Friday, November 30, 2012
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders: Saving American Democracy Constitutional Amendment
“Corporations are not persons with
constitutional rights equal to real people. Corporations are subject
to regulation by the people. Corporations may not make campaign
contributions or any election expenditures. Congress and the states
have the power to regulate campaign finances.”
Cuba Journal urges its readers to
immediately contact their two U.S. Senators and U.S. House
Representative and ask them to vote IN FAVOR of this
much needed U.S. Constitutional Amendment, when it is put up for a
floor vote in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
GREAT VICTORY FOR THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE! Palestinians win implicit U.N. recognition of sovereign state
(Reuters) - The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Thursday to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations from "entity" to "non-member state," implicitly recognizing a Palestinian state.
There were 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions.
(Reporting By Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Update 6:01 p.m.: Who are the dirty nine? United States, Israel, Canada, Czech Republic, Panama, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru and Palau. (According to ABC News)
The 113th U.S. Congress Will Usher In a New Batch of Cuba Related Bills
The year 2013 will bring with it the
inauguration of the 113th U.S. Congress. Newly elected
senators and representatives will take their seats and a new batch of
bills will be introduced in both chambers for possible consideration
by the legislative body. Only those bills which meet with the
approval of the ruling elites, i. e. the capitalist Democratic and
Republican parties, will be ever approved.
The United States today is a nation
that resembles very much the era before the U.S. Civil War. There is
a great deal of hatred and divisions.
Progressive Cuba related bills will
surely be introduced and it is very doubtful that any of them will be
passed. The hatred of the American capitalist ruling circles for
socialist Cuba is very similar to the hatred directed against the
slavery abolitionists of the 19th century and toward
Germany's Jews of the 20th century.
One more time, the United States
Congress will probably ignore the call of 188 nations of the world
which asked in November for a prompt termination of the genocidal
economic and financial blockade directed against the people of Cuba.
Cubans in the island are the new Jews, and the Yankee imperialists
are the new Nazis of the XXI century.
There is no difference between George
W. Bush and Barack H. Obama, they are both 100% capitalists and hate
socialist Cuba with a passion. Those two presidents deserve the just
condemnation and repudiation of those people who ask that the
U.S. behave within the confines of international law. Don't hold your
breath expecting that to happen. But the struggle for a better world
will continue. No new empire can stop that.
The peoples of the world should
consider the expulsion of the United States from the United Nations.
The ruling USA capitalists elites call
the Cuba blockade merely an embargo. They are such good comedians!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Fidel Castro's Latest Book, "Guerrillero del Tiempo" Is Finally Available, as an eBook, At a Price Everyone Can Afford: $15.00.
Fidel Castro Ruz, Guerrillero del tiempo. Conversaciones con el líder histórico de la Revolución Cubana. (2 tomos)
|
Género: Entrevista| Tema: Biografía | Formato:
PDF
EPUB
MOBI
| ISBN: 978-9962-697-01-5 (obra completa) TI: ISBN 978-9962-697-02-2 TII: 978-9962-697-03-0 En Fidel Castro Ruz, Guerrillero del tiempo, el Comandante narra su historia a partir de un cuestionario muy abarcador; aunque las preguntas se pierden frente al océano que es su vida. Este libro, que consta de dos partes, propicia un acercamiento al ser humano que convive con la figura histórica que encarna a los héroes del pasado y a los que defenderán en el futuro de Cuba, nuestra América y el mundo, las nobles causas de independencia, justicia y humanidad. El lector tendrá la oportunidad de recorrer con Fidel el camino de sus días, disfrutará de la naturalidad y transparencia con que va hilvanando los hechos, puntos de vista, imágenes y sentimientos de la memoria; en un viaje desde la casa y los seres del pasado hasta los desvelos, penurias, esperanzas y augurios de los días que corren. Una y otra vez es necesario subir montañas en la Revolución, la humanidad requiere de hombres y mujeres capaces de salvarla: Fidel calza de nuevo sus botas de eterno caminante.
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Cuba's 52nd National Baseball Series Has Started! They Love Baseball Not $$$$$ Down There!
 AIN PHOTO / Rodolfo BLANCO CUE |
| A Game Between Artemisa and Camagüey |
Cuban pianist Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera and wife bring their native music to U.S.
Cuban-born pianist Nachito Herrera
has four albums of his own and has contributed to many more.
Front, from left, National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba conductor Enrique
Pérez Mesa, composer and guest conductor Guido Lopez-Gavilan and pianist
Nachito Herrera take a bow during the orchestra’s first-ever U.S. tour.
Photo courtesy Phil Lem
Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 9:00 am
Updated: 9:18 am, Wed Nov 28, 2012.
More than 30 years after the 12-year-old piano prodigy performed
with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera
and his manager wife recently brought the famed orchestra to the U.S.
for the first time. The Cuban couple, who now call White Bear Lake home,
soon will return to Cuba where Nachito will perform with and record an
album with a jazz band they formed. They hope to bring the band for a
U.S. tour next year.
The pianist, who has performed internationally and locally, has four albums of his own and has contributed to dozens more, and advises student musicians at a St. Paul music school. He’s won four Minnesota Music Awards and is a two-time Grammy nominee. Last winter he was the first Cuban musician to receive an American Heritage Award from the American Immigration Council.
Both his parents were pianists.The Havana native started piano study at age 7; by age 12 he was playing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 with the national orchestra. After earning a master’s degree from a notable arts school, Herrera became musical director of the famed Tropicana Club and later toured internationally with the Cubanismo jazz band.
An artist-in-residency with the Dakota Jazz Education Foundation brought the Cuban pianist to Minnesota in 2001. His family came a year later — delayed by the terrorist attacks. They decided to stay and now are American citizens.
His wife, Aurora, is his business manager. “She does all the hard work,” he says, including scheduling, travel arrangements and other logistics.
His daughter, Mirdalys, 22, has sung with her father and with the Minnesota Youth Symphony, but now is in the ROTC program at the University of Minnesota and hopes to go on to law school. Son David, 19, attends Century College and aspires for a career in business or marketing.
When he’s not touring, Herrera is a regular at the Dakota Jazz Club (his next gig there is Nov. 30). Two of his albums were recorded there live. He’s also still involved in the club’s foundation, which provides educational and performance opportunities for young artists.
For more than a decade he also has worked as a teacher and advisor at the MacPhail Center for Music. He primarily helps advanced musicians seeking admission to premier post-secondary music schools. “It’s real rewarding helping them make their dreams come true,” he said.
Last summer Herrera toured solo, mostly on the West Coast, in a series he called “Alone with my piano.”
In 2009 Herrera toured with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, a prominent Cuban band. Aurora helped facilitate the visit — the first Cuban group to come after the U.S. government started easing visa restrictions to allow Cuban artists in.
The Herreras started working soon thereafter to bring the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba here, as well. “This has been our dream for many years,” Nachito said. He has known many of the members of the more than 70-piece orchestra since they started music school together as children.
The orchestra played 21 shows across the country from mid-October to mid-November. To the Herreras’ disappointment, it couldn’t stop in Minnesota because Orchestra Hall is under construction. They hope to bring the orchestra back next year for another tour and to record an album.
In a few weeks the Herreras will go to Cuba where they’ll bring together 17 artists. They’ll perform at the Havana International Jazz Festival and will record an album they hope to release in early 2013. They hope to bring the group for a U.S. tour next year.
The Herreras also are working to start a foundation supporting opportunities to expose young local musicians to Cuban music and culture. One goal is a student exchange program between their two countries.
-----
JG: I was privileged and happy to see "Nachito" and Cuba's National Symphony Orchestra, when they performed their historical concert in St. Petersburg, Florida, on November 7th, 2012.
The pianist, who has performed internationally and locally, has four albums of his own and has contributed to dozens more, and advises student musicians at a St. Paul music school. He’s won four Minnesota Music Awards and is a two-time Grammy nominee. Last winter he was the first Cuban musician to receive an American Heritage Award from the American Immigration Council.
Both his parents were pianists.The Havana native started piano study at age 7; by age 12 he was playing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 with the national orchestra. After earning a master’s degree from a notable arts school, Herrera became musical director of the famed Tropicana Club and later toured internationally with the Cubanismo jazz band.
An artist-in-residency with the Dakota Jazz Education Foundation brought the Cuban pianist to Minnesota in 2001. His family came a year later — delayed by the terrorist attacks. They decided to stay and now are American citizens.
His wife, Aurora, is his business manager. “She does all the hard work,” he says, including scheduling, travel arrangements and other logistics.
His daughter, Mirdalys, 22, has sung with her father and with the Minnesota Youth Symphony, but now is in the ROTC program at the University of Minnesota and hopes to go on to law school. Son David, 19, attends Century College and aspires for a career in business or marketing.
When he’s not touring, Herrera is a regular at the Dakota Jazz Club (his next gig there is Nov. 30). Two of his albums were recorded there live. He’s also still involved in the club’s foundation, which provides educational and performance opportunities for young artists.
For more than a decade he also has worked as a teacher and advisor at the MacPhail Center for Music. He primarily helps advanced musicians seeking admission to premier post-secondary music schools. “It’s real rewarding helping them make their dreams come true,” he said.
Last summer Herrera toured solo, mostly on the West Coast, in a series he called “Alone with my piano.”
In 2009 Herrera toured with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, a prominent Cuban band. Aurora helped facilitate the visit — the first Cuban group to come after the U.S. government started easing visa restrictions to allow Cuban artists in.
The Herreras started working soon thereafter to bring the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba here, as well. “This has been our dream for many years,” Nachito said. He has known many of the members of the more than 70-piece orchestra since they started music school together as children.
The orchestra played 21 shows across the country from mid-October to mid-November. To the Herreras’ disappointment, it couldn’t stop in Minnesota because Orchestra Hall is under construction. They hope to bring the orchestra back next year for another tour and to record an album.
In a few weeks the Herreras will go to Cuba where they’ll bring together 17 artists. They’ll perform at the Havana International Jazz Festival and will record an album they hope to release in early 2013. They hope to bring the group for a U.S. tour next year.
The Herreras also are working to start a foundation supporting opportunities to expose young local musicians to Cuban music and culture. One goal is a student exchange program between their two countries.
-----
JG: I was privileged and happy to see "Nachito" and Cuba's National Symphony Orchestra, when they performed their historical concert in St. Petersburg, Florida, on November 7th, 2012.
Jailed U.S. Covert Agent, Allan Gross, DOES NOT Have Cancer
Excerpts by JESSICA GRESKO, Associated Press | November 28, 2012 | Updated: November 28, 2012 10:22am
Houston Chronicle
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Cuban government said Wednesday that a test shows an American imprisoned in Cuba doesn't have cancer, countering a previous statement by a US doctor that a mass on his shoulder should be assumed to be cancerous unless proven harmless.
Cuban officials said in a statement Wednesday that Cuban and American officials met Monday to discuss Gross' health. During the meeting officials discussed in part an Oct. 24 biopsy that confirmed that a lump on Gross' right shoulder is not cancerous, the one-page statement from Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The statement said the test "could not be performed before due to Mr. Gross' refusal" and that Gross' wife, a resident of the District of Columbia, was given the test results during a meeting in Washington on Monday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Cuban government said Wednesday that a test shows an American imprisoned in Cuba doesn't have cancer, countering a previous statement by a US doctor that a mass on his shoulder should be assumed to be cancerous unless proven harmless.
Cuban officials said in a statement Wednesday that Cuban and American officials met Monday to discuss Gross' health. During the meeting officials discussed in part an Oct. 24 biopsy that confirmed that a lump on Gross' right shoulder is not cancerous, the one-page statement from Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The statement said the test "could not be performed before due to Mr. Gross' refusal" and that Gross' wife, a resident of the District of Columbia, was given the test results during a meeting in Washington on Monday.
Cuban Heavyweight Odlanier Solis Next Fight Will Be Broadcast by NBC
Cuban Heavyweight Odlanier Solis
BadLeftHook.com reported that:
Odlanier Solis decided to skip a scheduled October 12 fight in Madrid, Spain, against Leif Larsen, and will instead head straight into a December 22 bout with Tomasz Adamek, which will be broadcast on NBC.
Solis (18-1, 12 KO) has fought just once since his TKO-1 loss to Vitali Klitschko in March 2011, which came as a result of a knee injury that required surgery. In May of this year, Solis defeated Konstantin Airich in Texas via wide 12-round decision.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
WAKE UP SENIORS! Don't Let Barack Obama and the Democratic and Republican Parties Push a Dagger Deep Into Your Back!
Read: A 'Grand Bargain' on the Fiscal Cliff Could Be a Grand Betrayal
Click on this link to read the article at The NationHow the Barack Obama Administration Harasses Latin American Christian Churches That Are Friends of Cuba
There is Religious Freedom in Cuba, Says Episcopal Bishop |
------
JG: Anytime that American capitalists smell large sums of money -- Barack Obama and OFAC included -- they go after it and STEAL IT, using the Cuba embargo as a very convenient excuse.
CRITICONES SIN COJONES
Jorge R. Gonzalez
@PolkCubiche
Los Gusanos de #Miami son CRITICONES SIN COJONES. Llevan cinco decadas con su Yada! Yada! Yada! Con hablar mierda no se derroca un gobierno.
Brazilian Company to Produce Cigarettes in Cuba
Published November 26, 2012 - EFE - Fox News Latino
The Brazilian-Cuban joint venture Brascuba S.A will soon start
production in Cuba of Brazil's popular Plaza brand of cigarettes,
official media said.
The firm's director of exports, Ernesto Tabio, announced that by mid-2013 they plan to start exporting the product to Brazil, the official AIN news agency said.
The cigarette produced on the island will have the same characteristics as the one made in Brazil, but according to Tabio, it will have the added benefit of using Cuban tobacco, considered the world's finest.
Tabia said the volume of exports will gradually increase until it reaches some 500 million units by 2017.
Brascuba Cigarrillos S.A. was founded in 1995 as a joint venture of the tobacco company Souza Cruz, a leader in cigarettes that makes several brands for Brazil and others for export, and the Cuban state enterprise Uneta, now known as Tabacuba.
Its portfolio is made up of the brands Popular, Cohiba, H. Upmann, Monterrey, Vega, Hollywood, H. Upmann Selecto and Lucky Strike, the only cigarettes made on the island with 100 percent Cuban tobacco.
The co-president of Brascuba, Abraham Maluff, has said that the company's export strategy aims to diversify its markets and boost its competitiveness in countries like Mexico, Russia, Japan, India and Brazil.
The company exports to more than 15 countries including Botswana, Dubai and Hong Kong, but its main market is Spain where it ranks fourth in sales. EFE
The firm's director of exports, Ernesto Tabio, announced that by mid-2013 they plan to start exporting the product to Brazil, the official AIN news agency said.
The cigarette produced on the island will have the same characteristics as the one made in Brazil, but according to Tabio, it will have the added benefit of using Cuban tobacco, considered the world's finest.
Tabia said the volume of exports will gradually increase until it reaches some 500 million units by 2017.
Brascuba Cigarrillos S.A. was founded in 1995 as a joint venture of the tobacco company Souza Cruz, a leader in cigarettes that makes several brands for Brazil and others for export, and the Cuban state enterprise Uneta, now known as Tabacuba.
Its portfolio is made up of the brands Popular, Cohiba, H. Upmann, Monterrey, Vega, Hollywood, H. Upmann Selecto and Lucky Strike, the only cigarettes made on the island with 100 percent Cuban tobacco.
The co-president of Brascuba, Abraham Maluff, has said that the company's export strategy aims to diversify its markets and boost its competitiveness in countries like Mexico, Russia, Japan, India and Brazil.
The company exports to more than 15 countries including Botswana, Dubai and Hong Kong, but its main market is Spain where it ranks fourth in sales. EFE
N.H. Resident: Congratulations Letter to Barack Obama. SHUTDOWN GUANTÁNAMO! [Better Yet, Give It Back To The Rightful Owners]
New London, N.H.
As I age and my remaining days diminish, I do things I would not dare. And so, this open letter.
Dear Mr. President:
Congratulations on your re-election. It allows us to imagine a day when the earth will no longer be poisoned, and LGBT people, people of color and women will get an even break. As president, you carry burdens that are beyond my power to imagine, and I respect you for that. Here are my hopes for your second term. It is time to end government by military-industrial complex, and to revive American democracy. Shut down Guantánamo and its sister prisons, end special rendition, put aside drones and the policies of assassination and torture. End those bloody things. Strengthen our economy by feeding it, not bleeding it. Nourish our economy and you nourish our posterity. Prosperity and revenue will come, and the national deficits and debts will take care of themselves. Continue to support the humble, the meek, and establish justice.
There may be small and empty people who will oppose and mock you, and manufacture crisis to frighten our fellow citizens. Do not let them deter you. You have it in your hands to do great things, and to restore America as the hope of the world.
Yes you can. Yes we can. Good luck.
John Raby
-----
Source: The Nation, December 3, 2012
As I age and my remaining days diminish, I do things I would not dare. And so, this open letter.
Dear Mr. President:
Congratulations on your re-election. It allows us to imagine a day when the earth will no longer be poisoned, and LGBT people, people of color and women will get an even break. As president, you carry burdens that are beyond my power to imagine, and I respect you for that. Here are my hopes for your second term. It is time to end government by military-industrial complex, and to revive American democracy. Shut down Guantánamo and its sister prisons, end special rendition, put aside drones and the policies of assassination and torture. End those bloody things. Strengthen our economy by feeding it, not bleeding it. Nourish our economy and you nourish our posterity. Prosperity and revenue will come, and the national deficits and debts will take care of themselves. Continue to support the humble, the meek, and establish justice.
There may be small and empty people who will oppose and mock you, and manufacture crisis to frighten our fellow citizens. Do not let them deter you. You have it in your hands to do great things, and to restore America as the hope of the world.
Yes you can. Yes we can. Good luck.
John Raby
-----
Source: The Nation, December 3, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Cuba Suspends Operations of Two Miami Travel Agencies
November 23, 2012
The decision was announced by the Havanatur Celimar company. Sources linked to the industry commented that the order could be related to overdue tax payments and other obligations on the part of the agencies, which are among the most important of their kind in southern Florida.
In a statement posted on the website of Airline Brokers, owner Vivian Mannerud described the suspension to be the result of a “re-evaluation of flights in the market, and other issues.”
Airline Brokers and C & T Charters are the only US companies that organize special visits to the island.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
"If You Build It, They Will Come"
Those of you who have perused my profile will now that the movie "Field of Dreams" is one of my favorites.
It is a film not only about baseball, but one that has a very deep philosophical meaning.
It is better to build than to destroy. If we all contribute our little grain of sand, we can build a better world, one that is based on peace, love and understanding.
"War is not the answer."
The greatest man that ever lived, Jesus of Nazareth, was crucified because the world did not fully comprehend his message of "Love One Another."
Individualism means nothing to me, other than selfishness. We are all on this together as one worldwide community.
Let us build a better village, one day at a time. ALWAYS!
Have a happy Thanksgiving Day tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
FINALLY FOUND THEM! The Two Japan-Cuba Box Scores!
Better late than never!
After Japan defeated Cuba twice on November 16th and 18th, I visited the usual places that report Cuban Baseball news looking for the box scores and I could not find them.
Today, I found them in a website by the name of Yakiubaka.com.
So, I am passing along the links:
Game 1, November 16, 2012
Game 2, November 18, 2012
Related Link:
Peter Bjarkman: Two Japanese Defeats Produce a Sour Taste After Cuba’s Asian Tour
After Japan defeated Cuba twice on November 16th and 18th, I visited the usual places that report Cuban Baseball news looking for the box scores and I could not find them.
Today, I found them in a website by the name of Yakiubaka.com.
So, I am passing along the links:
Game 1, November 16, 2012
Game 2, November 18, 2012
Related Link:
Peter Bjarkman: Two Japanese Defeats Produce a Sour Taste After Cuba’s Asian Tour
Greetings to Phantom Unknown in Houston, Texas
Date Time, System, Location
Nov 20 01:49:12 PM - Phantom Unknown, United States Houston, Texas,
Iland Internet Solutions Corporation (69.64.164.242)
Accessed: cubajournal.blogspot.com/2012/11/after-united-nations-188-3-vote-against.html
Nov 20 01:49:11 PM - Phantom Unknown, United States, Houston, Texas,
Iland Internet Solutions Corporation (69.64.164.242)
Accessed: cubajournal.blogspot.com/2012/11/after-united-nations-188-3-vote-against.html
Nov 20 01:49:08 PM - Phantom Unknown United States, Houston, Texas,
Iland Internet Solutions Corporation (69.64.164.242)
Accessed: cubajournal.blogspot.com/2012/11/after-united-nations-188-3-vote-against.html
Nov 20 01:49:12 PM - Phantom Unknown, United States Houston, Texas,
Iland Internet Solutions Corporation (69.64.164.242)
Accessed: cubajournal.blogspot.com/2012/11/after-united-nations-188-3-vote-against.html
Nov 20 01:49:11 PM - Phantom Unknown, United States, Houston, Texas,
Iland Internet Solutions Corporation (69.64.164.242)
Accessed: cubajournal.blogspot.com/2012/11/after-united-nations-188-3-vote-against.html
Nov 20 01:49:08 PM - Phantom Unknown United States, Houston, Texas,
Iland Internet Solutions Corporation (69.64.164.242)
Accessed: cubajournal.blogspot.com/2012/11/after-united-nations-188-3-vote-against.html
After United Nations 188-3 Vote Against Barack Obama's Blockade of Cuba, Cuban-American Fascist Ileana “La Loba Feroz” Ros-Lehtinen Makes a Fool of Herself
When asked about Cuban entrepreneurs who are seeking more American
support, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Florida Republican who
is chairwoman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, proposed an even
tighter embargo.
“The sanctions on the regime must remain in place and, in fact, should
be strengthened, and not be altered,” she wrote in an e-mail.
“Responsible nations must not buy into the facade the dictatorship is
trying to create by announcing ‘reforms’ while, in reality, it’s
tightening its grip on its people.”
Source: New York Times
When Was Yankee Imperialism Born?
In my opinion it was in the middle of
the 19th century, during the administration of the 11th
president of the United States, James K. Polk.
After the original 13 states became
independent, it was very clear that the new nation wanted more land.
The first acquisition, the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 by Thomas
Jefferson, was peaceful and it doubled the territory of the United
States.
In 1821 Mexico won its independence
from Spain. The United States immediately started coveting their
lands. In the end it would steal them by force of arms. What is today
Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California and part of
Colorado was Mexican sovereign territory.
In the night of the inauguration of
James K. Polk, a Democrat, [The Democratic Party has always been
the party of war], he confided to the Secretary of the Navy that
one of his main objectives was the acquisition of California.
In 1845 the Washington Union, a
newspaper expressing the position of President Polk and the
Democratic Party, had spoken clearly:
“Let the great measure of the [Texas] annexation be accomplished,
and with it the question of boundaries and claims. For who can arrest
the torrent that will pour onward to the West? The road to California
will be open to us. A corps of properly organized volunteers... will
invade, overrun, and occupy Mexico. They would enable us not only
take California, but to keep it. ”
It
was shortly after that, in the summer of 1845, that John O'Sullivan,
editor of the Democratic
Review,
used the phrase that became famous, saying it was “Our manifest
destiny
to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free
development of our yearly multiplying millions.”
In
other words, it was the same argument used by the Nazis in the 20th
century: “We
are a master race, guided by God.”
James K. Polk started the first Yankee imperialist war against
Mexico.
President William McKinley, started the second
imperialist war, the war against Spain, by ordering the blowing up of the Maine in
Havana harbor.
Barack Obama and his mercenary Zionist
Israelis will start the next war against Iran.
Historical record from Wikepedia and “A
People's History of the United States 1492 – Present” by Howard
Zinn.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Japan Defeats Cuba 3-1 on Sunday
While I will be rooting for Cuba in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, I also realize that, right now, Japan is the clear favorite to take the gold crown next year, like it did in 2006 and 2009.
But I also, at the same time, remember Yogi Berra's refrain that "it ain't over till it's over." Anything can happen in a baseball game.
Japan beat Team Cuba again on Sunday. The final score was 3-1 in favor of the samurai's from the Rising Sun.
Cuba connected nine hits. The only run scored by Team Cuba was a solo home run by slugger Yulieski Gourriel.
Link to Federacion Cubana de Beisbol Aficionado and Zona de Srike.
(In Spanish)
Havana Times: Japan Defeats Cuba 3-1 in WBC Tune-up
(In English)
But I also, at the same time, remember Yogi Berra's refrain that "it ain't over till it's over." Anything can happen in a baseball game.
Japan beat Team Cuba again on Sunday. The final score was 3-1 in favor of the samurai's from the Rising Sun.
Cuba connected nine hits. The only run scored by Team Cuba was a solo home run by slugger Yulieski Gourriel.
Link to Federacion Cubana de Beisbol Aficionado and Zona de Srike.
(In Spanish)
Havana Times: Japan Defeats Cuba 3-1 in WBC Tune-up
(In English)
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Japan Defeats Cuba 2-0 in Friendly Game
Zona de Strike and La Federacion Cubana de Beisbol Aficionado are reporting, in Spanish, that Team Cuba lost 2-0 against Japan today.
Japan had superb pitching and only allowed Team Cuba to connect three hits
The two teams will play again on Sunday.
If you read Spanish and want to read about the game, please click on any of the two links in the first paragraph.
I will report on Monday on the results of the Sunday Game.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK-END!
Cuban Eliades Ochoa Wins 2012 Grammy Award
Eliades Ochoa
Washington, Nov 16 (Prensa Latina) Cuban singer and songwriter
Eliades Ochoa won the 2012 Latin Grammy award for best traditional
tropical album, with his CD "Un bolero para ti" (A Bolero For You).
Ochoa was the only winner of the statuette, among a group of musicians
comprised of maestro Leo Brouwer, Manuel Galban and dance music band Los
Van Van, directed by Juan Formell, among others.
During the awarding ceremony, prior to the great show held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas, it was also known that Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso won, along with Gilberto Gil and Ivete Sangalo, the statuette for the Best Album of Brazilian popular music.
The Mexican brother-sister pop duo Jesse & Joy Huerta was the feeling of the evening after winning four awards in the categories of best recording and song of the year, with the CD íCorre! (Run!), Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album for "Con quien se queda el perro" (Who Gets the Dog), and Best Short Form Music Video, with "Me voy" (I'm going).
The statuette for the Best Ranchero Album went to Mexican singer Pepe Aguilar, for "Mas de un camino" (More Than One Path), while the award for Best Norteño Album, went to Los Tucanes de Tijuana with the CD "365 Días" (365 Days).
Spanish singer David Bisbal won in the category for the best traditional pop vocal album, with "Una noche en el Teatro Real" (A Night at the Royal Theater), Colombian Fonseca won the award in the best tropical fusion album with "Ilusion+" (Illusion+), and Dominican Milly Quezada won the best contemporary tropical album, "Aqui estoy yo" (Here I Am).
Mexican Carla Morrison won two awards for the Best Album and the Best Alternative Album with the CD "Dejenme llorar" (Let Me Cry), and Puerto Rican Don Omar won two prizes in the category of Best Urban Album with MT02 New Generation, and Best Urban Song with "Hasta que salga el sol" (Until The Sun Comes Up).
Colombian Juanes won in the category of Best Long Video with Juanes: MTV Unplugged, while Uruguayan rock band Cuarteto De Nos won the Best Pop/Rock Album, with "Porfiado" (Stubborn), and the Best Rock Song, with "Cuando sea grande" (When I grow up).
Mexican rock band Molotov won the Best Rock Album with "Desde Rusia con amor" (From Russia With Love), the Best Salsa Album went to Nicaraguan Luis Enrique, with "Soy y sere" (I Am and I Will Be), and the Best Singer-Songwriter Album went to the Peruvian Gian Marco, with "20 años" (20 Years).
Dominican Juan Luis Guerra, who had six nominations, only won the award for Best Producer of the Year.
During the awarding ceremony, prior to the great show held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas, it was also known that Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso won, along with Gilberto Gil and Ivete Sangalo, the statuette for the Best Album of Brazilian popular music.
The Mexican brother-sister pop duo Jesse & Joy Huerta was the feeling of the evening after winning four awards in the categories of best recording and song of the year, with the CD íCorre! (Run!), Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album for "Con quien se queda el perro" (Who Gets the Dog), and Best Short Form Music Video, with "Me voy" (I'm going).
The statuette for the Best Ranchero Album went to Mexican singer Pepe Aguilar, for "Mas de un camino" (More Than One Path), while the award for Best Norteño Album, went to Los Tucanes de Tijuana with the CD "365 Días" (365 Days).
Spanish singer David Bisbal won in the category for the best traditional pop vocal album, with "Una noche en el Teatro Real" (A Night at the Royal Theater), Colombian Fonseca won the award in the best tropical fusion album with "Ilusion+" (Illusion+), and Dominican Milly Quezada won the best contemporary tropical album, "Aqui estoy yo" (Here I Am).
Mexican Carla Morrison won two awards for the Best Album and the Best Alternative Album with the CD "Dejenme llorar" (Let Me Cry), and Puerto Rican Don Omar won two prizes in the category of Best Urban Album with MT02 New Generation, and Best Urban Song with "Hasta que salga el sol" (Until The Sun Comes Up).
Colombian Juanes won in the category of Best Long Video with Juanes: MTV Unplugged, while Uruguayan rock band Cuarteto De Nos won the Best Pop/Rock Album, with "Porfiado" (Stubborn), and the Best Rock Song, with "Cuando sea grande" (When I grow up).
Mexican rock band Molotov won the Best Rock Album with "Desde Rusia con amor" (From Russia With Love), the Best Salsa Album went to Nicaraguan Luis Enrique, with "Soy y sere" (I Am and I Will Be), and the Best Singer-Songwriter Album went to the Peruvian Gian Marco, with "20 años" (20 Years).
Dominican Juan Luis Guerra, who had six nominations, only won the award for Best Producer of the Year.
Japan, Cuba prepare for international friendly games with eye on WBC meeting
Friday, Nov. 16, 2012
Japan Times
"Obviously, everyone knows how good Japanese baseball is," Despaigne said. "It is only natural to assume that to win
the WBC, we will have to beat them. As the tournament approaches, I want
to practice and prepare and play so I can win the championship."
Japan Times
Kyodo
FUKUOKA — When Japan and Cuba square off on
Friday for the first of two international friendlies, it will be more
about just getting acquainted.
 |
| Ready for action: Japan shortstop Hayato Sakamoto practices on Thursday at Yahoo Dome. KYODO |
The two teams will be in the same first-round
group in the World Baseball Classic, held at Fukuoka Yahoo Dome in
March, and will be the favorites to advance to the second round at Tokyo
Dome.
Japan manager Koji Yamamoto is going to need
more of his domestic-based players to bring their best game now that
half of the six big leaguers he wanted have turned him down.
"I want each player to come out and show what
they do best against some very tough competition," he told a press
conference Thursday after his Samurai Japan team practiced for two
hours.
"The team is coming together and they are in
high spirits. Now it's time to fight. This game is going to be important
experience for all of them."
Cuba manager Victor Mesa, on the other hand, said
most of his squad for next spring is already decided. His goal is to
work out the kinks in the team's second straight international series,
after splitting a pair of one-run games in Taiwan recently.
"I left four of our top-class pitchers in
Cuba, but 90 percent of the men here will be with us in March," Mesa
said. "We had tough games in Taiwan, and these games against a tough
opponent can only help us make the adjustments we need if we are to win
the WBC."
"Obviously, we rate Japan very highly. They won
the previous WBCs and beat us in the process. They have earned
everyone's respect."
The Cubans are No. 1 in the International Baseball Federation rankings while Japan is third, after the United States.
"The Cubans take full swings, they play at full
power, they pitch at full power," said Chunichi Dragons shortstop
Hirokazu Ibata, at 37 the oldest player on Yamamoto's roster. "About 10
years ago, I played against them in Cuba. It can be a little scary."
Perhaps the scariest man among the visitors
is outfielder Alfredo Despaigne, Cuba's league MVP last season.
Despaigne's homer was the difference in his team's 1-0 victory in Taiwan
that tied their series.
Thinking of ways to get Despaigne out in
March will be the task of Yomiuri Giants and Japan captain Shinnosuke
Abe, who on Wednesday became the first player to win Japan's prestigious
Matsutaro Shoriki Award in 12 years.
Hampered by leg and ankle troubles during the
Giants' run to their Japan Series championship, Abe will, however, be a
close observer of the Cuban batters.
"I haven't really thought of a plan for these
games as I'm not expected to catch," he said. "But during the games,
I'll be taking mental notes and getting valuable impressions of their
players."
Abe said that he and the others in the squad were just beginning to feel like a team.
"Today we practiced together for the second
time," he said. "And the guys are beginning to sound like teammates.
Still, that's just practice. Once we're in a game tomorrow that talk
specifically about the game is going to be a huge factor in bringing us
together."
Mesa acknowledge that while the Japanese play the
game a little differently than his countrymen, he hopes his players can
adopt at least one of Samurai Japan's characteristics.
"We have this image of the Japanese player as
serious, extremely coachable, a guy who executes. Our goal is to win
the WBC and we can learn from their way of doing things," Mesa said.
Japan is expected to start Softbank Hawks lefty
Kenji Otonari on Friday in his home park. The second game will be played
on Sunday in Sapporo.
What Cuba Asks and Barack Obama Doesn't Like
Normalized diplomatic relations,
respectful dialogue without previous conditions, based
on reciprocity and equality based on sovereignty.
Bama's response: “We, Chicago
gangsters, are arrogant and superior to everyone else. We, masters,
you slaves.”
Fat chance that he has in accomplishing
anything. He better try hip hop dancing.
He was probably playing hooky during
his high school history class. Or smoking a joint at Harvard? In
Cuba, marihuaneros are the lowest of all types of escoria.
Israeli Military Butcher Eleven Year Old Child
Ihad al-Masharawi carries the body of his son Omar
on his way to the cementery.
Photo: MOHAMMED SALEM (REUTERS)
on his way to the cementery.
Photo: MOHAMMED SALEM (REUTERS)
Very Important Victories for Cuban Feminine Chess Grandmaster Maritza Arribas
The Women’s World Chess Cup 2012 is being staged by the Ugorian Chess Academy in Khanty-Mansiysk, from 11 November to 2 December.
Cuba's daily Granma, the
official organ of the central committee of the Communist Party of
Cuba, reported very important news in their printed edition of
November 14, 2012.
The very interesting article was
written by Harold Iglesias Manresa. He didn't miss a bit in his
excellent report. He told his readers about the encounter of Cuban
Grandmaster Maritza Arribas, versus her opponent Bela
Khotenashvili of Georgia, which used to be part of the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics.
Maritza's ELO rating points was 2,273
before her encounter with Bela and was ranked 242nd in the
feminine world chess rankings. Bela's ELO points rating was 2,555, a
very, very strong opponent.
I would be very happy if may ELO rating
were to be as high as Maritza's. I like to play chess, but the
highest ELO rating that I have ever achieved is a little bit higher
than 1,400. You have to practice and play a lot of games to achieve
the ELO rating of the World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand of
India who rates above 2,800 ELO points.
After four games in her first round,
Maritza's had a effective rate of 62.50% for a rating
performance of
2,599 ELO points. It pays to beat a tough opponent.
CONGRATULATIONS
MARITZA!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Speech of Cuba's Minister of Foreign Relations, Bruno Rodriguez, at the United Nations General Assembly on November 13th, 2012
There is no
legitimate or moral reason to maintain this blockade
that is anchored in the Cold War
• Speech by Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, at the United Nations General Assembly, on Item 41: "The necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States of America." New York, November 13, 2012
Mr. President:
I would like to reiterate the most
heartfelt condolences of the people and government
of Cuba to the people of the United States, the city
of New York, to populations directly affected and
particularly to relatives of the victims, for the
loss of human life and the severe material damage
caused by Hurricane Sandy.
We likewise express our condolences to the peoples and governments of Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Canada, also affected by the hurricane, as well as to Guatemala and Mexico for the recent earthquake which affected those countries.
We likewise express our condolences to the peoples and governments of Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Canada, also affected by the hurricane, as well as to Guatemala and Mexico for the recent earthquake which affected those countries.
Mr. President:
On April 6, 1960, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Lester D. Mallory wrote the most concise, accurate and enduring definition of the blockade of Cuba, and I quote: "To cause disenchantment and disaffection based on economic dissatisfaction and hardship […] to weaken the economic life of Cuba […] denying money and supplies […] to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government."
So far this has been the vision that
has embodied the inhumane, failed and anachronistic
policy of 11 successive US governments under which
76% of Cubans have been born. Our country has never
been at war with or engaged in any hostile action
against the United States. It has never consented to
the perpetration of terrorist acts against the
American people.
In 2008, presidential candidate
Obama electrified Americans with his energy, his
origins and his words, "Yes, we can." Three
months later, after being elected President, he
announced, "a new beginning with Cuba" and
stated, and I quote: "We can move U.S.-Cuba
relations in a new direction and launch a new
chapter of engagement that will be sustained
throughout my administration," end of quote.
However, the reality of the last
four years has been characterized by a persistent
intensification of the economic, commercial and
financial blockade; in particular its
extraterritorial dimension, despite the fact that
this Assembly has approved by a consistent and
overwhelming majority, 20 consecutive resolutions
calling for an end to this policy.
Maintaining this policy in force is
not in the national interest of the United States.
On the contrary, it is damaging to the interests of
its citizens and companies, especially in times of
economic crisis and high unemployment. According to
every opinion poll, citizens are demanding a change
in policy. Why encroach on Americans’ constitutional
and civil rights and freedom of travel by preventing
them from visiting the island, when they can visit
any other part of the planet, including places where
their country is waging war?
Why renounce a market of 11 million
people? Why continue to spend hundreds of millions
of dollars derived from taxes paid by U.S. citizens
on useless and illegal subversion in Cuba? Why
damage its relations with other states, including
its allies, with extraterritorial measures which
violate international law? Why resort to an approach
contrary to the one animating its growing economic
relations with states that have a different
political system?
The blockade also damages the
legitimate interests of and discriminates against
Cuban émigrés settled here in this country, who are
overwhelmingly in favor of the normalization of
relations with their nation. It damages the
credibility of United States foreign policy, leads
to its isolation, places the country in a costly
situation of double standards. After 50 years, it
has proven its ineffectiveness in pursuit of the
ends envisaged and is an insurmountable obstacle in
its constantly more uncomfortable relations with
Latin America and the Caribbean. If ended, it would
save its government from greater discredit to its
humanitarian policies and cease being a persistent
violation of Cubans’ human rights.
The United States could refrain from
including our state on spurious lists such as the
one classifying it as a sponsor of terrorism, with
the sole purpose of justifying additional measures
against financial transactions, and which is so
damaging to the effectiveness and credibility of the
international battle against this terrible scourge.
There is no legitimate or moral
reason to maintain this blockade that is anchored in
the Cold War. It is merely the weapon of an ever
more exiguous, isolated, violent and arrogant
minority which uses it for electoral profit, is
contemptuous of the call of the majority and will
not resign itself to the unshakable determination of
Cubans to decide their own destiny.
Mr. President;
The use of a less strident and
threatening rhetoric and a certain partial
relaxation of travel restrictions on residents of
Cuban origin and others for academic, scientific or
cultural purposes have failed to conceal the
intensification of the blockade during the last four
years.
The UN Secretary General’s report,
which includes the contributions of a significant
number of delegations and agencies present here,
broadly documents the multiple and diverse damages
caused both to my country and many of the
governments represented here.
In November 2011, the Treasury
Department fined the New York subsidiary of the
German Commerzbank $175, 500 for acting as
consultant and guarantor of a Cuban national
concerning a payment to a Canadian company.
In June 2012, the Department of
Justice announced the imposition of a $619 million
fine on the Dutch ING bank for alleged violations of
the regime of sanctions against Cuba and other
countries. This is the largest fine ever imposed on
a foreign bank.
Referring to this unprecedented
event, Mr. Adam Szubin, director of the Office of
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), attached to the
Treasury Department, stated in a menacing tone, and
I quote: "Our sanctions laws reflect core U.S.
national security and foreign policy interests and
OFAC polices them aggressively. Today's historic
settlement should serve as a clear warning to anyone
who would consider profiting by evading U.S.
sanctions," end of quote.
During President Obama’s
administration, fines imposed amount to $2,259,732
billion, double those imposed under both terms of
the George W. Bush administration.
The implementation of the blockade
has moved beyond all conceivable limits. In December
2011, the Trinidad and Tobago Hilton Hotel, a
national property operating under a management
contract with the hotel chain, received categorical
orders from OFAC to prevent the 4th CARICOM-Cuba
Summit of Heads of State and Government from taking
place on its premises, which constituted a real
scandal and a disrespectful act toward all the
nations of the Caribbean and the international
community.
In July 2012, two executives from
the French subsidiary of the travel agency Carlson
Wagonlit Travel (CWT) were sacked for selling
tourist packages to Cuba. The company runs the risk
of being fined $38,000 for each package sold sold.
On May 10, 2012, not even a year
from the issue of the first and very limited
licenses permitting U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba
"for educational purposes and people-to-people
exchanges," the Treasury Department prohibited tours
of recreational sites, financial transactions
involving tourist activities and established new and
stricter measures to ensure that all itineraries and
programs were in accordance with policy on Cuba. At
the same time, it was announced that violations of
these restrictions would result in fines of $65,000
and the suspension of licenses.
Mr. President:
The human damage caused by the
blockade is enormous and impossible to calculate. It
causes hardship, shortages and difficulties which
affect every family, every boy and girl, every man
and woman, people with disabilities, senior citizens
and medical patients.
The William Soler Pediatric Cardio-Center
does not have access to the medicament Levosimendan,
used in the treatment of heart problems associated
with cardiac output in infants. The hospital is
unable to use this medicament; supplies of it have
been denied because it is manufactured by Abbott
laboratories.
The cardiovascular surgery service
of the same hospital provides medical treatment of
100-110 infants aged less than 12 months every year.
More than 90% of those cases require parenteral
nutrition before undergoing surgery with a better
prognosis. Our nation has no access to the
parenteral food supplements manufactured here in
this country, recognized as among the most effective
and of highest quality.
The impossibility of purchasing
laminar tissue for tissue expanders – used in skin
transplants – and their necessary acquisition in
distant markets at a higher price, complicates and
prolongs the treatment of girls and boys with severe
burns, with the consequent increase in the length of
surgery and hospitalization of these patients.
The pacemaker and electrophysiology
service at the Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery
Institute lacks the non-fluoroscopic three-dimensional
mapping equipment used to analyze points of
arrhythmia in the human heart, because of the
withdrawal of the U.S. firm Saint Jude. This
prevents the catheterization treatment and surgery
for curing complex arrhythmias. Consequently, we are
forced to send these patients to other countries in
order to receive treatment.
On the evening of November 6,
President Obama spoke of the recovery of the eight-year-old
Erin Catherine Potter, a leukemia patient living in
Mentor, Ohio. On October 28, 2009, we explained in
this hall that Cuban children suffering from
lymphoblastic leukemia, and who reject the usual
medicaments, cannot be treated with Elspar, the
medicament created to treat patients who develop
intolerance, because its sale to Cuba by the Merck
and Co. firm is prohibited. These children also
deserve compassion and relief.
On October 25, 2012, we also
denounced in this same hall that our ophthalmologic
services are unable to use transpupillary
thermotherapy to treat cancer of the retina (retinoblastoma),
which makes it possible to preserve affected eyes in
children. Since that date, 15 infants, like Lianna
Aguilera Feria, aged one year; María Sánchez Rosales
and Rochely Mendoza Rabelo, aged two years; Erika
Rodríguez Villavicencio, Fidel Valdés Márquez,
Giovanna Álvarez Torrens and Magdiel Leyva Suárez,
aged three years, have suffered the loss of their
eyes because the government of the United States
prevents the purchase of the necessary medical
equipment from the American company Iris Medical
Instruments.
Given its express intention and
direct effects, the blockade of Cuba qualifies as an
act of genocide in accordance with Article 2 (b) and
2 (c) of the 1948 Geneva Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
It is a massive, flagrant and systematic violation
of the human rights of an entire people.
We strongly oppose unilateral
coercive measures and economic sanctions which only
cause harm to human beings. As expressed by the
leader of the Revolution at this very podium, "We
want a world without hegemonies, without nuclear
weapons, without interventions, without racism,
without national or religious hatred, without
outrages to the sovereignty of any country; a world
which respects the independence and free
determination of peoples, a world without universal
models which totally disregard the traditions and
culture of all the components of humankind, and
without cruel blockades which kill men, women,
children, young people and senior citizens like
silent atom bombs."
Mr. President:
As stated in the Secretary General’s
report, the economic damages accumulated during more
than 50 years through 2011 amount to $1.066 trillion
–more than one trillion dollars – according to
rigorous and conservative calculations based on the
devaluation of the dollar in relation to the price
of gold.
Any sensible person can imagine the
living standards and development levels we could
have achieved if we had been able to count on those
resources.
The blockade is one of the principal
causes of our country’s economic problems and a
major obstacle to its economic and social
development. It is in violation of international law;
it is contrary to the purposes and principles of the
United Nations Charter and a violation of a
sovereign state’s right to peace and security. It is
an act of aggression, a permanent threat to a
country’s stability. It is also a gross violation of
the regulations governing international trade,
freedom of navigation and the sovereign rights of
states, given its extraterritorial nature.
Given that the blockade is a
unilateral policy, it should be lifted unilaterally.
Mr. President:
The U.S. people, toward whom Cuba
has sentiments of friendship and respect, have just
reelected President Barack Obama. During his
electoral campaign, he repeated dozens of times that
he continues to be the "President for change" and
that he will continue to "move forward."
President Obama has the opportunity
to initiate a new policy toward Cuba, different from
that of his 10 predecessors during more than half a
century.
Certainly, it will be a difficult
task and he will confront serious obstacles, but the
President has the constitutional powers allowing him
to listen to public opinion and generate the
necessary dynamic, by means of executive decisions,
even without the approval of Congress. Doubtless
this would be a historical legacy.
He would be committing a serious
error and making everything all the more difficult
for the future if he decides to wait for a new
generation of Cuban leaders or for the impossible
collapse of our economy. This option would inscribe
him in history as the eleventh president to repeat
the same mistake.
I reiterate, in the name of
President Raúl Castro Ruz, the steadfast will of the
Cuban government to move toward the normalization of
relations with the United States through respectful
dialogue, without preconditions, based on
reciprocity and sovereign equality, without in the
least undermining our independence and sovereignty.
Today, here and now, I am once again
submitting to the government of the United States a
draft agenda for bilateral dialogue directed at
moving toward the normalization of relations, which
includes, as fundamental issues, the lifting of the
economic, commercial and financial blockade; Cuba’s
exclusion from the arbitrary and illegal list of
countries sponsoring terrorism; the repeal of the
Cuban Adjustment Act and the "wet foot/dry foot"
policy; compensation for economic and human damages;
the return of the territory occupied by the
Guantánamo Naval Base; the end of the radio and TV
aggression; and the cessation of financing internal
subversion.
An essential element on this agenda
is the liberation of the five Cuban anti-terrorists
who remain cruelly and unjustly imprisoned or
detained in this country. An act of justice, or at
least a humanitarian solution, would arouse the
gratitude of my people and the response of our
government.
At the same time, I make the offer
to the government of the United States to negotiate
cooperation agreements in areas of greatest mutual
interest, such as combating drug trafficking,
terrorism, human trafficking and for the full
normalization of migratory relations, as well as for
the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters,
protection of the environment and our common seas.
We also propose a resumption of the talks
unilaterally suspended by our counterpart about
migratory issues and the resumption of postal
services.
Your Excellencies:
Delegates:
Whatever the circumstances, our
people will defend, at any price, their achievements;
they will uphold their ideas; they will recover from
natural disasters such as the one that recently
lashed Santiago de Cuba and the eastern and central
provinces, and will resolutely continue to update
and develop our socialism, "with all and for the
wellbeing of all."
In the name of this heroic people,
their children, their women and the elderly, I ask
all governments committed to the principles
enshrined in the UN Charter and international law,
to the norms of the multilateral trading system, to
the freedom of trade and navigation, and which
reject the extraterritorial implementation of a
national law, to once again vote in favor of the
resolution contained in document A/67/L.2, entitled
"The necessity of ending the economic, commercial
and financial embargo imposed on Cuba by the United
States of America."
Thank you very much.
Source: Granma International
Nov. 13, 2012: Speakers Denounce USA for its Genocidal Blockade of Cuba
‘Archaic, Punitive’ Embargo Must be Consigned to History Books, Say Speakers,
as General Assembly, for Twenty-First Year, Demands End to Cuba Blockade
13 November 2012
General Assembly Plenary
35th and 36th Meetings (AM & PM)
Statements
MOURAD BENMEHIDI (Algeria),
speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China,
said that the embargo against Cuba contravened the fundamental norms of
international law, international humanitarian law, the United Nations
Charter and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among
States. Furthermore, its continued imposition violated the principles
of the sovereign equality of States and of non-intervention and
non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs. The measures
announced by the United States Government two years ago, which related
to a certain relaxation of restrictions on travel and transfer of
remittances, had had a “very limited effect” and did not change the
framework of laws, regulations and provisions of the embargo, which was
still in place, he added.
The deepening impact of
the ongoing global economic and financial crisis and the continued
embargo would continue to further aggravate hardships for the Cuban
people, he went on to say. In addition, the embargo frustrated efforts
towards the achievement of all the internationally agreed development
goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and negatively
affected regional cooperation in the area. Today, the Group once again
reiterated its longstanding and principled position on the matter of the
embargo, and recalled the Ministerial Declaration of the thirty-sixth
annual meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held in New York in
September, to the effect that the Ministers “firmly rejected” the
imposition of laws and regulations with extraterritorial impact and all
other forms of coercive measures. They had also called on the
international community neither to recognize those measures nor apply
them, he said.
JOSEPH GODDARD (Barbados),
speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), noted that this was the
twenty-first consecutive occasion that the Assembly was meeting to
raise the sustained chorus of opposition to the United States’
imposition of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against
Cuba. While in some parts of the world, twenty-first “birthdays” were
especially commemorated, the twenty-first year of adoption of the annual
resolution on the Cuban embargo should instead give that Assembly pause
for reflection. The embargo had persisted for too long in spite of the
unambiguous reprove of an overwhelming majority of Member States, as
demonstrated by the annual adoption of the resolution before delegates.
He went to stress that
CARICOM member States had camaraderie with Cuba, which had remained
cordial and resilient even through a continually evolving hemispheric
and international geo-political landscape. Cuba maintained embassies
in all independent countries of the Community and continued to show
itself as an integral part of the region. The Community and Cuba had
developed and enjoyed mutually beneficial programmes of cooperation and
trade in several key areas including physical education and sports,
accounting, natural sciences, humanities, economy, special education,
health and medicine. CARICOM States also continued to value and enjoy
long-established, warm and friendly relations with the United States.
It was in that spirit that the Community urged the United States to
heed the calls of the international community to bring an end to the
embargo.
ANTONIO PEDRO MONTEIRO LIMA (Cape Verde),
speaking on behalf of the African Group and aligning with the Group of
77 developing countries and China, said it was “inconceivable” for
African countries to remain silent in the face of the adverse
consequences of the longstanding embargo against Cuba. By a resolution
adopted at the African Union Summit in July, leaders had reissued a call
inviting the United States to lift that embargo, he said; the Group’s
vote today in favour of the Assembly’s annual resolution would be
another step in advancing that call. Indeed, he said, quoting the
famous statesman Winston Churchill, “criticism may not be agreeable, but
it is necessary”. Criticism played the same role as pain in the human
body, bringing attention to the fact that “things are not right”, he
added.
Furthermore, the Assembly
“status quo” on the resolution ran contrary to the pursuit of a more
equitable and just world, as well as the progress of Cuba towards the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and regional
integration. “The path of history today is for those who choose
openness”, he said. He quoted Nelson Mandela to the effect that “to be
free is not merely to cast off ones chains, but to live in a way that
respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
OCTAVIO ERRÁZURIZ ( Chile)
said on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States
(CELAC) that the commercial, economic and financial embargo imposed on
Cuba was contrary to the letter, spirit, principles and purposes of the
United Nations Charter and international law. The Community was
concerned about the extraterritorial effects of the embargo that
affected the sovereignty of other States, the legitimate interests of
entities or persons under their jurisdiction and the freedom of trade
and navigation. The embargo, commenced in 1959 had continued to this
day and had transformed into a strict system of unilateral measures,
which had continued over time creating huge injustices for the Cuban
people. In itself, the unilateral measure was a contradiction with the
multilateralism, the openness and the dialogue promoted by the Charter.
The Community was in
favour of adoption of the resolution before the Assembly. He emphasized
the inconsistency that existed between the application of unilateral
measures, which had no backing in international law, and the letter,
spirit, principles and purpose of the Charter, urging the United
States to make necessary adjustments to its international behaviour in
that regard and align its legislation with the Charter of the United
Nations.
BYRGANYM AITIMOVA (Kazakhstan),
speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),
noted that the item had been on the Assembly’s agenda for 20 years with
little progress to record. Guided by the principles of international
law, the OIC upheld the right of every nation to follow its own unique
path of development and therefore condemned any unilateral action, which
affected the sovereignty and interests of another State and its
people. Further, it did not agree with any external regulations that
infringed, impeded or delayed the development of any country, including
in the economic, commercial and financial spheres. Even measures meant
to relax restrictions had limited effect while the embargo remained in
place to the detriment of the Cuban people.
The embargo frustrated
efforts toward achieving the Millennium Goals, she continued, impeding
poverty eradication, and violating the basic human rights to food,
health and education, humanitarian assistance and overall national
progress. That already harsh situation was further aggravated by the
effects of climate change to which Cuba’s geographical location made
it particularly vulnerable. She went on to stress that the embargo
contradicted the regulations and directions of the World Trade
Organization (WTO), which prohibited the adoption of measures likely to
hinder international free trade and shipping, and the widest possible
partnership between two partners. She joined “the overwhelming majority
of the international community” in calls to lift the embargo against
Cuba.
MARIA LUIZA RIBEIRO VIOTTI ( Brazil),
speaking on behalf of Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), said that the
Group had been founded on the principles of interdependence and good
neighbourly relations. Alongside its Latin American neighbours,
MERCOSUR showed respect for the sovereignty of States and for
international law, and it viewed that the embargo ran contrary to the
principles of the Unite Nations Charter and international law. In
particular, she said, it violated the principle of non-interference in
the affairs of other States. The embargo also ran contrary to the
principles of justice and human rights, limited and delayed social and
economic progress and inhibited the achievement of the Millennium Goals
and other development targets.
MERCOSUR therefore
regretted the fact that the unilaterally imposed embargo continued
unabated, she said. MERCOSUR rejected, in principle, all unilateral and
extra-territorial measures, which caused harm to peoples and obstructed
regional integration. By once again reaffirming its support to the
present resolution, her delegation would reiterate its commitment to
multilateralism as a legitimate instrument for the settling of disputes
and a way to promote cooperation and understanding between peoples.
Indeed, she concluded, the embargo was “no more than an example of
obsolete policies which have no place in today’s world.”
MOHAMMAD KHAZAEE (Iran),
speaking for the Non-Aligned Movement, recalled that the delegation, at
its most recent Summit, held in Tehran, had reiterated its call to the
United States to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial
embargo against Cuba, a measure which was causing huge material and
economic damage to the people of that island nation. Iran was
concerned about the widening of the extraterritorial nature of the
embargo and rejected the reinforcement of the measures adopted by the
United States. The embargo had caused and would continue to cause a
high degree of adverse impact on the well-being of the people of
Cuba. The direct and indirect damage was enormous. The embargo
affected all crucial sectors of the economy, including those most vital
for the well being of the people there, such as public health, nutrition
and agriculture, as well as banking, trade, investment and tourism.
He said that the Movement
saluted the Cuban people for what they had achieved so far, including
significant progress in such areas as education and health care, despite
the huge difficulties. Yet, the embargo continued to impede
socio-economic advances and created unnecessary economic hardship. The
embargo denied Cuba access to markets, development aid from
international financial institutions and technology transfers, which
were all important for the development of Cuba. The United States
had in the past claimed that it would reach out to the Cuban people but
those words had regrettably not been translated into action.
LUIS-ALFONSO DE ALBA (Mexico),
joining with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, said
that today’s meeting once again demonstrated the international
community’s “overwhelming” opposition to the economic, commercial and
financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba. Mexico
once again expressed its opposition to the measure, and reiterated its
rejection of the use of coercive actions, which ran contrary to the
principles of the United Nations Charter, produced severe humanitarian
impacts and which were a rejection of diplomacy and dialogue as a way to
resolve disputes between States. There were many harmful effects of
the embargo in sensitive sectors, which had a direct impact on the
citizens of Cuba as well as a negative effect on third countries.
Indeed, the international
community must not forget that political, economic or military sanctions
imposed on States could only emanate from the United Nations Security
Council or the General Assembly. Therefore, Mexico had supported all
measures against the embargo in a number of forums, and would continue
to provide its support for the inclusion of Cuba in global economic
dialogue. Dialogue and negotiation continued to be the ideal way to
resolve disputes and ensure peaceful cooperation between States, he
stressed. Mexico’s proximity to Cuba and its relationship with that
country suggested the urgent need for the embargo to come to an end;
Mexico would therefore vote in favour of the resolution currently before
the Assembly, he said.
MANJEEV SINGH PURI ( India)
said the Secretary-General’s report was illustrative of the detrimental
impact the embargo had had on international efforts to undertake
socio-economic advancement in Cuba. The United Nations Resident
Coordinator in Havana had noted the high cost of the embargo and its
negative impact on development and humanitarian cooperation implemented
by the United Nations system. There was, however, huge potential for
strengthening economic and commercial ties between Cuba and the
United States, especially in tourism.
Taking advantage of
limited openings under its Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement
Act of 2000, the United States had become the largest exporter of
agricultural products to Cuba, he noted. America’s Congressional
efforts to relax or lift the embargo had lent further credence to the
annual United Nations resolution calling for the full lifting of the
measure. People-to-people contacts between the two nations held immense
possibilities for fostering better understanding. The steps taken by
the United States in January 2011 to reduce restrictions on travel and
remittances to Cuba were positive developments but “far from making a
fundamental change” in the complex framework of laws and regulations,
which were part of the embargo against Cuba, he added.
IDRIS HASSAN ( Sudan)
joined, at the outset, with the positions put forward by the Group of
77 developing countries and China, the Non-Aligned Movement, the
Organization for Islamic Cooperation and the African Group of States.
He extended his country’s solidarity with the people of Cuba, and
condemned the unilateral coercive embargo imposed by the United States
against that country, which was a “flagrant violation” of the human
rights of Cubans as well as international law. The continuation of that
embargo required all Member States to exert efforts on the United
States administration, as the embargo threatened the dignity and
economic progress of a United Nations Member State.
Sudan had lost precious
resources as a result of similar measures imposed by the United
States; he went on, calling on Member States to apply ameliorative
actions, and to accelerate reform of the Security Council. Indeed, it
should not be possible for one country to have the right of the veto and
to threaten international peace and security for all. He called on the
United States to immediately lift the embargos on Cuba, Sudan and
all other countries. That “aggression” was a crime and it had to be put
to an end, he stressed, as it alienated developing countries and
hindered them from achieving the Millennium Development Goal targets and
sustainable development.
VITALY CHURKIN ( Russian Federation)
expressed disagreement with and rejection of the economic, commercial
and financial embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States. The
position of the Russian Government on that matter was well known and had
not changed. It condemned such a measure by the United States, which
was an “outdated relic of the Cold War era”. It not only had hindered
Cuba’s development model but had resulted in the worsening of the
living conditions of the Cuban people.
The United States had
eased restrictions, for instance, allowing American citizens to visit
family members and relatives in Cuba, he noted. The easing of those
restrictions must be replicated in other areas as well. Guided by
non-discrimination and other principles, the Russian Federation called
for an early repeal of the embargo and urged the United States to
reduce its confrontational approach.
MEUTYA VIADA HAFID ( Indonesia)
said that the Assembly was convening once again to consider the
51 year-old unilateral policy banning economic, commercial and financial
activity with Cuba. Imposed during the Cold War, that embargo had
cost the people of Cuba dearly and impacted the economic and
commercial relations of third countries. Further, the sanctions
exceeded the jurisdiction of national legislation and encroached on the
sovereignty of other States that dealt with Cuba. Times had changed
since 1961, she said; globalization had created conditions for true
global solidarity and partnership among the community of nations.
The continued imposition
of the embargo against Cuba violated the principles of the sovereign
equality of States, and of non-intervention and non-interference in each
other’s domestic affairs, she said, and clearly did not conform to the
United Nations Charter. It created an unwanted standoff instead of
dialogue to normalize relations, with both political complications, and
economic, commercial and financial hardships that were unjustifiable on
humanitarian grounds. She urged renunciation of extraterritorial laws
and measures that affected the sovereignty of other States, the lawful
interests of their subjects, or of other persons under their
jurisdiction, and freedom of trade and navigation. She called for the
immediate cessation of the embargo.
JULIO ESCALONA OJEDA ( Venezuela)
recalled that, in October 2011, the Assembly had approved – for the
twentieth time - a resolution against the unilateral embargo imposed by
the United States against Cuba. In that historic vote, 186 countries
had expressed their support for the Cuban people, while only two
countries had opposed it. Venezuela had always supported such
resolutions and had repeatedly denounced the “brutal” embargo. It also
stressed its rejection of all unilateral measures which had
extraterritorial effects, which contravened the principles of the United
Nations Charter and violated principles of free navigation, among other
laws. Indeed, the “Helms-Burton Act” and similar laws were an affront
to people all over the world. The Act undermined the human rights of
the Cuban people - a “despicable policy” that punished the Cuban
population with the aim of bringing about a change in leadership in
Cuba. “[They] will not achieve this”, he stressed of those measures.
While the embargo was an
expression of a “barbarous” policy the Cuban people had nevertheless
overcome that unjust practice in a “stoic and heroic” way, moving
forward with the principle of solidarity even beyond their own borders.
The “advocates of imperialism” maintained that Cuba was a threat to
the region, which was a “massive lie”. Cuba had, on the contrary,
been an element of support and hope in the area of solidarity with
States, contributing to the social well being of many other countries.
United States President Barack Obama had managed to connect with the
majority feeling of the Latin American population living in the United
States, and he should continue by finally ending the longstanding
embargo. If the new United States Government moved forward in that
regard, President Obama would be “acting on the right side of history”,
he stressed in that respect.
WANG MIN ( China),
said that the commercial and financial embargo against Cuba imposed by
the United States had inflicted enormous economic and financial loses
on the island nation. Cuba’s economic losses directly resulting from
the embargo had exceeded $108 billion by December 2011. Taking into
account the depreciation of the United States dollar against the
price of gold in the international market, the figure would increase to
$1.066 trillion. The measure had caused shortage of commodities and
huge suffering to the Cuban people. It also violated their fundamental
human rights including the rights to food, health and education as well
as their right to development. That also affected interactions between
other countries and Cuba and impaired the interests and sovereignty of
third countries.
The embargo seriously
violated the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and
the relevant General Assembly resolutions, and had met the firm
opposition of the vast majority of Member States. “The call of the
international community is getting louder and louder”, he said,
demanding that the United States Government change its policy towards
Cuba. China and Cuba had maintained normal economic, trade and
personnel exchanges. The friendly and mutually-beneficial cooperation
in various fields between two countries had been growing. China hoped
that the relationship between the United States and Cuba would
improve so as to promote the stability and development in Latin America
and the Caribbean region.
MOOTAZ AHMADEIN KHALIL (Egypt),
aligning with the statements delivered on behalf of the Group of
77 developing countries and China, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African
Group and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, recalled that a
little more than 50 years ago, an unjust and unjustifiable unilateral
embargo had been imposed by the United States against Cuba. Although
the world had profoundly changed since, the “bloqueo” had persisted, in
total violation of multilateralism, the norms of international law, and
the principles of the Charter and was “an anachronism from a bygone
era”. He said the embargo against Cuba was the longest and toughest
system of sanctions ever applied against any country in modern history
and must be lifted. Last year, 186 countries had voted in favour of
General Assembly resolution 66/6 – the twentieth resolution adopted on
the issue. Lifting the embargo was not only the Cuban people’s plea,
but was also the request of the overwhelming majority of Member States.
He praised the Cuban
people for their achievements under difficult circumstances, noting that
despite the economic and social hardship caused by the embargo, they
had made significant progress in many areas, including education, health
care and gender equality. At a time when peoples in his region were
bravely fighting for freedom and justice, and some of them, like in his
country, were establishing the foundations of a genuine democracy, it
was troubling that the United States continued to adopt coercive
measures to prevent a neighbouring nation from freely deciding its own
political and economic system. Stressing that cooperation and
engagement were more effective than isolation and estrangement, he said
it was high time for the embargo to end. The re-election of President
Obama last week offered the American administration a fresh opportunity
to rectify the historic injustice inflicted on Cuba, he said,
expressing hope that the opportunity to do so would not be missed.
DIEGO MOREJÓN ( Ecuador)
said that in an expression of solidarity, his Government had provided
humanitarian aid to the victims and countries in need following the
recent hurricane. Expressing concern about the United States’
Helms-Burton Act and its extraterritorial effects, Ecuador wished that
the 21 resolutions on the Cuban blockade would finally be implemented
in their entirety.
A clause in Ecuador’s
Constitution condemned interventions in internal affairs. The current
text before the Assembly clearly condemned violations of free trade and
navigation, which were enshrined in the United Nations Charter and
international law. It was unacceptable to see the rising figures for
the cost of the embargo in development. The blockade limited the
attainment of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally
agreed targets. Aligning with the regional groups that had spoken thus
far, Ecuador called for the repudiation and full lifting of the
“infamous and shameful” blockade.
SACHA SERGIO LLORENTTY SOLÍZ ( Bolivia)
said that the report of the Secretary-General highlighted, once again,
the global rejection of the economic and financial embargo which had
been imposed “in an arbitrary and unilateral way” against Cuba by the
United States Government. Bolivia firmly rejected the use of
unilateral measures by any State seeking to impose embargoes that had
humanitarian impacts. “This blockade is unjust. It’s illegal. It’s
extra-territorial”, he stressed, adding that it violated the principles
of the United Nations Charter. Further, the embargo contravened the
rights of the Cuban people to self-determination and development, among
others.
“The United States is
not listening to the global appeal to put an end to this injustice”, he
continued. Such an attitude was one which represented “genocide’.
Bolivia condemned the coercive nature of the embargo, which also
affected other countries around the world. It also commended the
courage of the revolutionary people of Cuba, which despite the effects
of the embargo was moving forward, and recognized the efforts of the
Cuban people to cooperate with Bolivia and other countries. Indeed,
while some countries sent armies and soldiers with great weapons, Cuba
sent “armies” of doctors and teachers to the most needed areas of Latin
America. Cuba proclaimed solidarity, life, dignity and human value,
he said, adding that, if the United States in fact defended equality
and freedom, its President should immediately lift the “inhuman” embargo
against that country.
LE HOAI TRUNG ( Viet Nam)
noted that while 20 annual Assembly resolutions had called for an end
to the blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba, the measure
remained in place and continued to enforce severe economic and
financial restrictions on Cuba. The impact on Cuban lives and
development caused by the embargo exceeded 1 trillion dollars, he said,
adding that the majority of the international community opposed it on
the grounds that it contravened the fundamental norms of international
law, international humanitarian law and the fundamental principles and
purposes of the Charter, especially those of sovereign equality,
non-interference and self-determination.
He supported the outcome
of the Sixteenth Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which had
reiterated the need to end the embargo. He also stressed his support
for the statement by the “G-77” Ministers of Foreign Affairs at their
36th Annual Meeting this year, which had rejected all forms of coercive
economic measures, including unilateral sanctions, against developing
countries and called for their urgent elimination to ensure that the
principles of the United Nations Charter were not undermined and that
freedom of trade and investment was protected. He added that he would
vote in favour of the resolution.
BRUNO RODRIGUEZ PARRILLA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba,
referred to a 1960 quote by then-Under-Secretary of State of the
United States, Lester D. Mallory, who had written that the commercial,
economic and financial embargo against Cuba was intended “to cause
disenchantment and disaffection […] to weaken the economic life of Cuba
[…] to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger,
desperation and overthrow of Government.” That had been the vision that
embodied the inhumane, failed and anachronistic policy of eleven
successive United States Governments, he added.
In 2008, then presidential
candidate Barack Obama had electrified the American people, and after
being elected, had announced “a new beginning with Cuba”. However,
the reality of the past four years had been characterized by a
persistent tightening of the blockade, particularly its
extra-territorial dimensions, despite the fact that the General Assembly
had approved, by a consistent and overwhelming majority, 20 consecutive
resolutions calling for an end to the policy.
“Keeping this policy in
force is not in the national interest of the United States”, he said.
Quite the contrary, it harmed the interest of that country’s citizens
and companies, especially in times of economic crisis and high
unemployment. The blockade also harmed the legitimate interests of and
discriminated against the Cuban emigration that had settled in the
United States, which overwhelmingly favoured the normalization of
relations with its home country. Moreover, there was no legitimate or
moral reason to maintain the blockade, which was “anchored in the Cold
War”. Indeed, it “is just a weapon in the hands of an ever more
exiguous, isolated, violent and arrogant minority”, he said.
He went on to describe
some of the fines and repercussions imposed against various parties who
had allegedly violated the blockade, as well as the human damage caused
by it, which was “huge and impossible to calculate”. It caused
hardships, shortages and difficulties that affected every family, every
boy and girl, every man and women, as well as those with disabilities,
senior citizens and the ill. In that regard, he told the story of
several hospitals that were unable to treat patients due to a lack of
the appropriate medicines, and of children who suffered such ills as the
loss of an eye due to retinal cancer because of the lack of appropriate
therapies. Given its express purpose and direct effects, the blockade
against Cuba qualified as an “act of genocide” according to Article
2(b) of the Geneva Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide of 1948, he stressed, adding that it was a “mass,
flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of an entire
people.”
As was stated in the
Secretary-General’s report, the economic damage accumulated over more
than 50 years, until 2011, amounted to one trillion six billion
dollars. “Any sensible person could figure out the living standards and
development levels that we could have achieved if we had had those
resources available”, he added, calling the blockade one of the main
causes of Cuba’s economic problems and the major obstacle to its
economic and social development. It was an act of aggression - a
permanent threat to the stability of a country – and constituted a gross
violation of the rules that governed international trade, freedom of
navigation and the sovereign rights of States.
“President Obama has the
opportunity to start a new policy towards Cuba”, he said. It would be
a difficult task and he might face serious obstacles, but there was no
doubt that it would constitute a “historical legacy”. Today Cuba was
submitting to the United States Government a draft agenda for bilateral
dialogue aimed at moving towards the normalization of relations,
including such fundamental topics as the lifting of the blockade, Cuba’s
exclusion from the “arbitrary and illegal” list of terrorism-sponsoring
countries, and return of the territory occupied by the Guantanamo Naval
base, and others. An essential part of that agenda was the release of
the five Cuban anti-terrorists who remained imprisoned or retained in
the United States, he added.
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