Friday, March 29, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
"Mejor el Son"
Back in the lates 70's and early 80's a group called "Conjunto Impacto" was well known in Miami and were one of my favorite bands. This song takes me back to the family room with my mom playing the record and the family dancing together!!!
EL MOVIMIENTO DEMOCRACIA A MANIFESTACION DE APOYO A YOANI SANCHEZ
Thank you to Joseito for this info:
CONVOCA EL MOVIMIENTO DEMOCRACIA A MANIFESTACION DE APOYO A YOANI SANCHEZ
El Movimiento Democracia convoca a una manifestacion ciudadana de bienvenida a Yoani Sanchez al Exilio Cubano y de apoyo a su lucha por la libertad de expresion y demas libertades para el pueblo de Cuba.
La manifestacion ciudadana se realizara el dia 1ro de abril del 2013, a partir de la 1:00 PM, frente a la Torre de la Libertad, localizada en Biscayne Blvd y la 6ta Calle del N.E., coincidiendo con la presencia de Yoani Sanchez en dicho edificio para recibir la Medalla Presidencial del Miami Dade College por el valor desplegado en su lucha por la libertad.
Hemos conocido que grupos pro-castristas radicados en Miami preparan un acto de repudio con calumnias, ofensas y difamaciones contra Yoani Sanchez como lo hicieron en Brazil, España y Mexico los adeptos de la dictadura de Cuba. Consideramos que nuestra voz de desterrados libres no debe permanecer en silencio cuando los enemigos de la libertad deseen agredir verbalmente a la mujer cubana que lucha valietnemente por ver libre a su pueblo.
Aclaramos que algunos otros grupos anti-castristas ejerceran su derecho democratico a disentir de Yoani realizando una conferencia de prensa tambien cerca del edificio de la Torre de la Libertad. El Movimiento Democracia respeta el derecho de todos a expresar respetuosamente su criterio diferente al de Yoani como creemos que la propia Yoani lo expresaria. Sin embargo, contrarestaremos de manera pacifica con nuestra presencia y mensajes de conciencia ciudadana cualquier acto de repudio que puedan realizar los operativos del regimen de los dictadores Castro que operan en Miami y brindaremos nuestro apoyo a la lucha civica que realiza Yoani en favor de la Libertad de Expresion y demas libertades para el pueblo de Cuba.
Invitamos a todas las organizaciones del destierro, pueblo en general y hermanos de otras nacionalidades a estar presentes. Te invitamos a participar de esta expresion de conciencia ciudadana de manera respetuosa y pacifica para apoyar a esta joven cubana que, con solo la fuerza de su dignidad humana, esta diciendole al mundo la verdad sobre las miserias humanas que le ha impuesto el regimen de Cuba a sus ciudadanos por mas de medio siglo.
Mientras nos preparamos para dar la bienvenida de pueblo a a pueblo a Yoani Sanchez, demos tambien la bienvenida por adelantado a la valerosa presidenta de las Damas de Blanco, Berta Soler, que con su mensaje de libertad esta atrayendo voluntades en el mundo en solidaridad con la lucha por la libertad de los cubanos. Asimismo, que nuestro mensaje de bienvenida sea extensivo a Rosa Maria Paya en su denuncia ante el mundo del crimen contra su padre Oswaldo Paya Sardiñas y el Harold Cepero.
A los efectos de realizar la anunciada expresion ciudadana de apoyo a Yoani Sanchez, hemos solicitado a la Policia de Miami, el permiso pertinente para realizar el evento frente al edicifio de la Torre de la Libertad, esquina Biscayne Boulevard y Calle 6ta del N.E. el dia 1ro de abril del 2013 comenzando a la 1:00 de la tarde.
Para mas informacion por favor llamar al telefono 305-264-7200 o 305-785-0669 o comuniquese a traves de facebook a movimiento democracia, ramon saul sanchez o flotilla luces de libertad.
iCorre la voz que una esperanza cubana esta naciendo!
Fdo:
Ramon Saul Sanchez (Presidente)
Norman del Valle (Vicepresidente)
Alberto Perez (Subdirector Ejecutivo)
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Sexoturismo a todo tren
Por Dr. Darsi Ferret
Miami, Florida. 20 de marzo de 2013.
Uno de los capítulos más bochornosos de los últimos cincuenta años, a cargo del régimen de los hermanos Castro, salió a la luz pública en una investigación realizada recientemente por The Toronto Star y El Nuevo Herald, que cataloga a Cuba como uno de los principales destinos de turismo sexual, al estilo de paises como Tailandia, México y Camboya. Saltó en ese trabajo, además, que las autoridades del país muestran una escasa preocupación por combatir la prostitución infantil asociada a este fenómeno.
Entre las referencias que se manejan en esa investisgación, recuerdan el caso de Liliana Ramírez Espinosa, una niña de 12 años que murió mientras participaba en jolgorios sexuales, con consumo de drogas y alcohol incluidos, acompañada de varios turistas extranjeros y de algunos adultos nacionales de ambos sexos.
En el mundo, el turismo sexual surgió en la antigüedad con los viajes comerciales y se desarrolló en las zonas portuarias, ligado a la práctica de la prostitución y la apertura de centros nocturnos, burdeles y cabarets. Consiste en hacer turismo con el propósito de mantener relaciones sexuales. Muchos de esos turistas son pederastas que se dedican a escoger de víctimas a menores de edad, con la intención de materializar sus aberraciones, en lo que consideran un ambiente más permisibo que el de sus paises y disfrutan de las ventajas de contar con incentivos económicos en sus bolsillos.
Sin dudas, la explotación sexual constituye un ataque horrendo a la dignidad y los derechos de los niños, y es una forma de violencia y abuso infantil. No existe justificación de ninguna índole que ampare la comisión de esa clase de delito, o el no tomar todas las medidas posibles para impedirlos o condenarlos con el rigor que la ley permita.
Los niños y adolescentes víctimas de la explotación sexual sufren graves trastornos emocionales, psicológicos y físicos como resultado de esos eventos traumáticos. La violencia física implícita en el abuso sexual provoca lesiones, dolor y miedo, además de sentimientos de culpabilidad, de desprecio hacia sí mismo, de depresión, y en algunos casos, hasta puede llevar a la víctima al suicidio. Asimismo, los niños son más vulnerables a las enfermedades de transmisión sexual (ETS), entre ellas el VIH-SIDA.
Con frecuencia estos menores son estigmatizados y se enfrentan a serias dificultades para mantenerse vinculados a sus actividades escolares. Y no experimentan la misma interacción social, ni se desarrollan de la misma manera que otros niños y adolescentes. Por ende, es más difícil para las víctimas de la prostitución infantil mantenerse o vivir como adultos independientes más adelante en sus vidas. La salud, el bienestar y las oportunidades futuras peligran a causa de los traumas y consecuencias de la explotación sexual.
Es tarea de todos, principalmente de la familia, proteger a los niños y velar por garantizarles un ambiente y desarrollo normal, acorde a sus necesidades biolólogicas, psicológicas y sociales.
Miami, Florida. 20 de marzo de 2013.
Uno de los capítulos más bochornosos de los últimos cincuenta años, a cargo del régimen de los hermanos Castro, salió a la luz pública en una investigación realizada recientemente por The Toronto Star y El Nuevo Herald, que cataloga a Cuba como uno de los principales destinos de turismo sexual, al estilo de paises como Tailandia, México y Camboya. Saltó en ese trabajo, además, que las autoridades del país muestran una escasa preocupación por combatir la prostitución infantil asociada a este fenómeno.
Entre las referencias que se manejan en esa investisgación, recuerdan el caso de Liliana Ramírez Espinosa, una niña de 12 años que murió mientras participaba en jolgorios sexuales, con consumo de drogas y alcohol incluidos, acompañada de varios turistas extranjeros y de algunos adultos nacionales de ambos sexos.
En el mundo, el turismo sexual surgió en la antigüedad con los viajes comerciales y se desarrolló en las zonas portuarias, ligado a la práctica de la prostitución y la apertura de centros nocturnos, burdeles y cabarets. Consiste en hacer turismo con el propósito de mantener relaciones sexuales. Muchos de esos turistas son pederastas que se dedican a escoger de víctimas a menores de edad, con la intención de materializar sus aberraciones, en lo que consideran un ambiente más permisibo que el de sus paises y disfrutan de las ventajas de contar con incentivos económicos en sus bolsillos.
Sin dudas, la explotación sexual constituye un ataque horrendo a la dignidad y los derechos de los niños, y es una forma de violencia y abuso infantil. No existe justificación de ninguna índole que ampare la comisión de esa clase de delito, o el no tomar todas las medidas posibles para impedirlos o condenarlos con el rigor que la ley permita.
Los niños y adolescentes víctimas de la explotación sexual sufren graves trastornos emocionales, psicológicos y físicos como resultado de esos eventos traumáticos. La violencia física implícita en el abuso sexual provoca lesiones, dolor y miedo, además de sentimientos de culpabilidad, de desprecio hacia sí mismo, de depresión, y en algunos casos, hasta puede llevar a la víctima al suicidio. Asimismo, los niños son más vulnerables a las enfermedades de transmisión sexual (ETS), entre ellas el VIH-SIDA.
Con frecuencia estos menores son estigmatizados y se enfrentan a serias dificultades para mantenerse vinculados a sus actividades escolares. Y no experimentan la misma interacción social, ni se desarrollan de la misma manera que otros niños y adolescentes. Por ende, es más difícil para las víctimas de la prostitución infantil mantenerse o vivir como adultos independientes más adelante en sus vidas. La salud, el bienestar y las oportunidades futuras peligran a causa de los traumas y consecuencias de la explotación sexual.
Es tarea de todos, principalmente de la familia, proteger a los niños y velar por garantizarles un ambiente y desarrollo normal, acorde a sus necesidades biolólogicas, psicológicas y sociales.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sit down before you hurt yourself Maduro....
Plots, subplots, invasions, CIA, assassinations, and all around babble from "El Guaguero " Maduro is the norm these days. We all appreciate his informing the world that chavez went directly to Jesus and demanded to our Lord that the next Pope should be from Argentina! We are all on the edge of our seats waiting for his full report on how the USA(CIA) somehow infected chavez with cancer.
Can you imagine dictator brothers in Cuba trying to control this guy and his comments???
I thought Cuba's dictatorship wiped out prostitution?
Wait a minute.........I thought the dictatorship of Cuba all but wiped out prostitution? Well not really Chico and its ugly and disgusting! Seems like some Canadian ole timers like to go to Cuba for the minors.
The destruction of Cuba continues not only by the Cuban dictatorship, but by those foreigners who take advantage of Cubans, but what is really sad.....the world, the media, and the castro apologist sit idly beside and DO NOTHING
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Yoani Sanchez - Miami Dade College's Freedom Tower
presents
Cuban Dissident Blogger
Yoani Sánchez
Live @ Miami Dade College's
Freedom Tower
600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
April 1, 2013, 2 p.m.
Yoani Sánchez is a Cuban blogger who has received international acclaim and multiple awards for her critical portrayal of life in Cuba under its current government.
This presentation will be in Spanish.
Free tickets available, first-come, first-served
March 11 – 15, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Limit 2 tickets per person
Available at MDC's Wolfson, Kendall, InterAmerican and Hialeah campuses
Hialeah Campus: 1780 W. 49th Street, Hialeah - Building 1780, 1st Floor, Room 114 InterAmerican Campus:627 SW 27th Avenue, Miami - Building 1, 1st Floor, Room 1106 - Student Life Area Kendall Campus: 11011 SW 104th Street, Miami - Building R, 1st Floor, Lobby, East entrance Wolfson Campus: 300 NE Second Avenue, Miami - Building 4, 1st Floor, Room 4102 - Offices of The Center for Literature and Theatre |
Friday, March 08, 2013
Carta de Oswaldo J. Payá Sardiñas/ 1994
CARTA DE Oswaldo J. Payá Sardiñas a Emilio Izquierdo Jr.
Presidente de la Asoc. UMAP en Miami Florida USA
La Habana, 16 de Diciembre de 1995
Estimado Emilio :
Por Orlando he sabido de Ti y Te agradezo mucho tu preocupacion y
atencion para conmigo y mi familia, se del esfuerzo que hacen al
enviarnos el regalo que llegó a mis manos.
Me parece una hermosa iniciativa la formacion de la agrupación de
ex-victimas de las llamadas "Unidades Militares de Ayuda a la
Produccion UMAP". Cuantos recuerdos e imagenes pasan por la mente de
los que sufrimos esa experiencia. Fué una etapa en que sencillamente
ser joven era un delito, un peligro., Cuanto abusaron de nuestra
generacion !
Y todavia siguen y ya van devorando la que viene tras nosotros, eso hay
que impedirlo.
Como te contó mi suegro, Yo sufrí una experiencia semejante
aunque no pretendo comparar. Al terminar la UMAP formalmente se
ensayaron por parte del regimen otros recursos para confinar y castigar
jóvenes que por sus creencias religiosas o politicas o por otras
causas molestaban. Una de esas fueron los llamados "BATALLONES DEL
ESFUERZO DECISIVO" (Igual nombre que el año 1969). Fueron unos
pocos. Asi me reclutaron por la Ley del S.M.O. y desde que llegamos nos
trataron como presos y la composicion humana era la misma que en la
UMAP.
Algo creo que único, fue que esas unidades partieron (partimos)
hacia la zona de Yaguaramas y despues de unos dias nos llevaron hacia
la zona de Zulueta. Alli protagonizamos un gran motin de
insubordinacion masiva espontaneamente en todos los campamentos sin
ponernos de acuerdo. Estos motines fueron reducidos con bayonetas y
disparos. A partir de ahi fuimos enviados a Isla de Pinos donde
trabajé todo el tiempo en las canteras y la industria de la
construccion, siempre con un trato de confinado. Tambien fuí enviado
desde Dic 1969 hasta Julio 70 a Camaguey en la famosa Zafra del 70,
demás están las anécdotas, que poco seria frente a tanto
sufrimiento.
De esa etapa te digo, quedé con experiencias únicas y con
compañeros, hermanos y amigos para toda la vida. Algunos viven en
Miami y otros aquí, inclusive en nuestro "Movimiento Cristiano
Liberacion".
No tengo la pretención de incorporación a la agrupacion que Uds.
han formado, pues realmente no fué la UMAP quien me confinó,
aunque si los mismos métodos. Pero si quiero a nombre mio y de
nuestro Movimiento enviarles nuestro más sincero reconocimiento y
saludo solidario por que son Uds. un testimonio vivo del sufrimiento de
nuestro pueblo y si me lo permiten exhortarlos a trabajar para que esta
generacion de cubanos jóvenes y los que vienen detrás no tenga
que sufrir la opresion que durante tantos años hemos sufrido.
No quiero extenderme con ideas que quizás Tu compartas.
Recibe mi abrazo y el de mi familia
Oswaldo J Payá Sardiñas
NOTA IMPORTANTE !
Nuestro más sentido pésame a la familia de Oswaldo J Payá
Sardiñas, que tambien es parte de nuestra familia por parte de su
querida esposa Ofelia Acevedo (Ofelita)
Esta misiva puede ser reproducida siempre que se cite nuestra fuente :
Cortesia de Emilio Izquierdo Jr., Moderador de UMAP NEWS USA, Miami
Florida.
Gracias a Joseito/ HT to Joseito for this!
Presidente de la Asoc. UMAP en Miami Florida USA
La Habana, 16 de Diciembre de 1995
Estimado Emilio :
Por Orlando he sabido de Ti y Te agradezo mucho tu preocupacion y
atencion para conmigo y mi familia, se del esfuerzo que hacen al
enviarnos el regalo que llegó a mis manos.
Me parece una hermosa iniciativa la formacion de la agrupación de
ex-victimas de las llamadas "Unidades Militares de Ayuda a la
Produccion UMAP". Cuantos recuerdos e imagenes pasan por la mente de
los que sufrimos esa experiencia. Fué una etapa en que sencillamente
ser joven era un delito, un peligro., Cuanto abusaron de nuestra
generacion !
Y todavia siguen y ya van devorando la que viene tras nosotros, eso hay
que impedirlo.
Como te contó mi suegro, Yo sufrí una experiencia semejante
aunque no pretendo comparar. Al terminar la UMAP formalmente se
ensayaron por parte del regimen otros recursos para confinar y castigar
jóvenes que por sus creencias religiosas o politicas o por otras
causas molestaban. Una de esas fueron los llamados "BATALLONES DEL
ESFUERZO DECISIVO" (Igual nombre que el año 1969). Fueron unos
pocos. Asi me reclutaron por la Ley del S.M.O. y desde que llegamos nos
trataron como presos y la composicion humana era la misma que en la
UMAP.
Algo creo que único, fue que esas unidades partieron (partimos)
hacia la zona de Yaguaramas y despues de unos dias nos llevaron hacia
la zona de Zulueta. Alli protagonizamos un gran motin de
insubordinacion masiva espontaneamente en todos los campamentos sin
ponernos de acuerdo. Estos motines fueron reducidos con bayonetas y
disparos. A partir de ahi fuimos enviados a Isla de Pinos donde
trabajé todo el tiempo en las canteras y la industria de la
construccion, siempre con un trato de confinado. Tambien fuí enviado
desde Dic 1969 hasta Julio 70 a Camaguey en la famosa Zafra del 70,
demás están las anécdotas, que poco seria frente a tanto
sufrimiento.
De esa etapa te digo, quedé con experiencias únicas y con
compañeros, hermanos y amigos para toda la vida. Algunos viven en
Miami y otros aquí, inclusive en nuestro "Movimiento Cristiano
Liberacion".
No tengo la pretención de incorporación a la agrupacion que Uds.
han formado, pues realmente no fué la UMAP quien me confinó,
aunque si los mismos métodos. Pero si quiero a nombre mio y de
nuestro Movimiento enviarles nuestro más sincero reconocimiento y
saludo solidario por que son Uds. un testimonio vivo del sufrimiento de
nuestro pueblo y si me lo permiten exhortarlos a trabajar para que esta
generacion de cubanos jóvenes y los que vienen detrás no tenga
que sufrir la opresion que durante tantos años hemos sufrido.
No quiero extenderme con ideas que quizás Tu compartas.
Recibe mi abrazo y el de mi familia
Oswaldo J Payá Sardiñas
NOTA IMPORTANTE !
Nuestro más sentido pésame a la familia de Oswaldo J Payá
Sardiñas, que tambien es parte de nuestra familia por parte de su
querida esposa Ofelia Acevedo (Ofelita)
Esta misiva puede ser reproducida siempre que se cite nuestra fuente :
Cortesia de Emilio Izquierdo Jr., Moderador de UMAP NEWS USA, Miami
Florida.
Gracias a Joseito/ HT to Joseito for this!
Friday Fast for all Political Prisoners in Cuba
After a long absence, El Cafe Cubano is going to resume the Friday FAST for ALL the political prisoners in Cuba and hopefully soon a FREE Cuba.
My fellow FREEDOM fighters their have been some misconceptions concerning the fast. First: "Do I have to fast all day?" No! the fast is just being conducted on Friday mornings. You can set your hours and how far you want to take this! El Café Cubano is just calling for a simple gesture! These political prisoners are the true heroes and they are willing to die for FREEDOM! This is a time for unity not division. Is this to much to ask in support of the political prisoners?Political prisoners languish in prison in apartheid Cuba and the media ignores their struggles and cause. We must not forget our brothers and show them signs that we are with them and support them!Let’s show the world, better yet let’s show our brothers and sisters in apartheid Cuba that we are behind them!
I will leave with this:
54 years of misery,
caused by a diabolical tyranny,
why must the Cuban people continue to suffer?
Others have been oppressed,
why then do they get all the press?
My God, my God, why have you forsaken us?
Our faith, endurance, and confidence continually test us!
All we ask is for Cuba to be FREE,
Is that to much of your flock to ask of thee?
Just as Our Lady has asked us to fast and pray,
we come to your arms dear Lord looking for that DAY!!
El Cafe Cubano-2/08/07
Thursday, March 07, 2013
For the Poor?
The biggest myth with Leftist Dictators is that they are for the poor, but as history has shown they just rob from everyone and make the whole population poor.
Now check this out:
Criminal Justice International Associates (CJIA), a risk assessment and global analysis firm in Miami, estimated in a recent report that the Chávez Frías family in Venezuela has “amassed a fortune” similar to that of the Castro brothers in Cuba.
According to Jerry Brewer, president of CJIA, “the personal fortune of the Castro brothers has been estimated at a combined value of around $2 billion.”
“The Chávez Frías family in Venezuela has amassed a fortune of a similar scale since the arrival of Chávez to the presidency in 1999,” said Brewer in an analysis published in their website.
Brewer said that Cuba is receiving about $5 billion per year from the Venezuelan treasury and in oil shipments and other resources.
“We believe that organized bolivarian criminal groups within the Chávez administration have subtracted around $100 billion out of the nearly $1 trillion in oil income made by PDVSA since 1999.”
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Carromero Tells-All About Paya's Murder
From the Washington Post :
Ángel Carromero, a leader of Spain’s ruling party, was visiting Cuba last July when a car he was driving crashed, killing Cuban dissidents Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero. Mr. Carromero was convicted of vehicular homicide; in December, he was released to Spain to serve out his term. This week he agreed to be interviewed by The Washington Post about the crash. Mr. Carromero, 27, holds a law degree and has taken a business course at Fordham University in New York.
What happened that day?
Oswaldo Payá asked me to take him to visit some friends, since he didn’t have the means to travel around the island. There were four of us in the car: Oswaldo and Harold Cepero in the back, [Jens] Aron Modig [of Sweden] in front, and me driving. They were following us from the beginning. In fact, as we left Havana, a tweet from someone close to the Cuban government announced our departure: “Payá is on the road to Varadero.” Oswaldo told me that, unfortunately, this was normal.
But I really became uneasy when we stopped to get gas, because the car following us stopped, waited in full view until we were finished and then continued following. When we passed provincial borders, the shadowing vehicle would change. Eventually it was an old, red Lada.
And then another, newer car appeared and began to harass us, getting very close. Oswaldo and Harold told me it must be from “la Comunista” because it had a blue license plate, which they said is what the government uses. Every so often I looked at it through the rearview mirror and could see both occupants of the car staring at us aggressively. I was afraid, but Oswaldo told me not to stop if they did not signal or force us to do so. I drove carefully, giving them no reason to stop us. The last time I looked in the mirror, I realized that the car had gotten too close — and suddenly I felt a thunderous impact from behind.
I lost control of the car, and also consciousness — or that is what I believe, because from that point my memories are unclear, perhaps from the medications they gave me. When I recovered consciousness, I was being put into a modern van. I don’t know how it had gotten there, but neither Oswaldo nor Harold nor Aron was inside. I thought it was strange that it was only me, and I figured that the rest of them didn’t need to go to the hospital.
I began to yell at the people driving the van. Who were they? Where were they taking me? What were they doing with us? Then, woozy, I again lost consciousness.
What happened after that?
The next time I awakened, I was on a stretcher, being carried into a hospital room. The first person who talked to me was a uniformed officer of the Ministry of the Interior. I told her a car had hit our vehicle from behind, causing me to lose control.
She took notes and, at the end, gave me my statement to sign. The hospital, which was civilian, had suddenly been militarized. I was surrounded by uniformed soldiers. A nurse told me they would put in an IV line to take blood and sedate me. I remember that they kept taking blood from me and changing the line all the time, which really worried me. I still have the marks from this. I passed the next few weeks half-sedated and without knowing exactly what they were putting in me.
Some text messages were sent from the scene, and there have been reports of others, not yet disclosed. Do you know about them?
They took away my mobile phone when they took me out of the car. I was only able to use Aron’s mobile phone the time we were together in the hospital. I didn’t remember the messages until I arrived in Spain and I read them, asking for help and saying that our car was hit from behind.
How was your statement obtained?
They began to videotape me all the time, and they kept doing so until the last day I was jailed in Cuba. When they questioned me about what happened, I repeated what I told the officer who originally took my statement. They got angry. They warned me that I was their enemy, and that I was very young to lose my life. One of them told me that what I had told them had not happened and that I should be careful, that depending on what I said things could go very well or very badly for me.
Then came a gentleman who identified himself as a government expert and who gave me the official version of what had happened. If I went along with it, nothing would happen to me. At the time I was heavily drugged, and it was hard for me to understand the details of the supposed accident that they were telling me to repeat. They gave me another statement to sign — one that in no way resembled the truth. It mentioned gravel, an embankment, a tree — I did not remember any of these things.
The hit from the back when we left the road didn’t need to be hard, because I remember that there was no curb or incline. The pavement was wide, with no traffic. I especially did not agree with the statement that we were traveling at an excessive speed, because Oswaldo was very cautious. The last speed I saw on the speedometer was approximately 0 kilometers per hour [about 5 miles per hour]. The air bags did not even deploy during the crash, nor did the windows shatter, and both I and the front-seat passenger got out unhurt.
A video of you describing the accident was shown to journalists by Cuban authorities. Under what circumstances was it made?
Once I left the hospital, they took me to a jail in Bayamo. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever lived through. I was held incommunicado, never seeing the light of day. We walked among cockroaches until they put me in the infirmary cell, along with another Cuban prisoner. The conditions were deplorable. A stream of water fell from the roof once a day, the toilet didn’t have a tank, and you could use it only when you had a bucket of water that you could throw afterward into the bowl. The cell was full of insects that woke me up when they fell on my body. Although I remember almost nothing specific from those days, images come to me — and I only wish they were nightmares, and not memories.
The video that the authorities made public was recorded under these conditions. As viewers can see, my face and my left eye are very swollen and I speak like I am drugged. When an officer gave me a notebook in which the official Cuban government account was laid out, I limited myself to reading statements from that notebook. In fact, you can see me reading Cuban expressions I didn’t know, like “transit accident” (in Spain it’s “traffic accident”) , and you can see me direct my gaze to the right corner, which is where the officer stood who held the notes. I hoped that no one would think that the video was freely recorded, or that what I said there corresponded to what really happened.
Who sent you to Cuba? Why did you travel there?
Nobody sent me to Cuba, and I didn’t even tell my boss about my trip. I traveled there during my summer vacation, like so many other supportive people — because I admire the peaceful defenders of liberty and democracy like Oswaldo, who is very well known in Spain.
What do you think about the trial in Bayamo?
The trial in Bayamo was a farce, to make me the scapegoat, but I had to accept the verdict without appeal in order to have the minimal possibility to get out of that hell. However, I decided at the last minute to not declare myself guilty, thinking of Alan Gross [an American contractor sentenced to 5 years in prison for bringing communications equipment into Cuba illegally].
As for the Spanish authorities, I can only thank them for managing to repatriate me. I don’t want to cause any more problems. I want to get my previous life back. I even understand that, even though I am innocent, I have to continue with my liberty restricted due to the bilateral accord between Cuba and Spain. I only hope that this unjust situation will not last for long.
Despite the accusations to which I am daily subjected by the press and by the defenders of the Castro dictatorship, it’s not my intention to go on talking about this traumatic experience. I’ve received death threats in Spain, and I have had to testify before a notary so that at least the truth would be known if something happened to me.
Why are you speaking out now?
The most important thing for me is that the Payá family always has defended my innocence, when they are the most injured by this tragedy. That’s why, when I met Rosa Maria [Payá’s daughter] this week, I could not hide the truth any more. I am not only innocent — I am another victim, who might also be dead now. I know that this decision could result in more brutal media attacks against me from Cuba, but I don’t deserve to be considered guilty of involuntary homicide, and, above all, I could not live, being complicit through my silence.
I don’t know what they gave me in the intravenous line, but I continue to have large memory lapses. What they didn’t manage to make me forget is that Oswaldo is one of the people who most impressed me in my life. He is the true protagonist of this nightmare. He was an exceptional person, and I will never forget him.
Ángel Carromero, a leader of Spain’s ruling party, was visiting Cuba last July when a car he was driving crashed, killing Cuban dissidents Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero. Mr. Carromero was convicted of vehicular homicide; in December, he was released to Spain to serve out his term. This week he agreed to be interviewed by The Washington Post about the crash. Mr. Carromero, 27, holds a law degree and has taken a business course at Fordham University in New York.
What happened that day?
Oswaldo Payá asked me to take him to visit some friends, since he didn’t have the means to travel around the island. There were four of us in the car: Oswaldo and Harold Cepero in the back, [Jens] Aron Modig [of Sweden] in front, and me driving. They were following us from the beginning. In fact, as we left Havana, a tweet from someone close to the Cuban government announced our departure: “Payá is on the road to Varadero.” Oswaldo told me that, unfortunately, this was normal.
But I really became uneasy when we stopped to get gas, because the car following us stopped, waited in full view until we were finished and then continued following. When we passed provincial borders, the shadowing vehicle would change. Eventually it was an old, red Lada.
And then another, newer car appeared and began to harass us, getting very close. Oswaldo and Harold told me it must be from “la Comunista” because it had a blue license plate, which they said is what the government uses. Every so often I looked at it through the rearview mirror and could see both occupants of the car staring at us aggressively. I was afraid, but Oswaldo told me not to stop if they did not signal or force us to do so. I drove carefully, giving them no reason to stop us. The last time I looked in the mirror, I realized that the car had gotten too close — and suddenly I felt a thunderous impact from behind.
I lost control of the car, and also consciousness — or that is what I believe, because from that point my memories are unclear, perhaps from the medications they gave me. When I recovered consciousness, I was being put into a modern van. I don’t know how it had gotten there, but neither Oswaldo nor Harold nor Aron was inside. I thought it was strange that it was only me, and I figured that the rest of them didn’t need to go to the hospital.
I began to yell at the people driving the van. Who were they? Where were they taking me? What were they doing with us? Then, woozy, I again lost consciousness.
What happened after that?
The next time I awakened, I was on a stretcher, being carried into a hospital room. The first person who talked to me was a uniformed officer of the Ministry of the Interior. I told her a car had hit our vehicle from behind, causing me to lose control.
She took notes and, at the end, gave me my statement to sign. The hospital, which was civilian, had suddenly been militarized. I was surrounded by uniformed soldiers. A nurse told me they would put in an IV line to take blood and sedate me. I remember that they kept taking blood from me and changing the line all the time, which really worried me. I still have the marks from this. I passed the next few weeks half-sedated and without knowing exactly what they were putting in me.
Some text messages were sent from the scene, and there have been reports of others, not yet disclosed. Do you know about them?
They took away my mobile phone when they took me out of the car. I was only able to use Aron’s mobile phone the time we were together in the hospital. I didn’t remember the messages until I arrived in Spain and I read them, asking for help and saying that our car was hit from behind.
How was your statement obtained?
They began to videotape me all the time, and they kept doing so until the last day I was jailed in Cuba. When they questioned me about what happened, I repeated what I told the officer who originally took my statement. They got angry. They warned me that I was their enemy, and that I was very young to lose my life. One of them told me that what I had told them had not happened and that I should be careful, that depending on what I said things could go very well or very badly for me.
Then came a gentleman who identified himself as a government expert and who gave me the official version of what had happened. If I went along with it, nothing would happen to me. At the time I was heavily drugged, and it was hard for me to understand the details of the supposed accident that they were telling me to repeat. They gave me another statement to sign — one that in no way resembled the truth. It mentioned gravel, an embankment, a tree — I did not remember any of these things.
The hit from the back when we left the road didn’t need to be hard, because I remember that there was no curb or incline. The pavement was wide, with no traffic. I especially did not agree with the statement that we were traveling at an excessive speed, because Oswaldo was very cautious. The last speed I saw on the speedometer was approximately 0 kilometers per hour [about 5 miles per hour]. The air bags did not even deploy during the crash, nor did the windows shatter, and both I and the front-seat passenger got out unhurt.
A video of you describing the accident was shown to journalists by Cuban authorities. Under what circumstances was it made?
Once I left the hospital, they took me to a jail in Bayamo. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever lived through. I was held incommunicado, never seeing the light of day. We walked among cockroaches until they put me in the infirmary cell, along with another Cuban prisoner. The conditions were deplorable. A stream of water fell from the roof once a day, the toilet didn’t have a tank, and you could use it only when you had a bucket of water that you could throw afterward into the bowl. The cell was full of insects that woke me up when they fell on my body. Although I remember almost nothing specific from those days, images come to me — and I only wish they were nightmares, and not memories.
The video that the authorities made public was recorded under these conditions. As viewers can see, my face and my left eye are very swollen and I speak like I am drugged. When an officer gave me a notebook in which the official Cuban government account was laid out, I limited myself to reading statements from that notebook. In fact, you can see me reading Cuban expressions I didn’t know, like “transit accident” (in Spain it’s “traffic accident”) , and you can see me direct my gaze to the right corner, which is where the officer stood who held the notes. I hoped that no one would think that the video was freely recorded, or that what I said there corresponded to what really happened.
Who sent you to Cuba? Why did you travel there?
Nobody sent me to Cuba, and I didn’t even tell my boss about my trip. I traveled there during my summer vacation, like so many other supportive people — because I admire the peaceful defenders of liberty and democracy like Oswaldo, who is very well known in Spain.
What do you think about the trial in Bayamo?
The trial in Bayamo was a farce, to make me the scapegoat, but I had to accept the verdict without appeal in order to have the minimal possibility to get out of that hell. However, I decided at the last minute to not declare myself guilty, thinking of Alan Gross [an American contractor sentenced to 5 years in prison for bringing communications equipment into Cuba illegally].
As for the Spanish authorities, I can only thank them for managing to repatriate me. I don’t want to cause any more problems. I want to get my previous life back. I even understand that, even though I am innocent, I have to continue with my liberty restricted due to the bilateral accord between Cuba and Spain. I only hope that this unjust situation will not last for long.
Despite the accusations to which I am daily subjected by the press and by the defenders of the Castro dictatorship, it’s not my intention to go on talking about this traumatic experience. I’ve received death threats in Spain, and I have had to testify before a notary so that at least the truth would be known if something happened to me.
Why are you speaking out now?
The most important thing for me is that the Payá family always has defended my innocence, when they are the most injured by this tragedy. That’s why, when I met Rosa Maria [Payá’s daughter] this week, I could not hide the truth any more. I am not only innocent — I am another victim, who might also be dead now. I know that this decision could result in more brutal media attacks against me from Cuba, but I don’t deserve to be considered guilty of involuntary homicide, and, above all, I could not live, being complicit through my silence.
I don’t know what they gave me in the intravenous line, but I continue to have large memory lapses. What they didn’t manage to make me forget is that Oswaldo is one of the people who most impressed me in my life. He is the true protagonist of this nightmare. He was an exceptional person, and I will never forget him.
Monday, March 04, 2013
Dictator Cigar festival
Isn't that Special......A cigar festival in a country that has had a dictatorship for 54 years......and the kicker: The money raised is for Cuba's health care.....You can hear the violins quietly playing in the background.
Check out Cuba's health care !
Danny Glover is the usual dictatorship lover in attendance, but Boris Becker?
Click here for the story.
Check out Cuba's health care !
Danny Glover is the usual dictatorship lover in attendance, but Boris Becker?
Click here for the story.
Friday, March 01, 2013
Nota de Prensa de la Unión Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU)
CUBA: FANTU Y UNPACU DESVELAN OFICIALMENTE LA ORGANIZACIÓN DE LA NUEVA
UNPACU, FUSIÓN DE AMBAS
La Habana, 27/2/2013.
En reunión entre los principales dirigentes del
Foro Antitotalitario Unido “Juan Wilfredo Soto García” (FANTU) y la Unión
Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU), efectuada ayer 26 de Noviembre de 2013, se acordó
dar los pasos finales del ya avanzado proceso de integración entre ambas
organizaciones contestatarias frente al régimen totalitario imperante en Cuba,
con la intención de acelerar el proceso de transición pacífica hacia la
democracia.
Como resultado de dicha reunión, adoptamos los
siguientes acuerdos:
1) Que a partir de
este momento nuestra única organización se denominará Unión Patriótica de Cuba
(UNPACU) en aras de la unidad necesaria entre las fuerzas prodemocráticas.
2) La dirección de
la nueva estructura estará a cargo de un Consejo Coordinador. Esta instancia
dirigente tendrá una Dirección Colegiada. El Consejo Coordinador designa a su
Coordinador Nacional, Secretario Ejecutivo y Portavoz.
3) La nueva
estructura contará además con un Secretariado Nacional al que pertenecerán los
miembros del Consejo Coordinador y los responsables de dirección a nivel
provincial.
4) La
representación de esta nueva estructura en el exterior estará compuesta por
cubanos de probado patriotismo.
5) Nuestro
principal objetivo es convertirnos en una sólida y dinámica organización de
masas donde tengan participación todos los cubanos que deseamos una Cuba libre,
justa y democrática, “Con Todos y Para el Bien de Todos”, como dijo José Martí.
Para alcanzar nuestros objetivos emplearemos todos los métodos pacíficos
adaptables a nuestra realidad.
En momentos en que hay quienes se engañan con las
maniobras del régimen encaminadas a mejorar su deteriorada imagen y centran sus
esperanzas en diálogos, decisiones y medidas acordadas o decididas por la alta
nomenclatura, nuestra intención es facilitar al pueblo los medios necesarios
para que sea el principal protagonista y conquistemos juntos los derechos y
libertades hace más de medio siglo conculcados.
Sin más, y para que así conste, firmamos por orden
alfabético,
Guillermo
Fariñas Hernández, Portavoz de la UNPACU
José
Daniel Ferrer García, Secretario Ejecutivo de la UNPACU
Félix
Navarro Rodríguez, Coordinador General de la UNPACU
En la Habana, a 27 de Febrero de 2013
Para más información: UNIÓN PATRIÓTICA
DE CUBA
|
José Daniel Ferrer, Cuba, Secretario Ejecutivo
Teléfono: +53 53 14 67 40
Anyer Antonio Blaco Rodriguez, del Consejo
Coordinador
Teléfono: + 53 - 58 14 16 06
Luis Enrique Ferrer, EEUU, Rep. Internacional
Teléfonos: + 1 786 304 6303 / +1 786 553 16
66
Javier Larrondo, Madrid, Rep. en España
Teléfono: +34647564741
|
Website de la Unión Patriótica de Cuba:
Tweeter de José Daniel Ferrer:
@jdanielferrer
Canal YouTube
(vídeos desde Cuba):
|
MADRID:Carromero confirma a hija de Payá que un vehículo les embistió
Click here for the article.
La hija del disidente cubano Oswaldo Payá aseguró este jueves en Madrid que Ángel Carromero le confirmó a su llegada a España, el pasado 16 de febrero, que un vehículo «les embistió por detrás y sacó de la carretera», en el cuestionado accidente en el que murieron su padre y el opositor Harold Cepero el 22 de julio de 2012.
Durante una rueda de prensa en la sede de la Fundación Hispano-Cubana, Rosa María Payá ha reclamado de nuevo una investigación internacional por el «probable asesinato» de los dos miembros del Movimiento Cristiano Liberación (MCL) y no descarta emprender acciones legales para aclarar sus muertes. Como el premio Sajarov 2002 -que este jueves habría cumplido 61 años- era ciudadano español, una opción sería presentar una querella ante la Audiencia Nacional.
La hija del líder del MCL insistió en la inocencia del vicesecretario de Nuevas Generaciones del PP de Madrid, que conducía el vehículo siniestrado y fue condenado a cuatro años de prisión en Cuba tras un juicio que consideró «amañado». La joven cubana reiteró que «no hubo un accidente» y que el vehículo en el que viajaban su padre, Cepero, Carromero y el político sueco Jens Aron Modig de copiloto fue «intencionalmente golpeado por detrás por otro auto» cerca de Bayamo. Rosa María Payá sostuvo que ese golpe no causó la muerte de «ninguno» de los pasajeros. Mientras «los dos extranjeros fueron inmediatamente sacados del lugar», a los disidentes cubanos los habrían dejado morir: «Mi padre solo fue llevado al hospital después de muerto» y a Cepero no lo trasladaron al quirófano ni a cuidados intensivos.
La hija del disidente cubano Oswaldo Payá aseguró este jueves en Madrid que Ángel Carromero le confirmó a su llegada a España, el pasado 16 de febrero, que un vehículo «les embistió por detrás y sacó de la carretera», en el cuestionado accidente en el que murieron su padre y el opositor Harold Cepero el 22 de julio de 2012.
Durante una rueda de prensa en la sede de la Fundación Hispano-Cubana, Rosa María Payá ha reclamado de nuevo una investigación internacional por el «probable asesinato» de los dos miembros del Movimiento Cristiano Liberación (MCL) y no descarta emprender acciones legales para aclarar sus muertes. Como el premio Sajarov 2002 -que este jueves habría cumplido 61 años- era ciudadano español, una opción sería presentar una querella ante la Audiencia Nacional.
La hija del líder del MCL insistió en la inocencia del vicesecretario de Nuevas Generaciones del PP de Madrid, que conducía el vehículo siniestrado y fue condenado a cuatro años de prisión en Cuba tras un juicio que consideró «amañado». La joven cubana reiteró que «no hubo un accidente» y que el vehículo en el que viajaban su padre, Cepero, Carromero y el político sueco Jens Aron Modig de copiloto fue «intencionalmente golpeado por detrás por otro auto» cerca de Bayamo. Rosa María Payá sostuvo que ese golpe no causó la muerte de «ninguno» de los pasajeros. Mientras «los dos extranjeros fueron inmediatamente sacados del lugar», a los disidentes cubanos los habrían dejado morir: «Mi padre solo fue llevado al hospital después de muerto» y a Cepero no lo trasladaron al quirófano ni a cuidados intensivos.
«Indignante» trato en España
Rosa María Payá aportó mensajes de texto enviados el fatídico día por los dos políticos europeos desde Cuba a Madrid y Estocolmo. «Ángel dice que alguien nos trató de sacar de la carretera», alertó Modig en uno de ellos. Su vehículo, según el testimonio de Payá, fue «monitoreado» por la Seguridad del Estado desde su partida de La Habana y al menos otro coche «viajaba casi en paralelo».
Por último, la joven cubana consideró «indignante» que Ángel Carromero sea tratado en España como un condenado, cuando no es culpable de las muertes de los dos opositores pacíficos a la dictadura castrista.
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