar then. But now the senator has expressed his disappointment with Obama's initiative on Libya, complaining that "it should be handled different." <br /><br />Apparently Senator Lugar believes President Obama was constitutionally required to have first consulted Congress because of the 1973 War Powers Resolution. That's a fair and debatable question but the Senator dropped the piano when he <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/03/21/interview_with_senator_richard_lugar_109313.html">tells the world</a> that he wants to know who the Americans are fighting in Libya and who they will end up supporting in the end.<blockquote>"People are being killed. So the question is how do you stop the killing, I suppose. And furthermore, after you do, who do we recognize? Do we recognize Gadhafi who is still there after all this time or do we take further action to depose him, literally to eliminate his regime? That is not at all clear. In fact, it's hardly been discussed as far as I can tell.<br /></blockquote>That is not at all clear? Evidently supporting Gaddhafi, even after he has threatened to exterminate all Libyans who oppose him, has remained a real option for this United States Senator. But it is not inconsistent with his willingness, and the enormous effort he made in favor of the Castro tyranny (or with Fidel Castro's and Hugo Chavez's support of the Libyan madman). President Obama should be careful with political friends like this.<br /><br />RELATED<br /><br /><a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/03/21/interview_with_senator_richard_lugar_109313.html">Interview with Senator Richard Lugar</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-86283431323184707462011-03-21T22:47:00.015-04:002011-03-22T02:22:02.541-04:00Obama Vs. Obama's Shadow on CubaAt the Palacio de las Monedas in Chile today, President Obama spoke of his commitment to the "independence of the Cuban people" and placed his hopes on "Cuban authorities" who he insisted "must take some meaningful actions to respect the basic rights of their own people — not because the United States insists upon it, but because the people of Cuba deserve it." Now really.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Obama's shadow: Cubans deserve it and therefore I believe Fidel will wake up from his trance and their nightmare. Or maybe Raul will ... and that will suffice.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">President Obama continued:</span> "Let’s never waver in our support for the rights of people to determine their own future — and, yes, that includes the people of Cuba. Since taking office, I’ve announced the most significant changes to my nation’s policy towards Cuba in decades. I’ve made it possible for Cuban Americans to visit and support their families in Cuba. We’re allowing Americans to send remittances that bring some economic hope for people across Cuba, as well as more independence from Cuban authorities."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Me:</span> Come on, don't hold back. Don't hide it now. Say it: You licensed eight more airports, now 11, to fly all Americans with a cultural interest in Castro to Cuba to pay their tributes with American dollars (that should really be going to the aching Miami and South Floridian Cuban exile and Latin American immigrant tourism driven economy).<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Obama's shadow: Man, Fidel ... Raul ... wake up.... This is the mother of all bribes. I'm sending billions your way. Come on guys, don't pretend you don't know that I know that you control everything...yes...the banks too....And Cuban exiles. Just wait and see. I'll bribe you too.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">President Obama:</span> "Going forward, we’ll continue to seek ways to increase the independence of the Cuban people, who I believe are entitled to the same freedom and liberty as everyone else in this hemisphere. I will make this effort to try to break out of this history that’s now lasted for longer than I’ve been alive."<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Obama's shadow: That's why I'm bribing Fidel and Raul like no one ever has before. We never went this far with Batista. I'm sure this strategy will work. If it doesn't, some of my supporters at least will be wealthier too. It's a win win with Fidel.</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />President Obama:</span> "The lessons of Latin America, I believe, can be a guide — a guide for people around the world who are beginning their own journeys toward democracy."<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Obama's shadow: Just look at how almost all of them have supported Fidel in Cuba. Hey, I heard Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Mexico were all warned ahead about that poor guy (now what was his name? Zapata Tamayo? And his poor mom too.) who was starved to death by, ja, ja, "the Cuban Authorities", and apparently did nothing to prevent it. I read how Lula uselessly tried to defend himself after the <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/02/2008-plea-to-lula-for-cubas-political.html">letter</a> showing that he had been previously informed ... by Invisible Cuba ...was published. The others did not even speak up. But they received the plea for help ahead of time too. That's the way to go. Just do as they do and smile. It's worked for them and for Fidel, hasn't it?</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />President Obama: </span>"There is no one model for democratic transitions."<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Obama's shadow: That's right. Just look at Cuba. Their good old revolution to cure Batista's coup on Cuba's democracy has been going on for 52 years.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">President Obama:</span> "But as this region knows, successful transitions do have certain ingredients. The moral force of nonviolence."<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Obama's shadow: </span> That's right. That's why we are bribing Fidel. No force. Just money. It'll be a win win this time.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">President Obama</span>: "Dialogue that’s open and inclusive."<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Obama's shadow: Who says criminals shouldn’t be a part of it? Who says murdering more than 8000 of your own people and goading 3-4 million into exile is so bad? Hey, no one is perfect.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">President Obama:</span> "The protection of basic rights, such as peaceful expression and assembly. Accountability for past wrongs. And matching political reform with economic reform, because democracy must meet the basic needs and aspirations of people."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Me:</span> Oh, but wait, maybe Obama is serious. Now I'm confused. So the Castros are to be held “accountable for past wrongs” (trashing the Cuban constitution, murders, summary trials, false imprisonments, theft, three to four million exiles). <span style="font-weight:bold;">But they are also trusted to remain in charge, and lead political and economic reform? </span><br /><br />He can't be serious. That can't be what he means. But if it isn't, then why is he sending billions their way?Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-52433049191498621032011-03-20T23:31:00.020-04:002011-03-21T21:44:01.132-04:00Censored by Google AgainOnce again one of my blog posts has been (hopefully temporarily) censored by Google. "<a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/compassion-here-justice-there-by.html">Compassion Here and Justice There by Setting the Captives Free</a>" was published over a half hour ago and is still not available if one searches by its title (above), "Cuba" or "Cuba Gross". I thought this only happened in Cuba, Venezuela, China and Islamic countries.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE</span><br /><br />At 12:32 A.M. (3-21-2011) it was still being censored. It was published at 10:56 P.M. (3-20-2011).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />UPDATE 12:45 A.M. (3-21-2011) </span><br /><br />Nor can this post that you are now (unlikely, thanks to Google) reading be found in Google by searching for "Cuba", "Cuba Censorship" or "Exiled Cubans Censorship". It can be found by searching for "Invisible Cuba Censorship". So it can probably only be found if you know it exists, that is, by me or very close followers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE 1:50 A.M.</span><br /><br />One can now find "<a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/compassion-here-justice-there-by.html">Compassion Here and Justice There by Setting the Captives Free</a>" if one searches for its whole title, but who is going to do that not knowing it even exists?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE 11:27 A.M - MARCH 21, 2011</span><br /><br />The censorship issue now appears to have been resolved but with unintended results. This post denouncing censorship can now be easily found by searching, for example, for "Cuba Gross". But it cannot be found by searching for "Google censorship", "Cuba censorship" or "Google Cuba Censorship" (first ten pages of any of the former).<br /><br />The <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/compassion-here-justice-there-by.html">censored</a> post denounced herein can now be more easily found, for example, by searching for "Cuba Gross Compassion", but not by "Cuba Gross" or "Cuba", which are the most likely ways someone would search for this topic.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span> <br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/04/google-mainstream-news-media-blogs-and_03.html">Google, the Mainstream News Media, Blogs and Cuba : What I thought was not so crazy after all</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/google-hides-abuses-in-cuba-again.html">Google Hides Abuses in Cuba (Again)</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-7249308245138067252011-03-20T22:56:00.027-04:002011-03-21T12:29:39.318-04:00Compassion Here and Justice There by Setting the Captives FreeFreeing Cuba's five spies imprisoned in the United States may be the most ethical and effective way to obtain the release of American Alan Gross and Castro's remaining Cuban political prisoners. While these spies certainly facilitated the murder of Cuban exiles, to my knowledge there is no evidence that they knew this would happen or linking them to the decision to shoot down the small aircraft carrying them to Cuba. The regime led by Castro murdered them. The spies only uncovered the plan and informed Castro of its details. They are, however, guilty of having spied in the United States but, unlike murder, that is not necessarily intrinsically evil; and the United States also has spies.<br /><br />Castro's five spies obeyed his orders, just as United States spies are expected to obey the orders of its government. The fact that Castro's is not a legitimate government makes no difference since he still exercises power as if it was and forces people to obey him. The spies could have chosen another career or refused (if recruited) to become spies for a tyranny; of that they are guilty, but not of first degree murder.<br /><br />It is a terrible injustice for innocent people such as Castro's political adversaries or Mr. Gross (regardless his political views) to be separated from their families and imprisoned in Cuba. More painful yet is the fact that Mr. Gross' twenty six year old daughter has been diagnosed with cancer. If by freeing any or all of these five spies their and/or his liberty can be obtained, then it should be the first option to consider, provided it does not jeopardize the security of the United States.<br /><br />As expressed in a <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/flawed-reasoning-on-cuba-by-wall-street_16.html">previous post</a>: <blockquote>"Freeing a prisoner who is innocent (e.g. Alan Gross, Castro's political prisoners regardless of charges) is the only just thing to do. Freeing one who, once freed, cannot bring harm to others, is compassion."</blockquote>Furthermore, for Cubans and Cuban Americans who oppose Castro's tyranny, this solution is far superior to the one proposed by the Wall Street Journal, that is, conditioning visas and economic assistance to a criminal tyranny in order to obtain the release of Mr. Gross. That would be a grave offense, just as it was to support Batista after his 1952 coup on Cuba's democratically elected government.<br /><br />Instead, travel by Americans (including Cuban Americans) to Cuba should be unconditionally stopped (except for exclusively religious purposes). Remittances by Americans to Cuba, and any other policy that economically enriches and therefore strengthens the tyranny should be immediately stopped, unless it can reasonably be expected to bring down the tyranny in less than one year. Cultural exchanges should similarly be immediately stopped as they only serve to package and promote a criminal who has enslaved a nation for over fifty two years. None of those policies should ever have been implemented.<br /><br />Only direct and open charity by the US government or authorized Churches should be allowed for the exclusive purposes of helping Cubans (i) build houses (ii) grow food, (iii) prevent malnutrition, (iv) obtain free uncensored access to the Internet and (v) pursue religious purposes (hopefully Roman Catholic).<br /><br />So the foregoing is a way to perhaps obtain the release of Alan Gross without further harming the Cuban people.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/flawed-reasoning-on-cuba-by-wall-street_16.html">Flawed Reasoning on Cuba by The Wall Street Journal and Obama</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-24462605399448719062011-03-16T18:23:00.031-04:002011-03-20T23:17:45.892-04:00Flawed Reasoning on Cuba by The Wall Street Journal and ObamaAccording to the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704164204576203013864107744.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">Wall Street Journal's </a> Editorial Board, the United States should condition bailing out the Cuban tyranny on the release of convicted and imprisoned American citizen Alan Gross. <blockquote>"Conditioning future visas and Cuba's economic lifeline on Mr. Gross's release is the only message that the Castro brothers and their government will heed."</blockquote>But, this of course would make America's Cuba policy contingent on one American. Secondly, such a policy repeats a grave historical error with Cuba, that is, supporting a dictatorship. <br /><br />Is this really what the Wall Street Journal believes should be done? If so, its policy recommendation couldn't be more perfectly aligned with the United States' 1952 Cuba policy, when it immediately began supporting Batista, <span style="font-weight:bold;">after his coup on Cuba's democratically elected government.<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />If the United States government wants to be taken seriously in its defense of democracy and human rights it should unconditionally stop helping keep tyrannies afloat. That should not be too hard to understand.<br /><br />While the United States continues to bail out this tyranny, unconditionally, or conditionally as the Wall Street Journal recommends, it will only continue to demonstrate that truly nothing has changed in its Cuba policy in the 59 years since Batista's coup, which is when this tragic mess began. <br /><br />Therefore the United States should withdraw all recent concessions (cultural travel, remittances by all Americans allowed, etc.) whether or not Alan Gross is released. <br /><br />In a previous version of this blog post I had referred to the Wall Street Journal's suggestion as "tantamount to giving in to extortion". But it is not extortion, because Castro has not explicitly demanded or asked for anything in exchange for releasing Alan Gross. The truth is that the Wall Street Journal is in effect suggesting that the United States bribe tyrant Castro with economic assistance. This is unethical and hypocritical. It is unethical to abet a tyrant who for 52 years has robbed a people of their nation and is on the list of US terrorist states. It is hypocritical and an insult to Cuban (anti Batista, anti Castro) exiles who arrived in these shores <span style="font-weight:bold;">from 1960 onwards</span> trusting in the United States and its democracy, to now suggest it's necessary to finance the tyrant who caused their exile. Cuban Batistianos who arrived <span style="font-weight:bold;"> in 1959 </span> will probably not mind if Castro is bribed, as they are of the same ilk. But the United States should finally just stop listening to them.<br /><br />Furthermore, by attempting to buy Castro off with concessions, the United States is providing him with the ideological ammunition he uses with nationalist non-socialist Cubans, and Latin Americans, and a cover for every crime he has committed and may yet commit.<br /><br />Rather than condition the issuing of Cuban visas to Gross' release, as the Wall Street Journal recommends, I believe no more should be granted, conditionally or unconditionally, because they have become a way for Castro to create a base in the United States. However, exiles who have parents or offspring in Cuba should be allowed to bring them to the United States (vertical family only). But they should not be allowed to travel to Cuba from the United States anymore. To avoid family break ups, they should bring them to the United States or move back. <br /><br />If the United States wants to help Cubans it can <span style="font-weight:bold;">directly and openly</span> help them build their own homes, grow their own food, provide them with food and nutritional supplements where needed, and with the means to communicate freely on the Internet. Castro may of course not agree to any of this generosity. But that bridge should be crossed only once he refuses it.<br /><br />If the United States wants to help Cubans it should also not forget the exiles to whom it once opened its arms.<br /><br />As for the release of Alan Gross, there is no easy ethical answer. He is not guilty for he did nothing unjust. Yet he is in a Cuban prison.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE<br /><br />MARCH 29, 2011 1:39 A.M.</span><br /><br />But at the beginning of his public ministry, quoting Isaiah 61:1, Jesus proclaimed:<blockquote>"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." <br /><br />Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. <br /><br />He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."</blockquote>You can read it in <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PWN.HTM">Luke 4: 18-21</a>.<br /><br />So that is what I think God wants, on both sides.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE MARCH 20, 2011 10:29 P.M.</span><br /><br />When Jesus announced that he came to free prisoners, he primarily meant prisoners of Satan, of sin, for he later asserted that his Kingdom was not of this world (<a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PXQ.HTM">John 18: 36</a>). So why am I using Luke's passage (<a href="when he announced that he came to free prisoners, he primarily meant prisoners of Satan">Luke 4 18:21</a>) to recommend that prisoners be freed and on on both sides?<br /><br />The fact that his kingdom is not of this world does not mean that he excluded liberating prisoners in the here and now. Indeed, Jesus encouraged compassion towards those in prison when in <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PVY.HTM">Matthew 25: 36</a> he says: "For I was ... in prison and you visited me." <br /><br />Freeing a prisoner who is innocent (e.g. Alan Gross, Castro's political prisoners regardless of charges) is the only just thing to do. Freeing one who, once freed, cannot bring harm to others, is compassion. <br /><br />Accordingly, if freeing Cuba's five spies imprisoned in the United States cannot harm this country (including Cuban American exiles) but can obtain the release of Gross and Castro's Cuban political prisoners, then it would be an intelligent act of compassion to liberate them. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/american-convicted-and-sentenced-what.html">American Convicted and Sentenced - What Now?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://">This Time It's an American Who May be Convicted in Cuba (Revised)</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-14771237211239464552011-03-14T09:16:00.046-04:002011-03-15T04:01:54.715-04:00Japan<span style="font-weight:bold;">May God help the people of Japan.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KnpLhJXT38mR-I2fyFWWxlyJT9vSonDpy2szr6Q3cUP6NBKI5cc9hnyDj7OWdt_mdmOZzm9zAsGqA6vAYhmCjleTDnQ9-F8HE9l9ozYcGiVgSQhPnZLDj2WWV30Dr14Ta4RJZIYNo88X/s1600/Jesus+Cruxifixion+-+Velazquez+PD.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KnpLhJXT38mR-I2fyFWWxlyJT9vSonDpy2szr6Q3cUP6NBKI5cc9hnyDj7OWdt_mdmOZzm9zAsGqA6vAYhmCjleTDnQ9-F8HE9l9ozYcGiVgSQhPnZLDj2WWV30Dr14Ta4RJZIYNo88X/s320/Jesus+Cruxifixion+-+Velazquez+PD.jpg" border="1" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583926979714394690" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">You can make a donation through <a href="https://secure.crs.org/site/Donation2?df_id=4061&4061.donation=form1&s_src=blog">Catholic Relief Services</a> (U.S. Bishops' international relief and development agency), <a href="http://www.caritas.org/activities/emergencies/MassiveEarthquakeHitJapan.html">Caritas</a> (Catholic Church's international charitable organization) or the <a href="http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_src=RSG000000000&s_subsrc=RCO_FrontPagePanel">American Red Cross</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE: March 15, 2011, 1:13 A.M. </span><br /><br />Why has God allowed something like this, I've asked myself throughout the day today. My faith was shaken. Why does He just not listen to my prayers and stop it? <br /><br />The readings at today's Catholic Mass provided me with an answer. Reflecting on <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__P35.HTM">Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18</a> and the Gospel of <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PVY.HTM">Matthew 25:31-46</a>, Rev. Deviny C.P., the priest who presided at the <a href="http://www.themass.org/mass_today.shtml">celebration of the Mass online at St. Ann's Monastery </a> reminded us that we are "made in the image of God" and are therefore "holy as He is holy." <br /><br />But human beings certainly don't seem very holy for the most part I thought. <br /><br />Rev. Deviny then spoke about Jesus' message in <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PVY.HTM">Matthew's gospel</a>: <blockquote>"Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,<br />or thirsty and give you drink?<br />When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,<br />or naked and clothe you? <br />When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?"<br />And the king will say to them in reply,<br />"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did<br />for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."</blockquote>He continued and asked why then had Jesus "condemned the pharisees who perfectly observed all of the commandments" and answered:<blockquote>"Being holy for a Christian should be heart centered and not merely action centered. Being holy means being compassionate as Jesus was compassionate. Being holy means allowing the Spirit of Jesus living in us to transform our hearts and our actions. The Holy Spirit moves our hearts to have compassion on the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked and the imprisoned. Our actions follow our hearts, and we give according to our ability: food, water, welcoming to the strangers and clothe the naked, consolation to the imprisoned."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"Being holy means becoming Christ's heart and Christ's hands."</span></blockquote>That is, I reasoned, perhaps God's purpose in allowing this monstrous tragedy. It is an opportunity for humankind to become holy, to become Christ's heart and hands for Japan. For being holy "as God is holy" lasts for eternity and is therefore incomparably more important than any suffering in this world. <br /><br />Seen this way, suffering, and Japan's tragedy, is meant as a gift for humanity.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE 4:00 A.M. </span><br /><br />Reading what I wrote in my previous update tonight, one might ask how the nuclear plant explosions and the spread of radiation is a gift.<br /><br />While nuclear plants are human made the constitution of energy and matter is not. But had there been no nuclear plants this stage of the tragedy would not be occurring. So there is a metaphysical as well as a human dimension to the question.<br /><br />The metaphysical question might be answered like seventeenth century German philosopher <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11263a.htm">Gottfried Leibniz</a> did, that is, by arguing that God created the best of all possible worlds (note that St. Thomas Aquinas did not agree). Following Leibniz lead, one would argue that the constitution of matter and energy is essential for experiencing life as we have known it, prior to nuclear plants. <br /><br />But nuclear energy can potentially serve good purposes if appropriately harnessed and regulated by humanity. Thus man made nuclear plants could have a place. But how fast and at what cost? Why were we not ready for this tragedy if not because we rushed to satisfy the "need" for energy? But isn't it mortally foolish for the first world to have rushed to nuclear energy <span style="font-style:italic;">without first being able to control it worldwide</span>?<br /><br />This raises several questions one of which is the availability and cost of other energy sources as well as about <span style="font-style:italic;">lifestyle expectations and high energy usage by highly industrialized and rapidly developing nations.</span><br /><br />Was it worth it to supply a Japanese family with energy for fifty years only to have it die from radiation? Of course not. Yet first world families (and now China and Iran too) want a certain standard of living no matter what, and at any cost, it would seem. Arguably billions are willing to give up their lives and those of their children and grandchildren for a <span style="font-style:italic;">lifestyle</span>, however frivolous and ultimately incapable of fundamentally satisfying existential religious needs it may be. <br /><br />Indeed, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703363904576200033324659522.html?KEYWORDS=japan+anger">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported that Monday morning, just two days after this disaster struck, Japanese in Tokyo were reported to be angry <span style="font-style:italic;">about the train delays</span>. Some did not want to be late for work. Surely they knew there were thousands just dead from the tsunami, or perishing, or in grave danger because of radiation resulting from nuclear plant explosions. <blockquote>"Anger in Japan is mounting at Tokyo Electric Power Co., the country's leading utility, not just over the precarious nuclear situation but also over its mismanagement of a series of planned blackouts that caused mass confusion and delays in the commute for many Japanese heading back to work on Monday.... It's just too confusing," Nobuyoshi Takashimaya, 56 years old, an insurance firm employee in Tokyo. <span style="font-weight:bold;">He said he had to walk one hour from home to reach his office because his train wasn't working." </span><br /><br />"A Tepco spokesman, responding to the barrage of criticism, said he regretted there was inaccurate information about the areas affected by the blackouts. ...Even before Monday's confusion, the company took out a full-page ad in the Nikkei newspaper, Japan's leading financial paper, apologizing for the inconvenience of the blackouts <span style="font-weight:bold;">and asking for Japan's cooperation in conserving energy." </span></blockquote>Confronting mortality in the face is not easy, even for an unrelentingly stoic people like the Japanese. Better get to work, make some dough, drink Sake and watch the sunset on a wide television screen. Although perhaps that is one of the problems that got us here.Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-4024001030147001772011-03-13T08:17:00.003-04:002011-03-13T08:22:22.090-04:00American Convicted and Sentenced - What Now?The <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704838804576196784145868002.html">Wall Street Journal</a> has reported that Mr. Alan Gross, an American Jew, has been convicted to 15 years in prison in Cuba. According to the <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5grm0Labn4bMtloFwRFFkkd0_dJ0g?docId=ee9f7522b503416bbb444c3e36f9c541">Associated Press</a>, the Cuban court said the case had been proven that Mr. Gross was: <blockquote>"...working on a "subversive" program paid for by the United States that aimed to bring down Cuba's revolutionary system."</blockquote><br />The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/world/americas/13cuba.html?partner=rss&emc=rss">New York Times </a> reported <strong>American officials </strong>saying:<blockquote>"... USAID programs in Cuba, a $20 million initiative, were being reworked to emphasize educational exchanges and small-business growth rather than efforts that could be perceived as directly weakening the government."</blockquote>Interesting but not surprising.<br /><br />However, one is very sorry to hear about Mr. Gross. One is very sorry for his daughter and family. Mr. Gross is being used as a bargaining chip and that is inhumane.<br /><br />But the United States must not give in to extortion. <br /><br />Furthermore, if it does not have any realistic strategy to rescue new American captives in Cuba <span style="font-weight:bold;">it should immediately warn them</span>, and swiftly stop allowing travel there. It should never have permitted it given that it finances Castro. <br /><br />Cuban Americans who have families in Cuba should not be allowed to travel there any longer either. Visas to Cubans wishing to come to the United States should be restricted to those who already have an <span style="font-style:italic;">immediate</span> family member in the United States or for political reasons. Cultural and academic exchanges should cease. They have only served to promote and embolden Castro. Visits by clergy <span style="font-style:italic;">for religious purposes</span> should be allowed in both directions.<br /><br />The United States should not support or help strengthen a tyranny. It should bring relations with Cuba back to the just basis that was abandoned with its immediate support of Batista's coup in 1952. Everything started there.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2011/03/this-time-its-american-who-may-be.html"><br />This Time It's an American Who May be Convicted in Cuba (Revised)</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-58430538617855298142011-03-09T23:02:00.060-05:002011-05-03T13:12:11.269-04:00This Time It's an American Who May be Convicted in Cuba (Revised)Allan Gross, a United States citizen, and Jewish, may be convicted in Cuba after having been charged with distributing Internet communications equipment to Cuba's tiny Jewish community. The attorney who has been assisting Mr. Gross' family (in Cuba, but not in court), happens to be the same one representing the Castro tyranny in the United States in the case of 5 Cubans convicted of spying. The trial lasted only two days. So what could all of this mean?<br /><br />On the United States' end, perhaps we can get some insights from very recent debates in Congress. Cuban American Congressman David Rivera had recently<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFei9P011L4"> questioned </a>Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela about whether President Obama's Administration considered Mr. Gross a hostage, and if it had granted the Castro tyranny concessions in order to obtain his release. A few days earlier Cuban American Senator Marco Rubio had also<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt_nuspaOCQ&feature=player_embedded"> questioned</a> the Assistant Secretary of State regarding the sudden shift in the Administration's policy to one which now allows all Americans to visit and send money to Cuba.<br /><br />The sudden change in United States policy is stunning and one might not believe it were it not really happening. While an American has been held hostage without a trial for almost one year in totalitarian Cuba, the United States has been preparing to reward his captors. The reward? Well, more Americans.<br /><br />Indeed, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/08/AR2011030806126.html">today</a>, as Castro and his team continue to supposedly deliberate on whether and for how long to convict the American, US newspapers are reporting that airports throughout the United States and even Puerto Rico will now be able to deliver Americans (by the thousands? Tens of thousands?) to his doorstep. No longer are flights restricted to academics, journalists or Cuban American exiles flying out of Miami, New York or Los Angeles. Now, any American with a cultural interest in Castro or Cuba can also fly from Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, O'Hare in Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Tampa, BWI in Washington or Luis Muñoz Marín in San Juan, Puerto Rico. What timing.<br /><br />Whatever the verdict, Mr. Castro has already set an unambiguous precedent with Mr. Gross' detention and trial: his many friends in the United States are most welcomed, and other visitors too, but not to help Cubans communicate freely with the world, let alone help them liberate themselves from his 52 year dictatorship.<br /><br />Mr. Castro will probably also want to use Mr. Gross to obtain the release of the Cuban spies who in 1996 helped facilitate the interception and murder of United States citizens (Cuban exiles) in international airspace on their way to Cuba. Trading humans for humans is actually an ethical improvement in Castro's historical record. A few may still <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-does-castro-want-from-obamaas-he_6136.html">remember</a> when in 1961 he callously and successfully traded those who back then were his adversaries, but also his fellow Cuban citizens, for American tractors.<br /><br />Mr. Fidel Castro likely sees Mr. Gross as an opportunity, and will likely want more if he can get it. For example, can anyone seriously doubt he would want to make himself further immune to what his student and ally Muammar Gaddafi is facing in Lybia? Not that he faces anything remotely near such a threat. It would make no sense for Cubans to begin killing each other to rid themselves of a man in his eighties or his slightly younger brother. Nor would it make sense to resolve this problem like Lybia and thereby provide yet another tyrant opportunity to emerge.<br /><br /><p>It will be tragic however if Mr. Gross' is convicted, not only because he did nothing wrong but because his daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer after his detention last year.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTSMG6BwB4ux_NCM6aQRUlcg6QCQ55bZkPnOlV4YJmMLhyphenhyphenCTZKB4wWuNJJgscn8x88p84-9itjq_T2xmhJsVtTx_vz9ISKbZGjwBeAJ7dUfcR8CgVc0M_LIPuyZbtLBPnmY2KJwRwvybO/s1600/Alan+Gross+and+Daugher+Shira.jpg"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></span></strong></a><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:78%;">See picture of Mr. Allan Gross and his daugher Shira</span></span></strong></div><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Published in <a href="http://alongthemalecon.blogspot.com/2010/12/alan-gross-and-his-daughter-shira.html">Along the Malecon Blog</a></span></span><br /></p>However, Mr. Gross' daughter and family will perhaps be consoled that her father is still on the just side of history. Furthermore, a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/world/americas/06cuba.html?_r=1">New York Times prediction</a> may ease their worries. The New York paper, which in 1959 helped defeat another tyrant* by promoting Mr. Castro into power, tells us:<blockquote> "Although Mr. Gross faces a stiff sentence, most political observers expect him to be released on humanitarian grounds."<br /></blockquote><div align="left">Mr. Castro, the humanitarian.<br /><br />If Mr. Gross' release will come about as a result of the Obama Administration's clandestine concessions to the tyranny, The New York Times doesn't say. Nor does it ask what will happen if other Americans are taken captive. Now that permission to travel to Cuba has been broadly extended, there is a plan for that, right?<br /><br />_________________________________________________<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE MARCH 12, 2011</span><br />According to the <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5grm0Labn4bMtloFwRFFkkd0_dJ0g?docId=ee9f7522b503416bbb444c3e36f9c541">Associated Press</a>, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704838804576196784145868002.html">The Wall Street Journal</a> and <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/12/us-cuba-usa-contractor-fb-idUSTRE72B3NK20110312">Reuters</a> Mr. Gross was convicted today to 15 years in a Cuban prison. Granma has not reported anything yet.<br />_________________________________________________<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*HISTORICAL NOTE</span><br /><br />That other tyrant was Fulgencio Batista, previously a legitimately elected president (1940-1944) but who decided to return to power in March 1952, not through elections, given he was behind in polls, but through a violent coup shortly before they were scheduled. The 59th anniversary of said coup is, hmmm, today, March 10, 2011.<br /><br />Prior to Batista's coup and Castro's tyranny, Cuba enjoyed a representative democracy with divisions of power, and three consecutive legitimate elections (1940, 1944, 1948). United States President Harry Truman, nevertheless, recognized Batista as Cuba's legitimate president only 15 days after his 1952 coup. President Eisenhower also supported him, except towards the end. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">The New York Times helped popularize Castro through its reporter Herbert Matthews, who spent time with him in the Cuban Sierra Maestra, where he was evidently preparing to be the next dictator while claiming to be ridding the people of a tyrant. Indeed, almost everyone in Cuba who did not support Batista's murderous regime supported Castro. But many were imprisoned or executed upon rebelling after realizing that they had been duped, that is, that Castro did not have any intention of holding democratic elections or respecting Cuba's 1940 republican constitution. <span style="font-style:italic;">That</span> is what the university student organizations and urban rebels had been fighting for and almost everyone else's hope. Urban rebellion led by those who had fought against Batista continued for months against Castro after he consolidated power.<br /><br />There are more than 8000 documented executions or disappearances under the Castro tyranny according to the <a href="http://cubaarchive.org/home/index.php?lang=en">Truth and Memory project of the Cuba Archive</a>.</div><div align="left"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsRwNl2RQfHzIR9PU6zwy2T8YsF14iatac4GKYflCA6QSKXBVrly5xPmNKZHDBC1Jirq4pJ7wiU9IHYjFHXKBfUa3KokK02-ecl9Q_HvFOkE4n4KEHv2xMCxPdlOSgeWpbI5dTPIioLmQ/s1600/Exiliados+reciben+a+soldados+de+bahia+de+Cochinos.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsRwNl2RQfHzIR9PU6zwy2T8YsF14iatac4GKYflCA6QSKXBVrly5xPmNKZHDBC1Jirq4pJ7wiU9IHYjFHXKBfUa3KokK02-ecl9Q_HvFOkE4n4KEHv2xMCxPdlOSgeWpbI5dTPIioLmQ/s320/Exiliados+reciben+a+soldados+de+bahia+de+Cochinos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580872959675715554" border="1" /></a></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">1961 - Cuban Patriots from the poorly US supported Bay of Pigs invasion</span></span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">upon arriving in Mi</span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ami </span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">after having been imprisoned and then traded by Castro for tractors.</span></span></strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></span></div>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-47758753945613908642010-11-27T14:35:00.002-05:002010-11-27T14:38:18.625-05:00Meandering Cuba 2 (Updated)This time they are not on a hunger strike but have nonetheless been deprived of access to food and water for 5 days. Castro's political police has surrounded their home in eastern Cuba and reportedly thrown water in through closed windows, thereby breaking some. Meanwhile, Mrs. Reina Luisa Tamayo awaits for the ashes of her dissident son who died in the Castro regime´s custody while on a hunger strike in February. Supposedly, they will soon be given to her but then she will be banished to the United States under an agreement supposedly backed by the Catholic Church. <br /><br />Mrs. Tamayo attends a Catholic Church in Banes from where she typically walks to her son's grave. But she actually <a href="http://www.martinoticias.com/FullStory.aspx?ID=E8681B02-9EC8-4113-8C9A7FA3E2F6B075">prays </a>to a mythological African (Yoruba religion) deity, whom she sweetly refers to as "my Changó". How is it that supposedly Catholic Cubans expect God's liberating help while worshiping idols instead of Christ? <br /><br />(I'm very sorry for all that she has suffered but hopefully she is not participating in Catholic communion while worshiping her idol. She certainly cannot claim to be a practicing Catholic. It's astonishing and terribly offensive that she has been using a Catholic temple while praying to a false deity and not to the Blessed Trinity. Insuperable ignorance cannot explain this. Doesn't she see the crucifix inside the Catholic Church? Doesn't she listen to the gospel readings? The fact that there are probably numerous followers of Afro Cuban Santeria posing as Catholics and receiving communion is a terrible offense. Why hasn´t the Cuban Catholic Church put a stop to this sacrilegious syncretism? Why don't they explain to Mrs. Tamayo the difference between a mythological idol and the liberating God of history? It is their duty, just as it was Moses' to chastise Aaron when the Jewish people reverted to idols in the Old Testament.)<br /><br />In <span style="font-style:italic;">their </span>struggle, the besieged dissidents are pleading for the liberation of political prisoners, and now of American Citizen Alan Gross too. Additionally, they are <span style="font-style:italic;">asking </span>(who? the tyrants?) that one's "liberty of movement" be respected, and for an end to death threats against dissidents, yet they only mention eastern Cuba. <br /><br />But why don't they just demand that the tyranny step down? That would actually mean something. Dissidents are just not credible when they act as if asking a 51 year tyranny to stop being tyrannical meant something.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/11/meandering-cuba.html">Meandering Cuba </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm">The Catholic Catechism</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-85173037572962365632010-11-18T20:30:00.007-05:002010-11-18T21:21:24.911-05:00Meandering CubaOnce again Cuba's political police has intercepted the mother of a dead hunger striking dissident in whom Cubans' resistance to tyranny is converging. On Sunday, Mrs. Reina Luisa Tamayo's home in Banes was surrounded by the political police, who prevented her from going to church and to her son's tomb, as well as anyone from entering or leaving her home. Her associate Ladies in White were also kept out of the Iglesia de la Caridad and the cemetery. Meanwhile, a national resistance movement bearing Orlando Zapata Tamayo's name now has a wing in his hometown of Banes and another in Placetas. Its Secretary General is Mr. Jorge Luis García Pérez, also known as <span style="font-style:italic;">Antúñez</span>, a former political prisoner and leader of the resistence in Placetas. Around 15 dissidents were reportedly arrested in central and oriental Cuba on Sunday. <br /><br />On his end, after having broken his promise to release political prisoners, Mr. Raul Castro 'promised' it again. One political prisoner, Mr. Diosdado González Marrero, evidently a victim of psychological torture, again believed Castro and thankfully stopped the hunger strike he had begun to protest the cruel 4 month wait that ended in a lie. <br /><br />Mr. Castro also called for another meeting of the so called "National Assembly" (a parliament hand picked by the tyrant's brother that last met in 1997) for 2011. Another political prisoner, Mr. José Daniel Ferrer García, soberly responded that Cuba didn't need another Communist Party Congress, that what it needed was a Constitutional Assembly. Of course, that (or better yet, reinstating the 1940 Constitution set aside by Batista's and Castro's coups) is what's obvious, but the Castros can't be the ones to organize it. Cuba's real leaders must be the ones to do that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Related:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/11/cultural-dialogue-but-about-what.html">Cultural Dialogue But About What? </a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/03/ladies-in-white-were-not-afraid-of-you.html">Ladies in White: "We´re Not Afraid of You" </a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/03/report-of-attempt-to-visit-antunez-and_29.html">Report of Attempt to Visit Antúnez and Cubans under Siege in Placetas </a><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/03/don-ask-stupid-questions_28.html"><br />Don't Ask Stupid Questions</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-know-this-may-sound-crazy-but-is_27.html">I know this may sound crazy but is Google part of Media blackout on Antúnez and the ongoing siege in Placetas? </a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-65684151193371284662010-11-08T13:05:00.032-05:002011-03-06T01:55:08.252-05:00Cultural Dialogue But About What?Some of us waited until midnight November 7 for the Castros to release all of Cuba's political prisoners, as Mr. Raul Castro had promised. Just last week Cuba's Cardinal Ortega had expressed how honored he was by Mr. Raul Castro's presence at the inauguration of the first Catholic seminary in Cuba in 51 years. For a very brief moment, I even considered: could it be that Raul and Fidel are converting to Catholicism? Might it be that they are sorry for their crimes against the Cuban people? Does the cardinal perhaps know something which we don't? After all, they are unrepentant murderers in their late seventies and eighties and conceivably could die at any moment. Maybe, I wondered, Raul spiritually confided in the cardinal and that's why they appear to have a close bond.<br /><br />As it turned out, I must have been fantasizing for the Castros appear far from repenting or converting to anything, let alone to the gospel of love and eternal life. As for Cardinal Ortega having expressed being honored by Mr. Raul Castro's presence, maybe he just did not know what else to say in the face of a murderous criminal in a suit who mixed himself in with a room full of others at a religious ceremony. Perhaps he took his cue from Jesus who soaked some bread and gave it to Judas while ordering him to quickly take care of the business that remained. (But hopefully Raul and Fidel will not meet the same fate. Hopefully both will repent and be humble enough to accept mercy and forgiveness in the true faith and the one they were baptized in, before it's too late.)<br /><br />Raul Castro has now broken his promise. In his brother's mind there likely wasn't any point in keeping it given the results of the United States midterm elections. What might they expect to get in return for imprisoned Cubans now? Fidel, after all, has been trading Cubans ever since the post Bay of Pigs prisoner sale. He knows his business well. That's why they had promised to release all prisoners only after the United States' elections. In any case, the broken promise was not really much of a surprise and certainly not the only troubling news for Cubans the past week, even if the media missed it.<br /><br />I just finished reading Mrs. Reina Luisa Tamayo's testimony on what the regime put her through last Sunday, November 1. Evidently emboldened by the support they have been getting, the tyrannic duo unchained their renowned rabid security mob on the mother of the dissident who in February died after more than 80 days on a hunger strike. Allegedly her son was killed by the regime's intentional negligence for he was imprisoned and therefore in their custody. So on the morning of November 1, Castro's regime allegedly had Mrs. Tamayo, her children and supporters brutally beaten up as they were leaving the cemetery where her son Orlando Zapata Tamayo is buried in Banes. Her son's tomb has evidently becoming a symbolic threat to the tyranny as has the mother of the one who is interred therein. It's not the first beating she gets from the regime's political police after her son's death,<br /><br />According to Mrs. Tamayo, as she was preparing to leave church to visit her son's tomb, she observed people outside who she believed were preparing to harass her. Indeed, as she approached the cemetery with her children and companions, a person who frequently harasses her by calling her dead son "a skeleton" began laughing along with a growing crowd. They then began throwing rocks at them, striking two of Mrs. Tamayo's remaining sons and one of her daughters. Mixed in with the group where security and military personnel dressed as civilians. Then the man who routinely harasses her threatened to kill her and began to call her dead son a homosexual.<br /><br />Upon reaching the cemetery and while surrounding her son's tomb, she says she saw uniformed military men, police cars, ambulances and buses close by. Finally, upon finishing her visit and stepping with one foot outside of the cemetery’s door, a military officer called out an order and she was thrown on the floor.<br /><br />They then hit Mrs. Tamayo in the mouth and jumped on the others. Three men jumped on top of her and began pulling at her purse and pants to seemingly leave her in her intimate clothing, she contends. She was finally grabbed by both arms and forced by civilian dressed military women into a vehicle.<br /><br />Regime officers shouted at her: "Shameless woman, you sold your son". She responded "Down with Fidel! Down with Zapata's assassins." But an officer warned: "Shut up you (expletive) Negro!" The chauffeur, a police officer, then told the other officers to take a dirty rag soaked in gasoline and stick it in her mouth but she clenched her teeth to prevent them and so they held it against her closed mouth, almost asphyxiating her, she says. She was then taken to a police station which was surrounded by military in civilian clothes. There she was denied water.<br /><br />After the ordeal Mrs. Tamayo lamented: "Here in Banes , there is a total state of siege ...the cynics and assassins who tortured Zapata (her son) still think of themselves as having a right to beat up my (other) children and my brothers (her sympathizers), the ones who give me life, who sustain my life."<br /><br />She finishes her <a href="http://www.directorio.org/comunicadosdeprensa/note.php?note_id=2862">declaration </a>pleading for the world's help but she was <a href="http://www.directorio.org/comunicadosdeprensa/note.php?note_id=2863">again detained (in front of her home) and beaten up yesterday</a>, November 7, the day the prisoners who were not released were supposed to have been freed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LqB728pKjTQ450azr-1U3pnlDFQ5NJ_boTUL3l4H_N8Ek0AfI5x2-55dQKfxFyX6Rj1JRrrZBVl-bk1DEs4ilB9FfKEJ1xzJPayJKdmJSgTfDlDH-r0Auwa6W3bCN1cLHl0iQjb2nEJS/s1600/Reina+Luisa+tamayo+-+Directorio.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LqB728pKjTQ450azr-1U3pnlDFQ5NJ_boTUL3l4H_N8Ek0AfI5x2-55dQKfxFyX6Rj1JRrrZBVl-bk1DEs4ilB9FfKEJ1xzJPayJKdmJSgTfDlDH-r0Auwa6W3bCN1cLHl0iQjb2nEJS/s400/Reina+Luisa+tamayo+-+Directorio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537107192251153138" border="2" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Mrs. Reina Luisa Tamayo</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Dissident Mother of Dead Hunger Striker Dissident</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Photo taken from </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.directorio.org/comunicadosdeprensa/note.php?note_id=2862">Directorio de Cuba</a></span><br /></div><br />If one were to judge by what has been published in the most prestigious American newspapers the past week, part of the United States is blindly enthusiastic about the potential for a "cultural dialogue" with the brutally criminal Cuban tyranny and its supporters. How else could one otherwise explain how they missed Mrs. Tamayo's brutal assault while covering the tyranny's ballet? In a way, it's perfectly understandable, for just how does Mrs. Tamayo, her family, the political prisoners who were not released after all the promises and multiparty elections fit into the cultural dialogue? This they just never adequately explain.<br /><br />In contrast, when it comes to a place like Burma (Myanmar), Senator Kerry [Dem], Chairman of the United States Senate's Foreign Relations committee, <a href="http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=19994">knows exactly what he wants: big changes and nothing less.</a><blockquote>"The military’s 'roadmap to democracy' <span style="font-weight: bold;">will lead to a dead-end</span> if the government keeps its political opponents jailed and muzzled... If the Burmese government breaks from the policies of the past, the United States should stand ready to improve relations....But make no mistake, <span style="font-weight: bold;">this will require a government with new faces</span> and new policies: releasing political prisoners, easing media and speech restrictions..."</blockquote>I wish Senator Kerry had said something like that about Cuba too but please don't misunderstand, I don't mean to single him out. He's certainly not the only one in Congress or in the United States who has been wanting to finance Castro's tyranny. But why isn't the United States Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, which he leads, demanding the same changes in Cuba?<br /><br />Why have those who have sought to befriend, glorify, finance and uphold Cuba's tyrant as either a sage and model to be learned from or a sinner to be rehabilitated by United States tourist dollars, remained silent while Mrs. Tamayo was being threatened, insulted, struck, gagged, dragged on pavements and subjected to expletives hurled at her and her dead son?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >AUDIO OF MRS. TAMAYO'S TESTIMONY FROM <a href="http://www.directorio.org/en_index.php">DIRECTORIO DEMOCRATICO CUBANO</a>:</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><object style="font-family: verdana;" width="100%" height="81"><param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F6609770&"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"><embed allowscriptaccess="never" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F6609770&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" height="81"></embed></object></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://soundcloud.com/directorio-cuba">More audios from Directorio Democrático Cubano</a></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/11/update-will-castro-break-his-promise.html">UPDATE: Will Castro Break His Promise?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/plot-thickens-on-castros-political_1628.html">Plot Thickens on Castro's Political Prisoner Release - Part II </a><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/plot-thickens-on-castros-political_19.html"><br />Plot Thickens on Castro's Political Prisoner Release</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/castro-says-leave-but-some-say-no.html">Castro Says Leave But Some Say No </a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/03/ladies-in-white-were-not-afraid-of-you.html">Ladies in White: "We´re Not Afraid of You" </a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-does-castro-want-from-obamaas-he_6136.html">What does Castro want from Obama...as he attacks US imperialism and shifts focus to Bay of Pigs and School of the Americas- Part III <br /></a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-91587571755142356512010-11-07T22:23:00.004-05:002010-11-08T03:17:45.492-05:00UPDATE: Will Castro Break His Promise?Mr. Raul Castro is a little more than one hour away from breaking his promise to free all of Cuba's political prisoners by midnight tonight, November 7. However, Mrs. Reina Luisa Tamayo, mother of the renowned dead hunger striker dissident, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, has been detained again after allegedly having been brutally beaten by Castro's security forces last week as she headed to the cemetery where her son is interred. <br /><br />At least 13 of the 75 detained in 2003 remain imprisoned as I write. Some of these are known to have insisted they wished to remain in Cuba and refused to be banished into exile.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/plot-thickens-on-castros-political_1628.html">Plot Thickens on Castro's Political Prisoner Release - Part II </a><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/plot-thickens-on-castros-political_19.html"><br />Plot Thickens on Castro's Political Prisoner Release</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/castro-says-leave-but-some-say-no.html">Castro Says Leave But Some Say No </a><br /><a href="http:http://ddeeee.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-does-castro-want-from-obamaas-he.html//"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What does Castro want from Obama...as he attacks US imperialism and shifts focus to Bay of Pigs and School of the Americas- Part III </span></a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-70360796032819620082010-11-07T19:17:00.007-05:002010-11-07T22:34:45.501-05:00Will Castro Break His Promise?Updated <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/11/update-will-castro-break-his-promise.html">HERE</a>.Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-78346441714020368942010-11-02T15:03:00.006-04:002010-11-03T17:54:05.279-04:00Hispanic Reason To VoteConstituting 15.4% of the US population, Hispanics are in a position to help shape how the US is governed as no other minority in history. They are over ten percent (10%) of the eligible voters in nine states and an even more significant portion in larger states such as Texas, California, Florida and New York. But will they vote tomorrow and in a manner consistent with their traditional values?<br /><br />According to a Pew Institute report only one-third (32%) of eligible Hispanic voters appear to be intending to vote. If this is true, why is it the case? Surely registered Hispanic voters appreciate the power of their numbers as voters (see table below). Surely they appreciate the price that has been paid by Americans to protect the privilege of a democratic vote and what happens when a people are prevented from doing so (e.g. Cubans). Furthermore, they have a superb reason to vote: helping end abortion in the United States.<br /><br />Furthermore, the Pew Institute reports that two-thirds (69%) of Catholic Hispanics and almost half (45%) of Protestant Hispanics apparently intend to vote for Democrats, and therefore, I would add, <span style="font-style: italic;"> against </span>pro-Life candidates. How can this be? Protecting the family is a preeminent Hispanic value. Surely Hispanics understand that human life begins its path at conception (ask doubters where else it begins if not there?) and that destroying human life, while still legal, is indeed murder. Surely they know that 1.2 million Americans were therefore murdered in the United States in 2009 through an abortion. Surely the vast majority of Hispanics do not support this.<br /><br />Perhaps it would make a difference if they knew that they have been disproportionately impacted by abortion. According to the US Center for Disease control there are, tragically enough, 13 abortions for every 1000 white non-Hispanic women, but 27 and 49 for every thousand Hispanic or Black women respectively. Why are relatively more Hispanic and black human embryos being aborted? <br /><br />How many Hispanics know that in Miami, for example, more than 1 out of every 3 pregnant women (over 35%) aborted their child from 2000 to 2007? For <a href="http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/states">all Florid</a>a, however, 1 out of every 4 pregnant (25%) women aborted. What is causing the comparatively higher Hispanic abortion rate in Miami? To what extent is this phenomenon characteristic of other regions with a high concentration of Hispanics? <br /><br />If the number of Hispanics being aborted were proportional to their population in the United States, then around 180 thousand Hispanic embryos are being killed by abortion each year (15% of 1.2 million). But according to the Guttmacher Institute <a href="http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/gpr/11/3/gpr110302.html">Hispanics account for 22% of US abortions</a>. This means 264 thousand abortions of Hispanic embryos in 2008. Blacks accounted for 37% or 444 thousand abortions. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Almost 2 out 3 embryos being aborted in the U.S. (59%) are thus either Black or Hispanic. </span><br /><br />How could family loving Hispanics be doing this? Is it the result of heavy advertising by well funded organizations such as Planned Parenthood or the moral indifference to abortion of Univision TV? <br /><br />I don´t pretend that other serious issues caused by egotism and even hatred towards Hispanic immigrants don't exist. But Hispanics should put aside all other considerations and cast a vote that will help protect the most vulnerable, a vote that will please the educated conscience and God. The quantity of Hispanics killed by abortion incomparably exceeds those that may have been killed by illegal immigration. <br /><br />What are Catholic and Protestant Hispanics waiting for to vote for a <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2010/10/26/prolifevotersguide2010-html/">Pro Life candidate</a> tomorrow? What could be more important than this?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMkRZdrhVzjRhon37En5Gu3h6Tm-Xn73Reom9OyNsBONe3Z2cYYpmqudUgfP08zBVfKkqTuOmwNuTawLtRR97G1fNS16l79eWuYst4K5YW6wHo0CeLcFb85D8EnXd8tuT7CwmLwvLuaeF/s1600/Hispanic+Eligible+Voters.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMkRZdrhVzjRhon37En5Gu3h6Tm-Xn73Reom9OyNsBONe3Z2cYYpmqudUgfP08zBVfKkqTuOmwNuTawLtRR97G1fNS16l79eWuYst4K5YW6wHo0CeLcFb85D8EnXd8tuT7CwmLwvLuaeF/s400/Hispanic+Eligible+Voters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534706820251550482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2010/10/26/prolifevotersguide2010-html/">PRO LIFE VOTING GUIDE BY STATE</a> -- Find out who the pro-life House, Senate and Governor candidates in your state are <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2010/10/26/prolifevotersguide2010-html/">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/states">RATES OF ABORTION BY STATE MAY BE FOUND HERE.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://ddeeee.blogspot.com/2010/11/razon-de-hispanos-para-votar.html">VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL - SPANISH VERSION</a><br /><br />Sources:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guttmacher.org/sections/abortion.php%20%3Ca%20href=" gov="" compendia="" statab="" 2010="" tables="" pdf="">Guttmacher Institute</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.guttmacher.org/sections/abortion.php">"Abortions by Selected Characteristics: 1990 to 2005", US Census as quoted by Guttmacher Institute </a><br /><br /><a href="http://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Hispanic-Protestants-Closely-Divided-Heading-Into-2010-Elections-Hispanic-Catholics-Favor-Democrats.aspx"> "Hispanic Protestants Closely Divided ... Hispanic Catholics Favor Democrats", Pew Hispanic Center</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0010.pdf">"Resident Population by Race, Hispanic Origin...2008", U.S. Census </a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-19083027890769151562010-10-20T18:43:00.008-04:002010-10-21T11:42:27.410-04:00Plot Thickens on Castro's Political Prisoner Release - Part IIGuillermo Fariñas is the latest Cuban dissident to weigh in on the release of Cuba´s political prisoners which Mr. Raul Castro promised to complete by November 7, just after U.S. mid term elections. Upon hearing of Mr. Castro´s March 28 promise to release all political prisoners, the Cuban dissident immediately suspended his 125 day hunger and water strike which had been aimed at obtaining the release of the most ill. But now he´s <a href="http://www.martinoticias.com/FullStory.aspx?ID=DCA8B7D7-7518-4355-BE01BA410B3C1671">announced </a>that he´s ready to resume it if Mr. Castro does not keep his promise.<br /><br />The doubt however is not whether Castro will release them but whether he will allow them to remain in Cuba <span style="font-style:italic;">and </span>respect their human rights. <br /><br />For what would happen if the Castros do not allow them to remain in Cuba (outside of prison) but they refuse to leave their homeland? Will the Castros force them into a third country? That would seem to be a violation of international law and therefore unlikely. <br /><br />What if they keep them in prison? That would make the Castros appear as liars in front of the world, not anything new, but it would also further diminish any chances they may have for the easing of U.S. tourist travel laws.<br /><br />If the Castros allow them to remain but do not respect their rights a confrontation is bound to happen. That's where the Castros and their opponents are probably heading. <br /><br />It doesn't seem that the Castros can see beyond, that is, to free them and respect their inalienable right to free speech, freedom of assembly, freedom to travel within and outside of Cuba, etc. Perhaps they can only see that by doing something like that they would risk the dissidents publicly calling for a constitutional assembly, elections, etc. In such a scenario, of course, both Castros could end up being charged and tried. <br /><br />Or maybe the inevitably aging Castros will finally want to begin negotiating an exit for themselves and their families or some other viable end to this 51 year old conflict.<br /><br />Mr. Fariñas is one of three <a href="http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/10/18/union_europea/1287430650.html">finalists </a>for the European Parliament´s Sájarov prize, awarded annually to a defender of human rights. Two other Cuban dissidents, Oswaldo Payá and the Ladies in White, were awarded the prize in 2002 and 2005, respectively. Mr. Fariñas has not given up on his hunger strike strategy despite the fact that several dissidents (and this blog´s author) have expressed their disapproval of his suicidal liberation method.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />UPDATE October 21</span><br /><br />Today, the European parliament awarded Mr. Fariñas the Sájarov Prize for his defense of human rights. There is no question that Mr. Fariñas had valiantly stood up for human rights prior to beginning his suicidal hunger and thirst strikes. Indeed, he was beaten up for it more than once. Only later did his protests take this suicidal turn. Hopefully this award will not encourage him and other Cubans or humans to commit suicide in order to protest human rights abuses anywhere. <br /><br />Castro of course agrees with his opponents presumed ´right´ to commit suicide. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/plot-thickens-on-castros-political_19.html"><br />Plot Thickens on Castro's Political Prisoner Release</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/07/castros-cuban-media-vs-dying-hunger.html"><br />Castro's Cuban Media vs. Dying Hunger Striker</a><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/03/updated-bioethics-la-carte-for-castro.html"><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/03/castro-regime-and-dissident-agree-on.html">Castro Regime and Dissident Agree on 'Right' to Suicide </a><br />UPDATED: Bioethics À la Carte for the Castro Regime? </a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/03/political-opponent-potential-suicidee.html">Political Opponent, Potential Suicidée or Common Criminal? </a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-21542914024169119192010-10-19T12:54:00.010-04:002010-10-19T17:39:16.647-04:00Plot Thickens on Castro's Political Prisoner ReleaseCuban political prisoner Guido Sigler Amaya has accused Roman Catholic Cardinal Ortega of pressuring him, in collusion with the Castro regime, to accept release from prison and banishment to either Mexico or Czechoslovakia. Mr. Sigler bases his accusation on his allegation that the Cardinal has repeatedly called to ask him to accept the offer. But he has announced that he will not make any decisions until he finds himself free inside Cuba. His brother, Juan Francisco Sigler Amaya, <a href="http://www.martinoticias.com/FullStory.aspx?ID=0C7F6EA1-A3B8-42CA-A0EF92CAB8DEA4B8">reported </a>the story.<br /><br />At least 4 other political prisoners have refused to be released into exile: Diosdado González Marrero, Librado Linares, Oscar Elías Biscet and Angel Moya Acosta.<br /><br />In addition, Mrs. Reina Luisa Tamayo, mother of the political prisoner who died in the regime's custody after an 86 day hunger strike, remains undecided about whether to accept the regime's offer of exile to the United States.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ladies in White, Laura Pollán, declared that the Castro regime is merely trying to eliminate all opposition on the island. She vowed to continue the Ladies´public protests until all political prisoners are released. <br /><br />But what does that mean? Surely Messrs. Fidel Castro and Raul Castro are asking themselves the same question. According to Cardinal Ortega they promised that by November 7 they would release all political prisoners including 13 remaining of the 75 arrested in the "Black Spring" of 2003. Around 39 have been released through Cardinal Ortega's intercession but immediately transported out of Cuba, apparently with their consent, obtained while they were imprisoned.<br /><br />By said date, Castro will have the results of U.S. elections and this will help him calculate his chances of getting the U.S. travel ban lifted, and if releasing political prisoners will help.<br /><br />Also prior to US elections, the Obama Administration has been trying to win the release of American Alan Gross, accused of espionage, and in a Cuban prison. Washington maintains that he was only distributing computing and telecommunications equipment to members of Cuba's tiny Jewish community. Release of Mr. Gross, because he's an American citizen and innocent, is politically most important for the Obama administration. However, whatever policy is utilized by the Obama administration with respect to Mr. Gross will set a precedent if other American citizens, including those with dual U.S.-Cuban citizenship are arrested by the Castro regime in the future. <br /><br />As for Cuba's political prisoners, they are only stuff for barter for Mr. Castro. President Obama should not bite the poisonous apple and offer anything for them, let alone finance the Castro regime with US tourist dollars in return for their release. They should be freed because they are innocent, and because Mr. Castro supposedly promised as much. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/castro-says-leave-but-some-say-no.html">Castro Says Leave But Some Say No</a><br /><br /><a href="http://ddeeee.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-does-castro-want-from-obamaas-he.html">What does Castro want from Obama...as he attacks US imperialism and shifts focus to Bay of Pigs and School of the Americas- Part III </a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-26852811173708572752010-10-17T08:04:00.005-04:002010-10-18T16:07:15.574-04:00UPDATED: Broken But Not DefeatedTwo Cuban dissident wives of political prisoners, members of the Ladies in White have resurfaced marching just one week after having been beaten up, albeit one with a bandaged broken nose and the other with an arm in a cast. Men and German Shepherds from Castro's security apparatus reportedly approached them on October 10, attempted to strip them and then beat them. According to <a href="http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=30267">Miscelaneas de Cuba,</a> Mrs. Sonia Garro Alfonso and Mrs. Mercedes Fresneda Castillo were able to prevent being raped by their screams and the intervention of people nearby. One allegedly had her bra forcefully removed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmhvD1KEwWBkd13SNLROGEXnmwuFypuvyFiHDkCFoWIMAm1Szk6lKD9kp2E3qlNrDd8Bqtq9xiWbevFg9E4CsQNeCPLsNXw-xBsK-bu_DeMUcg4iXVfIuUWFSKuOvwrUeAeGO9cqSCKKD/s1600/Broken+Not+Defeated.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmhvD1KEwWBkd13SNLROGEXnmwuFypuvyFiHDkCFoWIMAm1Szk6lKD9kp2E3qlNrDd8Bqtq9xiWbevFg9E4CsQNeCPLsNXw-xBsK-bu_DeMUcg4iXVfIuUWFSKuOvwrUeAeGO9cqSCKKD/s320/Broken+Not+Defeated.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528758835410908066" border="2" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Mrs. Sonia Garro Alfonso & Mrs. Mercedes Fresneda Castillo,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Broken nose and arm, but not defeated</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Photo taken from <a href="http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/folder.asp?folderID=89">Miscelaneas de Cuba</a></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Tragically,the strategy of appealing to the regime is wrong given that it recognizes Castro as a legitimate authority and places the decision of Cuba´s and their husbands' destinies in his tyrannical hands. <br /><br />Yet protesting in public, while lonely and painful, has been one of the most perfect gestures offered by Cuba to purge itself of its 51 year disease.<br /><br />But what would happen if the Ladies in White (or others) began demanding a trial for the Castro brothers? More likely than not Castro would order a mob led by state security to go after them. <br /><br />For neither Castro can ever be judged. They are both above any law. At least, that's what they think.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=30268">Declaration by Victims (in Spanish)</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/03/ladies-in-white-were-not-afraid-of-you.html">Ladies in White: "We´re Not Afraid of You" </a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-88512106990220232242010-10-16T17:07:00.013-04:002010-10-19T11:54:25.773-04:00Castro Says Leave But Some Say NoThe mother of the Cuban dissident dead from a hunger strike while in the Castro regime's prison custody, has been offered permission to leave Cuba. Unlike the United States, Cubans aren't allowed to leave or reenter their homeland without applying for permission from the tyranny. Permission is routinely denied to political opponents. The dead hunger striker's mother is undecided but has requested the remains of her son, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who has become a national icon of the growing Cuban resistance movement.<br /><br />His mother, Mrs. Reina Luisa Tamayo, is now an event too. She is a member of the renowned Ladies in White and a highly vocal critic of the tyranny. In the photograph below she is on the floor struggling against Castro's state security while protesting her son's death.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BJxTLk45klm_A_APcOtpOiK-ML-2_fpCyDPnfCxQhmTHtx_qRdYp-oB6D3WHBRpIMRUkzxVwKKrQPm_JBcVevzd8TcnPtsY1Hprc9hHKknu-UYZuCxw9bSSK6LOnGHX9CVMPCHuzp2y6/s1600/Reina+Luisa+Tamayo+en+el+Piso+Martinoticias.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BJxTLk45klm_A_APcOtpOiK-ML-2_fpCyDPnfCxQhmTHtx_qRdYp-oB6D3WHBRpIMRUkzxVwKKrQPm_JBcVevzd8TcnPtsY1Hprc9hHKknu-UYZuCxw9bSSK6LOnGHX9CVMPCHuzp2y6/s320/Reina+Luisa+Tamayo+en+el+Piso+Martinoticias.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528746310562512866" border="2" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:78%;" >Mrs. Reina Luisa Tamayo (on the ground) vs.<br />Castro's State Security After Hunger Striker Son's Death</span><br /></div><br />In a related development, 4 other political prisoners have been offered banishment into exile, but they have refused. According to <a href="http://www.martinoticias.com/FullStory.aspx?ID=607CD6B0-B9B9-4DC9-92C5ADFE771217A7">Marti Noticias</a>, Diosdado González Marrero, Librado Linares, Oscar Elías Biscet and Angel Moya Acosta refuse to leave Cuba voluntarily. Mrs. Alejandrina García de la Riva, Mr. Gonzalez Marrero's wife, reported (<a href="http://www.martinoticias.com/MartiMedia/audio/D-035_101010.wma">audio</a>) that her husband had been contacted by Cardinal Jaime Ortega who inquired whether they wanted to leave the country.<br /><br />After responding that he didn't, Mr. Gonzalez Marrero asked the Cardinal why political prisoners were only being released into exile. The Cardinal allegedly responded that all those who have been exiled would soon be free in their own homeland.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The video below from October 1 reveals how some have been inspired to begin taking a public stand for freedom while others appear to absolutely ignore them. They were reported to have subsequently been surrounded by a mob led by state security in an 'act of repudiation'. </span><br /><br /><object width="400" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SGxwk28sPjg?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SGxwk28sPjg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">RELATED:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/03/ladies-in-white-were-not-afraid-of-you.html">Ladies in White: "We´re Not Afraid of You" </a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-29586923218324990752010-10-12T19:13:00.015-04:002010-10-18T16:42:55.710-04:00Siege on Dissident Cubans Lifted But Pushed to Leave<a href="http://www.martinoticias.com/FullStory.aspx?ID=774C9647-5A2A-449A-A4455880659D6040">Radio Marti</a> has just reported that the siege on the Cuban family was lifted this morning. No explanation was provided as to what motivated the Castro regime to do so, or to have led a mob to besiege them in the first place. But Mrs. Rodriguez, the lady of the house, had this to say:<blockquote>"...They don't tell us why. They only incite people to scream at us 'worms', mercenaries', go away, and all of the phrases that the whole world already knows. But they don't explain why."</blockquote>But they don't need to, for as everyone knows, a tyranny does not consider itself accountable to anyone, let alone its subjects. Cuba's is backed by a well paid mob-o-cracy, and some day may possibly be even financed by United States tourists.<br /><br />What happened to these people is similar to what happens to illegal Hispanic immigrants in the United States, except that they are not illegal or immigrants. They are natives, legitimately in their own country, and yet are being asked, in not very nice terms, to leave.<br /><br />The Golden Rule dictates that Americans who don't ever want something like this happening to them in the United States should not support a tyranny that does it to Cubans.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE OCTOBER 18</span><br /><br />The following photos seemingly taken after the siege have just been published. Note the reversed Cuban flag on the second photo.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTREcxbf0Ub3eeAJaeXiFJZV7le3aFJb7xvi5t9iSOZu4fWA1t2bjV_auR3yEAVxLbnKuA1gJrCg_58yOWue2_4jbJrcpIfNiaT6LNbBt5ci0fTXqKt-vNotSkdjmS0tpizF_d5yG9alDp/s1600/Ni%C3%B1o+golpeado.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTREcxbf0Ub3eeAJaeXiFJZV7le3aFJb7xvi5t9iSOZu4fWA1t2bjV_auR3yEAVxLbnKuA1gJrCg_58yOWue2_4jbJrcpIfNiaT6LNbBt5ci0fTXqKt-vNotSkdjmS0tpizF_d5yG9alDp/s320/Ni%C3%B1o+golpeado.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529485289088219970" border="2" /></a><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:78%;" >9 year old dissident family´s son reportedly struck by Cuban State Security/Mob</span><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:78%;" ><a href="http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=30288">Photo taken from Miscelaneas de Cuba</a></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGWpDwT652mp8dD_bb7V2m-e8av-syO_p3UHo5hkg6MTXRke3-hIiKLm9T6gHbPT1WM1Ik0imkZBXLRBDcqLGQR0M0Q42e9c0rSAqX1KshDReFBxXq-9v7C37hzp6rGUS5aiHpU4tKoD3/s1600/Golpiza+Acto+rep+1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGWpDwT652mp8dD_bb7V2m-e8av-syO_p3UHo5hkg6MTXRke3-hIiKLm9T6gHbPT1WM1Ik0imkZBXLRBDcqLGQR0M0Q42e9c0rSAqX1KshDReFBxXq-9v7C37hzp6rGUS5aiHpU4tKoD3/s320/Golpiza+Acto+rep+1.jpg" besieged="" family="" and="" members="" oriental="" branch="" of="" the="" partido="" tico="" 30="" de="" noviembre="" frank="" s="" that="" had="" sought="" to="" meet="" at="" their="" border="2" /></a><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:78%;" >Besieged family and the members of the oriental branch of the</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Partido Democrático 30 de Noviembre Frank País</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=30288">Photo taken from Miscelaneas de Cuba</a><br /></span></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGWpDwT652mp8dD_bb7V2m-e8av-syO_p3UHo5hkg6MTXRke3-hIiKLm9T6gHbPT1WM1Ik0imkZBXLRBDcqLGQR0M0Q42e9c0rSAqX1KshDReFBxXq-9v7C37hzp6rGUS5aiHpU4tKoD3/s1600/Golpiza+Acto+rep+1.jpg"><span style="font-weight: bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /></a><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/cuban-dissident-family-besieged-by-mob.html">Cuban Dissident Family Besieged by Mob ... Day 3</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/update-mob-terrorizes-cuban-dissident.html">UPDATE - Mob Terrorizes Cuban Dissident Family</a><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/news-blackout-on-cuban-family-under.html"><br />News Blackout on Cuban Family Under Siege</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/google-hides-abuses-in-cuba-again.html">Google Hides Abuses in Cuba (Again)</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-49932912127952764312010-10-12T15:49:00.007-04:002010-10-12T16:03:51.420-04:00Cuban Dissident Family Besieged by Mob ... Day 3The mother of a Cuban family under siege confirmed today that their home in Guantanamo continues surrounded by a Castro regime led mob. Asked to describe what was presently happening, she responded : “...all you have to do is look out the window...can you hear them...even though it's drizzling they continue surrounding the complete house... from corner to corner.. one can see the police cars....everything is blocked...” The family of 3 has been under siege since 5 A.M. of October 10.<br /><br />Mrs. Rosaina Ramirez is at their home in Guantanamo, Cuba, alone with her husband, Mr. Rogelio Tabio Lopez, a former political prisoner and their 9 year old son. The mob managed to break in yesterday but were forced to retreat by Mr. Tabio Lopez and his machete. The <a href="http://www.goear.com/listen/4d93520/antonio-diaz-mcl-llamada-acto-repudio-mcl">interview </a>today was reportedly conducted by Antonio Diaz, who identified himself as a member of the Christian Liberation Movement. Mrs. Ramirez identified herself as a member of the 30 de Noviembre Social Democratic party. Not surprisingly, she volunteered her home address: Carlos Manuel 351, Esq. 6 Norte, Guantanamo, Cuba.<br /><br />The family reported no visits or calls from international reporters.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED</span><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/update-mob-terrorizes-cuban-dissident.html">UPDATE - Mob Terrorizes Cuban Dissident Family</a><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/news-blackout-on-cuban-family-under.html"><br />News Blackout on Cuban Family Under Siege</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/google-hides-abuses-in-cuba-again.html">Google Hides Abuses in Cuba (Again)</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-26587740089433642132010-10-12T10:24:00.007-04:002010-10-12T10:45:36.384-04:00News Blackout on Cuban Family Under SiegeExcept for the video below, there have been no further reports from Cuba on the Cuban family under siege since 5 AM, October 10 by a pro Castro mob. Presumably the siege continues. The video was published today by Directorio Cubano.<br /><br /><object width="390" height="400"param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Oehn_6gaUzs&hl=sv_SE&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Oehn_6gaUzs&hl=sv_SE&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="never" width="400" height="390"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RELATED:</span><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/update-mob-terrorizes-cuban-dissident.html"><br />UPDATE - Mob Terrorizes Cuban Dissident Family</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/google-hides-abuses-in-cuba-again.html">Google Hides Abuses in Cuba (Again)</a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692772365795081962.post-91196228542787794832010-10-11T22:14:00.004-04:002010-10-11T22:28:34.256-04:00Google Hides Abuses in Cuba (Again)Google has pushed to near obscurity the <a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/update-mob-terrorizes-cuban-dissident.html">unfolding story of a Cuban dissident family under siege by a mob of 500</a>. While the story has been reported by several blogs, one can hardly find it in Google. Why so if not because Google's algorithms tip the scales to hide from view human rights abuses in Cuba? Those reporting life threatening abuses shouldn't have to word stories so that Google accepts them. That's censorship. Google is the one that needs to change its algorithms to prioritize reporting of abuses in Cuba. Would it ever have hidden a story like this about a family under siege by a mob in Silicon valley? Of course not. So what is motivating it to do so with Cuba?<br /><br />The following are the stories I found in the first page of a Google news or blog search using “Cuba” as the search term, at 8PM on October 10, several hours after blogs started reporting the family under siege:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">As of today, October 11 at 8PM:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Google's top 10 “Cuba” Blog stories </span><br /><ol><li>Liz Neumark: A Taste of Cuba </li><li>VA - Musica de Cuba [2CDs] » RSMatrix RapidShare - MegaUpload free </li><li>Cuba looks ready to allow small loans for reforms | Antigua ... </li><li>News flash: Cuba </li><li>Free | free three prisoners in Cuba 52 operations, not to church </li><li>Sparks recounts meeting with Castro for Cuba Week | The Crimson White </li><li>Brazil beat Cuba to seal third straight world title - Stabroek ... </li><li>Watch Cuba vs Brazil live stream free online streaming Oct 10 </li><li>Capitol Hill Cubans: Will Democrats Reject Chamber's Cuba Policy? </li><li>International Political Economy Zone: Vile Capitalists Invade Cuba ... </li></ol><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Google's top 10 “Cuba” News stories</span> </span><br /><ol><li>Brazil Defeats Cuba, Regains World Championship Title</li><li>Four injured following single vehicle crash near Cuba</li><li>Experts examine how Cuba's offshore oil could be 'game changer'</li><li>Cuba looks ready to allow small loans for reforms</li><li>Pan Am Update: Unbeaten US Faces Cuba On Monday</li><li>A Taste of Cuba</li><li>Sparks kicks off UA's Cuba Week</li><li>Cuba To Free 3 More Political Prisoners</li><li>Ahmadinejad stresses employment of Iran-Cuba potentials to boost ties</li><li>Horse and buggy struck by allegedly intoxicated woman</li></ol><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">RELATED</span><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/10/update-mob-terrorizes-cuban-dissident.html"><br />UPDATE - Mob Terrorizes Cuban Dissident Family </a><br />Google vs. Invisible Cuba<br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/04/google-mainstream-news-media-blogs-and_03.html">Google, the Mainstream News Media, Blogs and Cuba : What I thought was not so crazy after all</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/11/are-reuters-and-ap-censuring-video-of.html">Are Reuters and AP Censuring Video of Attack on Cuban Dissident?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/02/ap-doubts-cuban-dissidents-rights.html">AP Doubts Cuban Dissidents' Rights Violated</a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2010/02/tyranny-allows-cuban-dissident-to-die.html">Tyranny allows Cuban Dissident to Die of Hunger - What now? </a><br /><br /><a href="http://invisiblecuba.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-cubajournal-and-hatred-towards.html">UPDATED: Google, Cuba Journal and the Politics of Hate </a>Invisible Cubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09759452008285465658noreply@blogger.com