Latest News from Cuba

Interpretations of José Martí in the academy and in politics

It is an honor to give this presentation, and I thank the Pedro Pan Group for the invitation.

It is my intention to answer all of your questions at the end of my talk. I am not an expert on José Martí, but I did work in the academy for over 40 years and I have seen a dramatic change in how Martí has been treated and criticized by modern scholars. In fact, I will begin with an event that happened at Holy Cross College, in MA, about 18 years ago.

Once a year we offered a college-wide lecture on Hispanic topics around “5 de Mayo.” The speaker was a Puerto Rican Professor teaching in New York.

The topic was Martí’s involvement in the founding of the Partido Revolucionario Cubano. Most of the presentation was standard fare and nothing new was added --except for the ending, which almost led to a fist fight between the Cubans present and the speaker. The speaker said, to end his talk, that he found it amazing that after Martí had initiated the liberation against Spain, he did nothing  for Cuba after the island gained independence and instead spent several years in New York City enjoying  the good life! The Cubans in the audience jumped up and declared that Martí had died in Cuba during the struggle, something that the speaker denied. The fist fight would have been appropriate, but it was contained to a mini-riot.

As you can imagine, I do not want any such experience to occur in this presentation. Hence I will summarize now the nature of my talk and my views on José Martí. He was definitely a genius, something that was reflected both in the quality of his poetry (which I will not discuss) and in his bringing together the necessary leaders to achieve Cuban independence. He was also devoted to promoting education, racial equality, freedom of expression, and revolutionary action. Martí created our national identity. He was neither a socialist nor a capitalist, but a political liberal who believed in wealth redistribution and supported democracy and freedom of expression. 

 

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(The Cuban Dream Team during a practice in Miami before the tournament was canceled. Screenshot)

Cuba: When Politics Tramples on Dreams

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Dream Team of Cuban Baseball Players, the Original Sin of Exile Legitimacy

HAVANA TIMES – On January 17, Cubans received some bad news: the Intercontinental Baseball Series scheduled for Barranquilla, Colombia, six days later, was canceled. The private organizing entity, Team Renteria, claimed that the fatal decision was due to reasons beyond their control, linked to the Colombian Ministry of Sports and their Olympic Committee.

The source of discord was the unprecedented participation of a team from Cuba, made up of professional athletes who play in various leagues in countries where the extensive national diaspora is located. The players, escaping the tight control exercised by the government of Havana over sports, have created their own sports entity called the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation (FEPCUBE).

The mere existence of an organization attempting to represent Cuba outside the clutches of the Communist Party regime is an unacceptable challenge for the Plaza de la Revolución.

The Caribbean city of Barranquilla, where the stadium named after national idol Edgar Rentería is located, was an excellent choice for Colombian and continental baseball. However, Mindeportes, the governing entity of the host country for the Cup, now led by former M-19 guerrilla Gustavo Petro, had warned on January 9th:

 

Direct link: https://cubanamericanvoice.com/pwa.html

Cuban dictatorship arrests opposition leader and dissident Oscar Elías Biscet

One of Cuba’s most prominent dissidents was whisked away by two uniformed police officers as he stepped out of his house this morning. No word yet on his whereabouts. Stay tuned. In the meantime, don’t wait for the Marx Sisters or the BLM zealots to say anything about this arrest.

Loosely translated from Marti Noticias

Opposition leader and former Cuban political prisoner Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet was detained this Tuesday, January 9, by two uniformed police officers when he was leaving his home in Havana, on the eleventh anniversary of the Emilia project.

“They were after him when he left the house and they arrested him there,” said neighbors on Milagros and 8th Street, in Lawton, where Biscet resides, and his wife confirmed to Martí Noticias.

“We denounce this arbitrary arrest and demand his immediate release!” Congressman Carlos Gimenez said on social network X. 

What Norah Jones Should Know Before Going to Cuba

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The famous singer, composer, instrumentalist, and actress Norah Jones, has launched a commercial operation to go on Tour in Cuba, under the category “cultural exchange”. Knowing that the Cuban State will take care to guide her every step in the country, and considering the proclaimed objective of her trip, I’d suggest that she take a look at a publication close to her professional environment, Rolling Stone magazine, before she catches her flight.

The January 2023 edition of the digital version of this magazine had the cover with this headline: “Two Years After “Patria Y Vida”, Cuban Rapper Maykel Osorbo Remains in Jail.” The eldest daughter of the masterful sitar player Ravi Shankar has won nine Grammys. It would be a good idea for her to interact with the two-time Grammy award winner, who is now serving a long sentence behind bars. 

Maikel is the Creole version of the English name Michael and Osorbo is a word from the Yoruba language which means bad luck, darkness, curse, negative environment, The Yoruba ethnic group was part of the hundreds of thousands of Africans who nurtured the slave plantations both in Cuba and the US, whose legacy is in the soul of the two cultures that will meet, according to the official plans for the project of this beautiful woman from New York with paternal Hindu ancestors.

I’m not going to tell Norah the story about Patria y Vida, which won “Song of the Year”, at the 2022 Latin Grammys. Just an observation: out of the six Cuban artists up for the award, only Maikel missed the ceremony.  He has been in prison since July 11, 2021, after taking part in peaceful protests alongside thousands of fellow Cubans that very same day, which resulted in 1,047 prisoners of conscience, well documented by international institutions. 

 

Direct link: https://cubanamericanvoice.com/pwa.html