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Cuban Diary XIX: What the UN Rapporteur Should See / Angel Santiesteban
Posted on May 19, 2013

If the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva saw through a crack the
horrors that occur in Cuban prisons, surely it would do two things:

1 – Expel Cuba from the United Nations.

2 – Knowing the alleged violations that are occurring in the prison of
Guantanamo Bay, according to accusations from the Castro government,
they could send the directors who lead the prisons in Cuba — true
concentration camps — to pass a course at Guantanamo, in order to
improve their behavior.

The dictatorship, always obsessed with attacking the United States,
transmits TV images denigrating what is allegedly happening in
Guantanamo Bay.

It's not my job to defend it or make value judgments about it, this is
the role of the American people; my obligation as a Cuban and
intellectual is to denounce the terrible tortures that take place in the
prison where I have been held and of which I am not a witness.

At present, in the cell, there is a young man with his mouth sewn shut
with wire. Today he passed through the prison before the frightened
looks from the other inmates.

There are daily fights between prisoners and between them and the
guards. I guess this is common in any prison in the world but I am not a
specialist to confirm that. But here, when the guards confront a
prisoner, the ratio is ten to one, along with their batons and pepper
sprays.

The food they serve is a tiny amount and badly prepared. It consists of
a few grams o rice, a boiled egg, and a colorless and odorless but
always disgusting soup.

The barracks are populated by prisoners who have completed their
sentences, and who, because of bureaucratic problems, remained locked up
without any consideration. The constant beatings and dungeons are
increasing their sentences along with the blackmail to not demand their
"rights."

Silence is the only ally of the Cuban prisoner; talking could lead to a
new condemnatory charge in the most arbitrary of decisions.

They wait and resign themselves. They have no alternatives.

That is the stark reality of the Cuban prisoner, who lives without
guarantees of his rights or the chance to make demands. Even without
reviewing the records of those processed in light of international
guarantees applied to the condemned, I can say without any fear of being
mistaken that if that were to happen half of the prison population would
be freed.

A court that has before it a young man without hope, who, unfortunately,
is a part of the children nobody wanted, who has left school and has no
place to be nor can he be offered a reliable life project that invites
him to get on track that isn't emigration, the place he can best be held
is in jail.

A great part of Cuban youth that has not found a way to go into exile is
in prison; and I say this with total confidence, they are following
there a criminal course for their future as thugs.

Hopefully the Rapporteur who is sent to Cuba will be able to meet with
the people who so greatly suffer the need for him.

Ángel Santiesteban-Prats
Prison 1580
May 2013

18 May 2013

http://translatingcuba.com/cuban-diary-xix-what-the-un-rapporteur-should-see-angel-santiesteban/ Continue reading
Cuba: Sex, Taking All Comers / Ivan Garcia
Posted on May 19, 2013

There is still the ration book. Potatoes are scarce, the price of fruit
is going through the roof, and drinking a natural orange juice is a
luxury. Sanitary pads are only distributed every two months — a package
of ten to menstruating women. And connecting to the Internet is still a
science fiction story for a large part of the population.

However, sex is liberated. A national sport. According to some, the
infidelity between couples is a gene human beings carry. If those verse
in it give a tour of Cuba, we can confirm their strange theories.

And they confirm that teenagers of 12 and 13 are "experts" in the field.
Unaware that Australian is a continent, or that Henry Lee was in
independence fighter in the American Revolution and not the creator of
Lee jeans. But when it comes to sex, they have countless stories to
tell. For many boys, their fathers teach them from the time they're
small, that the more women they have the more macho they are.

It's the ABCs of a Cuban father to his son; life is dick. Men don't cry.
And the boss of the house is the one with balls. If in the 19th and 20th
century fathers paid prostitutes to de-flower their sons, today it's not
necessary.

Most children are more up-to-date and more promiscuous than their
parents. Having a "honey" or a lover is synonymous with masculinity. An
athlete of sex. A son of a bitch of the street.

The more lovers, the more drinks friends pay for. In the bars they offer
"wise" council about how to get into an impossible female. For hours,
they tell sex anecdotes without ceasing to drink like Cossacks, beer and
cheap rum.

Sex in Cuba is messy, but it has its hierarchies. Not like the
neighborhood pimp that manages a five-star hotel. A capital that's a
general. A boring and monotonous deputy to parliament that's a mandarin.

The "honeys" of the superiors respect them. Secretly they look at their
breasts or butt, but desist from the rude compliment or indecent
proposal. A boss can fire you or make your life impossible if he finds
you prowling around his woman.

Meanwhile, the more stars on your epaulette or if your photo appears
among the members of the Central Committee, the more chances you have to
give major luxuries to your lovers. You can even choose: blondes
brunettes, mulatto or black. Or have a collection with one of each. As
all are stunning, with pride and discretion we see you on the weekend in
exclusive recreational villas for senior officers, or at parties their
wives don't attend.

Being the "honey" of a major character in Cuba, is synonymous with
social status. As if rocket-propelled, you climb the ladder at work. All
over Havana everyone is talking about the meteoric rise of a famous
television report, who is both beautiful and talented. According to the
rumors, the lucky guy who sleeps with her is the "boss of the bosses."

It's still remembered that in the 90s, when Carlos Aldana was the third
strong man on the island, in charge of the ideological sector of the
Communist Party, came to have three "darling" journalists, the three
well-known.

Even Fidel Castro, between sips of Jack's Daniel, liked to talk in
private about his sexual exploits, like the affair he had with the
German Marita Lorenz and she told about it in a book. In a
macho-Fidelista Revolution like the Cuban one, having amorous adventures
in bulk sets you apart from the pack. A rogue, a pimp. A hallmark of
virility that makes the difference.

In a note from Juan Juan Almeida published in Marti News, told about the
debauchery of Cuban officials in Angola. He gave a figure, taking from
the Ministry of the Armed Forces: 40% of the woman who were on the
mission in Angola were harassed or raped. That figure has never appeared
in the newspaper Granma. For me, Almeida Jr. is a highly credible
source. He lived among the creme de la creme of the Cuban hierarchy. His
father, a great person in the opinion of his relatives, took to his bed
every woman who stirred his pleasure.

And I pardon their children and wives. The great difference between
being the "honey" of a leader and dying of hunger, are luxuries and
comforts. The guy with few resources invites you to a movie and buys you
popcorn or peanuts. The "bigwig" puts a roof over your head. And if you
really satisfy him he buys you a car. And in addition, you climb the
ladder in your profession.

There are women who live off their lovers, like the pimps off their
prostitutes. And sometimes they have more than one "girlfriend," they
compete to see who gets more and remains preferred. Recently I heard an
argument between two hookers. One said to the other, "Yeah, I'm a
monster, I bought my boyfriend a motorcycle and three gold chains. The
others just give him shirts and sneakers."

You can live in tile house in Carraguao, or a residence in Miramar. But
if you were raised to it, you have to have a "honey." In a conversation
between "tough men," if you don't talk about the "girlfriends," "honeys"
or lovers you have, they might label you Catholic or retarded. A bore
who doesn't know how to use the penis God gave you. That is, taking care
not to mention or even look at the boss's lover.

Ivan Garcia

16 May 2013

http://translatingcuba.com/cuba-sex-taking-all-comers-ivan-garcia/ Continue reading
Los activistas afrocubanos dijeron que el Partido Independiente de Color aportó a la lucha por la libertad en Cuba. Continue reading

El equipo femenino de Cuba cerró sin éxitos en la primera fase del Torneo Internacional de voleibol de Beilun, provincia oriental de Zheijiang, luego de perder este domingo en cuatro sets ante las anfitrionas chinas, informa la Agencia de Información Nacional (AIN).

Según el sitio web de la Federación Puertorriqueña del deporte, las chinas, invictas en el torneo, lograron el triunfo con pizarra de 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-16 y 25-18).

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Los cubanos Rose Mary Almanza y Ernesto Revé se colgaron los oros del Grand Prix de atletismo celebrado este domingo en Sao Paolo, en el cierre del circuito que sirve de preparación para el Mundial de agosto en Moscú, informó la prensa oficial de la Isla.

Almanza se impuso en los 800 metros, al detener el cronómetro de 2:02.79 minutos, mientras que Revé ganó la competencia de triple salto con uno de 16,91 metros.

Detrás de Almanza se situaron la colombiana Rosibel García (2:04.21) y a su compatriota Saily Diago (2:04.75).

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Está previsto que Berta Soler y Guillermo Fariñas coincidan este lunes en la emblemática Torre de la Libertad de Miami. Continue reading
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If the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva saw through a crack the horrors that occur in Cuban prisons, surely it would do two things: 1 – Expel Cuba from the United Nations. 2 – Knowing the alleged violations that … Continue reading Continue reading
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Torna & Prado Fine Art Collection in conjunction with the National Museum of Fine Arts Havana Cuba, launched the book, Mario Carreo: Selected Works / Obras Selectas 1936-1957 by collector, curator, historian, Continue reading
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San Juan, May 18 (Prensa Latina) The Cuban athletics team excelled at the Ponce Grand Prix by winning two gold medals and rising to the podium in another three occasions. The gold medals were pocketed by Liuba Maria Saldivar, in triple jump (13.66) and... Continue reading
Cuban Parliament Speaker Esteban Lazo said his country is interested in expanding economic cooperation with Russia. Lazo, president of Cuba's unicameral parliament, the People's Power National Assembly, Continue reading
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El grafitero estuvo detenido varias horas y le confiscaron sus instrumentos de trabajo. Continue reading
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There is still the ration book. Potatoes are scarce, the price of fruit is going through the roof, and drinking a natural orange juice is a luxury. Sanitary pads are only distributed every two months — a package of ten … Continue reading Continue reading
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Un economista del Gobierno ha puesto fecha al fin de la doble moneda en la Isla. "A más tardar hacia 2016, debe estar resuelto cuando se complete la aplicación de los lineamientos" de la Política Económica y Social, trazados por el Partido Comunista, dijo en entrevista con el diario español ABC.

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A Cuban cigar-themed custom chopper was probably one of the last things we thought we'd see. However, as weird such a contraption might seem, Tarhan Telli of TT Custom Choppers fame was eager to show Continue reading
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El grafitero Danilo Maldonado (El Sexto) fue detenido este sábado en su casa en La Habana, después de un registro en el que las autoridades confiscaron su obra y sus materiales de trabajo.

"Se lo llevaron detenido desde mi casa y le confiscaron todas sus planchas, sus spray la laptop y algo más de lo que estaba haciendo", dijo su esposa, Alexandra, en un mensaje publicado en Facebook por Gorki Águila, líder de la banda Porno Para Ricardo.

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Note: The following lecture was delivered at the Africa & U.S. Imperialism Conference held in Detroit on May 18, 2013. The event was sponsored by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice Continue reading
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