Son de la Loma

several times now i have alluded to Cuba's rich musical culture.

well, the other day i was looking through YouTube and found this Japanese karaoke video (subtitled in both Japanese and Spanish) of a classic Cuban song, "Son de la Loma" ("They come from the mountains") by the Trio Matamoros.

The Trio Matamoros was formed in 1925 as a trio by Miguel Matamoros, but the group grew and included, at times, up to eight members. From 1945 to 1947, Benny More, one of the true greats of Cuban music, sang with the band until he left to pursue his tremendously successful solo career.

Miguel Matamorors wrote some of Cuba's classic "son" tunes, including Son de la Loma, Lagrimas Negras, El que Siembra su Maiz, El Paralitico, La Mujer de Antonio, and Las Maracas de Cuba. He not only contritubed to Cuba's musical language, but phrases from his songs became part of the popular vernacular.

i'd thought i'd share the video for Son de la Loma, despite its poor quality, to give you a taste of classic Cuban music.

Son de la Loma

the guys on screen are not the ones playing the music. they're just playing along. watch the trumpet solo; it gives them away.

Son de la Loma was adopted, somewhat unofficially, by Castro's Rebel Army in the late 1950's. The song's title ("they come from the mountains") fit in nicely with Castro's stronghold in the Sierra Maestra mountains, close to Cuba's second largest city, Santiago de Cuba.

eventually, Batista's regime caught on, and the song was banned from radio play. strangely enough, they still allowed it to be played live (or so i understand from my parents, who were in their early 20's at the time). here's some interesting video of Fidel Castro's triumphant entrance into Havana, back when he was truly a Cuban hero, before he sold himself out for power and betrayed the people. many in that crowd would soon be chanting "to the wall! to the wall" acquiesing when asked by Fidel whether "enemies of the revolution" should be executed by firing squad, commonly done in front of a thick wall.

anyway, the the title of "Son de la loma" is a bit of a pun. "Son" is a style of music which the Matamoros excelled at. thus, "Son de la loma" can mean "Son (or musical style) of the mountain." "Son" also means "they come from," so the title can also be translated as "They come from the mountains."

That sort of wordplay is one of the hallmarks of great Cuban music.

finally, the speaker is a young woman talking to her mother and expressing interest in the "handsome" singers coming down from the mountains (the wild country) to sing in the valleys (the civilized land). as such, the song contains quite a lot of sexual tension, with a very forward (for Cuban standards) desire by the young woman to get to know the singers and their songs, which she wants to learn so well.


Son de la loma

Mamá yo quiero saber
De dónde son los cantantes
Los encuentro muy galantes
Y los quiero conocer
Con sus trovas fascinantes
Que me las quiero aprender

De dónde serán
Serán de la Habana
Serán de Santiago
Tierra soberana

Son de la loma
Y cantan en el llano
Ya verás, lo verás

Mamá ellos son de la loma
Mamá ellos cantan en el llano
Mamá ellos son de la loma
Mamá ellos cantan en el llano

They Come from the Mountains

Mother I want to know
where the singers come from
I find them very handsome
and I want to get to know them
with their fascinating songs
which I want to learn so well

Where are they from?
Are they from Havana?
Are they from Santiago,
that sovereign land?

They come from the mountains
and they sing in the valley
You will see, you shall see

Mother they come from the mountains
Mother they sing in the valley
Mother they come from the mountains
Mother they sing in the valley

An Insider's View on Non-Market Economies

the following is translated from the Spanish:

Socialism's Mute Street Vendors
by Tania Diaz Castro, Havana, Cuba(www.cubanet.org)

Karl Marx was wrong when he said that man would have no need to leave his house in order to earn his daily bread under a socialist state. In the midst of Soviet socialism, no one ignored the good sausages and hams sold mysteriously in the staircases of Moscow, Berlin, and other Eastern European capitals, where the totalitarian state was supposed to ease the collective hunger.

By way of example, the street vendor's cry in Cuba has not ceased being a social need, for it represents a natural and all-too-human way to earn one's honest daily bread, and has been so since the world has been the world, since humans came down from the trees and decided to have and feed their family.

But since everything that stinks of socialism and communism goes against nature, it is in socialism where the street vendor's cry becomes something mysterious, prohibited, and criminal.

During the first decades of the Castro regime, when the government believed that through its own means it could satisfy the needs of the population and no one, individually, could take part in the economy, farmers were already creating networks of clients in towns and cities. They would arrive from their farm loaded with fruits, vegetables, and foodstuffs that the state could not supply in its stores. That's how socialism's "almost mute" street vendor's cry was born.

Later, upon the collapse of the socialist economies in Eastern Europe, Cuban farmers were allowed to publicly sell their products. To a certain extent, the street vendor's cry was back. However, police could, at a whim, confiscate foodstuffs and fine the vendor, who was left empty handed and with a fine.

That is why socialism's pregon [street vendor's cry] is not like that other one that was made freely, in the past, remembered today as a key chapter in Cuban folklore, a pregon made with elegance and personality. It is so ingrained in Cuba's free culture of yesteryear that it was featured in classic Cuban songs, such as The Peanut Vendor by Moises Simons, The Herb Seller by Nestor Milli, Zun Zun by Ernesto Lecuona, and many others.

Today, Cubans sell everything secretly and in silence. Those who sell do it discreetly so as not to attract the regime's attention. It is the struggle of a large part of the people against the economic model under which the country suffers. It is the cry, almost held back, of the desperation of Cubans who want to survive the hunger and the injustices of totalitarianism.

We are thus faced with a pregon that survives in corners and stairways, footpaths and country roads, but always without making noise. It does not take much imagination nor musical virtuosity. The secret of the socialist pregon is a simple one: do business inside, quietly. That is why it no longer needs bells, horns, or noise-makers to call attention to itself.

The writer Alejo Carpentier saw the traditional pregon like a habit with a remote origin. Poet Nicolas Guillen says that the elect, those who dare to climb higher mountains, will reach surprising results. And that is true. How many of those street vendors in old Cuba ended up owning a store of their own? There is something human about a just society where all have the same right to participate in their country's economy.

That is why even after 47 years of Castrism, laws, repression, and jails have not stopped those Cubans who want to live free lives. It doesn't matter that their pregon is almost mute. The strength of human nature is more powerful than precarious socialism.

Yes, King Fidel, You Are Still Alive ... And Maybe Even Relevant

yet another message from King Fidel to his subjects, assuring them that he is alive and well, recovering, helping manage the country, and keeping up with world news. here is Granma's version, in Spanish, of his message.

He first reads some headlines from the day's edition of Granma (to prove the date of the video), and then launches into his statement:

Now, when our enemies have prematurely said I am dying or dead, I am pleased to send my compatriots and friends around the world this small film, though insisting -- I have been saying it for a long time -- that my recovery will be long and not without risks; but in reality I am healing as it had been foreseen.

Another thing: I participate in many things. I watch the main news on television. I have a set right there. I also participate in many of the most important decisions with the comrades of the leadership of the Party and the Government. I do everything possible to support the comrades, be useful, and I feel satisfied.

This is one of the telephones with which I communicate, and I make a number of calls every day. [Picks up phone] Here, the comrade at the switchboard has answered. But I will not reveal anything else about the logistics, because I am being filmed. [To the operator] Do you understand, comrade? [To the camera] That is why I am hanging up, to show you what I do. I will not say any more.

[To the operator] Until later, thank you comrade.

Now, let's see what they say. They will have to resuscitate me, no? I am not worried, I have no fear of what may happen, but they look ridiculous.

I was watching on Venezuelan t.v. a report that said, "Castro is terminally ill," "Castro is dead." What silliness. To the contrary, they stimulate me to work and to fight.

I know that the problems of the world are very complicated, very serious, and they appear everywhere. I feel the obligation -- as we all should feel it -- to make a special effort to avoid a fatal catastrophe for humanity.

I do not wish to speak any more, but as I now watch all the news, never before in my life have I been able to watch so many news and been able to observe the issues from up close. And always, I am fighting for something, and fighting with optimism.

That is why I asked you to come here and take some photos.

Many thanks.

Fatherland or Death!

in the meantime, his brother, Prince Regent Raul continues to put his people in key positions and has embarked on a new policy shift that has "Raul" written all over it (rooting out bad management and waste from state enterprises).

how relevant is Fidel? Cuba goes on without him. in fact, Cuba seems to be shifting directions without him, guided now by Raul's hand.

there is no doubt that once Fidel gets back to full strength (or rather, if he gets back to full strength), and asks for power back, Raul will hand it over.

the question is, will Fidel be able to undo the changes Raul has made in the meantime?

perhaps that is why the Raul group is working so fast, making big changes right away?

just questions. we probably will never know the answer.

Cuba Exports Cheap Labor

one thing Cuba has plenty of is cheap labor ... it basically can pay its workers anything it wants, since there's no competition -- the state owns every single business in the country.

and, perhaps, some clever communist thought, why not start exporting cheap labor?

apparently, that is exactly what is going on, according to a lawsuit recently filed in Florida:

Cuba's communist government acted as a slave master, forcing Cuban workers to labor against their will for a Curacao ship repair company, according to charges filed in a lawsuit in Miami two months ago and first reported Friday by The Associated Press.

As many as 100 Cuban shipyard workers are being forced to work against their will at Curacao Drydock Co., a ship repair company, which has an agent in Delray Beach, Klattenberg Marine Associates, according to the Miami Herald.

The plaintiffs - three workers who escaped and now live in Florida, allege they were ordered to work 16-hour shifts for $16 a month, a low wage but common in their native Cuba.

see full story

nice deal for Cuba. it contracts labor out at more or less market rates, then keeps the hard currency for itself and pays its workers a pittance (in worthless Cuban pesos -- spend all you want, we'll print more).

good deal, if you have cheap labor to spare, like Cuba does.

Crap ... Now This...

well, the World Wildlife Fund's 2006 Living Planet Report names Cuba as the only country in the world with "sustainable development."

(yes, it's true ... i checked the report; it's on page 19, in the middle colum, towards the bottom).

two things come to mind: the evaluation is based on "information Cuba provided to the U.N.," so the result is only as good as the information Cuba provided ... and we know that Cuba ain't exactly "honest reporting" capital of the world.

second, i wonder what "sustainable development" means when Cuba is "it."

let's see... a country were the Government owns everything, mis-manages the crap out of the economy, people have to steal from the government to survive, where free oil from Venezuela is needed to keep the country going, and where the price of education, health care, and free housing is dissidents in jail, no way to get medication after the doctor prescribes it, and crumbling houses ...

you know, if that is "sustainable growth," i'm not too sure that's a good thing

surely there must be a better role model in the entire world?

The Times, They are A-Changing?

continuing with the "corruption in the workplace" theme of Raul's short tenure, party-hack newspaper Granma has announced the initiation of a study of what's wrong with the entire socialist system.

and the study won't be all. new rules aimed at cracking down on widespread fraud at state businesses will take effect Jan. 2.

this is, of course, Raul's doing. in the absence of King Fidel, the 100% comitment to a socialist economic model Cuba previously spoused can be departed from. Raul's hands-on, practical, and above-all efficicient management of the Armed Forces and the tourism industry is now being applied to the entire country as a whole.

or rather, will be shortly.

these are just the opening salvos, of course.

Cuba: Mismanagement and Waste

Cuba loves to blame its economic problems on the US embargo. never mind that it did business with the US to the tune of $350 million in 2005, or that it gets free oil from Venezuela, or that it does brisk business with the European Union and Asia.

in addition to spending much-needed resources abroad in a bid to gain support, Cuba also is plagued by mismanagement and waste.

two such examples from one city in Cuba, Baracoa:

Baracoa, Cuba, October 21, 2006
by Mario Hechevarria Driggs

Baracoa, known nationally as a primary producer of coconuts, suffers a great misfortune because the coconut harvest is spoiling due to socialist bureaucracy.

Local farmers state that they are losing quite a lot of money because the coconut harvest has been ground to a halt because the government can't send trucks to pick up the coconuts due to a lack of gas.

A high-ranking government official responded to the puzzled farmers that "The gas we have is earmarked for the battle of ideas."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beginning September 21, 2006, crews from the Gaviota hotel enterprises (which is owned by the Army) arrived in Baracoa to dismantle and render inoperable all the television sets in the Porto Santo hotel. Those t.v. sets will be replaced by new ones. However, the t.v. set were relatively new, and could have been sold to the hotel staff or other locals.

Several of the hotel staff asked why the t.v. sets were not offered to them for sale, as they work hard to bring good service to the foreign tourists, or perhaps donated to local schools.

The crews responded that they had explicit orders to destroy the t.v. sets and nothing could be done about it.

Despite Embargo, Cuba 30th Largest US Agricultural Purchaser

Cuba is a small nation (11.4 million people as of July, 2006), but it is the 30th largest purchaser of US agricultural goods out of 224 countries that purchase food from the US.

(yes, there is an embargo in place, but in 2001, Congress relaxed the rules to allow Cuba to purchase foodstuffs).

this, of course, means profits to US farmers to the tune of $350 million in 2005 alone.

and it debunks one of the many myths of the disaster that is the Cuban economy. "Of course they don't have anything to eat," apologists say, "they are under a US embargo."

sorry ... wrong answer. Cuba can buy as much food as it wants from the U.S.

why doesn't it buy more, enough to feed everyone adequately?

could it be because it instead chooses to buy luxury goods from the European Union and Asia to sell to tourists visiting Cuba to make a profit in hard currency so that it can finance its "humanitarian" aid to other nations, such as sending doctors to third world countries, financing education programs for third world students, and feeding people abroad while Cubans barely survive on their meager rations?

perhaps. and why would it do this? you are watching King Fidel buying goodwill so that it has friends to defend his horrible humanitarian track record and blatant 50-year-old dictatorial regime.

of course, the communist elites need their Mercedes and their lobster dishes, so some of Cuba's hard currency is spent keeping the elites happy. if the elites are happy, they aren't plotting against King Fidel, and if they aren't plotting against King Fidel, then King Fidel is happy.

so next time someone says "Cubans are hungry because of the US embargo," remind them that Cuba buys all the food it wants from the US.

It so happens that it chooses to buy only so much food, and instead spend its cash promoting the corrupt and senile Castro dictatorship abroad, to the great detriment of the Cuban people.

Cuba Criticized for Denying Web Access to its Citizens

a french media watch dog organization has confirmed what we all knew, and has criticized Cuba for denying web access to its citizens.

of course, Cuba's aim is to prevent its people access to independent news sources (the better to control and manipulate the information they receive). less than 2 percent of Cubans connect to the web, and then only at closely monitored internet access points. the high price at the few existing internet cafes (about one third of a month's wages per hour, in a country that otherwise subsidizes housing, health care, and education) also acts as an effective block to Cuban's internet access.

this is an issue that i've touched on before. see Internet for All? Not in Cubaland.

on a related topic, Cuba also severely restricts its people's access to cell phones (who knows who the rascals may call, or where in the world they may connect to?). The High Cost of Cell Phones.

Cuban Rafts for Sale in Mexico

from the Spanish:

Cancun, Mexico:

Approximately 20 rafts used by Cuban emigrants who reached Mexico's Caribbean coast will be sold for approximately $50 (U.S.) each as part of a fundraiser for the Red Cross, according to the authorities Isla Mujeres.

"There are approximately 20 rafts. The majority were made with pieces of tin cans, so they could be used for those who work with tin, and they will be sold at a symbolic price," stated Jose Luis Ibarra, spokesperson for the marine authorities of Isla Mujeres, which is located near the Mexican resort of Cancun.

Regarding the origin of the crudely-made rafts, Ibarra stated that "some landed empty, and others had passengers who were channeled to Immigration."

The rafts used by those leaving Cuba illegally are mostly made from discarded items, including wood and tin cans, and are usually equipped with automobile or agricultural machinery engines which are rigged to the raft.

Due to currents, hundreds of Cubans arrive each year on the Mexican east coast as they fail to reach Florida.

"some landed empty."

a moment of silence for those who didn't make it trying to get out of King Fidel's paradise.

The Realities of Cubaland Hit Home

as if to prove that there are still those who can see beyond their own worlds, a passage from this essay:

However, my family has a bit of wanderlust, and five days in we decided to take a taxi [from the author's all-inclusive resort] to the nearby town of Moron. Our taxi driver -- educated to be a lawyer, but making more on his current career path -- was an excellent guide. We first stopped at a family farm, where the family raised a pen of piglets, guinea pigs, rabbits and a few chickens. We then visited a crocodile conservatory, where we held baby crocs and fed the 16-footers. Next, we went into Moron.

Here, the reality of Cuba hit home. Waiters and bartenders at the resort told us Moron was a "nice tourist town." Not quite. The homes were decrepit and crumbling -- there is no motivation to repair them, as none of the residents actually own the homes. The supermarkets were almost devoid of goods or customers, with deodorant costing eight convertible pesos (60% of the typical monthly income.)

The oppressive heat seemed to reach into every nook, even making the shade unbearable. We were glad to return to the resort after only 45 minutes. But we were also painfully aware that the Cuban residents were not returning to any such refuge.

welcome to King Fidel's paradise.


moron, cuba: the ruins of a revolution

Two Opposition Members Beaten by Government Agents

this is a translation from the Spanish:


Havana, Cuba -- October 12, 2006
by Ahmed Rodríguez Albacia, Youth Without Censorship

Non-violent opposition members Nancy Suarez and her husband, Orestes Suarez Torres, were beaten brutally by members of the Rapid Response Brigades ("RRB") as they were leaving the city of Santa Clara, having participated in the inauguration of the Congress of Independent Libraries.

According to reports, the two activists were returning to their residence in Ranchuelo when they were forced into a taxi by members of the RRB and taken to their home.

During the trip, the couple were beaten severely, causing bruises and even broken bones on various locations in their bodies. The beating was so severe that the victims had to be bathed in a near-by stream to remove the blood covering them. [1]

They were also threatened that if they left their home again, both would be jailed.


[1] water in Cuba is rationed, and can only be collected during scheduled "on" times. it was probably due to the lack of running water that the victims had to be cleaned in a stream instead.

Stealing Back

in what seems to be a theme of late, let's revisit the issue of theft in Cuba.

theft is a problem in Cuba because the government owns everything of value (including people's livelihoods). to survive, people have to steal from the government.

here's a typical scenario:

The beautician at the government-run salon put the finishing touches on her client -- manicure, eyebrow shaping, facial, massage and masque -- then leaned in close, dropping her voice to a whisper.

'"Your discretion here is going to be vital,"' she told her pampered client. "Everything you got costs $32. But I will charge you $15. When you pay me, you have to act like it's a tip.'"

She rang up a $5 manicure and pocketed the $15 "'tip"' -- making in one hour what she'd normally earn in a month from her state employers.

From the cafeteria worker who forgoes the cash register to the cigar factory worker who slips a 25-count box into his backpack and the taxi driver who disconnects his odometer, Cuban employees have long been scamming government enterprises to make up for their absurdly low salaries.

See Full Story

key to understanding the above story is that the beauty salon customer was a foreigner (of course) with hard currency ... in this case dollars. there'de'd be little point in scamming Cuban pesos. they're worthless.

people who don't have access to hard currency steal goods: food, gasoline, clothes, anything they can use or barter.

the result is a government hemorrhaginging from so much theft.

it's a serious enough issue that Prince Regent Raul broached it even as he tries to smooth his transition to power.

which goes to show you that when a government is a thief, it makes a thief of all its subjects.

that's the real tragedy here.

Time Magazine says King Fidel has Cancer

the speculation continues with Time joining the fray. according to Time, US intelligence is now saying that King Fidel has terminal cancer and will not return to power. Cuban officials insist he is returning, but they would of course say this for the sake of stability within the country.

the Castro brothers are old conspirators, and they know that time is the key to any assumption of power. the more time you have to carry it out, the more secure you can become before having to face your enemies. the longer Fidel remains alive and rumored to be returning to power, the longer that anyone waiting to make a move will have to wait (no one will do that while there is a chance Fidel will return; his hold on power is simply that strong).

in the meantime, Prince Regent Raul continues to assert his new position, including re-shuffling of key positions to put his people in place. Raul has also been making alliances with nationalists within the Army and the Cuban Communist Party. all in all, he seems on track for someone who is consolidating his power base.

he has said that King Fidel will hold a session with students in December, so i guess we will have to wait and see:

Cuba's interim president, Raul Castro, has denied reports that his older brother is dying, saying Fidel is constantly improving, and that he will hold a special session with student delegates in December.

Meanwhile, Raul Castro, 75, has had a number of public appearances recently, in contrast to the first weeks after Fidel's surgery. He appeared at a youth meeting Sunday, and he delivered his first nationally televised domestic speech two weeks ago.

see full story

Havana Club: What's in a Name

"this is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles.
We're stealing it back."

-- U2 lead singer Bono, introducing "Helter Skelter"


in 1878, a Basque immigrant named Jose Arechabala built a rum distillery in the Cuban coastal town of Cardenas. his rums were a hit, and the business took off. it was a classic story of rags-to-riches success.

after years of continued production, the company hit a new high in 1935 with the introduction of what would become a classic: Havana Club, a light, aged rum with mature flavors, a delicate palate, and a delicious finish (to be frank, a rum like no other rum before it).

and so, one would have thought that the company's success was assured. not so in Cuba. in 1959, King Castro came to power. in 1960, under his orders, many businesses were taken over by the state with no real compensation to their owners.

the Havana Club plant manager at that time, a direct descendant of the founder, found himself with a pistol to his head as an Rebel officer told him, "this factory doesn't belong to you anymore."

unlike Bacardi (also a Cuban rum maker, founded in 1862), the Arechabala company did not survive the hostile takeover. as everybody knows, Bacardi was able to transplant its rum business to the Bahamas, then to Puerto Rico, and finally to the U.S., where it does quite well today.

not so Arechabala. the Havana Club trademark was allowed to expire, in 1973, and Cuba snapped it up. in the meantime, it had been selling Havana Club to the Soviet Block, but the brand had otherwise been languishing.


havana club for export to the Soviet block


enter Pernod Ricard. in 1993, the French beverage king signed a partnership agreement with Cuba to market Havana Club, and sales simply took off, mainly in Europe, Canada and Mexico.
overnight, the world re-discovered a stolen treasure. see full story

in the age of the internet, no marketing campaign could be complete without a website, and Havana Club ended up with a very nice site indeed, worth visiting if for nothing else, the classic rendition of "Havana Club," a song i understand used to be a sales ditty for the company.

well ... re-enter Bacardi. recently, the US denied Cuba renewal of the Havana Club mark. Bacardi made a deal with the Arechabala family, and has started marketing rum in the US market under the name Havana Club. Bacardi is only selling the rum in the U.S., but that's 40% of the world market for rum. while Pernod Ricard can't sell "their" Havana Club here right now, if trade sanctions are ever lifted, it would then have to compete with Bacardi's Havana Club which, by then, may very well be entrenched in the market.

Pernod Ricard and Cuba are, to say the least, somewhat pissed off.

i say, serves them right. what comes around goes around.

and at least Bacardi didn't take over Havana Club at the point of a gun.

The List of Shame

here is a list published by Cubanet of independent journalists and dissidents jailed in Cuba for no other reason that they do not agree with King Fidel and his dictatorship. this list is not complete, as there have been recent arrests associated with Fidel Castro's illness.

Jailed Independent Journalists (prison sentence is in parenthesis):

1. Víctor Rolando Arroyo (26 years)
2. Pedro Argüelles Moran (20 years)
3. Majail Barzaga Lugo (15 years)
4. Carmelo Diaz Fernandez (15 years)
5. Oscar Espinosa Chepe (20 years)
6. Adolfo Fernandez Sainz (15 years)
7. Miguel Galvan Gutierrez (26 years)
8. Julio Cesar Galvez (15 years)
9. Edel Jose Garcia (15 years)
10. Roberto Garcia Cabrejas (under house arrest)
11. Jorge Luis Garcia Paneque (24 years)
12. Ricardo Gonzalez Alfonso (20 years)
13. Luis González Penton (20 years)
14. Alejandro Gonzalez Raga (14 years)
15. Normando Hernandez (25 years)
16. Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta (20 years)
17. Jose Ubaldo Izquierdo (16 years)
18. Hector Maseda (20 years)
19. Mario Enrique Mayo (20 years)
20. Jorge Olivera (18 years)
21. Pablo Pacheco Avila (20 years)
22. Fabio Prieto Llorente (20 years)
23. Jose Gabriel Ramon Castillo (20 years)
24. Raul Rivero Castaneda (20 years)
    
25. Omar Rodriguez Saludes (27 years)
26. Omar Ruiz Hernandez (18 years)
27. Manuel Vazquez Portal (18 years)

Jailed Dissidents (prison sentence is in parenthesis):

1. Osvaldo Alfonso, 18 yrs
2. Nelson Aguilar, 13 yrs
3. Oscar Elias Biscet, 25 yrs
4. Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos, 25 yrs
5. Rafael Ernesto Avila Perez (not yet sentenced or sentence unknown)
   
6. Margarito Broche Espinosa, 25 yrs
7. Marcelo Cano, 18 yrs
8. Eduardo Diaz Fleites, 21 yrs
9. Antonio Diaz Sanchez, 20 yrs
10. Alfredo Dominguez Batista, 14 yrs
11. Efren Fernandez, 12 yrs
12. Jose Daniel Ferrer Castillo (not yet sentenced or sentence unknown)
13. Luis Enrique Ferrer Garcia, 28 yrs
14. Orlando Fundora, 18 yrs
15. Alfredo Felipe Fuentes, 26 yrs
16. Prospero Gainza, 25 yrs
17. Javier García Perez (not yet sentenced or sentence unknown)
18. Jorge Luis Garcia Tanquero, 20 yrs
19. Diosdado Gonzalez Marrero, 20 yrs
20. Lester Gonzalez Penton, 20 yrs
21. Leonel Grave de Peralta, 20 yrs
22. Ivan Hernandez Carrillo, 25 yrs
23. Regis Iglesias, 18 yrs
24. Rolando Jimenez Posada (not yet sentenced or sentence unknown)
25. Reynaldo Labrada Pena, 6 yrs
26. Librado Linares, 20 yrs
27. Marcelo Lopez Banobre, 15 yrs
28. Jose Miguel Martinez Hernandez, 13 years
29. Rafael Millet (not yet sentenced or sentence unknown)
30. Luis Milan Fernandez, 13 yrs
31. Roberto de Miranda, 20 yrs
32. Nelson Molinet, 20 yrs
33. Angel Moya Acosta, 13 yrs
34. Jesus Mustafa Felipe, 25 yrs
35. Felix Navarro, 25 yrs
36. Hector Palacios Ruiz, 25 yrs
37. Arturo Perez de Alejo, 20 yrs
38. Omar Pernet Hernandez, 25 yrs
39. Horacio Julio Pina Borrego, 20 yrs
40. Alfredo Manuel Pulido Lopez, 14 yrs
41. Arnaldo Ramos Lauzerique, 18 yrs
42. Alexis Rodriguez Fernandez, 15 yrs
43. Blas G. Rodriguez Reyes, 25 yrs
44. Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello (under house arrest)
45. Claro Sanchez Altarriba, 15 yrs
46. Ariel Sigler Amaya, 25 yrs
47. Guido Sigler Amaya, 20 yrs
48. Miguel Sigler Amaya (not yet sentenced or sentence unknown)
49. Ricardo Silva Gual, 10 yrs
50. Fidel Suarez Cruz, 20 yrs
51. Manuel Ubals Gonzalez, 20 yrs
52. Julio Antonio Valdes Guerra, 20 yrs
53. Miguel Valdes Tamayo, 15 yrs
54. Hector Raul Valle Hernandez, 12 yrs
55. Antonio A. Villarreal Acosta, 15 yrs
56. Orlando Zapata Tamayo (not yet sentenced or sentence unknown)

Fulgencio Batista's Widow Dies in West Palm Beach

the night of December 31, 1958, was a momentous one for Cubans, but most of them wouldn't know it for another 12 hours or so.

a handful of Cuba's elite, who had gathered at the Presidential Palace for General Batista's customary New Year's Eve party, had much to be worried about, but the situation wasn't desperate. yet.

the Rebel Army, led by two of Fidel Castro's best commanders (Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos) had advanced roughly halfway to Havana, essentially cutting the island in half after taking Santa Clara, the capital of Las Villas province.

but half of the island and the bulk of Batista's army still stood between the Rebel Army and Havana. past Santa Clara, the Rebels would have to advance across flat terrain without easy cover for most of the way. they were also outnumbered and outgunned by Batista's Army.
the Army had tanks and airplanes. The Rebels did not.


fulgencio batista, who rose from
sergeant to Cuba's dictator.

but Batista had had enough. after the United States ceased military shipments to his regime, a clear signal that the US was no longer backing him unconditionally, Batista thought long and hard about his future.

his future, he decided, was not in Cuba but in Spain, where he hoped to spend the roughly $700 million he had stashed away in Swiss bank accounts.

and so, on the night of December 31, 1958, Batista announced to the handful of close supporters and their families gathered at the Presidential Palace that, in so many words, he was taking the money and running. they were welcomed to stay behind and enjoy themselves.

less than three hours later, at roughly 2 a.m. on January 1, 1959, Batista's plane left Cuba. along with Batista, of course, went his family, including his first and only wife, Martha Fernandez Miranda de Batista.


Martha Fernandez Miranda de Batista
acting as Cuba's First Lady. She is
at the front and center of the image.
Her husband is behind her and to
the right, holding a small flag.

Mrs. Batista has just passed away, after a long life in exile, first in Spain, then Portugal, and finally West Palm Beach.

her husband died in Spain, on August 6, 1973. his legacy was that of a petty dictator, an Army sergeant who rose to the rank of general through political maneuvering and who eventually toppled a democratically-elected (though corrupt) government in a nearly-bloodless coup on March 10, 1952.

increasing opposition to his regime forced Batista to increase his repressive methods, which in turn lead to increased opposition, culminating with Fidel Castro's guerrilla war that brought Castro to power in 1959.

one is tempted to say that without Batista, there would have been no Castro. but given Cuba's post-colonial history and the conditions present in the island as it attempted to navigate its way from colony to democracy, Batista was almost inevitable.

which is to say, Castro too was almost inevitable.

one hopes the future will hold better things.

Mother is Detained and Fined for Public Criticism of Health Care in Cuba

a translation from the Spanish:

Moron, Cuba -- October 4, 2006
by Tico Morales, APLA / www.cubanet.org

Maria Rosales Campos, resident of Peonia, was detained for more than 24 hours for demanding her daughter's medication at a pharmacy.

This past Monday, Rosales went to the Serfin Sanches y Marti pharmacy at 8:00 a.m. with a prescription for her diabetic daughter, who is 6 years old. She was told that they were out of insulin, and suggested she to to the Narciso Lopez y Maximo Gomez pharmacy.

Once she got there, she found a long line and waited her turn. However, when she reached the pharmacist, she was told they were also out of insulin. Rosales apparently began crying and made statements against the government.

The pharmacist called the police, and they escorted Rosales to the First National Revolutionary Police station in Moron, where she was kept under arrest.

Her husband, Evaristo Sanchez, having returned home in the afternoon, had to take their daughter, who was in an advanced state of distress, to the hospital. The alarmed medical staff were able to properly treat the girl.

Rosales was kept in jail overnight, and was fined $400 Cuban pesos.

Cuba Holds Child To Ensure Mother's Court Appearance

in another display of the contempt the Cuban regime has for individual rights, a young girl has been separated from her mother and is being held in Cuba against her mother's will.

from CBC News:

Canada's Foreign Affairs Department is investigating the case of a nine-year-old B.C. girl who is allegedly being forced to stay behind with relatives in Cuba after her mother got into trouble with police during a recent trip to the country.

Dunia Garcia, 25, a Cuban-born permanent resident of Canada, said Wednesday that her daughter Amanda was not allowed to return with her to their home in Vernon, B.C., after the trip in August and is staying with family members in the capital of Havana.

Dunia said she was charged with assault after an incident involving a Cuban police officer at a check stop, held for two days, told not to leave the country, but suffered a miscarriage and then was allowed to return home to B.C.

Officials, however, ordered her daughter to stay to force Dunia to return to deal with the charge, she said.

The ordeal began when Dunia, five months pregnant at the time, visited her home country to see relatives. At the routine check stop, the police officer accused her of forging her Canadian documents. She insulted him and took his picture.

"I got mad and said, 'You're stupid,'" she said.

"I don't want to escape from what happened. I want to deal with it. But I don't want to have my daughter there and me here."

Before she left Cuba, Dunia suffered a miscarriage, which her common-law husband Dale Smith believes was triggered by the stress of the incident.

"It's a result of all the stress going on. She basically demanded they let her go, and they said, 'Yeah, you can go.' They said her daughter couldn't go back with her so she would return and deal with this situation with police," he said.

"They are holding her as collateral for her mom to come back to Cuba."

Sixty Days of Power: Raul's Track Record

Two months after being designated by Fidel Castro as acting-president of Cuba, Raul Castro Ruz has begun to leave his stamp on guiding Cuba: he is more open to teamwork and to give leadership roles to some of his collaborators -- as he did as chief of the Ministry of Armed Forces.

In the last 60 days, two persons, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, and Vice President and Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Politburo Carlos Lage Davila, have been close to the No. 2 man in the Cuban hierarchy in the public activities of government, in domestic and foreign affairs in which they have participated.

According to diverse analysts, whether or not Fidel Castro recuperates from his illness which caused him to be provisionally separated from power on July 31, the Raul-Lage-Perez Roque axis is the key to any short-term or long-term political equation.

Raul in discussion with Fidel.
this is an archive picture.

Since he has been in charge of government, Raul Castro has named the Minister of Communications and Information (the storied commander Ramiro Valdes, who on two occasions was Minister of Interior); he successfully presided over the Cuban delegation to the XIV Summit of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries that concluded September 16 in Havana; and he sent, for the first time ever, the chief of the ideological apparatus of the Communist Party, Esteban Lazo, as Cuba's representative to the inauguration of the 61 session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Raul Castro aslo gave a sweeping speech on interior "errors and deficiencies" during the closing of the 19th Congress of the Workers' Central of Cuba, and served as host to Russian Prime Minister Mikail Fradkov who has now given the island a credit of USD $350 million for Cuba to buy goods and services from that country.

The naming of Valdes on August 3oth had immediate repercussions. Upon being placed in charge of the strategic area of communications, Valdes fired Jose Antonio Fernández as chief of Telecommunications Enterprises of Cuba .

The aforesaid company, with an income of more than USD $400 million and in which Telecom-Italia has a 27 percent interest, is one of the most powerful companies in Cuba. Valdes also dismissed the president of the huge state-run corporation, COPEXTEL, that imports, assembles, and distributes communications equipment, computers, and other technology. Neither of these dismissals have been published by the Cuban press.

Source

Continued Criticism of Cuban Working Force

taking a cue from bad leaders, Raul Castro appears determined to highlight how bad Cuban workers are and how the economic troubles in the island are their fault.

in his first "official" speech as Prince Regent, Raul chastised labor representatives in the following manner:

[Raul Castro] stressed that, in socialism, workers are the "owners of the collective means of production," and that "the only owners of the riches of the country can not be excused of their responsibility, and [those owners] are none other than yourselves and the rest of the people."

See Full Story.

translation: things are not working and it's your responsibility that they are not.

of course, it's not King Fidel's and Prince Raul's fault, who have ruled without elections for 47 years, forcing slavery-in-fact to the people of Cuba, who have no real incentive to work. after all, if you make money, you become suspect of "anti-social" activities and can have your gains confiscated.

oh no ... it's the workers's fault. yea.

of course, he followed those comments by saying that corruption "was a serious problem." what he means by corruption, though, is theft of government resources or cheating consumers at the marketplace.

how do i know? because just yesterday, party-mouthpiece Juventud Rebelde published criticism of how more than 11,500 businesses in Havana were selling their products at higher prices than advertised, or delivering lesser quantities.

this follows comments by Fidel last November (not so blunt nor so critical of the people) that over half of the gasoline belonging to the state was being stolen, and that such activities had the power to destroy the revolution from within.

that's what they really mean by "corruption."

i call it the marketplace at work and the rules of supply and demand imposing themselves.

when the state itself is the greatest thief, and that thief controls all resources, there is no possible way to deal with it but to steal back.