New Songs for Cuba’s Freedom

Cuban-American singer Willy Chirino’s new songs for the freedom of Cuba, from his new album “Pa’Lante”.

“Que Se Vaya Ya”

“Trece de Julio (El Mar nos Une) “

‘Reforms’ in Cuba UPDATE: Videos

A group of Ladies in White were marching peacefully, bringing flowers in their hands, when they were forcefully dragged and beaten by “reformist” Raul Castro’s mobs.

H/T: Babalù.com

Raul ‘Reforms’: Cell Phones for Everyone..Who Has Enough Money

Newly-selected dictator Raul Castro is mobilizing his propaganda machine with the help of Western media, to let everyone know that now on cellular phones will be available to everyong who can afford to pay $260.00 to buy one.. that is, the 1.5% of Cubans who don’t earn a monthly $10 income. Because the 98,6% do. And can’t afford a pair of new shoes either.

(h/t: Babalù)

La chiesa a 90 gradi

di Joel Rodriguez, esiliato cubano in Italia, membro dell’associazione Cuba Libera.

Ho aspettato il ritorno di Bertone in Italia prima di rispondere alle sue
affermazione sull’embargo al regime (a questo punto dei Castro), ho
aspettato per vedere se queste banali affermazione sarebbero il risultato
della visita del Cardinale a Cuba.

Bene si, solo questo ha fato Bertone, la genuflessione totale da parte della
chiesa cattolica di fronte al criminale e dispotico regime cubano, potrei
affermare che la chiesa e arrivata a mettersi a 90 gradi, tanto per
continuare con tutti gli scandali che ogni anno sconvolgono questa.

Vatican Hearts Raul

Yesterday Hitler, today Raul Castro.

Fidel Castro’s Gone. Now Must his Regime in its Entirety

The entire communist system must brought to an end. Let’s avoid Cuba to become another China. There’s little to celebrate in Castro’s departure while his communist system is still in place.

We do not agree with a transfer of power. The Cuban people urgently need a peaceful transition to democracy – COUNCIL OF HUMAN RIGHTS RAPPORTEURS IN CUBA

the resignation of Fidel Castro is the replacement of one dictator with another and does not signify any real democratic change for Cuba – Cuban Democratic Directorate

Take a Few Minutes to Laugh

Cuba rejects “the violation of human rights, unjust incarceration of prisoners held there without charges, and their appearance in courts without guarantees and in which they are convicted in advance” . Felipe Pérez Roque, Foreign Minister of the Castro’s regime, notorious for respecting human rights, didn’t you know?

Cuban Students Speak Out Against the Regime

Better latter than never. Via Babalù, the revealing video showing two students asking tough questions to the president of the castroite “parliament”. Among the questions were: “Why can’t we travel freely like everyone else in the world?”. “Why are many websites, such as Google or Yahoo, banned here?”. “Why many state-run shops accept only dollars while we are paid (just a few) pesos?”. Fellow students applauded their brothers and booed the regime’s representatives.

Watch the video here, too.

New Pics of Dissidents in Cuba

Photos sent to me by Julio Beltran Iglesias, also pictured in these pics.

Cuban Dissidents Distribute the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

A group of Cuban dissidents and former political prisoners delivered dozens of copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the passerbies in Havana. Some people were afraid of the consequences of accepting material the regime’s police authorities regard as “enemy propaganda”, but in the end accepted them. This not the first time dissidents deliver anti-regime and pro-democracy material to the people. Across Cuba, dozens of other movements do the same and have never been met with hostility. Quite the opposite, people demand more. Dissidents believe people won’t take to the streets if they don’t know that they have rights that are being violated. That’s why there is a nationwide campaign to let them know they have rights. These photos were sent via email by Martha Beatriz Roque, pictured in the below pics.

The black guy is ex political prisoner Jorge Luis Pérez Antunez, delivering the copies in front of the look of the political police

Antunez delivers them to the police, too!

Ex-political prisoner Felix Bonne Carcasses prepares to deliver them to people in a bus

The guy in the below photo approached the dissident and asked for copies.

Hundreds of Cubans Teach CodePink a Lesson

On January 12, 2008, hundreds of Cubans gathered in front of Miami’s Versailles restaurant to show the four CodePink moonbats the dignity of a people oppressed by 50 years of tyranny. Dignity the pro-terror gang of “women” would like to see denied for another 50 years. They also demonstrated in favor of Cuban freedom fighter Luis Posada Carriles, innocent of the communist charges against him. CodePink, which claims to be ‘against capital punishment’, in reality would have no problem to see him die in a Castroite firing squad. (Photos courtesy of Cuba Democracia y Vida). Among the demonstrators were representatives of several Cuban human rights groups helping their countrymen in the island, by donating toys, food, medicines,books and other items to be delivered by dissidents in Cuba to poor citizens.

New Pictures from Cuba

All over the island, Cuban dissidents delivered toys and books to kids of several neighborhoods on the occasion of the Three Kings’ Day.

Ladies in White with a group of children of political prisoners

More Photos from Cuba

Ladies in White marching in Havana. Notice the interest of the people, who accept material being distributed to them by the ladies.

Dissidents listen to a speech delivered by the chief of the US Interests Section in Havana, on December 10, 2007, International Human Rights Day

Iván Sañudo Pupo: Opositores realizan caminata pacifica

Activists’ Crossed Arms Mean “YO NO” (Not I)





Aini Martín Valero: Celebran un Aniversario más de la creación del Partido 30 de Noviembre “Frank País”

Repression against Darsi and other Dissidents – Videoclips

Here’re two videoclips of the brutal crackdown on a peaceful march organized by dr. Darsi Ferrer in Havana on December 10th, 2007. From Babalu: “you can see that Dr. Ferrer is walking with his wife while the other two people are yelling “viva fidel” one guy is literally grabbing Dr. Ferrer’s wife’s hand and raising it in the air yelling “viva fidel.”

Among the slogans shoted by the hired thugs are the usual “mercenaries”, “traitors”, “worms”, “long live fidel, long live raul, long live the revolution”, “long live the 5 heroes prisoners of the empire” (in referrence to the 5 Castroite spies jailed in the US for spying on the exile community and being complicit in the killing of two pilots of Brothers to the Rescue. In an email exchange with me, Darsi confirmed that many of those in the mob were the very same people who already had participated in previous ‘repudiation acts’. Also, he said the mob tried unsuccesfully to involve ordinary Cubans in the repressive act. On the contrary, many people even tried to join the dissident march and some were even detained. Watch the two clips below.

More Photos of the Repression against Darsi and Other Dissidents

Darsi assists his wife following a brutal beating and tries to protect her from a thug.

A Spanish citizen who joined Darsi (red shirt) protects a Cuban female dissident from the mob

Darsi protects his wife

This woman was one of the ordinary Cubans who had the temerarity to join the march

Dissidents

The regime has to resort to employ the very same thugs against dissidents, as it can’t find ordinary Cubans willing to attack peaceful democracy activists. Look at the black thug seen in many of these pics: he’s the very same person who attacked Darsi and other dissidents at last year’s march.

The thug yesterday…

…and last year (first from left). No doubt it’s the same person.

Darsi Ferrer Beaten by Castroite Mob

I know I should have dedicated some posts to different topics to mark the Human Rights Day, but I thought I couldn’t postpone posting about the brutal aggression our friend Darsi Ferrer and other fellow dissidents suffered in the hands of a Castroite mob. Darsi, who is admired by a vast majority of Cubans who had the luck of meeting him in one of his humanitarian works, had publicly announced today’s march against the official tourist and medical apartheid suffered by the Cuban people. And the mob has been immediately been instructed and led to beat these peaceful demonstrators. Babalù has a clip with Darsi’s voice telling about the aggression.

Dissidents hold on to each other while marching through a street in Havana December 10, 2007. Dissidents marched in commemoration of the International Human Rights Day until they started being followed by government supporters.

A thug attacking foreign reporters and cameramen

Ladies in White Attacked by Regime Mob

A group of Ladies in White were attacked yesterday by a group of regime’s supporters organized and led by the state security and the political police. The Ladies told of the ordinary Cubans’ support for the brave relatives of political prisoners.

Female relatives of Cuban political prisoners, called the “Women in White”, exchange shouts with a group of government supporters while marching through Havana December 9, 2007. Monday is International Human Rights Day and the group said the protest was a prelude to other activities this coming week to draw attention to human rights abuses by Cuba’s government.

Female relatives of Cuban political prisoners (front), called the “Women in White”, march in Havana as government supporters follow, December 9, 2007.

Darsi Ferrer Threatened with Death over Peaceful Rally

Our friend dr. Darsi Ferrer (whose humanitarian work among the poor can be seen here), has received death threats from a state security agent who entered his house on December 6, to warn him not to participate to the peaceful demonstration he and other dissidents organized against the official tourist and medical Apartheid policy and scheduled for tomorrow in Havana, on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day. The thug told Darsi: “If you go there, you’ll be in the wrong place in the wrong time, because you’re going to kill you”. Darsi and his wife Yusnaimy Jorge were joined by another independent journalist and some neighbors and together they chased the agent, who ran away immediately. Then, he and his wife went to a police station and told another agent: “We came here because we want you to kill us right now, and not in front of our son. Kill us right now, please.” . The agent replied: “No, we’re not going to kill you…for now”. Darsi’s wife yelled “killers!” at the agent. Then, he has been summoned to appear before the military committee tomorrow morning. He said he expects the march to be repressed by the violent mob, but said he’s ready even to die and tomorrow he’ll lead the rally in Havana. Babalu has the full report in English here, including a copy of the summons.

Darsi being served the summon. Near him is his wife and the agent who summoned him to appear before the military committee.

Darsi Ferrer, a Doctor, a Dissident, a Humanitarian Hero

My blog’s readers know Dr. Darsi Ferrer, the Cuban independent doctor and peaceful dissident fighting against the regime, and its medical and tourist apartheid. Darsi challenged Mr. Michael Moore by showing the real healthcare, the one reserved to ordinary Cubans. He has been victim of numerous ‘repudiation acts’ and beatings by plainclothes agents of the state security and the political police. By these and many other photos show how his work is appreciated by the Cuban people. Here he is seen delivering medicines and clothes to people living in Havana’s poorest neighborhood. This is part of the dissident’s campaign named “No to Social Exclusion”. Such a campaign has been carried out since more than one year and already involved many other neighborhoods. In these moving pics, you can see the people’s happiness, something rarely seen in Castro’s Cuba. Medicines, food and clothes distributed are donated by the exiled movements. If you want to email Darsi, contact me (stefania07@hotmail.com ).

Darsi’s wife, Yusnaimy Jorge Soca, with a black kid.

Yusnaimy delivering medicines

Photo Reports from Cuba (Spanish), Part II

Carlos Serpa Maceira: Damas de Blanco tributan homenaje póstumo a Jorge Mas Canosa (late leader of the Cuban-American National Foundation)

Aini Martín Valero: Vigilia por Antunez

Aini Martín Valero: Realizan misa por Jorge Mas Canosa (late leader of the Cuban-American National Foundation)

Julio Beltrán Iglesias, Periodista Independiente, Agencia Jóvenes Sin Censura: PIDEN EN IGLESIA HABANERA POR LA SALUD DE LOS PRESOS POLÍTICOS Y DE CONCIENCIA

Photo Reports from Cuba (Spanish)

Aini Martín Valero: Flamur entrega firmas a la Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular

Fotografía de Vigilia por los Presos Políticos en Manzanillo (Oriente cubano) Por el periodista independiente Carlos Serpa Maceira

Aini Martín Valero: Entrega premios biblioteca independiente

Carlos Serpa Maceira: SE AMPLÍA EL SINDICALISMO INDEPENDIENTE EN CAMAGÜEY E ISLA DE LA JUVENTUD

Fotografías tomadas del evento Pedagogía Alternativa 2007 , efectuado por el Colegio de Pedagogos Independiente de Cuba (CPIC) el pasado 3 de noviembre en la Habana , con la participación de 80 profesores y estudiantes de toda la isla .

Las fotografías que les envio patentizan la exitoza realización del conclave que acaparó la aatención de la comunidad internacional . La actividad recibio cobertura informativa de 7 Agencias de la Prensa extranjera acreditada en cuba , así como de la Prensa Independiente .

Fraternalmente

Carlos Serpa Maceira

Cuban Dissidents Organize Rally Against Apartheid in the Island

Dr. Darsi Ferrer has sent us, from Havana, a Spanish-language email where he urges people to hold peaceful rallies to protest apartheid against the Cuban people by the Castros’ regime. The rally’s taking place on December the 10th, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Below is the English translation by the friends at Babalu. Here is what happened during last year’s peaceful march in Havana. Darsi well knows that by announcing the rally, the mobs are again preparing to attack him and other dissidents, but he is going on anyway. This guy should be awarded the Nobel Prize, if only the Committee was not made up of useful idiots.

MARCH AGAINST APARTHEID SUFFERED BY THE CUBAN PEOPLE

Havana, November 20, 2007.

We call upon all Cubans to commemorate International Human Rights Day on December 10th, by exercising our right to demonstrate in a PEACEFUL SILENT MARCH as a protest of the immoral and illegal APARTHEID policy imposed by the Cuban government.

It is the duty all people to assume individual responsibility and confront the tragedy facing the nation, to urge political, economic and social changes that benefit EVERYONE, and to facilitate an end to this humiliating situation in which a powerful few violate sovereignty and enjoy privileges all while discriminating against the majority simply because they are citizens.

Governments, institutions, organizations and human beings in general have an obligation to promote respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as ensure their recognition and universal and effective application.

Our appeal, by our participation on that day, will be for the recognition, in every corner of the earth, of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.

Never in the history of the nation has there existed such an ANTI-CUBAN government. The current constitution recognizes rights and freedoms for Cubans (Article 42 and 43), the penal code condemns as a felony any application of apartheid (Article 120-1 and 295-1); in practice the two laws are systematically violated by the established official public policy.

Despite the fact that the Cuban government is a member of the newly created United Nations Council for Human Rights, it violates its pledge to be a signatory of the international convention on repression and punishment for the crime of apartheid.

The march will take place at the park located at Calzada between D and E, in El Vedado. The start time for the march will be 11:00 A.M. and will consist of walking around the park, in silence, to avoid any kind of disorder and provocation.

We urge Cubans living outside the island to conduct activities on the 10th of December, at the same hour, in commemoration of this important date, and thus extend their support and solidarity to the march.

We call upon the international organizations dedicated to the defense of human rights to join and contribute by promoting the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the elimination of APARTHEID in Cuba.

In particular, we expect that the authorities of the government of Cuba to ensure order during the march and prevent, on this occasion, abuses by state security apparatus.

Photos from Cuba

Aini Martín Valero: Misa por los presos políticos

Cuban dissidents and ordinary people

Tres fotografías tomadas en el municipio de Manzanillo , provincia Granma , extremo oriental de Cuba , que muestran a activistas de la organización civilista Grupo de Apoyo al Cambio en Cuba

Carlos Serpa Maceira: Fotografias de Vigilia y Ayunos de los sindicalistas independientes

Noticias desde Cuba por Carlos Serpa Maceira

Carlos Serpa Maceira: RESPALDAN BIBLIOTECARIOS INDEPENDIENTES CAMPAÑA DE DESOBEDIENCIA CIVIL EN CUBA

Carlos Serpa Maceira: Reconocen labor humanitaria de la Operación LiborioReconocen labor humanitaria de la Operación Liborio

Noticias Enviadas por Carlos Serpa Maceira

Carlos Serpa Maceira: Ayunos y Vigilias se hicieron sentir en Pinar del Río

New Poll of Cubans in the Island

IRI Survey Shows Majority of Cubans Want to Vote for Castro’s Replacement. Majority of Cubans Believe Political and Economic Changes Would Benefit Them (h/t: Babalù)

More Photos from Cuba

Photos sent by independent journalist Carlos Serpa Maceira

Photos sent by independent journalist Carlos Serpa Maceira (2nd from left just below)

Iván Sañudo Pupo. Agencia Liberación: “El Partido Republicano de Cuba (PRC) con su delegación de Regla y el Movimiento Pro Derechos Humanos “Miguel Valdez Tamayo”, Realizaron vigilia por los presos políticos”

Aini Martín Valero: Rinden homenaje a Luís Quevedo Remolina

More Videoclips Telling the Truth About Cuban Healthcare

The dominican host of a Hispanic TV show has interviewed our friend George Utset of “The Real Cuba.com) about those clandestine videos taken with a hidden camera by Dr. Darsi Ferrer in some hospitals in Havana. It’s all in Spanish, but the footage pretty much tells the story. At the beginning of the first clip below, the host introduces one of the clandestine videos where Darsi is urged by a relative of a patient to check the conditions of a black patient, because the hospital’s nurse told her literally to call her only when that patient quit breathing. Yes, really..Darsi checked and stated that he was apparently died as he was no longer breathing. But don’t worry, people live long and healthy lives in ‘revolutionary Cuba’, didn’t you know?

In this video, Darsi’s checking some patients’ rooms. As you’ll notice, finding a doctor there is rare and patients are left to their own destiny. There’s just one nurse per floor. This is because many of those who were in charge of those rooms were forcibily sent abroad to politically-driven “humanitarian medical missions”.

Here, independent journalist Jaime Leygonier tells he is one of the millions of Cubans who cannot find even aspirine, unless he goes to special stores for foreigners, where a Cuban can buy medicine only if he/she pays in dollars. And they can rarely do so. Jayme says his mother and father are ill and need some medicines he can only get in dollars or delivered to him by his relatives in Puerto Rico. At the end of the video, Darsi names some of the hospitals reserved to the regime’s elite and foreigners and reminds how they’re really world-class, well-equipped with both medicines and professional doctors. Anong those hospitals he names Almejeira, where Michael Moore filmed ‘Sicko’ (he couldn’t have filmed anything in health centers for regular cubans if he ever wanted, which I very much doubt)

A man suffering from multiple sclerosis tells he waited 7 years before receiving treatment. Darsi speaks with several other relatives of patients.

Cuba Healthcare, the Hospitals Michael Moore Won’t Show (The Absolute Majority in Cuba)

Videos taken by (our good friend) doctor Darsi Ferrer (also featured in the video, along with his comrade Jaime Leygonier) and smuggled out of Cuba by therealcuba (and Free Thoughts) show the real health care regular Cubans receive. Very different from the flagship hospital for the Elite, paying foreigners and special interest useful idiots where Michael Moore was taken for his Sicko propaganda movie. This is only the beginning, there is plenty more this came from. These are the hospitals from the other side of the apartheid for regular Cubans that Sicko wouldn’t show. Darsi is seen in this video, wearing his medical uniform, even though he works as an independent doctor and heads the Center for Health and Human Rights. He used to work for years at Cuban hospitals, until a few months ago when he was fired because of his political views.

More videoclips shot by our friend Dr. Darsi Ferrer along with his comrade, peaceful dissident and independent journalist Jaime Leygonier.

Darsi goes to a pharmacy and asks for a common medication (over-the-counter in USA). This product is not available to Cubans and can only be acquired in stores for foreigners and purchased in dollars

Medical apartheid. Hospital for the elite and foreigners vs. hospital for regular citizens

Un reportaje sorpresivamente honesto UPDATED: Nuevo Link‏

Estimados amigos,

hoy les quiero contar algo que me sorprendió ya que no me lo esperaba. Se trata de un reportaje de un periodista italiano que trabaja como corresponsal en los EEUU de la televisión pública italiana, y su noticiero TG1 de Rai Uno. Este periodista, que no es de derecha, sino de centro y muy “politicamente correcto”, me sorprendió hoy por un reportaje honesto que hizo desde La Habana. En estos dias está alli y el titúlo del reportaje fue “La Cuba de los turistas y la Cuba de los cubanos que sobreviven”. Como pueden imaginar, de la primera habló de como los turistas (incluso los italianos) visitan la parte “colonial” de la ciudad y se divierten en los lugares de lujo. Entrevistó a una mujer italiana quien dijo que La Habana es muy bella ( y sin duda los es, pese a como la destruyó el régimen). Enseguida este periodista dijo lo siguiente: “pero hay también una Habana donde hay degrado y palacios casi destruidos. Son los barrios donde vive la población de a pié, que no tiene una verdadera casa, ya que el Estado, que es el unico proprietario de las viviendas y la propriedad privada no existe, no repara casas hacia mucho tiempo. Gente que cada dia trata de ganarse el pan y algo que comer”. Y conversó con una mujer de la raza negra quien dijo: “Aqui tenemos que pensar cotidianamente a la comida”. Me sorprendió ya que me esperaba que esto periodista culpara al “embargo estadounidense”. En vez, no dijo nada de eso y parece que culpó al verdadero responsable – el régimen – de los problemas, por ejemplo cuando habló de las viviendas en los barrios marginales de La Habana, donde los turistas no van, sobre todo si viajan con “guias turisticas” que son asalariados del gobierno. Al final, el periodista concluyó diciendo: “pero esto es un pueblo que, cuando llega la noche, no deja de bailar pese a que la mañana siguiente tendrá que pensar nuevamente a sus problemas cotidianos.” No se que piensan, pero yo creo que este es un reportaje sorpresivamente honesto.
El link al reportaje que se trasmitió hoy durante el noticiero del TG1 de la televisión italiana. Es un reportaje menor de lo que se trasmitió en las primeras horas de dia, pero muy simil. Es del mismo periodista.
Se comienza con la Habana de los turistas, donde aparecen mujeres cubanas que besan turistas “en cambio de pesos convertibles”, como afirma el periodista. Y una turista italiana dice que la ciudad es muy bella y que le impactó mucho el calor de la gente: “ellos no tienen nada, pero te dan mucho cariño”. Después, el periodista afirma: “Esta es la unica parte de La Habana que tiene edificios reparados. Pero hay estos otros barrios donde la gente trata de sobrevivir: esta situación se encuentra en casi toda Cuba. La propriedad de las casas es del Estado, los privados no pueden ser dueños de sus viviendas y nadie los ayudan a reparar sus hogares”. La mujer que conversó con el periodista dijo que si ellos (el pueblo) tienen que pensar por si mismo a reparar sus proprias casas, entonces tienen que olvidarse de la comida. Para ver el reportaje, de solos dos minutos, clicar aqui