News & Current Affairs, CARICOM Affairs - Tuesday, April 14, 2009 22:48
Castro: Easing of Cuba Restrictions ‘Positive’, But Not Nearly Enough
By Jovan Reid, Executive EditorVia Granma, ‘Reflexiones del Compañero Fidel’
Translation by Miguel Gutierrez, worldmeets.us
“Forty-eight years ago, mercenary forces in the service of a foreign power invaded their own homeland, escorted by a U.S. squadron that included an aircraft carrier and dozens of fighter aircraft. This date cannot be forgotten. The great power of the North is capable of applying the same formula to any Latin American country. This has occurred on many occasions throughout the history of our hemisphere. Has any promise been declared that such an actions will never be repeated, directly or via indigenous armies, as have occurred in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Guatemala, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and other countries?
The cunning and devious attack on Girón Beach [the Bay of Pigs] cost us more than 150 lives and hundreds of seriously wounded. We should like to hear some self-criticism from that powerful nation – and a guarantee that such events will never happen again in our hemisphere.
April 13th marked the seventh anniversary since the failed coup against the Revolution in Venezuela.
For the sake of democracy and human rights, we need a voice in Washington to tell us that the School of the Americas, which specializes in coup and torture, will be closed forever.
We cannot forget that right now, this April, the leader of ARENA [Rodrigo Ávila], Bush’s oligarchic ally in the Iraqi genocide, continues to govern El Salvador. With a million human lives sacrificed [in Iraq], there is enough blood to drown all of Bush’s accomplices.
Does this recollection offend anyone? Or is mentioning this prohibited in the name of decency, ingenuity and complicity?
The [Obama Administration] measure to ease restrictions on travel is itself positive – albeit minimally. We need many others, including the elimination of the murderous Cuban Adjustment Act [and the Helms-Burton Act], which is applied exclusively to our country alone. [Cuba]. We would like a response to the question of whether the immigration privileges used to combat the Cuban Revolution and strip it of human resources shall be granted to all Latin American and Caribbean people. But everything in Port of Spain [site of the Fifth Summit of the Americas] will be secret. Listening to the debate will be prohibited, as will discussing the pronouncements of heads of state and government. In any event, we will learn what each of them says.
We don’t want to hurt Obama in the slightest, but he will be president for one or two terms. He has no responsibility for what happened in the past, and I am convinced that he would not commit the atrocities that Bush did. After him, however, may be someone else the same or worse than his predecessor. Men come and go; peoples endure.
There are other extremely grave problems such as climate change, and the current president of the United States has decided to cooperate on this issue , which is so vital for humankind. We must acknowledge this.
Enough for today. I don’t want to add another word.”
Related articles:
- i have seen and been to sam lords castle many times and was shocked to see how t...
- This news has broken my heart I can't believe this could be left to happen to su...
- need to see shots from old Rock Hall please send ...mayvinann a yahoo.com...
- We lived on Barbados when we were children in the late 60's and our father was b...
- After visiting Sam Lord's Castle during its splendor in June 2000, I will foreve...
- omg !!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have just found out what happened and its really upsetting ...
- My early teenage years were and are immersed in the tree frog nights of Barbados...
- Wow, this is tragic! how can the Barbadian government allow part of their histo...
- Barbados Free Press
Unconventional citizen journalism on social and political happenings in Barbados - Barbados In Focus
Astounding photography by the talented Barbadian photographer Keith Clarke - Barbados Nation
Barbados’ most widely read daily newspaper - Caribbean 360
Aggregator of news and current affairs headlines in the Caribbean - Global Voices Online
A nonprofit, global collective of bloggers and citizen journalists - Jamaica Gleaner
Jamaica’s leading daily newspaper - Project Diaspora
An advocacy blog made up of members of the African diaspora worldwide - The Wisdom of Whores
Blog of HIV/AIDS specialist, Elizabeth Pisani - Trinidad Guardian
Trinidad & Tobago’s leading daily newspaper
CARICOM Affairs - Mar 13, 2010 14:30 - 0 Comments
St Lucia to begin public consultation on the Caribbean Court of Justice this year
More In CARICOM Affairs
- World Bank offers CARICOM debt assistance
- Harpooning Caribbean tourism: Swallowing a dead rat
- Region in drought: the thirsty Caribbean
- Disasters need more than prayers
- To OAS or not to OAS: That is the question
News & Current Affairs - Mar 14, 2010 20:37 - 0 Comments
Jamaica: Deadly Water Sold for Drinking
More In News & Current Affairs
- David Thompson’s cabinet reshuffled, again
- Region in drought: the thirsty Caribbean
- Professor Rex Nettleford is dead
- Caribbean islands prepare to take in Haitian refugees
- Powerful 7.3 earthquake and aftershocks hit Haiti, tsunami watch issued
OP-Ed & Features, Gender & Sexuality - Feb 6, 2010 14:07 - 0 Comments
The Caribbean, religion & the legislation of sexuality
More In Gender & Sexuality
- Barbados Family Minister says men deserve more legal rights to their children
- On World AIDS Day 2009, sexual minorities are still criminals in the Caribbean
- The same sex marriage debate: separating religious rites from civil rights
- Words hurt: is it time for hate speech legislation in Barbados?
- A Young Spin on an Old Tale: Youth and HIV/AIDS







Leave a Reply